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Subject:Re: Just Curious
From:Kim Brennan
Date:Sat, 19 Feb 2005 00:05:02 -0500

My local VW dealer (Stohlman VW/Subaru in Tyson's Corner Virginia) used
a Vanagon as their customer shuttle up until about 5 years ago. Then
they switched to a Eurovan. I believe they still use that Eurovan.

I think the switch to the Eurovan occurred around the same time their
good Vanagon mechanic (Ricky?) switched to being a shop manager. Some
russian became the vanagon mechanic. A year or two after that, I
stopped using them for service on my Vanagon.

Of course their labor rates also went from $45 an hour to $85-90 an
hour, and getting service used to consist of dropping it off the night
before, now I'd have to schedule it 2-3 weeks ahead of time. (note this
is also >AFTER< they expanded their service bay.) Service now would
ALWAYS take a minimum of 3 days (1 day to diagnose problem and order
parts, and 2 days to wait for the parts to get there and get
installed.) Complete uneconomical to use them for service under those
circumstances.