Golf 5 2.0L FSI engine problems - technical advice needed

[Rosemary]

The FSH is a tricky one. I did ask why the car was traded in and if it had any problems. I was told the owner 'traded it in for a TDI'. Which is not a lie, but still leaves out a fair chunk of the truth! She traded it in cos she was sick of it breaking down, and she chose a TDI. To me that counts as lying by omission. Although there was nothing written in the contract about FSH or inspections, I do have witnesses to the multiple conversations I've had where I have been misled/deceived.

Before I signed the contract I was shown the 'service history' in the car's service manual, ie the 15, 30 & 45km services. They were marked off as 'normal', no repairs or anything that would raise suspision. No mention of the other 10 or so services it had.

According to the Office of Consumer & Business Affairs I am entitled to a refund based on the fact that I bought a car which turned out to be faulty and they haven't been able to repair it. Whether or not I asked to see the FSH is irrelevant; they are supposed to make sure the car is in good working condition before they sell it, which they didn't.

As the car was under warranty I'm pretty sure they tried all the simple/quick/cheap repairs they could. They then repeated a couple of the same things after I bought it. That doesn't make much sense to me; if it didn't work the first time, why do it again? Surely it would suggest the problem lies somewhere else?

Having said that, it is driving ok. So hopefully I won't have to worry about getting a refund.

[VW Convert]

Hi Rosemary,

I hope that the problems are fixed, the fact that you have made the issue known to Consumer Affairs will stand you in good stead should the problem arise again. If it does I would be insisting on a refund with no further discussion.

Hope it all goes well from here and we see you posting your happy VW experiences in future.

Cheers

George

[Rosemary]

Thanks George - me too!

I'm really hoping it's all fixed - I don't want to end up in a Toyota Corolla like someone mentioned earlier

[Rosemary]

Update on my Golf - I've had it back from the dealer for a week and everything seems ok. No stutters at all, and the engine seems to be much quieter and smoother too. I'm slowly starting to get my confidence back.

Just to make sure, I had it checked over by another VW mechanic yesterday. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. I suspected that would be the case but I needed to make sure.

So, hopefully that's the end of it & I can finally get on with enjoying my Golf!

Thanks again to everyone for all your help.

[razza]

Update on my Golf - I've had it back from the dealer for a week and everything seems ok. No stutters at all, and the engine seems to be much quieter and smoother too. I'm slowly starting to get my confidence back.

Just to make sure, I had it checked over by another VW mechanic yesterday. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. I suspected that would be the case but I needed to make sure.

So, hopefully that's the end of it & I can finally get on with enjoying my Golf!

Thanks again to everyone for all your help.

Do you know what they did in the end to actually fix the problem?

[mrx]

Do you know what they did in the end to actually fix the problem?

Probably did an engine transplant with another one in the yard.

[Rosemary]

Probably did an engine transplant with another one in the yard.

Haha! That probably would have been quicker!

They told me that they changed the FSI settings/codes in the computer, replaced the valve body in the transmission shaft, and replaced the temperature sensor. I haven't been given an actual service report though (or for the other four times I've taken it back to them )

Who knows what they actually DID do, but whatever it was it seems to have done the job. I don't really care, I'm just glad it's over!

[mrx]

It's quite normal for them not to give you anything but the keys after warranty work. They always seem to want to keep any paperwork to themselves.