Please help! 2020 Match TSI - Turbo failure at 35,000 miles

[Maisierobs]

Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if anyone has any advice on this issue. I purchased a 2020 match tsi in Nov 2022 (so about a year and a half ago - it is still in the second hand warranty). It only had 7k miles on it when I purchased.

6 weeks ago the engine and eps light came on - so I booked in with my nearest dealer (the added level of confusion on this is that I purchased the car at a dealership in newcastle because I wanted my dad - who lives there - to look at it - but I live in London). I waited 3 weeks for an appointment - they called to say the turbo actuator rod is rusted and rust is not covered by warranty as it is considered an outside factor (a year year old car!!) and if replacing the rod (£500) does not fix the issue then they will need to replace the turbo (£2.2k). They said they could go 70-30% with me - but that is still £800 for me to replace a car which is in warranty. The whole reason I get newish cars is so that if something like this happens it is covered.

I said for them not to do anything as I was not willing to just hand that money over without investigating into my warranty. The dealership who did the diagnostics said that the corrosion on the rod was far more than 1 1/2 years worth so the vehicle was damaged when I bought it and for me to contact the dealer I bought it from.

So I called the garage and asked for the 142 point check the vehicle was given before reselling so I could check about the rod in that checklist - vw then told us that the turbo is not checked before reselling because vw do not cover turbos now - because it is a common fault known to them. I understand this is something that must have been stated in a document I signed but still! How can you cover a car but not one area of the car.

I’ve been sent round and round in circles with vw, both dealerships, warranties and complaints and no one will actually give an answer on anything- I am just passed onto another department who can’t help me - the only small bit of information I got is that they say this fault is caused by not using the car on motorways enough - to which I said - I have added 26k miles on this car in a year and a half and go on a motorway at least 5 days a week - they just shrug it off and say it’s not covered - finally last week I got them to open a case - they have taken 3 days over the 48 hours they said it would take and I found out on Friday that they’re offering the same as on the day of investigation - a 70/30 split with me to replace the turbo.

I just wanted to hear your thoughts on this - is this a deal I should take? I am just aware 35,000miles is nothing and I am only a year and a half into a 4 year contract - I am scared if I pay it now and the turbo breaks again after another 35,000 miles I will be out of warranty and have to pay the full 2.6k and not have the argument of the car being in warranty - should I get an agreement from them that if the turbo goes again they will pay? Or shall I go a legal route to try and get out of this contract? I think I have a case but it obviously makes me nervous - I’m no car expert but the vehicle is in warranty, only 4 years old and the fact vw now do not cover turbos is an indicator that this is a problem they have seen many times.

Also if anyone has any experience of how to get things done with vw please let me know - should I mention I will take it further with a lawyer or will that not help me?

Sorry very long post! Thanks in advance

[TrebleTA]

There is a way to contact VW direct. They maybe able to advise more. Otherwise not sure what to say.

[CarbonChaos]

So the vehicle is out of manufacturers warranty and you have a used car warranty ? Correct ?
Who is this warranty with ? Vw or another company providing the warranty cover?

You have been offered a 70% contribution towards repair costs which you refused ? Correct ?

EDIT - in most cases any part fitted during the warranty period (at any point) is only covered until that period expires, but if you pay for it THAT part carries 12 months warranty

[SRGTD]

I’m a little confused as you’ve said in your post that your car is a year old but you’ve also said it’s a 2020 car purchased in Nov 2022. I’m assuming it’s the latter - a 2020 car, so it’ll now be between 3 and 4 years old. Are you taking the dealer’s word for the turbo actuator being rusty or have you or your father been able to inspect it (is your car still at the dealers?) to see the extent of the corrosion? If it happens to be merely light surface corrosion then would that be sufficient to cause the actuator to fail?

If you bought your car from a VW dealer under VW’s approved used scheme, then there’s no exclusion of the turbo in the Approved Used warranty booklet - latest version at the link below (Dec 2023 print date bottom right of last page);

https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/idhub/cont ... ooklet.pdf

The relevant page is page 10 where it states that all electrical and mechanical factory fitted components are covered against electrical and mechanical failure unless they’re specifically excluded under the ‘what is not covered’ section (also on page 10). Under ‘what is not covered’, there is no exclusion of turbos. I’d be tempted to ask the dealer to show you where the specific exclusion of the turbo is in the warranty booklet. Having said that, there is a corrosion exclusion on page 11.

It would be worth checking your (earlier) version of the warranty booklet to see if the content is the same, as your warranty cover will be as per your version of the booklet and not the latest version.

The multipoint vehicle checklist that dealers should use when checking that a car is suitable / eligible for sale under VW’s Approved Used scheme is at the link below;

https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/idhub/cont ... edited.pdf

Interesting to note that the 142 point checklist is now a 130 point checklist; I wonder which 12 items have been dropped from the checklist……….

[Harrihealey02]

Hi Maisierobs,
In light of the information that the turbo actuator rod appears significantly older than the car and the suggestion that it may have been previously repaired, here are some factual points you can present to the dealer;
Condition of the Rod - The apparent age and condition of the turbo actuator rod suggest it was not in a satisfactory state at the time of purchase. This is a crucial point under the Consumer Rights Act, which requires goods to be of satisfactory quality, considering the age and mileage of the vehicle.
Pre-Existing Repairs - If the mechanic’s assessment is correct and the car was repaired before you bought it, this could indicate that the dealer sold the vehicle with a known fault. This would be a direct violation of the Act’s requirement that goods must be as described and fit for purpose.
Common Turbo Issues - Turbo actuator rods can fail due to various reasons, including oil starvation or faulty valves. If the rod’s condition indicates a failure that predates your ownership, it strengthens your argument that the issue was pre-existing and should be covered by the dealer.
Consumer Rights Act - Highlight the specific sections of the Consumer Rights Act that apply to your case. For instance, the Act states that if a fault occurs and is brought to the seller’s attention within six months of purchase, it is presumed to have been present at the time of sale unless proven otherwise by the seller.
Misrepresentation - If the dealer did not disclose the exclusion of the turbo from the warranty and the pre-sale check, or the fact that the turbo actuator rod was not original or had been previously repaired, this could be considered a misrepresentation of the vehicle’s condition at the time of sale.
Demand for Action - Based on these facts, insist that the dealer should cover the full cost of the repair or replacement of the turbo actuator rod. If they refuse, inform them that you are prepared to seek legal advice and may consider reporting the issue to consumer advocacy groups.
Remember to keep all communication with the dealer in writing and document everything, as this will be important if you need to take further action.

[redgti]

Sorry if I've missed it - what are the fault codes?
I presume you're having turbo / boost issues?

[redgti]

Hi Maisierobs,
In light of the information that the turbo actuator rod appears significantly older than the car and the suggestion that it may have been previously repaired, here are some factual points you can present to the dealer;
Condition of the Rod - The apparent age and condition of the turbo actuator rod suggest it was not in a satisfactory state at the time of purchase. This is a crucial point under the Consumer Rights Act, which requires goods to be of satisfactory quality, considering the age and mileage of the vehicle.
Pre-Existing Repairs - If the mechanic’s assessment is correct and the car was repaired before you bought it, this could indicate that the dealer sold the vehicle with a known fault. This would be a direct violation of the Act’s requirement that goods must be as described and fit for purpose.
Common Turbo Issues - Turbo actuator rods can fail due to various reasons, including oil starvation or faulty valves. If the rod’s condition indicates a failure that predates your ownership, it strengthens your argument that the issue was pre-existing and should be covered by the dealer.
Consumer Rights Act - Highlight the specific sections of the Consumer Rights Act that apply to your case. For instance, the Act states that if a fault occurs and is brought to the seller’s attention within six months of purchase, it is presumed to have been present at the time of sale unless proven otherwise by the seller.
Misrepresentation - If the dealer did not disclose the exclusion of the turbo from the warranty and the pre-sale check, or the fact that the turbo actuator rod was not original or had been previously repaired, this could be considered a misrepresentation of the vehicle’s condition at the time of sale.
Demand for Action - Based on these facts, insist that the dealer should cover the full cost of the repair or replacement of the turbo actuator rod. If they refuse, inform them that you are prepared to seek legal advice and may consider reporting the issue to consumer advocacy groups.
Remember to keep all communication with the dealer in writing and document everything, as this will be important if you need to take further action.

The above just scrambles my brain with mumbo-jumbo nonsense.

[SRGTD]

The above just scrambles my brain with mumbo-jumbo nonsense.

In a situation such as the OP finds themselves in, I think it’s important to know - and have an understanding - of what your consumer rights are and how to proceed with the objective of getting a successful outcome. Particularly important IMHO if there are potentially large sums of money are involved. So well done to @Harrihealey02 for his excellent post.

Off topic (apologies!), but for me it’s the same with any form of contact involving a reasonably large financial transaction; I want to know what the terms and conditions are and what my rights are. With something like an extended car warranty or car insurance policy, I want to know what I’m covered / not covered for before buying so I read the warranty / policy document before committing to buy to make sure the product is right for me. It always amuses me when people on forums wonder if something is or isn’t covered under a warranty - why don’t they read the warranty terms and conditions to find out, then they’ll know!

When I bought my current car, I took VW’s PCP, but I made sure I read all the contract documentation before signing - I dare say not everyone does.

[redgti]

The above just scrambles my brain with mumbo-jumbo nonsense.

In a situation such as the OP finds themselves in, I think it’s important to know - and have an understanding - of what your consumer rights are and how to proceed with the objective of getting a successful outcome. Particularly important IMHO if there are potentially large sums of money are involved. So well done to @Harrihealey02 for his excellent post.

Off topic (apologies!), but for me it’s the same with any form of contact involving a reasonably large financial transaction; I want to know what the terms and conditions are and what my rights are. With something like an extended car warranty or car insurance policy, I want to know what I’m covered / not covered for before buying so I read the warranty / policy document before committing to buy to make sure the product is right for me. It always amuses me when people on forums wonder if something is or isn’t covered under a warranty - why don’t they read the warranty terms and conditions to find out, then they’ll know!

When I bought my current car, I took VW’s PCP, but I made sure I read all the contract documentation before signing - I dare say not everyone does.

Fair enough. Reading it again it does make sense. I tend to forget that the turbo is hard to access on these cars (was picturing a car with the turbo mounted at the front of the engine).
I think at the time I was thinking 'just get the turbo taken off / apart and repaired, how hard can it be?'.
Is it really likely to be an expensive job needing to involve lawyers etc?

[redgti]

Just read the OP again. 2.2k seems absolutely insane.