GTI MKV DSG died on Monday morning - Mechtronic fail

[Duane]

Hey guys,
Thought I should update about my DEAD GTI.
So the Mechtronic Unit finally arrived form Germany today. My mechanic rang to inform me that the car is stuck between 2nd and 3rd gear. They now have to take the gear box out to try and resolve this problem. This obviously means more labour $$.
I keep hearing the words 'This is so rare' and 'Never seen this before' it's driving me crazy.
I'm keeping a record of everything and starting to compile my case in preparation to present VW Australia. I don't know about my chances but you have to give it go really!
Will keep you all posted on the outcome.
Duane

[Duane]

Hey TomC
Unfortunately my car is being repaired at a non-VW dealership. Kind of gone too far with him, ordering parts etc to change now. I still plan to present a case to VW Australia - any suggestions as what/who I can contact. I was planning on drafting a letter with my solicitor with all the details of the case and then posting to the General Manager of VW Australia. What do you think? Sounds like you have heard of a similar example to mine...
Thanks
Duane

[ian]

Hey TomC
Unfortunately my car is being repaired at a non-VW dealership. Kind of gone too far with him, ordering parts etc to change now. I still plan to present a case to VW Australia - any suggestions as what/who I can contact. I was planning on drafting a letter with my solicitor with all the details of the case and then posting to the General Manager of VW Australia. What do you think? Sounds like you have heard of a similar example to mine...
Thanks
Duane

Hi is the car at a reputable wv service garage, i know that Camden GTI have a very competent VAG car mechanic who knows all the ins and outs , once the new Mechtronic unit is replaced it has to be coded to the car,
I had my Mechtronic unit replaced under warranty but it wasn't the problem and in the end had replace the DSG gear box , i just hope the mechanic your dealing with knows hope to get your car going again .

[TomC]

Hey TomC
Unfortunately my car is being repaired at a non-VW dealership. Kind of gone too far with him, ordering parts etc to change now. I still plan to present a case to VW Australia - any suggestions as what/who I can contact. I was planning on drafting a letter with my solicitor with all the details of the case and then posting to the General Manager of VW Australia. What do you think? Sounds like you have heard of a similar example to mine...
Thanks
Duane

The example I refered to in my previous post was a non-dealer VW specialist. In the case I was told about, because the car had been serviced using all VW-approved parts and lubricants, VWA came to the party even though it wasn't serviced by a dealer.

As ian mentioned, if the specialist is a recognised VW specialist that does logbook servicing with VW parts, it is certainly worth trying for assistance from VWA. This will have to be done through a dealer though, so you will need to take it there to have the problem assessed and the claim lodged. As has already said, there a no guarentees of assistance but it's certainly worth a try.

[Duane]

The example I refered to in my previous post was a non-dealer VW specialist. In the case I was told about, because the car had been serviced using all VW-approved parts and lubricants, VWA came to the party even though it wasn't serviced by a dealer.

As ian mentioned, if the specialist is a recognised VW specialist that does logbook servicing with VW parts, it is certainly worth trying for assistance from VWA. This will have to be done through a dealer though, so you will need to take it there to have the problem assessed and the claim lodged. As has already said, there a no guarentees of assistance but it's certainly worth a try.

Thanks guys,
The garage is a European specialist and I have all my logs (serviced every 5000ks). I will certainly take te car to it's original home and lodge a case study. As you say 'It's worth a try'
D

[Duane]

Hi everyone,
Finally got my GTI back on the road last week. Driving great. The new Mechtronic Unit has a 2 year warranty which is reassuring.
It's great to have the car back on the road and it seems to be going better than ever.
The dispute with VW Australia begins today. Will keep you all posted.

[thezoneR32]

Dont give up, everywhere else in the world has extended warranty and recalls on their dsg's so they(VW) know these things can be problematic and the last thing they want is bad publicity. Why should we down here in oz get screwed!

[jessv3]

Dont let VW bully you into not paying. I know from a good source that Ford are repairing ZF 6spd Gearboxes out of warranty, If Ford Australia can afford to do that then I don't see why the biggest and most profitable car maker in the world cant help you out.

[Maverick]

Dont give up, everywhere else in the world has extended warranty and recalls on their dsg's so they(VW) know these things can be problematic and the last thing they want is bad publicity. Why should we down here in oz get screwed!

So in every country (apart from Australia) Volkswagen has extended the warranty and had recalls on the DSG?

Dont let VW bully you into not paying. I know from a good source that Ford are repairing ZF 6spd Gearboxes out of warranty, If Ford Australia can afford to do that then I don't see why the biggest and most profitable car maker in the world cant help you out.

How does Ford doing something mean that Volkswagen will do the same? Volkswagen already do goodwill repairs out of warranty for many parts of the car including the DSG.

[raygti]

i got squat from the vw dealer here in brisbane, my plastics are all bubbling and scratched/marked......... definently shouldnt happen from a $45K hatchback?

its a 2005 vw mk5 gti. !

[Maverick]

i got squat from the vw dealer here in brisbane, my plastics are all bubbling and scratched/marked......... definently shouldnt happen from a $45K hatchback?

its a 2005 vw mk5 gti. !

Your $45K hatchback is built using the same parts as the $25K hatchback it's based on. Scratched and marked parts are not a warrantable claim, they're down to the owner and how they use the car. As for the bubbling I assume you mean the coated plastic parts?

[raygti]

touche maverick ! yes unfortunately ... i will never know if it was the previous owner or the plastics ! .. Yes in your second question, the coated plastic parts ie. dsg shift surround marked/peeling, as is the window switches. Do you recommend buying the mk 6 versions and installing them? they do add a touch off class i rekon?

[Maverick]

touche maverick ! yes unfortunately ... i will never know if it was the previous owner or the plastics ! .. Yes in your second question, the coated plastic parts ie. dsg shift surround marked/peeling, as is the window switches. Do you recommend buying the mk 6 versions and installing them? they do add a touch off class i rekon?

The Mk 6 parts (switches etc) are a bit nicer and should last longer, you can buy them cheap on ebay. As for the DSG shift surround, this is a $5-600 part on the GTI in Australia, I'd buy one from overseas if possible or consider respraying that part yourself.

[jessv3]

How does Ford doing something mean that Volkswagen will do the same? Volkswagen already do goodwill repairs out of warranty for many parts of the car including the DSG.

It's about comparing the post sales customer service between 2 major car manufacturers. I must have missed where I said vw had to do the same, the point is if ford can commit to a level of service then why cant vw?

[Gav23]

Wowsers.

I was considering getting a Mk5 GTI, but this thread is making me think twice... How common is it for Mechtronic Units to die?

I hope for your sake that VWA come to the party and chip in.