Warranty Issue - non Rover - need advice

[Robbie]

As I come to Discoweb for all life's advice, here I am about my non-Rover and a current issue I am having. Advance warning - this is long.

I purchased a 2007 VW Passat 2.0T last May (2010) with 58,xxx miles. Bought it from a non-VW dealership, but still a prominent dealer (not a mom and pop shop). With the vehicle, they pushed a very inclusive extended warranty that I ended up purchasing for around $2k. Warranty is Warranty Solutions through GE Capital or somesuch. I only drive the vehicle to and from work and in the past 8 months have only put on about 4500 miles. In that time I have had the 60k service done, including oil change (soon after I got the vehicle) and one other oil change done 4000 miles later (in spec with VWs service schedule of every 5000 miles). All service is done at VW dealership. A couple of weeks after the second oil change and right before Christmas, I am driving to work when the oil light starts blaring at me, check engine light comes on and then within seconds, the car shuts down and I coast to the side of the road. Have it towed to VW dealership where they determine something inside shredded up (sleeve to some bolt), clogged the oil pump/pick up and caused the engine to starve for oil, snapping a cam shaft. The warranty company came out and said they see sludge in the oil due to poor maintenance/negligence and won't cover the cost. Dealership says not sludge, but particulates from the broken piece.

I have contacted dealership that sold me the car and warranty and asking for their help and to show that the car was clean all of 4500 miles ago, how could it sludge up in that time with regularly scheduled maintenance being performed?

Now the oil light did come on at one point back in August, thought it went out immediately after it flashed. I took it into the dealership who said they didn't see anything wrong and thought it was just a faulty sensor or erroneous error. Didn't come on again.

In summary, '07 VW with broken engine, dealer says not sludged, warranty company says sludged and won't cover.

Any advice? I have a feeling I will be paying out of pocket and then taking it to court.

 

[kk88rrc]

That sucks!
You might want to check over on www.passatworld.com/forums/ We have on '03 V6 but I've heard of a sludge problem on the 2.0T though it doesn't make sense if the dealer has been servicing it.

Good luck.

 

[sven]

Some VW dealers dont use the VW spec'ed oil. A guy here at work has a passat 1.8T that was dealer serviced but the oil light started flickering at 60k miles. Engine was sludged up and the dealer payed to replace the engine. He was able to prove that the 10w-30 pennzoil (what the dealer used) was not the right oil for the car.

Check your receipts and see what they used.

 

[D Chapman]

Request a meeting with the warranty adjuster.

 

[jymmiejamz]

Those cars are shit, my roommate has one, and he has had sludge problems for the past two years. Fortunately for him he hasn't needed an engine. I don't think there is much you can do because you have an aftermarket warranty. If you had a warranty through the VW dealership they might do something for you, but most aftermarket warranties are a joke.

 

[Drillbit]

Just curious what you paid for the car vs the cost of the warranty

 

[Robbie]

thanks guys - just posted to Passat world too.

i will check oil they used. considering an oil change cost $80, i would assume they used the VW spec oil.

again though, my main issue is the warranty company. i have only driven this vehicle for 8 months and 4500 miles. in that time, two oil changes have been done. if there really is sludge in the engine, i would assume that sludge was there prior to purchase. if that was the case, they warrantied me a piece of shit, right? i see it as they either pay or need to refund cost of warranty.

Dan - speaking to warranty adjuster, what do you think my approach should be? already talked to them on phone as has the dealership and they were more then rude and repeated "I see sludge, I see sludge" over and over.

 

[adriatic04]

i had a vw that wasnt covered worth a shit, vw of america blows, your warranty probably blows because vw of america blows. My jetta was a complete lemon from the begining and they never did anything. the straw that broke the camels back was when my airbags deployed while sitting stopped at a red light while raining outside.

 

[Robbie]

Just curious what you paid for the car vs the cost of the warranty

believe we paid $13k for the car and $2k for the warranty. car is a station wagon with a lot of the bells and whistles.

 

[Some Dude]

the straw that broke the camels back was when my airbags deployed while sitting stopped at a red light while raining outside.

Hahaha oh my god that is hilarious. Suddenly lucas electronics seem reasonably reliable.

 

[EJB90]

My parents/sister have an '02 Passat 1.8t that they've owned for 8 years. It too had oil sludge issues at 185,000 miles and the engine blew. This was a day after the dealer "desludged" the engine for $1500. Needless to say, VW had to buy them a new engine (~$10,000 w/labor) for a pretty much worthless vehicle.

I would be interested in your oil service interval. I believe the 1.8t has its oil changed every 5,000 miles. If you only put 4500 miles on the car, the oil theoretically should be fine according to VW (I would imagine the dealer did an oil change when you bought the car). Since you have a documented oil change at x+4,000 miles, I don't see what the problem is here. If GE would warranty the car at the point of sale, that assumes it has been taking care of previously.

I would try and have the VW dealer work a little harder for you. Maybe have another VW dealer check the oil for a third opinion. I feel like your warranty adjuster is pulling oil sludge out of his ass because its a very common problem with the 1.8t. As far as I know, the 2.0t is supposed have the sludge issue resolved (esp because it cost VW a lot of $$$).

Keep fighting the warranty company, get it fixed, and sell it because they're nothing but trouble and impossible to work on.

 

[adriatic04]

Hahaha oh my god that is hilarious. Suddenly lucas electronics seem reasonably reliable.

yeah it was less than funny at the time. My now wife was sitting in the passenger seat with a popsicle stick from dairy queen in her mouth when they blew. My blizzard, was, well, really a blizzard as it covered the entire interior.

Funny part is I could drive the vehicle with the airbags hanging out even though the vehicle was supposed to be immobilized. Even better was when people next to me stayed to tell police it was weird, no one hit me, so police could not file a police report. In the end VW of America said there was an accident "stored" in the computer so we were at fault.

I still want a new jetta, but I am always conscious of my first experience.

 

[discopedro]

Funny thing on the vw turbo's is people aren't paying attention that Syn oil is required per the owners manual, hell most new vw's require Syn oil.

 

[Robbie]

Keep fighting the warranty company, get it fixed, and sell it because they're nothing but trouble and impossible to work on.

Thanks -that's the plan. The dealership that sold me the vehicle is getting involved and as they sold me the warranty as well, I hope they will be able to make some headway.

Who'd a thought a nice older Rover would be what I want as a reliable dd?

 

[az_max]

yeah it was less than funny at the time. My now wife was sitting in the passenger seat with a popsicle stick from dairy queen in her mouth when they blew. My blizzard, was, well, really a blizzard as it covered the entire interior.

Funny part is I could drive the vehicle with the airbags hanging out even though the vehicle was supposed to be immobilized. Even better was when people next to me stayed to tell police it was weird, no one hit me, so police could not file a police report. In the end VW of America said there was an accident "stored" in the computer so we were at fault.

I still want a new jetta, but I am always conscious of my first experience.

I had a friend who claimed you could hit the airbag sensor in a parked car with a hammer, then a bump or jolt would set off the airbag when the car was driving. He could never prove it to me, but maybe he was right.