Volkswagen Golf Problems

I would be going directly to VW with the piston problem. It is a known one with that engine and in my view should be covered, at least in part by VW. The statutory laws that apply to new goods don't apply to secondhand ones, so it's going to be hard to make a case on the back of those laws. I would be pressing VW hard, looking to get a goodwill deal.

Approach the dealer and ask to see the parts they removed from your car, and ask them to justify the cost of the parts they've charged you for. On the face of it the cost does seem excessive, but without the full list it's hard to be definitive.

You've managed to shake VW out of its natural lethargy and agree there is a problem and to do something about it. The explanation of a problem with the synchro sounds logical and should be pursued. I would go along with what VW has suggested, but keep on top of them to make sure they do what they have said they would do. As you have been reporting it for some time I would expect it to be fixed without cost to you.

We have seen one or two similar reports, but we haven't heard about any fixes that are available. I can only suggest at this stage that you keep the pressure on the dealer and VW to fix the car. Perhaps other affected owners could contact us with their experience.

Volkswagen Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says: "Our customer care team has been in touch and arranged a loan car for her while we get her car in to address the issues she has raised. We will cover the replacement costs of her audio unit and have confirmed this with the customer."

It's impossible to be definitive, but there's every chance that the VW brand as a whole will be tarnished over this affair and resale values of all models, diesel or not, could slump significantly. The size of the loss will largely depend on what the company does to salvage the situation and restore consumer confidence. If I were buying a VW now I would use it as an opportunity to squeeze a better deal out of the dealer. Your dealer has already dropped the asking price, but I would go harder on the basis that the resale value will suffer.

The dealer appears to be reasonable and seems to be trying to fix it, even though you have doubts about what he is doing. Because of the history the dealer can't reasonably walk away from his responsibility, so you're on pretty safe grounds. But given that the warranty is about to expire I would sit down and talk to the dealer about what he would be prepared to do on an on-going basis if the car continues to give trouble.

I have investigated and Volkswagen admits some sort of original fault, but you should not have driven the car until it stopped with 146 degrees of coolant temperature and external plastic sensors on the engine melted. The new CEO of Volkswagen Australia, Michael Bartsch, is promising a fair hearing and will help to get the car back on the road.