Failure of cambelt tensioner!!

[geordynige]

Dear Fellow MK4 owners,
I have recently bought a V plate (1999) Golf GTi 1.8 Turbo 20V. After only 5 months of ownership the worst thing that could possibly happen did!! The cam tensioner failed causing ALL 20 valves to bend and thus wrecking my cylinder head!! The car has only travelled 86,000 miles and has a full VW approved service history. VW actually recommend that the cam belt on this model should be changed at 120,000 miles which leaves me extremely frustrated. As I didn't buy the vehicle from an approved VW garage, VW are currently not prepared to help me in anyway to get the engine repaired. I am looking at a bill of approx ?1900.00 with a new cylinder head required.

Does anyone out know of any other VW having this problem as when I spoke to the service advisor at VW he mentioned that VW were aware of this problem and that they would help me. Unfortunately when I spoke to VW customer care they were not interested in the slightest!!

The car was serviced through an approved VW garage at 80,000 miles back in June 2003, should this problem have been picked up then??

I would very much like to hear from anyone with their views on this matter as I am extremely frustrated and disappionted with VW and they have tarnished my view of what is a fantastic car!!

Do you think that I have a case with VW?

A very disgruntled GTi owner

[nrgizerbunny]

when i was in vw (grimsby) the other week they had a big note on the service desk about cambelts, they said that they should be renewed every 3 years or 60k (i think) whichever comes first. as yours was the failure of the tensioner i'm not sure if they actually change this when the belt gets renewed

either way the vehicle is out of warranty so my guess is vw won't cough up.

sanj

[jdro1978]

Sorry to hear about your bad news    ?1900 is a hell of a lot of money

If VW serviced the car @ 80k miles then they should of changed the belt then.

I would go back to them and highlight this fact and try and to get them to help you towards the cost.

REMEMBER: From now on, every car you buy get the cambelt changed every 65k (no point changing it every 3 years).

Good luck

Tell us how you get on

[kniterider]

bummer that!!! big blow to the wallet!!, did you not have any kind of warrenty from the garage you brought your car from?? i got mine from a non vw garage and got a years premier warrenty which covers most things apart from tyres/exhaust and general where and tear stuff

[geordynige]

Thanks for the advice so far guys!
Unfortunately I only took out a 3 month warranty - stupid me!! & VW recommend that the belt should not be changed until 120,000!!

In hindsight I should have changed it as soon as I bought it at 81,000 but thought i'd wait until the 90,000 service as the 80,000 service supposedly showed no signs of wear?

Would the cam tensioner fail over time or could it be a sudden failure?

[D Owen]

umm not really sure on that one

When it happened to me it was the teeth on the cambelt that broke/wore away.

[rickardo]

just checked my VW service schedule and I quote.

"Every 90,000km (60,000miles) in addition to the inspection service.

Toothed belt and toothed belt tensioner for camshaft drive renewed (not golf saloon as of model year 1998 with diesel engines and polo with 42kW SDI engine."

Thus impling that the 1.8 petrol engine needs this doing.  If this was not done at the 60k service and they have said it has (and obviously charged someone over ?450 to do so) then you might have a case.

It depends on the root cause of the failure - faulty workmanship at service or driver neglect.

hope this helps