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I purchased a 2015 VW Golf 1.4 TSI (35,500 miles) used approved car on the June 14th 2019 from a VW garage with 1 year VW warranty with part finance part credit card. During the warranty the car developed an intermittent problem on start up. The car would shake for about a minute with slightly higher revs than normal and then reduce and then shake would calm. I'm not 100% sure when I first noticed this problem, as was infrequent, but during lockdown March/April it became more frequent and I also noticed a song fuel smell within the cabin.
As soon as the garages were open (May/June) I called to get my car booked in for a service and for them to find out what was causing the shaking (still within warranty) However the shaking wasn't replicated and the service manager said he had done a diagnostic and no fault codes were found and that the car was fine? I pressed upon him that the shaking wasn't right and sent him a video to which he replied, it wasn't enough to go on and that I'd have to demonstrate the shake to him. (very difficult when intermittent)
I then called another VW garage and they told me to put in a complaint to VW customer services, which I did. They tried to liaise with the service manager but didn't get any further than me. So I booked the car in with a different VW garage on the 6th July. Unfortunately the shaking didn't occur with them either, although they told me there was a TPI out on this issue and that I should get the inlet valves cleaned, but it wasn't something they were able to do. So customer services spoke again to the original service manager about the TPI and inlet vales however he didn't agree and said there would need to be an engine management light on for him to start looking at anything and that I would need to demonstrate the shake. I was told by both garages to monitor and customer services told me not to worry as VW would extend the warranty by 3 months to the 14th September due to lockdown.
I monitored and wrote down dates and times and videoed the shake. Between the 18th July and 18th Aug it happened 12 times. I phone customer services again to say it was getting worse and it really needed sorting. I tried to book in at the VW garage but they could not fit me in till October as were so busy due to the Covid backlog. So customer services got me a cancellation at a different VW garage on the 28th September. Bearing in mind this was out of the 3 month warranty extension but didn't think it would be an issue as was reported at the beginning of June.
On the 22nd September the amber EML came on and flashed at intermittent times but I was told I was ok to keep driving carefully until the 28th. On the 25th the light became solid and I didn't drive the car until I had to take it in on the 28th. They plugged in diagnostic and it came up with a fuel injector fault. Fuel injectors were checked cleaned and swapped around and the engineer took my car home overnight drove back in the morning but the EML illuminated again but with a different injector. The garage were puzzled by this an on further investigation did a compression test. It appears compression is low in cylinder 1 and they're pretty sure to my horror it's a cracked/faulty piston and would cost £5000 to repair which warranty are now refusing to pay for. All they've agreed to is payment of the diagnostics. The garage have also stated that once the head gasket is off there could be other problems and that I could possibly require a new engine, at a cost of £7000!
I have covered a total of 5,500 miles in this car and only used under normal circumstances between June 19 and March 20 as wasn't used much during lockdown an onwards. I am shocked, upset and very stressed to think my engine may be a write off, as the car is now only valued at £7,000/8,0000. Customer services have gone quiet on me and the original garage refuse to accept any liability. I can't sell the car with an EML light and the car requires an MOT which it won't pass either so I'm trapped. The car is stuck at the garage and has been there for 3 weeks and I don't know what to do for the best? Do I have to accept I've unfairly lost a hell of a lot of money and possibly my car?
I have contacted Trading Standards and they've told me to put a complaint in to the Finance company (Finance now paid off) and the credit card, which I have done. I'm not wishing to reject the car but think the original garage hold some responsibility on this? I can't have possibly caused a cracked piston with the small amount of miles I've done and in the time Its been in use?
I wonder what thoughts are on this? Do I have any rights and are they worth fighting?
As soon as the garages were open (May/June) I called to get my car booked in for a service and for them to find out what was causing the shaking (still within warranty) However the shaking wasn't replicated and the service manager said he had done a diagnostic and no fault codes were found and that the car was fine? I pressed upon him that the shaking wasn't right and sent him a video to which he replied, it wasn't enough to go on and that I'd have to demonstrate the shake to him. (very difficult when intermittent)
I then called another VW garage and they told me to put in a complaint to VW customer services, which I did. They tried to liaise with the service manager but didn't get any further than me. So I booked the car in with a different VW garage on the 6th July. Unfortunately the shaking didn't occur with them either, although they told me there was a TPI out on this issue and that I should get the inlet valves cleaned, but it wasn't something they were able to do. So customer services spoke again to the original service manager about the TPI and inlet vales however he didn't agree and said there would need to be an engine management light on for him to start looking at anything and that I would need to demonstrate the shake. I was told by both garages to monitor and customer services told me not to worry as VW would extend the warranty by 3 months to the 14th September due to lockdown.
I monitored and wrote down dates and times and videoed the shake. Between the 18th July and 18th Aug it happened 12 times. I phone customer services again to say it was getting worse and it really needed sorting. I tried to book in at the VW garage but they could not fit me in till October as were so busy due to the Covid backlog. So customer services got me a cancellation at a different VW garage on the 28th September. Bearing in mind this was out of the 3 month warranty extension but didn't think it would be an issue as was reported at the beginning of June.
On the 22nd September the amber EML came on and flashed at intermittent times but I was told I was ok to keep driving carefully until the 28th. On the 25th the light became solid and I didn't drive the car until I had to take it in on the 28th. They plugged in diagnostic and it came up with a fuel injector fault. Fuel injectors were checked cleaned and swapped around and the engineer took my car home overnight drove back in the morning but the EML illuminated again but with a different injector. The garage were puzzled by this an on further investigation did a compression test. It appears compression is low in cylinder 1 and they're pretty sure to my horror it's a cracked/faulty piston and would cost £5000 to repair which warranty are now refusing to pay for. All they've agreed to is payment of the diagnostics. The garage have also stated that once the head gasket is off there could be other problems and that I could possibly require a new engine, at a cost of £7000!
I have covered a total of 5,500 miles in this car and only used under normal circumstances between June 19 and March 20 as wasn't used much during lockdown an onwards. I am shocked, upset and very stressed to think my engine may be a write off, as the car is now only valued at £7,000/8,0000. Customer services have gone quiet on me and the original garage refuse to accept any liability. I can't sell the car with an EML light and the car requires an MOT which it won't pass either so I'm trapped. The car is stuck at the garage and has been there for 3 weeks and I don't know what to do for the best? Do I have to accept I've unfairly lost a hell of a lot of money and possibly my car?
I have contacted Trading Standards and they've told me to put a complaint in to the Finance company (Finance now paid off) and the credit card, which I have done. I'm not wishing to reject the car but think the original garage hold some responsibility on this? I can't have possibly caused a cracked piston with the small amount of miles I've done and in the time Its been in use?
I wonder what thoughts are on this? Do I have any rights and are they worth fighting?
