Worth Getting Fixed?

Picked up the Evoque a week ago now and I am largely really happy with it! The drive is fantastic, the cabin is great and the gadgets are second to none.

There are a few little glitches like the auto windscreen wipers swiping once when the car is turned on and the TV picture not being present even when stationery (even though the sound is on) but I'm sure the dealer will sort out these niggles as I've mentioned these to him.

There are a couple of cosmetic bits that need to be addressed. These are an 8 inch scratch along the bottom plastic of the drivers interior door. This was present when I did the initial inspection but I thought it was just a scuff that would wash off. Alas no, it is a scratch and thus needs to be sorted.

Also there is a small scratch on the aluminium panel on the dash. Very noticeable if it catches your eye when you're out and about as the metal trim catches the light. Quite annoying so I've asked for this to be looked at.

My question is are these bits going to be a right faff for them to sort out? I am worried that the whole top dash may have to come off for the aluminium trim to be replaced and as a result may not be fitted back as snuggly as before which may cause rattles.

Same with the door really. Can the bottom plastic section where you can stow things be easily replaced or is it the whole door panel that needs replacing?

I plan on being very picky with mine.
(apologies in advance for the dealer).
If a scratch was there at delivery it'll be going back to be fixed, no matter how much of a faff it is.

If it comes back rattling, it'll go back again.

Depends how much free time you have. I have learned that some things aren't worth the hassle...for instance, if there was a stone chip on the bumper when you go to collect the car, most of us would reject it or instist on it being repaired. Whichever way you look at it, this is hassle for us...and yet 1,000 miles later there will be several stone chips...so is the repair / fix really worth the hassle.

A purest view is that nothing should rattle or be problematic when it is all put back together again, and if it does then it simply needs to be fixed...my view is that it may not always be worth the hassle.

(03-04-2012 11:23am)stef.c Wrote:  Picked up the Evoque a week ago now and I am largely really happy with it! The drive is fantastic, the cabin is great and the gadgets are second to none.

There are a few little glitches like the auto windscreen wipers swiping once when the car is turned on and the TV picture not being present even when stationery (even though the sound is on) but I'm sure the dealer will sort out these niggles as I've mentioned these to him.

There are a couple of cosmetic bits that need to be addressed. These are an 8 inch scratch along the bottom plastic of the drivers interior door. This was present when I did the initial inspection but I thought it was just a scuff that would wash off. Alas no, it is a scratch and thus needs to be sorted.

Also there is a small scratch on the aluminium panel on the dash. Very noticeable if it catches your eye when you're out and about as the metal trim catches the light. Quite annoying so I've asked for this to be looked at.

My question is are these bits going to be a right faff for them to sort out? I am worried that the whole top dash may have to come off for the aluminium trim to be replaced and as a result may not be fitted back as snuggly as before which may cause rattles.

Same with the door really. Can the bottom plastic section where you can stow things be easily replaced or is it the whole door panel that needs replacing?

It's difficult to know how bad it is (or, more importantly, how annoying) but, if the dash did need replacing, I'd think twice. I had one replaced on a BMW years ago (after the car had been broken into, and the thief used a crowbar to remove the radio!), and it was never the same again. (Rattles, bits of sticky tape protruding, and slightly misaligned). However, given the fact that you can have optional finishes for that strip, it may be easier to change than you fear.

I hear what you're saying.

I don't want to potentially end up creating more problems for myself.

Yes you can have a zero tolerance approach and keep sending it back if its not right but sometimes that causes massive headaches and further problems and can just spoil the whole experience. Yes it SHOULD be perfect. But there has to be some level of leniency. There will be little dints and nicks further down the line that I can be sure of. I think some people are adamant about sending the car back when theres a little thing wrong purely on principle.

My question was specifically if any one has experience with replacing the brushed aluminium panel on the dash and if this is easily done by the dealership? Ditto to the plastic door panel at the bottom.

I think this will affect my decision on the matter.

(03-04-2012 12:33pm)stef.c Wrote:  My question was specifically if any one has experience with replacing the brushed aluminium panel on the dash and if this is easily done by the dealership? Ditto to the plastic door panel at the bottom.

I appreciate that, what I was suggesting was that, when you find out (and maybe only the dealer can tell you unless someone's already been down that road), maybe think hard about the aluminium trim if the answer is that large parts of the dash have to be removed.

I just had a quick look at my car, and I can't see any way of removing less than the bottom section of door trim which wraps round the door handle recess and comes up the sides to window level. That's quite a big piece, but it will only be secured by those ubiquitous push-fit 'diamond' spring clips, so probably would be easy. The aluminium trim extends well behind the roll of padding above and below it, and the easiest one to remove looks like the lower piece, but how that would be done is less clear than the door panel.

(03-04-2012 01:04pm)Donny Dog Wrote:  I appreciate that, what I was suggesting was that, when you find out (and maybe only the dealer can tell you unless someone's already been down that road), maybe think hard about the aluminium trim if the answer is that large parts of the dash have to be removed.

I just had a quick look at my car, and I can't see any way of removing less than the bottom section of door trim which wraps round the door handle recess and comes up the sides to window level. That's quite a big piece, but it will only be secured by those ubiquitous push-fit 'diamond' spring clips, so probably would be easy. The aluminium trim extends well behind the roll of padding above and below it, and the easiest one to remove looks like the lower piece, but how that would be done is less clear than the door panel.

Thanks for your extra thoughts on this. It sounds like the door may be OK to do, maybe not the dash from what your saying. Of course I could go ahead with the dash but it always carries that inherent risk that we discussed earlier! May just have to live with it...

Suggest asking the dealer what they intend to do for you to make you happy if you let them off the hook with fixing the dash (I.e. free accessories)

I would certainly get the TV looked at as it is a very expensive extra, whether the dealer will agree to fix the 8" scratch or not I don't know, especially if you didn't point it out before taking delivery then it's a kind of your word against his.
Talking the dash to bits these days isn't as bad as it used to be, but you will have to balance the cost of the labour to do the job against the risk of gaining a rattle just to cure a scratch on the aluminium trim.

BTW if anybody has an Evoque Pure Coupe in Fuji with style 3 19" alloys being delivered to Stratstone Perth today I followed a transporter with a Firenze Prestige Evoque and the above coupe up the M9 from J9 Stirling to just north of Bridge of Allan this morning - the tails of the tie down straps holding the Firenze onto the upper deck were flapping all over the roof and bonnet of the Coupe. If the Coupe is yours then inspect it very carefully for scratches on the roof and bonnet - it should now be at Stratstones by now.

(03-04-2012 04:03pm)XFullFatTim Wrote:  I would certainly get the TV looked at as it is a very expensive extra, whether the dealer will agree to fix the 8" scratch or not I don't know, especially if you didn't point it out before taking delivery then it's a kind of your word against his.
Talking the dash to bits these days isn't as bad as it used to be, but you will have to balance the cost of the labour to do the job against the risk of gaining a rattle just to cure a scratch on the aluminium trim.

BTW if anybody has an Evoque Pure Coupe in Fuji with style 3 19" alloys being delivered to Stratstone Perth today I followed a transporter with a Firenze Prestige Evoque and the above coupe up the M9 from J9 Stirling to just north of Bridge of Allan this morning - the tails of the tie down straps holding the Firenze onto the upper deck were flapping all over the roof and bonnet of the Coupe. If the Coupe is yours then inspect it very carefully for scratches on the roof and bonnet - it should now be at Stratstones by now.

I don't have a lot of experience with this but I dont think the dealer will start arguing over a couple of cosmetic bits that need doing?? There must be loads of people that only notice things AFTER they get the vehicle back home and give it a closer look. In any case he seems like a nice guy, and I've mentioned it already so I don't think they're going to make an issue out of it.