Hi Everyone, New to the Forum and never done this kind of thing before, but I'm on a bit of a fact finding mission.
I have recently had a Mechatronics failure on my 2018 VW Tiguan with DSG gearbox, however I am told this is a common fault. The VW specialist I had the work done with says they regularly get 10 per month. They also had three of the same failure on the day mine was in for repair.
I sent a complaint into VW, who actually did call me to discuss. However the outcome, as expected, was they can't do anything about it because its not a common fault in their network and the work wasn't completed at a dealership. My letter of complaint is below with areas redacted that are personal.
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with Volkswagen UK regarding an issue I have encountered with my vehicle, which I understand is a common problem with DSG gearboxes. I own a 2018 VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI, Registration XXXX XXX with 49,000 miles on the odometer, which is relatively low mileage.
I purchased the vehicle second-hand from XXXXXXXX, and the logbook indicates it was initially bought from VW in Crewe. I acquired the car on XXXXXXXX
While traveling to XXXXXX in Nottingham for a family holiday last week (w/c 22.07.24), the car shuddered and went into limp mode while traveling at around 60mph. This was incredibly dangerous as I had my three-year-old daughter in the car and was on a dual carriageway. A stress no parent wants to face.
A warning appeared on my dashboard stating 'gearbox in emergency mode' or something similar. The vehicle then only selected gears 2 and 4, rendering it unfit to drive. After taking it to Volksmaster Ltd, a Volkswagen specialist in Greater Manchester, they diagnosed the vehicle with fault code P173500, indicating an issue with the position sensor for clutch 1 - an electrical malfunction within the Mechatronics unit of the gearbox. This repair has cost me approximately £3,600 in parts and labour.
My complaint is as follows: While I understand that issues can arise, the garage informed me they replaced three of these units on the same day (29.07.24) and typically handle around 10 vehicles a month with the same problem, all requiring new Mechatronics units. I contacted several other VW specialists in the area, and they reported the same experience, calling it a common failure. Additionally, online research and forums reveal this issue is widespread across the UK and affects various VAG Group vehicles with DSG gearboxes. It is a pervasive and costly problem.
I am aware that VW has recalled thousands of vehicles due to faulty Mechatronics units in countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. However, despite UK-built VWs using the same DQ200 gearbox specification as the Australian-built cars, there have been no recalls in the UK. Given the expense and frequency of this failure, it is unacceptable that Volkswagen UK has not recalled these vehicles. Many owners, including myself, are unfairly bearing the cost of this known defect. It is disgraceful, especially when VW is aware of the issue and has issued recalls elsewhere in the world.
This situation has caused me significant stress and anxiety, as I now have to incur debt to repair this issue. I rely on this vehicle for work and cannot afford to be without it so have to get it fixed.
I believe Volkswagen UK should acknowledge this common issue, recall the affected vehicles, and compensate me for the cost of parts and labour. For a vehicle with only 49,000 miles, such a failure should not be expected and is more appropriate for a vehicle with over 100,000 miles.
I expect a formal response to my complaint. I will follow up if I do not hear back by Friday, 9th August 2024. If you require further information, please contact me at the XXXXXXXXX
I'm wondering just how common an issue this is? Is it as common as the garages are telling me? Are VW aware there is an issue and just closing their eyes to it?
I want to understand how many people this has happened to, and if you're willing to, take it further with VW.
Your help and knowledge is very much appreciated.
I have recently had a Mechatronics failure on my 2018 VW Tiguan with DSG gearbox, however I am told this is a common fault. The VW specialist I had the work done with says they regularly get 10 per month. They also had three of the same failure on the day mine was in for repair.
I sent a complaint into VW, who actually did call me to discuss. However the outcome, as expected, was they can't do anything about it because its not a common fault in their network and the work wasn't completed at a dealership. My letter of complaint is below with areas redacted that are personal.
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with Volkswagen UK regarding an issue I have encountered with my vehicle, which I understand is a common problem with DSG gearboxes. I own a 2018 VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI, Registration XXXX XXX with 49,000 miles on the odometer, which is relatively low mileage.
I purchased the vehicle second-hand from XXXXXXXX, and the logbook indicates it was initially bought from VW in Crewe. I acquired the car on XXXXXXXX
While traveling to XXXXXX in Nottingham for a family holiday last week (w/c 22.07.24), the car shuddered and went into limp mode while traveling at around 60mph. This was incredibly dangerous as I had my three-year-old daughter in the car and was on a dual carriageway. A stress no parent wants to face.
A warning appeared on my dashboard stating 'gearbox in emergency mode' or something similar. The vehicle then only selected gears 2 and 4, rendering it unfit to drive. After taking it to Volksmaster Ltd, a Volkswagen specialist in Greater Manchester, they diagnosed the vehicle with fault code P173500, indicating an issue with the position sensor for clutch 1 - an electrical malfunction within the Mechatronics unit of the gearbox. This repair has cost me approximately £3,600 in parts and labour.
My complaint is as follows: While I understand that issues can arise, the garage informed me they replaced three of these units on the same day (29.07.24) and typically handle around 10 vehicles a month with the same problem, all requiring new Mechatronics units. I contacted several other VW specialists in the area, and they reported the same experience, calling it a common failure. Additionally, online research and forums reveal this issue is widespread across the UK and affects various VAG Group vehicles with DSG gearboxes. It is a pervasive and costly problem.
I am aware that VW has recalled thousands of vehicles due to faulty Mechatronics units in countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. However, despite UK-built VWs using the same DQ200 gearbox specification as the Australian-built cars, there have been no recalls in the UK. Given the expense and frequency of this failure, it is unacceptable that Volkswagen UK has not recalled these vehicles. Many owners, including myself, are unfairly bearing the cost of this known defect. It is disgraceful, especially when VW is aware of the issue and has issued recalls elsewhere in the world.
This situation has caused me significant stress and anxiety, as I now have to incur debt to repair this issue. I rely on this vehicle for work and cannot afford to be without it so have to get it fixed.
I believe Volkswagen UK should acknowledge this common issue, recall the affected vehicles, and compensate me for the cost of parts and labour. For a vehicle with only 49,000 miles, such a failure should not be expected and is more appropriate for a vehicle with over 100,000 miles.
I expect a formal response to my complaint. I will follow up if I do not hear back by Friday, 9th August 2024. If you require further information, please contact me at the XXXXXXXXX
I'm wondering just how common an issue this is? Is it as common as the garages are telling me? Are VW aware there is an issue and just closing their eyes to it?
I want to understand how many people this has happened to, and if you're willing to, take it further with VW.
Your help and knowledge is very much appreciated.
