VW Golf timing belt gone after 41 month / 30k

xs2man

xs2man

xs2man

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Gents,

My wifes Aunt has got a problem with her 2011 VW Golf (1.2).

It is 3 years and 5 months old, with full main dealer history, serviced according to schedule. But the timing belt has gone on it, just 5 months out of warranty, at 30,000 miles.

So she has spoken to her dealership, who are offering to pay 70% for the new engine. However, she wants to fight this for 100% compensation. I suspect this would be difficult, with it being out of warranty, but equally it shouldn't have gone this early, and has always been serviced as advised.

Anyway, is there any advise out there on how she should proceed? I'm guessing she should be raising the complaint to VWUK, but does any of you have any contact details on someone specific to address this too? Is there any legislation she could use here? The car was paid in full in cash when bought (not new).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
 
Alex Smith is the head honcho for vw uk

[email protected]

really should be covering that if serviced on the button and assuming a belt isn't due


but before going guns blazing to the ceo i'd speak to vw customer service on 0800 333666

explain to them the FVWSH and the low mileage and age this should result in 100% goodwill being given on the repair
 
maybe i'm a cynical sod but perhaps the dealer knows that vw uk will pony up 100% of the cost and are trying to skim a bit for themselves? get the customer to pay 30% offer to pay 70% and then claim back 100% off vw

a lot of main dealers don't make a lot of margin so I certainly wouldn't put it past them to try the above. easy £5/600 for them
 
Do you mean belt or chain. A very quick search on autodata suggests that all the 1.2 2011 models have chains rather than belts though without an engine code it is hard to be certain.
 
Orionaut said:
Do you mean belt or chain. A very quick search on autodata suggests that all the 1.2 2011 models have chains rather than belts though without an engine code it is hard to be certain.
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It could be the 1.2 TSI in the EA211 series. That has a belt.
 
I can't imagine it's the turbocharged one, but I don't have the specifics on the engine code. Will ask when I speak to her later (it was only the wife who received a text, I will speak to her this evening).
 
Must be a turbo then.

But yeah, she did say it was timing belt gone, and needed a new engine. So yeah, I would expect an engine to last longer than 30k.
 
I'd be expecting 100% goodwill for a lunched engine at 30k if I'd followed the service schedule. That's not wear and tear, that's an inherent defect.
 
pepsilol said:
Even from a legal perspective, it's reasonable for an engine to last more than 30k?
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it's not really the engine at fault though is it, it doesn't matter how new the engine is if the timing belt snaps. It's just a bit of poorly manufactured rubber. I mean it's swings and roundabouts at the end of the day, but you can't really say it's a crappy/duff engine.

That said it is very unlucky. It's a difficult one. It's good will on their part to get any percentage of the repair sorted, it's out of warranty after all. That said it is VERY new and VW look to be taking one for the team in the name of keeping you, as a customer, happy. It can't hurt to ask for more, but i wouldn't be too unhappy with 70%

B@
 
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It's a bit of rubber that VW have specced, manufactured (or bought in) and fitted. If it fails your engine is trashed. They tell you when to replace it and you've followed the service schedule. 30k is v early for a belt failure, therefore it was likely defective at manufacture.

That'd be my argument anyway.
 
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Minstadave said:
It's a bit of rubber that VW have specced, manufactured (or bought in) and fitted. If it fails your engine is trashed. They tell you when to replace it and you've followed the service shedule. 30k is v early for a belt failure, therefore it was likely defective at manufacture.

That'd be my argument anyway.
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Quite. If it was designed to only last 30k, the change interval would be 30k and not 65k or whatever it is.


Mind you, all of the information that I can find online points to it being chain driven. That swings the odds even further in her favour.
 
Howard said:
Quite. If it was designed to only last 30k, the change interval would be 30k and not 65k or whatever it is.
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The belt change interval is huge on the mordern TSI engines. Something like 140k I think?
I think some of them may even be lifetime belts?
 
Whoever thought that a belt of rubber was a good idea to drive an engine seriously needs to rethink their job choice... Truly awful idea
 
acemastr said:
Whoever thought that a belt of rubber was a good idea to drive an engine seriously needs to rethink their job choice... Truly awful idea
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...well its a proven and reliable method, chains fail just as much and have their own issues. Perhaps a cotton string might be a better method? :p
 
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