VW woes

dry run

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Apart from running an E350 Cdi, I have use of my company's Amarok 3l V6 Diesel. Since day one, the Amarok has been plagued with a recurring DPF and limp mode problem. It’s been back to the garage so many times now that we are fast giving up any hope of it ever functioning properly. This week’s fault “oil level too high” and it’s just gone back into limp mode


We have now been told that it is our fault and that we are not driving it correctly. It does lots of short trips, but also plenty of longer trips. but apparently that's not good enough. The dealership has now attached a sticker to our vehicle stating how to force a re-gen (information we already knew and have followed without success). They say that if we fail to follow this instruction, they will not be prepared to rectify any problems under warranty and that we will have to pay for it. In short, they are saying if the problem happens again and we can’t get the light to go out ourselves – they don’t want to know!!


However, when we bought the vehicle (from new) I don’t recall the salesman asking what it was going to be used for and how many times it would do short/long journeys. If they had, we would have told them and they could (if they thought it wasn't suitable) have advised us against buying it. Strangely this is probably the 7th diesel vehicle we have bought new from them, but the first 3l engine?


Incidentally my Merc has a very similar journey profile, is 5 years older, has travelled 50k miles more and is re-mapped and doesn't seem to have any of the problems of the Amarok.


Needless to say, we won’t be buying another one! ☹
 

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umblecumbuz

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With that sticker the Dealer has, in effect, told you to phone the VW helpline whenever you get dpf trouble. A real pain, but phone them each time until they fix it. In tandem with that, make a nuisance of yourself vociferously.
It's their problem after all.
 

Tony Dyson

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Rory

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This is a huge problem with some JLR models at the moment and people are getting the same answer - you're using it wrong.

The 3 litre diesel Porsche Macan, which may be the same engine?, had a lot of problems too.

I think you're absolutely right - if there's some specific way these cars need to be used then customers should be asked about their use-case and advised accordingly. If not, and the dealer later admits it by advising a particular way of driving then the car has been mis-sold and is not fit for purpose.

I think some manufacturers have been quietly changing cars but the snag is these issues usually don't start arising until the car is a few months old, it's usually sorted out free first time, and by the time it becomes a regular problem you're too far into ownership to go down the reject route. And the price of a car means going to court is a proper deal, not a trivial small claims case (limit £10K).

They can work OK - wife has a 4.5yr old VW Tiguan with the latest EA288 EU6 2 litre engine. It does 5K year, mostly in 3-4 mile journeys. It active regens about every 250 miles. I did some research and owners reported no issues. I specifically aksed the dealer if it would be OK and got the usual "of course it will" (in hindsight I should have got that in writing but in practice - touching a massive piece of wood - it's been fine). The only thing we do different on that car is it's always used Shell V-Power diesel. The price hurts, but it only uses a tankful per month.

My conclusion would be that cars with dpfs are perfectly capable of working just fine - but some of them are badly designed.
 

John Laidlaw

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Apart from running an E350 Cdi, I have use of my company's Amarok 3l V6 Diesel. Since day one, the Amarok has been plagued with a recurring DPF and limp mode problem. It’s been back to the garage so many times now that we are fast giving up any hope of it ever functioning properly. This week’s fault “oil level too high” and it’s just gone back into limp mode


We have now been told that it is our fault and that we are not driving it correctly. It does lots of short trips, but also plenty of longer trips. but apparently that's not good enough. The dealership has now attached a sticker to our vehicle stating how to force a re-gen (information we already knew and have followed without success). They say that if we fail to follow this instruction, they will not be prepared to rectify any problems under warranty and that we will have to pay for it. In short, they are saying if the problem happens again and we can’t get the light to go out ourselves – they don’t want to know!!


However, when we bought the vehicle (from new) I don’t recall the salesman asking what it was going to be used for and how many times it would do short/long journeys. If they had, we would have told them and they could (if they thought it wasn't suitable) have advised us against buying it. Strangely this is probably the 7th diesel vehicle we have bought new from them, but the first 3l engine?


Incidentally my Merc has a very similar journey profile, is 5 years older, has travelled 50k miles more and is re-mapped and doesn't seem to have any of the problems of the Amarok.


Needless to say, we won’t be buying another one! ☹
We’ve had a similar issue with the XC90, short of them putting a sticker on!
Worse still, its on a 5k/year lease - similarly the sales person at Rybrook Volvo didn’t prewarn that our driving profile just wouldn’t suit the car, they really shouldn’t have them on low mileage lease terms IMO.
We too had oil overfill due to the regen not completing, it got sorted under warranty- to be fair they haven’t said we’d be charged if it happens again, but we’ve just over a year left of the lease.
That one won’t be replaced with a diesel for sure...
 

Rory

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Worse still, its on a 5k/year lease - similarly the sales person at Rybrook Volvo didn’t prewarn that our driving profile just wouldn’t suit the car, they really shouldn’t have them on low mileage lease terms IMO.
.

On Pistonheads there's someone with a Jag XE on a 5K lease on its 4th dpf in its first year and the dealer/Jaguar are basically saying 'nothing to do with us, the car shouldn't have been leased on those terms'. Of course that's handy for them, as the car was from a leasing company, not Jag themselves.

I imagine in your case the dealer/Volvo will keep the car going until end of lease.
 

Frontstep

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Ash that old chestnut "you used it Sir" complete tosh of course if you have legal Insurance you can let a Lawyer loose on them.
It simply ain't fit for it's it's intended use .
 

John Laidlaw

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On Pistonheads there's someone with a Jag XE on a 5K lease on its 4th dpf in its first year and the dealer/Jaguar are basically saying 'nothing to do with us, the car shouldn't have been leased on those terms'. Of course that's handy for them, as the car was from a leasing company, not Jag themselves.

I imagine in your case the dealer/Volvo will keep the car going until end of lease.
Is right Rory, our lease is with Volvo themselves so they can hardly argue!
To be fair, this is the first occurrence in nearly 3 years of driving. We’ve only done 14k in the car so I need to use it more, and we will this year as we’re having holidays up in the Scottish highlands
 

A.J.

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On Pistonheads there's someone with a Jag XE on a 5K lease on its 4th dpf in its first year and the dealer/Jaguar are basically saying 'nothing to do with us, the car shouldn't have been leased on those terms'. Of course that's handy for them, as the car was from a leasing company, not Jag themselves.

I imagine in your case the dealer/Volvo will keep the car going until end of lease.

I have to say that I think a leasing company would be bonkers to do Contract Hire on such a very low mileage diesel. :eek:

should they have made provision in the maintenance segment of the contract for the probable replacement of the DPF, that would make that contract price very expensive to the end user surely ?? :rolleyes:
 

Rory

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I have to say that I think a leasing company would be bonkers to do Contract Hire on such a very low mileage diesel. :eek:

It's very common with lease offers now for the "headline" price to be based on 2yrs at 5K per year.
 

Blobcat

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It's very common with lease offers now for the "headline" price to be based on 2yrs at 5K per year.
It’s so people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford a certain car can have one. It also gives a ready source of low mileage second hand cars
 

Frontstep

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I wonder what nonsense will be dreamed up for electric cars,

you parked it by an electric light.

you haven't driven it backwards enough.

You have been out too much in the cold/hot/rain/dry.

Too many hills.

Yes Sir it does have a heater but its only for summer use.

The climate control is only for use when the car is connected to a power source.

Radio 1 uses more electricity due to the extra bass.

Those range figures are for a 45 KG racing snake.

You have been charging it with wind generated electricity.

etc etc.
 
OP
dry run

dry run

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I wonder what nonsense will be dreamed up for electric cars,

you parked it by an electric light.

you haven't driven it backwards enough.

You have been out too much in the cold/hot/rain/dry.

Too many hills.

Yes Sir it does have a heater but its only for summer use.

The climate control is only for use when the car is connected to a power source.

Radio 1 uses more electricity due to the extra bass.

Those range figures are for a 45 KG racing snake.

You have been charging it with wind generated electricity.

etc etc.

Do you know, that was exactly my thought :)

I can see them saying you need to run the battery down to 10% before charging.
Your fast-charger is too powerful / not powerful enough.
You aren't driving it properly - not putting it in neutral at lights, etc.
too many short journeys, etc.
Get-out clause after get-out clause!!!!!
 

Frontstep

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Do you know, that was exactly my thought :)

I can see them saying you need to run the battery down to 10% before charging.
Your fast-charger is too powerful / not powerful enough.
You aren't driving it properly - not putting it in neutral at lights, etc.
too many short journeys, etc.
Get-out clause after get-out clause!!!!!


I do think we should have a page full of the top 100 ready for when we see the service manager.
 

Jim2

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Bottom line from them is :- "It's YOUR FAULT"... Bottom line from you:- NO, IT'S NOT. NOW FIX IT TO MY SATISFACTION< OR MY SOLICITOR WILL. End of story.
 
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dry run

dry run

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Bottom line from them is :- "It's YOUR FAULT"... Bottom line from you:- NO, IT'S NOT. NOW FIX IT TO MY SATISFACTION< OR MY SOLICITOR WILL. End of story.

Unfortunately, that's probably where we are going! :(
 

bembo449

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I cant believe they think they can tell you HOW to use your own vehicle , t****** ! id defo go legal on them just to watch them squirm and then eat humble pie
 

JBell

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VAG have massive problems with on 2.0TDi engines.

Even high milers have issues, a friend of mine has an A5 pool car and all it does is long runs, broke down on the M3 with a clogged DPF and EGR
 

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