Please help? I'm getting the runaround and am about to lose it. My '02 A4 quattro's clutch suddenly went out going from 2nd to 3rd gear while going over a large bridge during rush hour. My mileage is 20K. (No, I don't ride the clutch nor drive like a maniac, although I do live in a very hilly area. I've driven manual transmissions for 25 years (VW bug, VW Golf, MG, Opel GT, Mazda RX-7, Jeep and a Dodge Stealth) with no problem.). I was on a bridge when it happened and the gears just froze up. I'd thought I'd felt a very slight slipping of the clutch the previous day, but my husband checked and said he didn't feel anything.
Anyway, the car was flatbed-towed to the nearest Audi dealer. At first I was told it would be covered by warranty. Then I was told I needed a new transmission and it would be covered by warranty, too. Then I was told that because the interior is less than pristine (I have 4 kids and a small catering business), they'd decided to take another look and their field rep decided that neither it nor the clutch would be covered by warranty because of "...negligence, though we're not saying you were negligent." They took me back to the service area and showed me a worn clutch. I asked to see the transmission and they said it wasn't there, that the field rep had it. Then they said the transmission was there but "locked up" and they couldn't show it to me. They told me it would cost $8K for a rebuilt transmission. Upset, we called Audi customer service, who apologized, saying the dealer had made a mistake and assuring us that the repairs would be covered under warranty. They called me again and reiterated this and said they'd call me at noon the next day after they'd told the service manager (he would be out until then in meetings) to cover it. When they didn't call the next day, I called them. The woman who'd assured me so nicely was suddenly M.I.A. and a new rep told me that they'd changed their decision (oops!), and that the repairs wouldn't be covered after all.
So now I'm stuck paying 8K for a rebuilt transmission, plus whatever they're going to nail me for on a new clutch, 3 weeks of car rentals and now a new timing device (I think he said "timing device" or "starter"? Whatever (does it matter at this point?!), the part was added to the list and ordered yesterday...). This car is a lease, which makes the expense doubly upsetting. When all's said and done it will cost more than 10K on a car I don't even own... I want to throw up.
I'd be very grateful for any comments or suggestions? I feel like I'm getting scr!#$% royally here...
Cursichella in California