Engine failure - help!

ratedrk

About a month ago was driving my car home at night (May 2009 VW Golf GT TSI 1.4 Petrol 160bhp) and an engine warning light came on so I drove slowly back home. Next morning first thing I drove slowly to the VW garage and they said it was not safe to drive so kept it in and gave me a Passat diesel loan car.

Waited patiently not really liking the Passat as too big and asked to have a smaller Golf/Polo asap was never demanding so was patient all the way. Finally I think about 10 days went by and I was able to swap for a Polo.

Anyway the VW garage ran tests did diagnostics or whatever and had no idea what was going on. Sent the tests to Germany and they came back with Total Engine Failure and that the car would need a new engine.

Should I take the new engine inside the new car? Is it just a rogue engine or is it a rogue car that ruined the engine? Should I lose confidence in the car? How will it affect the second hand sale/trade in value if it's had a new engine.

Should I push for them give me a new car but then what's the definition of new? A likewise (with spec/trim) 16 month old golf but then I will be the second owner on the log book. Or is asking for a brand new Golf too much. Should they give me the value of what it would be worth now for another car?

On another note I took out gap insurance so could they write it off and I could claim back the invoice value of the car and just buy a new one?

Thanks for reading and any advice would be welcomed.

Sandoval

I'm a novice but did they say anything more specific than "total engine failure"?

I mean what does "total engine failure" actually mean anyway? Every component of the engine has failed!? The whole thing!?

As I've said I'm certainly no mechanic but surely that can't be right. Or do they simply mean that it is not viable to repair it or something?

Keith

You should lose confidence in the car.

You should also stop loving your wife.

You should quit your job.




Is the failure covered by warranty? How much are VW asking you to pay?

ratedrk

whole engine needs to be replaced as far as I know.

yes the engine replacement would be under warranty.

Keith

Get it fixed then, that's what your warranty is for.

A replacement engine may slightly effect your future value, but as it's fitted by a main dealer I'd not worry. I'd say you have no chance of the car being written off/replaced.

Hammyman

ratedrk wrote: »

whole engine needs to be replaced as far as I know.

yes the engine replacement would be under warranty.

And the problem is? There isn't one.

harveybobbles

The GAP insurance is only if the car ghets written off in an accident. Not thru mechanical failure.

Not sure how someone in Germany diagnosed total engine failure on a car over here though lol.

I'd be asking for more info. But to be honest, 09 plate Golf will be under warranty, so erm, just get them to replace the engine or what ever the part is that failed.

newbie007_2

Engine will be replace under warranty.....no problem there. There's nothing to worry about.

cyclonebri1

Sounds straight forward enough to me too.

Shouldn't have but has and will be covered under the standard VeeDub waranty.

You will not/cannot expect to get a new car.

Sandoval asked; Total/catastrophic engine failure??

Anything serious the renders a replacement more cost effective than a repair, a failed oil pump quickly brings this into play ;)

blued

I love the way they can diagnose complete engine failure all the way from Germany!! Not that that matters, if they're offering you a new engine take it. A new engine can only be a good thing. How many miles has the current engine done?

vaio

They don’t diagnose total engine failure from Germany, they diagnosed that from the diagnostic results they have the cheapest way out is a new engine rather than lots of dismantling and checking to reveal the cause of the problem with the possibility that it will still need an new engine after a mechanic has spent two or three days investigating.

And that’s if they even have mechanics that can dismantle & diagnose, most these days are parts changers rather than engineers and accordingly very few dealers have the ability (and even less, if any, have the equipment) to rebuild an engine to the tolerances and quality standards that a new factory engine is built to.

VAGs quality system will show if this is an isolated incident or a trend and the engine might well end up back with the real engineers for further investigation.