General problems at Fanatec?

Hi guys,

I wanted to ask how things are going with you. Because basically you have a good product, especially as far as the Wheelbase is concerned. And you are also everywhere present with your advertising. In every simracing game you have countless advertisements and also on real race tracks you can often see your logo. 

But if you advertise, you have to deliver! And there I see for over 2-3 years realtiv big problems with you.

- QR2 status?

- Finally a good pedal? 

- No Formula LE the year without any communication?

- Why do you have the worst communication of all competitors?

- No new steering wheels that are also affordable for normal people?

- Extremely poor support service

You used to be #1 in simsport, but the competition didn't sleep and delivered. You are losing more and more and it seems to me that you don't care.

I mean Asetek turned everything upside down with their pedals out of nowhere. They had zero experience in sim racing. You guys have been in the business forever and are still holding on to the Fanatec V3. No SimRacer, even those who advertise for you, drive with Fanatec V3 pedals. This is just one example of many!

Instead of only investing in advertising, you should urgently address the problems in your company. 

Or do I have a completely wrong picture here? Please enlighten me. The whole Fsnatec community is slowly but surely disappointed in you.

This is not a diss towards you, I just want to understand what's going on with you. Why so many promises that are not kept. Why the miserably long waiting times, such as for QR2. Why the bad service...


Best Regards

Comments

  • Within 4 months of light use my FANATEC McLaren wheel cracked at the shifter pivot point and where it mounted to the QR. I was accused of over tightening although I used a torque wrench set at 3nm. They then replaced the wheel chassis and admitted in writing it was a weakness in the wheel.


    Soon after my CSL load cell pedal failed. I sent a video before sending the pedal set back to be fixed or replaced as requested.


    2 weeks later they tell me they can’t fault it and send them back.


    Within 5 minutes of their return I experienced the same issue which is a magnetic interference from FANATEC’s own CSL DD wheel base. They knew what set up I had however failed to test my pedals in the same manor.


    All they do is send the same emails asking you to pay to have them posted to their workshop.


    Please take my advise and look at the FANATEC’s own Forum in regards to all the issues they have and their terrible customer service. 


    I have one word to the question should you purchase FANATEC products? DONT.


    On a lighter note Im very grateful there are other options where such as MOZA who won’t have to try very hard to get my business thanks to FANATEC.

  • - QR2 status?

    Everybody in the world has delivery problems at the moment

    - Finally a good pedal? 

    V3 are good pedals for the price

    - No Formula LE the year without any communication?

    For that there are two partners necessary. No license no LE

    - Why do you have the worst communication of all competitors?

    You have to join Instagram or Facebook and you get too much communication.

    - No new steering wheels that are also affordable for normal people?

    There were a lot new affordable wheels. Mostly the complete program got upgraded to V2s

    - Extremely poor support service

    That's your opinion. For me they have one of the best service I have ever had from any company.

  • I generally agree. Especially the blog section is pretty dried up.

    Like, did you know they celebrates their 25th anniversary in august? Because I didn't and I would somehow expect to see at least a blog post or something about it and not a random video on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQrhw4wzMpQ

  • You got any idea what’s going on in Germany right now?

    Businesses are being told not to turn the lights on too long or heat their buildings above 19°

    Their customer service process is timely but they always deliver.


    Thank you to everyone at Fanatec for bringing more joy to the world

  • I recently purchased a DD2, xbox hub, CS 330 mm wheel, V3 inverted pedals with noth upgrade kits, CS shifter and hand brake. After working for about a day the DD2 had to go back for "update mode: wireless quick release" less than 24 hours after i made the support ticket i had a shipping label to send it back to them (california i live in the USA) six days after the recieved it the new one was on the way back to me. so far everything works great, i love the wheel and the wheel base, the pedals are ok i like the stroke and the feel of the brake with the upgrade kit. they need alot of maintence (grease and lube to remove squeeks, i keep them covered when i'm not playing.) the shifter is great after i beefed up the shifter tray i love it. after spending $3200 i'm pretty happy (lucky for me i'm not poor) i think i have a great set up the only thing i have to compae it to is logitech g920. i'm worried about reliability if the DD2 goes into failure mode again i'll probably get another one so i have one for a back up if i go back to the logitech it's going to be pretty disappointing.

    sorry for all the bad thing going on in europe now (Putin) hopefuly germany and the rest of europe can ween itself off of russian oil and gas and avoid an all out war.

    Fanatec please keep your products out of russia, they don't deserve it!

  • @Michael

    Everybody in the world has delivery problems at the moment

    Other companies get it right. Asetek developed and launched a complete pedal during the pandemic. Fanatec promises for how long the QR2? So no, I don't accept delivery problems.

    V3 are good pedals for the price

    No, Fanatec has lost the ground here as well. The Asetek Forte come off better in every comparison. Other suppliers also have better pedals that are in the same price segment. Heusinkveld Sprints for example. The Fanatec V3 are now worse than the competition.

    For that there are two partners necessary. No license no LE

    Ok... Why is this not communicated?

    You have to join Instagram or Facebook and you get too much communication.

    I did, but I don't see anything wrong with my criticism here.

    There were a lot new affordable wheels. Mostly the complete program got upgraded to V2s

    The complete program? The only wheel is the Mclearen GT3, this one I bought and have a problem with the right gear pedal.

    The rest of the Wheels is still the same as always.

    Fanatec has gotten too comfortable and focused on stuff that the eSports community is not interested in. The BMW wheel for example: There are much better wheels on the market for sim racing, CubeControls, Ascher, GSI for example.

    Also on the DD market! Meanwhile, virtually all reviewers on Youtube recommend the Moza over the CSL DD. If you do not need console support.

    That's your opinion. For me they have one of the best service I have ever had from any company.

    You are pretty much alone with this opinion. Read up on the forum.

    I don't even know if I should report my defective GT3 Wheel, because I don't want to do this service to myself.


    You also completely misunderstood my post! I like Fanatec, that's why I write this here! They should finally wake up! 

    The first step to solve a problem is to recognize that there is a problem. To gloss over everything like you does no one any good.

  • Well, I don't want to follow too much anecdotal evidence. Still happy with my V3 pedals, and I was considering the CSL DD, but I wonder why Fanatec is so quiet on informing about the status of their arguably most important product? The blog (indeed) almost seems discontinued also.

  • This was eye opening. One of my biggest issues with the CSL Elite LC pedal set I have is the brake's loadcell. Because of how Fanatec designed the pedal, there is always a drop off right after I press the pedal. It's the only issue that I have with the pedals. The other issue, the potentiometers, I replaced them with a simplistic hall effect mod. The modification is completely reversable, so I can switch back to the potentiometers that Fanatec supplied when I part ways with this pedal set.

    I was highly considering the Forte pedals, but they would put me right back in the same mess that I am in, with inconsistent braking. On top of that, I have the CSL Elite pedals set to rock hard and, it becomes tiring to use such a stiff pedal in long gaming sessions. If the CSL Elite's loadcell design wasn't borked, I'd happily use the soft elastomers.

    Hopefully Fanatec didn't walk away from the CSL-Elite idea. If they redesign the loadcell and replace the potentiometers with hall effect sensors, the pedal set would be a bonified hit. They look great, they're nicely built, and would be a great option.

  • William OtisWilliam Otis Member
    edited September 2022

    No one said anything there, so I feel like the man on the moon. Perhaps I didn't create room for discussion with my wording? Plenty of people looked at the post, but nothing but crickets. If I complained about my pedals, then that would have got the discussion rolling. Should I have preemptively tossed in a "Fanatec is terrible"?


    What do you think Hristo? Is that set at the 25th event a one off, or is there more to it?

  • I'm seriously sitting here with the money for the CSL DD and also have an ad to sell all my Fanatec ear ready! If i could get a CSL DD ordered today for shipping right away i would but now i'm considering selling all my gear and getting one of the other brands!

    If only Fanatec made some public statements about timelines maybe it could give me time to reconsider what i'm doing.

  • What do you think Hristo? Is that set at the 25th event a one off, or is there more to it?

    Wait and see.🙂

  • Baris ToprakBaris Toprak Member
    edited September 2022

    i see a lot of reviews, i also talked with a lot of simracers about the Fanatec products. And fyi: Ask Dan Suzuki if he recommend Fanatec V3 instead of Asatek Forte. There are also a lot of other Pedals out there. VSR is to mention here. Read and look reviews for that also. And talk with simracers when they stream, you would be surprised! And don't ask just, what are you thinking of Asetek Forte, ask Questions like: What do you recommend? What you think about Fanatec V3? Then you will get a honest answer. What you are doing is only bashing the others, and not take a critical look to fanatecs products and behavior.

    btw: This is a good review from Boosted Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwRdaMmuawg

    Asetek is releasing also a DD Wheelbase soon. Thrustmaster is also releasing one. Simucube is already better in any Review. Moza also. Fanatec is sleeping, and thats what i think is sad. They have the potential, but instead making better products and improve support and availibility, they are just making advertising and sponsoring. And Communication is just not existing. Qr2? Podium Pedals? Any new upcoming projects or products? Maybe a replacment for Podium Button Module Endurance? a GT3 Wheel with more Buttons like the Ascher or CubeControls Wheel? The Simracers Community is asking for those things, not what Fanatec is sponsoring.

    A little Quote from myself:

    The first step to solve a problem is to recognize that there is a problem. To gloss over everything like you does no one any good.

  • I see you are naturally gifted with optimism.

  • Speak for yourself! I need these a lot!


    The CSL-Elite pedals were flawed greatness in my opinion. They only needed hall sensors and a more sensible load cell design. This update fixes both! I will definitely be buying a new set and hocking my current CSL-Elite pedals on the used market for water damaged prices, just to get rid of the old set. Yes, be prepared to see a set of highly used CSL-Elite V1s for a little over the cost of shipping, in the coming weeks.


    Thanks, Hristo. I thought I was in for a much longer wait than a week and a half! Are there any more things you want to tell us to wait on?

  • Not quite right, i am just disappointed. That has nothing to do with pessimism. Maybe I was just hoping Fanatec would have something to say about it. For example, an explanation why the QR2 is so delayed, instead of writing "coming soon" on every Product. Or whether they have new products in the pipeline, such as a pedal like BJ Steel Hydraulics or Asetek Invictas. Just something! I mean it's been almost 2 years since the announcement... and no one has any idea, when it will be released... since 2 years... for a piece of metal... just a simple Quick Release. In the meantime, other companies have developed, announced and released complete new products.

    Instead of promoting a non-deliverable overpriced steering wheel that "theoretically" work in a real GT3 car, Fanatec should be listening to what eSports enthusiasts have to say about their products. I mean what's the point of a GT3 steering wheel that would work in a race car that I can't afford in 100 years? That Fanatec after 25 years has not understood what sim racers really want is just sad.

    There may be some who still sympathize with Fanatec, or find the products good, but most of the sim racing community is not satisfied anymore. And Fanatec can lie to themselves as much as they want.

    And this is also my last post, I can hardly believe that I will turn my back on Fanatec after more than 10 years, but I'm getting tired of Fanatec's communication, service and product politics.

  • Just a quick comment to say that I have been holding out for what seems like eternity for the QR2 to be released. Indeed, I have no Fanatec equipment (been using my trusty G25 for almost 15 years now!) and since the QR2 was announced, I thought to myself: might as well wait for it and get everything once it is available (didn't want to get a "soon" to be obsolete QR1 equipped wheel and wheel base).

    Fast forward a year (almost 2!) and still no QR2 and competition is very much alive. I'll probably go with Moza when they restock in Europe.

    It's a pity, I was looking forward getting all new fanatec gear.

  • I still say the same as I did a few months ago. I'm convinced that Fanatec is rethinking their QR2 when they see the incredible qr's that the competition (simagic, moza and fanatec) are putting out. Besides, the usbc system they have implemented in the csldd and ddpro has been a very serious mistake, many of us are having problems with disconnections, and there would be many more if the fact of installing the qr2 would involve loosening the clamping screw of the mast.

    We simracers have more and more alternatives, fortunately, and Fanatec should get the batteries especially in the support part. They are already losing customers, and they will continue to lose them if they don't get their act together.

  • I kind of think the QR2 is being rethought as well. After seeing Logitech's Quick Release, I look at the similar looking shaft of Fanatec's wheelbases and wonder what gives? Logitech's QR seems to snap onto the shaft without needing to pull the retention ring back, and it seems to be keyed in a similar fashion as the Fanatec QR1... If Johnny-come-lately Logitech can get Cammus/Simagic/Moza like operation out of its Fanatec looking QR, I'm just puzzled why can't Fanatec get the same result/function?

    The only reason I am thinking that Fanatec will follow through with the QR2 is the wheels that will be used in real motorsports. There are similar solutions already in that market, so I wonder.

  • The above has aged like milk left in the sun. Yes the QR2 was being rethought, but not in the way I was thinking. Fanatec wanted to make the new quick release affordable. To paraphrase Thomas when Lawrence asked him about it, Thomas said it is easy to make the QR2 for automotive purposes, but the challenge was making it affordable for home use.

    That makes sense cause the way the base side of the QR2 looks now, is way different than the chunky prototypes shown before this years ADAC Sim expo. There is a lot less metal, and it is a more sensable design. I can see the new base side QR2 being in a much more comfortable range, than the gold plated design from last year. Perhaps that will be the difference between the basic QR2 Base side, and a Podium version? Sounds silly if that is the case.


    Either way, the QR2 is not dead or vaporware. Thomas said "its in the final lap". Just as long as the race isn't a foot eace on the Nordschleife, then maybe it will happen much sooner, rather than later? Fingers crossed.

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