2010 Volkswagen GTI Complaints

CAR OVERHEATED AND BROKE DOWN ON ROUTE 95 IN VIRGINIA DUE TO A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP. THIS IS THE THIRD WATER PUMP IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND 6332 MILES THAT HAS GONE BAD IN THIS VEHICLE. THE CURRENTLY HAS 28314 MILES. THE FIRST WATER PUMP FAILED 11-20-15 WITH 21982 MILES. THE SECOND PUMP FAILED 2-27-16 WITH 22767 MILES. THE THIRD PUMP FAILED 3-27-18 WITH 28314 MILES. THERE IS NO REASON FOR WATER PUMP FAILURES THIS FREQUENTLY. ALL SERVICE WAS DONE AT VOLKSWAGEN OF FREDERICKSBURG 540-898-1600.

HAVE A GTI WHERE THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING. VW RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THESE PARTS WHICH COST OVER $1300. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE. AND OF COURSE VW KNOWING THIS WAS A PROBLEM CHANGED THE DESIGN IN NEWER CARS.

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WITH 61557 MILES AND MAINTAINED THROUGH SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP INCLUDING REGULAR OIL CHANGES. LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER, AT ROUGHLY 106,000 MILES THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN VALVE DAMAGE AND ULTIMATELY FULL ENGINE FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS COMING OUT OF A TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 24 MPH, SAFELY IN 3RD GEAR, AND FAILED ABOUT 2 SECONDS AFTER THROTTLE WAS APPLIED. NO POSSIBLE WARNING FROM VW OR THEIR SERVICE TECHS AND NO SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE INTERVAL FOR THIS PART. HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A MORE TRAFFIC FILLED AREA, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A VERY HIGH CHANCE OF A COLLISION OR OTHER SAFETY CONCERN.

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER SLIPPED AND BLEW THE CAMS. THE CLUTCH WAS ALSO BAD. EVERY PERSON I TALKED TO WHEN I HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE KNEW THAT VW GTI OR GOLFS HAD THIS NOTORIOUS ISSUE. WE HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR 9 MONTHS AND HAD TO BUY AN ENTIRE NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT EVERYONE IN THE CAR INDUSTRY KNEW ABOUT ALREADY.

TAKATA RECALL 2010 VOLSKWAGEN GTI DID NOT FALL UNDER THE TAKATA RECALL VIN NUMBERS, HOWEVER MY FRONT LEFT AIRBAG IS NEEDING A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. THE AIRBAG SERVICE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE UP IN THE DRIVEWAY. IT WAS BROUGH TO A MECHANIC CHECKED THE ISSUE. IT WAS FOUND WITH THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODE: "CODE B10001B, DRIVE AIRBAG IGNITER RESISTANCE TOO HIGH // INSPECT PLUG" THOUGH THE SAME EXACT MAKE/MODEL/YEAR OF MY VEHICLE FALL UNDER THE TAKATA RECALL I WAS TOLD BY VOLKSWAGEN THAT MY VEHICLE'S VIN DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. I FIND IT UNLIKELY THAT A VEHICLE MADE JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER MINE COULD FALL UNDER THIS RECALL, BUT MINE DOES NOT. I HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS AIRBAG FROM TAKATA FAILING, BUT AM EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF.