svennard

Hi

Rather disapointed today.

My ST06 UK Spec D was booked in to have the PPP fitted tomorrow at my local dealership. (it's been booked for a week)

I've just had a call from the dealership to say that they've got to cancel as there is a delay with the PPP ECU.

The dealership is now saying about 10 days delay - but even then they're not sure!?

Anybody else having a problem with getting the PPP?

I don't think it's very good of the dealership to contact me the day (late afternoon) before the fitting day when it's been booked a week.

I booked leave especially for this and I don't think a few hours notice is good enough at all.

I have requested a response from Mike at Prodrive, as I'm not convinced that Prodrive is the cause of the delay - I haven't had a great service from the dealership so far;

They don't return phone calls
The car came back from the 1K service dirty, yet it went in clean
The staff are generally miserable and make you feel like the're doing you a favour when in fact, we're keeping them in a job!

Thoughts anyone?

Svennard

scoobycar60

Think yourself lucky, I waited 6 months for one on my old 2001 WRX from new so it seems nothing changes...

Jza

Wey hay!!!

Good old Prodrive/IM. I too had a MY01 WRX.. ordered PPP im March 2001... got it fitted Sept 2001....

5 years to get it right and they still **** up LOL

Awaiting comments from Mike Wood to say "its not Prodrives fault" ......LOL

Jza

svennard

Well yes..awaiting comment from Prodrive...

I hope the response will be along the lines of resolving this in the next few days;

Someone has got it wrong - it's been booked a week - the dealership gave me the date - then they ring me at the end of the day before its due to be fitted, to say another 10 days, at least..

Either the dealership has got it wrong, or Prodrive have.

Either way, I've booked leave for this and it ain't happening - Dunno about anyone else, but I have to pre-book leave and I can't just change my mind at the last minute;

Apparently the Subaru garage can!!

How about a discount for being messed around..?

I don't mind waiting three weeks - but I need to know its gonna be three weeks - not a week, leave booked, then cancelled for about another 10 days

If I book leave when the dealership re-book me, what happens if it falls through again?

Its just not good enough!

Whether it's Prodrive's fault or not, I would hope that Prodrive would be able to assist in resolving this, given that it is a Prodrive product and the small matter of £1700 quid that I'm trying to pass their way...!

bluenosewrx

iTrader: (2)

Can you not just drop it off and get a courtesy car for the time it is in for????

Know its not your fault but that seems like a soloution.

Mac

svennard

Courtesy Car? - a whole new ball game.

I've just got rid of a 03 VW golf which I had from new - so many problems trying to get a courtesy car for servicing and alike, stopped bothering.

I work about 1hr 45mins from my local dealer, so its always gonna be difficult, hence booking the day off.

Thanks for your comment, but it's not really the point.

If I'm given a firm date in advance, I expect to find that everything has been cleared away and in order. That's how it works in business, but apparently car dealerships are exempt.

I know there are delays from time to time but;

10 days delay, only coming to light the day before fitting? - sorry, not good enough in my opinion.

We're not talking an odd day's delay - we're talking nearly two weeks - and the garage only knew at 4pm today?

Don't think so..

Zip Boing Arial Whoop

Welcome to Impreza ownership. List of things to expect.
1) 1000 miles PPP won't arrive
2) 2000 miles Rear struts will start knocking. another day in the dealers
3) 3000 miles Subaru bring out next model, Your car instalntly loses £6k in depreciation
4) 4000 - 10000 miles Quiet time.. enjoy
5) 10000 1st service another day in the garage
6) 10001 Struts start knocking again on the way home.
7) 15000 miles. Swear never to go on Scooby net again cause now you want to start modding the car.
8) 16000 end of 1st year of ownership. Try to explain to 100 insyurance companys what a PPP is (if its turned up)
9) 17000 miles .The next model is now in the showroom which you have seen cause the struts have been changed again.
10) 17500 Buy a Diesel or something

By the way I.m on my 3rd impreza so its not all bad really.

Missed out the times its at the dealers due to thefts and car jacking as you must expect this anyway.

svennard

thanks mate!!!

And whats the bad news?

sjp63

Ordered my PPP - they said it would be 10-14 days and it turned up after 3 days!

MY06 WRX though

scoobyboy

some people are never happy

bluenosewrx

iTrader: (2)

Dont see why you could not get a courtesy car, i had one at nearly every service and mine was a EU import.i also had to travel.

Yes you have been treated badly and that is not on, why don't you just cancel the order and find a better dealer???, let us know where roughly you live and i am sure someone on here will help you out with a decent service.

Mac

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

MY98/99 PPP originally was only available fitted by Prodrive and not a dealer fitment...........later became a choice. IIRC cost £100 extra + you supplied fuel and lose the car for 3 days.

You never know, the new 2.5STi might be done in a simular way More of a custom map than of the Peg map

Tony

svennard

thanks for your comments guys

I know what you're saying about the courtesy car - but like I said, thats not the point really. I could book a courtesy car for next time - but it doesn't really help if the PPP doesn't come happen to come through in ten days or so. I'll be waiting again, and inconvienenced further.

It isn't brain surgery: -

I ring the dealers to order the PPP;

The dealer contacts Prodrive to check for availability of the PPP;

Availability confirmed, the dealer rings me back with an install date;

I agree;

The Dealer has a week to receive all the parts from prodrive in time for their agreed install date;

The dealer calls me at 4pm the day before to tell me that there is at least a 10 day delay;

I'm confused?!?

Where has the ten days delay appeared from - it wasn't there last week when I ordered.


I know that Prodrive don't offer a fitting service - it must be done through a dealer - I've had that from the 'horse's mouth', shall we say.

Prodrive is the only realistic way for me, as I want to stay within warranty conditions.

I may consider using a different dealership, but I'll wait for a response from Prodrive first - If the problem is their end, then going to another dealership won't necessarily solve the problem.

Dunno what it is - age I reckon, but everytime I get let down by someone not doing their job, it racks me off, more and more each time - not just cars -generally!!

I've been in touch with Prodrive so I'm hoping for a definative answer tomorrow......

Neil W

I ordered my PPP (MY06 Sti) when I ordered the car.

I wanted it fitted at 1k service which eventually it was but in the 4 weeks it took me to add 1k to the car I was told that there was no news on the PPP.

I think mine arrived just a few days prior to the service so turned out OK in the end.

I believe the issue is the dealerships not returning the ECU's back to Prodive in a timely manner. My dealer had PPP'd few WRX's but I was the first Sti so maybe there are more WRX's being PPP'd than Sti's.

Zip Boing Arial Whoop

Just except that not everybody is perfect. At least they phoned you and you didn't drive to the dealer to be told its not there.

Things do happen at the last minute. Lets face it, it ain't going to kill you to wait a few more days and your boss should understand that sometimes things out of your control mean you have to cancel your holiday at the last minute.
Unless your a brain surgeon and had to cancel a life saving op to get your PPP fitted I am sure changing your day off won't cause you to lose your job (unless they want a excuse to sack you due to overreacting at every crisis!!).

Buy a stress ball. Have a day at home watch dirty movies for the day, CHILL OUT, its a day off work and a bit of extra horsepower for your car.

Smile, Smile Smile.....

But the way what dealer is it. As you live in Worcestershire if its Showells they are owned by International Motors so shouting loud propably won't get you anywhere.

Jza

LOL - particularly 3)

urban

iTrader: (1)

Tis...we'll sort of. The ECU is the brain in this case

Dealers dont ring Prodrive for availability as far as I was aware.
All PPP's come from Subaru UK to the dealer.

Way back when the STI's first came out in the UK, there was a similar delay in getting PPP's, but this was because Subaru UK were holding back shipment because original ECU's were not getting returned quickly enough by dealers.

I'd suggest talking to Subaru first. Thats who you're really buying the PPP from, not Prodrive.

Shaun

svennard

thanks Urban

Might make a call to Subaru UK - But I will await a response from Prodrive - Ultimately, its their product that's not be supplied properly.

The return of the ECU seems a strange one - they can't remove the original ECU from the car until it's actually in to have the PPP ECU fitted so its not humanly possible to return the original ECU earlier, is it?

oh well

SivMY05Sti

They used this excuse on my 03 WRX - you would have thought they had this sorted by now......you can get stuff from Japan in 10 days for gods sake


Go to Carstins in Balsall Common - good service and a well cleaned car when you pick it up

svennard

Plot thickens...

Spoke with Subaru UK

They need a generic STI06 ECU so they can program it and return it for fitting on my car.

This works fine if there is always a spare STi ECU at the dealership - the spare re-programmed ECU goes in my car, and mine becomes the spare for the next PPP etc.

However, If the dealership haven't got a spare STi ECU, they need to take my ECU out, send it to Subaru UK for re-programming, and then re-fit it in my car.

This can mean that the car could be off the road for about three days.

However, Subaru UK say that the dealership is more than welcome to pop the ECU up to them, they will re-program there and then, give them the other PPP components and I can have the car back in the same day.

They reckon that my Dealership do this quite frequently.

I'm now going to ring the dealership and ask why they aren't prepared to do this, and why they say the delay is due to 'ECU problems' when in fact thats not the case at all - they can get it done in a day.!!

To that end, there no reason why they had to cancel my booking for today, and secondly, why tell me that there's going to be at least ten days delay? - are they expecting a spare STI ECU to turn up, or is it that they just can't be bothered to pop 30mins up the road to Subaru UK?

SivMY05Sti

Surely Prodrive get a few spare ECU's from Subaru to get the ball rolling ?? Sounds a bit daft to me.......

svennard

The re-programming is done at Subaru UK in West Bromwich. I assume they've had problems getting ECU's from the dealerships, so have probably said - you send or bring up the ECU, we'll do the work and you can have it back - not unreasonable.

mikepaul

Cure for 3

Drink excessively, convince yourself your model is a classic and every model that superceeds it is crap.

To ensure this state of "mine's a classic and lightweight", who needs more BHP and Torque and better handling, you may need to take some form of helogenic drugs also.

svennard

Well I'm amazed but after banging a few tables it's sorted and the PPP is being fitted as we speak;

After speaking with Subaru UK I was livid, so I decided to go to the dealership to demand some answers;

I arrived at 12pm today and told them that I'd spoken with Subaru UK and that the information they (the dealership) had given me was completely contary to what Subaru Uk were saying.

I told them that there was no ECU delay as such, as the dealer had suggested, and that Subaru UK were more than happy for the dealer to pop up the M5 to Subaru UK and they would re-map the ECU there and then. In fact, they said that my dealer regularly did this.

Subaru UK also said that worst scenario - i.e. not being close enough for a visit to Subaru UK, any UK dealer should only need the car for 3 days - time to post the ECU, have it re-mapped and posted back.

All the reports of delays on PPP - a myth it would seem if you talk to Subaru UK..All they need is a spare appropriate ECU (WRX or STI), or failing that, your actual ECU and you can have the car back on the road in max 3 days.

There is no delay or problems getting the other PPP components at all, but Subaru UK won't release them until they have re-mapped the ECU.


I asked dealership why, in view of this, they cancelled my booking and couldn't even give me a new date..They didn't have an answer.

I then asked the dealer to get someone to go up to Subaru UK now (today) with my ECU, and have the car back to me today as planned - they said that no one was available - however I had a card up my sleeve...

(I'd already asked Subaru UK if it was okay for me to visit and sort out the ECU and parts - they said yes, subject to authorisation from the dealer)

I told the dealer this, and that in highlight of my wasted day's leave, they should let me collect the parts, and in return agree to fit by the end of the day - relcutantly, they agreed.

I got the dealership to remove the ECU (1pm) and I've just been up to Subaru UK in my wife's car - I've had the ECU re-mapped, picked up the exhaust,cat, and fuel pump.

I delivered the parts back to the dealer at 2.30pm

The dealer is fitting the parts now and I'm collecting it at 4.30pm today.


Now how difficult was that?

The moral of the story - don't take no for an answer. Unless there is a really really good reason.

A few phone calls, a bit of leg work on my behalf, and I'll have my PPP today as planned, instead of ....who knows when??

Finally;

It's worth pointing out that none of this was Prodrive's fault - everything that was needed to get my PPP fitted was ready and waiting at Subaru UK - all the Prodrive parts, and the equipment to re-map the ECU.

Mike Wood for Prodrive has been very helpful and has been in contact with Subaru UK today to try and help, but ultimately, if you get a Dealership that isn't that bothered in helping the customer, there seems little Prodrive or Subaru UK can do.

I mentioned earlier in my posts that I'd only had the car four weeks, but already have reservations about the Dealership - not returning calls, car being more dirty than when it went in on 1k service.

I'm not into naming and shaming at this point, but I'll closely monitor them over the next few months and if it doesn't improve, they will get named, shamed, complaints made and dealership avoided.


Svennard

badgersport

Forcing dealers to remove the ECU from customer's cars and send them to Subaru UK leaving the customer without a car for at least 3 days is hardly what I'd call good customer service.

Nice to see you got to the bottom of it and found the true story.

[Davey]

Who actually provides the ECU iteself, I'd guess pro-drive have to source a standard ECU first?

When I've delt with prodrive in the past (for non-subaru stuff) they have been nothing but prompt and helpful.

svennard: Your only down the road from Prodrive (banbury) couldnt you have taken it there?

svennard

5pm - Just picked up the car with PPP fitted - Wow - massive difference in low down torque and lovely sound now. Notice the torque just through town traffic

Getting a bit of torque steer now, whereas not noticeable before so must be a lot more power - I'll wait til the traffic dies down a bit and go out for a decent run - Just the sound though..

Worth battling with the dealership

Davey

The ECU is either a generic spare at the dealership, or as in my case, my original ECU, re-mapped to Prodrive's Specification by Subaru UK at West Bromwich - Prodrive don't have any direct input at this point.

And just to confirm, you cannot go to Prodrive, Banbury and get PPP fitted They do not offer a supply or fitting service- it is a dealer order and fit only (parts and re-map provided by Prodrive, via Subaru UK, fitting service via your local dealership - Mike Wood has confirmed this.

bluenosewrx

iTrader: (2)

Glad you got a result mate, ditch the dealer in my opinion, they were obviously trying it on and were not banking on you fighting it,WELL DONE.

Mac

GaryCat

I hope your dealer reinbursed you for the mileage to Brum and back.

G00ner

Deffo vote with your feet, nothing worse than a dealer that will lie to you in order to cover up their incompetence.

I was kept waitng for 6 months on my 02 STi, I very nearly told the dealer to shove it and had a ScoobySport remap and decat instead.

Fortunately Mike Wood pm'ed me and said he had spoken to my dealer and to expect a call very soon, I was called the next day to say the parts were in stock. It's not his fault, but he still took the time and effort to sort it out, he's a good man.