I have a 2003 Golf TDI ( bought new ) I put 270,000 miles on it so far, with regular maintenance I do myself it’s never not started or left me stranded anywhere. It still gets fantastic fuel mileage and still runs perfect 👌 I enjoy your channel.
Current owner of a MK6 with 165k miles, I can say that this review is spot on. I’ve had to do just about every work mentioned intake manifold, water pump, carbon build up, fuel injectors, and camshaft cover replacement. I will say that besides the intake manifold, the rest of the major work came up after 100k miles.
Got myself a 2.0 TT with ~100k miles and have also checked a lot of these boxes. The funnest and by funnest I mean most expensive was the leaking upper cam cover which then led to also updating the timing chain tensioner and replacing the chains (which I know was partially scheduled maintenance)
@@xabhax I have a 2004 Grand AM and a 2011 Tiguan. The Grand AM is waaaaaay easier to fix than the VW in my experience. It's true every car has issues, but the engineering behind ease of fixing is ludacrous with the VWs.
My wife 2009 Tiguan went through 6 yes 6 water pumps the last time I told the mechanic to have the fan stay on after the engine shuts down. It’s going on three years now without water pump failure. All credit goes to you Sir not sure which video it was , but it worked Thank you very much..still getting misfire 2# cyl. fault runs rough when starting but after that it seems fine. Gotta other set Bosch ignition coils coming in and new plugs,some how I feel I just did this..THANK YOU again 👍👏👏👏☝️
8 Years with my golf tsi engine and 130.000miles. -No timing chain fail -No Oil leaks -No Water leaks -No check engine lights -No electric fails ...... Just fine! ....ok.
@@Borheno changing oil every 4000miles, service every 8000 miles, wait for engine to get warn enough before i step it and never push it to the limits. The only things i have been changed is the clutch disk plate and the suspension.
Thanks for the info. My 2008 Jetta 2.0 was something else. I've replaced Coils, Water Pump, Crank Sensor (twice), removed the manifold and cleaned carbon 3 times so far, overhaul the secondary air solenoid, replaced the PCV 3 times, and burns oil like, now troubleshooting an OIL LEAK!!!! I really love the car but a piece of crap when comparing it to my 1990 Nissan 240SX with no issues other than regular maintenance.
I was seriously considering a new VW until I saw this video. Keeping my Lexus instead. Not ONE problem with it in 11 years, not one. Thanks for the great videos. Very well done.
Lexus ran into the carbon build up problem with their first run of direct injection engines. They quickly switched to a port and direct set up and eliminated the issue.
The 2.5 and 3.0 V6s are still just direct injected and the 3.5 V6s have added port injection. Best get the 3.5 if want it to last a long time without problems.
Oh man, so accurate. My 09 tiguan has had an engine from a 2011 put in it because of the timing chain. Tensioner was done at the same time. That was previous owner, since I've owned it I've had rear main seal, balance shaft seal, AND the water pump and housing all replaced.
i have a 1.8 tfsi engine, it has 201k kilometers and works like a charm with zero problems never had a problem with that engine, but i have really took care of it depending oils/filters and services
Great video! I think you are spot on with all this info. I ve read up on the forums and you have got it all covered in this short summary. I ve got an early 2.0 TSI engine in my 2009 golf gti and i ve needed 1,3 and 4 you mentioned. Intake manifold, timing chain tensioner and water pump. It still loses water but doesnt use any oil. No oil leaks so far. I hope i dont get carbon build up issues soon...... We ll have to see.
I bought a gen 3 engine car almost a year ago, 4 years old with 25000 miles on the clock. Water pump failed after a week! Replaced under warranty fortunately. No more issues since. 🤞
I have a TFSI 2litre (CDNC) A4, so far PCV was passing, weak coil (changed to R8 coils), and diverter (changed it to a GFB one (amazing!)) Now just need a 034 PCV delete kit :D
Ford Ecoboost owners have the same problem with carbon buildup. It's crazy how manufacturers are throwing reliability out the window for a few extra mpg's.
+Tiny Turbo It's an issue inherent to direct injection because the fuel/air mixture isn't being shot in over the intake port and valve thus continuously cleaning the valve. There's a debate as to wether or not misting in water in to the intake manifold on a hot engine will steam clean and break down the carbon.
+Tiny Turbo Agreed. Automakers will try to force all this crazy complicated, expensive engine technology on our overweight cars and trucks, rather than just keeping the same tried and true tech, and dropping weight. That's why I love my new F-150. Good old basic engine tech, lots of power, and a light weight body for awesome performance AND mpg.
+Tiny Turbo And its not that hard or expensive of a fix for mfg. Install a 5th injector (for a 4 cylinder) low pressure behind the throttle body and allow it come on periodically.
I have 90000 on my FSI, no problems,thank God! But I've done all required maintenance and don't beat up my engine regularly. Just had the timing belt changed and cam follower checked.
I worked at a VW dealership, and the shit I saw going on.... VW gets in trouble for having dirty diesel engines, yet everyone who buys these cars seem just fine with their cars falling to pieces in less than 100,000 miles..... At one point, we had 4 Volkswagen CC cars, roughly the same age and mileage, in the shop at the same time, for the same issues. 3 were having their turbo chargers replaced, one was getting a whole new engine. These cars were only a couple of years old and had less than 75,000 miles on them. Cars soaking their intake tubes to the intercoolers with oil on both diesel and gas turbo engines, at maybe 50,000 miles? How in the hell has VW stayed in business this long, building this shit quality is beyond me. At one time, they made a halfway decent car, but now, you could not give me a VW. If someone tried, I would go get cash value for it and just put that money into my 269,000 mile 1992 Honda Civic DX that I paid $700.00 for. I hated working for VW, I can not back a car company that finds it acceptable to build shit like this. I can't even honestly recommend anything US made either, seeing as all the car companies are starting to take after VW. What a hell of a time to live in when new cars are not even built to last as well as a car built 20+ years ago.
Ya but the GTI is worth it at least to me. It's a fantastic car but ya I will upgrade at 60000 miles. They are not meant to last. I knew that the day I bought it. All bets are off after 60000 miles on ANY German car.
I'm a professional that deals with VWs at a non-german dealer, so I deal with VWs but have no 'insider information' when doing so. I've dealt with problems you mentioned on a few of these engines, and it really stoked my hatred for modern VW engines. I was a die hard VW guy who felt left behind by the change in direction the company took in 99-00. Dealing with modern VWs had become sickening. They are supposed to be a "people's car", an economy car still feels good on a highway like the Autobahn. What they've turned unto is a car that uses parts under the hood as expensive as BMW, but underbody of the car on a lift looks as if it's built like a Chevy Cobalt. I remember a 2006 Jetta had a CEL that failed inspection that the radiator fan was causing. The fan technically did what it was supposed to do and 'worked' fine, but made a code and had to be replaced for a cost of $1100 installed!! People's car my ass! Talk about losing grasp on reality. Big surprise VW has recently been able to exceed the level of public disgrace that Chrysler has achieved.
VW is slow to change because they are such a big company (#2 automaker in the world) and they are headquartered abroad. Also, given they are the #2 automaker in the world, VW isn't going anywhere. In America, VW may not sell that many vehicles but in Europe, people buy VW's (and Audi's, Porsches.... which are owned by VW) in droves.
The mk4s and mk5s were made cheaply in Mexico so build quality went down. The newer mk6 models were mostly made in Germany. They switched back to Germany as they were such shit when made in Mexico.
I just rebuilt my top end on my free 09 Wolfsburg 2.0tsi. Got the car for free because of a failed tensioner and bent valves. Surprisingly, this car had 171,000 miles on it with all original timing chain, chain guides, and original tensioner, etc. All had the year 2008 marked on the date codes. It also still has the original intake manifold, water pump, and cam bridge on it from that time too. First time the timing cover had ever come off this car too. Pretty insane this one lasted this long without any of that failing. Now have put 1000 miles on it after replacing the valves, and all timing components.
I have a 2.0 TDI passat and its been very unreliable. The electronic handbrake has failed about 2 times! The engine seized at only 18,000 miles! Such as shame, its a decent car bar the mechanicals
You should be lmao. I have a 2008 2.0T Tsi and have had to replace the low pressure fuel pump, high pressure fuel pump, pcv valve, coil packs, and purge valve all within the last 12 months. Running at 130,000 miles I'm wondering how much longer it's going to last. It seems like each new part causes another to fail at this point 😖
If its an FSI engine, I wouldn't be too worried. We have a 2008 Passat Wagon, 2.0T and after 11 years its still in the family and runs great. I have yet to replace front brakes on this car since they are factory still. Show me another car that can run over ten years on original brakes???. Granted I am a mechanic myself and do spend a bit more attention to it than our Toyota Sienna but the car basically runs like its a brand new car-very tight with zero rattles and weird noises. In ten years I have done the following work: one belt change with new metal water pump, one inner CV boot on the shorter shaft, one rear wheel bearing, front brake pads with original rotors, two batteries, one trans oil change and one steering lock module. There were some additional work done with recalls, namely the PCV upgrade and flap motor recall but thats about all really. It does bother me however that it uses quite a bit of oil between oil changes that are approximately 15,000 km appart but I have grown to accept it as a way of life. Overall its been a great car and I am planning on keeping it for another 10 years probably. Our daughter wants it when she reaches the legal driving age in 4 years, so we might loose it sooner. Lol
I have owned 2 VW golfs one was a 1986 it was a great car so I bought a newer 1995 golf it spent more time broken than it did running and from people I know that own newer VW cars they say they are terrible and not very reliable will never own another VW after that car Not a VW fan as you may of guessed but like your videos keep up the good work Charles
My a4 has the blb engine in it.... i could of built an engine out of meccano that would be more reliable than what audi managed..... should of stuck to the pd lumps....
First carbon clean I did was on an Audi 3.2 FSI. I agree the chemicals do not work. I pull the manifolds and walnut blast the intake ports and valves. See many RMS failures due to the AOS failing on the 2.0 TSI's. Heh, did A LOT of FSI HPFP's a few years back(ones that were out of the extended warranty). TSI, seems to happen a lot less due to the improved design. Great video, definitely a good list for top failures on that engine platform.
HumbleMechanic you mean you wouldn't prefer a 1,8t over one of those fourcylinder tsi engines? I terms of tuning the 1,8t is okay, I heard so far. Up to ~400hp after upgrades. What do you think? greets from ger
The newer 1.8Ts have terrible seal issues compared to the 2.0T TSI and there isn't a huge support for the newer ones in terms of mods & tunes compared to the early renditions of the motor.
I have a 2. slow BEV engine on my wagon. it is so reliable and never do a thing except oil change and timing belt at 150,000km. Its slow pick up but gets you where u want to go and smooth on the highway. Its absolutely fine with me.
Thank you for creating this video. It's time for me to learn how to replace the intake manifold & water pump. I changed the water pump & coolant reservoir on my 2004 Jaguar XJR before, it was an interesting experience 😂
My goodness! So many of these things shouldn't even be problems. Shows where VW allocates its resources. I had a Mark V Golf (Rabbit NA) with the 2.5L I5 5-speed, and its main issues were electrical followed by a transmission seal that blew (covered under warranty), a failed steering rack (warranty replaced) that began making "graunch" noises when turning the wheel, and flimsy dash HVAC dash vents knobs. EVERY SINGLE ONE BROKE except for the one I used the most. I'll have to junk it soon because it's melting away, but I sure do miss driving my Great Grandma's old K car. Very simple and durable. Comfortable, too. I currently drive a 2016 Corolla S CVT (couldn't get heated seats and 6-speed like in Canada) bought NEW March 2026 and currently over 48K Miles! Sure, it doesn't drive anywhere as nice as my old VW and it's missing those delightful VAG surprise and delight features that enhance daily use, and it's missing the touch-point quality of many VAG products (Mark VI Jetta excepted; yuck. What a disappointment.) but the reliability and efficiency has been excellent. My main complaint is the rear cabin road/wind noise and how easily the dust from my dirt road infiltrates the cabin even with fan set to high and recirc with a/c on. I was sorely tempted into a Mark VII 2-door GTI 6-speed, but I felt that I wasn't masochistic enough to subject myself to VW real world quality, reliability, and dealership bull again unless I became rich. Especially when the nearest dealer is over an hour's drive away! If only they were really as good as they FELT.
My 2010 GTi had 2 intake manifolds replaced (only one under warranty), 3 fuel injectors replaced (two under warranty), several oxygen sensors (some under warranty), carbon cleaning, and then I was charged to replace a cam shaft which I suspect was actually the cam tensioner. Oil was changed every 5K miles, if you leave oil change for 10K mile intervals then it will be replace turbo time guys. I love the quality of the interior and the driving dynamics of my GTi, but I cannot see myself spending over 3K in repairs ever again on any vehicle something this video leaves out ($$$$$). My wallet is hurting ha! Its time to visit a Japanese dealership son !!!!! Only German car I buy next is a Porsche GT3 if I win the lottery hahaha My GTi currently has over 135K miles and fingers are crossed since you cannot go more than 30K miles without throwing an error code. Good luck to the newbie VW owner. This is not a BS post its true VW ownership. No one else will share their stories becasue of embarrassment $$$$$$ Again I like this car, but the truth hurts $$$$$$
My father has always had a stupid obsession with European vehicles. They have always been extremely unreliable and immensely expensive to maintain and repair. He bought a cc over 2 years ago and has spent over $3,000 on engine repairs. Volkswagen also issued a recall on the vehicle directly following him paying $1,700 to have the fucking engine cleaned and they kept the vehicle for nearly five months with nearly zero updates as to what the fuck was going on. Great job Volkswagen. Another clear winner in the automotive industry
The new ones are a lot better. Still i would not keep one past the powertrain warranty. Now they have 6 year 72000 mile bumper to bumper. If you buy one enjoy it and get rid of it before the warranty runs out.
I think I did pretty well playing "TSI-failure Bingo". My 2009 Golf Mk VI GTI was, IIRC, one of the earlier models to receive the new engine (my Mk V still had the older, timing-belt 2.0 turbo) and I got: 1. Busted water pump. Started with constant low coolant level in the reservoir and upgraded to seepage on the engine. Took my dealer multiple attempts to figure out there was a failing water-pump in the car. Car had been out of warranty for a year or so at the time, so VW only agreed to cover 50% of the cost. Which were quite extensive I might add. I saw the car in the workshop and they basically had to take off the whole front-end of the car to get to the water-pump. 2. Ignition coil failure. Not sure when exactly it happened, but the car was definitely out of warranty at the time and I had to pay it all. By sheer "luck", the coil on cylinder 3 gave out about 1km from my dealer and I was able to limp the car there on three cylinders. 3. Not an engine issue, but, naturally I also had a malfunctioning AC-compressor (known issue on the MK6 Golf IIRC) which I also had to pay for myself. 4. ... and finally, the big one. Luckily it didn't happen to me, but to the guy my Mazda-dealer (who had taken the Golf in on trade for an MX-5) sold it to. I didn't get all the details, but from what they did tell me, I'm pretty sure the engine's chain-tensioner failed and the head/valves was/were ruined when one or more pistons got to know the valves a bit more intimately. According to the Mazda-dealer (who had to cover the repair under used-car-warranty), that job was around €2,500.
Bought a Passat CC three months ago.. Drives Amazing butttt now I have to replace my intake. I really consider selling it!! Only after three months.... but all these failures really scares me! 😭
I personally experienced the first three issues mentioned on my 2012 GTI. After the water pump failed catastrophically leaving me and my family stranded 200 miles from home, I swore off VW forever. I would not recommend their products. The 2.0T is becoming the standard for most manufacturers, and VW seems to do them very poorly.
Agree. I got the 2020 Golf R and crossing my fingers it be fine. I am German and dissapointed that my fellow Germans can't get their shit together other than the power output
I just did a upper timing cover, cam bridge, pcv/rear pcv hose and rear main on a 2011 gti with the tsi engine. Not a terrible job overall but the bottom two timing cover bolts were a little tight. Oh and stripped out triple square flywheel bolts; they were fun...
19 year old me, buys first car. Buys CPO 2014 MK6 GLI. 2 years later engine blows up due to faulty timing chain tensioner. Volkswagen won’t recall this part. Currently still paying on a 5 year loan for a car that doesn’t drive sitting in my driveway. Great. Wants to die.
Vw is now settling a class action lawsuit for this Tensioner issue. 20 year old me bought a 2012 Jetta GLI with 110k miles. Only put 9k miles on it when my tensioner went out. But VW will only cover costs or repairs if it happened under 100k miles.
Don't reply to me cuz I literally don't care. My gti has a blown head gasket... I’m still paying the car payments and he full cover insurance.... but it does look good in my drive way as well lol
Bought my 09 Passat from Toyota. PCV valve went and they changed it under warranty. PCV valve went again (after market apparently), I let it go cause I thought it was something else. Rear main seal went bad. $1400 later, runs like a champ.
He is right, my next car is going to be Toyota. German cars are disposable. I had a beetle timing belt broke on the highway. Now I have Tiguan pretty new only 70 K and throttle stopped responding on the highway. Turbo engines in general are problematic, no wonder why Toyota is always hesitant to make turbo engines
I had an Audi come in with a waste gate that had rattled so much it wasn't closing anymore. It wore the rod hole oval. Got a low boost code. Bought the special clip and put it on, ground slots in the waste gate actuator mounting holes and tightened up the slack in the linkage using the slotted bolt holes. Been fine for a couple years.
I am a senior citizen who owned an O7 Audi A4. Car was a nonstop litany of recalls, electric problems, and turbo issues. At 50K, the turbo ceased altogether--a $4,000 repair. You'd think that VW/Audi could get this 2.0 turbo sorted out. They've only been making this engine for 15+ years.
@geheimschriver U.S cars are plagued with worse reliability than German cars for the same reasons. Although atleast German cars feel nice on the road lol
I love the tfsi/tsi, they were my job security while i was with Audi. I rebuilt 4 or 5 a week. Water pumps were the best, i had them down to 20 minutes.
I have a 15 year old Jetta city. Which is at the bottom of the trim and never had any of these issues. VW’s tend to have sensor or electrical issues. But not that bad.
I’ve got a 2008 Vw Eos. In 2020 I changed out the coil packs and plugs with 103000 miles on it. I’ve never seen spark plugs that bad on a car before, but it is turbo charged and probably never changed. I had to change out some plastic tubing on the coolant. I noticed that it started to burn oil around this time and still does if it doesn’t have fresh Synthetic oil in it. @ 120000 miles my brake petal got hard to press . Luckily I was in my driveway when it happened. It turned out to be the vacuum hose that goes to the brake booster was broken. It looked like a critter had chewed it and was melted on the other end. Not sure what happened but I had to order the part on eBay. 47 bucks all because you can’t put a 3/8 hose and a clamp on it. They deliberately make the other end too small so that you have to buy the plastic tubing.
So I am going to start by saying that I am a avid Vw owner I was a Vw tech for 13 years and that was how I supported my family I'm not sure if you have a family or not but If you keep putting videos up like this one you will put yourself out of a job.
+scott spangler hey Scott. Thanks for the comment. Why do you say I will put myself out of a job? I guess there may be a handful of people that won't buy this car because of my video. But that's probably a rounding error type number. Nothing said in this video is wrong or dishonest. And you could take any car/make/engine and make these videos
Yeah that is what I took from the video you are just talking about what you have seen and feel, You can come up with the same videos and faults for most makes of car. It was really nice to hear that you (and get the feeling your dealership) tried to combine jobs for customers to save them bigger bills in the near future, the world could do with a few more mechanics like you
There seems to be two types of TSI engines. Those that are really dependable and those that are garbage. Bought my son a 2010 Passat 2.0T with 94,000 miles on it. So far no oil leaks or other issues mentioned here.
From experience , every car I owned never had any major problems. I had a 92 Honda accord 2.2 325.000 99 Honda civic 289.000 09 Toyota Camry 210.000 2013 VW Passat 2.0 diesel 189.000 Currently a VW GTI. 23.000 One thing I learned and practiced was to not push the car at all before 20.000 km. Nothing over 3.500 RPM. And I guarantee you a proper working engine for the most of it.
I work for a vw shop and i have only seen a tsi engine gen 3 like ones or twice in the shop, im guessing they start doing a better job on them the one i can say its a better engine is the 1.8t that comes on the 2012 models and up i havent fix anything on them yet my advice is just to make sure check the basic stuff do the oil change when it needs to be done and the tune up any check engine light make sure u check that out asap cuz if its something not to big that can cause and bigger problem in the future ...
I was one of those lucky timing chain tensioner failure guys where nothing else gets damaged. It was in my mk6 GTI. I had just bought it and was taking it home from the dealership, but then it started idling roughly and threw a check engine light. Luckily I never left the dealership so it was fixed free of charge
Theres a reason they're plastic... plastic water pumps when they break the plastic will just break apart saving your engine whereas a metal water pump will jam whatever is driving that water pump
hi, I have a 2006 golf gti 2.0 t FSI . OWNED IT THREE YEARS love the car but the last few months have been brain frying, the lights on the dashboard are like the starship enterprise lol, had probs with hpfp but turned out to be a fuse so that made me very happy after three days use abs,tyre pressure,engine management ,etc... so ordered new abs sensors all new break pads and a new rear caliper, has I said after about three days I was doing about 40 mph and the check engine oil light came on so switched car off coasted to the nearest layby, checked oil which was fine turned the key it started with no warning lights so I drove 20 mph about 2miles and the car just died so I coasted again got towed home ,checked timing belt fine took rocker cover off all looks clean, but only the exhaust cam is turning so I'm lead to believe its the cam chain /tensioners because I did here a small flappy noise then it went, so in the next few days the chain cover is coming off, just hope the pistons are not holed , and I get away with a few valves or even timing chain kit,but I don't get that luck. ithink its a bdw engine code ? any help will be appreciated thanks in advance
Yup, this is why I've ruled out VW for my next car purchase. The TSI is now the only engine offered in the Passat, Arteon, A4 and A6. My TDI and 2.5 were both good cars, the TDI was actually a great car. It's been a good run VW but now I must say goodbye.
You probably made a good decision they have the 3rd gen TSI engines in their cars now. They might not have the problems of the 2nd gen TSI. However given VWs track record their will be problems with the new gen engine as well
Couldn't all that crud and carbon buildup be prevented by installing a catch can? That is a must for direct injection engines. Is there an aftermarket aluminum replacement for those failing water pumps? PS: I have never owned a VW and I have no experience with them but that is what my common sense tells me: if something does not work then fix it instead of just replace it with the same failing part.
@@unassailable6138 If i'm not mistaken they did this on the gen 3 ea888 but only for EPA reasons (running port injection at certain rpms to reduce emissions) and they didn't bother to deal with carbon buildup just for emissions reason. This was in Europe and the United States did not receive ea888s with multiport injection.
@@derrickarmour Subaru's new BRZ is now coming with direct and indirect injection combined, manufacturers are learning their lesson to keep the intake vales cleaner.
I own a 2018 Leon FR 181 Hp TDI engine, Diésel Torque is awsome and it drives like a dream, I also own a 2013 Golf R TSI with 160,00 miles, no issues whatsoever only scheduled maintenence. Will sell the Golf and buy a Audi A6 or a Audi Q3. VW, Audi and SEAT are really reliable brands.
I just bought a 2020 VW Jetta. It's my third Jetta and love it. It has the new 1.4 turbo engine with 8 speed auto. Keep up the channel man! Fellow bearded brother!
Has VW fixed these issues in 2017 or 2018 models?? 2019?? Or do they just continue making a less than great product? Note: Wards gives the EA888 a best engine award WAT?
Had to replace the rear main on one of these the other week. Floundered for a bit trying to diag. the lean code and terrible running. Eventually sprayed carb clean at the rear main and voila haha. Great vid man, keep 'em up!
I really don't understand the love for Volkswagens, As a technician I can say they are one of the poorest made car's. Keeping us in a job is a plus I guess, but I will stick with my Honda thanks 😉
HumbleMechanic I used to have a Seat Toledo tdi which would go into limp home mode just as you were trying to pass out a car. Turned out to be a turbo in the end.
CMIIW, but I believe VW makes cutting edge technology accessible to normal folks. Many reliable car makers like Honda/Toyota/Nissan stick to tried and tested technology, VW OTOH is always making new tech and putting it in their cars, they don't even wait to iron out the issues before proceeding to make new tech that makes the issues-almost-ironed-out version obsolete. So there you have it, when a discerning customer looks at a VW, they see a far better product at a slightly premium price. The problem comes with long term ownership and maintenance, because cutting edge tech in relatively low volume cars won't come cheap.
Toyota and Honda are reliable for sure. But they are also some of the most bland and boring cars made. VW /Porsche/Audi cars are great driving cars, but you need deep pockets to own them.
@@guitarguy5475 Exactly couldn't have said it better myself. I never loved a Japanese car and I owned 5 of them. I love my MK7 GTI but I will not keep it past the powertrain warranty.
I have a 2003 VR6 GTI (24v) I purchased new in late 2002. I only have 93,000 miles on it, and have the dealer do a synthetic oil change on it once a year. Changed the spark plugs once at around 60,000 miles. It's been garaged and waxed once a year, and looks like new. I also use Shell Premium unleaded with the 'V Power'. The motor purrs perfectly, and still has the original chains on it. This car has been so reliable, it's scary! The only issue in 16 years of ownership was the engine cooling fan failed once, part of the rear exhaust rusted and needed to be replaced once. Even though I thought about getting a new car, I just can't part with this gem! My guess is that it can last me 20 years plus, and easily go 200,000 miles! Not bad for a VW made in Brazil.
It's also shocking to me that VW never recommends a transmission oil change (I have a 6 speed manual)! The transmission oil is supposed to last the life of the car!
can you use your beard as a small tool holder ?? I thought about putting magnetic beads in mine so I could use my beard to hold bolts and things wile i work
Hey man recently just found your Channel and started to watch. I'm a mechanic in the UK. Going into the TSI and FSI engines in relation to the misfire with carbon build up, I'm 22 and I've had to replace piston rings on these engines due to them seizing from build up of carbon. And that's a complete engine rebuild lot of work. Also had a few of the tensioners fail which also big jobs never had an easy one where it's just a new chain and tensioner which sucks! One I have had which was very strange is the tensioner failed which bent some valves and when I replaced the valves and rebuilt the engine ect ,it came down to timing up the engine all of the marks lined up but when I turned the engine over by hand it was clunking and all sorts, turned out that where the exhaust cam sprocket is pressed onto the end of the camshaft that actually turned on the end of the cam so that when it came to timing the engine it gave me false timing! Replace the cam was all good but very strange problem if you've ever heard of that happen! Great vids I enjoy watching!
I bought a brand new 2019 Passat last summer and 3 months later at about 5k miles the epc light and check engine light came on and won't go over 20mph. Had it towed to the dealer they said it was throwing a code for some sensor I forget which one anyway they replaced it and it was still throwing the same codes and doing the same thing. They ended having to get VW corporate involved and bring in a VW master mechanic to fix it. I forget what the problem was but they told me it was actually pretty common and VW is aware of the issue and even said that I might end up having the same issues again within the next 5k miles and said that if that happens they were gonna have to replace the entire engine harness. Thankfully it was all covered under warranty and I never had any other issues after that.
I would love to get a golf gti. Its utility and performance meets the requirements I am looking for, but the possibility of reliability headaches down the road is of great concerns to me. Research and common sense tells me not to get one, but youtube videos keeps bringing me back. This video will hopefully do the trick and help me stay away from the GTI.
M Campbell I’m 61k miles into a (now modified) mk7 gti and the thing runs and drives like brand new. I perform maintenance religiously. Even the interior is in perfect shape (although I take EXCRUCIATINGLY good care of it as well).
HumbleMechanic 2012 GLI i bought it april 9th since then coils (2 days after purchase) injectors turbo and wastegate transmission (5th and 6th gears were damaged) waterpump the oil seal 2 wheel bearings the engine computer (was literally just doing random thing/no start et cetera) Timing chain/tensioner/guides et cetera Intake manifold (P2015) injector number #4 (again) got it from the shop after the wheel bearings. made it 15 miles before it threw p2015 and threw codes for the timing chain. replaced intake and timing chain and injector #4. made it precisely 1 week before the Cam pos sensor went. brought it to vw. they told me probobably injectors but that was 5 days ago now. and here we are lol
My Tensioner failed a 6 years 50k miles. Luckily my mechanic had a whole head from a CC with 11 k miles on it. Whole repair cost me $3800.Got the revised tensioner, and chain kit from DAP. Alzo changed the itake as long as it was off. If you hear a rattle in the engine don't ignore it, I did, ang got sceeerewed!. Other than that, I still love my GTI. The car still makes me smile. FWI, I'm still on my original water pump. Go figure.
Good greif i've experienced 4/5 of these problems on my 2012 CC Lux plus within the last year at 112,000 miles and car is currently in the shop for intake manifold. I've spent so much money this past year on my CC getting these exact issues fixed. I hope this is it for a while. Great video
I realized you wrote this, 11 months ago, however I own a 2012 ,2.0 turbo TSI 49,450 miles . So far, nothing major. I'd like to change trans fluid. No one does it, and don't trust Local VW Also when did you start having problems
I h a t e d every second of owning a Tsi in my CC. I had every single oil leak, intake manifold, timing tensioner, brake vacuum pump, turbo diverter and a fucking shit ton of other stuff. I spent 6k in parts and labor on this motor in one year at 100k miles.
Ikr? Cue all the Volkswagen fanboys talking about how great and reliable their car has been. "Ive got XXXX car and it has XXXXXX miles and never had to fix anythign!!!11!" Like can you stop being a willfully ignorant asshole for 5 seconds? Maybe you could learn a thing or two. VW is a horrible car manufacturer, every last car they produce today is a complete dumpster fire. If you somehow manage to own a VW that hasnt broken down yet, consider yourself the exception, not the rule.
@@swagsonville9675 Yeah, I know. Working on my grand son's 2008 Passat with only 40k on it. It has multiple problems I'm just now learning about. Right next to it in my garage is my wife's 99 Miata with 240k on it. Only thing I've ever had to do to it was change the timing belt and idler. Other than the timing belt and an occasional battery and tires and spark plugs, it's factory original. Even the hoses are still good.
Jojo Diver Miatas are great aren't they? At 240k though, if you haven't already, change the radiator hoses and thermostat. Super cheap parts and can save you headache later. Hoses on cars can go out in the blink of an eye, if you've got 240 with stock hoses, I'd think twice about keeping them. 👌👍
Yep...I had an intake manifold replaced under warrantly thankfully. I also had the carbon buildup on the valve, so i ended up taking off the intake manifold myself and cleaned it. I believe i have the first year for the TSI year so now youve got me concerned about the timing chain tensioners now.Got 120K on my wolfsburg Jetta now. I may have to get that looked into now...
I have a 2010 PASSAT 2.0t tsi and I had warning lights come on all within a few hours of each other. Specifically ENGINE OFF LOW OIL PRESSURE. I replaced oil pressure sensor switch and I did a manual oil pressure test and I have oil pressure.
I'm looking at this and other videos because I'm searching for a motor for my 2012 2.0 turbo. I wasn't to get things addressed before the newer motor goes in. Much more cost-effective, rather than having more labor costs down the line anytime soon.
I got rid of our 2009 Audi A4 just last week after the timing chain tensioner threw everything off timing and bent valves and put a hole in the piston. Crossing finger that my A6 even with a 3.0 supercharge won't do the same!
Lol, got an audi a4 b5 1.8t 20v from 95 With 241.000 km on it and has been flash/chip tuned since 80.000. been running like a Dream i've only had to service it
My Golf 2 GTI was on 420.000kms, my current 1.9 TDI 97' is on 760.000kms. They made some solid products, but I will admit the last years they also made a lot of shit.
Failing TSI timing chain tensioners: PSA had this problem with the Peugeot/Citroen/BMW THP engines. They were fixed for free under warranty, but after that, you were on your own (Mini Cooper S, Peugeot 207 GTi, 207 RC, etc)
Check your tensioner if its the revised one or not, check the pcv valve (replace with africa plate & catch can), check your coilpacks & spark plugs, look at the carfax if the transmission has been serviced, change the oil so you know that it was done correctly, check tires & brakes, and check the subframe bolts for clunking noises (subframe movement = alignment and suspension issues)
James C I actually have 3 in my driveway right now, all of them need repairs and are junk imo. I have a tiguan with a head off and 500 in machine shop costs alone from a defective timing chain tensioner. the interior of two out of three is falling apart and feels cheap, so yeah they are garbage quality, been there done that many times.
Cam bridge screen failures. We see this problem often. We replace the head all the time. Low oil pressure as well. We replace these engines all the time.
Depend how you define "no issues". I can tell you that my 2000 Celica GTS 6-Speed sold at 165K miles had the following parts list replaced over 10+ years. One ignition coil, one drive belt and tensioner assembly (100K). End of list. Sold with original clutch.....
Hey bud. Thanks for the free education. My brothers 2012 cc just had the tensioner take a crap.. He got EXTREMELY LUCKY. I ordered the chain kit from DAP and replaced all 3 over the weekend. Good as new... just an idea, why not mention in a future video, using a cylinder leakage tester will let others with this issue know how much they are about to spend before committing to any decision on repairs.
My Amarok has the tsi300 engine and at 80k kilometres I had to replace the timing chain as it stretched and was very noisy and tensioner replaced. It also burns oil at the rate of a litre every month but no sign of oil leaks. The ignition switch failed at 120k. Some of the leds like the brake light ones on tray get moisture inside and other than that it's fine. It's a car you must be ontop if it's service schedule or you can expect serious issues and empty pockets
Hey there! so I work at a repair shop as a service writer. (Disclaimer: I don’t know much of the very technical stuff but have a grasp of how it works). After failing to fix the timing chain tensioner issue and it costing us money, we asked the dealer how they were doing it. One of the parts reps told me that they had 2 instances where due to slow cranking from a weak battery or charging system made the car jump timing. He didn’t elaborate much but pretty much said that the tensioner didn’t move Fast enough to the low voltage. It sounded like it made sense, especially since we had a car that came in for an alternator with no signs of timing issues and jump time he As we were pulling into the bay, but I didn’t know that tensioner had any kind of electrical component. Any feedback will be helpful. I hope this question make sense.
I have a 2003 Golf TDI ( bought new ) I put 270,000 miles on it so far, with regular maintenance I do myself it’s never not started or left me stranded anywhere. It still gets fantastic fuel mileage and still runs perfect 👌 I enjoy your channel.
I have a 2001 jetta tdi that has 346k on it. I'd have no fear driving it from Texas to Alaska snd back.
That generation of TDI were indestructible. People in Eurpoe used the TDI as taxis and were going to 500k km no problem.
TDI has nothing to do with the TSI engines Charles is talking about!
Current owner of a MK6 with 165k miles, I can say that this review is spot on. I’ve had to do just about every work mentioned intake manifold, water pump, carbon build up, fuel injectors, and camshaft cover replacement. I will say that besides the intake manifold, the rest of the major work came up after 100k miles.
Got myself a 2.0 TT with ~100k miles and have also checked a lot of these boxes. The funnest and by funnest I mean most expensive was the leaking upper cam cover which then led to also updating the timing chain tensioner and replacing the chains (which I know was partially scheduled maintenance)
No turbo yet?
Damn.. I have a VW.. Now I feel like VW..
Very
Worried..
Red Jerry you should be
@@xabhax I have a 2004 Grand AM and a 2011 Tiguan. The Grand AM is waaaaaay easier to fix than the VW in my experience.
It's true every car has issues, but the engineering behind ease of fixing is ludacrous with the VWs.
@@xabhax honda b series engines ;)
@@xabhax b16a b18c all good on that aspect though B20 needs mods from the get go ;)
My favorite is the rear main seal! Great reminder that it could cause a vacuum leak. Great work.
The rear main seal is almost always gonna be destroyed by a bad PCV Valve so if you have the Seal fail, it's likely the cause.
Great, now I'm paranoid...
+Imad S You should be, just spent $2.5K fixing my shit box 2L over a 8 month period
Fred Pinczuk Luckily I've still got warranty
+Imad S Good, be pro-active and use it. Get the dealer to check a month before it runs out.
Me too😂☹
No you always use specified fuel. Just because it’s 93 octane does not mean it’s good for the car.
My wife 2009 Tiguan went through 6 yes 6 water pumps the last time I told the mechanic to have the fan stay on after the engine shuts down. It’s going on three years now without water pump failure. All credit goes to you Sir not sure which video it was , but it worked Thank you very much..still getting misfire 2# cyl. fault runs rough when starting but after that it seems fine. Gotta other set Bosch ignition coils coming in and new plugs,some how I feel I just did this..THANK YOU again 👍👏👏👏☝️
8 Years with my golf tsi engine and 130.000miles.
-No timing chain fail
-No Oil leaks
-No Water leaks
-No check engine lights
-No electric fails
...... Just fine! ....ok.
also no dsg problems?
@@ueg-zm8wf it's manual.
Dimitris Theodopoulos ohhh that's why
Dimitris Theodopoulos how did u get away with it ?
thanks
@@Borheno changing oil every 4000miles, service every 8000 miles, wait for engine to get warn enough before i step it and never push it to the limits.
The only things i have been changed is the clutch disk plate and the suspension.
Thanks for the info. My 2008 Jetta 2.0 was something else. I've replaced Coils, Water Pump, Crank Sensor (twice), removed the manifold and cleaned carbon 3 times so far, overhaul the secondary air solenoid, replaced the PCV 3 times, and burns oil like, now troubleshooting an OIL LEAK!!!! I really love the car but a piece of crap when comparing it to my 1990 Nissan 240SX with no issues other than regular maintenance.
I was seriously considering a new VW until I saw this video. Keeping my Lexus instead. Not ONE problem with it in 11 years, not one. Thanks for the great videos. Very well done.
Thanks! I Hard to argue that. Lexus does make really great cars.
Really love your videos and advice. Merry Christmas to you and your family too. Thanks so much.
Lexus ran into the carbon build up problem with their first run of direct injection engines. They quickly switched to a port and direct set up and eliminated the issue.
The 2.5 and 3.0 V6s are still just direct injected and the 3.5 V6s have added port injection. Best get the 3.5 if want it to last a long time without problems.
The thing about VAG is it like a calculated failure by design. Lexus at least aim to reduce failure.
Oh man, so accurate. My 09 tiguan has had an engine from a 2011 put in it because of the timing chain. Tensioner was done at the same time. That was previous owner, since I've owned it I've had rear main seal, balance shaft seal, AND the water pump and housing all replaced.
I'm not a VW owner and i think i just watched a 7 1/2 minute video on reasons why i should never purhcase a VW.
Every brand of car has problems like these. Also, he is a mechanic so it's not like he sees the ones that never have these problems.
+SlipknotMaggot0526 no such thing as a perfect car. these days they seem to be designed to fail. way too many plastic parts in my opinion.
+Bavarian “E34M50” Motor I agree.
+skwerlee Same here, and to think I damn near bought one.
+Bavarian “E34M50” More Rubber and plastic.
i have a 1.8 tfsi engine, it has 201k kilometers and works like a charm with zero problems never had a problem with that engine, but i have really took care of it depending oils/filters and services
How much mileage did you end up getting up to? I've only ever had the water pump go on mine so far.
Great video! I think you are spot on with all this info. I ve read up on the forums and you have got it all covered in this short summary. I ve got an early 2.0 TSI engine in my 2009 golf gti and i ve needed 1,3 and 4 you mentioned. Intake manifold, timing chain tensioner and water pump. It still loses water but doesnt use any oil. No oil leaks so far. I hope i dont get carbon build up issues soon...... We ll have to see.
I bought a gen 3 engine car almost a year ago, 4 years old with 25000 miles on the clock. Water pump failed after a week! Replaced under warranty fortunately. No more issues since. 🤞
I am missing the excessive oil consumption of the these engines in your list.
I have a TFSI 2litre (CDNC) A4, so far PCV was passing, weak coil (changed to R8 coils), and diverter (changed it to a GFB one (amazing!))
Now just need a 034 PCV delete kit :D
Ford Ecoboost owners have the same problem with carbon buildup. It's crazy how manufacturers are throwing reliability out the window for a few extra mpg's.
It's a problem with direct injection universally.
+Jason Liehr lexus seem to have solved this problem by putting a injector that sprays in the intake valves.
+Tiny Turbo It's an issue inherent to direct injection because the fuel/air mixture isn't being shot in over the intake port and valve thus continuously cleaning the valve. There's a debate as to wether or not misting in water in to the intake manifold on a hot engine will steam clean and break down the carbon.
+Tiny Turbo Agreed. Automakers will try to force all this crazy complicated, expensive engine technology on our overweight cars and trucks, rather than just keeping the same tried and true tech, and dropping weight. That's why I love my new F-150. Good old basic engine tech, lots of power, and a light weight body for awesome performance AND mpg.
+Tiny Turbo And its not that hard or expensive of a fix for mfg. Install a 5th injector (for a 4 cylinder) low pressure behind the throttle body and allow it come on periodically.
I have 90000 on my FSI, no problems,thank God! But I've done all required maintenance and don't beat up my engine regularly. Just had the timing belt changed and cam follower checked.
I worked at a VW dealership, and the shit I saw going on.... VW gets in trouble for having dirty diesel engines, yet everyone who buys these cars seem just fine with their cars falling to pieces in less than 100,000 miles..... At one point, we had 4 Volkswagen CC cars, roughly the same age and mileage, in the shop at the same time, for the same issues. 3 were having their turbo chargers replaced, one was getting a whole new engine. These cars were only a couple of years old and had less than 75,000 miles on them. Cars soaking their intake tubes to the intercoolers with oil on both diesel and gas turbo engines, at maybe 50,000 miles? How in the hell has VW stayed in business this long, building this shit quality is beyond me. At one time, they made a halfway decent car, but now, you could not give me a VW. If someone tried, I would go get cash value for it and just put that money into my 269,000 mile 1992 Honda Civic DX that I paid $700.00 for. I hated working for VW, I can not back a car company that finds it acceptable to build shit like this. I can't even honestly recommend anything US made either, seeing as all the car companies are starting to take after VW. What a hell of a time to live in when new cars are not even built to last as well as a car built 20+ years ago.
Was debating on getting the CC and try the dub life and you've helped me go back to jdm. Getting the 2018 civic si instead
All cars are disposable now. There not meant to last past the warranty. They engineer them that way. If they fail before consider yourself lucky.
What about a 1.8T 20v? (in a cupra r 1m)
Looking out for a 1.8T 20v but its so hard to find a decent one over here where i live, tfsi on the other hand is everywhere.
Ya but the GTI is worth it at least to me. It's a fantastic car but ya I will upgrade at 60000 miles. They are not meant to last. I knew that the day I bought it. All bets are off after 60000 miles on ANY German car.
Totally convinced me not to buy another GTI, thanks man.
I'm a professional that deals with VWs at a non-german dealer, so I deal with VWs but have no 'insider information' when doing so. I've dealt with problems you mentioned on a few of these engines, and it really stoked my hatred for modern VW engines. I was a die hard VW guy who felt left behind by the change in direction the company took in 99-00. Dealing with modern VWs had become sickening. They are supposed to be a "people's car", an economy car still feels good on a highway like the Autobahn. What they've turned unto is a car that uses parts under the hood as expensive as BMW, but underbody of the car on a lift looks as if it's built like a Chevy Cobalt. I remember a 2006 Jetta had a CEL that failed inspection that the radiator fan was causing. The fan technically did what it was supposed to do and 'worked' fine, but made a code and had to be replaced for a cost of $1100 installed!! People's car my ass! Talk about losing grasp on reality. Big surprise VW has recently been able to exceed the level of public disgrace that Chrysler has achieved.
wow I 100% agree, I feel your pain. VW is going down the toilet fast.
VW is slow to change because they are such a big company (#2 automaker in the world) and they are headquartered abroad. Also, given they are the #2 automaker in the world, VW isn't going anywhere. In America, VW may not sell that many vehicles but in Europe, people buy VW's (and Audi's, Porsches.... which are owned by VW) in droves.
#1 automaker
The mk4s and mk5s were made cheaply in Mexico so build quality went down. The newer mk6 models were mostly made in Germany. They switched back to Germany as they were such shit when made in Mexico.
I just bought a mk 7.5 and they are still made in South America, surprisingly Honduras. Only the engine and transmission were built in Germany.
I just rebuilt my top end on my free 09 Wolfsburg 2.0tsi. Got the car for free because of a failed tensioner and bent valves.
Surprisingly, this car had 171,000 miles on it with all original timing chain, chain guides, and original tensioner, etc. All had the year 2008 marked on the date codes. It also still has the original intake manifold, water pump, and cam bridge on it from that time too. First time the timing cover had ever come off this car too. Pretty insane this one lasted this long without any of that failing. Now have put 1000 miles on it after replacing the valves, and all timing components.
Waching this 3 days after buying a 2008 Passat 2.0. Im getting nervous.
I have a 2.0 TDI passat and its been very unreliable. The electronic handbrake has failed about 2 times! The engine seized at only 18,000 miles! Such as shame, its a decent car bar the mechanicals
Take it to a reputable VW shop and have it inspected.
Lol u done 😂
You should be lmao. I have a 2008 2.0T Tsi and have had to replace the low pressure fuel pump, high pressure fuel pump, pcv valve, coil packs, and purge valve all within the last 12 months. Running at 130,000 miles I'm wondering how much longer it's going to last. It seems like each new part causes another to fail at this point 😖
If its an FSI engine, I wouldn't be too worried. We have a 2008 Passat Wagon, 2.0T and after 11 years its still in the family and runs great. I have yet to replace front brakes on this car since they are factory still. Show me another car that can run over ten years on original brakes???. Granted I am a mechanic myself and do spend a bit more attention to it than our Toyota Sienna but the car basically runs like its a brand new car-very tight with zero rattles and weird noises. In ten years I have done the following work: one belt change with new metal water pump, one inner CV boot on the shorter shaft, one rear wheel bearing, front brake pads with original rotors, two batteries, one trans oil change and one steering lock module. There were some additional work done with recalls, namely the PCV upgrade and flap motor recall but thats about all really. It does bother me however that it uses quite a bit of oil between oil changes that are approximately 15,000 km appart but I have grown to accept it as a way of life. Overall its been a great car and I am planning on keeping it for another 10 years probably. Our daughter wants it when she reaches the legal driving age in 4 years, so we might loose it sooner. Lol
I have owned 2 VW golfs one was a 1986 it was a great car so I bought a newer 1995 golf it spent more time broken than it did running and from people I know that own newer VW cars they say they are terrible and not very reliable will never own another VW after that car
Not a VW fan as you may of guessed but like your videos keep up the good work Charles
I have 1.9TDI one of the best engines indestructible! 300,000+ with ease.
Yet the 2.0 TDI is a very problematic engine! My engine failed at only 18,000 miles!
dang son its sad that the best engines had to be tdi
My a4 has the blb engine in it.... i could of built an engine out of meccano that would be more reliable than what audi managed..... should of stuck to the pd lumps....
Tom Jardine What happen?
Its a good engine. But you live in Europe probably like me :). VW are better in Europe
First carbon clean I did was on an Audi 3.2 FSI. I agree the chemicals do not work. I pull the manifolds and walnut blast the intake ports and valves.
See many RMS failures due to the AOS failing on the 2.0 TSI's.
Heh, did A LOT of FSI HPFP's a few years back(ones that were out of the extended warranty). TSI, seems to happen a lot less due to the improved design.
Great video, definitely a good list for top failures on that engine platform.
How do you do that yourself? Is there a blasting machine one could purchase economically?
I am German and I say: the 's' in TSI stands for schrott (= scrap)
better watch out for one of those good ol' 1,8T
+qwertz33 HAHA, the 1.8t had it's issues too.
HumbleMechanic
you mean you wouldn't prefer a 1,8t over one of those fourcylinder tsi engines?
I terms of tuning the 1,8t is okay, I heard so far. Up to ~400hp after upgrades. What do you think?
greets from ger
The newer 1.8Ts have terrible seal issues compared to the 2.0T TSI and there isn't a huge support for the newer ones in terms of mods & tunes compared to the early renditions of the motor.
Schlecht
1.8T is the best
I have a 2. slow BEV engine on my wagon. it is so reliable and never do a thing except oil change and timing belt at 150,000km. Its slow pick up but gets you where u want to go and smooth on the highway. Its absolutely fine with me.
Thank you for creating this video. It's time for me to learn how to replace the intake manifold & water pump. I changed the water pump & coolant reservoir on my 2004 Jaguar XJR before, it was an interesting experience 😂
My GTI has gone through 2 water pumps at 53k
My goodness! So many of these things shouldn't even be problems. Shows where VW allocates its resources. I had a Mark V Golf (Rabbit NA) with the 2.5L I5 5-speed, and its main issues were electrical followed by a transmission seal that blew (covered under warranty), a failed steering rack (warranty replaced) that began making "graunch" noises when turning the wheel, and flimsy dash HVAC dash vents knobs. EVERY SINGLE ONE BROKE except for the one I used the most.
I'll have to junk it soon because it's melting away, but I sure do miss driving my Great Grandma's old K car. Very simple and durable. Comfortable, too.
I currently drive a 2016 Corolla S CVT (couldn't get heated seats and 6-speed like in Canada) bought NEW March 2026 and currently over 48K Miles!
Sure, it doesn't drive anywhere as nice as my old VW and it's missing those delightful VAG surprise and delight features that enhance daily use, and it's missing the touch-point quality of many VAG products (Mark VI Jetta excepted; yuck. What a disappointment.) but the reliability and efficiency has been excellent. My main complaint is the rear cabin road/wind noise and how easily the dust from my dirt road infiltrates the cabin even with fan set to high and recirc with a/c on.
I was sorely tempted into a Mark VII 2-door GTI 6-speed, but I felt that I wasn't masochistic enough to subject myself to VW real world quality, reliability, and dealership bull again unless I became rich. Especially when the nearest dealer is over an hour's drive away! If only they were really as good as they FELT.
My 2010 GTi had 2 intake manifolds replaced (only one under warranty), 3 fuel injectors replaced (two under warranty), several oxygen sensors (some under warranty), carbon cleaning, and then I was charged to replace a cam shaft which I suspect was actually the cam tensioner. Oil was changed every 5K miles, if you leave oil change for 10K mile intervals then it will be replace turbo time guys. I love the quality of the interior and the driving dynamics of my GTi, but I cannot see myself spending over 3K in repairs ever again on any vehicle something this video leaves out ($$$$$). My wallet is hurting ha! Its time to visit a Japanese dealership son !!!!! Only German car I buy next is a Porsche GT3 if I win the lottery hahaha My GTi currently has over 135K miles and fingers are crossed since you cannot go more than 30K miles without throwing an error code. Good luck to the newbie VW owner. This is not a BS post its true VW ownership. No one else will share their stories becasue of embarrassment $$$$$$ Again I like this car, but the truth hurts $$$$$$
hey i have the same car :( and now it wont star i dont know what it is so its better to sale this gti and buy another car?
My father has always had a stupid obsession with European vehicles. They have always been extremely unreliable and immensely expensive to maintain and repair. He bought a cc over 2 years ago and has spent over $3,000 on engine repairs. Volkswagen also issued a recall on the vehicle directly following him paying $1,700 to have the fucking engine cleaned and they kept the vehicle for nearly five months with nearly zero updates as to what the fuck was going on. Great job Volkswagen. Another clear winner in the automotive industry
The new ones are a lot better. Still i would not keep one past the powertrain warranty. Now they have 6 year 72000 mile bumper to bumper. If you buy one enjoy it and get rid of it before the warranty runs out.
My VW dealership insist on oil changes every 15000 miles because they use 'longlife' oil. Bollocks, I will change it when it SHOULD be changed!
Ditto!!! This engine is not very good.
I think I did pretty well playing "TSI-failure Bingo". My 2009 Golf Mk VI GTI was, IIRC, one of the earlier models to receive the new engine (my Mk V still had the older, timing-belt 2.0 turbo) and I got:
1. Busted water pump. Started with constant low coolant level in the reservoir and upgraded to seepage on the engine. Took my dealer multiple attempts to figure out there was a failing water-pump in the car. Car had been out of warranty for a year or so at the time, so VW only agreed to cover 50% of the cost. Which were quite extensive I might add. I saw the car in the workshop and they basically had to take off the whole front-end of the car to get to the water-pump.
2. Ignition coil failure. Not sure when exactly it happened, but the car was definitely out of warranty at the time and I had to pay it all. By sheer "luck", the coil on cylinder 3 gave out about 1km from my dealer and I was able to limp the car there on three cylinders.
3. Not an engine issue, but, naturally I also had a malfunctioning AC-compressor (known issue on the MK6 Golf IIRC) which I also had to pay for myself.
4. ... and finally, the big one. Luckily it didn't happen to me, but to the guy my Mazda-dealer (who had taken the Golf in on trade for an MX-5) sold it to. I didn't get all the details, but from what they did tell me, I'm pretty sure the engine's chain-tensioner failed and the head/valves was/were ruined when one or more pistons got to know the valves a bit more intimately. According to the Mazda-dealer (who had to cover the repair under used-car-warranty), that job was around €2,500.
Great video. Would be great if you could include approximate prices of the repairs (parts+labour) as well.
Bought a Passat CC three months ago.. Drives Amazing butttt now I have to replace my intake.
I really consider selling it!! Only after three months.... but all these failures really scares me! 😭
Asli Caliskan how is the CC holding Up? I got a 12 Jetta 2.5 months ago. It’s a pleasure to drive.
I personally experienced the first three issues mentioned on my 2012 GTI. After the water pump failed catastrophically leaving me and my family stranded 200 miles from home, I swore off VW forever. I would not recommend their products. The 2.0T is becoming the standard for most manufacturers, and VW seems to do them very poorly.
Agree. I got the 2020 Golf R and crossing my fingers it be fine.
I am German and dissapointed that my fellow Germans can't get their shit together other than the power output
I just did a upper timing cover, cam bridge, pcv/rear pcv hose and rear main on a 2011 gti with the tsi engine. Not a terrible job overall but the bottom two timing cover bolts were a little tight. Oh and stripped out triple square flywheel bolts; they were fun...
19 year old me, buys first car. Buys CPO 2014 MK6 GLI. 2 years later engine blows up due to faulty timing chain tensioner. Volkswagen won’t recall this part. Currently still paying on a 5 year loan for a car that doesn’t drive sitting in my driveway. Great. Wants to die.
Vw is now settling a class action lawsuit for this Tensioner issue. 20 year old me bought a 2012 Jetta GLI with 110k miles. Only put 9k miles on it when my tensioner went out. But VW will only cover costs or repairs if it happened under 100k miles.
Was 19 yr old you running it hard?
And a CC 🤦🏻♂️
Don't reply to me cuz I literally don't care. My gti has a blown head gasket... I’m still paying the car payments and he full cover insurance.... but it does look good in my drive way as well lol
Im in the same position. Blown motor due to failed tensioner. Car is absolute junk
Bought my 09 Passat from Toyota. PCV valve went and they changed it under warranty. PCV valve went again (after market apparently), I let it go cause I thought it was something else. Rear main seal went bad. $1400 later, runs like a champ.
He is right, my next car is going to be Toyota. German cars are disposable. I had a beetle timing belt broke on the highway. Now I have Tiguan pretty new only 70 K and throttle stopped responding on the highway. Turbo engines in general are problematic, no wonder why Toyota is always hesitant to make turbo engines
I had an Audi come in with a waste gate that had rattled so much it wasn't closing anymore. It wore the rod hole oval. Got a low boost code. Bought the special clip and put it on, ground slots in the waste gate actuator mounting holes and tightened up the slack in the linkage using the slotted bolt holes. Been fine for a couple years.
Well done my mechanic brother you have nailed it in this one, great vid
Thanks
I am a senior citizen who owned an O7 Audi A4. Car was a nonstop litany of recalls, electric problems, and turbo issues. At 50K, the turbo ceased altogether--a $4,000 repair. You'd think that VW/Audi could get this 2.0 turbo sorted out. They've only been making this engine for 15+ years.
All of those fails can be rolled into one fail - corporate greed. Maximizing profits by cutting development, testing and manufacturing costs.
@geheimschriver U.S cars are plagued with worse reliability than German cars for the same reasons. Although atleast German cars feel nice on the road lol
@geheimschriver ha, us cars are awful. All buying a car is about is figuring out who is least full of crap. They are all the same.
@geheimschriver I have a 2018 gti and I love the car. Fun to drive and great gas mileage.
I just hit 62k miles on my 2012 CCTA arp stage 1. No major issues so far, a few minor ones tho.
I love the tfsi/tsi, they were my job security while i was with Audi. I rebuilt 4 or 5 a week. Water pumps were the best, i had them down to 20 minutes.
Shhhh dont say 20 mins and ruin the fuckoff time we have
I have a 15 year old Jetta city. Which is at the bottom of the trim and never had any of these issues. VW’s tend to have sensor or electrical issues. But not that bad.
Great video, Really helped my start trouble shooting a misfiring GLI! Thank you!
+Daniel Buday awesome!
I’ve got a 2008 Vw Eos. In 2020 I changed out the coil packs and plugs with 103000 miles on it. I’ve never seen spark plugs that bad on a car before, but it is turbo charged and probably never changed. I had to change out some plastic tubing on the coolant. I noticed that it started to burn oil around this time and still does if it doesn’t have fresh Synthetic oil in it. @ 120000 miles my brake petal got hard to press . Luckily I was in my driveway when it happened. It turned out to be the vacuum hose that goes to the brake booster was broken. It looked like a critter had chewed it and was melted on the other end. Not sure what happened but I had to order the part on eBay. 47 bucks all because you can’t put a 3/8 hose and a clamp on it. They deliberately make the other end too small so that you have to buy the plastic tubing.
So I am going to start by saying that I am a avid Vw owner I was a Vw tech for 13 years and that was how I supported my family I'm not sure if you have a family or not but If you keep putting videos up like this one you will put yourself out of a job.
+scott spangler hey Scott. Thanks for the comment. Why do you say I will put myself out of a job?
I guess there may be a handful of people that won't buy this car because of my video. But that's probably a rounding error type number.
Nothing said in this video is wrong or dishonest. And you could take any car/make/engine and make these videos
I think he means that if you still work for a VW dealer they may well not like you giving an honest opinion on their products...
+Squire T yeah i understand that. I am only speaking the truth as I see it. I actually have a good amount of fans that work for VWofA.
Yeah that is what I took from the video you are just talking about what you have seen and feel, You can come up with the same videos and faults for most makes of car.
It was really nice to hear that you (and get the feeling your dealership) tried to combine jobs for customers to save them bigger bills in the near future, the world could do with a few more mechanics like you
#1 manufacturer in the world! We will be fine
There seems to be two types of TSI engines. Those that are really dependable and those that are garbage. Bought my son a 2010 Passat 2.0T with 94,000 miles on it. So far no oil leaks or other issues mentioned here.
I've always wanted a GTI until I watched this lol 😂
You can still want one....but eventually you'll have to get one!
Just keep up with maintenance
Get it don't worry. Service and maintain it good
From experience , every car I owned never had any major problems.
I had a 92 Honda accord 2.2 325.000
99 Honda civic
289.000
09 Toyota Camry
210.000
2013 VW Passat 2.0 diesel
189.000
Currently a VW GTI.
23.000
One thing I learned and practiced was to not push the car at all before 20.000 km.
Nothing over 3.500 RPM.
And I guarantee you a proper working engine for the most of it.
Do you think the gen 3 TSI engines have corrected these problems or will it be a whole slew of new ones? I have a new golf r so I'm interested.
So far these engines have been great. I've only seen a failed spark plug.
Humble Mechanic........ Please answer????
Gen 3 GLI APR Stage 2 with 69k running strong. One water pump fail and... That's about it.
I work for a vw shop and i have only seen a tsi engine gen 3 like ones or twice in the shop, im guessing they start doing a better job on them the one i can say its a better engine is the 1.8t that comes on the 2012 models and up i havent fix anything on them yet my advice is just to make sure check the basic stuff do the oil change when it needs to be done and the tune up any check engine light make sure u check that out asap cuz if its something not to big that can cause and bigger problem in the future ...
I was one of those lucky timing chain tensioner failure guys where nothing else gets damaged. It was in my mk6 GTI. I had just bought it and was taking it home from the dealership, but then it started idling roughly and threw a check engine light. Luckily I never left the dealership so it was fixed free of charge
Quick question when you mean early years what exactly all those years
08-10.5 I’m guessing
I love my 2003 Golf VR5 with 170PS Horsepower....man, what a sound with the Bastuk-Exhaust.....
Water pumps using plastic parts? Joke
oil pan is also plastic
Theres a reason they're plastic... plastic water pumps when they break the plastic will just break apart saving your engine whereas a metal water pump will jam whatever is driving that water pump
At least back in the 80s on mk1/2 you could get a metal impeller water pump as a replacement for plastic shit
hi, I have a 2006 golf gti 2.0 t FSI . OWNED IT THREE YEARS love the car but the last few months have been brain frying, the lights on the dashboard are like the starship enterprise lol, had probs with hpfp but turned out to be a fuse so that made me very happy after three days use abs,tyre pressure,engine management ,etc... so ordered new abs sensors all new break pads and a new rear caliper, has I said after about three days I was doing about 40 mph and the check engine oil light came on so switched car off coasted to the nearest layby, checked oil which was fine turned the key it started with no warning lights so I drove 20 mph about 2miles and the car just died so I coasted again got towed home ,checked timing belt fine took rocker cover off all looks clean, but only the exhaust cam is turning so I'm lead to believe its the cam chain /tensioners because I did here a small flappy noise then it went, so in the next few days the chain cover is coming off, just hope the pistons are not holed , and I get away with a few valves or even timing chain kit,but I don't get that luck. ithink its a bdw engine code ? any help will be appreciated thanks in advance
No dude they are really reliable
really really
he saying in germany
Until yes you have to clean the valve ports which gets build up of carbon as is expensive to fix
Yup, this is why I've ruled out VW for my next car purchase. The TSI is now the only engine offered in the Passat, Arteon, A4 and A6. My TDI and 2.5 were both good cars, the TDI was actually a great car. It's been a good run VW but now I must say goodbye.
You probably made a good decision they have the 3rd gen TSI engines in their cars now. They might not have the problems of the 2nd gen TSI. However given VWs track record their will be problems with the new gen engine as well
@@bh2155 Just an update, I bought an Acura ILX. No timing belt! Like the car a lot but the fuel tank is tiny, that's my only complaint.
@@goldenrod8861 maybe I should go with the Japanese brands. I never liked them but they are a lot more reliable. ACURA cars are nice though.
Couldn't all that crud and carbon buildup be prevented by installing a catch can? That is a must for direct injection engines.
Is there an aftermarket aluminum replacement for those failing water pumps?
PS: I have never owned a VW and I have no experience with them but that is what my common sense tells me: if something does not work then fix it instead of just replace it with the same failing part.
No, VW solved the direct injection problems by having both direct and indirect injection at the valves. The fuel cleans the carbon build-up.
Daniel Jahn How do you deal with this problem on cars sold without the updated design?
@@unassailable6138 If i'm not mistaken they did this on the gen 3 ea888 but only for EPA reasons (running port injection at certain rpms to reduce emissions) and they didn't bother to deal with carbon buildup just for emissions reason. This was in Europe and the United States did not receive ea888s with multiport injection.
@@derrickarmour Subaru's new BRZ is now coming with direct and indirect injection combined, manufacturers are learning their lesson to keep the intake vales cleaner.
@@unassailable6138 Keyword 'Subaru' , not flipping Volkswagen Audi Group 😂😂😂
I own a 2018 Leon FR 181 Hp TDI engine, Diésel Torque is awsome and it drives like a dream, I also own a 2013 Golf R TSI with 160,00 miles, no issues whatsoever only scheduled maintenence. Will sell the Golf and buy a Audi A6 or a Audi Q3. VW, Audi and SEAT are really reliable brands.
either u really love VAG, or just walk away from these vehicles
I just bought a 2020 VW Jetta. It's my third Jetta and love it. It has the new 1.4 turbo engine with 8 speed auto. Keep up the channel man! Fellow bearded brother!
Has VW fixed these issues in 2017 or 2018 models?? 2019??
Or do they just continue making a less than great product?
Note: Wards gives the EA888 a best engine award WAT?
Had to replace the rear main on one of these the other week. Floundered for a bit trying to diag. the lean code and terrible running. Eventually sprayed carb clean at the rear main and voila haha. Great vid man, keep 'em up!
Thanks. The first one I found was a fun experience. I didn't really believe an oil leak would cause a system lean issue. Hahahahha.
I really don't understand the love for Volkswagens, As a technician I can say they are one of the poorest made car's. Keeping us in a job is a plus I guess, but I will stick with my Honda thanks 😉
I am cool with that. :)
HumbleMechanic I used to have a Seat Toledo tdi which would go into limp home mode just as you were trying to pass out a car. Turned out to be a turbo in the end.
CMIIW, but I believe VW makes cutting edge technology accessible to normal folks. Many reliable car makers like Honda/Toyota/Nissan stick to tried and tested technology, VW OTOH is always making new tech and putting it in their cars, they don't even wait to iron out the issues before proceeding to make new tech that makes the issues-almost-ironed-out version obsolete. So there you have it, when a discerning customer looks at a VW, they see a far better product at a slightly premium price. The problem comes with long term ownership and maintenance, because cutting edge tech in relatively low volume cars won't come cheap.
Toyota and Honda are reliable for sure. But they are also some of the most bland and boring cars made. VW /Porsche/Audi cars are great driving cars, but you need deep pockets to own them.
@@guitarguy5475 Exactly couldn't have said it better myself. I never loved a Japanese car and I owned 5 of them. I love my MK7 GTI but I will not keep it past the powertrain warranty.
I have a 2003 VR6 GTI (24v) I purchased new in late 2002. I only have 93,000 miles on it, and have the dealer do a synthetic oil change on it once a year. Changed the spark plugs once at around 60,000 miles. It's been garaged and waxed once a year, and looks like new. I also use Shell Premium unleaded with the 'V Power'. The motor purrs perfectly, and still has the original chains on it. This car has been so reliable, it's scary! The only issue in 16 years of ownership was the engine cooling fan failed once, part of the rear exhaust rusted and needed to be replaced once. Even though I thought about getting a new car, I just can't part with this gem! My guess is that it can last me 20 years plus, and easily go 200,000 miles! Not bad for a VW made in Brazil.
It's also shocking to me that VW never recommends a transmission oil change (I have a 6 speed manual)! The transmission oil is supposed to last the life of the car!
can you use your beard as a small tool holder ?? I thought about putting magnetic beads in mine so I could use my beard to hold bolts and things wile i work
Hey man recently just found your Channel and started to watch. I'm a mechanic in the UK. Going into the TSI and FSI engines in relation to the misfire with carbon build up, I'm 22 and I've had to replace piston rings on these engines due to them seizing from build up of carbon. And that's a complete engine rebuild lot of work. Also had a few of the tensioners fail which also big jobs never had an easy one where it's just a new chain and tensioner which sucks! One I have had which was very strange is the tensioner failed which bent some valves and when I replaced the valves and rebuilt the engine ect ,it came down to timing up the engine all of the marks lined up but when I turned the engine over by hand it was clunking and all sorts, turned out that where the exhaust cam sprocket is pressed onto the end of the camshaft that actually turned on the end of the cam so that when it came to timing the engine it gave me false timing! Replace the cam was all good but very strange problem if you've ever heard of that happen! Great vids I enjoy watching!
Pass on buying a vw.....the engine seems to be a basketcase of problems. Buy a vw and enroll at your local auto mechanics school.
+Frank E Or Audi, same shit. Speaking from Experience
I bought a brand new 2019 Passat last summer and 3 months later at about 5k miles the epc light and check engine light came on and won't go over 20mph. Had it towed to the dealer they said it was throwing a code for some sensor I forget which one anyway they replaced it and it was still throwing the same codes and doing the same thing. They ended having to get VW corporate involved and bring in a VW master mechanic to fix it. I forget what the problem was but they told me it was actually pretty common and VW is aware of the issue and even said that I might end up having the same issues again within the next 5k miles and said that if that happens they were gonna have to replace the entire engine harness. Thankfully it was all covered under warranty and I never had any other issues after that.
Yikes.
If you can find out what they fixed LMK!
Dude do you blink :D
Yo I just noticed him staring into my soul
Charles edits out all of the blinks, thinks they look funny
I would love to get a golf gti. Its utility and performance meets the requirements I am looking for, but the possibility of reliability headaches down the road is of great concerns to me. Research and common sense tells me not to get one, but youtube videos keeps bringing me back. This video will hopefully do the trick and help me stay away from the GTI.
M Campbell I’m 61k miles into a (now modified) mk7 gti and the thing runs and drives like brand new. I perform maintenance religiously. Even the interior is in perfect shape (although I take EXCRUCIATINGLY good care of it as well).
literally every one of these failures have happened on my 2.0t
:(
HumbleMechanic 2012 GLI i bought it april 9th since then
coils (2 days after purchase)
injectors
turbo and wastegate
transmission (5th and 6th gears were damaged)
waterpump
the oil seal
2 wheel bearings
the engine computer (was literally just doing random thing/no start et cetera)
Timing chain/tensioner/guides et cetera
Intake manifold (P2015)
injector number #4 (again)
got it from the shop after the wheel bearings. made it 15 miles before it threw p2015 and threw codes for the timing chain. replaced intake and timing chain and injector #4. made it precisely 1 week before the Cam pos sensor went. brought it to vw. they told me probobably injectors but that was 5 days ago now. and here we are lol
Literally? Not actually?
My Tensioner failed a 6 years 50k miles. Luckily my mechanic had a whole head from a CC with 11 k miles on it. Whole repair cost me $3800.Got the revised tensioner, and chain kit from DAP. Alzo changed the itake as long as it was off. If you hear a rattle in the engine don't ignore it, I did, ang got sceeerewed!. Other than that, I still love my GTI. The car still makes me smile. FWI, I'm still on my original water pump. Go figure.
Glad you had someone that was able to help you out. It is odd on the Water pump haha
Soo.... these 2-3 year old vw's are in worse condition than my 21 year old corolla?
And people say vw is good cars ._.
Can't imagine how boring its to drive a 21 year old corolla anyway
@@felipegonzalez2098 Trust me, it is funnier than you think
Good greif i've experienced 4/5 of these problems on my 2012 CC Lux plus within the last year at 112,000 miles and car is currently in the shop for intake manifold. I've spent so much money this past year on my CC getting these exact issues fixed. I hope this is it for a while. Great video
I realized you wrote this, 11 months ago, however I own a 2012 ,2.0 turbo TSI 49,450 miles . So far, nothing major. I'd like to change trans fluid. No one does it, and don't trust Local VW
Also when did you start having problems
I h a t e d every second of owning a Tsi in my CC. I had every single oil leak, intake manifold, timing tensioner, brake vacuum pump, turbo diverter and a fucking shit ton of other stuff. I spent 6k in parts and labor on this motor in one year at 100k miles.
Wow, I have a 2013 and 2017 GTI. I was thinking they were the most fun ever. Makes me want to sell both of them
so many rice lovers in this comment section
Ikr? Cue all the Volkswagen fanboys talking about how great and reliable their car has been.
"Ive got XXXX car and it has XXXXXX miles and never had to fix anythign!!!11!"
Like can you stop being a willfully ignorant asshole for 5 seconds? Maybe you could learn a thing or two. VW is a horrible car manufacturer, every last car they produce today is a complete dumpster fire. If you somehow manage to own a VW that hasnt broken down yet, consider yourself the exception, not the rule.
@@swagsonville9675 Yeah, I know. Working on my grand son's 2008 Passat with only 40k on it. It has multiple problems I'm just now learning about. Right next to it in my garage is my wife's 99 Miata with 240k on it. Only thing I've ever had to do to it was change the timing belt and idler. Other than the timing belt and an occasional battery and tires and spark plugs, it's factory original. Even the hoses are still good.
Jojo Diver Miatas are great aren't they? At 240k though, if you haven't already, change the radiator hoses and thermostat. Super cheap parts and can save you headache later. Hoses on cars can go out in the blink of an eye, if you've got 240 with stock hoses, I'd think twice about keeping them. 👌👍
BortlesGOAT2017
go get a bowl of rice
Yep...I had an intake manifold replaced under warrantly thankfully. I also had the carbon buildup on the valve, so i ended up taking off the intake manifold myself and cleaned it. I believe i have the first year for the TSI year so now youve got me concerned about the timing chain tensioners now.Got 120K on my wolfsburg Jetta now. I may have to get that looked into now...
I don't know if you are talking about a 335i e90 or a TSI 🤣🤣🤣
Ahahah fuck yeah
I have a 2010 PASSAT 2.0t tsi and I had warning lights come on all within a few hours of each other. Specifically ENGINE OFF LOW OIL PRESSURE. I replaced oil pressure sensor switch and I did a manual oil pressure test and I have oil pressure.
So they paid clowns to design the engine...
I'm looking at this and other videos because I'm searching for a motor for my 2012 2.0 turbo. I wasn't to get things addressed before the newer motor goes in. Much more cost-effective, rather than having more labor costs down the line anytime soon.
VAG 😢 Honda Toyota 👍
I got rid of our 2009 Audi A4 just last week after the timing chain tensioner threw everything off timing and bent valves and put a hole in the piston. Crossing finger that my A6 even with a 3.0 supercharge won't do the same!
there is no such thing as a reliable vw engine
and my tsi touran 220k... 0 problems
^
Lol, got an audi a4 b5 1.8t 20v from 95 With 241.000 km on it and has been flash/chip tuned since 80.000.
been running like a Dream i've only had to service it
I have an 04 Odyssey with 240k mi. & only had to change the oil in it. I feel lucky whenever I look @ the carcomplaints listing for gearbox fails! =P
My Golf 2 GTI was on 420.000kms, my current 1.9 TDI 97' is on 760.000kms. They made some solid products, but I will admit the last years they also made a lot of shit.
Failing TSI timing chain tensioners: PSA had this problem with the Peugeot/Citroen/BMW THP engines. They were fixed for free under warranty, but after that, you were on your own (Mini Cooper S, Peugeot 207 GTi, 207 RC, etc)
what can I expect from a used 2011 vw gti with 54k miles?
🤣🤣🤣🤣 you wrong man!
Check your tensioner if its the revised one or not, check the pcv valve (replace with africa plate & catch can), check your coilpacks & spark plugs, look at the carfax if the transmission has been serviced, change the oil so you know that it was done correctly, check tires & brakes, and check the subframe bolts for clunking noises (subframe movement = alignment and suspension issues)
Get a 2007 GTI or prior...
Interesting! I was just looking at a 2016 GLI and I ran a Carfax which unveiled a rear main seal replaced! Thanks for this video!
+jmk jmk yeah we've have a few newer cars have the issue too
So what is the advantage to owning a VW product? these cars seam to have so many problems due to bad design and cheap materials...
it keeps your wallet slim
cheap materials? have you ever been inside one lmao
James C I actually have 3 in my driveway right now, all of them need repairs and are junk imo. I have a tiguan with a head off and 500 in machine shop costs alone from a defective timing chain tensioner.
the interior of two out of three is falling apart and feels cheap, so yeah they are garbage quality, been there done that many times.
James C that reply shut you up. You got hook,line and sinkered lmfao
No, i didn't see it until now. My GTI has been flawless. It sounds like he got hook line and sinkered LOL
Cam bridge screen failures. We see this problem often. We replace the head all the time.
Low oil pressure as well. We replace these engines all the time.
Who would buy a TSI engined VW? Just asking for punishment to your wallet. No thanks.
Please find us a car that has no issues.
Depend how you define "no issues". I can tell you that my 2000 Celica GTS 6-Speed sold at 165K miles had the following parts list replaced over 10+ years. One ignition coil, one drive belt and tensioner assembly (100K). End of list. Sold with original clutch.....
272.000 km on my passat with no problems what so ever
376 000 km Golf mk5 and still driving like new.
I have an old mazda. 1.6 Million Kilometers no problem what so ever....
Hey bud. Thanks for the free education. My brothers 2012 cc just had the tensioner take a crap.. He got EXTREMELY LUCKY. I ordered the chain kit from DAP and replaced all 3 over the weekend. Good as new... just an idea, why not mention in a future video, using a cylinder leakage tester will let others with this issue know how much they are about to spend before committing to any decision on repairs.
Lol 3 outta 5 for my CC. Carbon build up in intake manifold, water pump issues, and engine oil leak thank you powertrain warrenty
+Brandon G I have done tons under powertrain. That makes a much more happy customer,
My Amarok has the tsi300 engine and at 80k kilometres I had to replace the timing chain as it stretched and was very noisy and tensioner replaced. It also burns oil at the rate of a litre every month but no sign of oil leaks. The ignition switch failed at 120k. Some of the leds like the brake light ones on tray get moisture inside and other than that it's fine. It's a car you must be ontop if it's service schedule or you can expect serious issues and empty pockets
Hey there! so I work at a repair shop as a service writer. (Disclaimer: I don’t know much of the very technical stuff but have a grasp of how it works). After failing to fix the timing chain tensioner issue and it costing us money, we asked the dealer how they were doing it. One of the parts reps told me that they had 2 instances where due to slow cranking from a weak battery or charging system made the car jump timing. He didn’t elaborate much but pretty much said that the tensioner didn’t move Fast enough to the low voltage. It sounded like it made sense, especially since we had a car that came in for an alternator with no signs of timing issues and jump time he As we were pulling into the bay, but I didn’t know that tensioner had any kind of electrical component. Any feedback will be helpful. I hope this question make sense.
Golf 7.5r 2017, replacing my pistons soon under warranty because of big oil consumption. GG VW, brand new car and already got problems..