Readers Letters

Seif Said from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: KIA Egypt 3rd complaint / KIA Sportage technical failure: Conumser Protection Agency case W194522 (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I would like to share with you the latest development of my case. Since the last two submissions of my readers letters and complaints on autoarabia.org, I have received zero response from KIA Egypt, KIA ME and KIA HQ.

This attitude is not surprising me anymore. The amount of misleading information, wrong technical guidance and lack of communication from all of the above mentioned is either deliberate or just simple lack of responsibility.

As for the technical issue with the catalytic converter, up to this moment, and fully documented, the dashboard signal goes on and off randomly. The issue is still there, and it seems noone but me is caring.

This leaves me with very limited options, including escalating the topic through my lawyer and through other renowned media outlets as well as through social media such as Facebokk, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

The word can be spread with full facts very easily and with a lot of impact on the KIA reputation that is already dented in Egypt.

If KIA choses me to go this path, then I would recommend them to brace. Someone eventually will have to answer to the court and I will know how to get my rights through the law.

Awaiting for your kind input and guidance, and looking forward to straighten this situation in a fair and ethical manner.

Best Regards
Seif Said

Subject: KIA Sportage follow-up complaint: Consumer Protection Agency case number W194522 against KIA Egypt EIM/EIT (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

As a follow-up to the case I submitted to you before, please be advised that I have filed an official complaint against Kia Egypt EIM/EIT through the Consumer Protection Agency with the file number W194522.

I am very disappointed that KIA Egypt replied that they will not do anything regarding my problem. This shows how much KIA Egypt cares about the Egyptian consumer.

On top, KIA did not take my problem seriously, despite the last inspection they did, they saw that there was a serious issue with the car. The catalytic converter was lit during the whole period and beyond the car leaving the service center, then it turned off on its own, and turned on again on its own, with me having proof and photos of the incidents.

This means that KIA Egypt EIM/EIT either deliberately did not fix the problem, or that they do not have the technical expertise to understand what the problem is. Both scenarios should be unacceptable by KIA Motors Corporation at the headquarters in Korea.

The root cause could be something totally different than what they are currently identifying, and I have complete lack of trust at this point with any action or recommendation they might give.

During one of the recorded phone-calls with one of the KIA Egypt employees, his reply was to clean the catalytic converter, by removing the internal material and bypassing the control system of it, so that the car will be running without the catalytic converter!!!

It seems to me that this is a common practice done by KIA Egypt, as per a phone call that can be proven through a recording. I am not sure how this is even legally allowed to drive a car with a non-functioning catalytic converter. Of course I have refused this unacceptable and unprofessional option that was offered to me by KIA Egypt.

For the record, I have cancelled a reservation with the sales team of KIA for the upcoming purchase of a 2022 model, since now, I lack complete trust and respect to the brand. It is clear to me that the unprofessional standards of KIA Egypt EIM/EIT has reached a new low that I would find hard to believe that any other manufacturer can go to. It would be sad to realize that this would be actually the standards of KIA worldwide, and by the rate of reaction of KIA Middle East and KIA Korea, it seems to be the case, since up to this moment they made zero reaction.

Thank you for your support, and looking forward to a fair resolution of my case.

Best Regards
Seif Said


Subject: Rip-off and complaint from KIA Egypt EIT EIM / KIA Sportage 2019 catalytic converter failure (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

Thank you for reviewing my case. I own a KIA Sportage 2019, with 101000 km on the dial. At 7000 km, the check engine light on the dashboard was frequently (almost every 1000 km) signaling, and alternating between on/off.

At that point, the car was sent to the service center, and it was checked and the engine check light turned off after KIA Official inspection was completed. After this inspection, the engine sound was loud, and the engine was running with a rattle and inconsistently.

That happened around the 20k km mark, so the car was sent again to the KIA Egypt / EIT EIM service center for the 20k maintenance and check-up on this new development. KIA report showed that the issue is the fuel quality, and advised to switch over from 92 Octane to 95 Octane.

The check engine after inspection stayed on, and the lame justification of KIA Egypt was it would turn off after 95 fuel is applied. At around 32k, KIA asked to clean up the catalytic converter to make sure that the check engine signal will be turned off. This was the first time that KIA mentioned that there was an issue with the catalytic converter and this was also the first time that i heard that an official KIA dealer performs something called catalytic converter cleaning although the car is under warranty !!!! Is this something normal within the international KIA service center guidelines or is KIA Egypt EIT EIM just inventing and making up stuff by themselves??? Or are they trying to rip me off???

It was agreed that this will take place at 40k, which was the next service in line. At 40k km, KIA Egypt / EIT EIM claimed that they have cleaned the catalytic converter instead of a replacement, since the spare part was not available and that it needed to be ordered, which would take around 3 months.

At 50k km, KIA Egypt / EIT EIM claimed that they have changed the catalytic converter during the service, free of charge, since the car was under warranty. Nevertheless KIA Egypt / EIT EIM refused to give me any proof that they changed the catalytic converter.

At around 80k km, the check engine lit up again, worthy to mention that 95 octane was the fuel used during the full period from 20k km onwards. During the inspections of 88k km, which was a combined 80+90 k km service in one shot, KIA did not give any recommendation on the check engine signal.

What was communicated verbally from the service manager is that most probably it is an electrical fault that keeps the check engine light on. No recommendation was give in written on the receipt concerning the catalytic converter, even the service report does not mention it.

At 101k km, for the 100k service, the KIA Egypt / EIT EIM service decided to make 110 k service instead of the expected 100k service. After service, the report for the first time shows in written that this check engine is a catalytic converter issue and should be replaced !!!

The interesting part is that the report mentions this just at the moment where my car leaves warranty and was not mentioned during that full period from 80k to 100k. When I asked, KIA personnel told me that there is no recorded history on their system that there is an issue with the catalytic converter, despite the fact that they supposedly changed it at 50k !!!!

The new service engineer following-up on this case, was the only one with integrity to raise the topic with me to make me cautious about the consequences of running the car without replacement of the catalytic converter, and he gave me a heads-up that there is no record on KIA Egypt system on the history of this topic.

The only one who can access this information is the manager. After reaching out to the manager, he confirmed to me that there is no written history, and he refused to give any written proof of the exchange of the catalytic converter that happened at 50k, since this is seen as internal process !!!

This low level of transparency and zero credibility makes me wonder how an international brand like KIA and its quality assurance department would allow such an unprofessional and business-harming behavior!!!

This traumatizing experience made me question my financial decision of investing into a car with such level of customer centricity and this will probably be the last KIA I will ever buy because and based on my extremely bad experience with the customer service, the service center non-transparancy and the unprofessional management of KIA Egypt / EIT EIM !!!

I would kindly seek your advise on how to sort out this matter, especially that KIA EGYPT dragged out this catalytic converter problem on purpose beyond the warranty conditions and time-frame, so they would rip-off thousands of pounds from me and probably from many other KIA customers in Egypt before me!!!

Thank you for your patience in reading the above and waiting for a swift and satisfying solution of my problem from KIA heaquarters or KIA Middle East.

Best Regards
Seif Said



Editors response:
Dear Mr. Seif,

we are extremely surprised that your case has not been solved for several weeks now.

It seems that the official KIA dealership did something fishy or wrong and it seems that the KIA managers are trying to cover-up something.

We will escalate this case again to the KIA headquarter in Seoul / Korea and to the KIA regional office in Dubai.

Kind regards,
Editor

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DiefAlla Ahmed DiefAlla from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Hyundai Egypt / Hyundai CN7 engine over heating (Readers letter)
My Hyundai cn7 model 2022 stop at the high way . Engine stop the temperature megerment is normal and i check water was less but not empty i back to car and try to turn it on failed and temperature high so
I call service center thay send to me car with cost more than 400 Le. Today service center call me to tell me water is empty we need to make some changes it cost your more than 27000 le . Note my car still in protection plane it model 2022 and run 14000 km. Please help me . It is not fair . Thanks


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Seif Said from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: KIA Sportage follow-up complaint: Consumer Protection Agency case number W194522 against KIA Egypt EIM/EIT (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

As a follow-up to the case I submitted to you before, please be advised that I have filed an official complaint against Kia Egypt EIM/EIT through the Consumer Protection Agency with the file number W194522.

I am very disappointed that KIA Egypt replied that they will not do anything regarding my problem. This shows how much KIA Egypt cares about the Egyptian consumer.

On top, KIA did not take my problem seriously, despite the last inspection they did, they saw that there was a serious issue with the car. The catalytic converter was lit during the whole period and beyond the car leaving the service center, then it turned off on its own, and turned on again on its own, with me having proof and photos of the incidents.

This means that KIA Egypt EIM/EIT either deliberately did not fix the problem, or that they do not have the technical expertise to understand what the problem is. Both scenarios should be unacceptable by KIA Motors Corporation at the headquarters in Korea.

The root cause could be something totally different than what they are currently identifying, and I have complete lack of trust at this point with any action or recommendation they might give.

During one of the recorded phone-calls with one of the KIA Egypt employees, his reply was to clean the catalytic converter, by removing the internal material and bypassing the control system of it, so that the car will be running without the catalytic converter!!!

It seems to me that this is a common practice done by KIA Egypt, as per a phone call that can be proven through a recording. I am not sure how this is even legally allowed to drive a car with a non-functioning catalytic converter. Of course I have refused this unacceptable and unprofessional option that was offered to me by KIA Egypt.

For the record, I have cancelled a reservation with the sales team of KIA for the upcoming purchase of a 2022 model, since now, I lack complete trust and respect to the brand. It is clear to me that the unprofessional standards of KIA Egypt EIM/EIT has reached a new low that I would find hard to believe that any other manufacturer can go to. It would be sad to realize that this would be actually the standards of KIA worldwide, and by the rate of reaction of KIA Middle East and KIA Korea, it seems to be the case, since up to this moment they made zero reaction.

Thank you for your support, and looking forward to a fair resolution of my case.

Best Regards
Seif Said

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Seif,

we are sad to hear that neither KIA Motors Middle East nor KIA Motors headquarter in Korea have contacted you yet.

We will forward your follow-up complaint to them again and please update us again after 48 hours with any new developments in your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Seif Said from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Rip-off and complaint from KIA Egypt EIT EIM / KIA Sportage 2019 catalytic converter failure (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

Thank you for reviewing my case. I own a KIA Sportage 2019, with 101000 km on the dial. At 7000 km, the check engine light on the dashboard was frequently (almost every 1000 km) signaling, and alternating between on/off.

At that point, the car was sent to the service center, and it was checked and the engine check light turned off after KIA Official inspection was completed. After this inspection, the engine sound was loud, and the engine was running with a rattle and inconsistently.

That happened around the 20k km mark, so the car was sent again to the KIA Egypt / EIT EIM service center for the 20k maintenance and check-up on this new development. KIA report showed that the issue is the fuel quality, and advised to switch over from 92 Octane to 95 Octane.

The check engine after inspection stayed on, and the lame justification of KIA Egypt was it would turn off after 95 fuel is applied. At around 32k, KIA asked to clean up the catalytic converter to make sure that the check engine signal will be turned off. This was the first time that KIA mentioned that there was an issue with the catalytic converter and this was also the first time that i heard that an official KIA dealer performs something called catalytic converter cleaning although the car is under warranty !!!! Is this something normal within the international KIA service center guidelines or is KIA Egypt EIT EIM just inventing and making up stuff by themselves??? Or are they trying to rip me off???

It was agreed that this will take place at 40k, which was the next service in line. At 40k km, KIA Egypt / EIT EIM claimed that they have cleaned the catalytic converter instead of a replacement, since the spare part was not available and that it needed to be ordered, which would take around 3 months.

At 50k km, KIA Egypt / EIT EIM claimed that they have changed the catalytic converter during the service, free of charge, since the car was under warranty. Nevertheless KIA Egypt / EIT EIM refused to give me any proof that they changed the catalytic converter.

At around 80k km, the check engine lit up again, worthy to mention that 95 octane was the fuel used during the full period from 20k km onwards. During the inspections of 88k km, which was a combined 80+90 k km service in one shot, KIA did not give any recommendation on the check engine signal.

What was communicated verbally from the service manager is that most probably it is an electrical fault that keeps the check engine light on. No recommendation was give in written on the receipt concerning the catalytic converter, even the service report does not mention it.

At 101k km, for the 100k service, the KIA Egypt / EIT EIM service decided to make 110 k service instead of the expected 100k service. After service, the report for the first time shows in written that this check engine is a catalytic converter issue and should be replaced !!!

The interesting part is that the report mentions this just at the moment where my car leaves warranty and was not mentioned during that full period from 80k to 100k. When I asked, KIA personnel told me that there is no recorded history on their system that there is an issue with the catalytic converter, despite the fact that they supposedly changed it at 50k !!!!

The new service engineer following-up on this case, was the only one with integrity to raise the topic with me to make me cautious about the consequences of running the car without replacement of the catalytic converter, and he gave me a heads-up that there is no record on KIA Egypt system on the history of this topic.

The only one who can access this information is the manager. After reaching out to the manager, he confirmed to me that there is no written history, and he refused to give any written proof of the exchange of the catalytic converter that happened at 50k, since this is seen as internal process !!!

This low level of transparency and zero credibility makes me wonder how an international brand like KIA and its quality assurance department would allow such an unprofessional and business-harming behavior!!!

This traumatizing experience made me question my financial decision of investing into a car with such level of customer centricity and this will probably be the last KIA I will ever buy because and based on my extremely bad experience with the customer service, the service center non-transparancy and the unprofessional management of KIA Egypt / EIT EIM !!!

I would kindly seek your advise on how to sort out this matter, especially that KIA EGYPT dragged out this catalytic converter problem on purpose beyond the warranty conditions and time-frame, so they would rip-off thousands of pounds from me and probably from many other KIA customers in Egypt before me!!!

Thank you for your patience in reading the above and waiting for a swift and satisfying solution of my problem from KIA heaquarters or KIA Middle East.

Best Regards
Seif Said

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Said,

unfortunately this is not the first complaint from KIA owners regarding the bad customer service at KIA Egypt EIM/EIT.

We will forward your complaint to the KIA headquarters in Korea as well as the KIA regional office in Dubai.

If you do not receive any feedback within the next 48 hours then please contact us again.

Kind regards,
Editor

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NAEL from Kuwait - Kuwait wrote:
Subject: COMPLAINT VOLKSWAGEN KUWAIT / VW CC SPORT 2015 DSG GEARBOX FAULTY (Go to article)
Dear All
Recently i had similar problems with the gearbox however the dealer in kuwait declined to replace free of charge as there is no record of recall , i have written to VW hoping to resolve the issue amicably.

DEAR VW
I HAVE CC SPORT 2015 CHASSIE NR WFWAP1AN9FE800307 PURCHASED IN KUWAIT LATELY THE GEAR TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RESPONDING AS IT SHOULD BE I TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEIR DIAGNOSTIC WAS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. MY QUESTION IS THAT THE SAME ISSUES WERE EXPERIENCED WORLDWIDE AND A RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED INTERNATIONALLY CAN YOU ADVISE ME IF MY CAR IS QUALIFIES FOR RECALL THOUGH THE WARRANTY HAS LAPSED MY E MAIL IS

Regards Nael


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Nael,

we will send your complaint to Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Kher aboalsoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Mercedes Benz Egypt / problems with my Mercedes CLA (Readers letter)
I bought a mercedes cla 200
Chassis No. W1K1183871n123541
Before I bought the car, I went to the Mercedes-Benz agent, and he told me that the car is
within the warranty and I bought it on this basis, but after doing the periodic maintenance after
30 thousand kilometers and after receiving the car, I found that there is a light bulb inside the
car and that there is a jerk in the engine.
Immediately, I called the agent and he told me Should I not move the car and bring it on a
winch I did that after a day of maintenance and after checking it, the agent told me that I had to
change the car’s engine at my own expense and told me that this car was imported and not
under warranty, knowing that when buying the car, the agent told me in front of the dealer that
the car was within warranty When I confronted him with this hadith, he told me that the engine
and the air conditioner are not in the warranty, and this indicates that there is an agreement
between the agent and the dealer so that he takes the price of changing the engine.
The car is now at the agent and he told me that he could not solve the problem
Knowing that I bought this car in good condition and that the piston kit was changed and that it
had no problems before the regular maintenance.
I hope for relief
Mercedes-Benz agent, Gesr El-Suez branch


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Kher Abo Al Soud from - wrote:
Subject: Complaint Mercedes Benz Egypt / My Mercedes CLA 200 (Readers letter)
I bought a mercedes cla 200 with the chassis number W1K1183871n123541.

Before I bought the car, I went to the Mercedes-Benz agent, and he told me that the car is
within the warranty and I bought it on this basis, but after doing the periodic maintenance after
30 thousand kilometers and after receiving the car, I found that there is a light bulb inside the
car and that there is a jerk in the engine.

Immediately, I called the agent and he told me Should I not move the car and bring it on a
winch I did that after a day of maintenance and after checking it, the agent told me that I had to
change the car’s engine at my own expense and told me that this car was imported and not
under warranty, knowing that when buying the car, the agent told me in front of the dealer that
the car was within warranty

When I confronted him with this hadith, he told me that the engine
and the air conditioner are not in the warranty, and this indicates that there is an agreement
between the agent and the dealer so that he takes the price of changing the engine.

The car is now at the agent and he told me that he could not solve the problem
Knowing that I bought this car in good condition and that the piston kit was changed and that it
had no problems before the regular maintenance.

I hope for relief
Mercedes-Benz agent, Gesr El-Suez branch


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Waseem Fathy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint against SEAT Egypt / KAYAN (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Mohamed Sheta and Auto Arabia team,

I am writing to your esteemed website to file a complaint against KAYAN Egypt, which are the official SEAT importer and dealership in Egypt from which I had reserved a new vehicle SEAT Terraco Model 2022 Type excellence.

Kindly find below the details of the problem that occurred with KAYAN Egypt that can also be verified through the necessary documents issued by the Egyptian consumer protection agency CPA, the impartial and official government authority in Egypt settling disputes between consumers and services providers.

I had booked the vehicle on 6th July 2021 & I had transferred the down payment on the same day.
I had received a signed / stamped contract from KAYAN Egypt.

The contract states in clause no.6 that the vehicle price is final unless there is a change in the foreign currency exchange rate or in case the Egyptian government had applied any extra custom/duties or taxes fees (which is not the case).

The vehicle had arrived to Egypt but surprisingly KAYAN is asking me to pay an amount that is totally different from the price mentioned in my contract although I had a contract which is stating clearly that the price is final!!

I tried to escalate to both KAYAN customer service & KAYAN customer relationship management with no resolution & it’s a matter of take it or leave it.

I had a binding document (contract) which is signed/stamped from KAYAN Egypt , but they refuse to deliver the vehicle

Accordingly, we filed a complaint to the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA demanding receiving the vehicle from KAYAN Egypt.

Consequently, The CPA is doing the investigation now since I had just filed the case yesterday 20th October,2021


P.S. Kindly find enclosed the documents stating the whole problem.

Respectfully yours
Waseem Fathy


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Waseem,

we have received your complaint and we will forward it to the SEAT headquarters in Spain as your treatment by SEAT Egypt / KAYAN is not acceptable. Please also follow-up with the Consumer Protection Agency CPA in parallel.

Kind regards,
Editor

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احمد السعيد العبساوى from Benha - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Geely Egypt Ghabbour Auto GBauto / مشكلتى مع غبور (Readers letter)
الحكاية بدأت فى شهر 11/2019 اشتريت العربية جيلى امجراند 7 ومع أول زيارة للتوكيل بدأت أوضح لهم بعض العيوب فى العربيه وكان الرد صادم احنا مش مسؤليين عن الكلام دة( توكيل غبور فى المنوفيه ايليت) المهم قولت اروح للأعلى منه روحت( توكيل طنطا )نفس الكلام بعتنى( لتوكيل قليوب) روحت لقليوب قالي تروح ابورواش روحت (ابو رواش) قالي تروح العبور خدمة الهياكل روحت (العبور خدمة الهياكل) ودخلت العربيه اول مرة وزى مادخلت زى ماطلعت والمهندس ولا الموظف اللي استقبل العربيه يومها قالي ده كل اللي اقدر اعمله لحضرتك انا حاولت اعالج على قد ماقدرت قولتله شكراً طلعت من عندة اشتكيت فى حماية المستهلك كل مرة الجهاز بعتنى فيها العبور العربيه تدخل وتطلع زى اول مرة والجهاز يتصل بيا يطمن عملت اى اقولهم ولا اى شىء وفى أحد المرات فنى غلط وقالي داخل الورشه الرفارف فى حد من المصنع هيجى يعملها معايرة ونغيرهالك المهم فى الاتصال اللي تم من الجهاز قولتهم الكلام دة روحت تانى مرة انى اعمل معايرة وفى الاخر طلعولى فنى آخر بيقولوا عليه شيخ السمكرية فى توكيل العبور قالي دى مش فروقات تزعلك الرانج روفر فيها والباجيرو فيها كل دة واكتر من كدة احمد ربنا أنها كدة قولتله ماشي شكرا ومشيت الكلام دة كان قدام رئيس الورش . فى وسط الذهاب والاياب للعبور وأثناء العمل سمعت طقطقه فى العربيه الفردة اليمين قولت اروح التوكيل لقيت الفنى بيقولى فى مسمار واقع العربيه وقتها كانت العربيه ٤٠٠٠ كم وقالي بالنص( احمد ربنا انك ماتقلبتش بالسيارة) وبدأت وتوالي العيوب فى السيارة ومنها البارومه فى السقف وبكلمهم أثناء ماكنت بروح العبور قالولي دى خرجت من الضمان اولا وثانيا انت بتستخدم مساحيق مخالفه . وأحيلت الشكوى للنيابه وفى كل مرة تعود الشكوى من النيابه لبند جديد من أحد هذا البنود الشكوى مرسلة للنيابة بدون بطاقه الضريبة والسجل التجارى للمنشأة ومعى كافة الصور والاثباتات وذهب لتوكيل العبور أكثر من أربع مرات ومعى أمر دخول السيارة للصيانه ومع ذلك لا اعرف لم كل هذا التأخير شكوى منذ شراء السيارة من المستفيد من كل هذا التأخير هل اذا حدث شىء بالسيارة هيقولك عيب استخدام .حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل في كل مقصر ومتخاذل .وربنا يكرمنا ونركب سيارة محترمة بوسائل امان محترمة علي يد الخلوق المحترم ا / محمد شتا
تكمله للشكوى ذهبت يوم ٢٩/٧ الي كلية الهندسة جامعة عين شمس وقمت بفحص السيارة وطلبت التقرير من المهندس قالي بيووصل فى مظروف مغلق للجهاز بعد اسبوع اتصلت بالجهاز بعد اسبوعين لم يتم اخطارى بأى شىء عن التقرير وكان الرد الجلسه منعقدة علشان تاخد القرار مش فاهم ازاى ياخدوا قرار فى شىء مش من اختصاصهم لان اللي طالب الفحص كانت النيابه المهم كان فى محاولات لحفظ الشكوى داخل الجهاز والحمد لله فشلت المهم النيابه قامت بدورها مشكورة وطلبت رد ع الجواب المرسل لجهاز حماية المستهلك كان الرد صادم مافيش ورق موجود ولا القضيه المهم قامت النيابه مشكورة بتصوير القضيه كامله الوان وإرسالها للجهاز وتم التقرير الفنى من جامعة عين شمس الي النيابه وقالت المحكمة الاقتصادية كلمتها وصدر قرار لى بأن السلعه معيبه ولى حق الاختيار فى الاستبدال أو استرداد القيمة الماليه وقامت النيابه بالاتصال بي من اجل اخد صورة ضوئية من القرار والذهاب الي الشؤون القانونية بشركة غبور إذ بالمفاجأه هناك قابلت مدير الشؤون القانونية الاستاذ محمد مسك القرار والجواب وبدأ كلامه انت جبت الورق ده منين
انا ممكن اطلب لك النجدة واقول انك جايب ورق مزور ومافيش اى صفه قانونية دة قرار داخلى ده موظف ستيفا النيابه ضحك عليك وجابك ودة مش قرار نهائى أو حكم نهائي المهم اللي عايز اقول أنه بيهددنى وانا صاحب حق
لو حضراتكم محتاجين صور الاوراق عندي استعدادا ارفعها


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Ahmed Agglan from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mitsubishi Xpander (Readers letter)
Kindly advise your opinion about Xpander 2022 offered now in Egypt

Thanks & regards
Ahmed Agglan

Editors response:
Unfortunately the Mitsubishi Xpander is not a safe car as it is not equipped with the life-saving Electronic Stbaility Program ESP and the Tire Pressure Monitoring System TPMS.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ahmed Alaa Ibrahim from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group / My BMW 320i airbag system (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Mohamed Sheta and Auto Arabia team,

I am writing to your esteemed website to file a complaint against the Bavarian Auto Group BAG, which was the official BMW and MINI importer and dealership in Egypt from which I bought my BMW 320i, and which is now running BMW and Mini services in Egypt after the BMW AG mother-company in Germany cancelled the dealership contract for obvious reasons!!

Kindly find below the details of the incident that occurred with BMW Egypt / Bavarian Group Egypt that can also be verified through the necessary documents issued by the Egyptian consumer protection agency CPA, the impartial and official government authority in Egypt settling disputes between consumers and services providers.

I had a slight rear-end incident with my BMW 320i which I bought by the date 3 Nov. 2020. As I was driving at low-speed in the typical and infamous stop-and-go Cairo traffic, and while braking, I touched the vehicle in front of me.

For some inexplicable reason the entire airbag system of my vehicle was initiated, deploying the all airbags of my car, although I was alone in the car!!!!

Taking into consideration that the severity of the accident does not necessitate deploying all airbags, let alone that there were no other passengers onboard the vehicle, yet all passenger airbags were deployed, which leaves no doubt that it was due to a manufacturing malfunction in this vehicle.

Bringing the matter before the Bavarian Auto Group / BMW Egypt demanding the replacement of the vehicle with another of the same model, or reimbursing its current market value prior to the accident, the company refused our request rejecting any possibility of a manufacturing malfunction in the vehicle.

Bavarian Auto Group / BMW Egypt tendentiously claimed that the vehicle is repairable after the consent of the insurance company. This was totally rejected from our part due to the fact that the damage that occurred to the vehicle is out of our responsibility, let alone that repairing the vehicle in its current state would substantially reduce its resale market value.

Accordingly, we filed a complaint to the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA demanding replacing the vehicle by the Bavarian Auto Group / BMW Egypt due to the presence of a manufacturing malfunction.
Consequently, The CPA referred the case to be examined by an experts committee at the Matareya Faculty of Engineering in Cairo. The report of the aforementioned committee stated that the examined vehicle with mileage of only 6990km had a manufacturing malfunction with its airbags system, which resulted in opening the entire airbags of the vehicle without any necessity for that.

Furthermore, the report mentioned that the overall situation of the vehicle after the accident was good without any damage in the suspension or other mechanical parts, except for slight damage in the hood, grill as well as the front headlight. Moreover, the passenger seat belt, which should be directly linked to the passenger airbag, was not fastened, yet the passenger seat airbag was deployed. Hence, the report concluded clearly that the vehicle had a manufacturing malfunction in its airbag system.

On 7 April 2021, the CPA held a meeting with my presence, along with representatives of the committee of experts, as well as the representatives of Bavarian Auto Group / BMW Egypt to discuss the aforementioned report.

The report concluded that the my vehicle lacked a specific sensor that prevents the airbag deployment in the case of absence of any passengers on onboard, which results in grave damages to the vehicle in case of accidents.

Moreover, the report denied any responsibility on my part for the damages that occurred to the vehicle. As a result, we demanded once again a compensation from the Bavarian Auto Group / BMW Egypt, either in form of replacement with another brand-new vehicle of the same model, or the market value of my vehicle prior to the accident.

However, the Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt refused this report stating that the all the BMW vehicles manufactured in Egypt lack this sensor, which is undeniably against the specs of the manufactured vehicles in Germany, as well as the safety regulations set by the BMW mother-company.

Moreover, manufacturing and selling BMW vehicles in Egypt lacking this sensor without prior notification to the customers should be considered a critical infringement to customers rights, which should unquestionably be intolerable by BMW AG mother-company.

Furthermore, the Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt claimed falsely that the lack of this kind of sensor in the vehicle is not directly related to the deployment of the airbags even without any passengers onboard. These claimed were refuted by the representatives of the committee of experts that issued the report in question.
In addition to that, the Bavarian Group stated that the insurance company offered to repair the vehicle with an amount up to 260K EGP. However, these partial claims were all refused from our part.

Accordingly, the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA issued its decision on 26 May 2021 based on the examination conducted by the committee of experts at the faculty of Engineering, as well as the previous reply of Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt that the vehicle lacked the presence of the sensor. Hence, in accordance with the Egyptian Law for Consumer Protection, the Bavarian Group Egypt is obligated to replace the vehicle with a new one, OR reimburse the value of the vehicle with a deduction of 1 EGP for every KM had been covered since the vehicle was bought (6990KM), in addition to reimbursing the costs of the examination of the vehicle.

The decision of the Consumer Protection Agency CPA stated that the Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt should execute this decision within 20 days of its issuance, or else, the complaint can be referred to the judicial authorities for further investigation.

To conclude, we demand the quick interference of BMW AG mother-company in Munich, Germany -expeditiously and effectively- to settle this unnecessary legal dispute with the Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt without having to bring the matter before the judicial authorities and social media outlets, in order to preserve the reputation of the damaged BMW brand and its dealership in Egypt.

We have been faithful customers to the brand of BMW for more than a decade, and the need of going down the route of judicial procedure is extremely disappointing for us, however, the intransigence and stubbornness of the Bavarian Auto Group BAG / BMW Egypt regarding our case and implementing the CPA decision leaves us with no other choice to safeguard our rights.

P.S. Kindly find enclosed the reports stating the whole incident as well as pictures of vehicle in question.

Respectfully yours
Ahmed Alaa Ibrahim



Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ahmed,
this is not the first complaint we receive regarding the Bavarian Auto Group, which was the official importer and dealership of BMW and MINI and MINI until December 2020.
As a matter of fact we have forwarded dozens of such serious and safety-related complaints to BMW AG head-quarter in Germany over the past 10 to 15 years.
Finally the BMW AG decided to cancel the importer and dealership agreement with the infamous and unprofessional Bavarian Auto Group in December 2020.

We will forward your complaint to the BMW AG head-quarter in Munich and we will ask them to solve this problem as quick as possible.

Kind regards,
Editor
Auto Arabia

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Rihan from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Mazda Egypt Ghabbour Auto / GBauto / Mazda Kattameya Service Center (Readers letter)
I need to reach out for Mazda Headquarter to help me solve my car issue with Ghabour Service Center
I have a Mazda 3 – 2011 in March I experienced a malfunction of the car with welcome note appearing while driving (it should only appear on engine start) and car turning off by itself while parking or slowing down, I went to Katameya Ghabour service center for that malfunction and requested to make regular maintenance as well (140 Km maintenance) knowing that all maintenance are done in Ghabour service centers. Received the car 2 days later with note that nothing wrong regarding my complaint and some spare parts need replacement but unavailable and that was first visit in March 2021 after malfunction appeared.
After less than 6 weeks went back with same complaint (2nd time to go to service center) regarding turning off during making turns with complete stop of steering wheel and turning off for seconds then back on by itself and while the car was there I asked to install the missing spare parts as well (not related to malfunction issue as advised by service center), the car remained at their custody for 3 days then I received it with same note that there is nothing wrong that causes this malfunction and regarding the spare parts most of it were installed but remain some parts not available yet.
Less than 3 weeks later and still experiencing the same malfunction, the air conditioning stopped with car turning off while driving but it never operated again when restarted the car, so I went to service center (3rd time) with AC issue and I stressed that there is something wrong with car maybe electrical or other that may have caused the air condition compressor to burn out as it is done simultaneously with turning off and stopping of steering wheel malfunction. After 5 days at their custody in Ghabour Kattameya Service Center, they changed the compressor and again for third time claimed that there is nothing wrong with the car regarding this problem of turning off while driving!
Next day of receiving the car, while driving and making a right turn, steering wheel stopped, the car turned off again and then back on after few seconds, next turn stopped but never restarted by itself until I did the restart and that was an awful experience being almost hit by the truck behind me making the turn and I couldn’t steer the car into course anymore! Thanks God the truck driver could steer away
Made a complaint at Ghabour, was contacted by Ghabour Management representative telling me to get the car to service center because they have to find reason why. So I delivered the car for maintenance center on May 23, 2021 with the complaint that the malfunction still persists and they haven’t figured out what’s wrong with the car and haven’t fix it and most importantly they risked my life and my family’s life by their incompetence. Since that day my car still at the maintenance with first information that it needed a replacement of spare part ; knock sensor which was unavailable and took them 2-3 days to get then after its installation and many phone calls from my side demanding what is going on, they said it is still being checked as something is still not normal, then yesterday, June 6th, 2021, the representative called and informed me it need another spare part which is not available and may take minimum 3 weeks to get! So is this pare part is the problem or it is just another to replace and them check like the previous one?
I don’t have my car now for more than 2 weeks
They want me to stay another 3 weeks and then they shall go back again to checking to see if the problem still persist
I paid for air condition compressor that burn out due to a problem they didn’t fix for 3 times visits to service center with same complaint
They couldn’t figure out the root cause of the problem, and maybe just maybe they are changing spare parts until the malfunction disappear and that a big problem that they could figure out what wrong and I’m paying for it in time and money! It’s enough the amount of money I paid for their checking and then came back with nothing wrong and I trusted them each time but they risked my life with this deadly malfunction.
It has been 3 month since I went to them with this malfunction and only 2 weeks ago they started to really check and asking now for patience to wait longer because they have to procure another spare part! And by the way there still is some spare parts unavailable that need replacement in my car advised during regular maintenance in March.

I need the car to finish ASAP most importantly, why shall I wait anymore? And honestly, I need some kind of penalty share they should bear for that burn out compressor happened due to not fixing the problem and making me wait that long without my car.


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Mohamed Alaa from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Mercedes Benz Diplomatic Sales and about Abou Ghali Mercedes dealer (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

I would like to ask you to send my complaint about Abou Ghali Mercedes Benz distributor in Egypt to the Mercedes Benz headquarter and the Mercedes Diplomatic Sales Department team in Stuttgart (Germany).

I am sending this complaint regarding my vehicle E200 order number 0060101050 that is booked for production in February 2021, which is considered a very late date given the information I had regarding the timeframe of the process (roughly six months for the car to be delivered from the date of confirmation): so that I would like to bring to your attention the following:

1. I received the first price and specs information on July 7th, then the requested P.O on July 29th, so that all the documents were signed and sent accordingly, however some modifications were done to the car upon my request which took a considerable period to be approved from your part.

2. I had transferred the 15% deposit on September 21st, and I have been informed by the Sales Department- Mercedes Benz Egypt that the 85% amount should be paid within 3 months so that to receive the vehicle within 4 months.

In light of the aforementioned reasons, I would like to complain regarding the delay in the production of my vehicle, and demand for an earlier delivery date to be the latest by first week of March 2021, so that the vehicle can be delivered to Egypt within a reasonable timeframe during next year before the arrival of the 2022 models.


Respectfully yours,

Mohamed Alaa
Diplomatic Attaché
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Algeria




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Tamer Elsayed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BMW X6 complain (Readers letter)
Kindly be informed that I’m X6 BMW owner number L503071 model 2011 and since the car came to Cairo all the maintenance and services were done by BMW Cairo and that car engine did complete shutdown 3 years ago and it was caused by the DMC which needed to be changed and I did brought it myself from abroad and recently this year I have been informed that the car cooling radiator has to be changed with all the cooling system hoses and that was done and then the car stayed more longer time and the engineer informed me that they had to remove the engine cylinder in order to change a spark plug that was the reason of the delay , then when I picked up the car at the service center it gave me Engine Fault message so they run up the test and informed me that they have to exchange another spark plug .
20 days ago after moving around 6000 km since my last service and while driving in high way the car gave me a caution amber message of car water Hot Followed by engine fault and speed was limited so I stopped the car and waited to add more water baring in mind I only use BMW water cooler so when I opened the water cover the water was boiling out and u waited till it cooled down then I added about 2 bottles till the max level then u waited and restart the engine and it was normal , about 20 km more the water amber came agin for one Sec followed by engine fault and low speed limited , so I stopped the car 2 km later with complete engine failure and shutdown and when I checked the water level it was full and I tried several time to start the engine unit the battery was drained , I called BMW and they send me a truck to take the car to the last maintenance service center .
The car stayed there for 2 weeks without informing me with anything and yesterday I was informed that the car needs half lower engine !!!
First thing all my maintenance are done by BMW so I don’t think that it is a miss use or careless care for my car and I never waited for my mileage service and whatever need to be change it always done by BMW with BMW original spare parts .
Second how come the care cooling system had been changed and I got the fault and losing the engine for that reason ?!


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mohamed elsobky from alexandria - egypt wrote:
Subject: Ideas for the Egyptian automotive market / الغاء المالك الاول (Readers letter)
مساء الخير استاذ محمد

كلنا بندعمك في خليها تصدي

فكرة المالك الاول فصلت علشان حماية الوكلاء من سوق السيارات الخارجي وخصوصا من المصريين المغتربين
فكرة أن يلغى موضوع المالك الأول فكرة مهمة لمنع احتكار سوق السيارات في مصر
وحتخدم المصريين في الخارج بشكل كبير
وتفتح المجال للاحلال والتجديد للسيارات في الشارع المصري
اتمني ان حضرتك تتفتكر موضوع إلغاء المالك الأول
وخفضض قيمة الجمارك للسيارات الشخصية للمصريين المقيمين في الخارج لأكثر من 4 اعوام
والسماح باستيراد سيارتهم الشخصية حتي لو بعد مدة من التملك ولو 4 اعوام



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Jaser Shams from Hurghada - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Ford Egypt / My Ford Ecosport is putting my life at risk (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia Management

Please forward this complaint to Ford Middle East in Dubai and to Ford headquarters in USA as Ford Egypt Abdul Latif Jameel ALJ is ignoring my complaint completely.

This is not the first time I write to you a complaint about Ford Egypt Abdul Latif Jameel ALJ. By the end of 2018 I have decided to buy a second Ford car and I got the Ford Ecosport, from the beginning they ripped us off since this car should be 0% custom and they promised us that this car will not go down in the price on 01.01.2019, so I believed them and I bought the car end of October 2018 with 425.000 LE , as usual they were not saying the truth and the car went down to 37.500 LE and they refused to make any reimbursement or compensations.

For Ford Fusion and Kuga owners they have given them vouchers for free service as a compensation but for us ( Ecosport owners ) they did not.

Since I got the car I have a problem in the brakes which is that the car is shaking everywhere when you use the brakes ( I do believe that this is because they had a lot of stock and the cars are parked in the sun which affects the breaks in such a hot weather ).

I have informed the Ford center in Hurghada while I am doing the service for the car and they told me that they have cleaned the brakes breaks and everything is okay. Still I had the same problem so by the next service I have complained again and they checked the car again and informed me that we need to change the brake pads which I did on my own cost although they should changed it on the warranty, because after changing them the issue did not disappear and actually it was much more clear than at the beginning, which is very very dangerous and could cause an accident and lead my family and my life to death since the brakes do not work probably and the shaking of the car is extreme !!!!

You feel the shaking everywhere in the steering wheels at the break beadles just all the car is shaking. I went to ford center in Hurghada and they checked the car and informed me that the disc brake must be changed and they advised me that they will contact the warranty in Cairo and will get back to me.

After 24 hours they have called me and informed me that the warranty will not cover it and they will take it and try to repair the disc brake itself !!!!! ( يخدوا الطنابير و يبعتةها تتنسفر يمسوها و تتظبط .

Actually I do not believe that such a big name as Ford should be playing with the lifes of their costumer and doing such an unprofessional solution!! For sure I did not agree about this solution since it is not a solution and in such a dangerous part should be changed immediately with new parts without any attempts to repair the old parts.

I decided to write to the chairman of board of Ford Egypt Mr. Tarek Abdellatif and I have send him a mail with all the issue, I never heard back from him and after 6 days I have resend the mail to him and as well to the after sales Manager Mr. Tarek el sherbiny, as well I did not get an answer which shows really how much they care about their costumer and how much they care about the after sales, no wonder if the heads of the company have such an attitude by not caring at all and not answering the mails of the customers that all employees under them will not care about any of their customers!

At the same time the Hurghada Ford center has been in touch with Mr. Tarek el sherbiny and he answered them directly that this is the only solution they have and that this is what they will do and if I do not agree I can do whatever I want.

So again it is very unprofessional that they do not answer or let anyone answer on a loyal ford costumer mails and answer on the ford center in Hurghada.

I have informed them in my mail that if the problem will not get solved that I will share my complaint on the social media and with the head office of Ford and as well as with the specialized automotive websites. But it seems like they do not care at all and till now I received no written reply to my emails and complaints.

After all this I think the minimum what Ford should do is to change the disc brakes immediately on the warranty in order not to put my life and the lives of my family in danger! just to remind you, the car is still in the warranty and I have this issue from the first week I bought the car as a brand-new model.

After being a loyal ford customer for 20 years I have for sure decided that this will be my last ford car and that as soon as I finish this issue I will sell my 2 ford cars ( Fusion & Ecosport ) since I do believe that we as customers deserve a much better service and that we should be treated in a much better ways instead of just ignoring our issues and problems and setting our life in danger.

For your info, I have also shared my complaint on Khaleha Tesady Facebook group so that all the 1.9 million members can see with which negligence Ford Egypt Abdul Latif Jameel ALJ is handling customer complaints:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/291732331486021?view=permalink&id=491919291467323

I hope to hear from you soon.

Jaser Shams




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Mohamed El Koossy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: No Nissan Qashqai spare parts available (Readers letter)
My car Nissan Qashqai 2018, had an accident a few weeks ago and it is still at Modern Motors car service in Abu Rawash industrial zone in Cairo.

I checked with them a few times about the progression of my case and they told me they are still waiting for the spare parts from Nissan!!!

This is really getting too much to just wait all this time for some missing part.

I am getting out of patience and would appreciate your help to speed up the process and know when the car will be done because I am not getting straight answers.

Thank you
Mohamed El Koossy
Car plate # 4795
Red Qashqai 2018



Editors response:
Dear Mr. El Kossy,

Unfortunately this is not the first time that we receive serious complaints about the authorized Nissan Egypt
dealer Modern Motors and its service center in Cairo.

Of course it is not acceptable to wait such a long time for just 3 or 4 regular spare part items. And it is even less acceptable to not receive straight answers.

We will forward your complaint to the Nissan management at Nissan Middle East and Nissan Egypt, and I am sure you will hear from them very soon as sorting out those needed spare parts through the dealers network in Egypt should not take more than 24 hours.

Keep us posted with the developments in your case.

Best regards,
Editor

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Tarek Amin from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint from Peugeot Egypt service (Readers letter)
I have a Peugeot 3008, 2016 / 21812 still under warranty

July 11 the Airconditioning system was diagnosed by el saab3 service company with a faulty saloon radiator, a fault that needed to be changed.

One week later I was informed that Peugeot agreed to fix the problem and to replace the defected part.

Ever since I have been chasing the company both el saab3 and Pegeout in vain. All I get is the part is not available and we are waiting for it to arrive.

The problem is due to the heat I cannot use the car . Nor can I buy the part on my own because it will simply end my car warranty. And I have no date to change that part, and test my Aircondition before my warranty ends.

Kindly advise.


Editors response:
Dear Tarek,

we will send your complaint to the Peugeot management. They should get in touch with you shortly and provide you with this vital spare part quickly.

Keep us updated with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Sahar El Kammah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: My BMW X1 has been broken for TWO years at BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group Service Center in Cairo !!! (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia Team,

My Life is in danger because of BMW Egypt.

I own a 2012 BMW X1. I chose BMW because I thought it would be the best concerning SAFETY

This so-called Dream Car became a NIGHTMARE and a defected life-threatening car for me!

Since i bought this car i faced major major problems although Even after guarantee was over i was still loyal to BMW.

Every single service i went to BMW & i never went to any car agency but BMW Only.

I though this is the best brand ever, My dream car, Loyalty to the BMW, But now after all what i am going through with this unfair BMW EGYPT i regret buying it.

I knew that X1 2012 Model has major problems. i had other problems with the car but these are main major problems,

-1st: motor burned and had a major damage at 87.000km
-2nd: Gear box burned around 108.000km
-3rd: Problem with AC
-4th: the tires became damaged due that its parked over a year & half at the BMW service of Bavarian Auto Group in Cairo.

Car problem Details:
——————————
1- complete shut down of the car at around 35.000km
Because the spare part needed to be imported from Germany, the car was parked for several months at the Bavarian Auto Group service center till the spare part came. Good-will payed for it.

2- Gear Box problem 2016 i was driving alone traveling & all of a sudden the speed went down. I called BMW for help they told me there is no rescue car near by at Wadi El Natron desert road which is in the middle of nowhere. I was told by the BMW emergency hotline operator that i should NOT press the car brakes, otherwise the car would stop and not move again!!!!!

I was extremely afraid what shall i do when I had to pass by the toll station and I am in the desert road. finally i reached my destination at the North coast in Marina, and my car stayed over night at the BMW center there and i payed around 5000 LE

3- March 2017 the car was at the maintenance at Bavarian Auto Group. when we left the service center after maintenance, outside the fence very close to the service the oil lamp was lite. the light was never ever lite before. I immediately called the engineer and he said u are very close come back to the service center. so we went back and he insisted that we pay 800 LE first, in order to tell us what happened to the car!!!! so we paid.
Result: Motor damaged at 87.000km, Repair cost 350.000 LE !!! Unheard of repair cost!!!

I called Germany a long distance call and I emailed BMW Germany, but no response.

After that I went to the Egyptian Consumer Agency organization CPA. we had several meetings till in November 2017 BMW Egypt contacted me. I had a meeting with them and they told me that they shall repair all my car problems, but under one condition: That I would not sue the company!!!

I agreed because i wanted my car back as I had awful awful time without a car.

I went to BMW Egypt service center in ABU Rawash and told them as agreed with BMW EGYPT management to check the Gear Box, the A/C and other Mechanics as unfortunately my car was thrown in the sun from March till November !!!!

So i told them about the Gear Box, A/c. When i went to get the car the Gear Box was very hard to move.

So I left the car again. I went back to them as i was told they fixed the Gear Box.

But very short time after i got the car a warning light was lite. i took a picture i sent it to the BMW engineer.
I was told that this is a Gear BOX problem and repair cost at first is 79.000 LE !!!!

I refused to pay because i told BMW to fix the gear box as a reward for throwing my car in the sun for such a very long time!

Had a meeting again with them at Abu Rawash. Gear Box Repair cost went up from 79.000 to 280000 LE !!!
I refused and i said how come, because BMW were supposed to repair the Gear Box & A/c

I was standing outside in front of the BMW door. i was stopped and prevented to enter BMW to check how come the cost was increased & the gear box & A/c were not fixed i wanted to object why Gear Box is not working at millage 108.000km!!! how come????

Repair cost 280.000 LE
A/c to be repaired 100.000 LE
Total repair 380.000 LE

I had to go again to Egyptian Consumer Agency. After several month of ignoring me & unpleasant e-mails, BMW sent a Good will offer. BMW wanted me to pay 60% of repair cost and i totally refused!! they should get a new Gear Box from Germany

This BMW X1 is a DEFECTED and LIFE_THREATENING car

Since March 2017 till now 28th August 2018 my BMW X1 is still thrown away at the parking of BMW Egypt Abu Rawash service center, and parked all that time under the direct hot sun all this time!!!

Therefore the following more damages appeared in my car:

- Tires Damaged
- Leather Seats Damaged
- Dash board damaged
God Knows what else happened to the car

I am very unhappy and distressed with both my BMW X1 and the management of my problem here at BMW Egypt!!!

BMW should fix my car !!!
BMW should change this defected car!!!

My car is only 7 years old but TWOYEARS OF MY CAR Age or even more its is STANDING At The SERVICE Station

THIS IS VERY UNFAIR AND UNACCEPTABLE !!!

Such problems are not supposed to appear in a BMW 2012 model with only 108.000km of mileage!!!
A BMW Car which should not face all these defects !!!

Dear Auto Arabia team, I need your help to end this BMW nightmare !!!

Sahar El Kammah


Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Sahar,

what you are describing here sounds indeed like a nightmare.

Although the BMW models produced in Germany or the USA are usually very reliable, it seems that BMW models assembled in Egypt, like your BMW X1, do not enjoy that same quality.

We will forward your complaint to the BMW AG management in Munich. I am confident that they will do their best in in finding a proper solution for your BMW X1 nightmare with BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group, and take care of your complaint in a customer-friendly and satisfying way.

We will also ask the BMW AG management in Munich to keep us updated with your case.

Keep us posted with any progress of your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Sahar El Kammah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: My BMW X1 spent TWO YEARS at BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group Service Center in Cairo !!!! (Readers letter)
BMW:
———
مشكلتي مع شركة BMW وصلت لطريق مسدود معهم
،،،،،،،،،،،،،،،،،،،

سيارتي BMW X1 موديل October 2012
كل صيانة لسيارتي حتي بعد ما طلعت من الضمان عندهم
عند صيانة مارس
2017
و السيارة خارج سور ابو رواش علي بعد دقائق نورت لمبة الزيت كلمنا Bmw قالوا ارجعوا تاني مفيش خطر
رجعنا لهم قالوا ادفعوا 800 جنية نقول العيب، تم الدفع
والنتيجة
**موتور السيارة محروق ( السيارة كانت عاملة حوالي 87000 كيلو )
عمر ما اللمبة نورت ولا عملت دخان
السعر الي طلبوة للتصليح350000 الف جنية

لجأت لحماية المستهلك للاستاذ عاطف يعقوب رئيس الجهاز في ذلك الوقت وهو شخص غاية الاحترام
وأخيراً في نوفمبر2017 طلع قرار تصليح علي حساب الشركة
قابلت مهندسين من شركة Bmw وبلغتهم باعطال السيارة
وانا عندي يقين ان هذة السيارة من عدد كبير من X1 فيها عيب صناعة

عيوب هذة السيارة وهل دة طبيعي

١- complete shut down to the car
علي km حوالي 35000 السيارة صلحت علي حسابgood will وظلت السيارة كذا شهرلان جابوا قطعة الغيار من المانيا التصليح علي حسابهم في نظري عيب صناعة وطلبت تغير السيارة رفضوا

٢- فتيس عطل وكنت وحدي في طريق وادي النطرون حوالي 60000
ولما طلبت Bmw لا يوجد عربية اصلاح تكلفة الاصلاح بمارينا 5000 جنية انا دفعتها

٣- موتور محروق حوالي km
87000
قيمة الاصلاح 355000 الف جنية
وذلك بعد صيانةمارس 2017
رفضت الدفع ولجأت لحماية المستهلك

٤- فتيس محروق وبلغتهم بعطل الفتيس عند ترك السيارة لاصلاح الموتور وعطل بالتكيف km 108000 قيمة الاصلاح تصاعدت الي ان وصلت 380000 الف جنية وذلك بعد فترة زمنية قليلة من أستلامي لعربية رفضوا الاصلاح علي حسابهم
ولجأت مرة اخري لحماية المستهلك

سيارتي عمرها ٧ سنين سنتين من عمرها مرمية في الشمس عند شركة BMW
ادي ذلك الاهمال الي
١- تشقق جلد السيارة
٢- تشق تابلوة السيارة
٣- تشقق الكاوتش
٤- الله أعلم الركنة دي ادت الي إية

هذة الماركة BMW كانت حلم حياتي لاقتنائها والان انا في غاية الحزن من ظلمهم لي

أرجوكم ازاي ممكن تساعدوني
سيارتي مرمية من مارس 2017 الي الان أغسطس 25 2018

سحر القماح

Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Sahar,

what you are describing here sounds indeed like a nightmare.

Although the BMW models produced in Germany or the USA are usually very reliable, it seems that BMW models assembled in Egypt, like your BMW X1, do not enjoy that same quality.

We will forward your complaint to the BMW AG management in Munich. I am confident that they will do their best in in finding a proper solution for your BMW X1 nightmare with BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group, and take care of your complaint in a customer-friendly and satisfying way.

Keep us posted with any progress of your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Khaled Elsawy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volkswagen Jetta problems with VW Egypt Service Center (Readers letter)
I have a volkswagen jetta 2014.

I went to the service center obour branch on the 9th of march 2018 for a regular maintenance and an issue with a weird discrepancy that sometimes the transmission disengage while driving and check engine light illuminate, when switching the ignition off and on again everything is back to normal...

While checking in the service center they found the discrepancy and they emailed volkswagen in Germany and they approved a mechatronic spare part on their own expense ... which is fine, but the problem is up till now the part is not yet received and they say almost one month more to receive the part ...

Is this a normal procedure that a spare part take to arrive ... almost 3 months ... keeping in mind that they requested to keep the car at their premises as they do not recommend to use it till this part is changed ..

is it possible for a company with this market rank and value to keep the car for almost 3 months without any replacement or compensation ...

i expected any sort of process expedite even to get my car earlier specially it is their own issue ... I am not asking about compensation at all now however I am depending on UBER & normal taxi for my transportation

but is this normal?????

thanks in advance for your advice back

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Elsawy,

no, of course it is not normal that you should wait THREE MONTHS for your Volkswagen spare parts. Usually such small spare parts can be shipped through DHL or UPS and that should not take more than THREE DAYS.

But unfortunately the importer of Volkswagen & AUDI, the Egyptian Automotive & Trading Company and its still-acting Managing Director Karim El Najjar, have not improved their customer service over the past few years, despite the numerous and massive complaints from Volkswagen, AUDI and SEAT owners in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to the Volkswagen headquarter in Germany and will ask them to solve your problem as quick as possible.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Ahmad Allam from Jeddah - Saudi Arabia wrote:
Subject: My 2013 Ford Explorer in Saudi Arabia is full of rust !!! (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

this is the case of my RUSTED 2013 Ford Explorer !!!

I bought a ford Explorer XLT on 2013 with 5 years extended warranty from Ford Aljazira, Saudi Arabia - Jeddah
Every single maintenance service is done at ford official maintenance center every 8000 Km
In 2016 (30,000 Km) I reported rusted parts in the car (All doors and back trunk hinges)

After going back and forth with the dealership till I met Mr.Bernard Shebard who promised to escalate the car case and said they never saw something like this before.

The dealership took the car for almost 30 days and gave me a replacement car and changed all the car hinges with zero cost because it was a manufacturing issue.

I asked for a warranty for the changed parts and a confirmation that nothing else is rusted in the car, no warranty was given (they said it should be covered under the extended warranty) and a verbal confirmation that there is no other rusted parts are there in the car

A month ago, I coincidently discovered a rusted spot on the roof of the car, when I started examining the car by removing any easily removed plastic parts, I found tremendous rusted parts all over the car (beneath chairs, under driving pedals, the whole pivot cylinder underneath back flipping chairs)

I called the call center and reported the case, they told me I’ve to book a maintenance appointment which I did and went to the center were the maintenance manager refused to receive the car and refused to perform the scheduled 72000 Km maintenance (the card was at 70000Km) and said I’ve to go to the workshop first then after I finish I would come back.

When I went to the workshop, they were communicated mistakenly by the call center that I was complaining about an old car accident which never happened!! And they received me with bad attitude saying I’ve no right to complain about something that happened few years back.

I explained that there was something wrong in their perception and showed them the outer rusted part and took them through the car rust history. They kept pushing back that the rust is because I live in Jeddah near the sea and it was my mistake that I didn’t go to polish the car at zibart!!! It was a total frustrating discussion till I asked them to open up any of the car doors, once they did that and saw the completely rusted steel (the door sides were completely eaten by rust till they broke down inside the door) all of the workers were taking photos for the car door and saying that they never saw something like that before.

The manager said on spot that such a car case is not in the dealership hand and they have to report that to the Ford mother company to take decision about it because it might be a manufacturing issue (he totally deny that now after the coming few steps that happened) the took pictures to all rusted parts and said that they will escalate the case and come back to me

I started trying to communicate Ford USA but the official website directed me to Ford Mena after asking for the care Chassis number, which I did, and I sent a mail with the case and car photos to receive a reply from Ms,Munira. And unfortunately, for the past 25 days, I’ve been going with a depressing and frustrating communication were I discover that no one sees the details that I write in the emails (I was asked to describe my problem AGAIN for 3 times over emails) then the communication started to be only through phone calls not emails (from private number), I was promised to escalate the case to the Ford mother company on the first call and that turned to “we can not do anything except through the dealership” in the last call, when I ask about updates, I discover that all the communication have been done only to the local dealership.
The workshop called me and said that they made an estimate fixing cost to be paid by me and that will be around 30,000 SR (which included changing all the car doors and many other parts) but the final cost will be after a complete inspection of the car inside out

Ms. Munira called to give me an update and that was “she knew that I went to the workshop and waiting for a cost estimate”! I mentioned that I’m expecting from here side an update about a decision from a key person at the Ford mother company not an update about what’s happening with the local dealership and she promised to do that because she escalated the case to responsible persons.

The dealership assigned me an appointment and opened the car inside out to find RUST EVERYWHERE, all doors inside are rusted and parts are broken out of rust, underneath the car is rusted. Car bumpers are rusted when I asked to make a whole card check, they said that will need to take of all chairs and lots of time and what was done is enough and they will prepare another cost estimate, but they were all talking with the manager about not changing the door and rusted part but only doing things like, cutting parts from old card to replace the door parts, cutting the rusted part of the roof and fix then paint, remove rust from the back chairs pivot and paint it with antirust polish. And they kept saying that this is better to decrease the cost on me. They cost should have been provided on Thursday, but the called saying that the parts shop is closed and they will provide it to me by Sunday.

No further communication from Ms Munira was done since then

The car details:
Vehicle VIN/chassis number? 1FM5K8D89DGB23450
Current Vehicle Mileage? 71055.0 KM
Plate number? 5381 GVB
Which Selling Dealership and Date of purchase? Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co. - Basateen Branch Jeddah - 27/2/2013
Which Servicing Dealership branch? Al madinah road branch
Date of Last service done at the Dealership? 15/11/2017 (Quick Lane) and dealership refused to receive car for maintenance on 31st march
Contact Person at Dealership? no specific one (Call center: Ms. Arwa - Al haramain branch body shop: Mr. Ahmed & Mr. Ricardo – Ford mother compant: Ms Munira Hagi)
Where is your vehicle now? with me - Jeddah - Saudi Arabia

Please support me in sending my case to the FORD headquarter in the USA!!!


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Allam,

this is indeed a very strange case you have there. We will send your complaint to the Ford Regional Office in Dubai.

I am sure you will hear from them soon.

Kind regards,
Editor

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

nour eldin saleh from 6th Of October - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Ezz El Arab makes you regret buying a Volvo in Egypt ! (Readers letter)
I was always a Volvo Cars fan and that is why I have more than one model in my immediate family.

The car is not the issue. It is the amazing dealer in Egypt Ezz Elarab Automotive Group that make you regret ever buying a car or even a tricycle from them.

Now where to start? Ok my #VolvoS60 started scribing funning when shifting gears. I took it over and they changed the speed sensor twice “each time the car stayed more than 5 working days for testing and quality assurance” and came out in a much more terrible stage than it did when it went in. Today it just decided to stop midway and give me a signal that the transmission has reduced its performance exactly one days after coming back from the amazing dealer. Not to mention that I have been waiting for a new fuel pump for more than 3 months and they are always claiming that it is being shipped from Sweden

Secondly my #VolvoV40 well that’s another story. A brand new car that sounds like an old taxi that was made in the 50’s. They said it was an issue with the suspension system and changed it “they claim to” and then they said it’s the “rack and pinion” that has to be changed. They claim ordering it ages ago and similar to the fuel pump it never gets to Egypt

Thank you for a lovely experience and for sure I will not repeat such a mistake again till you find a better dealer than the amazing dealer you have!


Editors response:
Dear Nour,

this is not the first, and surely not the last complaint regarding Ezz El Arab company, which unfortunately has destroyed the image of Volvo in Egypt.

Nevertheless, I heard that the Volvo headquarters are preparing some serious steps and actions to change the image and reputation of Volvo in Egypt.

Keep following our website as well as the live automotive radio show of our editor-in-chief Mohamed Sheta, every Thursday from 6-8pm on DRN 93.7 FM, in order to know the updates of what Volvo headquarters is doing to help the Volvo owners and to rescue and reestablish the reputation of Volvo in Egypt.

Kind regards,
Editor

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Omar Adel from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: This is a complaint letter about the ridiculous sales service BMW Egypt offers its potential clients (Readers letter)
On Monday, February 19th, I had visited BMW service center (Almaza branch) in an attempt to buy to the 340i model year 2018. The sales agent specifically told me to forget about finding the car inside BMW Company, adding that reservation will be closed for an indefinite period. I have checked again two subsequent times, once on Tuesday, March 13th and the other, today Monday, March 26th and I have been told the same exact words the reservation is closed for an indefinite period.

I am quite shocked at the substandard service BMW Egypt has to offer its potential clients; what kind of service is this? The level of recklessness this company is dealing with surpassed all levels of inadvertent errors. What was very strange for me is that all the sales representatives literally told me to forget about reserving the car from BMW until a time that they themselves claim to have no idea about. Only to learn by coincidence that there is a showroom named Golden in, which has availability for the BMW 340i 2018 with the price 1,160000 Egyptian Pounds.

I want to know the reason for this closure so I can finalize my decision concerning buying this car; I will not be willing to buy this car paying an over-price under any circumstances.

Regards,
Omar Adel


Editors response:
Dear Omar,

Of course you and any other customer should NOT pay any overprice or allow any rip-off when buying a new BMW or new MINI from any BMW dealer in Egypt.

Unfortunately the Bavarian Auto Group have a very non-transparent and unexplainable way of selling BMW and MINI cars in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to the BMW Middle East regional office and see if they have any explanation for this weird and strange sales strategy. What is indeed very strange is that they keep advertising in all different print magazines and social media platforms, and then when a potential customer calls them they claim they have no cars in stock in order to ask for a semi-legal overprice.

Keep us posted with your complaint when you hear from BMW Middle East or from the BMW headquarter in Munich.

And if you do not hear from them soon, then simply buy a Mercedes or AUDI instead.

KInd regards,


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Walid Hannourah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Very bad experience with Ford Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

As you might remember, I had a terrible experience with the distributer of a European brand known for high safety standards and durability but unfortunately the distributor is known as one of the worst in Egypt in aftersales service so when I decided to get a second car within a specific budget I opted for a supposedly respectable agent but it seems I have taken a wrong choice again. On March 1st I bought a 2018 Ford Focus from Abaza Auto trade (an authorized dealer for ALJ Ford Egypt), on March 7th I received the registration documents from the dealer and the following day I headed to the traffic department for registration and I was surprised that they refused to issue a registration as 2018 model, instead they issued a 6 months temporary permit showing that the car is MY 2017. I have been trying to contact both the agent and the dealer requesting an immediate solution but all what I am getting are either false promises to solve the problem or total ignorance.

As you know, having a difference of 1 year in the model causes me a significant loss if I want to sell the car any time soon, also assuming I want to sell it the notary public will not accept the temporary registration permit as ownership document as they need a permanent registration license, in addition to the fact that if the problem is not solved within the next 6 months I will have to go again to the traffic department wasting a full day to get a new 6 months temporary permit. So as you see the problem although seems a trivial one but in essence is very serious and they are facing this problem in all their models with some traffic departments. It seems that the respective department in Ford Egypt is incompetent and management should take the appropriate action towards this problem if they plan to continue working in Egypt.

A basic question arises, is the car 2017 or 2018 model? If it is 2017 as the traffic department claims then the agent is ripping off clients in significant amounts but if the car is 2018 then why the traffic department insists it is 2017?!

I would appreciate your advice on the action I need to take next; do you think it is time to undertake legal action or to submit a complaint to CPA? Or I should wait for some time to see what action the agent or dealer takes?

Regards,
Walid Hannourah



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mostafa El Desouky from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volkswagen Egypt & Mk2 VW Tiguan Complaint (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,


I own a MK2 Tiguan with VIN WVGZZZ5NZGW814366 since Jan 2017, it now has 35k km on its clock and I have been complaining of noises and rattling coming from the panoramic sunroof next to the B and C pillars since April 2017 and nothing happened from the authorised dealer in Egypt, Egyptian Automotive Co/Kayan, Obour branch to solve my problem. And this has been the case since then and for more than 5 consecutive visits.


Besides, another error message popped up a couple of months ago saying that I have to leave the car in P position. I went to Obour branch and it was diagnosed that the gear lever has to be changed, so I waited for a couple of weeks until they called to inform me that the part has arrived from Germany.
I drove the car to the dealership and it stayed there for two working days. Sadly after they started their procedures they discovered that they forgot to order a cable or a missing part that has to be installed with the new lever. So they re-installed the old gear lever once again till they order the missing cable in 4 or 5 days via DHL as they said. Sadly, when they reinstalled the old parts they messed up with something related to the insolation of the car beneath the centre console, and as a result of that I can now hear loud road noise coming from this place and heat coming from beneath!! So I have noises allaround above my head and under my knees in a 2017 670k EGP Tiguan, plus a free heater next to my lower body parts!
They did not even install the old gear lever in a right way, it was heavy when shifting between N and D, and the manual shifting was not working at all.


After the arrival of the missing part the car was at their disposal for another two working days to fix everything I was complaining about. The gear stick problems were solved, yet the noise and the intolerable heat are still existing and really getting on my nerves to the extent that I offered the car for sale.


Last but not least, a new ticking sound coming from the steering wheel started to show up a couple of days ago when I turn the wheel sideways while the car is stationary. It may be a minor issue right now but it adds another defect in this car.


Mr. Watany, the branch manager, was following the car personally and he provided me with a courtesy car in the first time the Tiguan stayed at the dealership for two days, yet I am still VERY UNSATISFIED!

I am not used to this shockingly bad quality issues in a VW. I have been a loyal customer since 2010 by owning a Jetta and an Audi A3, but honestly speaking buying this car made me regret every single time I recommended this brand to any one!

I hope this mail finds you well and your fast reply will be highly appreciated.


Best regards,

Mostafa El Desouky.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mahira hassan from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: No resonse from Mercedes Benz Egypt to my 1-month old Mercedes C-Class complaint (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

It has been over a month since i last wrote my complaint and to my surprise, i was not contacted or even approached by anyone from the Mercedes Benz Egypt team. I am very disappointed on this lack of response and how this experience turned out to be.

I am grateful for your efforts so far and i really appreciate any help you can provide.



Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Mahira,

I am really surprised that the Mercedes Benz Egypt team did not get back to you yet, although the Mercedes Benz CEO Thomas Zorn usually takes such complaints very seriously, especially those complaints related to the artificial supply shortage of some dealers and the associated over-price rip-off of those dealers.

Receiving no response for more than month from the Mercedes Benz Egypt / Daimler Egypt Office is definitely not acceptable and surely not the Mercedes-standard we would expect from their claimed slogan THE BEST OR NOTHING.

We will forward your complaint again to the Mercedes Benz Representative Office in Egypt. If you do not hear from them within the next 24 hours, then please contact us again and we will then send your complaint immediately to the Mercedes Benz headquarter in Stuttgart (Germany).

Kind regards,
Editor

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

mahmoud elbassyouni from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Follow up on my Mercedes complaint sent on December 6, 2017 (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

I would like to update you on the latest following my last mail to you on December 6, 2017, in which I extended my appreciation for the warm reception and sincere assistance I received from Mr. Mohamed Fahmy, the Manager of Mercedes-Benz desert road branch.

Mr. Fahmy spared no effort to assist me and gave me all the details and facilitation I needed to order the Mercedes Benz C-Class AMG for myself and CLA 180 for my wife. His team, Mr. Younis, and Ms Marina from Mercedes-Benz Desert Road Branch also gave me all the assistance I needed to complete the purchasing process for the two cars. Mr. Fahmy has even told me that the delivery of both cars will be in March, 2018, but to my good surprise the delivery will take place this month, that is two months earlier. Mr. Fahmy and his team’s efforts made my experience with Mercedes-Benz a very positive one.

Once again I would thank you Mr. Sheta for your assistance,positive intervention and efforts.

Thank you
Regards
Mahmoud Elbassyouni




* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

David George from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Gearbox failure - Opel Astra J with Opel Mansour in Egypt (Readers letter)
I am writing to you because of a gearbox failure issue with my Opel Astra J HB 2011, It all started suddenly couple of weeks ago that I noticed that gearbox was skipping shifts while driving, I had a doubt that it might be a serious issue once I noticed and I booked to check matter at Opel authorized service center (Al Mansour Automotive).

When I got there and had my car checked, I was told that the whole gearbox needs to be replaced and that would cost me around EGP 130k, and that I would bear the entire cost alone, and when I asked to fix it using the Goodwill policy Knowing that my current car milage is only 72000 Kilometer and I do my car services on time at authorized service centers, the natural reply I got was a refusal as if it is normal for gearboxes to fail especially at a low mileage.

I insisted asking them to file a report to the parent company in Germany, but the impression I got was that this trial would be in vain and it would not change anything.

For all honesty, I do not think I am supposed to pay for this since it is not my fault, I barely use the car and even its current milage is only 72,000 Kilometers and I have been always keen to have its services done on time with the authorized agent to ensure using original parts.

Back when I was deciding about buying a new car, I was considering that it should be reliable with durable parts to buy me some peace of mind, that was the main reason I bought a German car in the first place,
Now, My car is broken and it is left parked at home and I have to use car rentals now for my commute till I get this gearbox issue sorted out with Al Mansour Auto.


Editors response:
Dear David,

we will forward your complaint to Mr. Lotfy Mansour at the top management of Al Mansour Opel in Egypt, and I can imagine that he and his team will be able to find a satisfying solution for you.

In any case, keep us posted with your case when you receive any new feedback from them.

Kind regards,
Editor

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mahira Hassan from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes Benz Egypt has no C-Class models for sale (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

Myself and my husband have always been loyal Mercedes customers with us both owning Mercedes C-class models.

After selling my car and trying to upgrade my model to a 2018 Mercedes C-Class C180 basic edition, i went to CNA - Mercedes agent in Egypt and to my surprise, the sales reps refused to sell us a car claiming that there are 5000 orders on waiting list and that we can only purchase a CLA or E class!!!

He also told us to forget about buying the C-class or wait for not less than a year and see how it goes!!!

I contacted the two show rooms - in downtown and in Katameya and I received the same response every time.

I am completely disappointed on how this experience has turned out.

Why is the management at the Mercedes headquarters in Germany not sending more Mercedes C-Class to Egypt?

I would like to receive an answer from Mercedes in Germany about this issue!

Regards,
Mahira




Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Mahira,

thank you for your email.

You are absolutely right. If the Mercedes Benz Egypt sales rep told you that there is a waiting list of 5000 cars for the Mercedes C-Class in Egypt, then the Daimler representative office should get in touch with this CNA Mercedes showroom sales rep and deliver him 5.000 Mercedes C-Class models on the spot.

In any case, we will forward your complaint to Mr. Zorn, the CEO of Mercedes Benz Egypt, and I am sure he will take a proper action to solve your complaint, in addition to ordering 5.000 Mercedes C-Class models in case this sales representative has indeed a waiting list of 5.000 potential customers.

Keep us posted if any updates occur with your complaint.

Kind regards,
Editor



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Walid M. Hannourah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: 2017 Volvo S60 review & Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab experience (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,
As you might recall, I had a very frustrating experience with my Volvo S80 for the past 2 years and after I managed to get the transmission fixed with your assistance I decided to sell the car and a potential buyer wanted to get a technical report from the authorized representative so we headed to Ezz Al-Arab and to my surprise the report revealed that the engine is on the verge of failing and needs to be replaced. Naturally the buyer decided he no longer wants to buy the car and Ezz Al-Arab offered to buyback for the same amount agreed upon with the potential buyer (Market value) and I can also trade-in with a brand new MY 2017 S60 for a discount of more than 100K from the list price so I agreed to the latter option and I paid the difference. By the way this arrangement is sponsored by Volvo Sweden for T4 engine failure cases and the representative is only an intermediary.
The reason I agreed to this deal is my complete confidence in Volvo quality and durability despite the representative’s bad reputation and my previous disappointment with the S80, also due to the facts that the new car has a traditional Japanese 6 speed transmission and a totally new engine which was designed and produced in Sweden unlike previous Volvo models equipped with a Getrag dual clutch transmission and T4 engine supplied by Ford. The new S60 is basically a smaller version of S80 but equipped with better suspension, on the other hand missing a few options and the seats are not comfortable as the S80 but I don’t mind living with this car until I can find a better alternative (I am waiting to see the new XC60 or the XC40). Anyway, after I received the new car I discovered a very interesting fact about the engine. The S60 has a new 4 cylinders T3 1.5L engine producing 152HP and 250NM, the strange fact is the compression ratio of 8.8:1, The representative did not provide me with a logical explanation for the low compression ratio compared to the previous T4 engine supplied by Ford which was 10.0:1, all they said is that “it is a good thing and minimizes pressure on the engine” furthermore, after further search I discovered that T3 engine in 2016 S60 model has a compression ratio of 10.5:1, I checked with other brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Ford, they all have a compression ratio higher than 10 except for Ford which has a compression ratio of 9.3:1 and 9.37:1 for specific Ecoboost models (Focus ST 2.0 and Focus RS 2.3). I contacted Volvo Middle east last week for an explanation but till now I did not receive a reply.
Also as per my review of various international Volvo websites I found that this engine is not available in other markets (they are using the older T3 engine with a compression ratio of 10.5:1), so why use this engine specifically for Egypt? Are they testing a new setup in a small market like ours? Or maybe this low compression ratio is suitable for the low RON fuel we have in Egypt and minimizes the risk of engine failure? Can I use 92 RON safely for this car?
One more question, any thoughts on paint protection products namely 3M Scotchgard Vs. Xpel Ultimate protective films? The majority of reviews worldwide are in favor of Xpel Ultimate but in Egypt they are in favor of 3M!
I would highly appreciate your feedback on the above Mr. Sheta.
Regards,
Walid Hannourah



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

mahmoud elbassyouni from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: follow up on previous complaint in Mercedes maqqar (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

I would like to express my appreciation and gratefulness for your prompt response to the complaint I sent you in mid-November regarding the treatment I received at Mercedes-Benz, Maqqar branch.

Upon your intervention, I received a phone call less than 24 hours later from Mr. Mohamed Fahmy, Mercedes-Benz Sales Manager.

Mr Fahmy asked me to re-tell the incident with all the details, and acknowledged that this was an unacceptable way. He offered to do anything in my convenience and asked me to meet him at the earliest opportunity to see how to start the purchase of the Mercedes C-Class AMG I want to buy.

We met two days later in Mercedes Benz Desert road branch and I received a very warm greeting from Mr. Fahmy who was very kind and welcoming. I told him I was not willing to tackle the past incident and instead start anew.

Mr. Fahmy explained to me how the purchasing process for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG goes. He told me that the delivery will take place in March 2018. I also asked him about the Mercedes CLA for my wife and he said he will check and get back to me.

Two days later I went again to start the process for purchasing my car and found that Mr Fahmy was successful to find a Mercedes CLA for my wife. So I reserved the two cars and began the purchasing process. I was told that the delivery for both will be in March.

I hope that Mercedes Benz Egypt will stick to it promises and not postpone the delivery date.

Again I would like to thank you for your prompt response and assistance, and I will update with any positive (or negative) developments in my case.

Best regards,
Mahmoud Elbassyouni






Editors response:
Dear Mr. Elbassyouni,

I am glad to hear that our intervention led to some positive developments in your case. We had forwarded your complaint to the CEO of Mercedes Benz Egypt, Mr. Zorn, as we were confident that he takes quick actions when it comes to customer complaints.

Keep us updated with the developments in your case.
Regards.
Editor


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Youssef Tarrab from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Praktikumsmöglichkeit bei BMW (Readers letter)
Sehr geehrte Redakteure von Auto Arabia ,

Mein Name ist Youssef Tarrab ich schreibe ihnen heute bezüglich zu einer Praktikumsmöglichkeit in BMW - München nach meinem 10. Schuljahr an der Deo Kairo. Ich war schon immer interessiert an BMW und Autos im allgemeinem . ich bin 16 Jahre alt und bin schon interessiert an einer Auto Firma zu arbeiten und ein Praktikum bei BMW würde das sehr fördern.
das Praktikum könnte vom 18. Juni 2018 bis zum 28 Juni 2018 stattfinden denn unsere Schule gab uns einen Zeitraum ,wo wir Zeit haben für 10 Arbeitstage.
Bitte nehmen sie mich in Betracht

Viele Grüße , Youssef Tarrab

Editors response:
Lieber Youssef,

vielen Dank fuer deine Nachricht. Wir werden deinen Leserbrief sowohl an BMW in Muenchen als auch an die anderen deutschen Autohersteller in Deutschland weiterleiten.

Viel Glueck bei der Praktikumssuche und vergiss nicht uns eine Postkarte aus Deutschland zu schicken :-)

Mit besten Gruessen,
Editor

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Ahmed Medhat from Cairo - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Evaluation (Readers letter)
Company: Volvo
Service center: Ezz El Arab
Country: Egypt
City: Cairo

Company Rating: Needs a new representative in Cairo, Egypt
Service Rating: Needs a new representative in Cairo, Egypt
Sales Rating: Very bad

Comment:

Its a shame that such a brand is represented by such an incompetent dealer such as Ezz El Arab. And what is even more frustrating that Volvo Sweden is fully aware of how decieving, innefficient and incompetent Ezz El Arab are and are doing absolutely nothing to fix it nor to retain their clients.

The service center representatives are so unorganized, unqualified and unprofessional, have no manners and do not have the least knowledge of customer care.

The service center is so bad that I am selling my car as soon as the spare part required for my S60 arrives.
It really is a shame such a great car is kept with such dealership that pushes people away from the brand.

Editors response:
It is indeed a shame when Ezz EL Arab is ruining such a premium brand like Volvo, which is currently producing excellent cars like the XC60 and S90.

I think it is time that Volvo headquarters in Sweden should consider changing the representative in Egypt, just like the PSA Group did with the Peugeot dealership in Egypt this week.

Kind regards,
Editor
20.11.2017

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mahmoud elbassyouni from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Unacceptable experience with Mercedes authorized dealer in Cairo (Readers letter)
I would like to share with you my bad experience with the authorized Mercedes Benz Egypt dealership in Egypt, which was a totally unpleasant, unexpected and shocking one.

In the last week of October I went with my wife to the Mercedes showroom in Maqqar (Dokki) to reserve a C180 AMG car, white color with red leather, for myself. We were received by salesman Mohamed Hussein who said that I will pay 50% of the car price now and the rest will be in installments and that I will receive the car within 2-3 months. He also told me that I have to make a car insurance with Mercedes. He took my contacts and a copy of my ID and promised that within 2-3 days I will be contacted by a company affiliated to Mercedes, which arranges the installment process. This company will request some papers then it will take a week to respond to my request to reserve the car. Then after their OK I can go to the company to pay the 50% of the price and have my name added to the waiting list.

The Salesman (Mohamed Hussein) tried to convince me to get the much more expensive E-class car because then, so his claim, he can get it for me faster than the C180. But I told him that I want the C180.

For ten days the company did not contact me to get the papers they will need to confirm the reservation and start the purchasing process for the car. I called Mr. Mohamed Hussein several times who kept giving me weird excuses like they had a wrong phone number for me and that my birthday was not correct. Finally when they contacted me after ten days, I gave them all the papers they asked for.

I called Mr Mohamed Hussein again to ask about a CLA car for my wife. He told me to take the higher category ( for 675 thousand pounds) and that I can pay 150-thousand pounds now and he will get it faster for me so that I receive it in March 2018. My wife decided that she does not want it. When I called him to say that we do not want the CLA, I asked him also about my car and why they are late to call me to go to pay the down payment. To my astonishment I received completely new and different answers and information from what I was told before:

Mr. Mohamed Hussein told me for the first time that he does not know how many AMG cars they will receive so he cannot confirm when I can get my car. He said that if they receive like 8 cars and my name on the waiting list is number 9, then he cannot be sure that I can get the car. He explained that the AMG cars will undergo a facelift in October 2018 therefore they might stop demanding it until the changes are made (the first time to be told this). I told him why did you not tell me this before, but I got no answer.

I asked him how come you do not know your quota or the number of cars you receive every year, I got no clear or transparent answer and he kept telling me about my turn. I asked him that there supposed to be a waiting list with my name already reserved in it, but I was given no answer.

By mere chance he told me that the company which is supposed to check my papers, gave its approval to my request. He claimed that he told me about this but I insisted that he did not tell me about this at all although we have talked several times over the previous period when we were talking about a car for my wife. I told him he should have told me this information immediately to go and pay the down payment and have my name added to the waiting list.

He also told me that they have a problem with getting the dollars and that the market conditions made them get only limited numbers of cars. I told him I am dealing with a respectable company like Mercedes so you cannot give me wrong information or do not provide me with full information, let alone make me wait for four or five months to get the car. I Did not get clear answers from Mr Mohamed Hussein, whom I did not appreciate dealing with at all.

When I decided to go to Mercedes I had in mind that I will pay the amount in cash and get a clear date for receiving the car. But I found that Mercedes now only deals with payments in installments with interests. I did not understand why If your client is ready to pay in cash you force him to pay in installments with interest.

My experience totally contradicts Mercedes claim that it is fully aware of the valuable time of the its customers time and is keen on meeting their expectations. What I got is a waste of time, a series of unclear, missing and contradictory information and a disappointment in a respectable company like Mercedes Benz / Daimler.

I kindly ask you to forward my complaint to the Mercedes headquarters in Germany in order to receive a clarifying explanation for this strange business attitude of Mercedes Benz Egypt and it authorized dealers and salesmen.

Mahmoud Elbassyouni

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Mahmoud,

this is indeed an unacceptable and unprofessional behavior of the salesperson at the authorized Mercedes Benz dealership in Cairo.

I also do not understand why Mercedes Benz Egypt is forcing new customer to pay their new Mercedes through installments, even when they want to transfer the full amount upfront or pay in cash. This gives the impression that Mercedes Benz Egypt is trying to increase their profit margin through the interest of the installments and the obligatory insurance through their company.

We will forward your complaint to the Thomas Zorn, the CEO of Mercedes Benz Egypt, in order to receive his feedback on your complaint.

If you do not hear from Mercedes Benz Egypt or receive a satisfactory explanation during the next two working days, then kindly get in touch with us again.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Hassan Fouda from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Ford Egypt ALJ / Problems with my Ford Kuga (Readers letter)
السيارة فورد كوجا موديل ٢٠١٥
المالك : حسن ابراهيم فوده

الشكوى
ظهور علامة
Check engine service now
على فترات متقطعة مع ارتفاع عدد لفات الموتور
Rpm
وذلك منذ ان وصل عداد الكيلو متر الى ١٥٠٠٠ كم
وقد كررت الشكوى للتوكيل ( اوتو جميل) اكثر من ١٠ مرات اثناء فترة الضمان. وكان الرد ان المشكلة في الحساس الخاص بكمبيوتر السيارة وانه لا يوجد عطل.
تكررت الشكوى وفِي اخر مرة منذ اسبوعين اكد مهندس الاستقبال ان هذا العطل لن يعود ابدا. ولكنه عاد بعد ان غادرت التوكيل بيومين فقط.
والشكوى المهمة ايضا انه لا توجد متابعة من مركز الصيانة بعد خروج السيارة من التوكيل الا نادرا جدا.
الان تظهر علامتان صفراوان على الشاشة وليس علامة واحدة.
مرفق صور الفواتير موضحا بهاالشكوى المذكورة وكذا صور عداد السيارة وبه العلامتان ظاهرتان.
مع الشكر


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Fouda,

we will send your complaint to Ford Egypt / Abdul Latif Jameel. I am sure they will get in touch with you shortly and repair your check-engine-sensor problem once and for good, especially since this fault appeared for the first time at 15.000km only. If they will not be able to repair this fault or exchange the spare part in question in less than one hour, then I am sure that they provide you with a courtesy car for the repair duration.

Keep us posted and updated once they get in touch with you and solve your complaint.

Best regards,
Editor

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Walid Hannourah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Terrible after sales service (Update) (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

Please be informed that finally the spare parts required are received by Ezz Al-Arab and I was able to schedule an appointment on 31 October for installation. Knowing how they operate at the service center I would not be surprised if the spare parts which should be reserved in my name could be installed in someone else’s car. I hope that Volvo Sweden consider changing the importer in order to salvage the brand’s reputation in Egypt.


Regards,
Walid Hannourah


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Walid,

I hope that the gentlemen at Volvo Egypt / Ezz El Arab are smart enough not to give your spare parts to another client. But why would you wait till October 31st to repair the car, although we have October 4th today?

Kind regards,
Editor

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Walid Hannourah from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Terrible After sales service - Volvo Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

As you might remember, I am the owner of the problematic Volvo S80 (MY 2012 VIN - YV1485ASXC1157356). I posted my problem to Volvo experience website with no feedback, and the agent in Egypt insists that the delay is from Volvo headquarter, Sweden, furthermore, they claim they sent many reminders and there is nothing else they can do for me but to keep sending reminders.

In brief my problem is oil leak from the transmission clutch which was changed last year under warranty and did not last 20000 KM and now I am asked to pay about EUR 3000 to change it again and the agent claims that they sent all details to Volvo, Sweden on 13 June 2017. Multiple reminders were sent, as claimed, with no response. Also the transmission oil seals were changed twice. It is worth mentioning that the problem I am currently experiencing started to occur during the 5 years warranty period and was reported to the agent at the time. Kindly note that all regular service maintenance has been performed on timely basis at the authorized service centers in Egypt and all supporting documents were submitted from my side.

I do not understand how a well reputable company such as Volvo allows such poor communication with their clients. A simple email or a phone call from the agent in Egypt to follow up would have been sufficient to assure me that the issue is progress. Instead, I have to go personally and check every week or so because they rarely answer my calls.

My family has been a client for Volvo since 1983 and we were very proud to be owners of Volvo cars but after the problems I am having now with my car, unjustified delay and poor communication I will not be considering Volvo within my next car options in addition to the fact that for the past 18 months I have had nothing but troubles and the agent in Egypt is not able to solve my problem.

I am really sorry that the level of after sales service in Egypt has deteriorated to such level. The occurrence of oil leak from the transmission and the failure to fix for a period of 18 months is unbelievable. This incident can occur in a cheap Chinese or even a Korean car but in a premium brand like Volvo!

This can be perceived to be an indication of Volvo’s intent to exit the market in Egypt. Ironically other European competitors, some locally assembled with inferior quality and many problems, are doing their best to enhance the after sales service to gain more market share.

It should be also noted that there are many cases like mine with cars waiting to be repaired for many months now and the agent in Egypt is claiming that the delay is from Volvo Sweden’s side (awaiting approval for repair / un-available spare parts). I wonder how Volvo’s top management expects to promote and sell the new S90, XC90 or even the XC60 if the after sales service is so bad resulting in many unresolved problems with current models.

I respectfully ask you to provide me with the email of customer care in Sweden to ensure that they are aware of the after sales service level in Egypt and hopefully to solve my long lasting problem or at least let me know if they refuse to bear the cost of repairs in order to close this issue at the earliest.

Regards,
Walid Hannourah


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Hannourah,

first of all we would like to apologize to you as your complaint, which we received on 25th of June 2017, was not forwarded from us to the Volvo regional office due to a technical problem in our mailing system.

We have now forwarded your two complaints dated June 25th and August 10th to the Volvo regional office and I am sure that you will hear from them very soon.

It is a shame that the Volvo dealer in Egypt Ezz El Arab is making the lives of Volvo owners so miserable. I am sure that there is no shortage of spare parts or any shortcoming from the side of Volvo Sweden. This is probably just a lame excuse from Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab to excuse their mismanagement in ordering spare parts and for not having them on stock for their customers.

I also do not think and did not hear that Volvo has any intention to exit the Egyptian market. On the contrary, with the new benchmark-setting XC60 and the impressive S90 they have, now maybe for the first time, all the tools to beat their German competitors Mercedes, BMW and AUDI in the Egyptian market.

Maybe Volvo just needs to have other dealerships / representatives instead or next to Ezz El Arab, just like Alfa Romeo did recently when they announced two separate official dealerships for their brand in Egypt.

Before deciding to leave the Volvo brand and change to another luxury brand, I strongly recommend you wait till you test-drive the new 2018 XC60.

Keep us posted with your case and I am confident that the Volvo regional office will solve your problem swiftly.

Regards,
Editor


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KHALED EL HALABY from CAIRO - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Yamaha dealer in Marina North Coast (Egypt). (Readers letter)
Comment:

I own two Yamaha Jet Skis and I always have a problem from their authorized service center in Marina for their sloppy and primitive work.

About 2 weeks ago one of my Jet skis which worked for only 133 hours did not start. So I took it to the service center (El-Shimy Marine) and they said that the start gear needs to be changed and that it will coast 5.750 Egyptian pounds. I agreed but I insisted that my driver will be with them while they fix the jet.

They opened the engine to move it out because the start gear is at the bottom and to do so they had to suck all the oil out of the engine, which they did. After fixing the start gear they refilled the engine with 2 liters of oil and my driver warned the technician that oil is less than it should be.

After fixing the Jet Ski the technician gave it to my driver to bring it home. On his way to Marina 4 it stopped twice so he went back to the technician and told him what happened. The Technician opened the engine and said that oil is more than it should be and sucked almost 0.75 liters of oil out of the engine.

The technician took the jet for a test ride before handing it over to my driver, since the driver had an argument on the level of oil was not enough in the engine. After 20 minutes of test riding the technician called the service center for help. They towed the Jet Ski to the service center and there they discovered that the block was cracked and that the jet needs a new engine!!!

The worst thing ever is that they refused to claim any responsibility and when I called Eng. Elshimy and told him that the Jet Ski broke while it was with them and they have to claim responsibility, his answer was it broke because it was its destiny!

Until now the Jet is in his position and he refuses to take any responsibility.

How can Yamaha Egypt allow such a careless dealer to be one of their authorized dealers?

I demand that Yamaha Egypt takes full responsibility for breaking the engine of my Jet Ski and exchanges the engine for free, as it is the fault of the technician of their authorized dealer.

Khaled El Halaby





Editors response:
Dear Mr. Elhalaby,

we will forward your complaint to EIM who are the official importer of Yamaha in Egypt, in addition to being the official importer of KIA and Renault in Egypt as well. And since the top management of EIM is taking customers complaints very seriously and solve them very quickly, I am sure that EIM will also get in touch with you and try to solve your problem very quickly as well, so that you can enjoy the remaining summer weeks with your Jet Ski.
Keep us posted with your case.


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Ahmed Elbackly from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Gearbox failure of my Nissan Qashqai 2016 (26,000km) (Readers letter)
My Nissan Qashqai model 2016 (only 26,000km) is in Nissan ElSabaa, Maadi, Egypt stuck there unrepaired!!

Late evening on Wednesday 19th July, while driving the car back home, the car motion was suddenly disturbed and the car suddenly slowed then maintained speed without giving any alarm!!

Once I reached home, I called Nissan Egypt hotline, who advised me to bring the car that if I could still drive the car to their workshop the next day as it was late. First thing in the morning on Thursday 20th July I attempted to drive the car, It did not move; engine was running but no motion transferred to the wheels, heard sound but with no motion!! The car did not give any alarm at all !!

I called Nissan, they advised to get the car to their workshop on a transporter which I did. Took the car with transporter to Elsabaa Maadi branch in Cairo, Egypt which is a Nissan approved seller and workshop.

Few days later, I was told that Nissan Egypt is refusing to repair my 1 year old, 2016 model only 26,000km Qashqai which is still in warranty!

Upon examination, they said the pipe of the gearbox oil got a hole in it and leaked all the oil till the gearbox became unable to engage!! No alarm given though!!

They claim the pipe was broken by a stone from the road that flew and went through in between the grill with the Nissan logo at the front of the car!!

However, I think the pipe material (if we believe this assumption) should withstand such road effects since the car design placed it in this location!!

Nissan Egypt did not analyse the pipe material but assumed since day one that it is not a factory fault!! Also the car should have given alarm of low oil level so I could stop the car immediately and take it for maintenance to avoid escalating the problem!! It is the steel pipe which the oil run through for cooling.

Moreover a material engineer saw the shape of the cut and assured me that it is a fish mouth type of cut caused due to material failure under pressure and temperature, which again means poor material quality of the pipe not an external factor effect!

My car is still at Nissan Elsabaa, Maadi branch, Cairo, Egypt.

I am hoping that someone would look thoroughly into the case and help resolve this problem!!

Thanks in advance,
Ahmed Elbackly


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Elbackly,

It is indeed surprising that a 2016 Nissan Qashqai would suffer such a material failure under pressure and temperature. If this is the case, like your material engineer stated, then Nissan Motors Egypt must for sure cover all the cost of the repair and give you an additional warranty for the gearbox. I am also surprised that Nissan Motors Egypt did not analyze the pipe material as you wrote in your email. They should have done a comprehensive analysis before handing you out a written damage report.

We will forward your complaint to the management of Nissan Motor Egypt. If you do not receive any feedback from them during the next 48 hours, then kindly get in touch with us again and we will then forward your complaint to Nissan Middle East and Nissan headquarter in Japan.

Kind regards,
Editor


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hassan El Gabbas from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: My problems with BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group & my 2016 BMW 330i engine failure (Readers letter)
Dear autoarabia team,

I would like to file a complaint about BMW’s representative in Egypt, the Bavarian Auto Group BAG because of the problems I faced with my BMW 3series. Please find below the complaint points I sent to BMW and to which I received no satisfying reply so far:

As mentioned in my complaint which I sent to BMW Germany since 21st of June 2017 regarding my 2016 model year BMW 330i, and after I had informed BMW Germany about all the problems which happened to my car during my first year of ownership, at last the so-called high-performance engine of my BMW 330i suffered a major technical failure.

Let me again wrap up all the quality problems and technical problems I had with my locally-assembled Made-in-Egypt so-called top-of-the-line BMW 330i, which I bought as a brand-new car from Bavarian Auto Group in April 2016:

1- At 7000 km I had a steering wheel problem and they changed the complete steering unit on the warranty.
2- One of the workers of the BMW Bavarian Auto Group hit the back bumper of my BMW while it was in their service center and they changed the bumper on their expenses.
3- The M-steering wheel which I ordered as an option, suffered a leather quality problem and they ordered a new one from Germany.
4- A nerving and loud noise came from the exhaust pipe and they changed one part of it on the warranty.
5- There was also noise and rattling coming from the right-side door.
6 – of course BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group refused to hand me out any documents or proof for the repairs which have been done under warranty so far, because they are not honest with their customer and try to mislead the BMW customers whenever they can.
7- After doing the regular service ahead of its due-time by 10000 km at the Bavarian Auto Group, I received the car back and at the 2nd day in the morning while driving I found a drivetrain alarm with the engine sign popping up in my dashboard.

Then I went to the Bavarian Auto Group service center again, only to be told that it is a major problem in the engine compression. For me this is a very strange coincidence that a major engine compression failure came only 2 days after being serviced at the Bavarian Auto Group !!!!

This raises many question-marks for me on what had happened with my car inside the service center of the Bavarian Auto Group !!!!

After many calls to BMW Egypt BAG, I came to the conclusion that nobody there cares at all. Accordingly I went personally to BAG to have a meeting with Mr. Ahmed el Shazly Deputy Manager for After Sales and Mr. Ehab el Dur, Manager of Bavarian Auto Kattameya 5 branch.

And I was promised by those gentlemen to receive the following:
1- A courtesy car instead of my broken-down 2016 BMW 330i which is obviously still under warranty.
2- To have my car exchanged with a totally-new 330i.

Two days after the meeting I received a call from Bavarian Auto Group with the following content:
1- Bavarian cannot give me a courtesy car, ‘because we found out that there will not be any 330i or 340i assembled / produced in our Cairo plant before Next November 2017.
2- Other option would be to take a brand-new BMW 520i (old shape) or BMW X3 (current / old shape).

Aside from the fact that I already own a BMW X3 for more than 2 years, those two models which they have offered me are already considered old-shape models and I have come to the conclusion that Bavarian Auto Group is now playing unfair and trying to give me one of their old-shaped cars in their stock, which they have been unable to sell so far.

So since they want to play unfair with me I am going to do the following:

1- Neither myself nor my family will ever buy from BMW a car again. For your info: me and my family bought over 16 new BMW models during the past couple of years.
2- We will not service our other BMW models at any of the Bavarian Auto Group service centers anymore.
3-next week I will send my case to all social media and newspaper in Egypt.
4 -I will file a complaint at the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA and ask my lawyer to take the Bavarian Auto Group to the Egyptian courts for all the loss of money and time which happened to me because of the Bavarian Auto Group.
5- I will demand from the CPA and from the Egyptian courts to receive a brand-new BMW 330i you instead of my faulty BMW 330i and I will not pay any extra money for that exchange. After that I will sell this new BMW and will change to another REAL luxury brand which is respecting customers better than BMW Egypt, even if this brand will be more expensive
6- I promise you a direct and effective loss in the Egyptian market because you do not know how to respect your old customers.
7- I will come to Munich next month and will make my case public in Germany and at your headquarters.

Finally, many thanks to BMW Germany for giving your brand to such a ‘responsible’ dealer that knows my case very well and then later pretends that they do not know it and want to play and unfair and sneaky game instead.

For more than 3 weeks I have been try to solve my problem in a civilized, polite and clean direct way. But it seems that Bavarian Auto Group are only greedy businessmen who have no idea about customer care or brand reputation.

And if BMW Germany really cares about its BMW brand and its reputation in Egypt, then you should ask your existing customers in Egypt about their opinion and impression about the Bavarian Auto Group, and do an independent survey among those customers.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I do not allow the Bavarian Auto Group to open the engine of my BMW 330i for examination. I demand that BMW Germany sends a German technician from Munich to inspect my car and provide me with a full and detailed report about my car, as I lost complete confidence in the Bavarian Auto Group and its management and technicians.

I therefore kindly ask autoarabia to send my complaint to the BMW headquarters in Germany and to advise me of the next steps I should do.

Best regards,
Hassan El Gabbas




Editors response:
Dear Hassan,

Unfortunately this is not the first complaint in which a BMW customer lost complete confidence and trust in the Bavarian Auto Group and in the BMW brand in Egypt.

I must admit I am very surprised that Bavarian Auto Group chairman Farid El Tobgui is allowing his employees and his management to jeopardize and damage the BMW brand reputation in Egypt in such a way, especially in this critical phase where the Bavarian Auto Group is under heavy criticism in Egypt because of their connection to Qatar and Qatari investors amidst the Qatari blockade from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain.

Although BMW in Germany usually builds magnificent and reliable driving machines, it seems that the management and customer service of the Bavarian Auto Group is sabotaging this reputation with their customer-unfriendly behavior and with their locally-assembled Made-in-Egypt cars, which obviously are way below the quality standards of the BMW vehicles assembled in Germany.

The fact that the Bavarian Auto Group refused to give you a courtesy car although you are clearly entitled to a courtesy car similar to your own car, shows that the management is not following the rules and standards of BMW Germany in such cases, and that BAG is handling customer complaints in a very incompetent and customer-unfriendly way. This again is not the first time we at autoarabia witness such negligence of Bavarian Auto Group when it comes to taking care of BMW customers in Egypt.

Unlike in Germany, BMW Egypt surely knows that changing the engine of a car in Egypt comes with a huge drop in the resale value, which could almost be compared with a ‘total loss’. Therefore they should have been much more cooperative with you when they discussed with you the options of replacing your malfunctioning and low-quality Made-in-Egypt BMW 330i with a new BMW model.

We will forward your complaint to the management at BMW headquarters in Germany and I am confident that they will get in touch with you for solving your case and for finding a satisfying solution.

I am sure that they will also force BMW Egypt to hand you out the vehicle history of your car, including all the irregular services and repairs which took place during the past months, as this is your full right.

I am also sure that they will send a technician from BMW headquarters to inspect your car, just like they did before with other BMW owner complaints we received and forwarded to them.

I hope that BMW Germany will take quick measures to restore the reputation and confidence in this iconic German in Egypt, especially since the Egyptian market is a huge market with almost 100 million inhabitants and lots of potential, where thousands of imported BMW cars (CBU) can be sold.

In the meantime we surely encourage you to continue in your process of filing a complaint at the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency in order to protect your civil rights against Bavarian Auto Group in front of the Egyptian courts, in case you do not reach an agreement with BMW Egypt.

Keep us posted with your case.
Kind regards,
Editor





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Nada from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Sandero airbag malfunction (Readers letter)
On Friday, the 23rd of July, my mum and I had a terrible car accident in our Renault Sandero, yes that thing in the photos. One of the facilities that were supposed to be in this car was the airbag, which I have no idea how it looks like. A tyre explosion and the car flipping in the air and rolling over, all were not enough to let the so called airbags come out. My mum was thrown off the car during the flipping and suffered from large and severe bruises all over her body that she could barely move, something which could probably have been prevented if the airbag stopped her from being thrown off the car front windshield.

I was at the driver seat wearing the seatbelt, so I remained inside the car through it all, yet no airbag appeared. And I think one of the main reasons airbags were created were to prevent chest and head injuries from the steering wheel due to strong impacts. And just because I did not suffer from any, probably because I turned to my side trying to check on my mum and got all the bruises on my shoulder and back instead, does not mean that the car had any hand in protecting me except for the seatbelt.

I know we are safe now, and God protected us and we came out alive out of this, and that alone is a blessing that we will eternally be grateful for. Yet, I would still never wish it upon anyone to see their mother thrown on the sand face down, thinking for two minutes she was gone forever and feeling the worst and most excruciating kinds of pain, a horrendous moment that I will forever have to live with and it will keep hurting the same every time it crosses my mind, and it is just one of the worst feelings any human being could feel.

Because when one of the reasons we decided to spent money on this certain car is because of its so called safety measures, and those measures were not really there to save us, then I have to speak out not just for myself, but for the sake of whoever decided to (or will decide to) take the same decision and buy the same car.

And I am sorry I have not spoken earlier, but we are just starting to catch our breath. And yes, we were lucky enough to come out alive and in one piece, but not everyone would be.

We are going through the legal procedures, but I need you to help me spread the word and we need Renault to explain themselves and make sure no one else has to go through this.


Editors response:
Dear Nada,

we are glad that you and your mother survived this accident without serious injuries.

We will forward your complaint to the top management at Renault.

Keep us posted with any developments in your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Walid Hannourah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S80 poor quality spare parts at Ezz El Arab Service Center (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

I have a Volvo S80 (MY 2012 VIN - YV1485ASXC1157356), and had some issues during the past few years but were all resolved with your assistance. I have another issue which can be classified either as poor quality parts and/or unqualified service centers.

On January 2016 the gearbox oil seals were changed at the authorized service center, the cost for parts, gearbox oil and labor was paid in full. On March 2016 the gearbox clutch was changed under warranty (free of charge). On December 2016, I noticed oil leak from the gearbox so the following day I headed to the main service center and they confirmed the leak and agreed to change the oil seals after obtaining Volvo Sweden approval free of charge (spare parts warranty). The oil seals were changed 3 months later!

About 3 months later (less than 2500 Km), the gearbox started leaking again, but this time it is much worse so I headed again to the service center and insisted to leave the car. They said that the gearbox clutch has to be changed and it would cost me around EGP 70,000 because the warranty expired 3 months ago. It is worth mentioning that the warranty expired on 28 March 2017 and the oil leak resulting from the bad clutch was reported but the oil seals changed (by mistake due to their wrong diagnosis) on 4 March 2017 so I believe that I am entitled to an exception to extend the warranty for a further period.

After discussion with the after sales manager at the service center he agreed to send an email to Volvo Sweden seeking approval for goodwill application. I was told that Volvo might agree to charge me with a % of the repair cost (about EGP 15000). Almost 2 weeks have passed since my discussion with the after sales manager and till now they did not receive any reply.

Another problem I am facing is that even if I agree to pay the requested amount, the parts might not be available by the time the reply is received so I have to leave the car at the service center for a few more weeks/months.

I think that both Volvo Egypt and Volvo Sweden should do more to resolve the increasing car problems in Egypt otherwise they will definitely lose many existing and new clients to other European competitors.
Once again I need your assistance in resolving this issue. I would highly appreciate if you forward my complaint to Volvo headquarters.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Walid Hannourah



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Noura Rasekh from City - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes Egypt wants me to wait FOUR months for air-condition spare part !!! (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

I own a Mercedes SLK and a few days ago my air condition stopped working.

Aside from the fact that the official Mercedes service center asked for a ridiculous price for the air-condition blower and its connection part (compared to the prices of original parts in other non-authorized Mercedes spare parts shops in Cairo and also compared to the prices at Mercedes service centers in Spain and Germany), what really shocked me more is that the so-called official Mercedes Benz Service Center did not even have the parts on stock, and that it would take FOUR FULL MONTHS to import the part from Germany!!!

Waiting FOUR MONTHS for a spare part and parking my SLK for this long period, which is close to half a year, is totally unacceptable and unworthy of the premium aspect which Mercedes Benz claims to have!

If Mercedes will provide me as a customers with a similar SLK courtesy car for four months, then this is fine. If not, then any spare part should be made available during four working-DAYS, and NOT four working-MONTHS.

When I bought this premium Mercedes SLK roadster I was expecting to receive a premium and excellent Mercedes customer service as well. This is not the case so far.

I kindly ask Auto Arabia to forward my complaint to the Mercedes headquarter in Germany so that Mercedes Egypt would deliver my spare part during the next four working-days!

Awaiting you quick feedback and thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,
Noura Rasekh


Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Rasekh,

we will forward your complaint to Mr. Zorn, the new and recently appointed Mercedes Benz Egypt CEO in Cairo. I am sure that he will take a swift action regarding your complaint and I am confident that your problem will be solved quickly, especially since waiting four months for a spare part is totally unacceptable, and also because I understood from him personally that customer satisfaction is currently the first priority of Mercedes Benz in Egypt.

Please follow up with us during the next two working days to update us with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Nader El Assy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Need Suitable Family 7 seater (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,
I would like to get your insights for a practical family 7 seater in Egypt. My main requirements are a durable car and good aftersales service. I have checked the Citroen Grand C4 and the Ford Grand C-Max and I found both cars technically acceptable, but generally worried about the durability and aftersales service. Do you recommend any of them? Unfortunately I cannot wait too long for the new Peugeot 5008 as the availability date is not known yet.


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Dr. M.Fadel from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Kadjar - 92 or 95 Octane? (Readers letter)
Is Renault Kadjar 2017 suitable for 92 or 95 octane?



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Ahmed Mohsen from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Gross negligence of VW Egypt that led to a fatal incident (Readers letter)
Dear Sir/Madam
Re: Complaint about gross negligence of Abou-Rawash Service Center, Egypt, resulting in a life-threatening incident involving a 2010 Jetta

I am a senior international officer working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the past 14 years. In 2010, and based on the reputation of your company and products, I purchased a motor vehicle from a certified agent (Jetta 1600CC, 2010 Model, registration number 263 ن ص ط, Egypt).

The vehicle has not been satisfactory, mainly starting in early-mid 2013, because its gear box has repeatedly jammed, notwithstanding the fact that I have been consistently sending the vehicle for service as per the standard set schedule to either of your two servicing centers in Al-Obour-Cairo and Abou-Rawash-Giza respectively.

In 2016 we delivered the car to Abou-Rawash center complaining again of the same problem since the gearbox has jammed twice while my spouse and children were on board alone in a tunnel once and in another instance uphill, in both cases risking their lives as they were helpless in a defected car in the middle of roads with speeding vehicles, which caused them quite a deal of instant and aftermath panic and distress. The Abou-Rawash servicing center then advised that the issue is with the software and they upgraded it accordingly but apparently it did not solve the issue as the problem kept on recurring.

While doing the Nov. 2016 service in the same center, we were asked to admit the vehicle for a full check-up on the gear box. The vehicle was delivered on 22 November and following a week we received it back while being told that a spare part will be ordered from Germany to be procured and installed at the Center’s expense. We were also advised that the part will arrive within 3 weeks; meaning by the third or fourth week of December 2016. Since then we have been following up with the Center to know if the part has arrived but to no avail. Eventually, and during the course of January 2017, and following repeated nagging and complaining from our end, the long awaited spare part was fixed.

While doing so, we have asked the Abou-Rawash service center to fix the button of the airbag which is located right under the triangular red flash light in the middle of the tableau as it was not properly fixed. We received the vehicle with no problem with the gear box, with the said airbag button fixed, but with a plastic part belonging to the air pressure sensor in the tableau. Accordingly we returned the vehicle back to fix the broken part and we were told that it was replaced.

On Monday 13 February 2016, and while my spouse was driving my three kids back from the club at night, and being only ten meters away from the Cairo-Alexandria highway desert road, the two front airbags inflated in the face of my spouse and my eldest daughter, for no obvious reason, considering that my spouse was driving at a speed of 10 Km. per hour and she had not collided with any object static or moving object, or advance alarm, with some buttons in the driving wheel and tableau flying in their faces (photos below).

As a result, my spouse was injured in her right shoulder (suspected fracture) with a number of bruises in her back and neck and eventually fainted (medical reports are available). Needless to say, my children were extremely traumatized, first of all for seeing their mother in such a state, not knowing what happened to her, and thinking they were being either shot at or that the vehicle was on fire considering the sound of the burst of the airbags and the smell of burning. Luckily, other vehicles’ passengers who were at the scene intervened and provided the necessary support.

In light of the above, proving gross negligence and lack of minimum due diligence (fixing the airbags in an erroneous manner) as well as lack of honesty and professionalism (alleging the broken part was replaced though in reality it was only welded), on part of the Abou-Rawash service center, I hereby submit a formal complaint to your end considering the serious and life-threatening implications of the explicit negligence of Abou-Rawash center on my spouse and kids.

In light of all the surrounding circumstances, I will never trust the quality of service of such center again and will never have confidence in this particular vehicle as long as the center has touched it, notwithstanding their multiple since the incident took place to get hold of the car to repair it. I cannot imagine would could have happened if this incident took place on a high way or a higher speed.

I look forward to settling this matter promptly while reserving my inherent legal right, and that of my family, to initiate all relevant legal proceedings for reparations for the physical and psychological damage, as well as putting the life of my spouse and children at risk, that has been incurred as a result of the gross negligence on part of the Abou-Rawash service center.

Yours faithfully
Ahmed Mohsen





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Nader El Assy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S80 Steering Box failure (Readers letter)


Dear Sir,

I have a 2014 Volvo S80 since November 2013. I had no major issues in the car until I reached 70,000 km in March 2016.

In March 2016 I noticed issues with the steering group and reported that to Ezz El Arab service center in 10th March 2016. The engineer there told me the car needs a replacement Steering Gear box which they will order for me under warranty. Since then, they are only delaying and not responding to my multiple queries.

Now after 10 months of chasing parts, the car has become in really bad condition, steering wise, up to the limit it is not safe to drive. I would like to get your help chasing parts and pushing the service center to respond faster.

Dear Mr. Nader,

we will forward your complaint to Volvo headquarter in Sweden. Keep us posted with any development in your case.

Kind regards,
Editor


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Nader,

we will forward your complaint to Volvo headquarter in Sweden. Keep us posted with any development in your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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mohamed from Alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Can turbo cars work with 92 octane? (Readers letter)
This is my 2nd msg. Can cars with turbo engine work with 92 octane?? VW ( many models), Renault Kadjar and now Nissan Qashqai claim so in all public media.Thanks.

Editors response:
Usually cars with turbo engines MUST use 95 octane.

It depends on the compression ratio of the engine. You have to check with each model / brand separately with the mother-company in Germany, France, Japan or Korea because unfortunately most dealers and importers in Egypt hand out and communicate wrong and misleading information about the 92-octane compatibility to the Egyptian consumer in order to sell more cars.

If they announce the correct information that their car must use 95 octane, nobody would buy the car because of the huge price difference between 92 and 95 octane fuel in Egypt.

Regards,
Editor

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Mohamed Shehata from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Fiat service center complain (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta.

I am here by writing to your website to complain of the terrible experience I am facing with FIAT Agency Nile Engineering AUTOMOTIVE service center(Obour barnch).

Over a month now I am suffering a repetitive issue with my FIAT Punto 2015 given that I make sure to follow all the required regular maintenance services as per the manufacturer schedule, the issue can be concluded as the car is not starting on random basis and the service center is not able to identify the root cause, Every time the car stops anywhere I have to look for a tow truck to send it back to the service center (which happened 4 times) for repair either on my cost or sometimes discounted cost, then a week later to face the same issue again!!.

I have sent the car for the same malfunction for 4 times over a month!! Is that normal?


As a conclusion, here I can see:

1. Incomplete report and careless checking of the car

4. Now it has been a month suffering with no final resolution therefore I am entitled to a courtesy car till the issue is finalized.

We are now seeking your support to raise the issue with FIAT ITALY as the mother company and ultimately responsible for all agents & vehicles worldwide, which could have a huge impact on the image of the mother company. Also the tremendously poor customer support being shown by NILE ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE .

What I am asking now is a complete, specialized & professional repair and check of all functionalities of the vehicle, to make sure that the vehicle’s performance is on par with FIAT standards, with a full report.
Thank you again for your time & support.

Meanwhile I have registered a compliant at the Consumer Protection Agency under 6650 dated 20/12/2016

Regards,
Mohamed Shehata



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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes Egypt GNA service center / CLA roof mechanism malfunction (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

Thank you for your previous support on my cases concerning the two BMW models I owned over 2 years ago. It seems that it is a general phenomenon that most dealers in Egypt do not care much about their customers. I have changed to Mercedes Benz, and I am facing an issue, that I cannot believe is happening.

More than 8 months ago, during a nice sunny day, I casually decided to use the sunroof of the CLA of my wife.

It opened very well, and that was it. Ever since, I have not used the sunroof again, since the mechanism had a flaw, and it would not shut the roof close.

Anyway, I called Mercedes Benz, to setup an appointment, which they reacted very fast to, and the next day I was on my way to the dealership at Pyramids Heights. My car is a 2015 CLA 180 with 14k kilometers under warranty and fully insured through GNA, just for the record.

Upon inspection, they told me that the mechanism is flawed and that for now they disconnected the roof mechanism so it will not open again, and that they will order the part since it is not in their stock.

Giving the benefit of doubt, I accepted and they told me then that it would take 2 months due to the import challenges that Egypt is facing and that there was no USD liquidity to get the parts faster.

Understandingly I accepted, it is out of their hands, so no problems. 2 months later, nothing happened. 3 months... nothing. Everything went silent. When I asked their customer services they said that the part was ordered but no news. During that time, Autoarabia suggested to try a friendly approach and see how the matter can be fixed.

That was around AUgust 2016. Customer services office in Maadi contacted me, promised me dates to come back to me on the issue, and they never called back. I felt so disrespected. I kept on calling GNA front offices sales, customer services, anyone who can tell me any update and nothing happened. I thought that BMW was bad, well, both BMW and MERC are almost on par on how bad they are, very disappointing.

Now that there is no more import issues, and the USD has a free market price, it is obvious that the part should no longer have any issues to be available. I was wrong again. Even today when I called in Mercedes Benz was oblivious about my case and they had no clue on where and when and if the part will be available.

I believe that this is unacceptable. Please Mr. Sheta, I do need your help in hopefully ending this miserable performance that I am facing. I hope that in the near future I will not be stuck with GNA and that Mercedes Benz would actually look into appointing a reputable distributor who would be more customer focused. GNA is very good when the ask for money, but when you ask for your rights, they vanish. Thank you for your kind support.




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Farag Abaza from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BMW 750 iL complaint / The airbags of my BMW did not work (Readers letter)
Kind attention of Editor,

I am writing this email as a loyal customer to BMW for 25 years. I have bought car models ranging from the 518 series to the 750 il series over this time period. I have been driving 7 series models for more than 15 years and have never faced a problem with such intensity as the one I am about to state in this email. I write this in sheer disappointment and shock.

I have encountered a major fault in my most recent model of the 750 il which I have bought in 2009 from a BMW dealer in Egypt. This car is an imported Made-in-Germany model and it is not an Egyptian-assembled version which is one of the main reasons I am directly contacting the BMW headquarter in Germany through your website.

On the 27th of September 2016 I was sitting in the back right seat of my car checking my emails while my driver was driving on the Marsa Matrouh Road (a highway) near Alexandria, towards Marsa Matrouh. He was driving on a speed ranging from 80 to 100 Km/h, when suddenly I heard him shouting. So I immediately looked up to see a Peugeot car moving over from the right side of the road towards the left side.

My driver tried his best to avoid a read-end collision into the driver’s side of the Peugeot car by intensely steering to the side. For some reason the car did not steer and move to the side like my driver wanted it to happen. My car then hit the Peugeot and the collision caused the Peugeot to flip over 360 degrees and land upright. After that, my car came to a stop on the right side of the road and then another car coming from behind was unable to stop in time and hit us in the back right side of the car. Thankfully my car and the car coming from the back were driving at moderate speed, otherwise the outcome would have been much worse. Both collisions caused a force that drove that caused many injuries in to chest, back and face of my driver, which are supported by a medical report.

Despite the seriousness of the accident and the intensity of it, NOT ONE SINGLE airbag opened !!!! Neither the airbags in the front or the ones in the back. My main concern is the fact that the driver’s airbag did not open. The driver is in a state of shock and is taking a break from driving. I am very disappointed in the fact that my BMW 750 il, which is supposed to be one of the most prestigious and safest car models made by one of the most prestigious car companies in the world, would have such a dangerous and life-threatening fault.

Attached are pictures of the car right after the incident. As seen, the front part of my car is severely damaged. The front bumper and lights are completely destroyed and indented inwards. The hood of the car, from the driver’s side, is also bent inwards. Some sort of dark liquid quickly leaked from the car. When examined we found that it was oil and gas. And there was much more damage to other things not easily visible in the picture. In the back the back right tail light was broken and the back bumper was also broken.

When this happened I sent my car to the authorized BMW Bavarian Auto Group service center and workshop in Abo Rawash where i regularly maintain the service of my cars over the past years, in order to ask about this dangerous fault. The head mechanic called me personally and made an absurd and unprofessional comment on how the airbags should not open from an accident like this, which not only angered me but it also made me lose complete trust in that workshop and made me remove my car from there and park it in front of my house, so that nobody would manipulate any software or hardware in my car before the technicians from BMW Germany have a look and examine the car themselves. He even told me that you complaint to BMW in Germany as much as you want, but they would still do nothing about it.

After that conversation I spoke with one of the senior managers at the BMW Bavaria Auto Group management. He did not bother either too much about my case and advised me to directly contact you regarding this matter, since he would not be able to look at my case.

I was also advised by my lawyer to file a lawsuit especially after what happened to my driver, so that BMW would cover the medical treatment cost of my driver and the repair of my BMW, as it obviously suffered from several technical faults. My lawyer asked me to have a report from another professional workshop that their professional mechanics came and checked the car in-front of my house and affirmed that with a naked eye the intensity of the accident required the airbag opening and asked me to remove it to their workshop to issue their detailed report.

But I refused to do so before contacting BMW headquarter in Germany personally. I am expecting that when the management of BMW headquarter in Munich hears about my case, that they would then take this matter into serious consideration as it is definitely a serious matter regarding a luxury sedan, which is claimed by BMW to be one of the safest cars in the world. Top safety is the main reason why I trusted my BMW 750 il with the life of myself and the lives of my family members with family members, until this accident took place and the airbags would not open.

I can only thank god that none of my children were sitting in the passenger seat with a faulty airbag and I will definitely not trust driving my BMW again after the psychological shock that both me and my driver went through. I am also seriously considering to switch from BMW to other respectable and trustworthy automotive brands in Egypt, such as Mercedes, if I do not receive a quick and convincing reply from BMW Germany.

Finally, I am expecting that BMW headquarter in Munich takes this complaint very seriously and I also expect a swift reply and assessment of the technical reasons which led to the accident and the failure of the airbags within the next five working days.

Dear Auto Arabia Team, kindly forward my complaint to BMW headquarter and kindly assist me with this serious complaint.

Kind regards,
Farag Abaza



Editors response:
Dear Mr. Abaza,

Unfortunately there have been several recalls for the BMW 7 series models during the past few, including airbag-failure, sudden engine-stalling leading to power-steering failure and hydraulic braking system failure, doors unlocking and opening while driving on bumpy roads, unintentional rolling when in parking position, water-pump failure, possible engine fire-hazard, and the list goes on and on.

And since we rarely see or hear BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group doing any official recalls in Egypt, it is quite possible that your BMW 7 series was affected by one of those recalls, which consequently allowed your driver to be injured like this or even allowed the accident to happen at the first place.

We will send your complaint to the BMW headquarter in Munich (Germany) and I recommend you insist that a German technician from BMW headquarter in Germany should examine your car.

Keep us posted when you get feedback from BMW Germany and keep us updated with the development of your case as.

Regards,
Editor


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Hesham from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Peugeot 5008 - 92 or 95 Octane? (Readers letter)
Is Peugeot 5008 2017 suitable for 92 or 95 octane?

Editors response:
The Peugeot 5008 MUST use 95 octane, despite what the local Peugeot dealer in Egypt tells you.

In any case, I recommend that you do not buy the current 5008 and wait for the new 5008 SUV which was launched at the 2016 Paris Motor Show last September.

Regards,
Editor

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Mohamed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: New car advice needed: Toyota Fortuner, Jeep Wrangler or Mercedes B-Class (Readers letter)
Ok after 2 years having a Golf 7 I decided to give up on Volkswagen due to the extremely poor service owned by Egyptian Automotive, so I decided to change to another car with price range EGP 350,000 - 430,000 do you have any suggestions?

I was thinking of Toyota Fortuner, Jeep Wrangler or Mercedes B-Class

Note: I do not want a small car (in terms of boot capacity)

Editors response:
The Volkswagen service of Egyptian Automotive Trading Company & Karim El Naggar in Egypt is indeed one of the worst customer services in Egypt. I am not surprised that you are selling your Golf 7 in order to stop dealing with this hopeless and unprofessional Volkswagen & AUDI dealership.

The Toyota Fortuner is totally overpriced, out-dated, based on a pick-up chassis, has no modern active & passive safety features at all and has a very high fuel consumption.

The current Jeep Wrangler model assembled will be receiving a facelift in the USA during the next few days / weeks, and the all-new 2018 Wrangler, which will be the next-generation model, is already being tested in the USA and Europe and will be launched in 2017 with a new four-cylinder turbo engine producing 300hp will using less fuel. So, if you buy a Jeep Wrangler now then you will be buying a so-called old model which will be replaced with the facelift and next-generation model very soon.

The Mercedes B-Class is a good car but the boot capacity is not as big as in the other cars you mentioned. Besides, all the new Mercedes engines MUST use 95 octane.

My recommendation for you would be the new KIA Sportage 1.6 Turbo 170hp-version which has the Electronic Stability Program ESP installed. An additional plus of the KIA Sportage is that the top management of KIA Egypt pays special attention and ensures that KIA owners get one of the best, if not THE best, customer services currently available in Egypt.

We will forward your contact details to KIA Egypt and Mercedes Egypt so that they can get in touch with you for a demo-drive with the KIA Sportage or the Mercedes B-Class.

Regards,
Editor

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Ahmed from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan Sentra 2016 (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

would please advise your evlauation for Nissan Sentra 2016 & its assembling country

and if you recommend to go for it?

Thanks
Ahmed

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

the Nissan Sentra is currently being assembled in Cairo.

Because of the low quality of locally-assembled car in general, and the Nissan Sunny braking scandal in specific I recommend you stay from the Made-in-Egypt Nissan Sentra and any Nissan Egypt products, and also better stay away from any other locally-assembled brands and models.

Regards,
Editor


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Walid Elassaly from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW Egypt service center complaint (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia and Volkswagen International,

It is with regret to inform you that my car VW Passat 2011 with PIN:WVWZZZ3CZBP324093 owned by : Walid Osama Amin Elassaly with Chassis number:324093 and Motor: 724463 had a respective sudden malfunction in the air-condition on last Wednesday morning 15/06/2016 on my way to work.

I immediately took the car to VW workshop in Abu Rawash and upon inspecting the car the report received stated the fact that the compressor is in need for change first.

I would like to report my severe dissatisfaction of the quality of the respective part {compressor} as it cannot be after crossing the 100,000 KM with only less than 10% such malfunctions appear to customer in a so called high quality German car.

I have discovered that such malfunction is being reported from multiple of other customers on such part {namely the air-condition compressor} and that VW is committed to resolve and change that, however that was not the Agent reply to me in Egypt.

In view of the fact that I was also regularly doing maintenance only in your workshop if find this sudden death only to be a part quality issue or maintenance procedure relevant failure which in both cases the part should be replaced fully on good will from your company.

Please also review my maintenance history where I was always using your Agent Workshop for all the respective activities and I would like to receive a full report from them on the total paid maintenance fees paid from my side till date relevant to the car since the purchase from your respective Agent in Egypt.

The car is currently not usable as it is without A/C and we are in summer time in Egypt where even at night it is reaching to 40 degrees, and I would like to bring it in to your Agent Workshop in Abu Rawash to be repaired on the good will term 100% FOC in a very fast manner as my work is greatly affected {car is mandatory for my work}.

I have checked the rental fees for a respective equivalent car which will be costing me 1100 EGP per day, so would also expect full refund of the overall rental expenses or to be provided with an alternative car from your Agent side until repair is done.

Please do the needful to rectify this with Priority.

WBR,
Walid Elassaly
Nokia
Head of Services- Egypt



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Mahmoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about from Nissan dealer Modern Motors (Readers letter)
برجاء التكرم بالعلم انني امتلك سيارة نيسان صني موديل ٢٠١٣ الشكل الجديد و أقوم بعمل الصيانة الدورية للسيارة بمركز الصيانة في ابو رواش (نيسان مودرن موتورز) و عند عمل صيانة ال ٥٠٠٠٠ كم تبين ان لي الحق في تغيير المقصات للسيارة علي حساب الضمان حيث ان السيارة مازالت في الضمان و لكن لم يتم تغيير المقصات حيث انها كانت غير متوفرة في التوكيل في ذلك الوقت و من ثم تم إثباتها علي الفاتورة أني لي الحق في المقصات علي حساب الضمان حين توافرها و كان ذلك في تاريخ فاتورة الصيانة في ٦/٥/٢٠١٥ و بعد ذلك توجهت لعمل صيانة ال ٦٠٠٠٠كم و كانت سيارتي خارج الضمان حيث ان السيارة تجاوزت مدة الضمان و هي بحد أقصي ٣ سنوات و لم تكن المقصات قد توافرت في ذلك الوقت و قاموا باثبات حقي في المقصات علي الفاتورة و ذلك كان في ٤/١٠/٢٠١٥ و بذلك يكون مثبوت حقي مرتين علي فاتورتان متتاليتان هم ال ٥٠٠٠٠ والسيارة داخل الضمان و ال٦٠٠٠٠ و السيارة خارج الضمان و قمت بالتوجه لنفس مركز الصيانة في يناير ٢٠١٦ للسؤال عن اذا كانت المقصات متوافرة في مركز الصيانة ام لا و معي الفواتير و قد أكد لي الموظف المسؤل ان المقصات متوفرة حاليا في التوكيل و لكن للأسف لن يعترف التوكيل بحقي في المقصات و ان هذة الخدمة كانت مجرد Goodwill و ذلك ليس التزام علي مركز الصيانة و قال لي أنة قرار مجلس إدارة و انني اذا كنت اريد تغيير المقصات يجب علي ان أقوم بدفع كامل قيمتها و كانني ليس معي اي فواتير مختومة من طرف مركز الصيانة و ان هذة الفواتير المختومة لا قيمة لها.

يمكنني ايضا إرسال صور الفواتير المختومة علي البريد الالكتروني لسيادتكم والتي مثبت عليها أنة يجب تغير المساعد ضمن الضمان
محمود هشام حامد بهنساوي
٠١٢١٠٤٤٤٤١٤
و شكرًا


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Maika from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: EIM KIA Service Center in Katameya / Problems with my Cerato steering (Readers letter)
Unfortunately i experienced for the second time steering trouble after leaving it at kia service in katameya heights.

After the 60 000 km service for my kia cerrato coupe at which an alignment was also done i received my car with a major steering problem.

Bringing it back to the service- waiting for hours. Receiving it with the confirmation that its safe and stable but while driving i notice that nothing changed- steering unstable- jumping with any small bump out of my hands and leaving an angle between 45 - 90 degrees steering without response in the tires.

Better safe than sorry going back to kia- for another testdrive and another check, waiting for hours. Finally getting my car- with the absolute guarantee that its safe.

Ok i am thinking- lets try it today.... after driving just a short time i notice that there was still a huge steeringangle on each side without any response in the tires.

Since the kia engineer said its absolutely fine and i am just imagining this problem i decided to follow a friends advice to double check at Fit & Fix Bridgestone tire service. The person in charge just looked at the tires while i moved the sterring wheel over 90 degrees and looked seriously shocked and said i should go immediatly to the agency as the steering box must be damaged.... so it is not an imagination...

Going back to kia service center the next day for the third day ... waiting again the whole morning, receiving the car again after hours with the comment after testdrive the problem is for sure solved.

Ok, i have a bit of more control in the steering but still the steering is not back to normal.... but i have to say- everybody was very helpful at kia- i only complain about their apparent leak in knowledge how to align tires without damaging the steering...

My questions now is, why is KIA Egypt not able to solve my dangerous steering problems for such a long time???



Editors response:
Dear Maika,

we will forward your complaint to the management of KIA Egypt today. I am sure they will get in touch with you today and solve your complaint swiftly, especially since KIA Egypt and Renault Egypt (EIT & EIM) are known for offering some of the best customer service and customer care in Egypt.

If your service and maintenance was done regularly at the official KIA service center, then I assume they will also probably offer you a courtesy car until your steering problem is, as it is surely dangerous to drive with a malfunctioning steering wheel.

Regards,
Egypt

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Salma Adel from Cairo - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Evaluation BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group BAG (Readers letter)
Company: BMW EGYPT / BAVARIAN AUTO GROUP
Service center: BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group - Katameya
Country: Egypt
City: Cairo

Company Rating: Average
Service Rating: Very bad
Sales Rating: Very Good

Comment:

After four years of being a BMW owner in Egypt, and after dealing with almost ALL the official BMW service centers in Cairo, I am seriously considering switching from BMW to Mercedes or Audi.

The service that is provided at BMW service center(s): Katameya 1 and 2, Almaza, and Abu Rawash is beyond unprofessional and a total waste of money. Firstly, the concept of making or having a car service appointment is completely pointless; You basically arrive at the center on time or even before and you wait for at least an hour till your car gets in, let alone the 6 times I was promised to receive my car at a certain date and time after getting repaired or serviced and never was I able to actually get my car at the time agreed upon with the engineer.

Secondly, I recall receiving my car washed and cleaned from the inside once (only once throughout 4 years !) when I was picking up the car from a service center that happened by chance to be managed by one of my the friends of my father.

The service is so horrid to an extent that one of the workers who basically drive the car from the workshop to hand the car to the client, actually asked me for a tip as if I was waiting in front of a shop at a gas station. He literally reminded me of those clowns who pretend like they are actually cleaning the car finishing for a pound or two.

Thirdly, complaints are never taken into consideration unless you send those complaints to the mother company in Germany or to Autoarabia.

It Is sickening how BMW Egypt is so careless and has no room for actually giving an ear to their complaints of their clients.

I mean what kind of service is this? SHAME ON YOU, BMW EGYPT & BAVARIAN AUTO GROUP!



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Samer Elfiky from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Kadjar - 92 or 95 octane? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

My wife is in the process of buying a Renault Kadjar back home in egypt, actually it seems like a good car, but i have been going through the web for information about the type of gasoline it uses and I failed, My question is, although the agency says it is fine to use Octane 92 with the car, does it seem really ok??

Thank you and Regards.


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Heidi from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: best car to purchase in egypt (Readers letter)
could you please advise best car to purchase in Egypt not exceeding 200k egp


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Sarah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S80 review (Readers letter)
Hello,
I wanted to buy the volvo S80 premium but I am worried about the aftersales service and the resale price.
Do you recommend buying it? If not what are other good options with in the same price range
Thank you


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Sarah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S80 review / Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab (Readers letter)
Hello,
I wanted to buy the volvo S80 premium but I am worried about the aftersales service and the resale price.
Do you recommend buying it? If not what are other good options with in the same price range
Thank you

Editors response:
Dear Sara,

the new Volvo S90 is replacing the old S80 now.

The after-sales service of Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab has lots of ups and downs still, which surely reflects negatively on the resale value.

Other interesting options would be the Mercedes C180, even if it a used model as the brand-new model would be a little bit more expensive than the S80. Mercedes Benz Egypt offers used Mercedes cars with a warranty through their Mercedes Young Stars company.

This is their link: http://www.youngstarsegypt.com/

Regards,
Editor

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Rafik Wassef from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VOLKSWAGEN is worst car dealer and service in Egypt !!! (Readers letter)


I am sure it is no surprise to everyone. My Passat has been at the dealer for more than 4 months because of AC issues and they did not have it in stock and I had to transfer it from Abu Rawash to Obour Branch and finally when they got it, I picked it up and paid 18,000 EGP for a compressor and condenser.

After they washed it, I was surprised to find one of my wheels destroyed (huge air bubble about to explode - makes me wonder where they take the cars and how it was driven, especially after an incident that was posted less than a month ago about a completely damaged Jetta in Obour branch), then I checked my whippers because I asked for new ones and surprisingly my old ones were there and in my trunk they placed an old box with some other whippers to claim they changed it, what a bunch of liars.

Finally, my biggest surprise, the AC was not working! I rushed back in and the representative informed me that I have to go for a cruise as the car had not moved for a long while (did not make sense to me), so I went back to take that cruise around, as expected, nothing!

Not just that, the car gave me a warning ENGINE FAULT - workshop! I got really frustrated and went back in screaming my head off, the representative apologized and asked me to leave the car.

After 10 DAYS! They call me back and tell me some stuff needs to be changed and they do not have the parts and if I could buy them from abroad it will be better because it will take months for these parts to arrive and would cost a lot! and they sent me on whatsapp a piece of paper with the part numbers.

I am so frustrated and now we are almost 5 months that the car is going through service centers with the worst experienced customer service ever!

NEVER BUY ANY VOLKSWAGEN IN EGYPT!

This is not my first experience, I had issues with mechatronic gearbox exchange before which kept the car at the dealer for almost 4 months before with tons of escalations to Germany for it to get fixed!

The car has been in the service since August 2015 and has been lying in the sun, as a result the roof lining has fallen completely from the heat.

Please share for awareness on how bad this dealership has become!

#Volkswagen
#VolkswagenEgypt
#PassatEgypt


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Ahmed Hassan from Sohag - Cairo wrote:
Subject: شكوي من BMW (Readers letter)
السلام عليكم
انا اشتريت سياره BMW 528 من الإمارات و قد ذهبت الي التوكيل الموجود في ابورواش (Bavaria) لطلب تقرير عن حاله السياره في الوقت الحالي و قد رفض التوكيل اعطاءي التقرير.
لقد ذهبت اليهم يوم ٣ ابريل.
أرجو منكم النصيحه عن كيفيه استخراج هذا التقرير و شكرًا


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Hassan Shaarawy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Logan accident with no airbags deploying (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Mohamed Sheta,

I bought a brand new 2016 automatic Renault Logan about 10 days ago (7-April-2016). Yesterday night (Saturday about 3 am or so) on my way home to Al-Rehab, I was involved in a severe car accident. While driving at a speed of about 90-100 km/h, I was cut off by another car which suddenly crossed from the left into my lane at a very low speed.

The distance between us was very short & I tried to brake very hard and maneuver but it was too short of a distance to make it (plus the Logan has no ESP to help out) & I hit at a speed of 80+ km/hr.

Fortunately, I had my seat belt on and I was lucky that the car did not flip over. However, to my utmost surprise, none of the 2 front airbags deployed, even if I had a frontal collision at such a very high speed.

I wonder why or how come, because when I was studying the market to buy a new car within this price range (130-150 K LE), I chose the Logan because it was one of very few cars which were offered with 2 front airbags. I am quite sure if the airbags deployed as they should have, I would have been in less neck/back & chest pain now & I am also quite sure that if the accident was any different than how it happened, maybe I would not be writing this email.

By early morning (Saturday, 16th April), I towed the car to Renault El-Obour branch & I asked the engineer there about why the airbags did not deploy. He seemed to have a ready answer (maybe he get this question often).

His answer was a bit surprising (and I do not think professional). He claims that the hit was in the center of the front of the car & if it was to the right or left of that then it would have deployed as the airbag sensors are not in the middle!

I had a quick look at other damaged cars parked at the service center & all those which had somewhat similar damage as my car, did not have any of them with deployed airbags. I only saw one which had deployed airbags but from the look of it, it seems that it flipped over a couple of times.

Since then, I have been asking around & searching the internet & I heard that Renault has a problem with airbags of Logan/Sandero specifically and sometimes they [Renault] shut off airbags before selling cars because otherwise they are very sensitive and tend to deploy at the slightest impact.

I know this may sound unprofessional but that is what I heard. Whether it is true or not, I demand an official reply from Renault on how could such a high speed impact/accident not trigger the deployment of any of the 2 airbags, which incase of another accident could have resulted in severe injury or death to the occupants in the car!

I forgot to mention that I was told by the service center guy that fixing the car (if it is fixable) would take at least 2 months. This is extremely unacceptable to have a brand new car that I purchased one week ago to use for my work on a daily basis and I have to wait for a period of 2+ months for it to get fixed! I wonder about the feasibility of getting a courtesy car in the meantime until the case is resolved?!

Kindly check the below youtube video about Renault Sandero which had a very similar accident to mine & also its airbags did not deploy which resulted in severe injuries to the driver. Renault SA excuse to the car owner were similar to what I was told by Renault service center guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9zWZ8Znb6E


Thank you Mr. Sheta,
Hassan Shaarawy

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Shaarawy,

first of all I am glad that you were not hurt severely and that you survived this accident with only minor injuries, which shows that the Renault Logan is obviously much better than its other Chinese and Japanese competitors in this price segment.

An Electronic Stability Program (ESP) might have avoided the crash or decreased the impact, but this is very difficult to prove in Egypt without any scientific measures/equipment or crash analysis expert available in our beloved country. Nevertheless I would love to see Renault Egypt offering the ESP in its Logan and Sandero models, even if as an option, as this would definitely make them the safest cars in their segment in the Egyptian market.

Each car has different sensor parameters according to which the airbags deploy, as the crash zones of the cars have been improved constantly over the past years in order to absorb as much of the crash impact as possible. From the pictures you sent us by email it is difficult to tell why the airbags were not deployed. But since the engine was still working after the impact, it seems that front part absorbed most of the impact and that the impact did not pass the area of the engine bay. Maybe this is the reason why the airbags did not deploy. But of course you will have to wait until you get an official reply from Renault after they examine the car, to find out the correct reason why the airbags did not deploy.

I cannot really say much about the other crashed cars at the parking lot or in the Youtube video, as every accident or crash has different circumstances (speed, weather, road condition, driver condition, tire condition, car condition, etc.) which I would not be able to determine from here.

Nevertheless, you were lucky in two points:
1.) You were driving a Renault Logan, which I consider one of the safest cars in this price-segment.
2.) You are also lucky because according to our experience with the EIM/EIT group (official importers of KIA and Renault in Egypt), Renault Egypt is currently considered one of the best car companies in Egypt when it comes to customer service and after-sales.

The fact that they told you it would take up to 2 months to repair the car is probably due to the large numbers of Renault Logan and Sandero models sold in Egypt during the past couple of years.

We will forward your request for a quicker repair to Renault Egypt and I am sure that they will to their best to fix and repair your car in less than 2 or 3 weeks, especially since they have opened recently a huge and state-of-the-art Renault Service Center in Abou Rawash.

As for a possible courtesy / replacement car for the period of the repair, car companies are not obligated to provide a courtesy or replacement car in case of an accident. This is only an obligation in case of a recall or warranty issue. But since Renault Egypt is, as I already mentioned above, is one of the best car companies in the Egyptian market in terms of customer-service and customer-friendly after sales, I could imagine that they might be able to help you out in this issue as well. This would be no surprise to me.

We will forward your complaint to Renault Egypt today and I am sure that you will hear from them very soon.

Keep us posted with your case and 7amdellah 3ala el Salama!

Kind regards,
Editor

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Leanne Maw from Dubai - United Arab Emirates wrote:
Subject: Recall Volkswagen Golf gear box (Go to article)
I have a 2011 Golf and have this problem where occasionally the gear box will slip into neutral. I bought this car second hand and I really need to find out if it is the subject matter of a recall, can anyone help? Does anyone know how I can check whether my specific car was the subject matter of a recall?
Many thanks in advance.


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Sherif Ezzat from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW Egypt scandal (Readers letter)
Hello Mohamed Sheta & Autoarabia,

Below is my very serious complaint:

• I bought my 2010 Jetta from VW authorized dealer in Egypt: Egyptian Automotive & Trading Co. – EATC (Karim El-Naggar)
• I usually make all my maintenances at Obbour-Cairo maintenance center
• I delivered my car to Obbour branch as I had a major problem in my DSG gearbox
• I received a call from customer service agent (The first & the last call during 4 months) telling me that my car is fixed & ready to use again
• On January 22nd, I went to receive my car, I found it AS IT WAS since the last 18 days, so I returned it back to maintenance center with the same hour of receive with a big shock!
• From 22nd of January till April 5th I was fighting with customer service agents to get a single valid update on my car after they advised me that they will replace my current gearbox with a new one from Germany but unfortunately I did not get any
• They did not provide or tried to offer a car to use during this period!
• After 4 months, on April 6th, I received a phone call from VW Egypt telling me that my car went through an accident by one of VW employees during testing my VW car without my permission and the car is in a total loss case
• Immediately, I went to the VW site in Egypt with my lawyer to understand and see their immediate response, however, I faced the worst and loose ever response in my history. VW Egypt marketing manager told me: The only alternative we are offering you is that you will receive the amount of money representing the value of your car as per our council.
Upon my logic and reasonable anger, they asked for a period of 24 hours to get back with another response.
• On 8th of April, they did not call me back, I called them to hear the same response with very cool and cold blood!!!

I do promise you I will take all measures and seek all alternatives to take my rights after this looseness and nonprofessional ways I am facing couple of days ago with VW Egypt and since 4 months as well!!

Kindly find the actions taken from my side during the last 48 hours only:
1. A big scandal for VW Egypt on the social media specially Facebook, shared my very bad experience & got engagement till now = 15,000 shares & 200,000 impressions
2. Submitted a complaint at Consumer Protection Agency in Egypt (www.cap.gov.eg), case no. 156534, and the first session will be held in the next couple of days at the agency.
3. I went to the police station & submitted a complaint and report against VW Egypt for what they done with my car (Case no. 2925-61 for 2016 on April 8th)
4. Three Egyptian journalists are working parallel with me to push what it takes of articles either online and offline with official documents to be published in no time.
5. Preparing to appear in the media during the next week complaining about VW Egypt & the bad service & experience I am passing through

My non-negotiable request is to receive a new car instead of mine and immediately.

P.S. I never rode a used car and this option is not acceptable for me.

I am really shocked about my experience with VW Egypt & the client servicing quality I received, this was not expected from a renowned company like Volkswagen!

Your URGENT action is highly needed.

Regards,
Sherif Ezzat



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Yasmine from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BMW Egypt refuses to take downpayment for BMW 216i model (Readers letter)
Hello all,

I went to Bavarian Auto Group showroom (Mohandessin Branch ) a few days ago to ask & start buying the new BMW 216I Premium category, but they infomed me that they do not have any booking for at least one month.

I was about paying the down payment, and my question now: Is it normal that the BMW importer in Egypt, Bavarian Auto Group, could not get me 218i and refuses to take a down-payment or even book the car for me before 1 one month and maybe even more???

Appreciate your prompt reply.

Best Regards
Yasmin Issa




Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Yasmin,

of course it is not normal that a world-wide respectable brand like BMW would refuse to take a down-payment from a customer or be even unable to tell him when a car would be available.

This is a well-known strategy conducted by many automotive importer and unprofessional dealerships in Egypt, in order to create a shortage in supply and therefore create a waiting-list with a huge over-price for those customers who are ready to pay that extra over-price of 10-15% of the original car price !

In addition to that many car companies with local assembly lines (like BMW Egypt) prefer to sell the locally-assembled CKD-models, such as the 320i or 5 series, rather than the imported CBU-models, such as the 218i Active Tourer, because the profit margin with the locally-assembled cars is in many cases three or four times higher (up to 30-40%) than the profit margin of the imported models (10-15%).

We will send your complaint to the BMW AG headquarter in Munich and I am sure they will get in touch with you in order to see how quickly they can provide with you your requested 218i, especially that waiting lists are usually only the case with rare Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche models.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ayman Ahmed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW 1.4TSI Engine Failure in Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I own a 2011 VW Touran with a 1.4TSI engine purchased from new from the VW dealership in Egypt. The car has 51,000 Kms on the clock. All servicing was carried out as per schedule at the Cairo dealership in Obour (EATC). During the last month the car started losing oil without any signs of leaks or smoking. A few days ago the car check-engine light suddenly appeared and the car began to lose power. After taking the car to the dealer they told me the car either needed new pistons or a complete engine change!!!! It was a 50/50 chance depending on what they find after the engine is opened. On enquiring about the cause, they said the fuel used in the car had traces of diesel in it!!!

On meeting the service manager and explaining to him that the petrol station I use does not actually sell any diesel. He told me that all the petrol in Egypt has traces of diesel and we have known this for a very long time.

So I asked him if this is known to you why are the customers not informed of this prior to buying any VW car. He said only about 30% of cars with the 1.4TSI engine develop a fault of some kind here in Egypt due to fuel. I was amazed how such a problem is known to VW in Egypt and they do not inform the customers prior to selling their cars or at least fixing the issue somehow with a recall. All other cars in Egypt use the same fuel and they are working fine without any problems.

After asking him if the repair or replacement could be done under goodwill, he told me that as the car is out of warranty, Germany will request a fuel diagnosis with the claim and as all the fuel in Egypt is not clean they will never approve it. I asked him about the issue of oil loss, he said that this is probably not the cause and they can only be sure after they open the engine.

In summary, if your 1.4TSI car develops an engine fault out of warranty even if you are not to blame and VW knows of the problem and did not tell you, you will still be liable for all the repair costs. I am angry and very disappointed at their attitude to this issue, especially because they know that the fuel in Egypt is not clean or suitable for their very sensitive engine. Basically 30% of their cars with the 1.4TSI engine will at sometime develop a fault due to the fuel and if the car is one day out of warranty you can expect them not to contribute a penny. I think this is mis-selling and feel somehow cheated. Do I buy a VW to last just 3 years per engine????

So, only buy a VW car with a 1.4TSI engine in Egypt if you intend to use it for the duration of the warranty.

After that, you are at a very high risk of changing the complete engine at your own expense. Maybe someone can develop a mobile in car fuel diagnosis laboratory which you can use before re- fueling!!

The diesel-in-fuel issue in Egypt basically gives VW a carte blanche to use against any engine fault claim. They will never be to blame. Typical customer service in Egypt...always the customer is at fault! I thought about it and actually they can use this against the customer even if the car is under warranty, but it seems they like to keep things quiet during the warranty years!

My advise would be to look for another car altogether.

My other car is a 8 month old Audi Q3 with the same engine which I will now quickly sell before it fails. I will also take the case up with Audi that they did not tell me of the fuel issue when I purchased the car.

Very very disappointed at VW Egypt. I am trying my best now to contact Germany and warn everybody of this very severe issue and will keep on doing so until they do something about it.

Please let me know the email address of VW in Germany where somebody will reply and take this issue seriously?

Thanks to all and stay away from of this engine in Egypt! You have been warned!

RGDS
Ayman


Editors response:
Dear Ayman,

the Volkswagen, AUDI and Seat dealership in Egypt (Egyptian Automotive / Kayan, which are owned by Kareem El Najjar) are surely the most unprofessional and most consumer-unfriendly dealerships in Egypt.

This is not the first serious complaint about them and I strongly recommend to stay away from buying any VW, SEAT or AUDI cars in Egypt until those brands have a new representative and importer other than Kareem EL Najjar and his unprofessional & misleading team.

We will forward your complaint to the Volkswagen and AUDI headquarters in Germany. Keep us posted with the development in your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Lila from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Subaru XV or Qashqai 2016 / Renault Kadjar - KIA Sportage (Readers letter)
I am torn between the Subaru crosstrek 2016 and Qashqai 1.2 (2016 model).. The QQ engine is turbo but from UK reviews (where it is made)the overall review is that its good but for driving in the city. I am concerned that Cairo, where the heat and roads are impossible the 1.2 turbo engine is not good enough. The Subaru meanwhile has a powerful 1.6 engine and is a reliable car, but i dont find its design attractive enough. Advice?

Editors response:
Dear Lila,

the Subaru Egypt / Abou Ghaly dealership in Egypt is one of the most unprofessional car importers in Egypt. Therefore I recommend you refrain from buying anything from them.

The Nissan Qashqai is an interesting car but according to our information it MUST use 95 octane even if Nissan Motor Egypt states otherwise for selling their cars.

My tip: check our the all-new 2016 Renault Kadjar, which is the sister-model of the Nissan Qashqai but at the same time it is much better equipped with much more options and with much better material.

The all-new 2016 KIA Sportage is also an interesting alternative. Especially the GT version with its panorama roof and its 177-hp Turbo engine is quite unique among the competitors. In addition to that the EIM / EIT importer, which is the sole importer of both Renault and KIA in Egypt has one of the best after sales and customer services offered currently in Egypt. You should get in touch with them and arrange for a test-drive of the Kadjar and the Sportage.

Regards,
Editor

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Gavin Aquilina from North Narrabeen - Australia wrote:
Subject: Audi Q5 / Dual Clutch Issue (Readers letter)
I have contacted Audi twice regarding this issue. This was the second post on Facebook Germany I made today, titled, Little Guys Versus The Big Company.

Dear Audi, I am upset to write that our Audi Q5 has the DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. A seemingly luxury car that has A MAJOR DEFECT that Audi Australia are trying to charge us A$6000 to repair.

They are trying to put all the onus on us which is very disappointing. We have owned several Audi models from an A3 to a TT, which have been great. THIS AUDI Q5 IS DEFECTIVE. It has been acknowledged that this has been a problem with Audi and VW cars. We have had the car serviced regularly with our lifetime mechanic.

Audi Australia are asking is he qualified, do you have receipts. I am most DISAPPOINTED they are trying to mitigate any cost and put the onus on us for an acknowledged problem. I have been conservative in how I have posted regarding this so far, with only posting on Audi Australia and reposting on my facebook page and now your page.

I NEED THIS FIXED, please.


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Ahmed Hosni from Sydney - Australia wrote:
Subject: Feedback (Go to article)
I am not at the stage of buying a car at the moment but, I share it to God that AUDI would never be an option unless that humiliated costumer is happy and satisfied.

Best regards

Ahmed Hosni
Australia


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Mohamed Ragab from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: AUDI discriminating veiled women! (Readers letter)
Dear all,

This invitation I received from Audi with my name on it was directed to me as to attend the Launch of the all new A4 in Mena house hotel - CAIRO - EGYPT , and I notified my fiancee as she is an Audi owner and she would be interested in checking out the new car, so i invited her to attend with me..

On the night of the event, we were extremely excited while driving a 3 hours road to reach the location..

And on doors the event organizers asked for the invitation and I showed it to them..They looked at each other then turned back to me saying :"we cannot let her in because she is veiled !!!!!? ".

After a while Audi representatives came out to see what is going on and they insured that no VEIL allowed to this event !!


I am shocked that this is the philosophy of a major international corporate like Audi , a philosophy that would market and deliberately ASSIGN discrimination and humiliation on its own customers through its own staff members that were supposed to serve them!

We tried to enter your event - That YOU invited US to- to celebrate the success of Audi being Audi users ourselves and we left with a feeling of humiliation, discriminating , disdain and shame that we are clients for a company that is promoting discrimination and screwing human rights!


I need you to investigate & question the responsible ones who delivered this harsh message to me and my fiancée.


Editors response:
Dear Mohamed Ragab,

We are shocked to hear your story about this disgusting and totally unacceptable behavior of the AUDI Egypt staff and the instructions they have apparently given to their PR agency and event agency.

We know that the AUDI-Volkswagen-SEAT representative in Egypt (Egyptian Automotive Company and Kayan company owned by Karim El Najjar) is one of the most unprofessional, incompetent and customer-unfriendly car companies in Egypt, but this incident at the Audi A4 launch event in Cairo is a much more serious issue because discrimination based on gender or religion is totally inacceptable.

We will forward your complaint to the AUDI headquarter in Ingolstadt and to the regional representative office in Dubai and I am sure that you will hear from them soon, especially since this is not the first scandal involving Karim EL Najjar and the Volkswagen, AUDI and SEAT brands in Egypt.

The fact that Audi Egypt offered you an Audi A4 test-drive as sort of an apology to the inconvenience you experienced with them at the A4 launch event, shows the extent of stupidity and ignorance of the Audi Egypt management.

We will publish the official reply of AUDI AG headquarter here in the reader-letter section and on our website frontpage.

Keep us updated with your case .

Kind regards,
Editor



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Nadine from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Audi A3 (Go to article)
i am considering buying an audi A3 2016 but i am a little bit confused with the gearbox, so the problem still exists? Thanks

Editors response:
Dear Nadine,
from your contact details we understand that you want to buy this Audi A3 in Egypt. The problem with AUDI, Volkswagen and SEAT in Egypt is that they are all owned and managed by the same company and management, Egyptian Automotive Company / Kayan, which are considered two of the worst, most unprofessional and most customer-unfriendly car companies in Egypt.

Therefore I recommend that you chose a different German or European brand.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Walid M. Hannourah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo cars reliability and break-downs in Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

I am the owner of 2012 Volvo S80 with 67,000 km on it. I really like the car since it has so many nice features and it is properly equipped. I would like to share my experience with anyone who is considering buying a new Volvo. It is worth mentioning that my late father had a Volvo in the early 80s and it is still running till now with minor issues (33 years so far), that is why I decided to get the same make assuming that Volvo is still maintaining the reliability but it seems that I was wrong in that assumption.

Ever since I bought the car 4 years ago I did not face any problem but unfortunately that did not last because after the 60,000 service at the authorized service center I noticed a change in the behavior of the transmission which can be described as vibration/shuddering on low speed on first gear. The shuddering started to extend to higher speeds and other gears. I started to search for similar cases on the internet and found that Volvo has been using Ford/Getrag transmission system, after further research I found that there are numerous complaints and many law suits filed against Ford specially in the united states for the same case but for specific models like Focus and Fiesta which are both using Powershift transmission and Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin concerning the same and they sent to all owners of such cars letters indicating the extension of warranty for the oil seals and clutch assembly for a further 2 years.

After the car became very annoying and showed serious symptoms of excessive shuddering, chattering, loss of power on almost all speeds and gears I headed to Volvo service center and asked them to check the transmission, they told me that the clutch needs to be changed and although my basic warranty expired on February 2015, Volvo extended the warranty for certain components of the transmission system (Transmission Control Module, Clutch and speed sensor only) till March 2017. They also said that there is an oil leak from the transmission and the oil seals have to be changed but it is not covered under the extended warranty so I had to pay around EGP 6000 (about USD 750) for the oil seals and the transmission oil, after the repairs (6 Jan 2016), the car became much worse and potentially unsafe to drive due to excessive shuddering, hesitation, loss of power, RPM fluctuation so I decided to park and use another car until Volvo Egypt receives the required parts. I have been informed by the service manager at Volvo Egypt main service center that he does not have the clutch assembly in stock and he already made an order but it would take some time to receive (2 weeks to 2 months) and there is nothing he can do to expedite the process since the factory already shipped a limited number of clutch assemblies (much less than he ordered) and there is a delay in the customs clearance due to certain mandatory documents which have to be authenticated abroad. It has been almost a month now and I am still using my other RELIABLE KOREAN CAR while my S80 is parked!

I believe that Volvo cars should be more reliable and I don’t understand how an expensive car with only 60,000 km on it would exhibit such problems; CARS FOR HALF THE PRICE TAG DO NOT EXHIBIT SUCH PROBLEMS IN THE SAME OPERATING CONDITIONS!

Clearly Volvo made a mistake when they chose to use Ford transmission system and they are now making a bigger mistake by ignoring the customers’ wellbeing and safety. I also believe that I should not have been charged for the cost of the oil seals and of course I am expecting not to be charged for the cost of the clutch assembly and the related labor costs since clearly it is a manufacturing defect (as in Ford cars since they are using the same transmission system). I decided to sell the car immediately after the repairs are performed and I will not consider buying another Volvo until they start paying more attention to customers’ safety and satisfaction in Egypt, furthermore, I will not recommend Volvo cars to any of my acquaintances.

Regards,
Walid Hannourah
Vice Chairman
Safir International Hotel Management company


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Hannourah,

unfortunately this is not the first severe and serious complaint we receive about Volvo cars in Egypt. It seems that the Volvo dealer in Egypt, Ezz El Arab, still has some serious customer service and after sales service problems which he needs to solve.

We will forward your complaint to the Volvo headquarters and I assume you will hear from them soon.

Keep us posted with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohammed Ismail from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S60 Engine Failure at 30,000 km (Readers letter)
Hi Mr. Sheta,

Please find the update from today:
- The service center confirmed that there is a failure in the 2nd and 3rd cylinders due to oil leak inside the engine, however they have no clear information about the root cause.
- They are contacting the mother company to get an approval for replacing the engine at no cost as I am out of warranty with 2 weeks!! It seems that Volvo engines have a timer to break-down immediately after the warranty expires!!
- They informed me that the approval (if granted) will take almost a week, so they should give me the final conclusion by end of next week.
- In all cases, they said I have to pay around 3,000 EGP for the labor cost!! I am not sure why I should pay for that if they confirm that this is a defect in their engine!! I need to highlight that I should not pay for that.
- The other issue is that this process is going to take almost a month (I am almost sure it will be longer from previous experiences), and they refused to provide a courtesy car during this period!! Again this treatment is much lower than the expectation from such a brand. I am going to file an official complaint at the Consumer Protection Agency as I am aware of other cases where they provided that courtesy car. In case they do not have such car available, they should pay for the rental of a similar car.

Again, I appreciate your support as usual. Thanks in advance.


Thank you,
Mohammed


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ismail,

it seems that the customer service of Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab needs a complete restructuring and improvement.

Of course you should not pay one cent for this engine failure as it is clearly not your fault, especially that the engine has only done 30.000km ! Secondly, the labor cost of the engine repair at Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab will be covered and paid for by Volvo headquarter in Sweden !

You are definitely entitled to a courtesy car, especially since Ezz El Arab own a rental car company (Budget Egypt) within their group of companies. Tell Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab in written that you will rent a Volvo S60 or similar car in its class (e.g. Mercedes C-Class) on their expenses, and also mention this in the report you are filing at the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (www.cpa.gov.eg).

We will send this second complaint of yours to Volvo headquarter in Sweden and keep us and the other readers posted with the progress in your case, so that other Volvo owners and potential Volvo buyers would get an idea about what they might face when buying a Volvo car.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohammed Ismail from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo S60 Engine Failure at 30,000 km (Readers letter)
Hi Mr. Sheta,

To continue on the below quality issues with the Volvo aftersales, and to my greatest disappointment, it seems the car quality itself is somehow compromised.
My S60 car with 30,008 km on the clock just had an engine failure!!!

This is the exact sequence of the events:
- On Sunday the 17th of January while driving the car from work to home, I noticed some jiggling from the engine at low rpm without any warning lights.
- On Monday the 18th, I started the car in the afternoon and I noticed the “Emissions system” warning light was on. I stopped the car immediately and called the service center who asked me to get the car there on a crane.
- On Tuesday the 19th, I loaded the car on a service truck and it was there in the service center at 10:00 am. They promised to check it by end of the day after finishing all the regular maintenance cars as I do not have a reservation!!!
- I went back by 5:00 pm to find that no one touched the car. I tried to complain but they were already about to close and I lost one complete day.
- Today, the 20th, I tried to call in the morning with no reply. Accordingly I went there directly to find the car still not touched at 11:00 am!! I complained again and talked to the service center manager who ordered them to start working on the car.
- After some time the responsible engineer informed me that all the readings of the engine indicates a failure and that the engine should be changed!!!

This news was a complete shock to me.
I know that some other Volvo owners faced the same issue in Egypt recently, but the word of mouth was that it is because they use 92 octane fuel. In my case, I use 95 octane from day one (I even have the receipts) and I just drove the car for 30,000 km!!

The other disappointing news is that the car has to be parked in the service center for almost 10 days before I get the official reply and approvals. The responsible engineer informed me that this cannot be done before end of next week.
I am totally clueless on what to do and how to react. I am not sure how can this happen with such a brand like Volvo. If you check my last paragraph in the email below you will find I was happy with the car but disappointed with the service quality, now it seems that the whole experience is a complete disappointment!!!


Appreciate your advice and support.


Thank you,
Mohammed Ismail
Regional Services Product Manager
Nokia Networks


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ismail,

it is a scandal that the Volvo S60 engine was not able to survive more than 30.000km. As a matter of fact this is not the only Volvo engine failure we heard about in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to Volvo headquarter in Sweden. In the meantime Volvo Egypt should provide you with a courtesy car immediately until your problem is solved.

You should also contact the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency in order to discuss with them your rights in terms of compensation because of the resale value loss due to the expected engine change.

Keep us posted with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor



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MohamedElkholei from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Purchasing a new car - Opel Insignia or Peugeot 508? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am going to purchase a new car model 2016 and I am preferring to buy the Opel Insignia 1.6 litters for its specifications and look; but my colleagues advising me to buy Peugeot 508 instead of it; as they are warning me from the Insignia as it has problems within its engine.

I have contacted the dealer (El-Mansour) and a responsible engineer has informed me that:

- There were problems within the Insignia model 2014 and they were solved.
- In addition currently the car has no problem and I can use fuel 92 octane safely.

Your advise is appreciated.

Regards,

Mohamed

Editors response:
Chevrolet Egypt & Opel Egypt (Al Mansour) are always lying and misleading the Egyptian consumer by giving him false information.

All Opel Insignia and Opel Astra models sold in Egypt MUST use 95 octane. Otherwise they would not have taken off the original 95-octane sticker inside the fuel tank cap and replaced it with a local sticker in Arabic language and with the number 92 octane on it.

The Peugeot 508 also should use 95 octane.

I suggest you have a look at the Ford Fusion, especially since Ford Egypt Abdel Latif Jameel is currently offering up to 30.000 LE discount on some of its models.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohamed Azab from Cairo - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Evaluation Volkswagen Egypt (Readers letter)
Company: Volkswagen
Service center: VW / Egyptian Automotive Company EATC
Country: Egypt
City: Cairo

Company Rating: Needs a new representative in Cairo, Egypt
Service Rating: Needs a new representative in Cairo, Egypt
Sales Rating: Average

Comment:

I own a Volkswagen Touareg and this service centre is becoming worse by the minute, very rude staff and any advanced troubleshooting in the car they know nothing about and they say we will ask germany on four different incidents and they never get it fixed.

I would never buy VW again under the current management



Editors response:
Dear Mr. Azab,

I totally agree with you in every word you said !

Volkswagen AG headquarter in Germany definitely needs to have a new importer and official representative office in Egypt.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohamed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes B180 or BMW 218i Active Tourer? (Readers letter)
Can you please advise me which car to choose, I am between the mercedes b180 and the bmw 218i both

Editors response:
if you are comparing between the Mercedes B180 and the BMW 218i Active Tourer, then I recommend you go for the Mercedes B180.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Islam Mohamed from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Corolla vs Octavia (Readers letter)
Dear Sir

I am choosing between Corolla 2016 high line and Octavia 2016 Elegance?
Which one do you think is better?

In general, I am thinking up to 340 thousand EGP. Any thing better to go for? Not necessarily sedan. I am just looking for a reliable car and service.

Thanks
Islam


Editors response:
The Skoda Octavia is definitely much better than the Toyota Corolla.

I also recommend you have a look at the Skoda Yeti, the Ford Kuga and the Ford Fusion, especially since Ford Egypt is offering 30.000 LE discount on some selected Ford models.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohammed Ismail from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Aftersales Issues - Insurance Scam & Problems with Ezz El Arab Volvo Egypt (Readers letter)
Hi Mr. Sheta,

Please note that I have some complaints regarding Volvo dealer in Egypt (Ezz Elarab).

As a starting point, Ezz Elarab have a serious capacity issue, as they have only one small service center for the whole country. We have been promised for many years (at least 3 since I got my car) that a second bigger service center is about to be opened!

This is totally inconvenient with the booming sales for Volvo cars during the past few years. It is now very common when you call for a regular maintenance appointment to get a date after two weeks, and to spend 6-8 hours there to get your car serviced.

Now coming to my specific complaints.
I have an S60 2013, and more than one year ago (on the 4th of December 2014 to be more specific) while performing my regular maintenance for 20,000 km, I reported two issues that are still open till the date!!

1. On that date, I reported that I have a problem with the horn as its sound has changed and is becoming strange and weak. Service engineer confirmed that this is a malfunction that is covered by warranty and that they should change some part, but they do not actually have the required part and that they will order it and call me when it is available to install it.

During this year I have been calling regularly to check if the part arrived, and after one complete year it is still not there!! They cannot even provide any expected date of arrival and they ask me to keep following up with them!!

The question is: if that was a vital part that affects the car operation, should I have been parking the car for over one year? does that make any sense?

BTW, I also learned from people working there that this is not an individual incident and that many clients are facing the same exact issue.

2. The second issue is related to my car insurance with Ezz Elarab, and there is actually an important introduction that I need to give first.

When I purchased my insurance I had the choice to get it directly from the insurance company (Allianz in my case) or get it via Ezz Elarab for a premium (higher fees) in return of dealing with one entity and avoiding the hassle of paper work and so on.

I went for the second option and unfortunately this turned out to be a scam as the actual situation is the complete opposite of what they promised. Actually Ezz Elarab have zero authority over the insurance company, that they cannot even ask them to set an appointment and show up!!

On the same date mentioned above, I reported a small accident that resulted in getting the plastic frame of the driver’s side view mirror to break. I was naive enough to think that I will get that fixed on the same day with the regular maintenance.

Here are the actual details of what happened:

- They filled in a request for the insurance company to come and examine the car to approve fixing it, and informed me that I have to bring the car on that date.
- I showed up on the agreed date and time but the insurance representative did not. I left very disappointed with the promise to set another date soon. Tried to follow up many times with no success.
- I had to pay them another visit as I never managed to get that arranged over the phone. I met the aftersales manager and complained about the situation. He called one of the senior engineers and asked him to handle this issue.
- The engineer called their insurance clerk to investigate the issue and the reply of the insurance clerk was that he has the request on his desk but he thought that it was a wrong request as the car is not left there in the service center. Seems that you need to leave your car there at the service center for any type of accidents even if it is a plastic frame!!
- The second excuse was that (on top of not having the car) he did not have my contacts (although they are already there in my file). Anyways I made sure he has my contacts and he promised to call me within the same week to get the car examined and fixed.
- Since that visit, I have been chasing the clerk on regular basis and he was not able to set one single date. He kept saying that again I need to leave the car there as they do not know when the insurance engineer will visit them!! This might make sense when the car has a big accident and cannot move anyways, but how come I am asked to leave my care for few days in the service center to examine a simple crack in a plastic frame!!
- I even asked him to call me whenever he gets one of those so-called sudden visits from the insurance engineer as my workplace is few minutes away from the service center. Even that did not work!!

Conclusion is that this small plastic frame is not fixed till the moment. Knowing that I have paid almost 33,000 EGP for the insurance over the past 3 years.

Please note that I am completely flexible with the date and time but they cannot commit to any. The real funny thing is that they keep calling me for the past 10 days asking me to renew my insurance that shall expire by the end of the year!!!

I was (and I am still) happy with the quality of my Volvo, performance and value for money. However, I started to warn everybody thinking about the car of what they will have to deal with in the aftersales phase with Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab.

It is really not fair to have such a nice car with such a lousy level of aftersales service. I am looking forward for your support with the above mentioned issues, especially that my 3 years warranty will expire in less than 20 days.

Thanks in advance and wish you a wonderful evening.


Thank you,
Mohammed



Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ismail,

it is of course very unfortunate that you have the impression that you were subject to an insurance scam by Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab and their insurance company Allianz.

Of course such a thing is unacceptable and Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab should return to you the extra insurance premium which they took without giving you the promised service.

As for the after sales problems you are facing with Ezz El Arab, I am sure that Volvo headquarters will not be very amused with that and I am sure that somebody from the headquarters will call you or get in touch with you to find a solution for your problem.

Unfortunately it seems that Ezz El Arab is too overstrained with having so many different dealerships (Proton, Citroen, etc.) that they have no time for offering proper time and attention to their valuable Volvo clients.

Keep us updated with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Khaled Fouad from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes S 500 Gearbox Failure / Mercedes Benz Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

I would like to share with you my experience on my 2011 Mercedes-Benz S500 that started 2 months ago and still is unsolved up to this moment.

So far it was a very negative one, and I hope that what happened to me is solved first of all, but also that it does not happen to anyone else. I value my car highly, but one morning the gear box tripped and was performing in a very weird way, especially from shifting up from first to second gear with a rattle and a kick until it was totally broken down.

This was noticed after my routine service changing the rims and tires. When the car was returned to me from the service center, the second day to that, the gearbox issues started to happen. The whole process from gearbox rattling symptom to total failure of the gearbox took about 4-5 days.

I returned the car back to the service center, emphasizing that during the last service, the gear box was fully in tact, and that this issue only happened after I got my car back.

After inspection, and without telling me if the gearbox issue was caused by which party, they told me that the gear box chip was damaged and that it needs to be changed since they do not do a repair of these chips.

So the forward solution was to change the gearbox as a whole. Since they did not have the gearbox in stock in their service centers, a gearbox had to be ordered from Germany. So, I agreed to this approach, being under the impression that this would be a 1 week exercise.

Two (!) months later, we are still at the same starting point, with my car at their shop, no news about my order, and no clear timeline on when this issue is to be solved.

Also, kindly note that I own the S500 which is considered the top of the line car in Mercedes-Benz product line, and this is not acceptable for me to be in the blind on the condition of my car.

Also, kindly note that during this 2 months- period, Mercedes-Benz never offered a courtesy replacement car. When I asked, they told me they never do this. I wonder if Mercedes-Benz Germany approves of such business practice, since it is very common throughout the world that top product owners get this service not only from Mercedes-Benz but also from other top car manufacturers. I would kindly like to ask your assistance in sorting out my issue as soon as possible.

On another side note, this is not the only Mercedes-Benz car that my company or myself own, rather most of our company fleet are Mercedes models ranging from the full luxury sedan limos to the SUVs, and Viano Mini Vans.

I wonder how much keen Mercedes-Benz Egypt is in satisfying and keeping existing customers. This issue is bringing some doubts to my mind if our company or even myself did a wise choice of buying so many cars from a presumably reputable car manufacturer. Looking at my other BMWs or American branded cars, I never faced such issue.

Best Regards
Khaled

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Fouad,

usually Mercedes Benz models, and especially the S-Class model you own, are very reliable cars. The fact that the gearbox control unit chip was damaged after the car was serviced at the official Mercedes Benz service center could be the result of oil or water damaging the control unit during the service.

The two-month delay is surely not acceptable, even though I know that Mercedes Benz Egypt has recently been suffering from some ongoing problems with the Egyptian customs authority, which could be reason why Mercedes Benz Egypt has not been importing any cars or spare parts like they used to do before those problems started one year ago.

If your car has a full service history at the official Mercedes Benz service center then I think it would have been a very wise decision from Mercedes Benz Egypt to provide you with a courtesy car even if your car is out of the warranty, especially since it seems that you and your company have bought lots of high-end models from Mercedes Benz Egypt.

Of course there is no need to exchange the complete gearbox (which probably costs more than 100.000 LE) if only the control unit chip (probably around 5.000 LE) is the reason for the software failure of your gearbox.
I assume that since you are probably doing all your services at the official Mercedes Benz service, that Mercedes Benz Egypt would probably exchange this control unit as a good-will on their expenses.

I could imagine very well that the top management of the Mercedes Benz Egypt Representative Office is not aware with your complaint so far.

We will forward your complaint to them today and I am sure you will receive a phone-call from them today informing you that they have received your complaint and start taking the appropriate customer service action, especially since Mercedes Benz Egypt has recently been much more professional than BMW, AUDI and the other so-called competitors in handling customers complaints.

Please feel free to keep us posted with the progress in your complaint.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Osama Amer from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Peugeot 508 in Egypt - 92 or 95 octane? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I intend to buy a Peugeot 508, my concern is octane, does it take 92 or will there be trouble. I have heard the dealer has some solution for the engine to accept 92 without issues.

Thanks.

Editors response:
The Peugeot 508 must use 95 octane. This is why Peugeot Egypt removed the sticker from the fuel tank cap which says 95 octane is a minimum.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mostafa Shokr from Alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Ford Focus in Egypt (Readers letter)
I need a full council on Ford Focus Egypt and specially does it run well with our fuel 92 or it needs 95 for the new echo boost engines? .. and which is better Ford Focus 2016 or Skoda Octavia A7 2016?

Best Regards

Editors response:
The Ford Focus should use 95 octane. The Skoda Octavia A7 has a much better resale value and Skoda Egypt offers a much better customer service and has a much better management.

Regards,
Editor

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Abeer ElErian from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint: BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group ! Problems with my BMW X3 (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

This is Abeer ElErian, I own a BMW X3.

I took the car yesterday to the BMW Bavarian Auto service center located on the ring road ( Almaza Branch ), to service the following parts of my car:

Engine oil + filter
Engine Air Filter
front brake pads

I was told that the car would be ready the next day (Wednesday, October 21) at 11:00 AM ! Accordingly, I made some plans and arrangements for this day starting 12:00 PM.

The engineers and customer service representative at BMW service center have not been picking up their
phones since I started calling them this morning to make sure the car is ready at 11:00 PM.

Now it is 3pm and they are still not picking up the phone.

This is very irresponsible of them, since I already made plans and I have commitments in 2 hours from now.

Can you assist me with this problem? I need an urgent reply from BMW now!

Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Abeer,

unfortunately we have been receiving and hearing many complaints about the customer service and unprofessional management of BMW Egypt and MINI Egypt recently.

In addition to that it seems that not answering the phone or replying to missed calls is very common among the complete management of Bavarian Auto Group and needs to be discussed internally between the top management and the BAG employees.

It is extremely unprofessional and not acceptable that the employees working at a big company like Bavarian Auto Group, which is representing to renowned brands like BMW and MINI, are not answering their phones and not sticking to the appointments they give to their so-called valuable customers. As a matter of fact, it should be them who are supposed to call you to tell you that your car is ready, and not the other way round.

We will send your complaint to the Bavarian Auto Group chairman Mr. Farid El Tobgui and I assume that he will give instructions to solve your complaint during the next half hour.

If they will not finish your car today as they confirmed to you yesterday, then you are entitled for a BMW X3 courtesy car from BMW Egypt until they finish your car.

Keep us posted on how things develop.

Kind regards, Editor



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Hani from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BYD L3 performance (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia,

I saw the BYD L3 car model 2016, I think it is good comparing to its price range and i am thinking to buy one with Automatic gear box. Please i need your professional opinion about this car and about the service center.

Thanks for your support and cooperation.
Hani.

Editors response:
I am not a big fan of Chinese cars because of their poor quality and the lack of safety features.

Better check the new models from Renault such as the new Logan, the Sandero or the Stepway which now come also with automatic transmission.

Regards,
Editor

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Hesham Fikry from Alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Please Advise which car is most suitable nowadays. (Readers letter)
Dear radio arabia,

At first i wanted to buy a cross-over and i had many choices to choose from but after listening to a lot of people it became harder. The list i reached with finally:
1- Peuguet 3008 2016
2- Kia Sportage 2016
3- Subauru XV 2016
4- Nissan Qashqi 2016

After many surveys i turned in to sedan cars and i found the best to choose from:
1- Opel Insignia Elegance
2- Skoda A7 Ambitious

What would be the best choice for a cross over and sedan from the mentioned list comparing the fuel type, spare parts, car maintenance and resale price.

Regards,
Hesham


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Ramy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Ford Fiesta problems with Ford Egypt (Readers letter)
I own Ford Fiesta 2010 it is now 29,000 km. I have a problem with the Steering Shaft which is fault from Ford and not mine as it is a must to be replaced and Ford Egypt refuses to fix my car free. I do not know what to do exactly!!

Editors response:
Dear Rami,

kindly send us all details and documents about your car and its service history, so that we can forward your complaint to Ford Middle East headquarter in Dubai.

Kind regards,
Editor

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basheer abdel aziz from alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Opel Astra 1.6 Enjoy sedan 2014 - Does it need 95 or 92 octane? (Readers letter)
hello
i would like to ask if this car( not turbo charged) only works with 95 octane fuel to get the best performance and also to maintain the life of the engine cause i read some reports on the internet where they say that with 92 octane you MAY hear knocking when the car is running on the idle mode.they told me that the compression ratio of this car is 10.5:1, also do customers here complain about AT gearbox .

best regards

Editors response:
Dear Basheer,

according to the official data and spec sheets provided by the Opel mother-company in Germany, all Opel Astra and Opel Insignia models sold in Egypt MUST run on minimum 95 octane fuel.

Kind regards,
Editor

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A.aboulseoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Comparison 320i and volvos80 (Readers letter)
Dear sir
Whats your advise bmw 320i or volvo s80
I know that as tech specifications and suspension s80 is superior as well as its more luxurious
But what about aftersale maintenance , resale , spare parts
Because ezz alarab has no good repitition
Specially there is no big difference in the price of both cars
Thank you

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Aboul Seoud,

the new shape of both the BMW 3 series and the Volvo S80 will be introduced in Egypt soon. So I suggest you do not buy those models.

In addition to that I recommend not to buy a Made-in-Egypt car like the BMW 320i if you have other Made-in-Germany or Made-in-Europe alternatives.

The best alternative currently in this segment would be the Made-in-Germany Mercedes C180.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Hafsa Gamal from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Honda City vs Renault Fluence vs Skoda Octavia (Readers letter)
We are finally going to replace our old banger (97 model Daewoo Nubira) which has served us very well and are considering the above models.

Price and safety features are the primary considerations, followed by reliability, aftersales service and resale value. We would not consider a car which requires 95 octane fuel. Does this rule out the Honda? What other cars would you recommend in this price bracket?

A separate question concerns your recommendations of several KIA models. I hold a grudge against KIA and Hyundai Egypt as almost all base models do not have a single airbag, let alone ABS. In 2015 this is a scandal. Given your interest in automotive safety I was therefore surprised to see them recommended.

Lastly, I have tried and failed to find a car with Electronic Stability Program for less than 250k. What is the cheapest car in Egypt with ABS, EBD and ESP and would you recommend it? Also, why are side airbags so hard to come by here?

Best regards,

Hafsa Gamal


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Hossam Zaytoun from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Citroen Grand C4 Picasso & Ezz El Arab importer (Readers letter)
Hello Guys

I would like to know your opinion about the : New-Grand-C4-Picasso 2016

cause I want to buy one.
I just need to know your opinion about the car itself also about Citroen agency I belive it is Ezz El Arab.

Also what do you recommend for cars with the same class or within the budget of 270000 to 315000 LE.

Thank you
Regards


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Medhat Anees Lotfy from SOHAG - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Best car in Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team
I will change my car during 3-4 monthes & want to ask about the best cars in Egypt in terms of Durability & after sale service within budget 120000 - 180000 l.E.


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Jaser Shams from Hurghada - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Just another complaint about Ford Egypt and my ongoing dilemma with Auto Jameel Abdel Latif ! (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

I am sorry that I have to make another complaint about Ford Egypt ( Auto Jameel ).

As you might remember from my previous complaint, I live in Hurghada at the Red Sea. A couple of days ago my Ford Fusion was involved in a small accident. After I ordered the spare parts at the official Ford Egypt service center in Obour I had to drive 500 km (yes, FIVE HUNDRED kilometers one way!!!!) because our dear Ford importer in Egypt Abdel Latif Jameel ALJ is still not capable and not willing to open a service center in Hurghada as they promised me before I bought the car! This although they have been the official Ford importer for quite a long time now!!!

I left my car at the Ford Egypt service center in Obour area, paid the deposit and they informed me that I can get my car after one week.

One day before I should get my car I the Ford service center to ask if the car is finished. They informed me that the car is finished and ready, I was very happy that they kept their promise. But I was to be hugely disappointed later!

I booked a flight to Cairo and I informed the Ford service center that I will be there around 10am in the morning to take my car and drive back to Hurghada, and I informed them that I do not want to be late because it is very dangerous to drive this way back at night.

When I arrived at the Ford service center I had to wait from 10:00 till 14:30h (!!!!) till I could see my car. When I finally saw my car I noticed a lot of defaults in my car.

First of all I saw that they did not change the fog lights, although I had ordered and paid for a new one. I told them about this and they insisted that this is the new one. I informed them okay so please bring me the old one because I want to see it. After they searched for 30 min they could not find it.

By coincidence I was checking something in the back seat of my car and I found the new fog light on the back seat while still being unused. I informed after sales engineer Sherif who apologized and informed them to replace the old one with the new one.

I also found on the back seat the air resistant of the front fender which meant that when they changed the front fender they forget to put it in!!! What kind of amateurish service center is this and what kind of incompetent and chaotic engineers are working there???

So they had to do re-fix the fender air resistant as well. When I continued checking the rest of the car I found some scratches on the new front bumper. So I asked them how come it is new and you replace it and it has scratches??? So they informed me that they will fix it and do it again.

When I left my car there was a scratch on my front door and I informed them NOT to paint it and I think the manager of the service center (his name is Hatem) wrote this comment in the job-order in front of me. I was very shocked that they still painted it !!!

As also found the front bumper was not fixed well and there were a lot of things missing so it could fall down at any time.

After all this comments I was very angry and I asked to meet Mr. Tarek Abdel Latif who is the CEO of Ford Egypt and who told me before when solving my previous complaint, that I can call and meet him anytime. Me and my brother waited in the meeting room over 15 to 20 min and in the end he did not came. Instead he sent the After Sales Manager ( who is very very polite ) and the service center manager ( who is very very in-polite, rude and unprofessional).

The manager of the service center was only defending himself and his staff and was very unprofessional and was extremely rude in his way of talking and was only telling lies and lies. In the end he left the meeting.

I have to say that the after sales manager is very professional and very helpful but at the same it did not change the fact that all this happen. Engineer Sherif Mostafa is a very polite person as well and very helpful, but what I am wondering at is how to employ someone like the service center manager who actually is giving the clients lessons in how to talk and in how to deal with customers? Or is he just working there to defend himself and his staff instead of doing his job and check the car before the clients come to pick up their cars?

They even did the 5000 km service in my car and later I found out that the engine water is under the minimum!!! My question is, what are they doing then in the service if even the water is under the minimum ??? what were they fixing in my car one week after I wrote all this comments ????

This is my 5th ford car and I really feel no difference or improvement between Auto Abdel Latif Jameel and the previous Ford dealer before him? My disappointment and anger is growing more and more with every Ford dealer starting operations in Egypt !

Why is Ford headquarters in the USA not able to provide us Ford customers in Egypt with competent dealers and professional service centers in Egypt ???

Why do we always have to face a hell lot of problems with Ford in Egypt ???

Why do we Ford customers living outside Cairo always have to drive 1000 km to Cairo in order to do a normal service for our cars? Is a professional and respectable car importer not supposed to have several service centers across a country with almost 100 million inhabitants? Is only one or two service centers in Cairo enough for such a big brand like Ford? I do not think so !!!

I do think that Ford is a big name and that they should at least provide us with the minimum needed service which is to assure for us to do a service for the car without driving 1000 km to do it. Why does KIA, Hyundai, Renault, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan and even most of the Chinese brands have a service center in Hurghada while Ford still does not have a service center here??

I am very disappointed From Auto Jameel and I am very angry from the attitude from the manager from the service center ( I think his name is Hatem ) and I do think that he should not work at all for such a big name as Ford.

Last but not least, I just want to mention something else. I send an another email to Auto Jameel explaining to them that my company wants to buy another 3 Ford Fusion cars which would cost around 1.000.000 LE, and I just wanted to know when they will open a service center here in Hurghada, since those 3 cars will be a company cars and the company refused to buy them before a Ford service center would open here.

Note here that Ford Egypt promised me that they will open the center last in last June. This mail has been sent around a month ago and till now I received no answer and that shows really how their care about their sales and service and customer.

I do really think that it is time for me to seriously think of not driving Ford anymore in Egypt and to change to another brand where they care about their customers and where they provide them with good after sales service and where they have professional staff who can handle their clients. And all this happened although I paid whopping 20.000 Egyptian Pounds ( bill open request ), which is almost 10 % of the original car price !!!!

For what did I pay such a huge amount of money ??? For such a poor and incompetent and consumer-unfriendly after sales and customer service?

I do need a clear and fast answer from the Ford headquarter (NOT Ford Egypt!) about all the points mentioned in my complaint!

Thanks and best regards

Jaser Shams



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ahmed wasfy from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint EIM Obour & French Motors / Engine oil in my Renault Fluence / (Readers letter)
Dear sir,
I have Renault fluence 2014 i did my 20,000 km service ick@ frensh motors in Rehab city, I have faced the same issue that i had with EIM El-abbour @ 10,000km service they put excess amout of engine oil exceed a lot the H sign in the oil measuring stick , last time @ EIM they admit that and decrease the oil level to the acceptable limit, and i am going to Frensh motors and i am sure they will do the same.
Sir if Renault Egypt did not review the amout of engine oil that should be added thousands of fluence cars will have majour issues with its engine in the following 2 or 3 years.
I think they do so as they afraid of that engine type consume oil lead oil level to decrease in some cases but i think it is a very stubid way to fix that issue.
Regards,
Dr.Ahmed Wasfy



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Mohamed Salah from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Review about skoda Rapid (Readers letter)
Hello. I would like to ask about the skoda rapid sedan HL.It is a new car. What is the reviews about it esp. In Egypt and what about the after sale services. Any info about perfou, suspension in Egypt and spare parts. Thanks alot


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Jaser Shams from Hurghada - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Ford Egypt complaint - No Ford Fusion spare parts available at Ford dealership in Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear all,

One month ago I decided to buy the new Ford Fusion after Auto Jamil took over the Ford dealership from the old importer Fekri Group because I thought that the after sales service would be better. But I was WRONG BIG-TIME !!!

My problem started already on the first day I received the car because there was no manual book and no warranty book in the car. After i contacted Ford Egypt they informed me that I will get both the owner manual and the warranty when I do my first regular service.

I drove 1000km from Hurghada to Cairo and back because Ford Egypt does not have a service center in Hurghada, although they have been promising us since several months that they will open one in Hurghada!!!

So I drove around 500 km one way to get the manual book and the warranty book and after I arrived there I found out that they do NOT have the manual book on stock!!!

I then insisted to meet the CEO of Ford Egypt Mr. Tarik Abdul Latif and his answer was it happens and we are still working on it to print it and as soon as we have it we will send it to you .

In my opinion it is very rude to let me drive 1000 km and in the end I do not find the owners manual and the warranty book ! Besides the fact that EVERY Ford car should be delivered to its new customers with the manual book and the warranty book, they could have informed me that they do not have the books at their Cairo headquarter so I would not have driven all the way from Hurghada to Cairo.

Secondly, a couple of days ago a taxi hit me car at the front and therefore I had to make an order for a few spare parts which are all normal spare parts such as front lights, front bumper, front fender and front wheel.

I was very surprised that none of those spare parts I ordered are available in stock at Ford Egypt Auto Jameel !!!!

What kind of service is that ???

So that means that I have to park my car and that I cannot use it anymore ? Why is it like that always with Ford in Egypt ?

Ok, if Auto Jameel cannot provide us with the spare parts than they should take the car back and give me my money back and there is no need to drive a Ford car in Egypt.

I am very disappointed from the Ford dealer in Egypt , honestly this is a very poor service and I cannot accept it at all.

I need a very quick answer on my complaint and I do insist that if Ford cannot provide us with the minimum service and open in Hurghada and provide us with the spare parts that they should take their car and give me my money back

I am awaiting a quick response from Ford Egypt to tell me when I will get my spare parts!

Jaser Shams

Editors response:
Dear Jaser,

I can totally understand that you are extremely upset with Ford Egypt & Abdul Latif Jameel Auto for not receiving the very important owners manual book and the warranty book.

It is also not acceptable that there are no spare parts available at the dealership, especially that those spare parts are very common spare parts. Therefore Ford Egypt - Auto Jameel should definitely offer you a courtesy car or rental car on their expenses until they are able to provide you with the spare parts.

We will forward your complaint to Ford company and I am sure you will hear from them soon.

Keep us posted with your case.

Regards,
Editor

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Mohamed Ahmed Deif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Opel Insignia engine failure - Disappointing experience with Opel Mansour Chevrolet & General Motors Egypt (Readers letter)
I bought an Opel Insignia car in March/April 2014, engine no. 0088.

We faced a problem and we had to get the engine replaced by the Opel representative in Egypt (Mansour Chevrolet / General Motors Egypt) in October 2014, only six months after the purchase.

The new engine no. is 11419540.

Unfortunately, we are facing the same exact problem now, what should I do to take my money back?

I kindly request a compensation for the loss of time, money and effort.

Very sadly, this was a very disappointing experience with Opel.


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Deif,

we have always been warning our readers and radio listeners from the extremely bad customer service at Opel Egypt (Mansour Chevrolet & General Motors Egypt).

We have always been warning that contrary to what Opel Egypt & Mansour Chevrolet & General Motors Egypt are falsely claiming, all the Opel Astra and Opel Insignia models sold in Egypt MUST use 95 octane fuel.

This is why Opel Egypt & Mansour Chevrolet removed the original fuel octane stickers from the fuel tank cap, and replaced it with an Egyptian sticker saying that the Astra and Insignia can run safely on 92 octane.

We will send your complaint to the Opel headquarter in Germany, and in the meantime we recommend that you and the other Opel Astra and Insignia owners suffering from the same problem would contact the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA ( www.cpa.gov.eg - Tel: 19588 / +2-02-35380380) in order to file a complaint and take such misleading car dealers like Opel Egypt & Mansour Chevrolet to court.

Regards,
Editor

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John Tadros from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint from Mercedes Benz Egypt (CNA) (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am the owner of a B150 Model 2009. I bought it from its original owner couple of months ago and did a full check on the car and based on the generated report, fixed all recommended items. The check was done in a Mercedes service center in Maadi.

On June 1st, 2015, while driving the car, it suddenly stopped responding. On the next day, the car was checked by GAS Service Center (Gesr el Suez) and they identified the issue to be that the Control Unit is damaged and has to be replaced. This replacement will cost us around 25K Egyptian pounds.

I sent to Daimler Germany asking for applying the GoodWill policy since when I decided to drive a Mercedes, my primary motive was the reliability and durability of the car. A control unit is a major component in the car that is not acceptable - by any means - to get broken after 6 years of the car manufacturing date and without any prior notice.

I got a phone call from CNA support in Egypt and I explained my case and they told me that they will check the possibility of applying Goodwill.

To my surprise, the reply I got from them was very frustrating stating that they cannot apply the goodwill because of 3 reasons:

- The vehicle spent 18 Months without entering any authorized service center from October 2011 to April 2013. Also the vehicle spent more than 15,000 KM without entering any authorized service center from April 2013 till June 2014

- Nature of the fault

- Vehicle age

Hence, being a Mercedes owner, I am expecting Mercedes Benz to cover the replacement unit price or at least the majority for the price. I do not see the above reasons convincing for not applying goodwill for a Mercedes car.

Please let me know if you need any further details to support my case.

Regards
John

Editors response:
Dear John,

we will forward your complaint to Mercedes Benz and wait for their feedback regarding your case.

I am a little bit surprised that the Mercedes Service Center in Maadi did not find this issue during the check you did there.

Kind regards,
Editor

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marwa from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: seat leon 2013 spare parts (Readers letter)
Dears,

please i need to know if seat leon had any defects as I will buy one model 2013 highline and what about the spare parts, is it available?
Thanks


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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Change of brand from BMW to Mercedes Benz because of my BMW X1 and 5 series problems (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

I would like to thank you for all the support you have shown during the past several months for my two cases with BMW Egypt (Bavarian Auto Group) and Continental Tires in Cairo.

I just wanted to inform you that I have finally gotten rid of my BMW 5 series and my BMW X1 which caused me all that headache, and that I did a successful brand change to Mercedes Benz.

I am glad that I have taken this decision since BMW Egypt and Continental Tires are a hopeless case.

Regards

Ihab Bassioni



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Yasser from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BMW X1 or Mercedes CLA (Readers letter)
Which is better BMW X1 or Mercedes CLA? in terms of problems, operation, facilities and customer service.

Editors response:
Dear Yasser,

both BMW and Mercedes have very good cars. Unfortunately the Marketing & Communication of BMW was not able to provide a locally-assembled BMW X1 for an independent review and test-drive on Egyptian roads.

On the other hand the Marketing & Communication department of Mercedes Egypt was very active and professional in providing all the Mercedes models sold in Egypt for independent reviews and test-drives.

The imported Mercedes CLA 180 AMG is a very good-looking and good-quality car. We test-drove the CLA on Egyptian roads and it proved to drive extremely stable and dynamic on all different road types in and around Cairo. The suspension is very sporty and very dynamic.

We also test-drove the locally-assembled Mercedes GLK 250 recently which left a good impression. But wait for the new Mercedes GLC which will be imported and which we will test-drive in a couple of weeks. Also note that the all-new BMW X1 will be launched shortly.

Some BMW owners were complaining about their tires with the BMW X1, while some Mercedes CLA owners complained about the software problems of the multi-media system.

Facilities and customer service of Mercedes Benz are very good and whenever there are BMW customer complaints sent to us the top management of BMW Bavarian Auto Group, including Chairman Mr. Farid El Tobgui, take personal care of those complaints.

So, stay tuned with us.

Kind regards,
Editor


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dalia osman from nasr - egypt wrote:
Subject: My Renault Duster endangered my life ! Renault Egypt & Consumer Protection Agency meeting (Readers letter)
أود مشاركتكم مأستي مع رينو الفرنسية :
لقد قمت بشراء سيارة ماركة رينو نوعها داستر 4X2 ،موديل 2015 بتاريخ 24 ستمبر 2014 ،وذلك بقرض من أحد البنوك وأثناء قيادتي السيارة في طريقي للعمل من مدينة نصر إلي القصر العيني علي طريق صلاح سالم يوم 7 مايو 2015 علي سرعة تقريبا من 40 إلي 50 فوجئت بصدور صوت من السيارة من الخلف و خروج شئ من السيارة ونظرت في المرأة الأمامية للرؤية لمعرفة ما حدث وتوقفت بالسيارة نتيجة الزحام علي اليمين لرؤية ماذا حدث لأن السيارة كان تسير بثقل ،ففوجئت هبوط السيارة من الخلف وخروج السوستة الخلفية للسيارة من ناحية الشمال التي تقوم عليها مساعد السيارة مما كان سيهدد حياتي بالخطر وتعرضها للموت ،والسيارة مازالت في الضمان ولم أحقق بها منذ شرائها حتي الان سوي 15 ألف كيلو متر سير.
علي الفور اتصلت بالتوكيل وشرحت ما حدث بالسيارة و التوكيل قال لي أنه سيرسل لي ونش لحمل السيارة متسائلا هل السيارة في الضمان لأن لو السيارة في الضمان ستتحمل الشركة تكاليف النقل ،وتم رفع السيارة بونش ونقلها إلي التوكيل واستقبلني موظف الإستقبال وشرحت له ما حدث عبر عن تعجبه ودهشته وقال لي "ازاي اصلا السوستة عمرها ما تتغير في العربية " وطلب مني الإنتظار لحين قيام المهندس المختص للكشف عن السيارة و بعدها قال لي أن المهندس يقول أن السوستة خرجت من العربية ولا يوجد الجلدة التي تربطها وسوف نقوم بتصلحيها فأجابته أني أرفض تصليح السيارة وأريد استرجاع ثمن السيارة لأنها في الضمان وأثبتت عدم كفائتها وكانت ستؤدي بي للموت وتهدد حياتي لأن الحادث حدث علي سرعة صغيرة ومما كان سيؤدي لانقلاب السيارة لو كنت أسير علي سرعة عالية وأن العربية مصممة للسير في الطرق الوعرة ولكن هذا حدث في طريق عادي مما عرض حياتي للخطر وهذا عيب صناعة وهو ما يثبت عدم كفاءة السيارة التابعة لشركة رينو الفرنسية .
فقال لي موظف الإستقبال هذا ليس من اختصاصي حضرتك تستطيعي الحديث مع المدير وبالفعل قمت بالحديث معه واستقبلني و قال لي "الحمد الله أن حضرتك عايشة لأن السيارة من الممكن أن تنقلب بك وحضرتك عندك حق تفقدي الثقة في التوكيل والعربية وأدرك تماما ما تقوليه ولكن علي حضرتك كتابة شرح للحادث وسأرفعه للمسئول في الشركة و بدوره سيقوم بتشكيل لجنة فنية لمعاينة السيارة وكتابة التقرير فقلت له أني أرفض تصليح السيارة وأريد استرجاع ثمن السيارة فقال لي حضرتك لك أن تكتبي كل شئ ولك أن تتخذي اجرائتك ". وفي اليوم الثالث اتصلت بالشركة وقلت لهم لم اتلقي رد حتي الان ولا استطيع التنقل من غير سيارة ليس من المعقول أن أكون لي سيارة و لا أستطيع التنقل والشركات المحترمة لابد أن توفر سيارة للتنقل لحين حل المشكلة وتم الإستجابة وتوفير سيارة لي .
و ظللت لمدة 10 أيام لم أتلقي رد من الشركة علي النتيجة النهائية وما سيتم الوصول إليه وفي اليوم العاشر تلقيت رد أن الشركة بتقول ربما يكون مؤثر خارجي أنه أثناء نقل السيارة من التوكيل للموزع تم تحميلها خطأ مما أدي لفك السوستة عن مكانها فردت عليه وقلت له "والعميل ماله " وكنت قد لجأت لجهاز حماية المستهلك وتم تشكيل لجنة حضرها ممثل عن الشركة ومسئولين من جهاز حماية المستهلك وبحضوري ،واستمعت اللجنة لأقوال ممثل الشركة الذي قال :"بالفعل السيارة جاءت علي ونش نتيجة خروج السوستة الخلفية عن السيارة ،وبالفعل تم تشكيل لجنة فنية من الشركة لمعاينة السيارة و اللجنة قالت ربما يكون خروجها بسبب مؤثر خارجي أثناء نقل السيارة من التوكيل للموزع " ورد عليه مسئول اللجنة الفنية لجهاز حماية المستهلك وقال له العميل ليس له علاقة بذلك فرد مسئول ممثل الشركة الشركة ممكن تعوض العميل بعامين صيانة مجانا فعلي الفور ردت علي ممثل الشركة وقلت له "هل حياتي تساوي ثمن صيانة عامين مجانا " .
واستمع مسئول اللجنة الفنية لجهاز حماية المستهلك لأقوالي وسألني عن مطالبي وطالبت بإسترجاع ثمن السيارة أو سيارة جديدة بديلة لأني فقدت الثقة في رينو وعلي الفور قرر مسئول اللجنة الفنية لجهاز حماية المستهلك تشكيل لجنة فنية تابعة للجهاز لمعاينة السيارة وحمل الشركة تكاليف المعاينة .وأنتظر الان معاينة السيارة من قبل جهاز حماية المستهلك يوم 2 يونيو المقبل وقرار الشركة واللجنة .
وعليه أناشد جهاز حماية المستهلك بحمايتي كمستهلك من الشركة واتخاذ أقصي الإجراءات معها لأني حياتنا ليست ثمن لخطأ فني أو عيب صناعة أو خطأ في نقل السيارة من التوكيل للموزع ،فلنفترض إني كنت أسير بالسيارة ومعي أسرتي كاملة أو أسير علي طريق سريع هذا العيب كان سيؤدي إلي انقلاب السيارة وكنت لن أعرف السبب .أطالب الشركة بالرد في أقصي سرعة وإسترجاع ثمن السيارة لي وذلك لان السيارة أثبتت عدم كفائتها و هددت حياتي بالخطر


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Moataz Ali from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW Jetta DSG Issue!!! (Readers letter)
Again I am writing to complain about the service center in obour city in cairo, i went with my 2011 Jetta that has apparently DSG gearbox issue and they denied everything about the recall!!!, what do you suggest me doing?

Editors response:
I suggest that you sue the Volkswagen importer in Egypt (Egyptian Automotive Company & Kayan Egypt) and file a complaint at the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency. Their website is www.cpa.gov.eg

Kind regards,
Editor

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Moataz from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Problems with Volkswagen Egypt - VW Jetta 2011 DSG transmission failure (Readers letter)
Dear All,
i have 2011 VW Jetta with the infamous DSG gearbox, the car did not run more than 70000 KM and suddenly it is not moving. the car was imported from Gulf region, all services were done at the service center.

i heard that was a recall on that gearbox at the agency, so what would you advise me doing?

Thanks in advance
Regards,
Moataz A

Editors response:
Dear Moataz,

yes, there was an official recall for the DSG transmission of the Volkswagen Jetta, the Volkswagen Passat as well as eleven other models from the Volkswagen group.

You can send us a detailed complaint, including the complete history of your car and your correspondence with Volkswagen Egypt and we will forward your complaint to Volkswagen headquarter in Germany.

In addition to that I recommend you contact the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA www.cpa.gov.eg and file a complaint against Egyptian Automotive Company there as well.

Best regards,
Editor

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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: BMW Egypt accuses Continental of damaging my BMW 528i rims during dismantling (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia Online Team / Mr. Sheta

Thank you very much for your assistance and follow-up with my case. I really appreciate your feedback and support.

I would kindly like to inform you that I have received the report from BMW Egypt on the 19th of March 2015. I am very curious to know why it took them so long to reply to me with that report, in addition to the fact that the report stated other reasons for the rim damage than then ones mentioned by Mrs. Shereen (customer care BMW Abu Rawash service center) a couple of days earlier (16.3.2015) when she sent me an SMS and afterwards called me, when she told me that the problem on the rims were because of street bumps.

As a current BMW owner (and very soon ex-BMW owner) I am truly concerned here about the credibility of the Bavarian Auto Group BAG and BMW in Egypt. This is very annoying indeed.

One of the things I saw in the report of BAG is that there is no indication if the tyre pressure was reset or not. As for the first milage line, at 28136 km, I have received this tyre pressure indicator and I have reset the tyre pressure after pumping up the tyres as per indication on the driver side door tyre pressure chart engraved for my 245/45/18.

I believe that BMW Egypt can verify this, if I am not mistaken. Also, kindly note that the last milage in the report, which is 24 km coincides with the rims issue happening and this km was accumulated even with the spare tyre provided by BMW Egypt BAG, since I drove the car as per recommendation of Mr. Hassan Nasser the CS Manager of BAG who has sent you the report.

BAG service team was not authorized to drive my car as per their rules so they changed the tyre and told me to drive it to BMW Abo Rawash which is about 10-12 km from where I live. If you need to see that, I do have a picture of the tyre pressure not resetting even after BMW have installed their spare tyre through their mobile service team in front of my house as well as a picture of the spare tyre that the BMW Egypt mobile service car has provided, and which by the way had a damage as well.

It seems to me that the report that was sent is trying to show a certain system functionality, rather than to give a complete constructive assessment of the situation, for example reset of pressure. Also, kindly note that there is no indication wheresoever stating that when I get a pressure tyre loss, I need to go to the BMW authorized dealer to fill in my tyre, especially since there are only FOUR (!!!) service center for BMW Egypt allover Egypt ! I would like to receive a clarification and correction from Bavarian Auto Group BAG if this is the case.

I believe that it would be highly unpractical if BMW Egypt actually states this, because there are only four BMW service center covering the 27 governorates of Egypt with its 95 million inhabitants.

Besides this, the tyre change happened in an authorized sub-supplier of BMW, according to the manager of this official Continental Service Center in 6th of October (near El Hossary Square). I met the Continental dealer again on the 5th of April, for your info. They told me that they have received an unofficial phone call from somebody at BMW Egypt concerning this case and the main question was, if the Continental dealer had the adequate tools and instruments to exchange a run flat tyre, which was confirmed from the Continental dealer to BMW Egypt. I am not sure then what game is being played here.

Also, kindly note that when I went to the Continental shop again they confirmed to me that the cracks were already there when the car arrived to their workshop and that the cracks were not caused by them.

On a side note, I also would like to inform you that I have filed a police report on the 7th of April at the 6th of October City police station (1st Police precinct), and the police file number is 1841 / Date 7th of April. I did this for several reasons. The main reason is to hand a copy of the report to the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency CPA to see who’s fault it is: The fault of the Continental Service Center as BMW Egypt is claiming, or the fault of BMW Egypt as the Continental Service Center is claiming.

With this back and forth game played by BMW Egypt, I have more and more conviction that this is a quality issue or the sales of a product that is inadequately presented to the Egyptian market in it is least.

In any case, I am convinced more every day that it was a wrong decision to invest my hard-earned money in this BMW 528i and my other BMW X1 and I cannot wait the day when this case is solved and closed so that I can finally sell my BMW X1 and BMW 528i and trade them in and upgrade for Mercedes S400 Hybrid and a Mercedes GLA, specially since my BMW 528i has been parked at the BMW service center for over 4 weeks now because of this silly problem.

I am so fed up from the BMW brand and have lost so much trust in the Bavarian Auto Group and its customer service, that I did not even care to ask for a BMW courtesy car.

Best Regards
Ihab Bassioni



On Wed, Apr 8, 2015 at 6:21 PM, Readers Letter (Auto Arabia) wrote:

Dear Mr. Bassioni,

In reference to both your complaints dated 4th March and 5th of April, kindly find below the official reply we received from the Bavarian Auto Group on 11th of March regarding your first complaint.

As for your second complaint dated 5th of April, kindly note that our editor-in-chief Mr. Mohamed Sheta received a phone call from the General Manager of BMW Egypt, Mr. Tariq Saad, on 6th of April in which he explained one more time the position and analysis of the Bavarian Auto Group and BMW Egypt, according to which *the damage of the tires occurred because of the unauthorized workshop caused severe damage to the rims during to dismantling of the tires, in addition to reluctance from the driver to fix the vehicle in authorized workshop.*

Kind regards,
Auto Arabia Online Team
www.autoarabia.org


From: Ahmed El Tanahy
Sent: 11 March, 2015 1:08 PM
To: Mohamed Sheta
Cc: Tariq Saad; Ahmed El Shazly; Hassan Nasser Salah; Yahia Kodouss; Khaled Shedid; Hesham Abdelsamad; Walid Kamal; Mohamed Fitian; Ehab Helmy
Subject: FW: Complaint - My BMW 528i has four damaged rims !!! / FW: Readers Letter (AutoArabia.org) - 04.03.2015 06:37

Dear Mr. Sheta,

Regarding the 528i BMW with VIN: DV97363, the tires & wheels were inspected & the following results were yielded:

1. There are cracks in the wheels progressing from inward to outward direction.
2. All wheels had similar cracks in the same direction (from inward to outward direction).
3. The cracks are a result of using excessive force to dismantle the tire from the wheel using non approved procedures.

In addition to examining the wheels & tires, The vehicle was tested by the diagnosis system & the following was retrieved from the central memory of the vehicle:

Mileage/ Km. Warning shown on the central screen
1 28136 Loss of tyre pressure!
2 28568 Loss of tyre pressure!
3 28592 Loss of tyre pressure!

The above table shows that the customer was warned of pressure loss & the content of the warning advised the customer to have the tire fixed. The first warning was prompted @ 28,136 Km then after driving the car for another 432 Km there was another warning @ 28568 Km. after another 24 Km another warning was prompted.

It is clear from the above that further damage to the wheels was expected due to the loss of pressure condition. The vehicle should have been driven to the nearest service center for the proper action.

Based on the above analysis, it is very unfortunate that the unauthorized workshop caused severe damage to the rims during to dismantling of the tires, in addition to reluctance from the driver to fix the vehicle in authorized workshop.



Best regards,


Ahmed ELTanahy
National Service Manager
BMW Egypt




Editors response:
Dear Mr. Bassioni,

it is very unfortunate that you are still suffering from your BMW 528i & BMW X1 and from the customer service you are experiencing with BMW Egypt and the Bavarian Auto Group.

I can surely understand your frustration from the BMW brand and that you not only want to change from BMW to Mercedes, but also that you want to take your case to the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency to see if BMW or Continental is to be blamed for the rim damages.

We will send your complaint one more time to BMW and Continental AG in Germany to get their official statement regarding your rim damages.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: My never-ending complaint-story with BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group BAG (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

I hope this letter will find you well.

I would like to update you on the embarrassing responses of BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group BAG, which I have gotten so far.

I have received a phone call from Mr.Hassan Nasser Customer care manager of Bavarian Automotive Company on Monday 8th of March 2015 for picking up my BMW 528i car at my house and exchanging the flat tyre with another one so that I can drive the car to the Abu Rawash workshop.

Amazingly the spare tyre they brought had a slit in it even during dismantling of my old tyre. I have a picture of that.

It seems that even when providing a service, BMW Egypt does not really care nor do they check safety regulations. Anyway, I drove the car very carefully to the workshop.

Upon arrival, I asked for Mr. HESHAM ABDELSAMAD who is the workshop manager. And please allow me to call it a WORKSHOP and not a SERVICE CENTER, this is by no standards a service center.

Again, i went up the stairs to his office and the smile that was on his face changed to a grim. I guess it is part of the recent history I had with my other BMW, the X1.

He told me to go downstairs into the car and he accompanied me inside the car with him driving into the workshop, strangely bombarding me with personal questions, which were none of his business. I guess if we want to get acquainted we could find sometime outside of business hours.

So, with minimal replies from my side we finally managed to get the car on a rack for inspection. After they lifted my 528i the BMW team told me there are no cracks in the tyre. I told them that it would be better if they check my tires not the tyre they exchanged from the workshop which was basically theirs.

Recognizing their mistake they checked my right rear tyre which was on the ground and found cracks. Also they checked the other 3 tires and found the cracks. All cracks were marked with a white marker.

With no further discussion Mr. Hesham came to me and told me that we need to do the police paper work to charge my insurance on it. I declined telling them that there is no way that i would charge the insurance for their lack of quality.

For the next 1 hour i did not see Mr. HESHAM again leaving me hanging around.

The main reason why i also call this place a workshop is that it is seemingly a BMW employees smoking area, which is apparently breaking all the rules of BMW and safety regulations.

Anyway i asked the service engineers what is the situation and they told me the only thing they can do is charging the insurance and i declined politely.

In the meantime when i was standing all by myself the insurance gentleman came to me to bargain asking me what happened and what are the dates. I showed him pictures since January and he was amazed.

He told me did BMW even offer to bare the costs of 2 rims and i bare the cost of the other 2?

I told him that even if they came with such a counter proposal i will never accept it.

He left and miraculously Mr. Hesham appeared telling me with a very bad facial expression that if i do not accept then i will have to wait for the report to be done on Wednesday the 10th of March. I told him it is amazing that you come to a conclusion on who to charge even before there is a report.

I told him also that Mr. Nasser told me there will be a report and i want to wait for that. So from the 8th of March till the 16th of March i got no reply until around 11 am when i received a call from Mrs. Sherin
(customer car Bavarian Auto Group) telling me that the report is out and that the failure in the rims was due to bad driving and street quality, talking only about ONE single rim.

I told her that it is not about 1 rim but it is about 4 rims failure. She corrected herself telling me that all rims were damaged because of road quality. I also told her that if she wants to communicate with me it has to
be done via emails.

On the 19th of March i received an email from BMW telling me that the reason behind the rims failure was due to the fact that it was dismantled at an unauthorized dealer of continental tires, and not due to bad driving or bad road quality as Mrs. Sherin claimed in the phone call.

Now some facts:

1) I believe that BMW has a quality assurance company policy and i believe that the phone call with Shereen was recorded. Either she is lying to me or Mr. Nasser and the report is lying to me.

2) The treatment inside the BMW workshop cannot be any worse from the management side, as far as I have experienced so far with my two BMW cars, the 528i and the X1.

3) Mr.Hesham seems to not really care about being diligent about facts and just wanted to close the case without taking into account the well-being of yet another useless BMW customer, according to my impression.

4) kindly note that my car is fully insured and that I would not need to pay one penny anyway. For me it is now a matter of principle and honesty, and me not willing to accept such unprofessional behavior from BMW employees in addition to not wanting to accept such a bad BMW quality.

5) I insist that BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group would cover all costs and hopefully in the process of solving my customer-service issues with both my X1 and my 528i that some management changes would take place for the sake of regaining my customer-trust with the brand BMW and the Bavarian Auto Group.

6) Owning two BMW cars has proven to be a BIG mistake and I am now considering a brand change and upgrade to the Mercedes S400 Hybrid instead of BMW 528i, and the Mercedes GLA instead of my BMW X1.

Thank you very much for your time reading this and i am just plainly frustrated. BMW RIDE WITH FRUSTRATION AND FORGET ABOUT PLEASURE

Last but not least, I will personally not pay one penny as I have an insurance anyway, but it is a matter of principle!

At the end, if this complaint will not be solved in a professional and customer-friendly way, then it goes without saying that I will change my Bavarian Auto Group insurance company (which charges me annually 25.000 LE
for my 528i and 18.000 LE for my BMW X1) anyway, and I will even sell my BMW 528i and trade it in for the new Mercedes S400 Hybrid, in addition to selling my recently-bought 2014 BMW X1 with only 10.000km on its clock and exchange it with a new Mercedes GLA for my wife, as obviously Mercedes Benz Egypt offer a much better and much more customer-friendly after-sales service than BMW Egypt and the Bavarian Auto Group.

Ihab Bassioni


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Nadine from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Opel Astra 2015 Hachback Questions (Readers letter)
Hello,
I have the following questions on the Opel Astra Hatchback 2015 model:
1. What Octane does it operate with? 92 or 95?
2. I am hearing that there are issues with the Gearbox, could you tell me if there are still issues or was it fixed? Can you confirm or deny this info?
3. I heard that the Opel service centre is not that good and some people have had bad experiences with the service centre in Egypt, can you tell me about that?
4. I also heard that the spare parts are way too over-priced. For my own survey, could you tell me how much the headlights cost for example so I could be able to compare it to other prices and know if they really are more expensive than other cars in the same class and category?
5. Is there a burgundy or dark blue colour from the car here in Egypt?
6. If the Audi A1 is also a possibility, would you suggest looking into that or not? Comparing prices of spare parts, manufacture defects possibilities (gearbox issues and the link), the service centre professionally and efficiency (because I also heard the Audi service centre is one of the worst in taking time and money) and of course taking into consideration the price difference, if it is worth it.

Looking forwards to your feedback,

Thank you!




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Hani from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: 2010 Opel Astra vs 2013 Peugeot 208 vs 2006 MINI (Readers letter)
Need an expert opinion on this, i want to know if i should buy a 2010 opel astra with 50,000 KM, or a 2013 Peugeot 208 with 65,000 KM, or maybe something older like a 2006 MINI. i would appreciate it if you also said why ! thank you.


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Ahmed Abdo from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Captur TCe 120 - Does it need 92 or 95 fuel octane? (Readers letter)
Dears,

I just want to know if the fuel octane used in the Renault Captur TCe 120 is 92 or 95. I am still investigating to see if I would buy one and making comparison with other similar cars. So I would appreciate it if you can respond as soon as you can.

Thanks


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mahmoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Ford Fusion 2015 sold by Ford Egypt Auto Jameel (Readers letter)
Hello Guys,

Would you please test drive the new 2015 Ford Fusion, i have checked the new 1.5 Ecoboost engine, and it uses Regular octane 87. Is this true?

What do you think of it. and how is Autojameel doing for the after service. i think that two years warranty is not enough. the Fusion includes four years service plan in all other countries.

thanks


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Zm from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complain against Audi Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

please try to help me to deliver my voice and to take my right from Audi Egypt as a part of my car burned because of them ; from around 3 month I took my car there to change the front part of the car and to change one door of the car and to repair some scratches ,it stayed there three weeks and I was driving the car when I left it to them as nothing mechanically or technically was not working efficiently .

i bought my car from 2.5 years brand new it was not used before model 2012 .

Really it is a good car and it is only defect consuming oil quickly but this is a common problem in Audi . But When I took it from Audi service center and I have all the supporting documents to prove my words , after 4 hrs with no warning we found the same part we changed at their service center was flaming and then fire started to burn the car and I was inside the car driving and I have 2 kids one 10 years and the other 4 years and I started to scream from panic and I stopped the car and went out of the car starting to save my children and people in the street helped me and then they started to put off the fire and u cannot imagine the scary moments I lived with my kids to the extent that my smaller kid was having nightmares for a while.

And it was 10 pm when we finished putting off the fire before it reach the motor . Then I had the mobile number of one of the employees there I called him he did not answer so I sent him a message told him what happened. and then we started to search for a crane to take the car from the street and finally we found and all that I have my kids with me till we finished this ,it was 2:30am.

then next day at 11:30 we found mr mohamed whom I called and sent a message to him from Audi called me and I swear before he asked me about us he told me it is not our fault,so I started to shout as he did not even see the car or he did not check about our safety .

Then I told him it is your fault and I am sure and I will get it to u then we moved the car again with a crane to them and I told them I want to talk to the CEO as you exposed our life to danger and you must have checked the car before we took it and that they must be caring for the clients but they refused even to tell me the name even of the CEO and after many trials to find the top management or a decision maker I did not reach anything except when I googled and I found that the CEO is living abroad and then I started to try any solution satisfying my needs since 2 month with no use and finally when they knew that I made a complain to the consumer protection authority they started not to answer my phone calls and finally the employee and I have her name told me as you complained us the after sales manager is telling you no calls between us and let us see if you are going to take any of your rights!!!!

Then I started to post on FB and post on their page AUdi Egypt so they deleted my posts and blocked me so I called them with not telling me my real name so as to answer me and I asked about the one who is responsible for their page and they gave me a lady from the marketing department I asked her about her name first she did not want to introduce herself and then I insisted to know the told me Heba from marketing so I told her that they should have transparency and do not delete my posts on their page then she hanged the phone while I was talking.

Is that the attitude I should expect from AUDI so why shall I pay this amount of money in a car I got it for its safety terms and conditions and also for after sales services because these are more important than the car itself I am so frustrated and disappointed from what I faced and still facing from the ignorance if them and also the mother company in Germany as I sent them 5 emails with no response!!!

please try to feed me back as the car is there since 2 month and I did not expect that from them and I am afraid if they have changed anything in the car to change the main reason for the fire as I do not trust them anymore.


Editors response:
Dear Zm,

the Egyptian Automotive Company & Kayan Egypt which represent Audi, Volkswagen and SEAT in Egypt has unfortunately lots of unsatisfied Audi, VW, and SEAT customers in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to AUDI AG headquarters in Germany and I am sure you will hear from them soon.

Keep us updated with any developments with your complaint.

Regards,
Editor

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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: My BMW 528i has four damaged rims !!! (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

Firstly, I would like to thank you again for the great support and effort that your esteemed organization has shown to help me resolve my the run flat tires problems of the BMW X1 of my wife, and the swift reaction the top management of BMW in Egypt have shown due to your pursue. I am already in debt.

Now, unfortunately I have to share with you a different story which happened to me about 1 month ago with my other BMW, and I could not come forward to you earlier due to a family loss.

About 1 month ago, I was on Fayoum Road, coming back to Cairo, expected distance was less than 30 km to my destination. All of a sudden, I felt that there was something wrong with the handling, the acceleration and the sound of the car. I parked on the side, and I found out that I had a flat rear right Tyre. That is the beauty of run flats on my car, although, I got no indication or warning sign whatsoever from the run flat system that there is an issue.

So, I switched my destination to the Continental dealer in 6th of October, which was anyway nearer than my original destination. I got there, and upon arrival, the run flat was fully destroyed. I said to myself, that this run flat system is amazing and it actually saved me a lot of trouble.

At the Continental dealership, the gentleman assured me that they have the Tyre size, and I thought that life is smiling back at me. At that moment, I was still thinking that I made a great investment in BMW.

When the gentleman dismantled the Tyre you could see that the run flat was split in 2, fully destroyed. The gentleman told me that he would like to check the rest of the tires, since he is noticing that the tires are 2012. I told him OK, since we are in 2015, it would be better to change all tires, just to be safe, although expiry was not reached yet. By the time this discussion was taking place and I did my payment for the 4 brand new Continental tires, which is a fortune btw for a 245/45/18, another gentleman came to me to show me something jaw dropping.

The rim on the back right side, which had a flat Tyre, had 3 big cracks from the inner lip of the rim. The outer rim did not have a scratch. This means that if you do not dismantle the Tyre, you will never see it. He told me the best thing now is to go to the BMW to see how to solve this. In the meanwhile, another gentleman was dismantling another Tyre, and I WAS SHOCKED.

Another 3 cracks in the back left rim. I asked the gentleman to check for all 4 tires, and ALL OF THEM HAVE CRACKS on the inner lip of the rims. ALL 4!!!

He told me I should be happy that this happened here, since if we would not have taken the decision to change all 4 tires, I could have been in life danger.

He suggested the following: U should keep the old tires on the rims and he was kind enough to give me an old Tyre for my back right side, which was run flat but was slit so it would just help me to get home, which is about 10 km from where the Continental Agency is.

I have taken pictures, which were taken when I was at the dealership, and I have captured a video. Please notice that only after re-installing the tires, the tires run flat indicator started to work again.

Now, a couple of things that I would like to share with you are as follows:

1) My car is fully insured through Bavarian Auto.
2) I have talked to a couple of friends. One of them used to own a BMW 535i and he had the same issue. He told me that many of his friends who own 528 and 535 faced that issue because the rims are not designed for the engine/run flat/road conditions that we have in Egypt. Also, another friend of mine who owned an X6 had the same issue. Both of them were not surprised at all of my story, yet both of them never bothered to raise that topic with BMW.

I am so disappointed in my purchase, not only is BMW a role model of lack of quality in Egypt, but they have actually endangered the life of my FAMILY and myself with such a malfunction. I am not sure if something like this would have happened in Germany what would have been the reaction. ALL 4 RIMS cracked from the inside. Even a highway bump would not do such a damage to all 4, or at least would leave trace on the outside surface of the rims.

I hope for your assistance and support, since I really do not know what to do.

Best Regards
Ihab Bassioni


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Bassioni,

it seems you are really having bad luck with your BMW X1 and your BMW 5 series, although usually BMW AG builds very good cars in Germany.

Since the BMW Egypt management is now very busy with Geneva Motor Show and the upcoming AutoMech Formula Motor Show, we will, just like we did with your previous complaint, send it directly to the top management of the Bavarian Auto Group.

I am sure that the chairman of BAG, Mr. Farid El Tobgui, and his BAG team will take excellent care of your complaint just like he did over the past few years with all the complaints of BMW and MINI owners we sent him before.

Kind regards,
Editor



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Mubarak from Riyadh - Saudi Arabia wrote:
Subject: Renault Duster Problem New Cars (Readers letter)
Dear Sir/Madam, Date: 17/02/2015

I am one of your Renault Valued Customer, holding Renault Duster No. Plate: 6810-JDJ, Purchased from Gulf Advantage Co, Riyadh – Khurais Road, May 2014. (Mubarak Shaik+).

Since, I purchased I was faced lot of problems and still exist, which is recorded in Chamber of Commerce as well as in Renault Maintenance Record, after get support from France Sales Team, the respective department (Mr. Santos Raj Kumar-General Manager of Renault After Sale and Service Section) involved and give me attention for solution but as a customer I am not satisfied because of same problem which I mentioned in my car still exists, several days they keep my car for repair, after repaired same problem exists.

So, I am seriously asking as a customer please involved my case and solve the problem by either change car or do the need full to get read out of this problems. Really I am very much upset.

Problems:
1) While stop in signal Warmer Heater Error and rise up automatically without doing anything.
2) While stop in signal jerk in break.
3) Air Leak While driving – Weather Strip problem.

I want to bring something your knowledge, that i visited last 3 days your workshop, for having car problem which is since beginning and you have to check your record how many times the new car was visited for repair.

For your kind attention that once i visited your workshop Mr. Zahran send your qualified engineer with me for testing the car along with me after they were suppose to issue the courtesy car, suddenly they changed their mind, i was there for more than 1 hour in your workshop, while leaving from there Mr. Nidal wants to check my car again whereas i was having appointment.

Sir, you have to understand customer situation and trained your people to deal with the customer in right way with customer satisfaction not to waste time.

Sir, Several time same issue is going on your workshop, only checking car with many technician finally no proper result.

So, Please be noted that now almost 10 months, several visit for the same problems i am facing, you should know that if anybody buy new car means should not have problem, but in your company i noticed after sale is very worst condition dealing with customers.

Moreover, as per your authorized employee said to me that he will arrange another car till your car fixed properly either fixing 100% or will have permanent solution, how come he do not know the company rules before telling such words to customer.

Hence, my final request is that either arrange one car till you fix my car or let me get help from other source, i am informing you this because i always respect dealing in legal way, but your company is playing with customers which will have bad impression on sales as well as bad name in the market due to such slackness in After Sales Team.

Thanking you,



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Mohamed fawzy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes C180 engine (Readers letter)
Is the c180 2014 motor the same as the c180 2015, in other words what petrol is recommended for the 2014?


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Jaser Shams from Hurghada - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Horrible customer service of the SEAT-AUDI-Volkswagen dealer in Egypt (Kayan & Egyptian Automotive Company) (Readers letter)
Dear editor,

Last December 2015 I decided to buy a new Seat Toledo, a decision which I am now regretting.

Before I bought the car I called the SEAT-Volkswagen-AUDI importer (Kayan Egypt / Egyptian Automotive Company) to ask them if there is an official Seat dealer and service center in Hurghada (Red Sea), otherwise I would not buy the Toledo since I live in Hurghada and not Cairo.

They confirmed to me that there is an authorized SEAT dealer and service center in Hurghada called Easy Way Automotive, which is even listed on their official website www.seategypt.com

And because they confirmed to me that there is an official and authorized Seat dealer and service center in Hurghada, I agreed on buying a SEAT Toledo from the official SEAT dealer Easy Way in Hurghada.

From the first day I am facing problems. My Radio CD player media system needed a code so I can use it. I went to easy way and to my huge and unexpected surprise they informed me that they can only get the code with a special Seat Diagnostic & Investigation Computer, which the still do not have. I had to drive 500 km from Hurghada to Cairo and another 500 km back to Hurghada just to get my CD code installed in the car so that I could finally use my Radio and CD player.

Another annoying thing is that since I got the car and there is a strange noise in the car. I went to Easy Way and they checked the car and they found out that the rubber between the gearbox and the chassis needs to be changed because it has a fault.

This is when we started the next problem because the SEAT dealer Easy Way does not have the computer, which in return means if I want to change it under my warranty I have to drive to the main SEAT dealership of Kayan in Cairo again. Otherwise EASY WAY will get me the spare part from Cairo and I have to pay for it !!!

For sure I will not drive to Cairo again and I had to pay 800 LE ( approx. 90 Euro ) to change this part and I do have the invoice with me that it has been changed when the car only drove 7300 Km.

First of all I am not getting a new car to face problems with it from the first day, second I am not getting a new car with warranty to pay money to fix it when there is a manufactory problem in it.

I made a complaint ( complaint no 219205 ) at Kayan Egypt by calling them and they informed me that they will call me back in 48 hours. Of course nobody called me.

I sent an email to them on the 12.02.2015 and there was no respond till the 15.02.2015. I sent a second e mail to them on the 15.02.2015 and finally somebody from Kayan Egypt called and the lady on the phone told me that the SEAT dealer Easy Way does not have the Diagnostic & Investigation Computer for Seat and if I do need to do any investigation or anything I have to drive to the SEAT service center in Cairo or Alexandria where they have such a computer.

When I expressed my surprise and anger that the SEAT dealer in Hurghada does not have the diagnostic systems needed for the regular and irregular services, that unfriendly customer-service lady told me that this is something internal between Kayan Egypt and Easy Way why they do not have the investigation computer. She also told me that if there is anything needed to be changed under the warranty they cannot do it in Hurghada because they do not have the computer in Hurghada and that I have to do it in Cairo. She also asked me that I should not write in my e mail that I am expecting from Kayan Egypt to answer me in 48 hours and that I should be more patient.

She was completely unprofessional and does not have a clue about customer service .

I want to know how come Kayan Egypt is promoting Easy Way as an official partner and authorized Seat dealer and service center and does not provide them with the necessary software & hardware systems, the Seat spare parts and the accessories so they can offer their clients a professional and respectable

I really do not understand how an importer for the renowned brands SEAT-Volkswagen- AUDI in Egypt is not providing its authorized SEAT service center in Hurghada with the needed tools to serve their clients who live and work in Hurghada which is 500km away from the capital ????

How come this unprofessional SEAT customer service lady who called me is telling me if I want any service I can drive to Cairo (500 km one way) or to Alexandria (750 km one way) to do that ??? On which planet is this incompetent SEAT lady living?

How come I get a new car and it is only 2 month old and it has a default and to fix it I have to pay money ??? Where is my warranty ???

I am really sorry to inform you that this is the poorest customer service I have ever seen in my life and I just cannot believe it. In addition to that, why did nobody inform me that all the needed service tools are not available at the official SEAT dealer Easy Way in Hurghada before I bought my car ??? I swear I would have never bought the car if there is was no professional and competent service center in Hurghada.

I was thinking that by getting a Seat that I would deal with a very well-known name and that I will get the best service because I know what Seat offers for a service for example in Germany, and that Seat is indeed a big name in Europa and the whole world. But in Egypt, I am sorry to inform you that Kayan Egypt is destroying this well-known name.

I am asking SEAT Spain to give orders to SEAT Egypt to provide Easy Way with all the needed Diagnostic & Investigation Computers and spare parts and accessories so they can offer us the minimum of service here in Hurghada, which is 500 km away from Cairo.

I am expecting to receive a clear and convincing explanation from both the SEAT headquarter in Spain and as well as from the SEAT importer in Egypt (Kayan / Egyptian Automotive Company)

Jaser Shams



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mostafa khalil from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Peugeot 508 (Readers letter)
i am thinking of buying 508 2015 could you advice me about its handling, petrol type, ride comfort, aftersales service and its resale value?


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Mohamed fawzy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes c180 2014 vs c180 2015 (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

Firstly I would like to thank you for your quick replies and compliance, u have been supportive and its truly appreciated.

Finally i made my mind and am going for the c180 but am quite confused between c180 2014 with mileage 3000 km and the brand new c180 bearing in mind that the 2015 uses only ron 95 as i heard, which is not practical in our country.

Does the 2014 also requires ron 95. If u were in my shoes which car would u go for?

Once again thanks for ur continous support and advice


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Ahmed Mazhar from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Chevrolet Cruze transmission failure (Readers letter)
قمت بشراء شيفروليه كروز2010 و أقوم بجميع الصيانات في موعدها و في 2013 حدثت مشكلة في الفيتيس و قمنا بتغيير الفيتيس لدي منصور و تحملت جزء بعد مفاواضات و تحملو ثمن الفيتيس و لكن في الأسبوع الماضي حدثت مشكلة في الفيتيس و في التوكيل اخبروني أن كمبيوتر الفيتيس يحتاج تغيير و يريدون ان يحملوني كامل التكلفة 15000ج.انا في كارثة حقيقية و أريد المساعدة حيث أني أقوم بأي صيانة لدي الوكيل فهل يعقل أن جزء هام في السيارة يبوظ في هذه المدة القصيرة بلا أي ذنب مني .واضح غنه عيب صيانة .السيارة الأن لدي الوكيل و لا أعرف ماذا أفعل.


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mohamed from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Skoda Octavia A7 1.4 TSI - Is 95 octane a must? (Readers letter)
هل استخدام بنزين ٩٢ يؤثر على موتور سكودا tsi 1400
واذا كان هذا صحيح ويجب استخدام ٩٥ فهل هناك طريقة لاستخدام ٩٢ نظرا لعدم استخدام ٩٥ نظرا لتكلفة العالية
وشكرا


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Mohamed Hashish from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Seat Leon vs Renault Megane (Readers letter)
Hi, I am in process of buying a new car to my wife, and we are confused between Seat Leon and the new Renault Megane, Could you please help with listing the prons and cons for both in terms of after market service and car performance. Also, it has been mentioned the doubts regarding the fuel demands for the new 1.2 TSI engine for the Leon, that it needs the octane 95. Thanks for your advise.


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F Salem from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Chevrolet Cruze 2010 gearbox problems (Readers letter)
Dear Sir/Madam,

I own a 2010 chevrolet cruze 1.6LS with the odometer reading 81,000km. I have undergone all service checks at the main dealership and as recommended by them changed the automatic transmission oil at 45,000km. About two months ago the automatic gear shift got stuck with some other electrical commands and I had to replace the body control module. Two days ago I started having problems with automatic transmission again and have now been informed by the dealership that I will need to replace the gearbox. I have done alot of research and understand that many owners of chevrolet cruze 2010 models have witnessed the same problem and that manufacturing errors might be the reason. My research also showed that GM has had extensive recalls due to manufacturing errors on the chevrolet cruze. How do you propose I hold GM Egypt responsible. I would very much appreciate your recommendations as not to incurr the full cost of gearbox replacement.

Thank you And best regards,

F Salem


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Ahmed Derbala from 6 October - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Is there any gas station selling RON95 from Gouna to Cairo? (Readers letter)
I am planning to go to al Gouna with my C180 W205 which is restricted to RON 95 only.

I am not facing any problem as far as I am in Cairo.

I need to know if there is any gas station has 95 octane gasoline available wether in Hurghada, Gouna, Zaafarana, or Ras Ghareb.

If not, I need to ask you about NOS formula octane booster which raises the RON by 3.1.

It is expensive but I think it will do the job with RON92.

What is your opinion?


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Mohamed fawzy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Comparison between BMW 316 and Volvo S60 (Readers letter)
Dear editor,
Am seeking ur advice about which car is better the s60 or the 316 in terms of aftersale service, resale, driving dynamics, better suspension on our roads, reliability, space and recommended petrol to be used and the consumption.
Thanks for ur compliance

Editors response:
Dear Mohamed,

if we compare the BMW 316i and the Volvo S60 sold in Egypt in the following points then it would be as following:

Aftersales service: BMW 316i
Resale: BMW 316i
Driving Dynamics: BMW 316i
Better suspension for our roads: Volvo S60
Reliability: BMW 316i
Space: Volvo
Recommended petrol: BMW 316i can work with 92 octane, Volvo S60 should use 95 octane

Although Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab has tried hard to improve its reputation and aftersales in Egypt, I would probably still prefer the BMW 316i, mainly because the Chairman of the Bavarian Auto Group has improved the aftersales and customer service significantly over the past few years. And if you are a dynamic driver who prefers dynamic driving, then you have no other choice than the BMW 316i.

Nevertheless, I recommend that you test-drive both cars yourself. We will therefore forward your contact details to Volvo Egypt and BMW Egypt so that they can arrange a demo-drive appointment for you.

Regards,
Editor

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DiefAlla A.DiefAlla from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Ezz El Arab want 10.000 LE extra for my S80 GPS system (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I bought a new Volvo S80 model 2015 high line that include GPS and internet. I go to website and download maps for free but it is not install on my car.

Before that Volvo Ezz El Arab said after few month the Egypt map will be installed on my car.

Now I called Volvo Ezz el-Arab and Ms. Shahira told me that it would cost 10.000 LE to activate GPS maps.

I’m not sure if that is ok or not, because I bought the car with navigation option.

Can you help me …. Thanks.


Editors response:
Dear DiefAlla,

if you bought your car with the GPS Navigation option then you should NOT pay any additional money for the maps and insist on getting the maps free of charge as it is part of the car price.

Keep us updated with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor

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mahmoud eldeeb from mansoura - egypt wrote:
Subject: New Nissan Qashqai - 92 or 95 octane? (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

should the all-new 2015 Nissan Qashqai 2015 should use 92 or 95 octane?

Especially since all Nissan dealers and the official Nissan Egypt brochure say it can use 92 octane safely.



Editors response:
Dear Editor,

should the all-new 2015 Nissan Qashqai 2015 should use 92 or 95 octane?

Especially since all Nissan dealers and the official Nissan Egypt brochure say it can use 92 octane safely.

Dear Mahmoud,

the all-new 2015 Nissan Qashqai sold in Egypt MUST use 95 octane. The information they tell you at the Nissan show-rooms and in the Nissan Egypt brochure is not correct, so that they can sell the car in Egypt !

Otherwise nobody would buy the car, especially since the 95 octane gasoline is three times more expensive than the 92 octane fuel.

Regards,
Editor

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Basma Ashour from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: EIM Renault Abu Rawash service center in Cairo - terrible! (Readers letter)
Hello,

I own a Renault Logan 2013 automatic car, something went wrong with it and i contacted the EIM service center to send me someone to fix it.

Before coming the mechanic asked me on the phone whether i made all the regular maintenance at the service center or not, because simply if i did not do that he would charge me 150 LE just to come.

I was in a hurry so I told him just to come. As for the maintenance, i did the 5000 one with them but after that we only needed to change oil so it did not require me to go to the service center!

After he came they could not find out what was the problem with my car and asked us to take the car to the service center.

So we went and over there they made an issue just because we have not done the regular maintenance there and they refused to do anything about the car before they prepare a report about the car, which should cost 550 LE!

We took the car back just because of this attitude! To me this is simply milking us for money. They want me just to pay 700 le before even knowing what is wrong with my car!

Noting that I would really like to know if there is another trusted service center that I can take my car to, at least one that does not aim at purely taking whatever cash they can get from me!

My car is still not even 2 years old and if this turned out to be a manufacturing problem this will be a serious issue!

Thanks in advance for your help.


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Fathi Aref from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Bavarian Auto service center in Almaza & BMW 316i (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I did my usual maintenance at the Bavarian Auto Group service center at Alamaza near the Cairo airport.

My appointment was at 9am .. and the Engineer informed me that I will get it back at 1.30 pm.. and I stayed till 3.30pm without taking my car although I was asking him repeatedly .

At 4pm ..he asked me to pay and receive the car .. hence it was the disaster as I searched for my car outside and did not find her .. and after 10 minutes they found it opened beside the center ..outside the place ..and very dirty !!!..

I showed it to the service center manager and asked to investigate this case .. he promised to do and inform me by the actions taken .. and a girl from the customer service promised also to escalate the complaint .. but unfortunatlly nothing happened as expected ..

I am sending this e-mail to you to take the proper action as I still have trust in the BMW Egypt management in Egypt ..

no need to say that lots of problems might happened if I did not find my car after giving the receipt to security ..

Regards ,,
Fathi Aref



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Muhammed Magdi from Cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Skoda Rapid - any defects with this car? (Readers letter)
I am about to buy Skoda Rapid 2015, I want to know mainly the car defects as I have heard a lot about this car. please reply quickly


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Mohamed sayed from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW Passat 2015 able to use 92 octane? (Readers letter)
could you please advice if the Volkswagen Passat 2015 able to use 92 octane or if it should use 95 octane only?

Editors response:
The all-new Volkswagen 2015 Passat with TSI engine, just as any other Volkswagen model with TSI engine, MUST use 95 octane in order to operate safely!

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Amro Hasan from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Top cars in local market list (Readers letter)
I noticed that most of the readers questions are about advising on which car to buy among many alternatives.

Why would you not compile a list of your recommendations with segments of price range?

Make it top 10 for each price range. And keep that list reachable and updated for reference.



Editors response:
good idea, Amro.

We will consider having a list with the Top 10 and another list with the worst car models in each segment, in addition to having a list with the Top 10 car importers/dealer and another list with the worst importers/dealerships in Egypt.

Regards,
Editor

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amira emam from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Audi A3 hatchback or Volvo S60? (Readers letter)
I am choosing between Audi A3 (hatchback or sedan) and volvo s60, need ur recommendation.

Editors response:
Dear Amira,

you cannot really compare both cars with each other, as they belong to different price and size categories.

If you give us more information about your budget and on how you will be using your car (driving downtown only, or long daily trips, or travelling outside Cairo, etc.) then we will be able to give you a better and tailored advice according to your needs, especially since there are many new and interesting German and European car models currently being launched in the Egyptian market.

Regards,
Editor



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Mohamed fawzy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Cannot make my mind - Audi A3 vs Golf 7 vs VW Passat vs Octavia A7 (Readers letter)
Hi am in deep need for professional advice about which car to buy, the audi a3 or the golf 7 or the passat or the ocatavia a7. Could u please justify to me ur choice and thanks for ur compliance

Editors response:
If you do not mind using 95 Octane then I suggest you wait for the all-new 2015 Volkswagen Passat (new shape), which should arrive to Egypt during the next few weeks.

If you only want to use 92 Octane, then you only have the Skoda Octavia as an alternative as the Audi A3 and Golf 7 with the modern TSI engines MUST use 95 octane.

In any case, the Skoda Octavia is a good choice.

Regards,
Editor

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passant omar from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: buy a car with a budget of 180000 (Readers letter)
Dear Editor ;

i need to buy a car with a budget not more than 180000

I am thinking of :

nissan juke 2015
opel astra 2015
kia soul 2015

which is the best among them and if there is other options with this budget

waiting for your quick reply


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Ashraf from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: The New Peugeat 508 (Readers letter)
I am planning to buy the new 508 face lift and not sure about their new engine running on petrol octane 92 as the agent claims.

Especially that the new engine is Euro 6 emissions compliant while the old one was Euro 5 emissions compliant same problem with the new Mercedes Benz engines.

Appreciate your feedback and what alternative car can be considered runs on octane 92 and still the same budget of the 508 Highline.


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Ahmed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: 95 octane fuel (Readers letter)
Dear editor,
I am in the market for 2 cars.after deciding on the. New c class the 95 octane problem came up so I am probably going to go for a used 2013 c class if mercedes benz do not solve their problem.actually my problem with the car is not using 95 octane fuel but rather the effect this problem will have on the resale value as you know the Egyptian market has a way of branding a car as a success or failure on very irrational reasons.anyway all car salespersons are advising me to stay away from the new c class as they predict it will have a very bad resale value as long as this fuel issue is not solved. I was also planning on buying a new 2015 qashqai just released in Egypt this week for my wife .it has a 1.2 turbo engine.the company brochure specifies 92 octane fuel but when I looked at the fuel tank flap on the car it said 95 octane?????which should I believe???? We need your advice to buy or not to buy??? And in my opinion as long as 95 octane fuel is more than twice the price of 92 octane then you will always have a high probability of buying 95 and finding it less than 90 octane if tested.all over the world the price difference is less than 10 %anyway this issue needs to be addressed seriously either the prices are made close or car importers should only import 92 octane specked cars like BMW is doing if they want to keep on selling.anyway can you tell us if mercedes is going to do anything for this problem or will they risk a loosing a lot of customers as already a lot of ppl are canceling their c class reservations and can you tell us through your contacts in nissan if the new qashqai requires 92 or 95 octane? Thanks


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Jaser Shams from Hurghada - Egypt wrote:
Subject: El Masria show-room selling used KIA Rio as new car! (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia,

I want to warn all your members and readers from dealing with El Masria Lel Sayarat show-room in general and the El Masria show-room in Hurghada in specific!

As I mentioned before I bought the Kia Rio 2015 ( shit car by the way ) from the El Masreya show-room in Hurghada and I paid the money in cash.

Since I got the car I am only facing problems as all of you can see in the report from Kia attached in my complaint.

El tabloh lazem yetfak that we can fix all the noise coming from the dashboard, I was told by the KIA engineer of Abou Hatta in Hurghada.

I also got a biiiiig engine problem. In the end I told Masreya show-room I do not want the car and I want my money back. They refused and for sure.

When my friends arrived at the show-room to support me, el Masreya gave me my money back but kept 4000 LE. They explained keeping the 4000 LE by the fact that I used the car for a couple of days and that they would put the car again for sale in the show-room with a 4000LE-reduced price because of the 500km I drove with the car.

The big surprise is that they put my car again in the show room and started to sell it. I even sent one of my friends to check it and they were selling it with the normal price, not a 4000LE-reduced price !!!!

And when he asked why does the car have 600 km on it they answered because the car came from Cairo to Hurghada driving and not on a truck. (by the way: I live in hurghada )

What the hell are they doing ??? How can I warn everyone from not getting this car ??

Please advice me ?? I am afraid that anyone else would buy this faulty car . All of you will find the chassis number in the pictures I have attached in my complaint! Do NOT but this car and avoid buying any cars from the Masria showrooms !


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Eamon from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: I am confused: Mercedes C-Class or BMW 316i? - Volvo S60! (Readers letter)
I am a very confused car buyer at the moment. I have a code to for the new Mercedes c180 2015 model or bmw 316 (or even 320) however have to take the following into consideration:

- mercedes-benz issue with the 95 octane and how do I know if even I use 95 octane in Egypt this will not damage engine
- bmw has terrible after sales service
- is bmw prone to more issues in general than mercedes
- re sale of BMW is not great

I am very confused and would like to know what you think how to weigh up my options...... Both are great looking cars (my heart slightly more to the new shape c class)

Please help and please do not suggest MINI Countryman as I have a family and need space.

Thanks



Editors response:
Dear Eamon,

Yes, I agree with you that BMW Egypt currently has a terrible after sales service according to the complaints we have received lately. I also agree with you that they have failed over the past few years in improving the resale value of the BMW cars in Egypt and the perception in the Egyptian market that BMW cars always have a lower resale value then their main competitors, due to the lack of professional marketing and image campaigns and also due to the lack of professional marketing & communications experts inside the company.

And although I am big fan of the BMW cars in general, I currently do not recommend that customers in Egypt would buy a BMW from the Bavarian Auto Group as the BMW Egypt management, and especially the after-sales and marketing & communication department, have been very unprofessional in their customer service, in the way they are handling the customer complaints and also extremely unprofessional in the way they are communicating with their existing and potential customers through the media.

Therefore I recommend you go for the Mercedes C-Class. And as long as you will use 95 octane and avoid high-rpm during this phase of fuel-quality uncertainty I am sure that you will not face any engine problems and that the Mercedes Benz customer service will not let you down.

I would have also recommended to you to have a look at the new Mercedes GLA and the MINI Countryman, but both are probably too small for you as you mentioned in your letter.

Another interesting alternative is the 2015 Volvo S60, which we are currently testing in Cairo. The Volvo S60 is a very modern and safe car, it also drives very well and comes with some interesting option packages. You will find the complete data sheet and price-list published on our Auto Arabia Facebook group.

And do not miss our radio show next Thursday, live from 12.00 noon till 1pm on Radio Masr 88.7 !

Best regards & good luck,
Editor





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Yasmine from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Recommendations (Readers letter)
We need your recommendation regarding which car to buy:

1)Budget not over 300,000 EGP
2) car compatibility with egyptian fuel
3) Good service and customer care

My options are: Mercedes B180, Opel insignia, Peugeot 3008 or Audi a3

Thanks.


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Sherif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Clarify - Brilliance V5 and Nissan Sunny (Readers letter)
ايه رأيك في بريليانس v5-------وكمان نيسان صني الجديدة

Editors response:
After the recent news and long-term results of the Nissan Sunny and the Brilliance V5, I do not recommend any of those cars.

Better have look at one of the Renault or KIA models.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: PART 2 of my BMW Egypt complaint - Bavarian Auto Group service center (Readers letter)

Some days ago, I sent a complain via Autoarabia, as a final resort before I go to the Consumer Protection Authorities. I would like to thank Autoarabia for their effort in helping solving this problem, and still this help is much needed.

After my newsletter, I got contacted by Mr. Hassan Hafez, who is one of BMW management in Egypt, and he apologized for any inconveniences, and he told me that as BMW would never like to see the customers either confused nor angry. We agreed that BMW will exchange the tyre, which I believe personally that this should have been the way forward without any side dramas.

Amazing that it takes a managerial level to decide on a tyre exchange. Anyway, I thought that finally I am talking to someone responsible in the group. He told me that he will call me the next day to fix an appointment to go a change the tyre, according to the availability of the tyre, at the corresponding service center. The next day was a long day of waiting, which amazed me.

In the afternoon, I received a phonecall from Mrs. Hanan, which is from Mr. Tobgys office, and his assistant. She told me that Mr. Farid Eltobgy is following this personally.

2 hours later, at the closing of the day, Mr. Hassan called me asking for a really strange request: He wanted to know the size and model of the tyre I have installed on the car. AMAZING. So, besides the reports and pictures that BMW claim that they have for my car, they now do not even know what tyre I have.

I wonder what were they doing for so long, and even BMW management was giving me sweet words, without even knowing what they are talking about? Anyway, I gave them the tyre model.

Now 1 week is gone from just losing time by beating around the bush. If the TOP MANAGEMENT of BMW are lost and disorganized like this, it does not surprise me to be honest that their reportees are not doing any better. How can you lead someone if you are not capable. Besides all the promises that things will be sorted out, it seems to me that it is a trend for BMW not to keep their words.

Customer Comes Last, Let Us Just Enjoy Our Salaries, seems to be the MOTTO.

This week is gone, my investment in my car is worthless, and I am not sure if I can get higher level audience than what I have already gotten.

FACT of the day: BMW does not CARE! 2 months almost of not using the car is ridiculous.

Awaiting your advice and comment!




Editors response:
Dear Mr. Bassioni,

Your second complaint within less than 3 days about the carelessness of the BMW engineers and customer relation managers in the middle management of the BMW Egypt which is indeed unacceptable and worrying, reminds me with the same sloppiness and unprofessionalism of the marketing and communication department of BMW Egypt.

The similarities are more than obvious and show that a major restructuring of the middle and top management at BMW Egypt should be on the top agenda of Bavarian Auto Group chairman, Mr. Farid El Tobgui. Otherwise the reputation and image of the BMW Egypt will continue in declining while the other German luxury brands are in the up-rise.

As you mentioned correctly, it seems indeed that most BMW Egypt managers and directors are clearly over-paid and do not care about customers at all and that their motto is as you said Customer Comes Last - Let Us Enjoy Our Salaries!

This is probably one of the reasons why BMW Egypt is busy spending their easy-earned money for some ineffective marketing events and activities, in addition to being preoccupied with acquiring and securing new BMW customers at some golf events and other useless marketing events, rather than improving their customer service and solving the problems of the already existing customers.

If Mr. Farid EL Tobgui would re-calculate the salaries of those clearly over-paid CRM managers and marketing directors based on a customer-satisfaction and customer-problems index, then I am sure Bavarian Auto Group would save lots of money and at the same time the image and reputation of BMW Egypt would improve significantly as all employees of BMW Egypt will pay much more attention to the satisfaction of their customers and to the image of the BMW brand in Egypt.

It is a shame for such a renowned German luxury brand that BMW customer complaints are only solved in a satisfactory way when the Bavarian Auto Group chairman Mr. Farid El Tobgui is informed of those complaints and takes care himself of those customer complaints, as his over-paid employees are not capable of working in a professional and customer-friendly way.

The technical report which Pirelli Egypt has sent to you is also extremely unprofessional and just a standard reply to all the Pirelli customer so that they could escape from any responsibility.

I am sure that Mr. EL Tobgui and his assistant Mrs. Hanan will continue following up with your case which shows that, unlike the top management of BMW Egypt, at least the top management of the Bavarian Auto Group is keen on solving the problems and complaints of its customers.

Keep us posted with the developments in your case.


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Mostafa from Manial - Egypt wrote:
Subject: New Opel astra 2014 - Yes or No? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am intending to buy new Opel astra 2014 and need your advise if this car is good choice in terms of safety and stability and service center and spare parts.

Thanks
Mostafa


Editors response:
Dear Mostafa,

the Opel Astra itself would be a good car choice in case you would be living in Germany or the UAE. But since you are living in Egypt, this car would be a bad choice, for the following reasons:

1.) Both the Opel Astra and the Opel Insignia need a MINIMUM of 95 Octane !
2.) the customer service of Opel Egypt - Mansour Chevrolet - General Motors Egypt is one of the worst customer services in Egypt.
3.) we receive regular complaints about the non-availability of spare parts for the different Opel and Chevrolet models in Egypt.

My recommendation: Check out other models such as the Skoda A7, the Volkswagen Passat or the Audi A3.

Kind regards,
Editor



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Ihab Bassioni from 6th of October - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Evaluation BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group (Readers letter)
Company: BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group
Service center: BMW service center in Abo Rawash 6th of October City
Country: Egypt
City: 6th of October

Company Rating: Very bad
Service Rating: Very bad
Sales Rating: Excellent

Comment:worst service center experience in EGYPT


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Ihab Bassioni from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint BMW Egypt Bavarian Auto Group - Service center Abo Rawash (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta

As a young boy, the BMW trade mark was very inspiring, now after I own the vehicle, it has become a nightmare, and here is my story:

Some months ago, I bought an X1 for my wife. After 4.000 kilometers, the right front tyre, Pirelli btw, had a bubble. Since safety is first, I told my wife not to use the car, and the only times to use it will be to the service center. So, I picked-up the phone, made an appointment about 1 month ago, a little bit more than a month actually, now that I recall.

I went to the service center, and talked to a Mr. Osama at the reception. I told him the whole story, and he told me that this was a common issue with the BMW X1 tyres, since there was a bad batch of Pirelli tires.
He thought that this issue was solved, but I told him that it seems to be still the case.

The way forward was to file a complaint, but this cannot be done on the same day. During this discussion, a Mr. Ahmed, who is the manager of reception, came to me. I had to tell the story again, which I did.

He told me that it is my fault that the car tyre has such a bubble. Amazing that he could tell this without even looking at the car, and by the way, during that day, no one even bothered in inspecting the car.

I cut the debate short with this gentleman, since it was a pure waste of time.

Again, how can you debate with someone who does not even take the time to look at the issue. Anyway, we agreed that I should come back in a couple of days at 9 am, which I did. From 9 am to 12 noon, no one was even looking at my case. Afterwards, I started to become loud and shouting how disappointed I am. When I started to shout, the Service Center Manager, Mr. Hesham, came down from his office, and finally they started to make the inspection.

From 12:15 noon to about 1 pm no one was even inspecting my car, although the car was on the service floor. I know this because I was standing next to the car. Finally someone came and did some photographs. They told me that since Beiram in next week, they will only be able to attend to it after Beiram. Which I understood, and I even sent everyone my wishes for a nice fest.

Since then no one contacted me, so I decided this morning to go to the service center myself, and see what is going on. When I arrived, Mr. Osama accompanied me to a lady who is responsible for the cases. At her desk, I got the shock. There was no record in the system about my case. I freaked out, shouting that I want to meet the service manager. Mr. Ahmed, the reception manager came to me and asked, what is going on?

I told him, are you asking this after 1 month? I told him that he is useless to me and I want to talk to the service manager.

Someone called Mr. Hesham on the phone, and arrogantly enough Hesham stood upstairs, not even bothering to come down and see what is happening. So, I went up the stairs and I told him that this is unacceptable, that after 1 month we are still at the same spot, and no one is solving my issue. He told me that if I do not calm down nothing will be solved. I told him that I was calm for 1 month and nothing was solved, and that now it is time to become vocal. He told me that there is nothing he can do for me.

I told him, well we will see about that, and I left the service center in anger and frustration.

Btw, If I start telling the stories about my 528i in the service center, you will be astonished, or maybe not. But just as a small example, I never received a clean car after my services, and that is just a small example.

I wonder if my selection of BMW was correct or not, but I am seriously thinking of getting rid of this pile of junk and leave behind me that silly service center. I think it is not normal that every time I go to the service center, I have to shout my way through.

Regards
Ihab


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Bassioni,

Somehow I am not really surprised that your experience with the BMW Egypt service center in Abo Rawash has become a nightmare and a very bad experience for you. First, because this is not the first time we receive a complaint from this specific BMW service Center in Abo Rawash and the service engineers you mentioned in your complaint.

Secondly, because the Ups & Downs of BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group have been taking place on a very frequent basis recently, not only in relation to the service center but also in relation to their so-called Marketing & Communication department, which is one of the worst and most unprofessional departments not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East.

The fact that the person in charge of Marketing & Communication is more or less the same person, already shows the critical conflict of interest and non-transparency when it comes to their media and marketing activities in Egypt, which in the end results in the poor BMW image and damaged Bavarian Auto Group reputation with the Egyptian consumer and potential customers.

The fact that the top marketing & communication director is spreading lies and false & misleading information internally to his bosses at BMW Egypt and the Bavarian Auto Group, and externally to common business partners in the automotive and automotive-related sectors in order to save his skin or explain failures of his department, only shows how unprofessional and unethical this so-called marketing & communication department of BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group has become. Such an immoral and improper personal attitude is not only business-harming for BMW Egypt & Bavarian Auto Group but is also business-harming for BMW AG and the BMW brand in general.

Keeping in mind that most of the competent and professional marketing managers and marketing executives left the Bavarian Auto Group to join the BMW regional office in Dubai, or the BMW dealership in Qatar or even the Mercedes Benz representative office in Cairo, just shows how this marketing & communication director managed to get-rid of those professional and promising marketing calibers before they become a threat to his personal career. This is the same attitude we find in the bureaucratic Egyptian ministries and other public companies, where any unprofessional or incompetent manager tries to keep only unprofessional and incompetent executives or employees around him so that he would not be unveiled as an incompetent and unprofessional managers.

The fact that this so-called marketing & communication department of BMW Egypt has hardly any test-cars available for independent and credible test-drives and also does not participate in any of the relevant international BMW events, just shows how amateurish and unprofessional this department is operating, thus effecting negatively the performance and image of BMW Egypt - Bavarian Auto Group compared to the other German luxury car manufacturers.

It is a shame that some incompetent and unprofessional marketing managers are able to stay in their positions for such a long time at BMW Egypt, although they are obviously completely under-qualified and therefore no other car companies or headhunter companies ever thought of approaching them.

The fact that the marketing teams of MINI Egypt and Mahindra Egypt are much more professional then the marketing team of BMW Egypt, shows that the chairman of the Bavarian Auto Group, Mr. Farid EL Tobgui, should really consider a rotation between the marketing departments of BMW, MINI, Brilliance and Mahindra inside the Bavarian Auto Group, or even consider a completely new restructuring with new calibers and professional automotive marketing experts from outside the Bavarian Auto Group.

Now, back to the original complaint.

First, it was probably a mistake to go for the BMW X1 in the first place. I would picked either the MINI Countryman or the Mercedes GLA which will be introduced during the next few days in Egypt.

The behavior of the service engineers Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Osama are surely not acceptable and I am sure that Bavarian Auto Group chairman Mr. Farid El Tobgui himself will follow up with this issue, as he has shown us in previous BMW customer complaints.

The fact that Mr. Osama told you that this bubble issue is a well-known problem with the Pirelli tires of the BMW X1 due to a bad batch of Pirelli tires, is a very serious issue. I recommend that you contact the Consumer Protection Agency CPA (www.cpa.gov.eg ) and file a complaint against Pirelli Egypt.

Looking forward to hear about your unfortunate BMW 528i-experience after you finish your X1-dilemma.

Your selection of BMW cars was surely not a wrong decision, as BMW cars are usually considered some of the best cars in the world. The problem is that some incompetent and unprofessional service engineers or marketing directors are ruining the BMW brand image and the Bavarian Auto Group reputation in Egypt.

I am sure that somebody from the Bavarian Auto Group management will contact you during the next 24-48 for solving your complaint and I am also sure that some disciplinary measurement will be taken by the top management of BAG,

Keep us posted with your case.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Mohamed from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Professional opinion - BMW 320i Luxury or 2015 Mercedes C180 Avantgarde? (Readers letter)
I am buying a new a car and I need your professional opinion and advise which car should I go for, the 2015 BMW 320i luxury or the 2015 C180 Avengarde

Best regards

Mohamed

Editors response:
Dear Mohamed,

Although the BMW 3 series is an interesting car, I currently do not recommend the BMW 3 series due to the recent complaints we have received from BMW customer because of the customer-unfriendly attitude of BMW Egypt in addition to the unprofessional and incompetent attitude of the BMW Egypt top management which we experienced ourselves.

And although the top management of the Bavarian Auto Group and Mr. Farid EL Tobgui himself are trying hard to correct the mistakes done by the BMW Egypt top management, I believe that you are currently better off with the other brands such as Mercedes and Volvo. We will keep monitoring and following-up the performance and customer service of BMW Egypt. But until the customer-service improves significantly and until the management of BMW Egypt is run and handled by a professional and competent team, I suggest you stay away from BMW Egypt and look for other alternatives at Mercedes, Volvo or Audi.

Back to your question, the Mercedes C180 is a very luxurious and comfortable car and most importantly it is Made-in-Germany, unlike the BMW 320i which is Made-in-Egypt. Furthermore the 2015 C-Class has just been launched in the international markets in March 2014, so you will have lots of time to enjoy this current shape until it is facelifted after 3 years or completely changed after 6-7 years.

Other alternatives which I would currently recommend for the Egyptian market as well, are the Volvo S60 or the S80 in addition to the new 2015 MINI Countryman compact-SUV.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Mohamed Seleam from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Egypt service center (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

my daughter has a 2014 Renault Sandero which unfortunately was damaged in an accident few days ago.

The last time I dealt with Renault Egypt Obour City workshop I had a waiting-list of almost 5 weeks till the workshop was able to accept the car at the workshop and start fixing and working on it.

The car was mobile and able to move back then, but now I will not be able to tolerate such a waiting period because 1st of all the car is damaged to the extent of not being able to move and secondly, I believe it is not acceptable to see such long waiting periods from an efficient dealer.

Your help and reply will be highly appreciated and thanks in advance.


Editors response:
Dear Mr. Seleam,

First, I hope your daughter did not get injured in that crash.

Secondly, usually Renault Egypt is very quick and efficient in solving customers complaints, as they have proved over the past 2-3 years.

The fact that there was a long waiting-list at the service center shows among others that some Renault and Dacia models are becoming very popular in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to Renault Egypt today, and I am sure that somebody from Renault will get in touch with you today and solve your complaint quickly, as they have been offering some of the best customer service and after-sales service in Egypt.

Keep us posted with the developments in your case.

Regards,
Editor

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Mahmoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes C-180 (Readers letter)
Dear sir,

I booked the new C-Class C180 from the GNA showroom. and maybe receive it next week.
I just need to know if there is any problem in this car except that must run 95 octane? coz i heard that some peoples facing many problems with the car since the delivery.
Need your advice please coz i am thinking to cancel the reservation.

Your reply will be highly appreciated.

Thank you


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Mahmoud Marie from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes C-180 (Readers letter)
Dear sir,

I booked the new C-Class C180 from the GNA showroom. and maybe receive it next week.
I just need to know if there is any problem in this car except that must run 95 octane? coz i heard that some peoples facing many problems with the car since the delivery.

Your reply will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Editors response:
Dear Mahmoud,

Yes, according to our information the Mercedes C180 must use 95 octane fuel in order to avoid engine problems.

Kind regards,
Mohamed

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Dr. Mery from minya - egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes CLA and fuel 92 (Readers letter)
is it true that the mercedes cla 180 class and C 180 2014 have a problem wz fuel 92 ? and if so which year model of the C 180 class does not have this problem and can run safely on 92?? 2013!?? ur prompt reply would be highly appreciated.


Editors response:
Dear Dr. Mery,

yes, all Mercedes C180 and CLA 180 models with Kompressor engines should use 95 octane in order to avoid engine problems.

Only the very old C-Class models without Compressor can use 92 octane without any problems.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ahmed Mostafa from Dokki - Egypt wrote:
Subject: SKODA Rapid - Yes or No? (Readers letter)
Dears,

I am intending to buy a SKODA Rapid, do you have any advice regarding my choice?

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed Mostafa,

the Skoda Rapid sold in Egypt unfortunately does not come with the life-saving Electronic Stability Program ESP.

I recommend you wait a little bit until the all-new 2015 Skoda Fabia, which was just launched at Paris Motor Show last week, is released in Egypt during the next few weeks. There are good chances that it comes with ESP.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Mohamed Gad from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes C180 or BMW 316i? Or Volvo S60 vs Audi A4? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am planning to buy a new car. I am comparing between the following cars:

- Mercedes C180 2015
- BMW 320 2015

please advise which is better or if you have further selection.

Thanks



Editors response:
Dear Mohamed Gad,

when I test-drove the Made-In-Germany Mercedes C180 at the international media event in Marseille (France), the C180 left a very positive impression. It was a very refined, comfortable and smooth ride. In addition to that the C180 looks like a small S-Class from the outside. But I did not drive the C180 on our Egyptian roads yet, so I cannot say how it would handle the bad road conditions in Egypt.

The Made-in-Germany BMW 316i also left a very positive impression when I test-drove it in Cairo. The 316i has a very sporty suspension and a very quick 8-gears automatic transmission, aiming at the dynamic drivers who prefers a sporty and performance-oriented driving style.

I did not drive the Made-in-Egypt BMW 320i, so cannot say anything about it. But usually I recommend the Made-in-Germany cars over the Made-in-Egypt cars.

We are expected to test-drive the 2015 Volvo S60 (Made-In-Sweden) and Made-In-Germany Audi A4 during the next few days in Cairo. Stay tuned for a couple more days, and I will then be able to tell you more about the very competitive Volvo S60 and Audi A4 as well.

I recommend you also have a look at the MINI Countryman.

In the meantime we will forward your contact details to the above-mentioned car companies in Egypt, so they can get in touch with you and offer you a personal demo-drive as well.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Mohamed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Golf 7 or Mazda 3 ? (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I need your opinion about Golf 7 and whether the DSG problem has come to an end with this version or not? I need you to mention its common problems.

Also I need your opinion about the new Mazda 3.

My budget is 220,000 LE and I cannot get above this budget so if there is another car you can mention pls.

Thanks.

Editors response:
Dear Mohamed,

Volkswagen Germany has been finding different solutions for the DSG problems. Volkswagen Egypt has been trying hard to satisfy the VW customers in Egypt, sometimes successful and sometimes less successful.

I do not recommend the Mazda3 as the Mazda importer Ghabbour is not enjoying a good reputation in Egypt in terms of after-sales and customer service.

Maybe you should have a look at the different Skoda models if you want to avoid any headache in the future.

Kind regards,
Editor

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sara shams from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: UPDATE: Mercedes Benz in front of Economic Court (Readers letter)
This is following the Mercedes B-200 complaint I have submitted on your forum about 3 months ago.

In brief, Mercedes service center GNA at Hazem Hassan road refused to fix the engine and claimed that i did not use the proper fuel and the car will be out of the warranty.

I dont care if they make customers sign a piece of paper now that they should use 95 Octane. I did NOT sign and Of COURE the Mokattam branch (Young Stars) I bought the car from swore that it is compatible with 92 otane no problem when I bought it.

However, I took my complaint to Customer Protection Agency (CPA) and after 4 months of persistence we got an abiding order by CPA that Mercedes should fix the engine and bear the full cost.

Mercedes was given 15 days to start executing the order, but they refused. they tried to negotiate some cheap and ridiculous deals with us to share the cost of repair but we refused and proceeded with our CPA complaint.

So, today CPA transferred them to legal prosecution and Mercedes will be presented infront of the Economic court. I could not get my right as a customer from Mercedes and now I will get them through Egyptian court law. I will also file for major compensations for material and moral damages.

If Mercedes cannot make engines that are compatibe with the fuel available in the Egyptian gas stations then they should stop operating and selling cars in Egypt forever!

(note that Mercedes has analyzed the fuel in my tank, and they claimd that it was 90.3 octane! JOKE!)

Lawsuit Number: 3505
date: 2/10/1014
Place: Dokki prosecution office



رقم المحضر: 3505
تاريخ: 2 اكتوبر 2014
نيابة الدقي التلبع لها جهاز حماية المستهلك

احالة شركة مرسيدس مصر للنيابة العامة اليوم لرفضها تنفيذ قرار مجلس ادارة جهاز حماية المستهلك الملزم باصلاح سيارتي
موديل B-200 كاملة داخل الضمان بعد حدوث عطل بالموتور


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mohamed from mansoura - egypt wrote:
Subject: vw golf 7 vs seat leon 2014 (Readers letter)
بدور على عربية هاتشباك و محتار مابين جولف 7 وسيات ليون 2014 ؟
وايه اخر اخبار فتيس dsg ?

Editors response:
Dear Mohamed,

as I mentioned in another comment on this page, Volkswagen Germany has been finding different solutions for the DSG problems, while Volkswagen Egypt has been trying hard to satisfy the VW customers in Egypt, sometimes successful and sometimes less successful.

I do not recommend the SEAT Leon as SEAT Egypt Kayan, which is by the way also owned by the VW importer Karim El Najjar, is enjoying a bad reputation in Egypt when it comes to after-sales and customer service. You will find many SEAT complaints if you scroll down this page.

If you want a hatchback, maybe you should have a look at the different Audi and Skoda models.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Deena from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan juke weird error (Readers letter)
Hi,
I traveled with my juke 2014 from Cairo to the northcoast and now I found a weird error appeared when I turn the engine on ( -721 and a sign of technician key ) I cannot find this sign in the manual or the internet please advice as I have to drive back home with car ...

Thanks,
Deena


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Tarek Abbas from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Opinion about new car [New Sunny] (Readers letter)
Hey
I know everyone is saying that the new nissan sunny is very bad , it has problems in their brakes and many others. But my question is are these problems still available in the 2015 model ? or are they solved ? As many of the comments I see are a year or two old.
Actually I need a new car in range of New Nissan Sunny. Logan I think has not so many features as Sunny, Also please suggest a car which has good ground clearance and could handle rough driving.


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Ahmed Mostafa from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: New car purchase! KIA Rio vs Peugeot 301 vs Honda City vs Hyundai Accent (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am intending to buy a new car, budget is not more than 150,000 EGP. I am comparing among the following cars:

- Kia Rio
- Peugeot 301
- Honda City
- Hauyndai accent.

please advise which is better or if you have further selection.

thanks
Ahmed Mostafa

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

I suggest you go for the KIA Rio.

Regards,
Editor

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Bernadette from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Diamond motors cannot provide spare parts for Attrage?! (Readers letter)
Hello,

I need advice about what to do, I got the new Mitsubishi Attrage 1 month ago, on 16th of August 2014.

Unfortunately I had a very bad accident yesterday, I called diamond motors to ask about the spare parts before I go and they said that the new car that they imported to Egypt does not have the spare parts available in Egypt!

And they cannot give an estimate of when it will be available.

I talked to several people there and at Seoudi group too (certified center for mitsubishi) and they gave me false different information, coming to a conclusion that I may not have my car repaired before a long time!

I called Consumer Protection Agency CPA in a trial to know my rights, but it is really shameful on diamond motors to be such a poor provider for mitsubishi in Egypt


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Ahmed Youssef from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Skoda Rapid Spaceback HL VS Seat leon HL (Readers letter)
Dear Sir

I am currently looking to purchase a sporty HB with the a budget of 190,000
i will be choosing between Seat Leon and Skoda Rapid Space back.

I prefer the Skoda build quality and panorama roof but the the seat presents an impressive Turbo engine and sporty look

can you please give your recommendation

important points for comparison are
- build quality
- after sale service
- drive quality
- entertainment system

appreciate hearing your point of view

Regards





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Amr from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Car choice ! KIA Sportage or Hyundai ix35 or Subaru VX? (Readers letter)
Dear sir,

Sportage or ix35 or Subaru VX , which to choose and how do u rank them in terms of smoothness, sustainability, customer care and service and safety

Editors response:
Dear Amr,

I recommend you go for the KIA Sportage Highline with Electronic Stability Control. This would currently the best choice in Egypt among the other competitors you mentioned.

Regards,
Editor

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Waleed from Alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan Sunny vs Reno sandero stepway (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am looking for the advice wither to by Nissan Sunny the new look 2014 or Reno sandero stepway , especially the safety durability and after sale service.

Thanks

Editors response:
Dear Waleed,

if you scroll down our readers-letter section you will find some serious complaints about the quality of the Nissan Sunny and the level of professionalism of Nissan Motors Egypt and its dealers in Egypt.

Because of those facts and the fact that Renault Egypt / EIM has one of the best customer services in Egypt, in addition to the fact that the different Renault and Dacia models offers a very good value for money, I surely recommend to you the Renault Sandero Stepway.

We will forward your contacts to Renault Egypt and I am sure somebody will get in touch with you to give you more details about the Renault Sandero Stepway.

Regards,
Editor

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Mohamed from cairo - cairo wrote:
Subject: Complaint Speranza Tiggo - engine oil problems (Readers letter)
قمت بعمل صيانه 100000كم لسيارتى اسبيرانزا تيجو بمركز ابوالفتوح بطريق اسكندريه الصحراوى يوم الاربعاء 27/08/2014 واليوم الجمعة 29/8 فوجئت بوجود انذار بالتابلوه وضوء طلمبة الزيت مضاء اطفاءت المحرك وقمت بالاتصال
بمهندس الاستقبال فلم يرد ورقمهم المختصر عليه رساله مسجله بعدم التمكن من الرد قمت بفحص اسفل السياره فوجدت كمية زيت على الكارتيره بالاضافه لوجود زيت على الواقى السفلى للموتور .فيبدو انهم تركوا الطبه بدون احكام
ارجو التدخل لمساعدتى فى حقى لارسالهم ونش لرفع السياره اليهم او ارسال خدمه متنقله من طرفهم لفحص السياره وعمل اللازم مع استعدادى لتحمل اى تكاليف اذا كان العيب شىء اخر



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Ahmed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes CLA 180 - 92 or 95 octane? (Readers letter)
Dear sir,
I recently booked the new cla 180 from the GNA showroom.
I need to know if the car can run safely on 92 octane or not ?
Thank you for your time and your prompt reply will be highly appreciated.

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

the Mercedes CLA 180, the B180 as well as the new C180 should all use 95 octane fuel.

Regards,
Editor

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Hazem from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Chevrolet Cruze 2014 from Mansour Chevrolet in Egypt (Readers letter)
I was planning to buy a 2014 Cruze. I found that it is available only in one category; instead of the usual 3 or 4 categories as in 2010 and 2011. Is Chevrolet planning to discontinue this model? Since the is not available with some distributors. Are they launching 2015 soon?

Please advise.

Thanks

Editors response:
Dear Hazem,

I recommend that you stay away from Mansour Chevrolet & Opel Egypt due to the many customer complaints from this unprofessional company. Just have a look at some of the complaints here in the readers-letter section as well as on our Facebook group to get a better idea on HOW unprofessional this company is.

Regards,
Editor



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Hazem from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Chevrolet Cruze 2014 (Readers letter)
I was planning to buy a 2014 Cruze. I found that it is available only in one category; instead of the usual 3 or 4 categories as in 2010 and 2011. Is Chevrolet planning to discontinue this model? Since the Cruze is not available with some distributors. Are they launching 2015 soon?

Please advise.

Thanks


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Kareem Yousry from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes cars availability (Readers letter)
When CLA was launched I went to Mercedes show room and to my surprise I found that if I want to buy a car It will be delivered after more than 1 year (the price may increase at the delivery time), for me I thought that may be the demand on this car is super and it is really higher than than the supply but the real irony happened yesterday I went to the show room but this time to buy a c-class and the answer was that they have stopped to accept any new orders on CLA, C & E class because the delivery date now is Oct. 2015, and that is why they are communicating now with Mercedes HQ to manage the delivery times and the waiting list so that we will accept new orders.

The other option that I have is to find any distributer who is showing the car CLA as an example and accept to pay an extra 30K.

What do you all think? And is that normal ?


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Ahmed Mahgope from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan Sunny is a death car - نيسان صني الجديدة سيارة الموت (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

In September 27, 2012 I have bought the new model of Nissan Sunny 2013, but really it was a very bad experience, and now after two years on having the car, every day I discover serious flaws in the car made me completely not confidence with the Nissan brand anymore.

1-On the Maintenance level:
I’ve been Keen to go on a regular basis for maintenance centers of Modern Motors, a Nissan dealerships in Egypt - and did not apply any changes in the car outside those accredited centers, but every time the Engineers fail to identify damage issues. Meanwhile, some needed spare parts were delayed for more than 4 months.

After the first 1000 Km maintenance, the windshield went out of its natural place, when I told the engineers at Dokki Branch near my house, they told me that is the effect of the sun. The thing happened two months later again.

Also I complained about the Traction Control System and the Brakes causing very high sound during the driving, and then the engineers changed Brake Linings (despite the fact that the car did not exceed 5000 km), in addition to the wheel drums, but the basic problem didn’t get solved, and the sound of the car still get higher as fast as the car rising its speed. And even sound of brakes is not treated properly until now.

Dealing with those Nissan service centers was a very bad experience, engineers changed the Wheels Ball Bearing 4 times in less than two years on buying the car, and when I asked for a copy of the recorded damages of my car on their system they refused, and after Seven weeks I asked again and they said the company is not allowed to give such records, but after I threatening them with calling Police they recorded the damaged in the Insurance Manual and signed it.

But Also they refused to compare the damages they wrote on the manual with the one already recorded on the system, Claiming that NISSAN Policies prevent the client to access such details.

Also the Nissan Service Center in Dokki was missing the Corner Balancing Device, which forced me to go to
another bigger center of Modern Motors, located some 40km away in Abu Rawash area near Alex-Cairo desert road, but there they were dealing with me in inappropriate way, I made a complaint to the Maintenance Director, they checked the car and told me they will change the Car Wheels Ball Bearing again, in addition to changing the right and the lift Wheel Hubs, I was concerned regarding all these changes, but according to them did the other maintenances completely wrong, and affected the car axels.

Until now the failures still exist, in August 8, 2014, I had to go back to Dokki branch when I found the Check Engine Light went on, there they said I have to change the Battery, I bought Varta German Battery from the Dokki Nissan dealership, but on the Tires high sound they said “they have nothing to do”.

2-Spare Parts:
Car Ball Bearing have been changed until now 6 times, Two Wheel Hubs, Battery, Wheel drums, Brake Linings, Brake Master, All that in less than 18 months with driving only 17000 km per year.

All these understandable damages put my life in danger. As due to vibration of the car like bumping iron pieces together, I had to go to maintenance Center again and said it needs Ball bearings for the Rear Tires and it was not available, and as my Job being a Journalist requires a car, I had to leave the car in the garage of 90 days.

I filed three complaints over the phone, and looked at the market for the wheel Ball bearings but I couldn’t find it out the dealer ship, and for the three months I rented a car in order not to stop my job.
Finally Nissan dealerships called me but I was surprised that the car needs balls for the head tires too, and I had to wait more 21 days of piece parts required arrives.

In January, 2014, the right side mirror broken I asked the Nissan dealership to buy the mirror, but they ignored my request for 35 days, which caused damages in the right side on the car while driving, because this area has been for me a blind spot for more than a month amid crowdedness of Cairo, which bidden me in grave danger.

3-The Car Level:
I bought the car trusting the specifications of cars produced by famous Nissan, but I lost confidence completely in this model, and I want to get back what I paid for the car as well as compensating me for the physical and moral damages I faces along these two years, including the cost of renting a car and a spending the on maintenances that not totally complete in addition to wasting my time.

Also compensating me for the bad behavior been dealt with me from Nissan Engineers stuff in the centers and putting my life in maximum danger because Nissan Sunny was not follow the required safety standards.

As a Journalist I ask Nissan and the Egyptian censorship Authorities Nissan to review Nissan’s Safety standards, and to inform consumers about the significance manufacturing defects of the traction and brake system, and the lack of maintenance and spare parts. I will work hard to drive this issue for the required media; to prevent thousands of lived from the death risk.

Thanks,
Ahmed Mahgope
Journalist at Al-Masry Al-Youm


بعد 20 شهراً من شراء نيسان صني الشكل الجديد، تأكدت أن السيارة التي تحمل علامة ماركة تجارية شهيرة هي سيارة موت بامتياز، حيث اضطررت لتغيير بلي العجل 6 مرات وتيل طنابير العجلات مرتين، وصرر العجل الأمامي بالكامل، وكذلك مقصات اليمين واليسار، ورفض التوكيل يل ادراج كافة الاصلاحات في كتيب الضمان، واضطر للاعتراف ببعض العيوب بعد تهديدي بإبلاغ النيابة والشرطة، وحتى الآن تعرضت لتلفيات ضخمة بالسيارة واضطررت لتأجير سيارة أخرى 4 أشهر في أقل من عامين بسبب غياب قطع الغيار.
الاصلاحات التي تمت في السيارة تمت بمعرفة توكيل مودرن موتورز الدقي ومودرن موتورز أبو رواش، ورغم تكرار الشكاوى إلا أن الوضع لا يزال مستمراً، سواء بسبب الاصلاحات الوهمية أو تأخر قطع الغيار أو المعاملة السيئة، مما جعلني أفكر جدياً في بيع السيارة ومقاضاة الشركة التي خدعت المستهلكين بسيارةبها كل هذا الكم من العيوب الفنية الخيطرة في الفرامل وآلة الجر ، فضلا عن تعريض حياتي للخطر واضافة أعباء مالية على كاهلي.
فقدت تماما الثقة بهذا الموديل من نيسان، ولا أعتقد أنه يصلح للاستهلاك كسيارة توفر معايير الجودة والأمان.
التوكيل يرفض استبدال السيارة أو الاعتراف بالعيوب أو حتى تسليمي قطع الغيار المعطوبة بعد تصليحها للتأكد من عمليات الصيانة، وحتى قطع الغيار الجديدة غير متوفرة.
أحمد محجوب

Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ahmed,

we are very surprised and shocked by the bad Nissan service and the low quality of your Nissan Sunny.
First of all, you should of course be entitled for the reimbursement of the rental car cost, as it is the fault of Nissan Motors Egypt for not having the spare parts available on stock for several weeks and months.

When we tested the Nissan Sunny a long while ago, Nissan Egypt sent us a brand-new car which left a relatively positive impression on us, especially in terms of value for money.

But it seems that the reliability and long-term quality of the Nissan Sunny is more than questionable, especially after all the complaint we heard about the Nissan Sunny which made the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency force Nissan Egypt Motors to announce an official recall for the current Nissan Sunny model, of which, according to Nissan Motors Egypt, more than 10.000 units have been sold until now.

From what you have described, the 2014 Nissan Sunny seems to be a very unreliable and low-quality vehicle which is causing nothing than a huge headache to its owners.

This proves again that long-term tests conducted through independent specialized motoring media in countries such as Egypt, where there are hardly any consumer-friendly rules and laws for technical specifications or consumer-protecting agencies, is more than necessary.

I am surprised that Nissan Motors Egypt and its dealers are acting in such a consumer-unfriendly way, as the management of Nissan Motors Egypt had been very professional over the past 2-3 years in handling consumer complaints.

But it seems that over the past few months there had been a noticeable decline in the level of professionalism and customer service at the management of Nissan Motors Egypt.

We will send your complaint to Nissan Motors Egypt and the Nissan headquarter in Japan and will ask the management at the Nissan headquarter in Japan to have a closer look at the management conduct of Nissan Motor Egypt as well as at the quality of the cars sold in Egypt such as the Nissan Sunny or the Nissan Sentra, as both obviously also lack very important active and passive safety features such as the ESP and sufficient numbers of airbags to save the lives of the passengers in case of a crash.

Until we hear a convincing reply from the Nissan headquarter in Japan and the Nissan management in Egypt, I recommend to our readers and the Egyptian consumers to stay away from the Nissan products, both the imported and the locally-assembled ones, sold in Egypt.

Last but not least, if Nissan Motors Egypt failed in solving the same fault three times then you should be entitled to exchange your car with a new one.

We will follow your case and please update us with any developments in your case..

Regards,
Editor







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amira from giza - egypt wrote:
Subject: Dishonesty of Mercedes Egypt & technical faults with my 2014 Mercedes B180 (Readers letter)
قمت بشراء سيارةجديدةب180 من توكيل مرتفعات الأهرام مندوب المبيعات اسمه محمد وحيد يعمل الأن في فرع الدقي ادعى أن السياره تستهلك وقود 92 و بعد الشراء اكتشفت ان السيارة تحتاج 95 و ذلك موضح عندهم في بيان و لكن بالطبع معلق في مركز الصيانة و ليس صالة البيع ليتمكنوا من ااكذب و في نفس الوقت يتنصلوا من المسْولية.هذه ليست كل المشكلة. بعد استهلاك 2000 بدأ يظهر اصوات مع ضغط الفرامل بعد عراك طويل مع الشركة و زيارات متعددة للتوكيل و تهديد بالتوجه احماية المستهلك قبلوا تغيير التيل و طنابير مجانا. بعد استهلاك 2000 كيلو اخلرى من تاريخ التغيير عاودت الأصوات و حين ذهبت للتوكيل هذه المرة ادعوا انها اصوات طبيعية لأن السيارة دفع امامي و هذا لا يمكن ان يكون حقيقي لأن السيارة كانت توقفت عن اصدار الأصوات في البداية. لقد توجهت لجهاز حماية المستهلك بالفعل و لقد وجدت انه من المهم تحذير الناس.

Editors response:
This is the official reply from Mercedes Benz Egypt which Auto Arabia received on 18th of August 2014:

Dear Mr. Mohamed Sheta,

I hope this mail will find you well.

This case has been closed and the customer is satisfied now.

Please contact me for any further information’s.

Thank you and best regards.

Tarek Fawzy
Customer Support
Mercedes-Benz Egypt


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Reham from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint from Renault EIM El Obour (Readers letter)
سلام عليكم انا روحت اعمل صيانة ال 10000 كيلو عربيتى رينو فلوينس 2014 وكان عندى المشاكل الاتية:
1-حدفة شمال خفيف
2-صوت طقطقة مع لف الدركسيون والعربية وقفة
3-صوت تصفير فى الفرملة على السرعات البطيئة
التوكيل فعلا كرهنى فى العربية مع انها عربية جميلة المعاملة سيئة جدا من اول الامن اللى بيستلموا العربية لغاية مدير المهندسين وناس كتيرة بتتخانق معاهم انا روحت التوكيل من 9 ومشيت الساعة 5,المشكلة بقى اولا فوجئت ان المهندس محمد بهجت واللى اسلوب تعاملوايكرة الواحد فى رينو كلها يقولى ان هسنفرك الطنبير بس الصوت دة لازم تتعيش معاة وكدة كدة التيل بيتغير عند 20000 كيلو على الرغم كتيب الصيانة مكتوب فى عند 60 الف المصيبة الاكبر النصبين ماضبطوش زوايا قالولى عملنا استعدال للطارة خالوا الطارة عدلتها يمين شوية طبعا مستلمة العربية الساعة 5 مشية بيها فيها نفس الحدفة انا قدمت شكوى فى 16202 ولسة مستنية الرد,بس فعلا رينو لو ما اخدتش بلها من المركز الرئيسى دة هدمر مبيعتهاالناس والهى قرفنين من التوكيل دة جدا انا والهى ماتخنقتش ولاشديت مع حد هناك بس كانت خناقات رهيبة من عملاء كتير من سوق الخدمة,الفرع دة لازم يتفور ولازم يجيبوا مدير تانى للفرع انا معايا نيسان صنى الجديدة برضوا التوكيل محترم جدا وخدمة العملاء جوة الفرع فعلا خدمة عملاء


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Tarek from Tanta - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint BMW Egypt Bavarian Auto Group - Problems with BMW 318i (Readers letter)
السادة شركة BMW,
أمتلك سيارة BMW 318i Model 2010 The chassis-no. VMU 9897 Walked 66000 Kilometer.
,حدث عطل فى المارش فجأة فى خلال أربعة أيام ولم تدور السيارة فحملتها على ونش إلى مركز الصيانة بألماظة فطلبوا تغيير المارش بتكلفة قدرها 5100 جنيه مصرى وقاموا فعلا بالتغير وعندما قدمت شكوى إلى خدمة العملاء حيث أن عطل المارش ليس سوء استعمال وأن هذا العطل عيب فى المارش نفسه لأنه عقليا كيف يتم تغيير المارش عند66000 كيلومتر قبل تغيير البطارية فقاموا بخصم 15% من ثمن المارش فدفعت 4350 جنيه مصرى وأنا غير راض عن تحملى ثمن المارش لأن هذا ناتج عن عيب فى المارش وليس سوء استخدام وأن تغيير المارش بهذه السرعة نادر حتى فى السيارات العادية الرخيصة وأطالب برد المبلغ الذى دفعته كثمن للمارش حيث أن هذا العيب ليس منى ويجب أن تفصح الشركة عن الفترة التى يتم عندها تغيير المارش وتعطينى سبب مقنع للعطل المبكر للمارش وشكراً لكم لمساعدتى فى استرداد حقى



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Mohamed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Subaru XV, your opinion pls? (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I was thinking about buying Subaru XV 2014, so I would like to ask about its fuel consumption on the jammed streets of Cairo especially as it is AWD. Also I would like to know your opinion about the Abou Ghaly car service and whether they are professional or not.

I am currently having Nissan Sunny (which consumes too much fuel) and I was comparing Subaru XV with Seat Leon, giving the fact that they have the same price, which is better and why?

Thanks,
Mohamed


Editors response:
Dear Mohamed,

The Subaru Egypt importer and deal Abou Ghaly is among the worst and most unprofessional car importers and dealers in Egypt.

The SEAT Leon is a good car but needs 95 Octane.

I recommend you have a look at the MINI Countryman which is one of the very few cars in Egypt which run safely on 92 octane.

Regards,
Editor


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Azza from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan Sunny 2014 - Yes or No? (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I am considering buying the Nissan Sunny EX 2014 as it suits my budget.

Do you recommend it? Does it have stability problems or serious defects?

If yes, would you recommend an alternative?

Thank you.

Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Azza,

we found the below complaint from an obviously not-so-satisfied Nissan Sunny owner published on our Auto Arabia Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2445797087/

It seems that Nissan Egypt still did not fix the problems with the braking system of its Nissan Sunny 2014, which had already created lots of problems for Nissan Egypt with the Consumer Protection Agency and the General Attorney & Police authorities in Egypt.

Therefore I recommend you stay away from the Nissan Sunny until we hear that Nissan Egypt has fixed the braking problems of the Sunny.

In the meantime I recommend you have a look at Renault Logan which would be a much better alternative at this time.

Kind regards,
Editor

كارثة جديدة من نيسان نيو صني
------------------------------------
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
لقد قمت بشراء سيارة نيسان صنى 2013 و حدثت المشاكل الأتية:
1- أثناء القيادة على سرعة صغيرة تفاجأت بسيارة أخرى واستخدمت الفرامل و لكن السيارة لم تقف كما ينبغى لها علما بأن السيارة بها نظام المكابح مانعة للانغلاق (تم تحرير محضر بالحادث)
2- نتيجة الاصطدام اصطدمت راسى بالقائم الأمامى للسيارة و رأس الراكب الأمامى بالزجاج الأمامى للسيارة مما أدى الى تهشم الزجاج و اصابة كلانا بالرأس و العنق (يوجد تقارير طبية تثبت ما حدث) و بعد انتهاء الحادث تماما فتحت الوسائد الهوائية فلا هى انقذتنا من الايذاء و لا هى ظلت مغلقة.
3- رغم الأضرار الطفيفة فى السيارة الأخرى و هو طبيعى لأن الحادث كان على سرعة صغيرة إلا أن الأضرار فى سيارتى كانت جسيمة (تفوق العشرون ألفا)
4- هنا بعض المناطق فى جسم السيارة سقط اللون من عليها دون سبب و ذلك قبل الحادثة.
نتيجة لظروفى الصحية بعد الحادث لم استطع التوجه لشركة نيسان و لكن تحدثت اليهم تليفونيا العديد و العديد من المرات دون اجابة.
قمت بارسال ايميل الى شركة نيسان بتاريخ 9 مارس 2014 به شكوى بالحادث و لم يتم الرد عليه من قبل شركة نيسان
قمت بعمل شكوى فى جهاز حماية المستهلك بتاريخ 16 مارس 2014
استجاب الجهاز و طلب منى بيانات تم ارسالها فى فاكس اخر يوم 31 مارس 2014
اتصل بى جهاز حماية المستهلك و طلب عقد اجتماع بينى و بين مندوب شركة نيسان على ان يكون الاجتماع يوم 13 ابريل 2014
سافرت برفقة محامى الى القاهرة (علما بانى اعيش فى الاسكندرية) و لم يحضر مندوب شركة نيسان و حينما اشتكيت عدم حضوره رد على مندوب الجهاز (المهم ان انت جيت و سجلت شكوتك) .. و رجعت الى الاسكندرية خالى الوفاض و حدد لى المجلس يوم 8 مايو لعمل معاينة للسيارة فى كلية الهندسة جامعة عين شمس فى وجود مندوب من شركة نيسان.
فى نفس يوم الاجتماع (ولا اعلم ان كانت تلك مصادفة ام لا) بتاريخ 13 ابريل 2014 ردت شركة نيسان على الايميل المرسل لها اى بعد خمسة و ثلاثون يوما (طلبت شركة نيسان فى الايميل فقط بياناتى و بيانات السيارة)
طلبت من جهاز حماية المستهلك ان تكون المعاينة فى الاسكندرية لان السيارة لا تعمل و سيكون من المكلف جدا ارسالها الى القاهرة و عودتها مرة اخرى فرد الجهاز بان على التنسيق شخصيا مع دكتور ابراهيم عمران رئيس لجنة الفحص
تم الاتصال بالدكتور ابراهيم عمران و طلب منى اعطاؤه فرصة للتنسيق و عودة الاتصال به مرة أخرى .. ثم اغلق تليفونه نهائيا قبل ميعاد الفحص بعشرة أيام و لم يفتح حتى ميعاد الفحص و انا فى القاهرة حيث
اضطررت لاستئجار كساحة على حسابى الخاص و الذهاب الى كلية الهندسة جامعة عين شمس ثم العودة الى الاسكندرية و حينما سأله أحد الشاكين عن سبب غلق تليفونه رد قائلا (ده تليفونى الخاص و من حقى اغلاقه فى اى وقت).
لمرة أخرى لم يحضر مندوب شركة نيسان الى كلية الهندسة جامعة عين شمس.
قام بالفحص دكتور ابراهيم عمران و دكتور محمد عبد العزيز و قاما بايصال جهاز على سيارتى و حينما سألت عن النتيجة تم الرد بأن الجهاز قديم و لا يقرأ الموديلات الحديثة علما بأن موديل سيارتى معروف للجهاز قبل تحديد ميعاد الفحص و أن تكلفة الفحص ألف جنيه تم تحديدها بمعرفة الجهاز . و حينما اشتكيت رد الدكتور ابراهيم بانه لا يتم الصرف على الجهاز و لذلك امكانياته ضعيفة.
تم فحص السيارة بدون أجهزة و قيل لى ان النتيجة ستكتب فى تقرير سرى يفتح فى اجتماع اخر فى مقر جهاز حماية المستهلك بالقاهرة فى حضور مندوب شركة نيسان.
تم الاتصال بى و ابلاغى بضرورة الحضور يوم 3/6/2014 الى مقر حماية المستهلك لفتح التقرير اى بعد 24 يوما من الفحص .
حضرت و حضر مندوب شركة نيسان و للأسف كانت الجلسه وكأنها جلسة أصدقاء و حينما استفسرت عن سبب عدم حضور مندوب شركة نيسان للجلسات السابقة رد مندوب شركة نيسان قائلا (أنا ماعرفش) و رد عنه دكتور ابراهيم عمران قائلا (معلش كان فيه ظروف) و كانت نتيجة التقرير ان أقر جهاز حماية المستهلك أن الوسائد الهوائية فتحت بعد انتهاء الحادث و انه سوف يتم عمل فحص اخر للسيارة عن طريق شركة نيسان لان جهاز شركة نيسان حديث و سوف يتمكن من قراءة بيانات السيارة. و لا أعلم كيف يرتضى جهاز حماية المستهلك أن تكون شركة نيسان هى الخصم و الحكم فى نفس الوقت.و قد قال لى دكتور ابراهيم عمران اثناء الجلسة و أمام الجميع (مش قلتلك خلص الموضوع مع نيسان..هو مين اتصل بيك من هناك)...
و حتى الأن لم يتصل بى أحد لتحديد ميعاد الفحص .. علما بأنى شخصيا متخوف من الفحص بمعرفة شركة نيسان دون أى رقابة من الجهاز ..
(جدير بالذكر أنه تم إحالة شركة نيسان للنيابة العامة من قبل جهاز حماية المستهلك و ذلك لعدم إبلاغها الجهاز فور اكتشاف عيوب بأحد الموديلات و الاستمرار فى بيعها لمدة 9 أشهر)
لذلك أنا أحذركم جميعا من شراء تلك السيارة .. و أنا نادم كل الندم على شرائها .. و كذلك أحذركم من التعامل مع توكيل مودرن موتورز الذى لم يبدى أى إهتمام بعملائه..
شكرا


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Hossam Elhamamy from Alexandria - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Major scam from Bavarian Auto Group BMW Egypt / My BMW 335i (Readers letter)
Dear Arabia auto team.

I need your help because I am facing a major scam from the Bavarian Auto service centre of the Bavarian Auto Group (BMW EGYPT) regarding my BMW 335i.

To be more accurate I will send u the mail that I sent to BMW customer service in Germany but the problem is not yet resolved. Here we go:

Dear Sir/ Madam

I wish to complain about facing problems with BMW Egypt, customer service and customer care for having unresolved issues regarding my BMW 335i that i bought earlier from Bavarian auto showroom (BMW showroom) in Alexandria Egypt.

This complaint is sent to show the disappointment and dissatisfaction on my behalf from BMW as it was my first and might be my last experience of buying a BMW not to mention not recommending it (BMW car) to any of my friends or family.

My problems are as following:

First of all on the 1st of November 2013 i booked a BMW 335i luxury imperial blue.

So I paid a certain amount of money to complete the booking and was promised the delivery of the car on the 20th of January 2014. It was late delivery but i accepted, then 20th of January came yet the car did not they stalled for a couple of days then they ( sales executive and sales supervisor) told me the car wont be delivered before the 15th of February again i waited and the car did not come and the same happened every month until May the 25th i was contacted the car is coming but there is a problem, i asked what was the problem again they said the car is not luxury and not even imperial blue and my choices was set and i was forced to choose between sport line black and sport line carbon black, i was frustrated that after waiting for a whole 7 months i was not even offered what i was promised so forcefully i chose the nearest to my pre-chosen color and i got the cash and made a full payment for the 335i sport line carbon black. it was delivered on the 29th and i came to take my car finding a scratch in the back right door but after waiting for 7 months i accepted my bad luck and took my car home as it is.

I only enjoyed it for about a month when i came back to the Bavarian Auto service centre (BMW service centre in Alexandria Egypt) on the 24th of june and met the head of service supervision (Eng. Mohsen Mostafa) to change the front left tyre for experiencing some bulges in it, then again recognizing my bad luck streak and not even making problems to any one other than myself i changed the tyre and paid for it myself. it was remotely fine until my last frustrating experience faced which is only 13 days later on the 7th of may i was traveling on the highway from Alexandria to Cairo and only 110 kilometers and the same front left tyre exploded and caused me to lose control and stop the car to come down to the strangest situation my safe and new front left tyre that I bought and paid for it in the Bavarian Auto service centre (BMW service centre) for my new car was shredded causing the serious damage to the car as the left head lamp is broken, the front bumper, the fog-light too and some other things etc...

long story short i was traumatized from the near death experience my fiancé was with me it took me a while to calm her down and we thanked god we are still alive

i towed the car back to the Bavarian Auto service centre. It was after its working hours so i just dropped the car there and returned the next day to see the Engineer that sold me the malfunctioning tyre what excuse would he have for what happened to me and surprisingly he was not there in the whole centre that day! a really mature act from a really reliable head of service supervisors (Eng. Mohsen Mostafa)!!!

so I asked for the manager of the centre and i went to his office and met him (Eng. Sherif Hussein) and asked about my car and what was the problem and why this happened, he himself admitted that the tyre exploded out of no where and it was responsible for all the damage that happened to the car!

we went to see it and found on the remaining of the tyre the date of the tyre which was a year or more older than the other tyres in the car so again i blamed them for what happened asked when would it be fixed he just answered when ever my money or the insurance is ready!!!

it was shocking how he responded not even with condolences he said he wont offer any compensation and not even covering the costs of the damage and there is nothing to be done.

That was not what i expected from a great brand and a great car manufacturer like BMW but that is the disappointing fact and what caused me a great deal of dissatisfaction and frustration so please try to preserve your image and deal with an unhappy customer.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible to resolve this problem!

Please be noted that at the end of my horrible journey with BMW and the service centre in Alexandria (Bavarian Auto Group BAG) if the matter is not satisfactorily resolved within a week then i will run out of patience that is keeping me from filing complaints with the appropriate consumer agencies and pursuing legal action.

I may be contacted at the above address and phone number or via email.

Sincerely
Hossam Elhamamy


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Sara Gamal Shams from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Engine failure with my Mercedes ! Complaint about Mercedes GNA & Young Stars ! (Readers letter)
Dear Mr.Sheta,

This is a complaint against Mercedes-Benz and General National Automotive(GNA).

I have bought a B-class from Young Stars Egypt, the authorized pre-owned Mercedes distributor, about eight months ago.

Two weeks ago an engine sign appeared on the dashboard. We dropped the car at Pyramids heights service center where they refused to perform an engine check or issue a technical report before allegedly determining whether the car should be covered by the warranty or not, and they claim that according to their rules and regulations a fuel diagnosis should be performed first before opening up the engine and identifying the problem with the car.

This is of course the most ridiculous and twisted way they had come up with to evade abiding to the designated warranty.

I have certainly refused to pay for performing that irrelevant test since we do not even know whether the problem is related to fuel or not and the service center is liable to issue a technical report and fix the car first!

After over 18 days at the service center, and after escalating the problem to the home office in Germany, they have put us in contact with Mr Tarek Fawzy from Mercedes-Benz who has also insisted that we should authorize the fuel test!

Up until now I have no clue what is the damage with my car, as it could be something minor or a total engine breakdown! This is ridiculous and nobody at Mercedes is willing to help as it will, of course, cost them money to fix the car which is already in the warranty period!

Also, I would like to add that when I bought the car from their authorized reseller, the car had a mileage of 14,000 kilometers, and I have only driven it for 8,000 kilometers after buying it, so if there is any damage to the engine, Young Stars Egypt must be responsible for that damage!

Of course, I have tried to clarify that to Mercedes and GNA but they claim that they are separate entities!

This is clearly a case of fraud and the despicable customer support at Mercedes have clearly shown that they are not willing to help.

Therefore, I am asking for a car replacement and not only an engine fix as Mercedes is legally responsible for the engine failure.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time we have a problem with them as when we dropped the car in November at GNA Dokki for the maintenance they changed the brake lining although it was not appearing on the dashboard, and they claimed that it is Mercedes Standard!

I complained to the head office and no action was taken. I asked them to remove the replaced brake lining and return the old one I had, they said that all the engineers left and that i have to pay for the new one.


I hereby ask for your support to escalate this problem further and put me in contact with someone who can help, as until now:

1- I am asked to pay for all checkup costs: starting from 200 LE, then 800 LE leak and compression tests, and 1500 LE fuel test, although the car is in the warranty and I should not pay any test costs.

2- They refused to issue any kind of written report with the car status which proves that they are hiding something.

3- There was no reference whatsoever in the warranty booklet stating that a fuel test has to be conducted before informing the customer of the damage of the vehicle.

4- I bought the car from Youngstars Egypt. It is a used Mercedes company car and Mercedes is legally responsible for the damage. I am therefore demanding a car replacement not an engine repair now.


Thank you.

Sara Shams


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Hazem from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Serious Customer Complaint - Ezz El Arab Volvo dealer in Egypt (Readers letter)
I own an S80/2012 Volvo and after 70,000 Km I encountered a complete engine failure. After leaving the car for assessment by Volvo Service Center (Ezz El Arab) for 4-days they informed me of a complete engine failure that requires replacement and that this will take around 30-days under warranty. I asked for a replacement car during those 30-days but they denied my request saying that it is NOT COMPANY POLICY !!!! I escalated the case and sent a letter to VOLVO Middle East Customer Service and earlier today I got a call from VOLVO Cairo service center offering me the following :

"Find yourself a car within the limit of 250 pounds a day and we will reimburse you on this value until your car is done !!"

This reply is unprofessional by all means most important of which is as follows :

1. The fact that I have to pay and then submit them an invoice for reimbursement sounds like I am working for them and then claiming expenses and not a customer who is experiencing a problem because of their faulty manufacturing.

2. The fact that they are offering me a car within the range of 250 pounds per day belongs to a totally different class from the car I purchased from them while the replacement car should be of the same class car that I purchased from them.

3. They are playing the usual time consumption game where the car has been with them since 27th of June and now around 10-days after I am paying around 800 pounds a day for a Jeep to match the same car class I have given back to them.

4. The mere fact that a - supposedly - high end car encounters an engine failure after 70,000 Km is a very scary fact in terms of car reliability in addition to the fact that I have later been notified that more than 35-cars of the same model and manufacturing year have encountered the same problem which means that it is a general model defect that requires a call back of the entire model but off course they are handling it case by case to avoid the expenses regardless of the brand name and reliability issues.

I need your opinion on whether I can sue them for that based on the above aspects and whether I should keep contacting VOLVO Middle East or is it not worth the fight.


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Hazem Al Far from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Customer Complaint - Volvo Ezz El Arab (Readers letter)
I bought an S80/2012 Volvo less than 2-years ago and have been driving this car after 11-years using Mercedes Benz cars because I was looking for a safe car for myself and my family. A couple of months ago the car started shaking and performing in a slightly unstable manner so I informed the maintenance center of that during my last maintenance visit a couple of months ago and they said it is OK and that the car is fine. Last week the car start performing in a very unstable manner and the engine started severely shaking followed by all types of warning messages issued from the car and when I sent the car to their service center they held it for a couple of days and yesterday they informed me that the car has encountered a total engine failure and that they will have to replace the car engine which is a process that will take around 30-days.

I visited them earlier today and expressed by concern about this status of a high end car for which I have paid more than one third of a million Egyptian Pounds and also requesting a replacement car. At the end of of a long discussion with Ms. Ola at their service center she confirmed that it "IS NOT THEIR COMPANY POLICY" to provide replacement cars and also that the new engine will solve the problems I am encountering.

When I asked around I found out that this is chronic problem with all 2012 model and that more than 50-cars so far have encountered this same problem and only the customers who raise their voice and fight for it get replacement cars.

However, I do not appreciate having to fight for getting my right of a replacement car and this is not company policy but is rather standard customer rights specially when dealing with a - supposedly - high end cars company.

Thus, I am filing this letter with you as an official complaint and also to warn anyone thinking of purchasing a VOLVO car to think twice to avoid the situation I am currently facing.

Moreover; also warn all 2012 model owners that this problem will reach them sooner or later so they would better be prepared for it.

Hazem


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Deena from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Nissan Juke- service center of Nissan Egypt (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I am extremely disappointed from Nissan service center as I previously complained from their delay, especially since my car has only a minor damage and needs small changes.

They have my Nissan Juke now since 9 June although the repair should not have taken more than 5 days, and now even their customer service agent is not replying my phone calls since 15 June!!!

I really need your assistance as I need my car on a daily basis for driving to work !



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seif khaled from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Serious problems with Ezz El Arab in Cairo - Proton Egypt Ezz EL Arab - مشكلة مع توكيل proton (Readers letter)
عناية المهندس محمد شتا

انا معايا عربية

موديل 2012 proton gen 2

روحت التوكيل(عز العرب ) ال علي الصحراوي في ابو رواش عشان اعمل صيانة ال 60.000و عشان العربية مكنتش بتسحب كويس مع العلم ان حالتها كانت كويسة جدا طلعت من التوكيل مع المهندس اسمه ياسر عشان يجربها و كان معانا مهندس الاستقبال بس الكان سايق كان المهندس ياسر و كان بيجري علي 160 و اكتشفنا بعد كدا ان المهندس ياسر مش معاه رخصة اصلا المهم خبطنا في الخرسانة علي الصحراوي و خبطنا في عربية سكودا الناحية الثانية قلبناها دلوقتي انا عربيتي جابت جزء امامي كامل و العفشة و الصالون متكسرين و ال air bags
اتفتحت و العربية total lost التوكيل بيقولي هيصلحوا العربية دلوقتي انا عايز عربية جديدة لان حرام اركب عربية معمول بيها حادث قبل كدا و كمان total lost و التوكيل رافض يبدلهالي



Editors response:
Dear Seif,

This is the first time we hear such an unbelievable story about one of the automotive dealerships in Egypt.

This is a serious issue of negligence from the Proton Egypt dealership to allow one of its service engineers to test customer cars although he does not have a driving license, according to your story.

I hope you have made a police reports about this whole incident. Please send us by email all the relevant documents and we will forward your complaint to Proton Egypt and Proton headquarter in Malaysia as you are surely entitled to a compensation for both your car as well as yourself for what you have experienced through this careless service engineer.

Keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor

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Deena Samir from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Nissan Showroom (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I just had minor accident with my brand-new Nissan Juke and the showroom where i bought my car told me that it will take between 10 to 20 days to repair it.

After that some car experts told me it should take maximum 4 to 5 days to repair it. So, why this delay? This is giving me a bad impression about the Nissan service I would be experiencing over the next few years, especially since I need my car every day for going to work.

Kindly advice what I should do.



Editors response:
Dear Deena,

we will send your complaint to the management of Nissan Motors Egypt. So far the Nissan management in Egypt has been taking care of his the customer complaints in a very professional, quick and effective way.

I am sure that they will solve your complaint in a very quick and effective way.

Best regards,
Editor

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Tamer from alex - egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Fluence? Good or bad? (Readers letter)
Dear Auto Arabia team,

Please advice about the performance of the Renault Fluence. Is it good or is it bad?

Also which model do you recommend? The 155.000-LE base line or the 170.000 LE high-line?

Also do you think the smart card and the high advanced electronic system in the 170000 series may cause any problems?

Thanks in advance


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Ehab samy from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: RENAULT FLUENCE test drive (Readers letter)
I would like to know your opinion on the new Renault Fluence 2014 " E3 & E3S " , and I want to make a test drive on it to take my final decision.


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Ibrahim Mokhlis from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Volvo Egypt evaluation (Readers letter)
Dealer: Volvo Ezz Elarab - Egypt, Cairo
Reputation, image & corporate social responsibility: Bad
Customer service & service center: Average
Sales persons in show-room: Average

Comment: I have S80 model 2014. Since I received my car there is a general failure resulting of faults: Collision warning service required and Driver alert system service required. They performed several software updates and even changed the hardware piece and STILL the problem there! The response of Volvo company is so slow and unacceptable. I do not think that I should bare having such a car with a general failure like that for more than 9 months without being able to solve or even identify the problem.
Appreciate if you can help to solve such a case.
Thanks



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Ibrahim Mokhlis from Cairo - EGYPT wrote:
Subject: Evaluation Volvo Egypt (Readers letter)
Company: Volvo
Service center: Ezz Elarab
Country: Egypt
City: Cairo

Company Rating: Bad
Service Rating: Average
Sales Rating: Average

Comment:
I have S80 model 2014. Since I received my car there is a general failure resulting of faults: Collision warning service required and Driver alert system service required. They performed several software updates and even changed the hardware piece and STILL the problem there! The response of Volvo company is so slow and unacceptable. I do not think that I should bare having such a car with a general failure like that for more than 9 months without being able to solve or even identify the problem.
Appreciate if you can help to solve such a case.
Thanks


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Hossam Abo Alsoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Volvo Ezz El Arab in Cairo - Change engine for Volvo S60 (Readers letter)
Dears
I bought a used S60 3 months ago and when I checked it the agent told me that there is a technical problem on the engine (4th cylinder) and they have to change it within one month, and no problem to buy it.

Last week they called me to deliver the car on 20th May and receive it on 22nd May after changing the engine.
Today called me to inform that the car is ready tomorrow but they did not change the engine as it is very good and had no problems.

So I do not trust them anymore due to lack of accuracy.

What shall i do, on the other hand they could not explain what they did on 5 working days after they received my car till now.

Thanks for your cooperation


Thanks
Hossam


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Vaibhav from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Peugeot 301 or Citroen C Elysee or Kia Rio (Hatchback) (Readers letter)
Hello Sir / Madam,

We are looking to buy a good car & following is our criteria as per priority;
1. Good stability on highways
2. Reliability in terms breakdowns & frequent maintenance needs
3. Reasonable spare parts prices
4. Reasonable re-sale values as I am planning to use it for maximum 3 years.

We have shortlisted following cars;
Peugeot 301 automatic
Citroen C Elysee automatic
Kia Rio hatchback

I am more tempted by Citroen C Elysee from the reviews & the excitement of owning something different but I am not sure about prices or spare parts & service of Citroen.

Your inputs will be highly appreciated in terms of pros & cons for all the 3 cars.

Thanking you in anticipation.


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S.A.G from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Comparison Brilliance V5 and Peugeot 301! (Readers letter)
I want to buy a new car and I am confused between the new peugeot 301 and Brilliance V5. I am tempted by the acceptable options and height of the V5, however I do not know if ever I should trust a chinese car.

Also, I care about the re-sale vaue.. which would be better?

I need your advice.
Thanks.
S.A.G

Editors response:
Dear S.A.G,

We have asked many time for a Brilliance V5 test-car to do an independent and professional test-drive, but unfortunately Brilliance Egypt and Bavarian Auto Group were not able to provide a V5 (or any other Brilliance) test-car so far. Therefore I cannot recommend to you the Brilliance V5.

Since we did not check the quality and material of the Brilliance V5 we can not judge how the quality of the car and hence the resale value would be after a couple of thousand kilometers or so. Therefore I tend to say that the resale value of the Peugeot 301 would be much better than the Brilliance V5.

As for the Peugeot 301, I was able to test this car myself on the Egyptian roads as Peugeot Egypt were brave enough to send us their Peugeot 301 for an independent and professional test-drive and review. I also test-drove the KIA Rio recently, which might be of interest for you as well.

So, to start with: Both the Peugeot 301 and the KIA Rio are good cars, each one in a different way!

The KIA Rio is a very good car in every aspect, and in Germany they even called it the NEW POLO from KIA, cause it performed that well among the other strong competitors from Europe and Asia.

Unfortunately I only drove the KIA Rio on the roads of Portugal, which of course are much better than the roads we have here in Egypt. But in any case, it left a very positive impression.

As for the Peugeot 301, Peugeot Egypt sent us their 301 test-car, which was equipped with ESP! Unfortunately the other 301 models sold to the Egyptian consumers do NOT have ESP!

Its turning circle is extremely small and very convenient for the narrow streets in many parts of Egypt. The suspension is not very smooth and you hear a sound of dabdaba when you drive over medium-speed speed bumpers in Cairo.

The sound isolation inside the cabin is not so good and when you press the horn it feels like the horn is placed inside the cabin !!!

The seats are not very comfortable, and there is no armrest. the radio sound is not very wow, but the gear stick shifts very smoothly. the overall ride is quite smooth.

Unfortunately there is no light in the glove box which makes it very hard to find your stuff in the glove compartment at night ...!

Last but not least, the service center of KIA has a very good reputation and they solve problems very quickly, while the reputation of Peugeot Egypt has not been very good in the past when the agency was with Wagih Abaza.

But over the past few months, I have noticed a minimal improvement with the new Peugeot Egypt dealership !

Conclusion: both the Peugeot 301 and the KIA Rio cars are recommendable! make a demo-drive with both cars and chose the one you like more!

We will forward your contact details to Peugeot Egypt and KIA Egypt EIT so that they can get in touch with you and offer you a customer demo-drive.

Regards,
Editor


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Ahmed Kholeif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Passat CC (2013) Engine Failure - Problems with Egyptian Automotive Company (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

This is the feedback of the miserable customer service of VolksWagen Cairo/ Egyptian Automotive Company, Abo Rawash.

To begin with, after a visit to Volkswagen service center on Thursday 13 March 2014, they gave him a Jetta (model 2011) as a courtesy car, while he was expecting at least a Passat since he is driving a Highline Passat cc.

He insisted that they do not proceed with any work until he receives news from VolksWagen Germany.
His expectations from a supposedly reputable company, was a prompt exchange with a new car.

He received a call last Thursday the 20th of March from Mr.Mohamed Mourad (Customer Service) confirming a full exchange for the engine with a new guarantee. However, my father insisted on a full exchange for the whole car, which was totally rejected offer from Mr.Mourad. Hence, my father requested an official letter stating what they had offered, which is the exchange of the engine, which was approved by Mr.Mourad and was supposed to confirm all this via an official email from the company.

Unfortunately, nothing has been received yet and my father received a call today (22nd of March) from Mr.Mourad saying that he got back to the technical support (which he should have done before calling my father and offering him the new engine), which rejected the exchange of the engine and only offered the exchange of the Piston Kit. This whole idea of changing anything in the engine was totally rejected by my father since his first visit to the service center, because he does not trust the entire service center in Egypt and this is going to affect the re-sale value of the car. So Mr.Mourad offered him a used Passat cc 2012 (company car) as a full exchange to his car, which is a Highline Passat cc 2013, but my father definitely rejected this ridiculous offer.

He received a call later from Mrs. Passant (Sales Supervisor – Giza branch) who was trying to help him from the very start saying that “I got back to the customer care person who said that this was the feedback they received from the Mother Company in Germany”. Thus, my father again requested a copy of an official letter to what she had said (which is the feedback of the Mother Company in Germany).
Just to make things clear, my father believes that he is dealing with rogues not a reputable company and that there is some kind of criminal intention. He did not receive any care or respect; on the other hand, he was treated disrespectfully and cannot obtain his least official rights from a so called reputable company.
He has been going through this for almost a month now without any respectful progress from such manipulative representatives. Thus he is insisting on a full exchange for his car with the same specs.
In addition, he has taken the case to a higher level by stating what has been happening to him on all the social media networks. His intention after being a loyal customer for 7 years is to arouse the peoples awareness of the hypocrisy and corruption of VolksWagen Egypt.

Today, (24th of March 2014), the Consumer Protection Agency in Cairo contacted my father and informed him that, there will be a meeting held on (1st of April 2014) to discuss the case with him and in the presence of a representative from the Egyptian Automotive company (VolksWagen Egypt).



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Ahmed Kholeif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Passat CC (2013) Engine Failure follow up (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

This is the feedback of the miserable customer service of VolksWagen Cairo/ Egyptian Automotive Company, Abo Rawash.

To begin with, after a visit to Volkswagen service center on Thursday 13 March 2014, they gave my father a Jetta (model 2011) as a courtesy car, while he was expecting at least a Passat since he is driving a Highline Passat cc.

He insisted that they do not proceed with any work until he receives news from VolksWagen Germany.
His expectations from a supposedly reputable company, was a prompt exchange with a new car.

He received a call last Thursday the 20th of March from Mr.Mohamed Mourad (Customer Service) confirming a full exchange for the engine with a new guarantee. However, my father insisted on a full exchange for the whole car, which was totally rejected offer from Mr.Mourad.

Hence, my father requested an official letter stating what they had offered, which is the exchange of the engine, which was approved by Mr.Mourad and was supposed to confirm all this via an official email from the company.

Unfortunately, nothing has been received yet and my father received a call today (22nd of March) from Mr.Mourad saying that he got back to the technical support (which he should have done before calling my father and offering him the new engine), which rejected the exchange of the engine and only offered the exchange of the Piston Kit.

This whole idea of changing anything in the engine was totally rejected by my father since his first visit to the service center, because he does not trust the entire service center in Egypt and this is going to affect the re-sale value of the car. So Mr.Mourad offered him a used Passat cc 2012 (company car) as a full exchange to his car, which is a Highline Passat cc 2013, but my father definitely rejected this ridiculous offer.

He received a call later from Mrs. Passant (Sales Supervisor – Giza branch) who was trying to help him from the very start saying that “I got back to the customer care person who said that this was the feedback they received from the Mother Company in Germany”. Thus, my father again requested a copy of an official letter to what she had said (which is the feedback of the Mother Company in Germany).

Just to make things clear, my father believes that he is dealing with rogues not a reputable company and that there is some kind of criminal intention. He did not receive any care or respect; on the other hand, he was treated disrespectfully and cannot obtain his least official rights from a so called reputable company.

He has been going through this for almost a month now without any respectful progress from such manipulative representatives. Thus he is insisting on a full exchange for his car with the same specs.

In addition, he has taken the case to a higher level by stating what has been happening to him on all the social media networks. His intention after being a loyal customer for 7 years is to arouse the peoples awareness of the hypocrisy and corruption of Volkswagen Egypt.



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Ahmed AbouZeid from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: New Car PEUGEOT 301 (Readers letter)
Gentlemen,
I want to ask about your opinion in buying a Peugeot 301 automatic car. I will be using it in traveling too much. I want to ask about its safety, stability and operability. Your opinion about its maintenance center is very important as well. If this car is not recommended can you recommend another car for me within the same range of money.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Ahmed AbouZeid


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Ahmed Elgharib from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Nissan Sunny 2014 (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,
Good day.
Can you please if you recommend the new Nissan Sunny 2014 or not, my budget is around 115000 L.E and i believe this is the most suitable car for my budget, but i heard that there is so many people complaining from the new shape stability on the high speed and durability, please advice if i can buy this car or not, and if not please advice the alternative.

Thanks
Ahmed

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,
the Nissan Sunny surely offers good value for its money and offers lots of cabin space, especially on the back seats.

But I recommend you also have a look at the new 2014 Renault Logan Automatic which was just launched at the AutoMech Formula motor show a few days ago. I am sure you will like this car.

Regards,
Editor



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Renee Shaheed from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Mercedes Benz Egypt - My brand/ (Readers letter)
Dear everyone,

I would like to ask you to bare with me and read my complaint till the end.

I have recently bought a Mercedes A class, and suddenly there has been a problem with the ECO, center lock and parktronic sensors.

Regardless of the fact that NO ONE at Mercedes-Benz Egypt has been able until now to solve this issue which has been going on since the 19th jan; there is a bigger problem ... I have been communicating with the customer support, who by the way are not supportive at all.

Firstly the person in charge of my case Mr. Tarek Fawzi recomended after my 5th visit to the service center to send me a highly trained engineer.

Who also is not highly trained at all, this person had no brief about my case, was unable to solve the problem and had absolutely no suggestions.

Moreover when i got back to the customer service who are supposed to get back to me and not vice versa..

They told me that they trust their engineers and that the car has no problem.

I replied that if the car had no problem why was it admited into service 5 times and why did the engineer confirm that there was a problem although he was unable to solve it?

All i want is my car to get fixed! THATS IT! Mercedes Benz Egypt.

Mr. Tarek Fawzi later told me to file my case to a higher government authority the egyptian customer protection authority and that in other words they cant do anything for me.

Is this how the luxury brand Mercedes-Benz treats its customers? Thats a new one for me! I urge all of you to share this!!

Rony Shaheed

Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Renee,

we will forward your complaint to Mercedes Benz.

I am sure somebody will get in touch with you soon. Keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor

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mahmoud adel from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Spare part pricing for Seat Leon 2014 (Readers letter)
Can you please help me find an official online spare parts pricing for the new seat leon 2014?


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Ahmed Kholeif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Unacceptable service at Volkswagen Egypt / Passat CC 2013 Engine Failure (Readers letter)
My father bought the Passat CC Model 2013 since 10 months ago (May 2013).

Before buying the car the sales person at Volkswagen showroom Giza branch named Passant insisted that this car may accept Petrol 92 and no need to put the 95.

Before continuing the final steps of purchasing the car I met Mr. Mohamed Sheta through a friend of mine and during our conversation about the cars he told me that the Passat CC must receive Petrol 95.

When I told the sales person (Passant) that I have met Mr. Sheta and he told me what I have mentioned above, her answer was that Volkswagen Egypt has a case which is under the observation of the Egyptian courts and that Volkswagen Egypt is not allowing him to enter any of their showrooms or service centers.

Later on, my father decided to put 95 instead of 92 to be on the safe side and receive a better performance from the car.

However, since 10 days and while he was driving back home he wanted to refuel the car but he kept on searching for Petrol 95 in several gas stations but he could not find any.

So, he decided then to put 92 instead, and as recommended from Volkswagen Egypt. After few minutes and while he was driving he found that there is an ignition problem and the computer indicated that there is something wrong with engine.

On the second day, he went to Volkswagen service center at 6th of October city and met Mr. Wael El Dessouky. Mr. Wael told my father that they will start to observe the engine and see what was the main factor that led to this ignition problem.

After few days, the service center informed my father that the car is in need of a whole new engine as it is completely destroyed !!!

My father was surprised as the car is still brand new and he drove just 14,000 km till now and in Egypt this step will decrease the car resale value in the future.

My father did not agree about replacing a new engine and he told them that he will start to contact Volkswagen in Germany.

So, Mr. Wael told my father that “when they receive a similar case like my fathers car, they do NOT inform Germany with the whole case and in addition, they do not take pictures of the damaged part of the engine because Volkswagen Germany knows the problem with our fuel and even if the car is still under guarantee they will let the client pay the cost of the new spare parts as it is the client who mistreated the car.”

After one or two days, Mr. Wael informed my father that they found another better conclusion which is putting new piston kit as they have figured out that one of the piston rings was totally damaged.

When I called Mr. Wael to know more about the case and if the fuel had some water on it which damaged the piston ring he replied by saying “at the time being we didn’t test the fuel which is in the car, we just took a sample to see if some water appeared on it but we did not make an accurate test and, no we did not see any signs of water with our naked eyes.”

My father then decided to take steps against Volkswagen Egypt so he went to the Consumer Protection Agency in Cairo and wrote a detailed complain against Volkswagen and that he demands Volkswagen to give him a brand new Passat CC because he is not accepting all the mess he has been through with them and putting new piston kit or a new engine is not an acceptable solution for my father.

Also, my father asked them for a courtesy car as he needs it to finish his daily tasks and they agreed to give him one but later on, they told him that there is not any available car in the time being.

In Addition, my father informed them yesterday not to change any spare parts from the car till he finishes the steps taken against Volkswagen.

Kindly advice how we should proceed.

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

your case is just another one in a long series of serious complaints from Volkswagen and SEAT owners in Egypt.

The fact that this Volkswagen Egypt sales person called Passant told you that I am not allowed to enter the Volkswagen show-rooms in Egypt, just proves how misleading and unprofessional the Volkswagen and SEAT dealer in Egypt (Egyptian Automotive Company / Kayan Egypt) operates.

Not only is this sales person called Passant spreading wrongful and misleading information, but such an incompetent person should be banned from working in any car company.

It seems again that those two dealerships called Egyptian Automotive Company (VW & VWN & Audi Egypt) and Kayan Egypt (SEAT Egypt), which are both owned by Kareem El Najjar, are not competent enough to be representing any of the Volkswagen Group brands.

I am confident that the Volkswagen Group will not allow such complaints in the future, and I strongly recommend that the decision-makers at the Volkswagen Group should consider replacing Karim El Naggar with any other professional company, preferably with one of the existing Volkswagen dealer from the UAE or Saudi Arabia, just like Ford, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu, Honda and Toyota did when they replaced the incompetent und unprofessional Egyptian dealers with one of their professional and successful dealers from the Middle East and GCC region.

I said it many times before, and I keep on repeating it: Any TSI engine installed in a Volkswagen, Audi or SEAT model MUST use 95 octane gasoline as a minimum requirement. This is why I do not understand why Volkswagen Egypt and SEAT Egypt is still claiming in their newspaper and magazine ads that the Volkswagen and SEAT models in Egypt can use 92 octane.

This is surely considered spreading misleading information on purpose and this Volkswagen Egypt dealership should be sued by the Volkswagen owners and the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency for this unacceptable business attitude and customer service.

We will surely send your complaint to Volkswagen Germany and please keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor


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Rasha Abdel Salam from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint BMW 316i Coupe / Bavarian Auto Group (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

I was one of the first customers in Egypt to buy the BMW 316i Coupe when it was introduced in 2008. I bought it because I fell in love with its design, and have been using it as my second car on weekends only. This is why it has only done 21.000km so far.

And although I have been using 95 octane fuel since the first day and although I have been doing all the maintenance at the service center of Bavarian Auto Group regularly, I am not happy with the quality of the car and have been suffering for several weeks now from one of its four Run-Flat-Tire sensors and from an annoying knocking noise from the engine.

Is this the normal quality of a BMW luxury car which only drove 21.000 km?

Kindly advice how I should proceed in this matter.

Kind regards,
Rasha Abdel Salam



Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Rasha,

usually BMW cars are of very good quality, especially the Made-in-Germany models like your 316i Coupe.

It is indeed very strange that your 316i Coupe is facing these two problems especially since your car has done 21.000km only so far.

Although sometimes the management of BMW Egypt / Bavarian Auto Group is not so fast in responding to emails, I can imagine that they will respond to your complaint in a quick and efficient way and that they will also consider repairing your car on a good-will basis as it has only 21.000km on its clock and has been serviced at their service center on a regular basis.

Keep us updated with your case and the feedback from the Bavarian Auto Group during the next 48 hours.

Regards,
Editor


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Khaled Elhalaby from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Comparison between Volvo S80 and Volkswagen Passat (Readers letter)
Dear sir,

I want to buy a car within this month and I am considering the VW Passat High line or the Volvo S80 High line.

Could you help me with a comparison between the S80 and Passat so that I can make up my mind on which car I should buy.

Best regards

Editors response:
Dear Khaled,

Both the Volvo S80 and the Volkswagen Passat are very good cars. But in this case I would chose the Volvo S80 for many reasons.

One of them is that the customer service and management of Volvo Egypt (Ezz El Arab) have improved a lot during the past year, while at the same time the customer service and management of the Volkswagen Egypt & SEAT Egypt (Egyptian Automotive Company & Kayan Egypt) have not been enjoying a good reputation lately.

The S80 drives extremely comfortable and its 180hp-engine is very agile and performs very well. Most important is that the S80 features a lot of passive and active safety features, such as the Blind Spot detector system BLIS as well as the emergency braking system City Safety which saved me personally from an accident during my recent test-drive.

The tire size of the S80 is more than ideal for the Egyptian roads and the interior is of very good quality and gives you a very good feeling when entering and sitting in the car.

Last but not least, the Volvo S80 offers a very competitive price among its strong competitors. The Volvo S80 C-Plus Package 2014 costs 318,000 EGP while the Volvo S80 Premium Package 2014 costs only 368,000EGP

The S60 could also an interesting alternative in case you need a smaller car, but so far we only test-drove the old 2013 S60 as there is no 2014 S60 Facelift test-car available yet. As soon as we test the 2014 facelifted S60 we will update you with our review.

I suggest you test-drive the S80 for a full day or for a weekend in order to make up your mind. We will forward your contact details to Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab so that they contact you for a test-drive.

One last advice on the side: If you can wait a few more weeks, then I recommend you wait for the all-new 2014 Mercedes C-Class. We will test the 2014 C-Class in a couple of days, and all the data available show that the C-Class could become the new benchmark-setter in this segment and among its competitors from Audi, BMW, Volvo and Volkswagen.

Kind regards,
Editor


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hassan el qutob from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: My cousin opened my 2013 Lancer with his own key !!!! No answer from Mitsubishi Motors Egypt (Diamond Motors) (Readers letter)
ميتسوبيشي موتورز ...mitsubishi motors
متمثلة في دايموند موتورز اللي هي وكيل ميتسوبيشي في مصر حاليا ...

حكايتي معاهم اني اشتريت لانسر 2013 في مارس 2013 و السبب ان تقريبا هي العربية الوحيدة اللي مفيش خلاف عليها ..

اول مشكلة :
بعد فترة قصيرة اقل من شهر تقربيا ظهرت مشكلة في التكييف وهي ( تدفق ضعيف للهواء - تبريد شبه مش موجود - ريحة غريبه - التكييف بيفصل كتيير جدا ) و نظرا ان الجو مش حر قوى في الوقت دا فا مبنتش المشكلة قوي .. مع شهر مايو روحت التوكيل اللي هو ( السعودي ) اللي في طريق الاسماعيلية و من هنا بدأت الرحلة لحد دلوقتي ..
في الاول مكانوش مقتنعين ان في مشكلة لأنة التبريد بيكون مقبول في الاول و كمان الجو مصادفش انو سىء بس بعد ضغط و تجربة للعربية من المهندس قرر انو ينضف فلتر الهواء و كشف ملقاش تسريب في الفريون و شحن تاني .. طبعا لما خرج بيها وفتح التكييف كان تمام بعد ساعتين رجع زي الاول .. الموضوع دا كررته 3 مرات و كل مرة نفس الحكاية ..

تاني مشكلة و دي الاغرب !! :
بالصدفة البحتة العربية اتفحت ب مفتاح لانسر 2010 بتاعت واحد قريبي كان فاكرها عربيتة .. فتح الباب و دخل قعد و دور المارش ,, لما مدارتش من اول مرة بيبص حواليه اكتشف انها مش عربيته و اكتشفت ان العكس بردة بيحصل ب مفتاحي اقدر افتح عربيته ..
طبعا دا لو اوبشن ليا من ميتسوبيشي لو من الوكيل عشان هو ابن خالتي فا دي لفتة ظريفة منهم :)
لكن طبعا دا كلام فارغ و عدم مهنية و مش عارف حاجة زي دي ممكن تحصل ازاي !! الله اعلم مين تاني يقدر يفتح عربيتي ب كل سهولة و ياخدها و يمشي .. و طبعا دا مخليني راكنها معظم الوقت في الجراج و لما بستخدمها بتكون عيني ف نص راسي ..
و كان رد التوكيل ان دا مش ممكن يحصل و اني لازم اخدلهم العربيتين عشان يشوفوا ب نفسهم

الانقح ان مفيش وسيلة للشكوي الا عن طريق الوكيل ف مصر دا اللي اتضح من السايت بتاع ميتسوبيشي نفسه !!! و دا غريب طبعا
كلمت الوكيل اللي هو دايموند موتورز و قدمت شكوي بخصوص المشكلتين يوم الاتنين اللي فات 10/2 و قالولي 48 ساعه و يوصلك رد من الادارة و لحد اللحظة دا محصلش !! .. طبعا انا كلمتهم مرتين في الفترة دي و اخرهم انهاردة و كل مره (اسفين لحضرتك و هنصعد الموضوع و نستعحل الادارة)

دا كل اللي بيحصل لحد دلوقتي !!!
( طبعا الحوارات دي كلها متضمنة الزعيق و الخناق مع السعودي و دايموند عشان اللي هيقول بييجوا بالصوت)

حد عندة اي اقتراح بالنسبة ل ميتسوبيشي او الوكيل او اي جهه تخلصني من الهم اللي بقالو سنه تقريبا !!


Editors response:
Dear Hassan,

the fact that the authorized Mitsubishi dealer Seoudi is not able to fix your air condition shows a very poor service and competence of this authorized dealer.

But the fact that your 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer was opened by the car key of your cousin who owns a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer, this is what can be called a disaster.

We will send your complaint to the Mitsubishi importer in Egypt (Diamond Motors / El Kharafy) and we will surely follow up with you this disturbing case.

Editor





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Haytham from giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Brilliance V5 from Bavarian Auto Group in Egypt (Readers letter)
ارجو المشورة
اشتري بريليانس v5 ولا رأي حضرتك فيها ايه


Editors response:
Dear Haytham,

unfortunately Brilliance Egypt (Bavarian Auto Group) was not able so far to provide a test-car for an independent and professional test-drive.

Therefore I cannot recommend the Brilliance V5 until we test it.

Regards,
Editor

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Eman from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: 2014 Nissan Sunny new shape (Readers letter)
Dear sirs,

Any reviews about new shape of nissan sunny 2014 is it good or not ?
If not what are my alternatives in the same price.

Best Regards


Editors response:
Dear Eman,

the Nissan Sunny offers an acceptable value for money.

But since the Nissan Egypt management has not been very reliable in the recent months I recommend you check out the Peugeot 301, the Skoda Rapid or the Renault Logan

Regards,
Editor

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hassan salem from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint from Peugeot Egypt dealer (Readers letter)
Mr. Mohamed Sheta

I make an accident with a Peugeot 208 (Model 2014) on Friday 11/29/2013 and handed over to an authorized maintenance center of in the next day to fix it. Vehicle repair is supposed to end in 15 days.

The company engineer contacted me yesterday and tell me that there is no front airbags, as well as the dashboard and solutions as follows:

1 - that they will import of these pieces and transported by plane and this cost me a lot of money and it will take us up to one month.

2 - The company imports these pieces and transported by sea and it will take us up to three months.
Of course, this solution is not satisfactory at all.

As I need your help

Regards
Hassan salem



Editors response:
Dear Hassan,

any respectable dealer or importer should always have all spare parts on stock at his main dealership.

And if they do not have it on stock and need to fly it in per air-cargo, then they should cover the cost themselves.

We will send Peugeot Egypt your complaint to find a quick solution for you. Keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor

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Nader Galal from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Peugeot 508 recall for fuel pipe (Readers letter)
Hi There,

According to link below the Peugeot 508 was recalled in the UK for an issue in the fuel return pipe that could cause fire under the bonnet.

http://www.recalluk.com/recalls/cars/peugeot-508-fuel-return-pipe-recall-2013.aspx

Is there any official link for recalls by Peugeot as i could not find on their official web site.

Also i sent a message on Peugeot fans wall on facebook and they said they will check and reply back and till now nothing.

When i checked my VIN no. on the range specified on link , i found that my car is affected.

Could you please help on how do i go from there?.

Thanks , looking forward for your feedback.


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Ahmed Magdy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Vw passat 2011 old shape (Readers letter)
Good afternoon

Please i need a fast response , why there is a big delay on this site to get an answer !!!!!


Thank you

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

we apologize for the delay, but this can happen sometimes as we receive many reader letters, complaints and inquiries.

Thank you for your understanding.

Regards,
Editor

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Omar Sherif from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about my brand-new 2014 BMW 320i from Bavarian Auto Group (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Shetta,

Just a quick note I would like to point at, I made a huge accident 9 months ago and I am still recovering from it and thought that driving a BMW car is driving a safe vehicle.

I just bought a BMW 320 series model 2014 a month ago and unfortunately I am only facing problems since I got this car.

Today I faced the most embarrassing and astonishing situation an owner of a brand new BMW should face.

I tried to start my car drove it for a few cms and all of a sudden it stopped. I tried several times to turn the ignition key on, but it starts for a second then stops. I called the emergency service and they came to find out that this is a manufacturing problem and the car needs to be sent to the service to take a look at it.

Just wondering what would have happened to me if it just stopped in the middle of the road on a highway or on a bridge?!!!

Also if this happens after putting 500 KMs on a new car what will happen later on?!!!!

I really hate this car even before using it. I wanted a Mercedes Benz but my parents thought that this BMW car would be better for my age and my safety.

Unfortunately the manufacturer helped proving them wrong. I am a German School graduate so I speak fluent German and will file a complaint to the mother company in Germany as what happened to me can happen to others.

Now my car is on its way to the service and let us see what they will come up with.

Omar Sherif



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Ahmed magdy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Problems with my Passat 2011 old shape 7 speed DSG (Readers letter)
Good morning,

Thank you very much about your answer , but now i had another problem is that at morning with a cold start the car display to me (move selector lever to p/n ) and cannot start for several times then i hear sound coming from the dashboard, then it starts!

Is there a problem in its gearbox ? And what should i do and what will Volkswagen do with this issue .

Waiting for your fast response

Thank you very much



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Amir Adel Hanna from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Toyota Egypt Alfuttaim service center at El Obour City (Readers letter)
Dear Editor,

After I finished my car service at TOYOTA EGYPT El Obour city branch and when I received my car I found that they cracked the windshield and they refused to repair it and they communicate with me with very bad attitude.

Regards
Amir Adel

Editors response:
Dear Amir,

I am not surprised by such an unprofessional and customer-unfriendly behavior and response from Toyota Egypt Alfuttaim, as the management of Toyota Alfuttaim in Egypt has become very unprofessional during the past few years.

Please send us the copy of your job-order which shows that there was no crack when your car was handed out to the workshop receptionist or engineer and we will forward your complaint to the Toyota headquarter in Japan.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ahmed Yousry from Giza - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Egyptian Automotive Company - Volkswagen Jetta 2007 Transmission Problem (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I have a VW Jetta 2007 Model. A couple of years ago we experienced a problem in the automatic clutch, as sometimes there is a jerk when transmitting at low movement.

We changed the transmission oil a few times, but the problem still persists. Our specialized VW mechanic informed us that this was a common problem in the Jetta models.

Lately, we got in touch with a friend who has a 2010 Jetta and experienced the same problem, but he managed to fix the problem at the authorized dealer for free.

A couple of days ago, we went to the sole authorized dealer (Egyptian Automotive Company) to do the same, but he refused as we were doing maintenance elsewhere. The authorized dealer refused to even check the problem in the car, despite the fact that this is a serious problem not just a regular checkup.

The kilometrage on the car now is 90,000+ km, and I have been maintaining the car at a specialized VW mechanic for every 10,000 km (I have a record for that).

As this problem is because of a manufacturing fault, and as we expect that VW, as a trustworthy company, would be responsible for its reputation, I am writing this requesting that this problem be fixed at your authorized dealer for free.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Ahmed M. Yousry

Editors response:
Dear Dr. Ahmed,

Unlike the very good customer service of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Porsche, etc.) in Germany and the UAE, unfortunately you are not the first one complaining from the not-so-customer-friendly customer service of the Egyptian Automotive Company / Kayan Company in Cairo, which unfortunately is the agent of three very good and respectable brands, namely Volkswagen, AUDI and SEAT in Egypt.

Every time we receive a DSG-transmission or TSI-engine complaint it seems to me that the Egyptian Automotive Company / Kayan is either overstrained with those three agencies or simply not willing to apply the customer service standards of the Volkswagen Group.

In any case, I think it is very important for the Volkswagen Group to re-evaluate its agencies in Egypt and eventually change them and name new agents for its respectable brands in Egypt.

We will forward your complaint to Volkswagen Egypt. If they do not solve your complaint during the next three working days, then get in touch with us again and we will forward your complaint to Volkswagen Germany.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ehab Gad from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Very unprofessional and dishonest service at Mercedes Benz Egypt ! (Readers letter)
From: Ehab Gad
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2013 4:55 PM
To: tarek fawzy (Mercedes Benz Egypt)
Cc: raul rohan ; jasmine soilly ; readersletter ; s ahmed
Subject: Re: Your Mercedes-Benz C180

Mr. Tarek,

"Glad to hear that my vehicle is working fine" Very disappointing e mail from a Representative for Mercedes Benz for customer relation after such situation.

I would have expected an apology e mail for the hassle you caused me by your wrong diagnosis rather than that unprofessional, empty, useless non sense e mail u sent.

But this proof that Mercedes Benz needs to choose the right persons in the right place. And due to your careless arrogant e mail. I will submit an official complaint to consumer rights to check this case that has many question marks. Is it Intended or not and who is responsible for this.

I Would not have took this step unless your provocative e mail

Have a nice day.
Ehab Gad



On Sunday, December 15, 2013 3:11 PM, "tarek fawzy wrote:

Dear Mr. Ehab,

Thank you for your mail.
Glad to hear that your vehicle is working fine now.
Have a nice day.

Tarek Fawzy
CRM
Mercedes-Benz Egypt



From: Ehab Gad
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2013 3:03 PM
To: Fawzy, Tarek (511) Mercedes Benz Egypt
Cc: Rohan Raul (511); Soilly, Jasmine (002); s ahmed
Subject: Re: Your Mercedes-Benz C180


Mr. Tarek,

I do not know what to write to be within the limits of decency and in the same time describe what i have experienced with you as a whole organization on managerial level, technical level and customer service level, If we have a scale from 0 to 10 to rate what you do i would recommend -10 !!!

I think you should revisit your manual of procedures on all levels, especially how you should deal with complaints, It might lead to something that may help improve your performance and also it might prevent such embarrassing situation.

We have been negotiating and debating for long time about my vehicle problem.

According to your unprofessional diagnoses it was the SAM. that would have cost me from the early beginning more than 13,0000 EGP.

It came to my mind why not to change the car battery and try the vehicle for 10 days before i contact the dealer to change the SAM. and guess what it is working fine

Due to your unprofessional work i kept the car parked useless for more than a month for no reason, you annoyed me by unprofessional ongoing e mails that made me believe you have nothing to do with customer service and you would have cost me money for a nonexistent problem, As i told you before i felt like you want to take the most out of your customers

Not all customers send e mails for the HQ to discuss inconvenient situations, Because they trust the authorized dealer by Benz and the authorized dealer make them pay huge amount of money for nonexistent problems

and even if they send the HQ it will end up the same.

You cannot configure whether it is a battery or a SAM !!!

Ehab Gad



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Ahmed magdy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Passat 2011 old shape dsg 7 speed (Readers letter)
Please i wrote a message from the last week and i didnt receive any response , please answer me as soon as possible, thank you

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,
your first letter has been answered. Please check it now.
Kind regards,
Editor

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Nada Mahmoud from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Problems with Renault Fluence even before 10.000km service (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Mohamed Sheta,

I have several problems with my 2012 Renault Fluence, although I have not passed the 10.000km service yet.

The fuel gauge is not working in an optimal manner, and suddenly drops in direction of the emtpy status, which for me is a serious safety issue.

Same goes for the car horn which sounds weird and the A/C which seems to lose performance and cooling effect.

Is this normal for an almost brand-new car?

I would like the Renault Service Center in Abo Rawash to solve and fix those annoying and serious problems tomorrow Monday 09.12.2013 at Abo Rawash service center, as this is the only free day I have during this month.

If the fixing will take more than one day I expect Renault to provide me with an appropriate courtesy car.

I will use this opportunity to perform the 10.000km service for my Fluence at Renault Service Center on the same day.


Kind Regards
Nada Mahmoud

Editors response:
Dear Mrs. Nada,

such minor things could happen with an almost brand-new car, but fixing and exchanging them on the warranty does not take more 2-3 hours.

I do not think that fixing and doing the 10.000km service for your car will take more than 3-4 hours, but if it does then I am sure Renault Egypt will provide you with a courtesy car.

Since in the past Renault Egypt EIM have usually been very quick in fixing and responding to the customer complaints, I am confident that somebody from Renault will call you today for arranging and booking your appointment tomorrow Monday 09.12.2013, and that all your Fluence problems will be solved tomorrow in a quick and professional manner.

Keep us updated.

Regards,
Editor

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Sameh Tolba from Damietta - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Arabcom are the worst (Readers letter)
I have asked if they have rims suiting my car dimens and they have advised NO but they were preparing for a MOMO order.

One of their team contacted me and settled the deal and agreed on a model; he asked for downpayment and he preferred full payment to avoid price change due to exchange rate.

On the 2nd of July I have deposited the full amount and the guy fm Arabcom told me that delivery will be after a month.

Till now I have not recieved the rims and the sales guy and the FB page admin does not reply to my calls or messages!!!


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Amr from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Which one do you recommend? Fluence? Impreza? Elantra? Yaris? (Readers letter)
Dear editor,

Please rank the following cars for me to buy from. And if u think I should exclude one please let me. Also which one has the best after sales service and resale value:

- Renult Fluence
- Subaru Impreza
- Hyundai Elantra
- New Toyota Yaris sedan




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Ahmed magdy from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Passat 2011 old shape 7 - speed dsg (Readers letter)
Good morning

This is the first time to join this excellent site and i really enjoy reading all the comments that is written , please i need to ask 3 questions ,

1- if passat 2011 old shape 7- speed has a problem in its dsg transmition like 2009 & 2010 ? Or it is solved in this model ?
2- if the car didnt change dsg , after how many km i can say that its dsg will not be a problem ?
3- when could i change the dsg 7 speed oil ?

Your fast response is highly appretiated , thank you

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

most of the problems happened in the 2009, 2010 and 2013 models. Nevertheless there is no rule when or after how many kilometers the DSG-transmission problems arise. It depends on many factors, including weather heat, stop-and-go traffic as well as driving habbit.

You can change the oil when you feel that the transmission is not shifting smooth.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Amr Elewa from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: 7-seats family car! Peugeot 5008 or KIA Carens 2014? (Readers letter)
Hello Sir,

Firstly I would like to extend my appreciation for the refined and professional service and favor you provide!

To meet my family needs, I am considering a 7 seats car but my budget is far away to consider a Durango or the like.

Namely I am thinking of either Peugeot 5008 or Kia Carens 2014. I have a good experience with Kia agent as I already own a KIA Sportage though its suspension is stiff.

But I assume that Peugeot would be safer and more reliable ( being a Peugeot) , nonetheless I heard that the agent is not as competent, additionally the car resale will be an issue.

Please advise me on the pros and cons of each option and your recommendation.

Regards,

Amr



Editors response:
Dear Amr,

we test-drove the KIA Carens a few months ago in France, and I was very impressed by the quality, the stability, the options as well as the active and passive safety features of the Carens which included among others the live-saving Electronic Stability Program ESP.

Unfortunately KIA Egypt EIT was not able to send us a Carens test-car yet, so that we could test it on the Egyptian roads and see what options and safety features the Carens offered in Egypt .

The Peugeot 5008 is very spacious from the inside and a very safe car as it comes with ESP as a standard in Egypt. Regardless what the Peugeot dealer might have told you (or will tell you), I recommend that the Peugeot must use 95 octane in order to avoid mid- or long-term engine failure.

The Peugeot dealership has improved a little bit over the recent few months, but still has a long way ahead in order to be among the Top 10 dealers and service centers in Egypt.

As soon as we receive the KIA Carens test-car we will update this reader letter and update you with our final verdict during the next 10 days.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Shehab from Giza - El-Haram wrote:
Subject: Which The Best???? Mitsubishi Lancer or Chevrolet Cruze? (Readers letter)
Dear Editors Team,

Thanks For all Efforts in this Web Page!

kindly Pls tell me which is better: Lancer Shark Or Chevorlet Cruze

And pls give me your Suggest about this and tell me if any another alternative?

Thanks A lot

Editors response:
Dear Shehab,

if you are looking for a reliable and comfortable car from a good brand with a good service center and a good reputation in Egypt, then I recommend that you go for the new 2014 Nissan Tiida !

Kind regards,


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Ahmed Adly from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Recommendation New Audi A3 sedan? Same VW DSG problems? Volvo V40 & Mercedes A-Class (Readers letter)
Hellooo,

I m really glad to find such service and help!

Do you recommend buying the new Audi A3 sedan or there is any problems concerning the gear box and break system?

I own a Volkswagen Jetta 2012 and facing mild problems (vibration while shifting from D1 to D2 ) and do you think i will face major problems in the gear box in my Jetta ??

Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

First of all we are glad you like our reader service and recommendations.

Although the Audi A3 ‘Hatchback’ is known for having a very good sound insulation, we are not really sure about the Audi A3 ‘Sedan’ as we did not drive the Audi A3 Sedan yet, so we cannot really recommend it until we test it.

As for possible problems with the gear-box problems, there had been another recent DSG transmission recall from the Volkswagen group a few days, which might also affect some Audi models. You can check the latest three official recalls of Volkswagen (which involved almost 2 million different Volkswagen group units) on the front-page of our website.

Since you started having mild vibration already with your VW Jetta transmission, I assume that your two DSG clutches will need to be changed soon as part of the older Volkswagen recalls

Since we did not test the Audi A3 yet, I recommend you have a look at some other competitors of the Audi A3 which we have tested recently and which impressed us quite a lot, such as the Volvo V40, the Mercedes A-Class as well as the Mercedes B-Class.

We will forward your contact details to Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab and Mercedes Benz Egypt so that can get in touch with you and offer you a test-drive for the Volvo V40, the Mercedes A-Class and B-Class.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ahmed Said from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: VW Polo Hatchback 2013/2014 1400 cc 85 HP A7-DSG (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Sheta,

Regarding the Volkswagen Polo hatchback new shape 2013/2014 1400 cc 85 hp 7-DSG, what is your feedback about its acceleration in D1 & D2, comfortable in bumpy road, fuel consumption , air-condition, Stability in curves, strong brake or weak brake and in general advantage and disadvantage ?

What about its spare part prices?



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Ahmed Said from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Fiat Punto 2013/2014 (Grand Punto 1400 cc 77 HP A/T ) (Readers letter)
Dear Mr.Sheta,

What is your opinion for Fiat Punto (New Grand Punto 1400 cc 77 hp A/T) 2013/2014?
Is this stable car or not?
Is it reliable car?
Is it Comfortable car in bumpy roads?
In general what is the advantage and disadvantage?
What about resale value?
What about spare parts prices?



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Ahmed from Nasr city - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Recommendation needed (Readers letter)
Hello
I very delighted to find such service and help ,
I m just looking forward to buy the new audi a3 sedan 2014 , and i have been searching for any problems in audi a3 i didn t find something obvious except the gear box problems in vw ( i own 2012 jetta ),
So do you recommend buying the new audi a3 sedan ??


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Ahmed Mahfouz from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Cheapest car to buy - Nissan Sunny or Renault Logan or Brilliance? (Readers letter)
Hello,

Thanks for availing such a useful thread.

I need your advice about the cheapest automatic and convenient car that I could buy.

My budget is 100K or below taking into consideration that it will be solely used for commuting to work on a daily basis since I have to cut 70 KM daily.

I thought about :
1. Nissan Sunny old shape
2. Renault Logan

What do you suggest?

Best Regards
Ahmed Mahfouz


Editors response:
Dear Ahmed,

Thank you for your email. I am glad you like our readers letter section and find it useful.

I strongly recommend you stretch and increase your budget a little bit and consider the new Nissan Sunny instead of the old one. We test-drove the new Nissan Sunny recently and I liked the very good value-for-money it offers.

Besides, the space in leg-room on the back seats of the new Nissan Sunny are surely among the largest, if not THE largest, in its class. Also the engine and performance of the new Sunny are much better than in the old Sunny.

I also suggest you have a look at the Brilliance model range within your budget, especially since Bavarian Auto Group is known for its good and professional customer service, just like it is the case with Nissan Egypt.

We will forward your contact details to Nissan Egypt and Brilliance Bavarian Auto Group so that they can get in touch with you and offer you a test-drive, so that you drive the cars and chose the car you like most.

Good luck and keep us posted with your decision.

Kind regards,
Editor


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Ehab Gad from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Mercedes Egypt & GNA - Problems with my C180 (Readers letter)
Dear Mr. Tarek Fawzy,

I hope all is good, Regarding your last e mail dated Nov 14 2013 I am not happy with your final decision and the time you took to respond.

I am not looking for discounts, i would be very happy if you tell me what are the possible faults that i may have done to make me bear 40% of the cost plus labor hours for a lifetime vehicle electronic part that has failed after 50,000km in a MERCEDES BENZ, that was made in GERMANY not assembled in Egypt and regularly maintained at an authorized dealer from Mercedes Benz where is my input in the malfunction of this part.

From my understanding this part broke due to bad maintenance or manufacturing defect not bad usage, I should not pay anything

I would understand this kind of discount (60-40 or 30-70) should apply on parts that are rare to broke in low mileage vehicles but it is susceptible to bad usage like suspension parts, The part we are talking about got nothing to do with bad usage

I am surprised after all this delay you did not close this issue the way it should, and you want me to pay 40% of the part and 90% of labor

If i believe that i did something wrong that broke this part or I am talking about high mileage vehicle then i will pay 100% of its cost

I do not expect this from MERCEDES BENZ and i will not recommend to buy a Benz here in Egypt due to the bad maintenance.

please relpy as soon as possible to close this issue.


Thanks



From: tarek fawzy
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 10:33 AM
To: gad ehab
Cc: readers letter
Subject: Your Mercedes-Benz C180

Dear Mr. Ehab,

Thank you for your e-mail dated 24 October addressed to our HQ regarding your Mercedes-Benz C180 and your mail dated 13 November addressed to Auto Arabia .

Mercedes-Benz Egypt and its authorized service centers are always keen for maximum customer satisfaction, So please accept our apology for any delay or miscommunication.

To maintain your satisfaction Mercedes-Benz Egypt and GNA management had decided to offer you 60% discount on the SAM price and 10% discount on the labor.

We hope that we could reach your satisfaction.

Please contact your authorized service center GNA for final settlement and coordination.

Thank you and have a nice day.
Tarek Fawzy
CRM
Mercedes-Benz Egypt




Editors response:
Dear Mr. Ehab Gad,

we have received the update on your case, and will forward it to the Mercedes management in order to have a closer look at your case and find a satisfying solution for all parties.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Ahmed from cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Renault Fluence - luxury & powerful (Readers letter)
Dear All,

I have bought the new renault fluence 2014 and i want to say it is very powerful have all kind of luxury driving it is a real amusement very nice car .

But I hope the agent take care that many official suppliers as el sabaa automotive intend to sell the car with over price about 5 thousands other wise you have to wait 3 months to receive your car, I am afraid that may cause to destroy the selling of this car as also there is a big computation with corolla 2014 .

I hope that EIM take care from that other wise it will kill the success of this model over the past 3 years.

Regards,
Dr. Ahmed


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amin a rahman from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Can you recommend 92 Octane for KIA Sportage 1600? (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,
Can you recommend 92 Octane fuel for the Kia Sortage 2014 (1600cc)?

Editors response:
Dear Amin,

we have not received a KIA Sportage test-car yet and therefore cannot tell you any practical recommendation yet.

As soon as we receive the Sportage test-car, we will get back to you.

Kind regards,
Editor

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Marwa from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Car confusion - Nissan Qashqai or Juke or Hyundai ix35? (Readers letter)
Hello..

I am considering purchasing a new car and the Nissan Qashqai caught my attention though i think its too big for my needs ... So how about the Juke?

Some friends told me that its not safe on highways such as desert Roads outside of Cairo (to Sahel or Upper Egypt)

I am also willing to consider other options like the Hyundai ix35

Though i am a bit concerned with a 1.6 for such car size.

Plz advise.... Thank you

Editors response:
Dear Marwa,

first of all I recommend that you do not even consider the Hyundai ix35 in your possible purchase decision, mainly due to the unprofessional and incompetent management and customer service of Hyundai Egypt Ghabbour.

Both the Nissan Qashqai and the Nissan Juke are very good options.

The Nissan Juke is the even better option as it comes with the live-saving Electronic Stability Program ESP. You can read the complete Juke review and test-drive here: http://www.autoarabia.org/articles/1229/Compact%20SUV%20&%20Crossover%20review%20series:%20The%20Nissan%20Juke%201.6

The Nissan Juke is one of the safest cars in its category because of its ESP, so what your friends told you is not correct.

My personal recommendation: Go for the Nissan Juke!

Kind regards,
Editor


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Ehab Gad from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Mercedes Egypt not responding to my C180-complaint (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I sent the below complaint 4 days ago (10.11.2013) and I did not hear anything till now from Mercedes Benz!!! Is this normal ???!!!


Ehab Gad from Cairo - Egypt wrote:

Subject: Complaint about Mercedes Benz Egypt ! My Mercedes C180 ! (Readers letter)
I sent the below complaint on the 24th of Oct on the official Benz site and i did not have a solution up till now.

after i had a funny and unproffesional reply in the maintenance center which was (we will send to germany to have a goodwill ), Germany replied: you will have a goodwill on the switch but not the sam!

do these words make any sense?

i physically use the switch i do not even see that sam! they changed the switch and the problem still exists !

by the way the switch costs 1000le and the sam costs 20,000le

if its about maintenance I do all the maintenence at the official Mercedes Benz service center. they can get back to the records ! so, did I break the sam due to bad maintenence????

please tell me the best way to use the sam ???

Those are the details Mercedes asked me to send to them when I filed my first complaint on their official website:

Country: egypt
Dealer name: giza national automotive
Dealer representative: reception eng.
Vehicle: Mercedes C180
Model year: 2009
Purchase date: 2009
Plate number: 2421
Chassis number: 289368
Complaint type: Component failure

Complaint details:

dear sirs,
I have a problem with my car that every time to ignite the car I have to connect the battery to external power supply. what I have been told in the maintenance center I have to change (switch & sam) & they cost almost egp 25.000 !!!

I bought this expensive car while I had the chance to buy much cheaper even bigger more powerful cars because i am buying a brand !!!

i am buying a benz to avoid this hassle of components failure.

regardless the high maintenance cost it is unacceptable to ask a Mercedes benz customer to bare the cost of a main electrical component in a 60,000KM vehicle

please I need a prompt solution because it is very annoying to pop the hood and connect cables every time I need to start the car

this component I should not bare its cost as it is a life time component in all other brands!

thanks


Editors response:
Dear Ihab,

we will forward your complaint to Mercedes Benz Egypt and I assume they will get in touch with you during the next few hours to solve your annoying problem.

Of course the cost of such an electric control unit should be covered completely by the Mercedes dealership, even if your car had more than 100.000 km on its clock.

I also assume that Mercedes Benz Egypt will provide you with a courtesy car until your problem is solved as part of their recently improved customer care policy, especially since you did all the service of your car at the official Mercedes Benz dealership,

Did this problem appear by itself or did it happen after a service visit at the service center?

Keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Editors response:
Dear Ehab,

no, this is not normal. Usually Mercedes Benz Egypt gets in touch with their customers within 24 hours after receiving their complaints.

We will forward your complaint again and I assume somebody from Mercedes Benz Egypt will get in touch with you today.

Keep us posted.

Regards,
Editor

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Yahya El-Sheemy from Damanhur - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint Renault Egypt - Logan problems - طلب توضيح عن تغيير طارة اللوجان في الضمان (Readers letter)
السلام عليكم

دلوقتي توكيل رينو بيغير طارات اللوجان الهاف أوبشنز و في ناس بتقول الفول أوبشنز كمان
في الضمان موديلات من أول 2010 لغاية 2012 تقريبا عشان فيها عيب في الصناعة ( إنها بتقشر و إن المشرشر بتاعها فيه مشكلة و ممكن يتسبب في حوادث ) و عشان الشكل الجمالي (مش عارف ده معناه ان شكلها حيتغير و لا إيه !! )
بس بيغيرها لناس و ناس
يعني الناس اللي يوصلهم sms بيغيروها , اللي ما بيوصلوش ما بيغيرش
مع العلم ان في ناس غيروها و طارتهم مفيهاش خربوش أصلا و من غير sms و لا حاجه , كان بيعمل صيانة عادية و قالوله حنغيرهالك بالمرة
و 16202 مش عارفين بيقولو اللي جاتله رسالة يغير اللي ما جاتلوش ما يغيرش
المفروض ان العيب ده في العربيات كلها و خصوصا 2010 و 2011 , طب ع أساس إيه بقى بيغير أو ما بيغيرش و بعدين التغيير ده بيبقى من غير الكشف ع العربية , فهي أرقام شاسيهات مثلا و لو كده ما الطارة واحده في كل العربيات الهاف اوبشنز و خصوصا ال 2010 و ال 2011 , و لا لمجرد ان وصلت sms لصاحب العربية , و لا كل واحد و حظه ؟!!!

من الناس اللي وصلتلهم رسايل موديلات 2010 و 2011 و 2012 هاف أوبشنز

فكنا عايزين توضيح من التوكيل ع الموضوع ده عشان محدش فاهم
عشان ردهم بيبقى جتلك رسالة فتيجي تغيرها , مجتلكش ما تجيش طب حتغير ليه أو ما تغيرش ليه و لا حد يعرف
و شكرا

Editors response:
Dear Yahya,

we will forward your complaint regarding the exchange of the Renault Logan steering wheel to the management of Renault Egypt EIM, and will ask them for a clarification.

Regards,
Editor
(12.11.2013)


Official Reply from Renault Egypt EIM (14.11.2013):

تحية طيبة و بعد،

بخصوص الموضوع أعلاه اود أولاً ان اشكر سيادتكم على هذه الرسلة و على اهتمامكم بالموضوع. و فيمايلي الحقائق و المعلومات الخاصة بهذا الموضوع:

1 – تم البدأ في بيع طرازات لوجان بمختلف أنواعها (سيدان و هاتشباك و أم سي في و داستر) بداية من العام 2009 .
2 – بنهاية عام 2011 قامت الشركة المصرية العالمية للسيارات بإخطار شركة رينو بتكرار شكاوى من العملاء بحدوث تقشير في طارة الدريكسيون و بخاصة الطارة التي بدون ايرباج و التي تخص مستوى التجهيز الأول في كل الطرازات
3 – و بعد عام من الفحص و المفاوضات توصلت الشركة المصرية العالمية للسيارات إلى اتفاق خاص مع رينو بتغيير جميع طارات الدريكسيون لمستوى التجهيز الأول لكل الطرازات سواء كانت بها تقشير أو لا يوجد بها تقشير و سواء كانت السيارة في الضمان أو خارج الضمان.
4 – و منذ بداية العام اخطرت شركة رينو جميع العملاء الموجود بيانتهم لدينا بالحضور لتغيير الطارة و بالفعل تم التغيير لبعض العملاء و من الجدير بالذكر أن طرازات لوجان هي طرازات منتشرة جداً و يتم بيعها لقسم كبير من العملاء بواسطة معارض غير معتمدة مما يجعل الحصول على بيانات جميع العملاء أمر في غاية الصعوبة، و هو ما نعمل على تصحيحه منذ بداية العام الجاري.

أما فيما يخص أن الكول سنتر لم يستطع الرد بحرفية على استفسارات العملاء أو ان المعلومات الموجودة لديهم متضاربة أو غير وافية ، فقد تم التعامل مع هذه الملحوظة و إرسال كافة البيانات للكول سنتر لضمان الرد على كل الإستفسارات بمنتهى الدقة.
و الشركة يوجد لديها قائمة بجميع أرقام الشاسيهات التي سيتم تغيير طارة الدريكسيون بها وسيتم إرسالها للكول سنتر لتسهيل الرد على استفسارات العملاء.



Sherif Al Alem
DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER
Egyptian International Motors (EIM) - RENAULT


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Ehab Gad from cairo - egypt wrote:
Subject: Complaint about Mercedes Benz Egypt ! My Mercedes C180 ! (Readers letter)
I sent the below complaint on the 24th of Oct on the official Benz site and i did not have a solution up till now.

after i had a funny and unproffesional reply in the maintenance center which was (we will send to germany to have a goodwill ), Germany replied: you will have a goodwill on the switch but not the sam!

do these words make any sense?

i physically use the switch i do not even see that sam! they changed the switch and the problem still exists !

by the way the switch costs 1000le and the sam costs 20,000le

if its about maintenance I do all the maintenence at the official Mercedes Benz service center. they can get back to the records ! so, did I break the sam due to bad maintenence????

please tell me the best way to use the sam ???

Those are the details Mercedes asked me to send to them when I filed my first complaint on their official website:

Country: egypt
Dealer name: giza national automotive
Dealer representative: reception eng.
Vehicle: Mercedes C180
Model year: 2009
Purchase date: 2009
Plate number: 2421
Chassis number: 289368
Complaint type: Component failure

Complaint details:

dear sirs,
I have a problem with my car that every time to ignite the car I have to connect the battery to external power supply. what I have been told in the maintenance center I have to change (switch & sam) & they cost almost egp 25.000 !!!

I bought this expensive car while I had the chance to buy much cheaper even bigger more powerful cars because i am buying a brand !!!

i am buying a benz to avoid this hassle of components failure.

regardless the high maintenance cost it is unacceptable to ask a Mercedes benz customer to bare the cost of a main electrical component in a 60,000KM vehicle

please I need a prompt solution because it is very annoying to pop the hood and connect cables every time I need to start the car

this component I should not bare its cost as it is a life time component in all other brands!

thanks


Editors response:
Dear Ihab,

we will forward your complaint to Mercedes Benz Egypt and I assume they will get in touch with you during the next few hours to solve your annoying problem.

Of course the cost of such an electric control unit should be covered completely by the Mercedes dealership, even if your car had more than 100.000 km on its clock.

I also assume that Mercedes Benz Egypt will provide you with a courtesy car until your problem is solved as part of their recently improved customer care policy, especially since you did all the service of your car at the official Mercedes Benz dealership,

Did this problem appear by itself or did it happen after a service visit at the service center?

Keep us updated with your case.

Regards,
Editor


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Perihan from Cairo - Egypt wrote:
Subject: Opel Insignia vs Volkswagen Passat 2014 vs Skoda Superb? Volvo S80 & Mercedes B200! (Readers letter)
Dear Sir,

I need your advice of which is better to buy the new Opel Insignia or VW Passat or Skoda Superb . I need a strong comfortable reliable car as I drive to work around 80 kilometer daily downtown and I also have 2 young children so the car must be practical and quite large.

I thought about the Chevrolet Captiva 2014 as it is a large SUV, 7 seats and quite good family car , but I see from your comments that its is not recommended.

My budget is around 250000 till 280000 LE.

Can you please give me some guideness as I am totally confused and need an expert advice.

Thank you in advance




Editors response:
Dear Perihan,

yes, you are right I do not recommend the Chevrolet Captiva in your case as you have much better alternative cars equipped with the live-saving Electronic Stability Program ESP within your budget.

The Opel Insignia and the VW Passat are surely good cars, but the problem is the very bad customer service and reputation as well as the incompetent management of both Volkswagen & SEAT Egypt (Egyptian Automotive Company) and Opel Egypt Mansour Chevrolet & General Motors Egypt.

The Skoda Superb and the Skoda Yeti are very good and very safe cars. Definitely recommendable in case you do not mind manual transmission.

If you can stretch your budget a little bit more than I strongly recommend you check out the Volvo S80 and the V40 at Volvo Egypt Ezz El Arab.

Especially the Volvo S80 is extremely impressive and offers a much better value-for-money than its competitors from Mercedes and BMW. Volvo also has the face-lifted S60 in its model range, but we did not test it yet.

We test-drove the Volvo V40 in Verona (Italy), in Dubai as well as in Cairo and this car can easily be considered the safest one in its class.

Another interesting, safe and comfortable family car within your budget is the Mercedes B200, which is also very fuel-efficient due to its 7G-automatic transmission.

We will forward your contact details to Volvo Ezz El Arab, Mercedes Benz Egypt and Skoda Egypt so that they can get in touch with you for test-driving the Volvo S80, Volvo V40, Mercedes B-Class, Skoda Superb and the Skoda Yeti. At the end you chose the one you felt most comfortable with.

I personally would probably go for the Volvo S80 in your case.

Good luck & enjoy your new car!

Regards,
Editor

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Sara Hazem from 6th october - Egypt wrote:
Subject: SEAT Egypt Kayan - The Worst Service Center Experience (Readers letter)
Dear Autoarabia,

I already sent you before my problem with my Seat Leon and the service center (KAYAN Egypt for Trading & investment ), and how they wanted to charge me for a manufacturing problem that i totally have nothing to do with, and i was so thankful for the concern of Autoarabia and for following up regarding my case.

However, what shocked me was the SEAT Egypt Service Center irresponsible act towards my case.

The car was delivered to their place on the 16th of September and till now i have no response whatsoever on how this case will end!!!

It has been over a month and a half and i am suffering from the complications of not having my car, as my whole life depends on it !!!!

What is even worse is that the SEAT Egypt service center gives me no clue about what needs to be done or when I will take it back !!! All I hear from them is that: We will consider the case, and thanks for your patience!

What kind of customer service center is that, if their customers are not on their priority list ??!!!





Editors response:
Dear Sara,

I am really surprised by the irresponsible and unprofessional way of how SEAT Egypt is handling your case.

I am even more surprised by the unprofessional and incompetent reply of the SEAT Egypt brand manager Noha El Milligy to your first complaint.

It seems that Kayan & Egyptian Automotive Company is totally overstrained by the new SEAT dealership and that it was a wrong decision by SEAT Spain to hand them over this traditional brand, as they are jeopardizing its brand reputation and image more than it was already suffering.

We will forward your complaint to SEAT Spain again and will urge them to finish your car as soon as possible. If every SEAT problem will take 2 months to be solved, then nobody should buy any SEAT cars anymore !

Regards,
Editor

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