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My VW Touran has required several expensive repairs with potentially more to come, is it time to sell?
I've just paid £685 to have a fuel injector replaced on my 64-plate Touran with 49,800 miles on the clock. Earlier this year I had to have all the glow plugs and a wheel sensor replaced (£700+). The car has been properly serviced at the required intervals.
My mechanic (VW specialist independent) has told me that when an injector starts to fail it stresses out the other injectors and they all tend to fail. He's also muttered something about needing to be careful with the diesel particulate filter because that is usually the next thing to need replacing (more than £1k). He said they see quite a lot of 1.6 engines with the same issues. And of course I need to have the timing belt replaced around now - another £700.
I've driven VWs for 40 years and never known anything like it. I'm presuming that the best thing to do is valet it and PX it immediately. Thoughts, please, on the situation and what to replace this pristine-looking pig of a car with.
My mechanic (VW specialist independent) has told me that when an injector starts to fail it stresses out the other injectors and they all tend to fail. He's also muttered something about needing to be careful with the diesel particulate filter because that is usually the next thing to need replacing (more than £1k). He said they see quite a lot of 1.6 engines with the same issues. And of course I need to have the timing belt replaced around now - another £700.
I've driven VWs for 40 years and never known anything like it. I'm presuming that the best thing to do is valet it and PX it immediately. Thoughts, please, on the situation and what to replace this pristine-looking pig of a car with.
Asked on 21 September 2023 by David Taylor
Answered by
David Ross
Unfortunately this can be a common occurrence, and even a well-cared for vehicle can go through a series of faults that require expensive fixes.
It is tempting to consider selling the vehicle and changing it for something else, but it is important to consider that you may be exchanging one set of potential problems for another. If your Touran is otherwise the right vehicle for you and you would potentially keep it long term, you may wish to consider investing to keep it going for another five years at least.
Alternatively if you do wish to swap it for something else you may wish to consider a non-turbocharged petrol engine. 50,000 miles is a low mileage for a car approaching ten years old, so if you frequently make short journeys the increased fuel consumption compared to diesel may be worth the trade off to own a vehicle that won't suffer problems with turbochargers and DPFs. They are far from exciting choices, but the Kia Carens, Toyota Verso and Toyota Prius+ could provide the same space as your Touran but with potentially much better reliability.
It is tempting to consider selling the vehicle and changing it for something else, but it is important to consider that you may be exchanging one set of potential problems for another. If your Touran is otherwise the right vehicle for you and you would potentially keep it long term, you may wish to consider investing to keep it going for another five years at least.
Alternatively if you do wish to swap it for something else you may wish to consider a non-turbocharged petrol engine. 50,000 miles is a low mileage for a car approaching ten years old, so if you frequently make short journeys the increased fuel consumption compared to diesel may be worth the trade off to own a vehicle that won't suffer problems with turbochargers and DPFs. They are far from exciting choices, but the Kia Carens, Toyota Verso and Toyota Prius+ could provide the same space as your Touran but with potentially much better reliability.
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