Newly purchased used car + warranty issues

SWolves

Hi all,

New user here - but long time reader, so please take it easy on me!

A couple of things that I'm needing advice on if anyone could please help:

Basically I brought a car from Availablecar in October 2013. The car (1.4 Scirocco TSI 10 plate, 40,000 miles clocked) went to VW about three weeks back (7 months after purchase) due to the engine making unusual noises, the report came back as one of the cylinders having severely low compression which will result in a piston replacement + cylinder head refurbishment. Directly through VW this is going to cost a whopping £3000+ (although can go up to a new engine needing to be installed completely, so in theory could be at least double that) or (after taking it for a second opinion elsewhere) through an independent garage for around £1500!

My first question is do you think Availablecar have anything to answer for here? Stuff like this doesn't happen over night, it builds up over months/years. This is also a common fault with this 1.4 petrol VW engine after further investigation on the internet (can provide numerous links to VW Scirocco 1.4 owners having the same issue on various VW forums on the internet), although VW have never (wrongly) issued a recall on them.

This link:
!!!!!!!/1pdfejI

States anything after 6 months of purchase I will need to provide evidence etc to help any claim I may make.

Anyone had problems like this? Do I have a hope in hell going back to the dealership?

My second question is regarding my 'warranty' company of which I am paying £729 over 5 years for 3 years cover, the company - Mapfre Abraxas, are they trying to pull a fast one? They're trying to claim it's 'general wear and tear', but I strongly disagree as how can piston failure on a car 4 years old with only 40k on the clock be acceptable in terms of wear and tear? Especially when it's such a common fault with this particular engine.

I can provide much more info needed and will answer any questions anyone has.

Any help is, as always, greatly appreciated. This could turn out to be the biggest and most costly mistake of my life so far, so any help is priceless to me. But oh well... we live and we learn... I blame being young!

Cheers guys.

jaydeeuk1

I see the legendary vw build quality is still a myth. Do you have full vw service history?

As a general rule the only warrantys worth having are manufactures.

SWolves

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

I see the legendary vw build quality is still a myth. Do you have full vw service history?

As a general rule the only warrantys worth having are manufactures.

Hi mate. I have full service history with Halfords, with regards to warranty I wasn't aware VW offered used car aftermarket warranty?

The car is financed with Blackhorse if that effects anything?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

SWolves wrote: »

Hi all,

New user here - but long time reader, so please take it easy on me!

A couple of things that I'm needing advice on if anyone could please help:

Basically I brought a car from Availablecar in October 2013. The car (1.4 Scirocco TSI 10 plate, 40,000 miles clocked) went to VW about three weeks back (7 months after purchase) due to the engine making unusual noises, the report came back as one of the cylinders having severely low compression which will result in a piston replacement + cylinder head refurbishment. Directly through VW this is going to cost a whopping £3000+ (although can go up to a new engine needing to be installed completely, so in theory could be at least double that) or (after taking it for a second opinion elsewhere) through an independent garage for around £1500!

My first question is do you think Availablecar have anything to answer for here? Stuff like this doesn't happen over night, it builds up over months/years. This is also a common fault with this 1.4 petrol VW engine after further investigation on the internet (can provide numerous links to VW Scirocco 1.4 owners having the same issue on various VW forums on the internet), although VW have never (wrongly) issued a recall on them.

This link:
!!!!!!!/1pdfejI

States anything after 6 months of purchase I will need to provide evidence etc to help any claim I may make.

Anyone had problems like this? Do I have a hope in hell going back to the dealership?

My second question is regarding my 'warranty' company of which I am paying £729 over 5 years for 3 years cover, the company - Mapfre Abraxas, are they trying to pull a fast one? They're trying to claim it's 'general wear and tear', but I strongly disagree as how can piston failure on a car 4 years old with only 40k on the clock be acceptable in terms of wear and tear? Especially when it's such a common fault with this particular engine.

I can provide much more info needed and will answer any questions anyone has.

Any help is, as always, greatly appreciated. This could turn out to be the biggest and most costly mistake of my life so far, so any help is priceless to me. But oh well... we live and we learn... I blame being young!

Cheers guys.

So does your independent inspection list specifically say its a manufacturers defect, or does it list excess wear and tear what was his/her professional opinion? in the report, assuming he/she did provide you with a written report?


if it lists manufacturers defect then take it back to VW with report in hand, and also send a copy of it to the warranty CO.


40K in 4 years is low miles indeed IMHO of an engine of this type, if this was short trips mainly the 1.4 Tsi will have most likely dumped fuel and reticulated carbon gas into the cylinders as the supercharged and turbocharged engine was cold, this causes whats known as bore wash, unspent fuel that hasn't had chance to burn sits on the pistons then leaks down past piston rings onto conrods and into the oil, degrading the oil and breaking it down, this petrol oil mix then starts to clean off the oil layer in the cylinder liners causing the pistons to score the liners and effectively ware out the piston rings and liners and pistons, it can affect the crank and conrods and shells too.


Its not the first time this type of turbo supercharger combi has been used, I think nissan used it in a jap version of a Nissan micra called the MARCH superS back in the late 80's. IF not driven like its stolen once in while they suffered with piston problems and crank problems due to borewash because the aim of the game with this engine was to put forced air in at low revs with a supercharger like compressor (more air bigger bang) and once the initial spike curve started to drop the turbo took its place and forced more air in, with todays technology, fuel is controlled by the amount of air that flows inwards TSI engine has a consistant supply of forced air form low engine revs enabling a higher low rev range torque output, couple this with todays EGR (exhaust gas recirc valve) the engine driven soflty and not up to temp will dump exhaust gas carbon and unspent fuel back into the chamber and cylinders.


so that's my thought on perhaps why you and other like you are experiencing this sort of issue, were not used to driving these type of design engines, and whats required to overall to prevent damage, just like Mazda's rotary engine the engine was relatively unknown over the conventional piston engine, many people experienced problems with them as they require a certain level of knowledge of the engine to keep them healthy.

forgotmyname

Full service history with Halfords?? Your joking???

When you put 40,000 clocked. I assumed you meant its been clocked and only registers 40k when really it had done more..

Small thrashy engine driven by people that like thrashing engines.
Guess the previous owners occupation... Engine thrasher?

George_Michael

forgotmyname wrote: »

Full service history with Halfords?? Your joking???

Well, it could be worse. It might have been a full service history from Kwik-fit!

SWolves

forgotmyname wrote: »

Full service history with Halfords?? Your joking???

When you put 40,000 clocked. I assumed you meant its been clocked and only registers 40k when really it had done more..

Small thrashy engine driven by people that like thrashing engines.
Guess the previous owners occupation... Engine thrasher?

It was full service history when I brought it to be fair, halfords wouldn't be my choice either although one of my best friends dad is manager at our local Halfords.

Re the above taking it back to VW, I brought it from Availablecar, and it's out of initial manufacturer warranty of 3 years, my current warranty is with a third party 'used car' warranty through Mapfre ABRAXAS. When I've spoken to VW in person and on the phone they don't seem to want to know.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

SWolves wrote: »

It was full service history when I brought it to be fair, halfords wouldn't be my choice either although one of my best friends dad is manager at our local Halfords.

Re the above taking it back to VW, I brought it from Availablecar, and it's out of initial manufacturer warranty of 3 years, my current warranty is with a third party 'used car' warranty through Mapfre ABRAXAS. When I've spoken to VW in person and on the phone they don't seem to want to know.

Because it was serviced outside the dealer network, taking any kind of mistake that may have been made by use of non grade oils etc out of their hands or set procedure thats one of the pit falls of servicing outside dealer network is that Halfords have no access to ECU updates by manufacturer that may have negated known mapping and firmware updates. even if used main dealer oil filters air filters plugs if a mistake by a tech is made it doesn't fall to the dealer to rectify it falls on Halfords and as such now outside main warranty and in some cases even outside warranty with mileage shown dealers would consider goodwill if it was serviced within the network that's been taken away from them by the previous owner. although a Fsh not a VWSH and non approved VW independent garage took on its servicing.

colino

Your best course of action is focusing on your warranty supplier. VW have no interest in the car, Halfords will be checking their professional indemnity (there's a tautology) and as you have run a second hand car for over 8 months, the supplying trader will have washed his hands of it too.

jaydeeuk1

In other words, you're probably stuffed.

motorguy

SWolves wrote: »

I wasn't aware VW offered used car aftermarket warranty?

In the sense that any car sold as an approved used VW will have a full VW service history and they will have a year long VW warranty on it.