Timing Belt Failure in VW Golf GTI

roversully

Hi Guys,

I bought a VW Golf GTI '05 4 months ago from a garage for over 11k, I agreed on a 6 month warranty to cover the engine and gear box. Today driving on the M50 the car failed in the fast lane and I had to pull over to the hard shoulder with my 9 month pregnant wife in the passenger seat. Both mechanics who came out said it seems to be the timing belt has gone, it was supposedly done after 99km and we are now at 123km. I rang the guy who sold me the car and he told me he had only agreed on a 3 month warranty (which is B.S) but I can't seem to find 6 months in writing anywhere.

Can any please advise as to what I should do, if any one is liable for this damage and if so who?..the garage, the person who did the belt, or is it just bad look on my part and I have to foot the bill because I never got the 6 months in writing. I'd just like to ad that when I bought the car it took a week to get from the garage as the sales man said it was going for a thorough service as they did not let car out of their forecourts unless they knew they were pefect!!

Jimbob 83

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

Jimbob 83

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

goz83

Get someone to ring the garage about a 2005 car they are selling and ask what warranty they offer. Get it recorded. See what happens when you play it back to the owner of the garage. (assuming they say 6 months and they don't do 3 month warranties)

bazz26

I thought that the 2.0 Tsi engine had a timing chain, no?

Diego Maradona

1) Find evidence of agreed 6 month warranty.

2) If they dispute it, bring a claim to small claims court.

You have to find the 6 month warranty agreement or else you haven't a leg to stand on.

Nonoperational

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

You didn't buy a GTI on the extremely extremely unlikely event of the engine going bang and costing a lot to replace? That's a bit much isn't it?

Congrats on the ST though, lovely car.

bazz26 wrote: »

I thought that the 2.0 Tsi engine had a timing chain, no?

No, it actually has a belt and a chain but the belt needs to be changed every 4 years. The later 2.0TSIs have no belt.


Who changed the belt the last time and when was it done?

roversully

Who changed the belt the last time and when was it done?[/QUOTE]


It has a full service history and was one of the first things I checked, the belt and the rest of the service history was done by a main VW dealer, it was done at 99km(if done at all) and we're now only at 123km.

MuppetCheck

If it was done less than a two years ago by the dealer there is a warranty on it...

bazz26

If the belt was changed by a main dealer recently then surely there is some sort of warranty period on the work and parts?

George Dalton

If it was done by a VW dealer then there should be a 2 year warranty on the job. So if you are within the 2 years then bypass the garage you bought the car from and go straight to the dealer who did the belt job.

George Dalton

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

Ridiculous post IMO. By that logic you wouldn't be looking at an ST Focus either. Surely a GTI engine would be easier and cheaper to source than an ST engine in the highly unlikely event that either went bang in the morning!

roversully

thanks for the helpful advice, its much appreciated!...I just hope your right, I'll be heading up first thing to find out as well as paying a visit to the lying sales man!!

Jimbob 83

George Dalton wrote: »

Ridiculous post IMO. By that logic you wouldn't be looking at an ST Focus either. Surely a GTI engine would be easier and cheaper to source than an ST engine in the highly unlikely event that either went bang in the morning!

Is it ?

All things being equal

George Dalton

Well I don't know as I have never had to replace an engine in either car but given the comparative popularity of the VW engine compared to the Ford unit I would say that secondhand engines would certainly be easier to find and therefore cheaper.

I can't give definitive info on prices for new units but surely a very popular 4 cylinder engine would be cheaper than a 5 cylinder engine that is only fitted to a couple of cars, none of which are big sellers.

Still think the price of a replacement engine is a strange criterion to be using to decide what car to buy....

Stheno

George Dalton wrote: »

Still think the price of a replacement engine is a strange criterion to be using to decide what car to buy....

Maybe that criteria is being applied as a worst case scenario?

Jimbob 83

Stheno wrote: »

Maybe that criteria is being applied as a worst case scenario?

Which has come about unfortunately for the OP who spent 11k to buy an almost 8 year old car from a garage 4 months ago thinking he would have some comeback. When you KNOW you have no comeback you are alot more cagey.

Really sucks OP but if timing belt was done by a mian dealer you should be covered under their servicing policy.

Jimbob 83

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

how much are they, the engines that is ?

Nonoperational

It's completely unhelpful in this case, but when I'm buying a used car if I don't have an invoice for the belt from a dealer or a good indy and I can phone and verify it's been done then I budget a change into the cost of the car. It's worth it for peace of mind alone.

Hopefully it's covered for you. Very unfortunate situation.

Stheno

RoverJames wrote: »

how much are they, the engines that is ?

For the engine, plus the labour, I'd reckon probably about 4k?

Jimbob 83

RoverJames wrote: »

how much are they, the engines that is ?

€2,500 for a half decent one and you can probably factor in shipping costs from the UK unless you get very lucky. Had nothing to do all summer but swot up on GTI's and ended up being put off bigtime.

2nd hand presumably? Surely an ST engine wouldn't be much cheaper though?

George Dalton

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Had nothing to do all summer but swot up on GTI's and ended up being put off bigtime.

You must have read some really inaccurate information to come to that conclusion.

I still stand by my original point that the same so called disadvantage applies to the ST as the GTI only more so. Remember that the ST is no more immune to belt failure than the GTI. And I can guarantee you it will be cheaper to fix a GTI after belt failure than an ST.

I have nothing against the ST by the way. They are a nice car. I am just using it to point out the flaws I see in your reasoning since I know you were considering buying one instead of a GTI.

tossy

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

TFSI Engines arent cheap

One of the main reasons (besides stupid pricing) why i didn't opt for a MK5 GTi, also that sucks OP.

Speechle.....:rolleyes:

Anan1

MuppetCheck wrote: »

If it was done less than a two years ago by the dealer there is a warranty on it...

If it was done at all.. Back street dealer, no written warranty, something's telling me the OP didn't verify the SH before buying.

@OP - Is the service book stamped/do you have invoices? If so, can you find out who replaced the belt? Can you find any reference to warranty anywhere in the paperwork?

roversully

Anan1 wrote: »

MuppetCheck wrote: »

If it was done less than a two years ago by the dealer there is a warranty on it...

If it was done at all.. Back street dealer, no written warranty, something's telling me the OP didn't verify the SH before buying.

@OP - Is the service book stamped/do you have invoices? If so, can you find out who replaced the belt? Can you find any reference to warranty anywhere in the paperwork?

Yes I have the book and it is stamped by the garage who did the belt and all the other service work! Alot of it was done by the garage I bought it from

Jimbob 83

roversully wrote: »

Yes I have the book and it is stamped by the garage who did the belt and all the other service work! Alot of it was done by the garage I bought it from

Good stuff, don't back down an inch OP, if the belt slips/breaks it's their job to put it right

Henry Ford III

Sounds nasty but if you have a valid warranty it'll be the sellers responsibilty to repair it.

If/when they do insist on getting receipts and a new warranty on the new belt.

megafan

[QUOTE=Still think the price of a replacement engine is a strange criterion to be using to decide what car to buy....[/QUOTE]


What criteria would you use.... Shiney wheels? buying secondhand & not knowing real history of car always consider bottom line of engine/gearbox replacment!:rolleyes:

Anan1

roversully wrote: »

Yes I have the book and it is stamped by the garage who did the belt and all the other service work!

Now that's a good start! I take it it wasn't the garage who sold you the car? Was it a main dealer or an independent? Did they do the tensioners and water pump too, or just the belt? How long ago did they do the work?

Nonoperational

megafan wrote: »

What criteria would you use.... Shiney wheels? buying secondhand & not knowing real history of car always consider bottom line of engine/gearbox replacment!:rolleyes:

An ST is certainly not going to be cheaper. It's a very extreme way of deciding on a car purchase tbh.
(I really hate the roll eyes smiley!)

megafan

Seven year old GTI Golf & not renowned as high milage engine? (& if makes you feel better will leave smiliey out!!)

darg

megafan wrote: »

Seven year old GTI Golf & not renowned as high milage engine? (& if makes you feel better will leave smiliey out!!)

Based on???

tossy

darg wrote: »

Based on???

Bar stool mechanics i would imagine

Nonoperational

Any update?

ShadowHearth

Is it me or Is it crazy to pay 11k for 05 GTI?! That's around march, I was looking to buy car by that time too and I sow a good few 05 GTIs for 5-7k eu!!!

Like a lot of Lads said: you need a prove of warranty written on some paper. If its not there, then good luck.
I newer knew about 2 year warranty deal on timing belt. That could be your only cheap way of getting away with it. I can't see it be very easy thought.

*one more reason I won't buy car from garage. Overpriced and warranty, which is only to make you sleep better, but in reality worth **** all.

Anan1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Overpriced and warranty, which is only to make you sleep better, but in reality worth **** all.

A written warranty is worth something.

Drummerboy08

Anan1 wrote: »

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Overpriced and warranty, which is only to make you sleep better, but in reality worth **** all.

A written warranty is worth something.

Not when the garage shut up shop and re open a week later under a different name. :-)

ShadowHearth

Anan1 wrote: »

A written warranty is worth something.

if you love a diet of "tomorrows and i call you back"