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Hi all. Today should have been a good day for me as I should be driving around in my new Passat TDI. Unfortunately, when the dealer went to collect the car from the holding pound for me to collect, the cam belt broke while attempting to start the car. The car is a 1.9 TDI PD (115) with 81,000 miles and full service history. I had negotiated a good price (£7995) for the car and it is everything that I ever wanted. The test drive was a dream and the engine purred. Unfortunately, I can drive cars, but no nothing at ALL about the mechanics of them. I am aware that cam belt breakage is major although I am hoping that as the car wasn't running at the time, damage may be minimal. the car is to come with a comprehensive 12 month warranty. I would very much appreciate peoples views on whether I should walk away from the deal or continue to purchase my dream car. Also, what signs should I look for on my next test drive to ensure that all is well? Thanks to you all in advance for your assistance.
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Just bad luck probably. Strictly speaking, that should have been its third cam belt. It's changes every 40K as per manufacturers recommendations for the PD's. If I was you I'd walk away from it with your deposit firmly back in your wallet and ask him to find you another one - he will. Or, see what they come back to you with and if it sounds good and you're comfortable continuing dealing with them stay with it (maybe an extra 12 months warranty - no harm in asking). Also bear in mind there are lots of good cars out there waiting for your money.
My PDs 40K belt change cost me just over £300 plus the extra cost of a major service at 40K too so I could see some owners discouraged and *forgetting* to get this done.
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Thanks very much for your reply. Thanks also for the extra info on the price of the cam belt change. I had seen a price of £390 for the belt change but some one else told me that it was rediculous and nearer £50. As I am in the market for a high mileage Passat, I wonder if as long as the car feels OK and the work appears to have been completed to a suitable standard with guranteed work, maybe it could be good to stick with it and avoid myself having to pay for a belt change on the car I do eventually buy.
Thanks again for your advice Neil.
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Personally I would walk away from this. There are plenty of cars whose cambelt has not gone for similar money (possibly even with lower mileage for that money). There could be unseen damage and problems further down the line. If you have not bought the car already - why would you? Don't forget - you owe this dealer nothing.
I had a cambelt go, admittedly whilst driving, on a Rover 827i. Totally messed up the engine. Wrote the car off in fact.
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Personally I'd walk from this. There will have been considerable damage which is going to cost your man the thick end of a thousand quid to put right properly.It shows the service history to be sketchy and there is the risk of possible problems further on as a consequence. If your acquaintance can do these cam belts for £50 then I'll have his number and line them up in his workshop, I can't even buy the bits for that!
Andrew.
Simplicate and add lightness!
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£50 is an absolute joke of a price! There can be very few cars that can get a belt change done at anything like commercial rates for £50 - maybe it would buy you an hour's labour and a cheap, non-OE belt without a tensioner, but that's about it. Although the tensioner is less likely to go than a belt of the same age and mileage, the damage is the same if it does, so it's worth fixing both at once as it adds nothing to the labour.
£390 is not cheap but at main dealer labour rates it would get you maybe 3 hours of labour plus the part, which is about right... It's up to you whether or not you want to stick with the main dealer on a car of this age and mileage but I guess a lot depends on the availability of a good specialist you trust and not someone who expects parts to be as cheap as possible and labour to be free!
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Chris: some of the valves stems may be bent, possible low compression now with further trouble later.
I'd walk away.
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Thanks all for your advice. I had convinced myself to drive the car and then make a judgement. Dealer has started to mess me about now by not keeping me informed. The consistency of all your replies has now convinced me to walk away. Im off to the dealers now to get my deposit, EXTREMELY disappointed but I guess rather than looking at this as bad luck, maybe its very GOOD luck. After all, it could have broke a day after I collected it rather than on the day of collection! Thanks again all. Anyone got a nice Passat 1.9 TDI 115BHP to sell for £6000 + my R reg mondeo??? Cheers all....
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Just out of interest, post 2001 TDi Passat's require a cam belt change evey 60,000 miles. You can recognise later Passats by the different rear light clusters (circular lenses etc). However later cars will probably be out of your price range but they are far better; especially the 130 bhp tdi.
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Thanks again all. Just thought you might like the final story. I have just purchased a different VW Passat 1.9 TDI Sport 115 PD for £8495. Car has 75000 miles on the clock so slightly less than my last. Dealer has agreed to replace cambelt, perform a service, 6 months tax, 12 months warranty and to tidy a few little \'bits\' e.g. replace worn aluminium handle insert, fix chipped windscreen. I think its a much better car (although needed a good clean inside as i saw it prior to the valetor getting his hands on it). Hopefully this will be the start of some great troublefree motoring in my VW. If I actually get as far as receiving delivery!!! Thanks all!!
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"Thanks very much for your reply. Thanks also for the extra info on the price of the cam belt change. I had seen a price of £390 for the belt change but some one else told me that it was rediculous and nearer £50."
That sounds like the auxiliary drivebelt - they're about £30 from VW/Audi
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Chris, without naming dealers this wasn't a major VW dealer in the north east was it?
I had an awful time with a golf tdi I bought and in the end it ended up costing them 750 pounds to replace the turbo charger on warranty. Not before they had basically said I was lying to them.
I wish I had returned the car to them.
It served to show me, and from reading about other peoples experiences that main dealers do try to pull the wool over peoples eyes.
Patrick
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It is essential you get the tensioner replaced at the same time as the belt - the two go together - any dealer worth his salt would do both for you.
Honest John, of course, constantly, and I mean constantly bangs on in the Telegraph columns, about the need to replace the belts at appropriate intervals
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The VAG TDi cambelt tensioner is a far more sturdy affair than the GM GF50 jobs....good thing too!
Wish I'd replaced mine 3 yrs ago when I replaced the belt on my A4 TDi......didn't think did I!?
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