FR TDI 170 pd beyond repair.

[seanyhick]

Hello to everybody, I have finally decided to write something on this site, after consulting it for a few years now. after breaking down on saturday I had my car towed to a garage in carlisle under (extended) warranty recommendation,the car could not be diagnosed with a problem due to the garage not having a seat VAG-com. I have had it towed to arnold clark seat newcastle. where a diagnosis has been made! a glow plug has snapped off and entered the cylinder causing irreparable damage. I have been quoted just shy of £6000 for a repair with a full engine transplant the only remedy. does anybody have any ideas about SEAT good will? the car is a my56 2007 registered car with full service history and 51,000 miles on the clock. I am waiting on a reply from warranty direct as to weather they will authorise the work to go ahead but am worried they will have a get out clause. does anybody have any experience with this problem or warranties or good will payments? much obliged, a rather faint (and loosing confidence in vag group cars ) fr driver.

 

[mri]

Hello to everybody, I have finally decided to write something on this site, after consulting it for a few years now. after breaking down on saturday I had my car towed to a garage in carlisle under (extended) warranty recommendation,the car could not be diagnosed with a problem due to the garage not having a seat VAG-com. I have had it towed to arnold clark seat newcastle. where a diagnosis has been made! a glow plug has snapped off and entered the cylinder causing irreparable damage. I have been quoted just shy of £6000 for a repair with a full engine transplant the only remedy. does anybody have any ideas about SEAT good will? the car is a my56 2007 registered car with full service history and 51,000 miles on the clock. I am waiting on a reply from warranty direct as to weather they will authorise the work to go ahead but am worried they will have a get out clause. does anybody have any experience with this problem or warranties or good will payments? much obliged, a rather faint (and loosing confidence in vag group cars ) fr driver.

This is NEW. Did you get any response from SEAT?

 

[seanyhick]

seat are not interested beause I havent had the car from new and 2 of the 3 services I have had ie 40000 and 50000 were not done with them!plus ''its a 4 and a half year old car sir'' the total bill is now going to be around £8000 including new clutch dual mass fly wheel and cam belt kit + wiring loom! the car is worth£8200 as a trade in! I owe around £4000 IN FINANCE ON IT. I WOULD NEVER buy another seat! i think they are the most unrelable cars ever! vw audi group is just a name!!!!!!

 

[markmeus]

i think they are the most unrelable cars ever! vw audi group is just a name!!!!!!

You must have driven a hell of a lot of SEATs to be in a position to make a statement like that!

I've only driven two and they've never gave me any bother, but at the same time I don't go round saying they are the best cars in the world.

You could have had this sort of trouble with any brand.

 

[DanH]

30,000 miles on my TFSI in 9 months and I would say its the most reliable car I have owned thus far, only tyres and brakes been replaced.

Are you sure when you had the 40k or 50k service that the glow plugs were replaced and you didn't use a garage that would 'bodge' it. Do you ensure that you wait until the col light goes out before starting your engine every time you get in the car? All factors which can contribute.

Garages not replacing glow plugs and servicing properly using proper VAG oil etc is probably more common than you think and if this is the case then SEAT do have a point.

As they didn't service the car they are not responsible for the glow plugs that are installed in the car.

I am very much a Renault lad at heart and in an instant I would probably swap my Leon for the Megane RS250 so don't think I am being biased because I love VAG.

That is just how the cookie crumbles unfortunately.

 

[jezyg]

seat are not interested beause I havent had the car from new and 2 of the 3 services I have had ie 40000 and 50000 were not done with them!plus ''its a 4 and a half year old car sir'' the total bill is now going to be around £8000 including new clutch dual mass fly wheel and cam belt kit + wiring loom! the car is worth£8200 as a trade in! I owe around £4000 IN FINANCE ON IT. I WOULD NEVER buy another seat! i think they are the most unrelable cars ever! vw audi group is just a name!!!!!!

Both are fair and valid points as the car is 18 months over it's warranty and a goodwill payment may of only been around 20%. You have been very unlucky and I know of someone who paid 8K for a new engine in a Honda Civic Type R after the engine ran out of oil without warning and the engine seized.

For the glow plug to snap that is very unlucky and a very rare fault but catastrophic as you have found. I thought you had a warranty with Warranty Direct?

 

[seanyhick]

Fortunately the warranty company have paid out for some of the bill.
It is the attitude of seat UK I am annoyed about. It would seem as if I have been unlucky, and that is the way the cookie crumbles yes. It does make me feel that I would not have another SEAT though. even though I have loved the car.(when it has run correctly) (not had it for 2 months now) As for the servicing, everything was carried out to the guidelines by a professional garage, top quality oil (the expensive stuff for special diesel engines ie the PD170,the one vw replaced.) might I add that the garage found that the engine had not been bolted back together properly from a previous unsuccessful diagnostics job done at a seat garage! correct oil, oem parts everything was spot on, otherwise the warranty would have got out of paying anything toward the claim. The warranty company sent their own engineers to assess the problem.
I agree I could have had trouble with other brands. I bought this car under the illusion this was a reliable brand though. I have driven so many cars and other vehicles that have had nowhere near the money spent on them, in terms of servicing, purchase cost, and as for being well looked after? lol .....I must be unlucky I just didnt think that well maintained serviced looked after cars only a year and a half out of manufactures warranty, had such catastrophic breakdowns with no come back what so ever. sorry to offend any fanboys out there but I feel let down by the whole thing. booohoooo

 

[dannychapman10]

I've had 8 VAG vehicles and never had any major mechanical problems other then my first 2001 Leon, a pin snapped in the differential and that was covered under the warranty I had. To make that sort of judgement on one car isn't fair. It's unlucky I know, but like anything with moving parts can fail.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

 

[bondy]

So how much of the final bill did you have to stump up for?

Personally I would have got a quote for a engine change from a local specialist, could have saved yourself hell of a lot of money. I have never heard of a glow plug snapping, but theres a first for everything.

As stated above, anything with a moving part can fail.

 

[jezyg]

Fortunately the warranty company have paid out for some of the bill.
It is the attitude of seat UK I am annoyed about. It would seem as if I have been unlucky, and that is the way the cookie crumbles yes. It does make me feel that I would not have another SEAT though. even though I have loved the car.(when it has run correctly) (not had it for 2 months now) As for the servicing, everything was carried out to the guidelines by a professional garage, top quality oil (the expensive stuff for special diesel engines ie the PD170,the one vw replaced.) might I add that the garage found that the engine had not been bolted back together properly from a previous unsuccessful diagnostics job done at a seat garage! correct oil, oem parts everything was spot on, otherwise the warranty would have got out of paying anything toward the claim. The warranty company sent their own engineers to assess the problem.
I agree I could have had trouble with other brands. I bought this car under the illusion this was a reliable brand though. I have driven so many cars and other vehicles that have had nowhere near the money spent on them, in terms of servicing, purchase cost, and as for being well looked after? lol .....I must be unlucky I just didnt think that well maintained serviced looked after cars only a year and a half out of manufactures warranty, had such catastrophic breakdowns with no come back what so ever. sorry to offend any fanboys out there but I feel let down by the whole thing. booohoooo

The thing is how long to you expect a manufacturer to pay for repairs on a car outside of warranty? In the end SEAT is in the business to make money same as many other marques. Its a tough line but not unusual and for a glow plug to disintegrate is a very very rare fault in any derv never mind a VAG marque.

You may or may not be pleased to know Audi would of treated you exactly the same as someone else I know who had a big failure outside of warranty. You will loose faith in the brand though and that is totally understandable and I bet you will never buy another SEAT.

 

[daz_pd]

LOL at those prices! get yourself down a breakers and get an engine with matching engine code, clutch and flywheel if you think you need it, and get local independant specialist to fit it, job done for less than half the price easily!

 

[Smee]

Sorry to here the bad news dude. Who did you by the carfrom it say you have is edit for 2 months. If it's dealer then get it back there and get them to sort it

If bought privately then not much you can do. Hope the billisnt to high

Lee

Ps. Which warranty direct cover you have? Bri? Full ?

 

[/dev/null]

Fortunately the warranty company have paid out for some of the bill.
It is the attitude of seat UK I am annoyed about. It would seem as if I have been unlucky, and that is the way the cookie crumbles yes. It does make me feel that I would not have another SEAT though. even though I have loved the car.(when it has run correctly) (not had it for 2 months now) As for the servicing, everything was carried out to the guidelines by a professional garage, top quality oil (the expensive stuff for special diesel engines ie the PD170,the one vw replaced.) might I add that the garage found that the engine had not been bolted back together properly from a previous unsuccessful diagnostics job done at a seat garage! correct oil, oem parts everything was spot on, otherwise the warranty would have got out of paying anything toward the claim. The warranty company sent their own engineers to assess the problem.
I agree I could have had trouble with other brands. I bought this car under the illusion this was a reliable brand though. I have driven so many cars and other vehicles that have had nowhere near the money spent on them, in terms of servicing, purchase cost, and as for being well looked after? lol .....I must be unlucky I just didnt think that well maintained serviced looked after cars only a year and a half out of manufactures warranty, had such catastrophic breakdowns with no come back what so ever. sorry to offend any fanboys out there but I feel let down by the whole thing. booohoooo

Sorry, but if you have a car that's a year and half out of warranty and it hasn't been serviced at the dealers (be it through your own fault or not) then why should SEAT pay anything towards it!?? The owner of the car hasn't stayed loyal to the brand by having it serviced elsewhere so there is no reason why they should reward you for that. Harsh I know, but that's one of the risks you take getting a car without full dealer service history.

 

[leontdi130]

I think we're barking up the wrong tree! The glow plug is at fault. nothing to do with the engine itself. Who is the manufacturer of the glow plug! That might be worth exploring. The same glow plug could of been fitted to a merc or a ford. That wouldn't of been seats fault then! I cant see how it needs a new engine. a few valves maybe and at worst 4 new valve seats. There is no way it can have damaged the cylinder unless its broken into lots of very tiny pieces and got between the piston rings! I've worked on a few petrol cars where the spark plug centres have dropped out (both vauxhalls) but in both cases its just bent the valves. Sure the pistons and the head didn't look to pritty but that doesn't matter. I'm not being big headed or anything but i recon you could fix that engine for £500, 1000 tops if you had to find a 2nd hand head. Get another garage to have a look. If the cylinders aren't scorn it DOESN'T need a new engine!

 

[invisiblekid]

Can only echo what others have said. You're unfortunate and clearly pissed off, but the car is well out of warranty and hasn't been serviced by SEAT. Why do you think FDSH makes a difference to price?

There is no way I'd be having a dealer do the work either. Loads of reputable VAG specialist up and down the country that often do a better job than dealerships (IMO).

 

[leontdi130]

Have you ever watched a dealer service your car!? Seat fit nice little screws to your belly pan but the dealers just rip the clips out and hammer them back in. And they just stick a tube down the dipstick now and suck the oil out. Now that doesn't get to the oil under the baffle plates in the sump which would normally drain out. If anyone has to touch mine then i find specialists to be a lot better than a dealer. Dealers seem to have a lot of plug and play mechanics who don't like to get there hands dirty. Very few have old school get your hands dirty mechanics from what i've seen. I'd call them fitters rather than mechanics!

 

[seanyhick]

sorry this has really taken a hold now! the car definitely needed a new engine this was confirmed by the warranty company. a seat workshop and an independent engineer. I agree the glow plug manufacturer could be and should maybe be at fault. I have heard of not one but four glow plugs disintegrating but this was in a citroen tipper van the glowplug company I believe it was ngk basically said prove it. I have made some harsh comments! the garage also had the exact same problem with a leon fr tdi but it was just in warranty but o 70,000 so seat payed a good will for it.
I have an update more work has been required the inlet manifold also needs replaced as this was wrecked also! finally offered a courtesy car too so can't complain there. might I add that when I had the car in for a major service at 30000 at said dealer, they cracked the engine cover. I agree with leontdi130 I think there are too many fitters these days and not enough mechanics in these places. ( it kind of puts you off getting serviced in these shitholes when you know reputable mechanics can do a better job at a fraction of the cost.) not that I am tight far from it this car has had no expense spared in reality not compared to other vehicles I fortunately have access to. IE a ragged 110000 mile 52 plate scenic which heel toes lovely a 120000 mile td5 110 landy, just got use of a fiat scudo as well with some peugeot engine in goes like hell.....anyway my small gripe maybe that I am a very unlucky person to get so much bother with a car thats supposed to be young, well made, well serviced fine! I am fully aware that moving parts fail.
The car was bought from a vwgroup seller smc, with full service history on 19000miles 2 years ago.
I am sure if it was just a glowplug manufacturing problem then the garage or seat would have given me some advice on pursuing that but unfortunatly yet again no real help. I keep getting phone calls from seat uk asking me if I am happy with my service from them, this is ridiculous. their call centre people in leeds know nothing about the cars. cost of parts, or even if their own dealer will give me a guarantee of all the new parts being added to my car. they cant help to encourage the dealer to get me a courtesy for the first 2months its sat in the garage.....only now that the extra part has been required have the garage ''found'' me a courtesy car... they are ''gold dust'' I mite suggest to them that all this work they are being paid for is ''gold dust'' am I showing any loyalty yet? being taht they are gonna hand out a bill of 9000+??? new parts = new engine , new inlet manifold, clutch ,dmf, concentric cylinder, wiring loom, hub bolts.... new engine has not been properly explained to me but what I understand from ''daniel'' is that everything bar the gearbox and exhaust ie dpf backbox has been replaced It will be interesting to see how many teething problems the car will have once it is handed back to me.. I am Guessing electrical failures will occur that it will emerge shite has gone through to the exhaust system relating to the glowplug fiasco and that the car will never run like it did. I also wonder how much seat would like to offer me for the car I thin its worth 8200 as a standard trade in price surely they could offer me more and the next customer some guarantee on it if its had all this official work done? or is it still an old car?.... I can see there is some real defensive people on here please don't take offence at my writings I am not having a go at you for liking or owning seats I still like them just not mine and my experience.

 

[seanyhick]

Sorry to here the bad news dude. Who did you by the carfrom it say you have is edit for 2 months. If it's dealer then get it back there and get them to sort it

If bought privately then not much you can do. Hope the billisnt to high

Lee

Ps. Which warranty direct cover you have? Bri? Full ?

the warranty was with warranty direct. top price one!

 

[seanyhick]

So how much of the final bill did you have to stump up for?

Personally I would have got a quote for a engine change from a local specialist, could have saved yourself hell of a lot of money. I have never heard of a glow plug snapping, but theres a first for everything.

As stated above, anything with a moving part can fail.

snapping is what I am doing a lot at the moment.. it may have sheered or worn away or disintigrated Im not sure but it caused a hell of a lot of damage. I am surprised the warranty company didnt pursue the manufacturer of the part but hey they just love getting the MD to sign off personally massive investigated claims!

 

[seanyhick]

You must have driven a hell of a lot of SEATs to be in a position to make a statement like that!

I've only driven two and they've never gave me any bother, but at the same time I don't go round saying they are the best cars in the world.

You could have had this sort of trouble with any brand.

yeah sorry I know my aunty has handed rangerovers back with massive issues, and
buses back to sweden for volvo tests.... its just very annoying.