Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear that you have had a bad initial experience with your Amarok. But any modern 2nd hand car thats 8-9yrs old with 240,000kms is always going to need some money spent on it to keep it humming along. Unfortunately its not the 80's or 90's anymore when cars were built to last with minimal maintenance. All modern cars are designed to last for the warranty period and then start fall to pieces basically - so be prepared to spend money to keep it running. I'd say the previous owner was aware that the car needed some work and decided to sell it. Did you have the car inspected by a mechanic or at least a mechanically competent person before you purchased it?
Are we talking about a 4 cylinder or V6 Amarok?
Literally everything on modern cars (not just VW, all brands, even Toyota) is made of plastic as it allows the manufacturer to make complex shapes while keeping weight and costs down. The downside for the owner of the car is that these plastic parts become brittle over time and with heat cycles and then they crack and leak or fail completely - requiring you to periodically replace parts that in years gone by you would very rarely ever have any issues with on an older car.
With the failed tensioner and belt, it sounds like the previous owner either installed it incorrectly or didn't tighten the bolt holding the tensioner in, seeing that it had been replaced just before you bought it and it fell off on day 2 of your ownership.
I would have a mechanic go over the entire car with a fine tooth comb and give you a list of what needs immediate attention and what needs attention over the next 12-18 months. Then you can work through the list as your budget allows.
I hope the experience gets better for you.
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