Hopefully unbiased help for independent engineers

Observations on Video Evidence and Business Impact

1. Video Evidence of Door Locking Faults

Video recordings were made immediately prior to the vehicle being removed by VWFS. These demonstrate the erratic and unpredictable behaviour of the central locking system, which had by that stage rendered the vehicle unreliable and impractical to operate.

The recordings show repeated attempts to replicate the random locking failures.
The severity of the fault had progressed to the point where the vehicle could no longer be used with confidence.

2. Business Impact, Chauffeur Operations

The locking mechanism fault made the vehicle unsuitable for use in a professional chauffeur business, where reliability and safety are paramount:

Access Reliability: The unpredictability of the locks meant consistent entry into the vehicle could not be assured.
Safety Risks: The fault created the risk of both driver and passengers being inadvertently locked inside the vehicle.
Professional Standards: Such unreliability undermined the professionalism required in chauffeur services, where clients expect safe, seamless, and dependable transport.

3. Conclusion

The central locking fault not only compromised the functionality of the vehicle but also had a significant adverse effect on the business operations it was purchased to support. The video evidence clearly illustrates the deterioration of the fault to a stage where the vehicle could no longer perform its intended role, resulting in both financial loss and reputational risk to the chauffeur business.

Engineer’s Note

Vehicle Access and Central Locking System Fault

VW Finance has requested that the vehicle be inspected to determine whether reported faults remain present. At present, the vehicle cannot be started due to the failure of the hybrid alternator for a second time, which in turn caused the battery to become irreparably damaged. Consequently, the vehicle will require either a temporary 12V car battery or an alternative suitable power source to enable any inspection.

The primary fault under consideration is the central locking system. Evidence suggests that this fault was present at the time of purchase and persisted despite multiple repair attempts carried out by Cheshire Oaks Audi. Ultimately, the fault contributed to the vehicle becoming unviable for further use.

A video record has been provided which demonstrates the behaviour of the locking system. This footage was taken after the alternator failure, using a temporary 12V battery to power the vehicle. In the video, the doors can be observed locking and unlocking repeatedly and erratically without any user input.

The purpose of this material is to illustrate the fault for assessment. It is accepted that replicating the issue in real time may present difficulties. For that reason, prior attempts were made to capture the fault on video as evidence to assist all parties.