2011 T5 Multivan 2.0 Turbo Diesel Instant Catastrophic Total Engine Failure ... WTF!!

[sulley]

So, it's with a very angry and sad heart that my first post on here is about my Multivan engine exploding.

Story is my wife was returning from a weekend away, driving up the M5. Engine hot light came on, she slowed down, and pulled over, turned it off. She waited a short while, and tried to fill the radiator with water - it simply ran out the bottom. NRMA attended and towed the vehicle to a local garage - he noted a radiator hose had come off obviously, but also noted on starting the engine that it immediately compressed the fluid. Engine turned off and shipped to VW.

We are the second owner, van is 5.5 years old and has covered 178k km. It was originally from Melbourne and has had a full main dealer service history with VW from day dot until it arrived interstate - and even though it wasn't due a service, I had a full fluid service done just to make sure - all with approved audi/vw fluids. Prime reason for high mileage is the Geelong to Melb trip that it did twice a day.

I would add ... since the day we acquired it a year ago, it has run perfectly, without a hint of loss of power, has never overheated or show any signs of impending implosions.

NOW THE SHOCKER ... VW have come back and said the head gasket has failed, which has warped the heads and a piston has scored the block. New Engine required ... and the kicker ... $12k for a new engine and $4.5k for labour.

I have told them to submit a goodwill claim, and that that is simply unacceptable from a "Fit For Purpose" perspective. My next port of call after VW will be ACCC and social media. It's unacceptable for a full dealer service vehicle barely halfway through its life to completely fail.

I drilled them about the water pump (they didn't seem to want to answer the question) and whether it was working, which I was advised from the previous mechanic looked like it WASN'T actually pumping water around (i.e. impellors destroyed). I asked VW how often the water pump is supposed to be replaced? They said it's not in the service schedule.

They are telling me the head gasket is the cause of the failure. In my experience, a head gasket is only a symptom of another problem ... and I've never heard of a head gasket failure being instantaneous and fatal.

Clearly ... my first experience with VW ... and an extremely unhappy one right now.

Advice, thoughts, recommendations, prior similar experiences ...??

All thoughts welcome ... I am exceedingly stressed and unhappy right now.

[Greg Roles]

Wow that sucks.

About all I can offer is second hand low KM engines are a fraction of that, and an engine swap is no big deal for any half decent mechanic.

Best of luck in your battle, but it's odd if the water pump wasn't replaced at 100-110k, they always seem to do it with the timing belt as it's not an expensive add on part, and you are already there.....

[sulley]

Thanks ... that's what my other mechanic stated as well. Tomorrow I'm going to get hold of the full service records in detail ... they're in the van at the moment.

[Transporter]

At 178k km... I think you're wasting your time attacking VW for a goodwill. Anyway, I wish you luck and I'm sure you'll let us know on the progress.

As Greg said, you can always go with s/h engine and save yourself some money.

[sulley]

At 178k km... I think you're wasting your time attacking VW for a goodwill. Anyway, I wish you luck and I'm sure you'll let us know on the progress.

As Greg said, you can always go with s/h engine and save yourself some money.

I understand what you're saying ... but if a commercial vehicle is only good for 175k ... it's not fit for purpose. That's the approach I'll be taking. Who has $16k lying around ... you buy a car that has a full VW service history because you expect it to be maintained accordingly.

At just 5.5 years old ... it's clearly not lasted anywhere near where it should ... I would expect the life of these vehicles to be upwards of 12 years and the engine life expectancy to be upwards of 300k. To say it's a throwaway at 175k km if it's been serviced properly is ludicrous. Nobody would buy them if that was the case.

The car was at VolksMuller prior to being shipped to VW ... they did a hunt around for an engine on the offchance that would be the problem. Nothing available.

[Sunny43.5]

You have to wonder if VW had fitted a temp gauge that the steady climb of the temp may have given some earlier warning to the driver . I just don't get any sort of warm fuzzy feeling trusting a warning light to warn of impending disaster , half the time the warning lights or the pathetic chime that is barely audible are easily missed . Temperature gauges have been part of cars for time ever eternal now it seems we are at the mercy of a computer warning not what our eyes can see in front of us . As for second hand engines I was almost in the same situation as I thought my 2.0 litre petrol one was getting a bit lazy after 290000 kays , short story was blocked cat converter so all good again . I had been scouring auction sites looking for repairable or full write off T5's so I could score an engine complete . Never bothered following through though , heaps of them were up for auction after the huge hail storm in Brisbane a couple of years back but most sold for too high a price as mechanically they were unscathed .
Have you taken up the problem with VWA they have a Facebook page for venting your anger , but keep it civil until all avenues are exhausted . Then get stuck into them big time I spent two years battling them over the auto failure in our T5 and eventually they coughed up 50% contribution which they called a goodwill gesture . I had sufficient evidence that I was able to prove that it was VW's fault because of a flawed design and also the inappropriate non service schedule for Australian climate . It was very evident that I was right as in 2010 they declared Australia a hot climate country and then recommended that autos be serviced every 60000kays and also the filter was then fitted externally , funny that eh .

[Kiels3927]

My series 1 T5 Multivan has a temperature gauge. Did they drop it with the second edition?

[Sunny43.5]

My series 1 T5 Multivan has a temperature gauge. Did they drop it with the second edition?

One word Yes

[REVHE4D]

When things go wrong, they sure go wrong. I feel sorry for you. I am hoping to get another 5 years out of mine. Maybe I wont?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Kiels3927]

One word Yes

Hell's teeth. The one driving instruction I still recall vividly when I picked up my van was, "Make sure that gauge is vertical once you warm up."

[Sunny43.5]

Seems these days car makers a relying on technology to much , they are dumbing down drivers intelligence by removing things us older generation grew up with . My dad told me at 17 that I should monitor all the gauges to ensure nothing was brewing that could lead to disaster . I was in a new Ford the other day and it did not have a tacho I just don't get it . I hope Sulley gets a successful outcome with his problem seems that there was something that shouldn't have happened wrong with that van , my question is why was the hose off it's connection did the overheating force it off or had there been some work done and it was not refitted properly .

[Seano]

Ultimately, VW's goodwill is likely to be the difference in price between what the dealer is quoting and what an independent VW specialist will quote.

I'd chalk this one up to bad luck and move on. You'll not be without a vehicle for anywhere near as long nor shorten your lifespan trying to extract your version of justice from VW...who can afford your idea of bad publicity given their recent track record.

[Greg Roles]

You could always take it as a sign from God to put a more powerful engine in?

[Sunny43.5]

Talking of more powerful engines I posted this in the general section a week or so ago , not sure if all have seen it there so I will post it here now .https://www.kpd4x4.com/diesel-power-...?cn=2744&rf=cn Scroll down to see the various ones available . PS Greg did not realise your connection with performance mods etc nice write ups I just spent some time on the site Very Interesting .