2010 Volkswagen GTI Complaints

AROUND 40-50,000 MILES, THE VW GOLF GTI USUALLY HAS RUNNER FLAP ACTUATOR/INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE. THIS IS COMMON ON ALL VW GTIS. THIS FAILURE USUALLY OCCURS JUST AFTER THE VW WARRANTY EXPIRES ON THE CAR. VW HAS MADE A 2017 UPGRADE MANIFOLD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL THEIR CRAPPY CARS IN ORDER TO FIX THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. OWNERS ARE GETTING STUCK WITH A $1000-$2000 REPAIR BILL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.

COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL, STEERING WAS OUT. THE VOICE COMMAND CAME ON SAYING GET ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS REPEATED OVER AND OVER. TURNED VEHICLE OFF, RE-STARTED AND IT WAS NOW WORKING. I DROVE TO A SHOP THEY SAID THIS DOES HAPPEN WITH THIS YEAR MAYBE ONCE A YEAR.

I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND LOUD. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN IT OFF. WHEN TRYING TO TURN IT BACK ON IT STARTED UP AND CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SHOP. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS SERVICE DONE THEY TOLD ME ITS NOT LISTED IN THE OWNERS MANUEL OR AT ANY SERVICE INTERVAL UP TO THIS POINT. THE PART IS NOT ON ANY LIST OF SERVICE FOR THE CAR YET FAILED AT 93K MILES. VW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REPORT IT TO ME AS SOMETHING THAT COULD BREAK. I WAS TOLD WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD BE MUCH HIGHER THEN 93K. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN ALL VW TSI ENGINES AND CAN HAPPEN AS EARLY AS 40K, VW NEEDS TO FIX THIS AND WARN EXISTING CUSTOMERS.

DSG TRANSMISSION MECHATRONICS UNIT FAILED AT 70,000 MILES JULY 2016. TRANSMISSION GOES INTO LIMP MODE...WON'T GO INTO REVERSE AND JUMPS DOWN TO AND REMAINS IN FIRST GEAR WHEN IN D. ALL SERVICE DONE ON SCHEDULE. MFR REFUSES TO COVER REPLACEMENT OF UNIT DUE TO LIMITED WARRANTY.

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED. IT WOULD NOT START. THE ENGINE TRIED TO TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING. IT WAS TAKEN TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE RESULT IS A TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE AND VERY LARGE $2200 REPAIR FEE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT REBUILD OF THE ENGINE IF MORE DAMAGE IS FOUND. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE TENSIONER PART AND THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 1512-01) ISSUED FOR IT BUT NO RECALL. IT IS VERY LIKE TO OCCUR FOR ALL VOLKSWAGEN MODELS WITH THE 2.0 TSI ENGINE PRODUCED BETWEEN 2008-2013. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS.