VW dispute - faulty parts, bullied by VW staff, disabled father stranded, £1,400 bill

The_TX

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

This is how I read it:

Original oil cooler failed after 9 years and 71k miles. Cost £1,126 to replace.
Two years later, oil levels a concern, garage quotes £571+VAT for another new oil cooler, the previous one having only lasted 2 years and 23k miles. OP is offered 10% discount.
Goes to van centre. £571+VAT was parts only, another £400+ required for labour. OP not happy.
Van centre speculates that an inherent problem with oil pressure could have caused the oil cooler failure. OP asks why this was not considered two years ago because it may have stopped the second oil cooler failing.
OP goes to CAB who advise to allow the dealer to rectify the problem. Dealer (GP from van centre) gives an estimate of £1,721. OP contacts customer service who offer no more than a 20% discount.
Van centre quotes £1400+ which includes the 20% discount but which is more than the original £1,100 the OP was quoted.
OP wants advice. Believes the van centre should have identified the root cause when the first oil cooler failed, or deliberately took money to change it knowing the problem might reoccur. Also not happy that the prices have been fluctuating.

This. Thank you for summarising. My OP os based on the lengthy details I started noting down when I realised that the dealer was having me on and I thought I'd better record what was happening.
Apologies for the length and constant abbreviating but it was the fastest thing I could do to start asking the internet for help.

To answer other questions:
The vehicle is mine. My parents cant afford taxis to get them about and rely on me for travel quite often.

The fault is the exact same fault as before and within a little was going to cost the exact same amount to repair. We disputed it, and the price went UP by 50%. A quick Google after the second failure was diagnosed reveals that vehicles of a similar year and engine are 'known' to have issues with the oil cooler, which was also not explained to us after the first failure.

debtdebt

Part fitted expired outside of warranty period. No recourse. There shouldn't be any recourse as it it outside of the warranty period. OP should pay for a new one and get rid before it fails again.

System

The_TX wrote: »

The fault is the exact same fault as before and within a little was going to cost the exact same amount to repair. We disputed it, and the price went UP by 50%. A quick Google after the second failure was diagnosed reveals that vehicles of a similar year and engine are 'known' to have issues with the oil cooler, which was also not explained to us after the first failure.

Of course the fault is the same, an oil cooler either leaks or it doesn't. If its got a leak then of course it is going to cost the same to repair it.

Given the other fault you have which is dumping fuel into the oil which both thins it and raises the level which can then result in a substantial increase in oil pressure then what you're finding on Google is irrelevant.

The_TX

Tarambor wrote: »

Of course the fault is the same, an oil cooler either leaks or it doesn't. If its got a leak then of course it is going to cost the same to repair it.

Given the other fault you have which is dumping fuel into the oil which both thins it and raises the level which can then result in a substantial increase in oil pressure then what you're finding on Google is irrelevant.

So we agree that the same fault has occurred to the same part, the first one lasted 71k miles, the second one lasted 23k miles. This is a premature part failure- it was not fit for purpose. My understanding is that it has no moving parts so doesn't 'wear' like a mechanical part.
I dont have a problem with fuel entering the oil, I have the same issue that it appears others have had, membrane in oil cooler has failed. If it was likely to fail again, why wasn't I advised of this after the first failure, or why wasn't the CAUSE of the failure addressed to begin with? If they knew there could be a reason other than just 'age' that would result in this costly problem occuring, why didnt they tell me instead of just leaving it to fail again?

forgotmyname

Why were you not advised that parts fail?

Did they explain that brake parts and clutch parts wear? What about the tyres?

Parts fail, nobody would have predicted the time of failure.

Maybe it failed because you ran it low on oil and it cooked the membrane?

arcon5

debtdebt wrote: »

Part fitted expired outside of warranty period. No recourse. There shouldn't be any recourse as it it outside of the warranty period. OP should pay for a new one and get rid before it fails again.

Take that point of view up with parliament then as the laws provides rights where goods purchased haven't lasted a reasonable amount of time. Reasonable being subjective and that being the point of debate not the warranty period

arcon5

Id expect an oil cooler to last a lot longer than two years! It's not a consumable and has no mechanical parts. But you'd have to commission a report confirming an inherent manufacturing fault and even then only get a proportionate discount on fixing.

I suspect if you go to a small independent you'll get it done for a fraction of the cost.

facade

Are we talking about an oil cooler that is part of the radiator, and oil is mixing with the engine coolant and escaping that way?

No-one seems capable of making these properly any more (ask vauxhall) because instead of just threading a metal pipe through the radiator tank they have this daft idea that little more than a piece of sellotape can keep coolant and oil separate.

The long term solution for vauxhalls is to simply cap the oil tubes at the radiator, and connect the oil lines to a proper separate oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator. The sort of thing an amateur mechanic can do easily, and an independent garage would do for less than the £1100, but tbh, an independent could probably do the like for like replacement for half that anyway.

AdrianC

Anybody else wondering why the oil cooler failed? Might it have been stone damage, perhaps?

System

The_TX wrote: »

So we agree that the same fault has occurred to the same part, the first one lasted 71k miles, the second one lasted 23k miles.

But the second one was subject to experiencing the downsides of a mechanical failure.

I dont have a problem with fuel entering the oil, I have the same issue that it appears others have had, membrane in oil cooler has failed.

And a high level of fuel in the oil would eat away at that membrane.

arcon5 wrote: »

Id expect an oil cooler to last a lot longer than two years! It's not a consumable and has no mechanical parts.

So would I unless there is a mechanical fault elsewhere on the vehicle which causes its failure. You know, like the OP has?