It suggests the manufacturer of the wiper motor / control system has a problem maybe, (I don't think VW manufacture their own electrical components)?

Same thing. The driver does not care who made a component. The vehicle manufacturer is responsible for the car. They chose the component supplier, and tests the subsystems.

you need to inform VOSA of your experience

you need to inform VOSA of your experience

VOSA does not exist.

Unfortunately, pedantic people do exist however.

You know exactly what was meant. This is a dangerous defect that is worthy of a recall, and if you (and others) inform DVSA (was VOSA) then such a recall becomes more likely, safeguarding drivers.

To go all petty as someone doesn't know that VOSA merged with DSA to become DVSA says a lot more about you than it does anyone else, none of it particularly favourable.

Leif, I think most people would have understood what DaveyK was referring to when he referred to "VOSA" and to me you comment did seem unnecessary.

The link for reporting a safety issue is here:

www.gov.uk/vehicle-recalls-and-faults/report-a-ser...t

Edited by Brit_in_Germany on 11/04/2018 at 11:25

I personally don’t think it’s a good idea to buy a very early example of any new car. It takes a while to iron all the bugs out.

I was one of the earliest VW Up owners, a wonderful car, the most reliable car I’ve owned.

The loan car functioned perfectly this morning, so it must have been a glitch. Odd though.

You are the common factor Leif.

My grandfather was the same. Every watch he had packed up after a couple of weeks and wouldn't run again.

I suppose it raises the question of whether it is an epidemic fault, or a coincidence. You know what Ian Fleming (I think) wrote - "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action".

As to whether it is VW's fault or its supplier's - you can be sure that VW will have battered the supplier on price and the supplier will have made the component as cheaply as possible within his contract. VW has had that sort of problem before (TSI toothed timing chains).

Edited by Manatee on 11/04/2018 at 14:23

It suggests the car has a systematic problem.

No, it does not

If a car has faults, and they all do, then someone having a fault is expected. So the fact that I got a fault is just luck. If 1 in 1000 cars have that fault, then the chance that I will see it in the next car is 1 in 1000 i.e. improbable. So seeing it again suggests that the probability of seeing it is high i.e. that it is a flaw in the design, the manufacturing method, or the materials. Of course chance is such that I could see the same fault twice in a row even if it was very rare.

In fact the first failure was due to a failed switch, the second clearly was just a glitch, so I don't know what to conclude.