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Christine
17-01-2016, 12:48 PM
I am writing to let you know that on the advice of my mechanic who does not work at a VW dealership I contacted VW Australia to request replacement of my car's mechatronics unit and they have agreed to cover 100% parts and 30% labour. My car is a 2010 2.0 TDI Passat. I have owned it since new and have done 132,000klms. It's a 6 speed with a DSG. My car only ever had it's very first service done at the VW dealership in Rockhampton where I live. I was totally unimpressed with their customer care when I initially purchased the car and that feeling didn't improve after the first service so I never returned. I had to provide copies of the invoices from the services showing that the gear box oil was replaced at 60,000 & 120,000.

saint70
18-01-2016, 07:24 AM
That is unusual...but good for your. I have serviced car since new at vw dealership but i do not think they would change mechatronics unit 100% and 30% labour...maybe i am wrong...maybe depens of dealership...who knows. In any case, you are lucky one B-)

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

Christine
18-01-2016, 10:20 AM
That is unusual...but good for your. I have serviced car since new at vw dealership but i do not think they would change mechatronics unit 100% and 30% labour...maybe i am wrong...maybe depens of dealership...who knows. In any case, you are lucky one B-)

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

Thanks saint70. Nothing to do with the dealership, I initially contacted VW Australia as I had a really bad experience with the dealership when I purchased the car and wasn't keen to go back there ever. VV Australia insisted the dealership inspect the car and on their findings VW Australia made the offer. It was my mechanic who suggested I contact VW as the DSG problems are a VW fault. If drivers don't ask for compensation VW aren't offering that's why I'm keen to spread the word.

Umai Naa!!
18-01-2016, 10:27 AM
Good to hear they're helping you out.

I wouldn't consider it as compensation as such. It's goodwill assistance. The DSGs in the diesels are relatively trouble-free these days. That it has failed this far into its life, is also unusual.

Christine
19-01-2016, 06:32 AM
Good to hear they're helping you out.

I wouldn't consider it as compensation as such. It's goodwill assistance. The DSGs in the diesels are relatively trouble-free these days. That it has failed this far into its life, is also unusual.

You obviously have a much higher opinion of VW than I do. VW Australia should have had to recall their 6-speed DSG cars when they recalled the 7-speed, they did in other parts of the world where they value their market share. The parts are faulty. It shouldn't have failed at five years of age, not for the money I paid for the car. We also have a Subaru Forester purchased new the year before the Passat, faultless car, cost less to buy and has cost less to run.

Amalgam
19-01-2016, 03:50 PM
We also have a Subaru Forester purchased new the year before the Passat, faultless car, cost less to buy and has cost less to run.

I couldn't agree more. Our previous car was Gen4 3.0L Outback. It was rock solid. The Passat has a few niggles and don't instill the same confidence.

kleung
20-01-2016, 01:25 AM
We also have a Subaru Forester purchased new the year before the Passat, faultless car, cost less to buy and has cost less to run.

Hopefully you won't get the dreaded head gasket failure (http://www.licmotorsports.com/blog/2014/01/30/dreaded-subaru-head-gasket-issue) then.

The mechatronics is a sophisticated piece of technology, and unfortunately yours has let you down, but even the most reliable car can have breakdowns. I know it's annoying, but at least VW have come to the party to an extent. Try not to get caught up in the media hype - the reality is that, aside from some teething issues in the earlier applications, the 6 speed wet clutch DSG has been generally reliable, and if you take away the media hype, I don't see any reliable or compelling evidence that the DSG6 is significantly less reliable than conventional torque converter autos.

Think about it - there are millions of DSGs in the wild around the world today, and you only ever hear about the failed ones. You never hear about the vast majority of the ones that are working perfectly. You also don't hear about torque converter auto failures because it's a very mature technology, and people just accept that there will be the occasional failure. Ford, for example, after more than 10 years, four vehicle generations and three different transmissions STILL haven't fixed the design flaw that commonly results in the transmission milkshake in Falcons - but you never hear about those, despite the existence of a known, cost-effective, and permanent fix for that design flaw.

Hopefully once your Passat is repaired it won't let you down again.

Christine
20-01-2016, 06:09 AM
Hopefully once your Passat is repaired it won't let you down again.

Turns out my VW Australia dramas are not over yet. When the dealership first inspected the car before Christmas they put in a goodwill request to VW Australia to replace the mechatronics unit AND the clutch. VW Australia agreed to 100% parts and 30% labour for the mechatronics but no mention of the clutch. Yesterday the mechatronics unit was replaced but now it's obvious the clutch has major issues. SO back to VW Australia we go. I phoned VW Australia when they first made their offer to ask about the clutch and spoke to a John who fobbed me off, I'll be calling him again today. The whole this has me feeling sick in the stomach.

You don't hear about the DSG problems as much anymore cause VW recalled them world wide, only in Australia they only recalled the 7speed. It's a manufacturer fault, that's why they agree to pay the cost to replace.

Christine
20-01-2016, 06:13 AM
Good to hear they're helping you out.

I wouldn't consider it as compensation as such. It's goodwill assistance. The DSGs in the diesels are relatively trouble-free these days. That it has failed this far into its life, is also unusual.

Take a quick look at this article, they were recalled worldwide, except in Australia
VW recalls 2.6m cars, over 44,000 in Australia- Car News | CarsGuide (http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/vw-recalls-26m-cars-over-44000-in-australia-23110)

prn31
20-01-2016, 09:16 AM
Take a quick look at this article, they were recalled worldwide, except in Australia
VW recalls 2.6m cars, over 44,000 in Australia- Car News | CarsGuide (http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/vw-recalls-26m-cars-over-44000-in-australia-23110)

This article is talking about the 7 speed DQ200 DSG gearbox that is built in China, which has all the problems and was recalled in Australia. in 2013

As other posters have said, the German built 6 speed DQ250 DSG gearbox which you have in your TDI Passat has been relatively trouble-free.

Christine
20-01-2016, 04:45 PM
As other posters have said, the German built 6 speed DQ250 DSG gearbox which you have in your TDI Passat has been relatively trouble-free.

Relatively trouble-free, I guess the definition depends on whether or not you're unfortunate enough to own one.

https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1048861
Volkswagen Australia recalls DSG cars - motoring.com.au (http://www.motoring.com.au/volkswagen-australia-recalls-dsg-cars-37051/)

Today I've learnt that replacing the mechatronics unit has not fixed my problems, the dealer now tells me they have to replace the gearbox and the clutch. They have gone back to VW Australia with another goodwill request. This car is only five years old, it cost me $43,000. I think I'm entitled to better.

bon123456789
20-01-2016, 04:55 PM
I've heard Australia's lemon car laws don't have much bite but that will change soon with local production ceasing soon, the government is going to get tougher on the car makers.


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Umai Naa!!
20-01-2016, 05:26 PM
The car isn't a lemon. It has a worn-out transmission.

They will put another one in, and all will be right with the world again.

XXX-1.8T
21-01-2016, 08:54 AM
Sounds like the problem was mis diagnosed.

This should be VW problem not yours.

I had the same issue but my car was under warranty.

Reverse wouldnt engage i thought 100% it was the mechatronics but turned out to be the clutches.

kleung
21-01-2016, 10:30 PM
Relatively trouble-free, I guess the definition depends on whether or not you're unfortunate enough to own one.

That statement can apply to any car that has a failed transmission.


https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1048861
Volkswagen Australia recalls DSG cars - motoring.com.au (http://www.motoring.com.au/volkswagen-australia-recalls-dsg-cars-37051/)

Again, those recalls were for the 7-speed dry clutch DSG. There is a reference to a recall for the 6-speed DSG but that was only for 2009 and earlier DQ250s, and was for a defective temperature sensor.


Today I've learnt that replacing the mechatronics unit has not fixed my problems, the dealer now tells me they have to replace the gearbox and the clutch.

If that's the case, I'd be having a discussion with them about the labour costs for the mechatronics replacement - if it didn't fix the problem, I'd be arguing that you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Christine
22-01-2016, 08:26 AM
The car isn't a lemon. It has a worn-out transmission.


It isn't worn out, nor should it be, it's only five years old. The reason VW Australia agreed to cover the cost to replace the mechatronics unit was due to MANUFACTURER FAULT. I am still waiting to hear if they're going to cover the cost to replace the gearbox and clutch.

Christine
22-01-2016, 08:52 AM
I have a question I'd like to ask the VW people but my contact at the dealership sounds like she knows as much about cars as me, diddly squat, the VW customer care people are just rude and go out of their way not to enter into conversation and the technical people, the ones I really want to talk to are like a threatened species, so protected a mere pleb like me is totally forbidden from contact.
Maybe you guys might know.
I don't know for sure but think it's possible my car started having problems finding first and reverse after I reversed backwards up my neighbours driveway. I fed their animals for a week and so reversed up an incline every day. My neighbours do it all the time and have lived there for 20 years and it's never been a problem for any of their cars. It's not a steep incline but possibly one of the only times my car has been reversed up hill in it's life. I read somewhere on the internet about a guy who's Passat also started the false neutral problem straight after he'd had to reverse up a hill out of a car park. Anyone think there's a connection? So far it's been confirmed that the mechatronics unit had a manufacturer fault so they've paid to replace it but now they've found the problem is also with the gearbox and clutch.

Darks RS
22-01-2016, 09:09 AM
Sorry to hear of your troubles!

In hindsight, the whole transmission should have been suspect rather than just the mechatronic unit.

My old R36 6 speed had the whole lot replaced by VWA and the dealer through good will as the car had all services undertaken by VW here in Canberra so they're not all without fault.

Christine
22-01-2016, 09:14 AM
The car isn't a lemon. It has a worn-out transmission.

They will put another one in, and all will be right with the world again.

You must really love VWs to continue to defend them. I have been reading older posts on this site and see you are always quick to give excuses when people write in with VW problems. My son drives a 2008 holden commodore. We bought it cheap from friends who'd owned it since new. They drove it like they stole it and I doubt it ever went back to a workshop after the new car warranty ran out. It's done over 240,000klms and the automatic transmission still has no trouble getting through the gears.

VW Convert
22-01-2016, 02:20 PM
You must really love VWs to continue to defend them. I have been reading older posts on this site and see you are always quick to give excuses when people write in with VW problems. My son drives a 2008 holden commodore. We bought it cheap from friends who'd owned it since new. They drove it like they stole it and I doubt it ever went back to a workshop after the new car warranty ran out. It's done over 240,000klms and the automatic transmission still has no trouble getting through the gears.


I can't understand your negativity towards VWA when they agreed to replace the faulty component as diagnosed by the dealer and they are now going through the process of determining the revised claim, a process that any manufacturer would go through before simply handing over a new transmission. VAG have built many millions of DQ250 DSG boxes and far and away, the majority work flawlessly but as with any manufactured item, some do not, this is why there is a warranty.

I worked for some years for one of the largest aftermarket importers of auto transmission components including DSG components, I can assure you, the volume of sales of DSG components was very small when compared to others even the later model Holden autos and Hyundai had such issues with warranties on one particular model that they could not keep up with the supply of components for warranty claims so Hyundai dealers were buying components off us to keep the vehicles on the road.

You've intimated that Subarus and Holdens are fault free but a quick Google search shows otherwise, at this point I'd ask, do you know if your Subaru is subject to recall because it is fitted with a Takata airbag that may spray metal shards in your face during deployment and has been identified as responsible for a number of fatalities? Maybe yours is, maybe not but some Subarus are so they are definitely not perfect. There is not a single automotive manufacturer that makes 100% perfect vehicles.

You've also told us that VW should have recalled the 6 speed DSG when there is no cause to do so. I've been driving 6 speed DSGs for 10 years with not a hint of an issue so why would I want a recall to be carried out?

As for your above comment to Umai Naa!!, he's a very respected member of this forum, a dealer trained mechanic whose advice to other members is greatly appreciated and valued. I'd suggest he knows a lot more about VWs than you or I or the majority of the members on this forum.

This forum is the place where owners come to discuss their cars and share knowledge about the good things and the bad things, in the main we like our VWs, some of course do not but if your sole purpose in coming on the forum is simply to bag VWA out when they are in fact working to resolve the situation, I'm sure you'll understand that some of us may suggest to you that is not what this forum is about.

Cheers

George

Martin
22-01-2016, 03:07 PM
My son drives a 2008 holden commodore. We bought it cheap from friends who'd owned it since new. They drove it like they stole it and I doubt it ever went back to a workshop after the new car warranty ran out. It's done over 240,000klms and the automatic transmission still has no trouble getting through the gears.

Holden have their nightmares:
Timing Chain Stretch and/or DTC’s on VZ, VE, WL, WM, CG, RA with HFV6.
The 'beauty' of this fault is that it will usually present itself just out of the 3yr 100,000km warranty period.
Holden dealers try to get the owner to pay $3k to fix it despite:

It's a known design fault that was rectified on later engine versions
A call to Holden Customer Assistance (with a threat to contact consumer affairs) will result in Holden picking up the complete tab


Motoring.com.au mention it in their buying guide:
Buying Used: Holden VE Commodore Calais V6 (2009-11) - motoring.com.au (http://www.motoring.com.au/buying-used-holden-ve-commodore-calais-v6-2009-11-35749)

CHECK POINTS

A small number of MY10 cars were recalled to fix a brake booster problem and around 2000 VE II Sportswagons were returned to dealerships to replace rear-seat locking mechanisms which could allow the seat back to unlatch during a crash or emergency braking.
Reports are emerging of 3.0-litre engines in particular using a litre or more of oil in 5000 kilometres. Failure to check the oil level at least every 5000km — given that service intervals are now out to 15,000 — could produce serious engine wear and perhaps failure.
Manual gearboxes are notchy and noisy but generally reliable. Make sure that the car doesn’t jump out of gear under hard acceleration
Cars that have travelled 80,000 kilometres or more (and numbers are increasing) may suffer stretched and noisy timing chains. Ticking or rattling from the front of the engine, especially when cold, is the sound of money needing to be spent.
Suspension misalignment will chop out the inner edges of rear tyres and the damage might not be noticed until the car fails a roadworthy inspection. When inspecting a potential purchase, feel inner tread edges for rounding or inconsistent wear.

XXX-1.8T
22-01-2016, 03:30 PM
Sounds like the clutches are faulty.

Get VW to use the money you spent on labour for the mechatronics and everything should be even.

Christine
22-01-2016, 04:08 PM
Sorry to hear of your troubles!

In hindsight, the whole transmission should have been suspect rather than just the mechatronic unit.

My old R36 6 speed had the whole lot replaced by VWA and the dealer through good will as the car had all services undertaken by VW here in Canberra so they're not all without fault.

The whole transmission was suspect, the dealer did request a replacement mechatronics unit AND clutch in the initial goodwill request, I guess VWA wanted to test it out with just a new MU to start with.

No they're not all without fault and if people don't know to ask VWA for a replacement VWA aren't going to offer which I think is a shame, certainly not good for the VW reputation.

Just out of curiosity had you been reversing up hills before your troubles started?

Christine
22-01-2016, 04:39 PM
I can't understand your negativity towards VWA when they agreed to replace the faulty component as diagnosed by the dealer and they are now going through the process of determining the revised claim, a process that any manufacturer would go through before simply handing over a new transmission.

Have you ever had to phone VWA customer care? I doubt it, if you had you'd understand why I'm upset.


You've intimated that Subarus and Holdens are fault free but a quick Google search shows otherwise.

I am 53 years old and can only speak from my own personal experience with the cars I've owned. The VW Passat is the most expensive car I've ever bought, and from my own experience it hasn't been value for money.


You've also told us that VW should have recalled the 6 speed DSG when there is no cause to do so. I've been driving 6 speed DSGs for 10 years with not a hint of an issue so why would I want a recall to be carried out?

I don't know how many 6 speed DSGs have had problems and doubt I could find an exact number. The reason I came onto this forum was to spread the word to those who have 6speeds with issues to go back to VWA. You may not have had any issues but I know from reading this and other forums I am not alone. We were lucky, our mechanic is a mad keen VW enthusiast,lucky for us he knew the history of the DSGs and sent us straight to VWA.


As for your above comment to Umai Naa!!, he's a very respected member of this forum, a dealer trained mechanic whose advice to other members is greatly appreciated and valued. I'd suggest he knows a lot more about VWs than you or Io r the majority of the members on this forum.

I didn't realise when I started this thread I'd be talking to so many people who work for VW dealerships, of course you're not going to want to hear negativity towards VW. I'm not saying he's not an expert but to say my car's transmission problems are normal wear and tear seems a bit unreasonable. In my reference to the holden I was trying illustrate what I think is normal wear and tear. The Passat is only 5 years old, surely it's reasonable to expect the transmission to last longer than that. Between my husband and I we’ve owned lots of older cars with automatic transmissions that never gave us any trouble.


This forum is the place where owners come to discuss their cars and share knowledge about the good things and the bad things, in the main we like our VWs, some of course do not but if your sole purpose in coming on the forum is simply to bag VWA out when they are in fact working to resolve the situation, I'm sure you'll understand that some of us may suggest to you that is not what this forum is about.
George

My sole purpose for coming on the forum was to let people with 6speeds that do have problems know they’re not alone and to contact VWA.

I have one more comment and I'll leave your forum, sure wouldn't want to ruin anyone's day.

VWA have today agreed to replace the gearbox and clutch,100% parts, 30% labour. This is in addition to the mechatronics unit that was replaced last week. We were extremely relieved to hear this news. We have been without the car since before Christmas and have been sick with worry what we would do if they didn't come to the party with our goodwill request. Regardless of what you and the other forum members say I will always be of the opinion our car should have been recalled when the 7speeds were recalled. I think VWA know that too which is why they've agreed to replace the transmission and mechatronics unit. It just would have been nice not to have to go through what we've been through in the past month. Have you ever driven a car that has a false neutral, it's pretty scary. I am still a bit wary, the parts are on order, they'll be a couple of weeks. Until the car is back with us and driving as it should I can't completely relax. But on a positive note we purchased the car from Rockhampton Prestige, at the time it was also a very unpleasant experience, the sales man wasn't truthful and we felt let down. He has since moved on and I can say Rockhampton Prestige and been extremely helpful throughout this ordeal. Today when it was discovered there will be a delay in getting the new parts they offered us one of their cars to use while we wait, a very nice surprise. It's the little things that make the difference, shame VWA customer care have no idea.

VW Convert
22-01-2016, 06:15 PM
I am 53 years old and can only speak from my own personal experience with the cars I've owned. The VW Passat is the most expensive car I've ever bought, and from my own experience it hasn't been value for money.

Why? Because it had a problem and VW are paying the lion's share of the replacement? Try getting that from Holden or Subaru. My observation is that VW are pretty good with courtesy claims much more so than some other manufacturers. Google Holden Captiva Problems, it's very entertaining reading.




I don't know how many 6 speed DSGs have had problems and doubt I could find an exact number. The reason I came onto this forum was to spread the word to those who have 6speeds with issues to go back to VWA. You may not have had any issues but I know from reading this and other forums I am not alone. We were lucky, our mechanic is a mad keen VW enthusiast,lucky for us he knew the history of the DSGs and sent us straight to VWA.

So, because a miniscule percentage have problems you suggest it necessary to recall every one? By your logic, every Subaru should be recalled because some have a problem with the airbag or some have a problem with head gaskets and all Holdens should be recalled because some use oil and some have timing chain problems, how much sense does that make? Absolutely none.





I didn't realise when I started this thread I'd be talking to so many people who work for VW dealerships, of course you're not going to want to hear negativity towards VW. I'm not saying he's not an expert but to say my car's transmission problems are normal wear and tear seems a bit unreasonable.

You have your wires crossed there, I do not and never have worked for a VW dealership, I've worked in the aftermarket area which is opposition to dealerships and Umai does not work for a dealership either, he has his own repair business. Secondly, he did not say that your car's transmission problems are normal wear and tear this is what he wrote "The car isn't a lemon. It has a worn-out transmission. They will put another one in, and all will be right with the world again."




In my reference to the holden I was trying illustrate what I think is normal wear and tear. The Passat is only 5 years old, surely it's reasonable to expect the transmission to last longer than that. Between my husband and I we’ve owned lots of older cars with automatic transmissions that never gave us any trouble.

There are numerous documented cases of low mileage Holden engines needing rebuild due to oil consumption issues and numerous cases of Subarus needing major engine work due to faulty head gaskets, surely it's reasonable to expect engines to last longer than that is it not? :-)




I have one more comment and I'll leave your forum, sure wouldn't want to ruin anyone's day.
VWA have today agreed to replace the gearbox and clutch,100% parts, 30% labour. This is in addition to the mechatronics unit that was replaced last week.

So, just as Umai wrote, there was a problem and VW are fixing it, such an issue could occur with ANY brand of vehicle not only VW.

I'm no apologist for VW, in fact I've been scathing of them at times, but your anti VW stance ignores the realities of the world.

Cheers

George

Christine
22-01-2016, 07:59 PM
I'm no apologist for VW, in fact I've been scathing of them at times, but your anti VW stance ignores the realities of the world.

Wow, you went to all that trouble to get back at me on every point except the two I really wanted to make.
You totally ignored the realities of the world I wanted to share:

1. The VWA Customer Care team are woeful and don't care.

2. VWA WILL PAY to fix 6speeds with DSG issues. It would be really nice if they just came out and told everyone, instead of waiting for people like me to get all upset and go through the stress of dealing with their customer care team. Which I'm still assuming you've never had to do.

Good night George, I'm signing out of your forum now and won't be back.

ope126
22-01-2016, 08:25 PM
Wow, you went to all that trouble to get back at me on every point except the two I really wanted to make.
You totally ignored the realities of the world I wanted to share:

1. The VWA Customer Care team are woeful and don't care.

2. VWA WILL PAY to fix 6speeds with DSG issues. It would be really nice if they just came out and told everyone, instead of waiting for people like me to get all upset and go through the stress of dealing with their customer care team. Which I'm still assuming you've never had to do.

Good night George, I'm signing out of your forum now and won't be back.

Christine, I just noticed that you are still online.
I am glad that you will soon be back on the road and hopefully enjoying your Passat well into the future.
Having owned VW's (and numerous other brands over the past 20yrs) I can tell you they all have their positives and negatives.

As for your repairs to the DSG, hopefully this helps the next person who has issues.
Most people join the forum with problems and complaints and then pack their bags and go...
It would be truly appreciated if you could remain a valid contributor of our fabulous forum. In time you might change your mind and start finding the forum a very helpful environment and learn a few new tricks along the way!

On a final note, the labour at 30% is bearable, however getting the parts at 100% is great! The parts would have been your greatest expense as you are aware.

Please be aware that VWA is just as active on this (and other forums) as I am lead to believe.
Maybe, just maybe if you kept some of the negatives comments to yourself and tried a diplomatic approach with VWA, you might have been able to increase the 30% closer to 100%...just a though!

Hillbilly
22-01-2016, 10:18 PM
just as an aside It hasnt been mentioned that the "Auto" box in a VW is not the same as the old Holden slush boxes.

It is a manual gearbox with electronically operated clutches, 2 of them in fact.

The worst thing you can do is drive them like a slushbox and creep in traffic with your foot trailing on the brake,hold it on a hill on the throttle or back up a steep drive in a similar fashion.. That will burn the clutches out and will do it faster in the 7 spd dry clutch box than the 6sp which has wet clutches.

Driving habits can cause more trouble than component problems.

00100100
23-01-2016, 12:38 AM
It is a manual gearbox with electronically operated clutches, 2 of them in fact.

The worst thing you can do is drive them like a slushbox and creep in traffic with your foot trailing on the brake,hold it on a hill on the throttle or back up a steep drive in a similar fashion.. That will burn the clutches out and will do it faster in the 7 spd dry clutch box than the 6sp which has wet clutches.

Driving habits can cause more trouble than component problems.


Agreed, DSG is an automated manual gearbox. Hence it needs to be driven like a manual box to prolong the life of the clutch pack. Feathering the clutch (or riding the clutch) all the time is very bad for its life. So slowly reversing up hill is bad, sticking the peddle to the floor is bad and using the fuel peddle to creep behind heavy traffic can also heat up the clutch. Most of the time I let go of the brakes, let the clutch engage first before I fuel the car when taking off.

The problem is, for most people who have not driving manuals before, they will not necessarily be aware of this or have a trained foot for it.

Sometimes I also use the manual mode in the DSG to prevent unnecessary shifts. I even let go of the fuel a bit while shifting just like in a manual box so that not to load the clutch pack. However this has proven hard to do every time as the mechatronics tries to do it for me sometimes, so the gearbox jurkes.

Umai Naa!!
23-01-2016, 09:17 AM
You must really love VWs to continue to defend them. I have been reading older posts on this site and see you are always quick to give excuses when people write in with VW problems. My son drives a 2008 holden commodore. We bought it cheap from friends who'd owned it since new. They drove it like they stole it and I doubt it ever went back to a workshop after the new car warranty ran out. It's done over 240,000klms and the automatic transmission still has no trouble getting through the gears.

Hi Christine,

I won't dare to hide my affinity with the Volkswagen product, which dates back to watching Herbie on VHS as a small boy...

I sympathise with your frustrations not only as an owner of several VWs, but also as being a former VW technician, and now an independant repairer. What I do bring to the discussion, is the other side of the coin.

The conventional automatic in your son's Commodore is a much simpler thing, compared to the DSG, which is basically a manual transmission, sans clutch pedal, cleverly disguised as an auto. Sure, the 6-speeds have their problems, but nothing of the same scale as the 7-speed, which had all the recalls.

As I said early on in the thread, failures of this type of transmission, by now, and at the distance yours has travelled, are pretty much largely unheard of. Even when failures were more common, we were still replacing Commodore transmissions probably twice as often. We had a Holden franchise as well.

FWIW, I've got maybe 3 or 4 cars on the books here, that have done well over 200,000kms on the really early version of the 6-speed. All perform faultlessly, and have never been replaced or repaired at any stage. I've got one that I've just taken on, that's done over 270,000kms that's never so much as had the oil replaced in the DSG. They are a pretty robust unit, and have been on the scene for around 15 years now. That's a lot of time in the automotive world to develop and refine them into what they are now.

I'm pretty confident your dealer will get on top of it as quick as they can. The warranty side of things can take some time to process, as evidence of the fault, repair and service history, etc, take time to procure and submit to head office for approval. Add in time for parts to be ordered and despatched, and then allocating time in the shop to fit them, it's easy to see how what's probably a few hours of 'clocked' time can look as though it's blown out to a week or two. I'm not really surprised the failed Mechatronics has damaged the clutches, but the main thing is they're still chipping away at getting a positive result for you.

All the best with it.

Darks RS
23-01-2016, 11:52 AM
I was lucky in that I bought the car a few months after it had all been replaced!

The owner advised he was just driving normally when clunk and no go.


The whole transmission was suspect, the dealer did request a replacement mechatronics unit AND clutch in the initial goodwill request, I guess VWA wanted to test it out with just a new MU to start with.

No they're not all without fault and if people don't know to ask VWA for a replacement VWA aren't going to offer which I think is a shame, certainly not good for the VW reputation.

Just out of curiosity had you been reversing up hills before your troubles started?

nkat
24-05-2016, 11:39 PM
So I've read through these forums about the various DSG and Mechatronics issues owners have experienced.
My car is a Golf TSI Highline. MY2013.
Issue: car suddently went into 'false neutral' on a very busy road. Couldn't get it moving (engine running, no drive to the wheels). Very nearly got hit. Slightly scary situation until I managed to get it off main road (was on a slight incline so was able to roll it backwards).
Had to be towed to the dealer - same dealer that had replaced the DSG only 3 months earlier.

I think Christine was a little hard done by initially but you are clearly civilised members and even more clearly VW fans. So I think it may be a bit risky posting this as I too was a fan until this incident combined with various other issues. Yes other car manufacturers have had a number of issues and recalls and handled them badly (e.g. Toyota in the US). I would have hoped VW would be better than this. BTW - I realised early that Fairfax's attacks on VW following the awful death on the Monash Fwy was junk journalism, as subsequently confirmed by the coroner. Bought the car after these issues were reported and before coroner's verdict. I only say this to demonstrate (hopefully) that I try to be evidence based in forming my opinions.

We have here a company which deliberately lied in the US about its diesel emissions via a, admittedly quite clever, software package so the vehicle knew it was under test conditions. Outright fraud for which jailings are needed. They've had continuing problems with its DSG and Mechatronics transmissions, and don't seem to have fully addressed them years after.

It's all very well to say other vehicle manufacturers have their own issues. I have owned many vehicles - not one has ever left me stranded in the middle of a busy road and subsequently needed to be towed. I would have thought VW would have had ample time, following previous DSG and Mechatronics "campaigns" (not recalls) to address their transmission issues. It may be a small percentage of their product (but how small? what are the numbers involved?), and yes many units have been going strong for 10+ years as noted in earlier posts. But it's not a trivial issue or one experienced after years of use.

I think the other real problem is VW's response. When I contacted their customer service department, the representative said quite abruptly "Your car is fixed, so what do you want from me now? There's nothing more we can do". This lack of customer concern is consistent with previous posts I've read and also with other media articles (e.g. in Drive - okay a Fairfax publication but I think the comments were fair). A company which truly cared about its reputation and customer satisfaction surely would have apologised sincerely, promised to raise it internally with the people who need to know and dare I suggest offered something as a goodwill gesture - I dunno, say some movie tickets or one month extra warranty or a car care voucher. Just a token to demonstrate they care about their customer's experience?

I've been involved with front line customer service. We used to joke about battered customer syndrome. No matter how badly you treat them, they just keep coming back. I think VW is lucky in a way to have such a loyal following and if it wasn't for this experience, I would likely have been part of it. Unfortunately, I really don't think I'll be considering another VW product when it comes to replacing my current vehicle. When you lose a customer's trust, it's very difficult to get it back.

neil
25-05-2016, 05:53 PM
Well Im a little surprised these newer mechatronics are still causing problems , I thought these were more down the chain with Mk5's.
So doesn't give one confidence when my MY07 was replaced back in 2010, so maybe it will go again one day.

Hummingbird
05-04-2017, 11:05 AM
Hi there folks, a message for Christine on this. Christine what is the update of your mechatronics and clutch issue with Volkswagon? Looks like I'm about to go through the same thing.

Umai Naa!!
05-04-2017, 05:33 PM
I don't think Christine is coming back...

Hillbilly
05-04-2017, 07:11 PM
I don't think Christine is coming back...

Might be stuck somewhere with a false neutral and the doors wont unlock LOL

Umai Naa!!
05-04-2017, 08:28 PM
I suspect she's still waiting for compensation, after the dealership fixed her car for free.

Hillbilly
05-04-2017, 08:36 PM
I suspect she's still waiting for compensation, after the dealership fixed her car for free.
Yes well maybe reversing up a drive maybe with one foot on each pedal to stop runaways probably didnt do the clutches or the box much good Slipping clutches in anything is never good