VW Cam Belt Warranty

Cya_3

Heads Up if you own a modern VW. Mine hit its 4th Birthday this month and in came a letter from VW telling me it was time to change my cam belts (£350)!! ALL of my documentation says 80,000 miles is the recomended time but VW insist that this should have read 80K or 4 years whichever comes sooner. I carefully checked running costs on my Passat before buying it and would NEVER have bought a car that needs new cam belts at £350 a time every 4 years.

So, if you are in the market for a new car I suggest you look away from VW.

Luv
Cy:mad:

blue_haddock

Many manufacturers have reduced the intervals on cambelts to be on the safe side - these long intervals work on a balance of probabilities scale and unfortunately they got stung and so have now reduced the time scales.

Same with the long life servcing schedules too.

Cya_3

I don't mind them reducing the time on any item that needs servicing on new cars BUT not after it was bought in good faith. I believe I have recourse to law but await reply from Customer Services.

Question:- would you buy a car that needed a £350 item replaced every 4 years ??

Luv
Cy:beer:

harveybobbles

Cya wrote: »

would NEVER have bought a car that needs new cam belts at £350 a time every 4 years.

so you'd never buy a car then? Perhaps stick to publis transport in future.

harveybobbles

Cya wrote: »

I don't mind them reducing the time on any item that needs servicing on new cars BUT not after it was bought in good faith. I believe I have recourse to law but await reply from Customer Services.

Question:- would you buy a car that needed a £350 item replaced every 4 years ??

Luv
Cy:beer:

Yes. it's called life I'm afraid.

Also if the belt was due at time of purchase, then you could have asked for it to be done...?

harveybobbles

Cya wrote: »

Question:- would you buy a car that needed a £350 item replaced every 4 years ??

Luv
Cy:beer:

works out to be about 7 quid a month

goldspanners

would you prefer they told you 80k or 10 years. then in year 5 the belt goes snap or water pump seizes (which is the main cause of belt failure on these modern VW's) and then struggle to get warranty on it when the vehicle itself is outside of warranty period.
remember the service interval is recommended,not gospel.

VW are doing you a favour here,they are admitting (in a roundabout kind of way)that there is a problem with the water pumps seizing and adjusting belt and pump service intervals accordingly.

get the first one done at VW if you prefer,but the next one get it done at an independant garage for £200 max. they aren't too bad to do.

goldspanners

Cya wrote: »

Question:- would you buy a car that needed a £350 item replaced every 4 years ??

answer - yes.

i would do the timing belt ( and have done on my car, recommended at 10 years or 100k, i done it at 5 years and 50k.) earlier than is recommended. especially if its such a long time like 10 years,thats just insane.

Anihilator

Tbh I know of very few manufacturers who arent suggesting Cam belts be done every 4/5 years.

This is nothing new.

Tbh anyone who didnt realise a cam belt would need done this often at this sort of cost should admit they know nothing about cars and not try and be a smart !!!!.

OP - please let me know all these cars that only need cambelts done at 80k irreletive of age.

BikerEd

Don't see what the problem is. My daughter's VW is 4 years old this year and I certainly won't be putting it in for a cambelt change because it's a 1.2 Fox which doesn't have a cambelt. So don't be too quick to dismiss all VW's.

Cya_3

For Harveybobbles

It was bought new 4 years ago with a projected life of 80K miles, VW have moved the goalposts.

Anihilator

I never suggested the belt shouldn't have a yearly life alongside it's mileage.(it didn't have ANY annual life quoted). My point is that if I buy something under a "contract" then VW should not be allowed to retrospectively alter that contract.

My suspicion is that they are being hit by claims for failures inside the projected life and this is their way of mitigating their losses. Fair enough, but I expect a very substantial contribution towards this cost.

Luv
Cy:beer: