MY12 tiguan waterpump leak

[tigger73]

So, you should let the dealer know and go ahead with the ACCC suggestion.

If you’re going to take it to the dealer you have to be prepared to fight for the outcome that you think is fair.

Just remember you don’t have to accept their first “offer”. That’s all it is - an offer that you can either accept or reject and ask them to come back with something better. First offer may not be to your liking so you have to be prepared to have your car sit at the dealers waiting to get fixed until you agree on the commercial outcome first.

Remember that the bulk of the cost is in the labour for this repair so even if VW supplies the parts it’s going to be a reasonable sized bill.


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[davc88]

Unfortunately the car is 6 years old and there will be maintenace costs as things wear out. Water pumps don’t last forever and I’m going to suggest VW may tow this line.

yes, i'm fully aware about wear and tear and the age of my car but i think waterpump (a important part of the engine) failure at 47k+ KM is due to bad built quality rather then actual wear. If is any other minor bits of the car i'm happy to take it up the chin. Failure which impairs the whole car at such a low KM is what gets to me. i would of went and got it repaired if my car has done 70k+KM. Do you guys think my assessment is reasonable?

doing a bit of digging, waterpump failure with the 2.0TSI is a common problem. unfortunately, i didn't drive the car enough for it to occur with in the warranty period according to ACCC a car part is expected to last a certain usage rather then going by warranty. my guess is around 90k-100k KM should be the life expectancy of a waterpump? i'm not sure how strong of a case i have but like you said i think my chances are pretty slim since i didn't spend a fortune servicing my car at the dealership

[tigger73]

I actually think you have a half-reasonable chance of getting something from VW for this. Given your low km and as long as your car has been regularly serviced according to the service schedule it’s not unreasonable given it’s not that far out of (extended) warranty. Remember that VW doesn’t cover the extended warranty- this is generally underwritten by a separate insurance company.

The only thing about not having the dealer do the servicing is they probably won’t go into bat for you with VW so you’ll have to do this yourself. If you do decide to go down the dealer/warranty path and you’re not happy with what the dealer is able to negotiate then call VW and talk to customer care directly.

The water pumps on these are prone to failure and you would expect that it should normally last more than 47,000km. I’d expect it to last 3-4 times that so I’d be going for about 70% repair costs from VW. But as I said be prepared to negotiate hard on this and write letters/involve ACCC if you need to.

Make sure you document everything including dates and times of conversations and if you can follow up phone calls with an email summarising what was discussed and agreed so that you have a paper trail if/when you need it.

Good luck!


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[Dartiguan]

I'm surprised at this. I have a TDI 2011 not a TSI, at 165,000 and have not had a problem in this area. Did have an AC unit go at 30K and was replaced under warranty. At 47K I would think you have a good claim for a product defect as this is quite low km's. In fact, how could you have done so little travel in 6 years?

[davc88]

yea, its definitely a defective part. I've moved inner city few years ago so pretty much just using the Tiguan to haul groceries lol

will keep you guys updated, hopefully VW can be helpful and decent.

[ian]

Under the Fair Trading Act the Part is not fit for Purpose

[Umai Naa!!]

To be fair, it still serves its purpose as a means of pumping coolant around the cooling system, albeit with a small leak.

[davc88]

Just an update guys. VW came to the party and offered free parts. the dealer were able to push down the labour costs to $660 total and removed the $220 examining fee. i just accepted that, didn't think its worth my time and energy to go though ACCC.

[brad]

I'm surprised at this. I have a TDI 2011 not a TSI, at 165,000 and have not had a problem in this area. Did have an AC unit go at 30K and was replaced under warranty. At 47K I would think you have a good claim for a product defect as this is quite low km's. In fact, how could you have done so little travel in 6 years?

good public transport access and lousy parking at work?

I went from 25,000km per year to 5,000 after a change of jobs and moving house to a place with good public transport. I use the car to do the occasional "big shop", stock up on beer (wine and spirits get delivered), go to Bunnings or Supercheap and visit friends that live away from good transport connections. Sometimes the car sits for weeks at a time.

[Frachter]

Just an update guys. VW came to the party and offered free parts. the dealer were able to push down the labour costs to $660 total and removed the $220 examining fee. i just accepted that, didn't think its worth my time and energy to go though ACCC.

At least they came and met you halfway. Shows how a little persistence can pay off. Better than nothing and way easier than going the the ACCC.