Time to get rid?
Discussion
I've a 4 year old VAG product. Its a fairly nice wafty model of peoples car with well over 200bhp and 4 wheel drive. Well equipped. Always wanted one since they came out. Passed its MOT last month with no advisories at all. No heavy maint now due until 80k and its only on 48k. Under warantee until next summer.
BUT.
Water pump went last month. Dealer couldnt diagnose on first visit and when it finally shat the bed we were on a motorway journey with our then 10 month old. Off the road a fortnight while dealer found a slot to see us. Air con turned s
t and dealer's machine wasnt working to do a check and topup, fair enough its nearly winter! Now today, on an enjoyable morning pedal, I encounter a warning light and limp mode... Manufacturer's roadside team were very good, told me why it happened but cant replicate the fault and everything looks fine now etc.
Time to go?
And if so....lets talk about interesting family cars with room for extended rear facing seats and luggage 2018-on for up to £22-£23k....
BUT.
Water pump went last month. Dealer couldnt diagnose on first visit and when it finally shat the bed we were on a motorway journey with our then 10 month old. Off the road a fortnight while dealer found a slot to see us. Air con turned s
t and dealer's machine wasnt working to do a check and topup, fair enough its nearly winter! Now today, on an enjoyable morning pedal, I encounter a warning light and limp mode... Manufacturer's roadside team were very good, told me why it happened but cant replicate the fault and everything looks fine now etc. Time to go?
And if so....lets talk about interesting family cars with room for extended rear facing seats and luggage 2018-on for up to £22-£23k....
Depends if you really like it or not.
If you've scratched the itch and are looking for an excuse to get rid, by all means do so. Just be mindful that whatever you replace it with will inevitably have issues of its own too, particularly of the aforementioned "difficult to replicate electronic gremlin" types, and with prices being the way they are now buying on a whim isn't ideal.
If you've scratched the itch and are looking for an excuse to get rid, by all means do so. Just be mindful that whatever you replace it with will inevitably have issues of its own too, particularly of the aforementioned "difficult to replicate electronic gremlin" types, and with prices being the way they are now buying on a whim isn't ideal.
It depends whether you like to run a newer car with warranty and take a big hit on depreciation, or can live with a few issues and lower depreciation.
I bought a pre-registered 123d in 2008 and kept if for 6+ years and 80K miles. It was still depreciating, albeit fairly slowly, but started to have some issues so I sold it. Although I was concerned about the N47 engine cam-chain issues, no longer did enough miles to justify a diesel and fancied a change. I never had a car more than 4 years before!
I bought a pre-registered 123d in 2008 and kept if for 6+ years and 80K miles. It was still depreciating, albeit fairly slowly, but started to have some issues so I sold it. Although I was concerned about the N47 engine cam-chain issues, no longer did enough miles to justify a diesel and fancied a change. I never had a car more than 4 years before!
MondeoMan1981 said:
I've a 4 year old VAG product. Its a fairly nice wafty model of peoples car with well over 200bhp and 4 wheel drive. Well equipped. Always wanted one since they came out. Passed its MOT last month with no advisories at all. No heavy maint now due until 80k and its only on 48k. Under warantee until next summer.
BUT.
Water pump went last month. Dealer couldnt diagnose on first visit and when it finally shat the bed we were on a motorway journey with our then 10 month old. Off the road a fortnight while dealer found a slot to see us. Air con turned st and dealer's machine wasnt working to do a check and topup, fair enough its nearly winter! Now today, on an enjoyable morning pedal, I encounter a warning light and limp mode... Manufacturer's roadside team were very good, told me why it happened but cant replicate the fault and everything looks fine now etc.
Time to go?
And if so....lets talk about interesting family cars with room for extended rear facing seats and luggage 2018-on for up to £22-£23k....
F31 340i? May not be big enough mind.BUT.
Water pump went last month. Dealer couldnt diagnose on first visit and when it finally shat the bed we were on a motorway journey with our then 10 month old. Off the road a fortnight while dealer found a slot to see us. Air con turned s
t and dealer's machine wasnt working to do a check and topup, fair enough its nearly winter! Now today, on an enjoyable morning pedal, I encounter a warning light and limp mode... Manufacturer's roadside team were very good, told me why it happened but cant replicate the fault and everything looks fine now etc. Time to go?
And if so....lets talk about interesting family cars with room for extended rear facing seats and luggage 2018-on for up to £22-£23k....
Is it an Arteon? Nice car if so. Sounds like the dealer has been a bit crap (no surprise if a main dealer). If you like the car and want to keep it then you could always take a short trip to Deutschtek in Charing Cross, Glasgow and let them have a good look over it. They have an excellent reputation.
Joey Deacon said:
Whatever happened to teutonic build quality and German reliability?
It’s rubbish, most vw’s/Audis we mot either have an advisory for leaking shocks, a good handful also fail. The 2.0 seems to suffer from water pumps failing and if unlucky taking the engines with them.Throw in egr and adblue issues too.
Joey Deacon said:
Whatever happened to teutonic build quality and German reliability?
Good marketing? lolI've seen a whole load of issues with cars I've had, or hired or colleague's cars from Mercedes and BMW. A VW Beetle was horrific in all senses. Another colleagues Mini was terrible as well.
But then also colleague's Kia had quite a few issues but mainly software shutting the car down and stopping it from starting so maybe not just the German stuff.
The VW Tiguan a few of my neighbours have had seem to be reliable though. Only Audi is the S4 which has been surprisingly very reliable, but no experience of the standard ones. Maybe it's where they are built, or if they are popular with the leasing and maybe abused/attract certain type of people or maybe certain models attract people who don't maintain them properly (or blindly trust the main dealer to do it properly).
My experience with Japanese stuff is still consistently the best though with regard to reliability.
I wouldn't have thought/hoped a 4yr old average mileage high specced VW should be considered on the verge of throwing up big bills! It is surely most likely these are one-offs that once sorted will be blips rather than a general trend?
However if you are going to sell - go Japanese or go home (on the back of a recovery truck).
However if you are going to sell - go Japanese or go home (on the back of a recovery truck).
Om said:
I wouldn't have thought/hoped a 4yr old average mileage high specced VW should be considered on the verge of throwing up big bills! It is surely most likely these are one-offs that once sorted will be blips rather than a general trend?
However if you are going to sell - go Japanese or go home (on the back of a recovery truck).
We have failed one today on a broken rear spring, we have one in the carpark sounding like a bag of spanners, both 2018.. both with common issues.However if you are going to sell - go Japanese or go home (on the back of a recovery truck).
Its a VAG product, all expected by those in the know. In fact its done well to go 4 years without major fault. If you want something that only needs the bonnet lifting during its annual service then get a Lexus, otherwise you'll need to put a few hundred quid aside each for for breakdown service and repairs.
As a shedist, a 4 year old car seems like brand new to me. The fact that you are thinking of getting rid of it due to issues is mind blowing.
Interestingly a guy at work is selling his 2013 Seat Ibiza with the 1.2 TSi engine with 12K on the clock. I was seriously tempted to buy it, hoping it would easily last me 10 years with the mileage I do.
After a bit of research I find this engine (EA111) suffers from premature timing chain and chain guide/tensioner issues.
Gemanic reliability and build quality again. On the other hand, my apparently utter pile of crap, unreliable 15 year old Renault Megane has not caused me a single issue in 5 years.
As you say, marketing.
Interestingly a guy at work is selling his 2013 Seat Ibiza with the 1.2 TSi engine with 12K on the clock. I was seriously tempted to buy it, hoping it would easily last me 10 years with the mileage I do.
After a bit of research I find this engine (EA111) suffers from premature timing chain and chain guide/tensioner issues.
Gemanic reliability and build quality again. On the other hand, my apparently utter pile of crap, unreliable 15 year old Renault Megane has not caused me a single issue in 5 years.
As you say, marketing.
Joey Deacon said:
As a shedist, a 4 year old car seems like brand new to me. The fact that you are thinking of getting rid of it due to issues is mind blowing.
Interestingly a guy at work is selling his 2013 Seat Ibiza with the 1.2 TSi engine with 12K on the clock. I was seriously tempted to buy it, hoping it would easily last me 10 years with the mileage I do.
After a bit of research I find this engine (EA111) suffers from premature timing chain and chain guide/tensioner issues.
Gemanic reliability and build quality again. On the other hand, my apparently utter pile of crap, unreliable 15 year old Renault Megane has not caused me a single issue in 5 years.
As you say, marketing.
Stick to the RenaultInterestingly a guy at work is selling his 2013 Seat Ibiza with the 1.2 TSi engine with 12K on the clock. I was seriously tempted to buy it, hoping it would easily last me 10 years with the mileage I do.
After a bit of research I find this engine (EA111) suffers from premature timing chain and chain guide/tensioner issues.
Gemanic reliability and build quality again. On the other hand, my apparently utter pile of crap, unreliable 15 year old Renault Megane has not caused me a single issue in 5 years.
As you say, marketing.
Joey Deacon said:
As a shedist, a 4 year old car seems like brand new to me.
Same. I'd be shocked if a car that new had needed anything but a gulp of oil and a filter, plus some tyres and pads.The strange "emporah's new cloths" syndrome is that there is still a hardcore of owners who will tolerate and swear blind that VAG products aren't junk.
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