Im hoping someone may be able to help. About a month ago my passat alerted me to the fact the oil pressure was low. Although it was driving perfectly and the oil level itself was fine I immediately took it to a garage. On the way to the garage the breaks went hard.

The garage told me it was the oil pump and that although VW charge £3000 to fix it he could do it for £1750. He also explained that the vacume pump had gone, causing the breaks to harden.

After a good few weeks, he informed me that the new oild pump and vacume pump were in, however when he test drove it the car was mis-firing. The car had never done this before! He said he was going to look in to it. The next thing i heard from him was that he thinks it was the injectors causing this so he was going to replace them. He then called again saying that he had replaced ALL the injectors and it was still mis-firing so he had sent the car to a VW specialist.

Once there the mechanic discovered that the balance shaft was damaged which was causing the vibrating and mis-firing and that with this, the cost of repair will be £3500 and that this part will take 4 weeks to arrive (Which i found strsnge)!

I left it there and said let me know when it is done, this was 3 weeks ago now! Only yesterday i had a phone call explaining that he had discovered the piston...(I think that is what he said) was damaged and he is now looking in to how much more that will cost!

Basically, i wish i had taken it straight to VW and paid the £3000 but that is bye the bye now. What i need to know is am i being utterly messed about and am i right in thinking that im am being taken for a ride? When the car went to the garage initially it was driving perfectly and as far to say like new, other than the hardened breaks. Since then all amounts of problems have arisen, however only since they have started pulling the engine apart.

I am desperate for advice!