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RUM4MO wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 10:37 am @shiggy, you can't always relate condenser damage to distance travelled in so may many miles, if it is that it could just be down to bad luck on your part, a few yards/metres could be enough while 4K miles/kilometres or much more might end up with no condenser damage.

Edit:- I went into a tyre depot once to get a very slow puncture repaired, after leaving there I had a completely flat tyre within 200 yards, that annoyed me a lot, but I eventually accepted that it could be or was just bad luck.

That's not bad luck. They'll have littered the area surrounding the tyre depot with carpet tacks for repeat business!

Years ago my dad had 2 punctures on one journey. First puncture saw the spare get put on. 2nd puncture had to call the AA out. AA guy didn't believe that my dad had just had a puncture on the same long journey, towed my dad's car to a tyre place and made sure he bought 2 tyres before heading off to the next call.

shiggy wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:14 pm never knew stones did damage to cars so thanks for the clarification.

You’re welcome. Sarcasm isn’t really called for IMO when I’ve posted with the best of intentions to point out that it is possible for a stone to get past the lower grille and damage the air con condenser as it’s happened to other owners. You might not like it, but that’s the way it is.

There’s always a risk of incurring unexpected repair costs that might not be covered under warranty - e.g. parking dents and dings, windscreen damage, tyre damage and self inflicted kerbing damage to wheels. It’s just one of the consequences of owning and driving a car.

^ I do think that this happens far too often across the VAG range to just shrug your shoulders rather than scream "DESIGN FAULT!". A bit of fine mesh behind the grille would cut the likelihood right down and not impede air flow.

The new A1's grille is so full of large holes, the likelihood of a stone hitting the grille rather than go beyond it must be pretty low.

look at the front grille on a Polo GTI set against the location of the condensor...

particularly where the supposed damage is on my car, its not feasible for a stone. The GTI badge would be snapped in half.

shiggy wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 12:43 pm look at the front grille on a Polo GTI set against the location of the condensor...

particularly where the supposed damage is on my car, its not feasible for a stone. The GTI badge would be snapped in half.

Unless they can show you impact damage on the failed condensor corresponding to a stone, theydhould be fixing it.