Volkswagen Golf Problems

VW has issued an alert to dealers and owners about a problem with the engine electronics of the TSI engine, advising owners not to drive their cars if they are experiencing any misfiring. Owners who are should report their problems to their dealers who can reset the engine's knock sensors to fix the problem. If it's not addressed VW says it could cause damage to the engine, as it seems could be the case with yours. So ask the dealer to show you what has been done to ensure the problem won't occur again. Other Golf owners with this engine should contact their dealers and ask about having the change done on their cars.

I would be very cautious with any Golf right now, VW has owned up to problems with the 118TSi engine that result in blown pistons due to pre-ignition. While I’m guessing your car doesn’t have a 118TSi I wouldn’t be experimenting with lower grades of fuel in any VW engine until the full extent of the issue is known. Use a 98 octane fuel.

VW's advice to you is rubbish, they sell the Golf in this country and they are responsible to make sure it is suitable for the climate we have. I wouldn't accept this advice. As for the new model I can't say, but I doubt there has been any change.

Pistons can melt for a number of reasons, but essentially it’s because the piston is getting too hot. It could be because of pre-ignition, a lack of cooling for the piston itself as it was for the Nissan Patrol turbo diesel when it was melting pistons, or it could be something else. That they are only changing the pistons isn’t necessarily an issue, it really depends on the pistons they use. If it were correct that they are having problems and are getting pistons from Germany I would hope that they have made a change to the piston design that would correct the problem. If they are simply replacing the pistons with ones that are the same as those that failed then you could reasonably expect to have them fail again. I would demand to know exactly what they are doing in the rebuild, so you know everything they do and you can make a proper assessment. It wouldn’t be a surprise to me if they installed a recalibration in the engine computer to alter the ignition settings.

YOU should definitely go back to your dealer and demand that it be fixed. It's still under warranty so it's important that it's fixed before the warranty expires. I would leave it with the dealer to fix and don't take it back until they can demonstrate to your satisfaction that it's fixed. It wouldn't hurt to contact VW directly to express your frustration.

Both will give you good fuel savings in the sort of driving you're doing. The hybrid would likely be better in stop-start driving, the diesel better for open-road motoring. The diesel would be cheaper to buy and have a better resale value in the medium term. People are still sceptical about the life of the batteries in the hybrid -- though there is no evidence to suggest they are a problem -- but it has a negative effect on used values. You would also be tied to a Toyota dealer for servicing. The broader trade has yet to develop the expertise to look after the complex electrics of the hybrid.

YES, it is correct. VW's technical people say the belt should be replaced every four years or 105,000km. Because your car is four years old the dealer is telling you it needs replacing -- mileage has no bearing on it. Yours isn't the first report I have had on the Golf wearing out the rear brakes first. I suggest you ask your dealer to show you the worn rotors and explain why they need replacing.

WE DON'T have ``lemon'' laws in this country, so there's no real definition of what makes a ``lemon''. Generally, if a car is returned to a dealer three or more times with the same problem it can be called a ``lemon''. Because we don't have any such law here you have to battle the dealer and the carmaker, and if that fails, take legal action. Though we don't have ``lemon'' laws, there are laws that protect consumers when a product is clearly unfit for the purpose for which it is sold.

Under the Australian Consumer Law introduced in January 2011, a consumer can request a refund or a replacement for persistent problems if the car doesn’t do the job it’s supposed to do.

THE speedo is allowed to read up to 10 per cent higher under the law, but cannot under-read. In that sense it is within the law. The best solution is to use a GPS to confirm the speed.

A CARMAKERS place time and distance limits on cambelts and yours has exceeded the time limit, so yes, have it changed. The potential damage to the engine if it breaks is too expensive to gamble on.