The Achilles heel of this car is the DCT transmission -- it can fail without warning and replacement cost is extremely expensive; it is very difficult to find a re-manufactured unit anywhere, finding a used part to put into the car is still going to cost ~$6500 and has no guarantees of being a durable solution. A new transmission will require dealer installation, and keep in mind the dual-mass flywheel needs to be replaced at the same time. Together, these cost about $11,000 -- more than the value of the car.
VW really screwed their customers here -- they created a disposable car. The engine is great, the body is in near-perfect condition after 10 years, and the drivability is fine -- until it isn't. They didn't do sufficient durability testing on these transmissions before stuffing them into their cars.
This event caused an otherwise sound car to be sold for scrap. My advice -- STAY AWAY FROM VW
The Achilles heel of this car is the DCT transmission -- it can fail without warning and replacement cost is extremely expensive; it is very difficult to find a re-manufactured unit anywhere, finding a used part to put into the car is still going to cost ~$6500 and has no guarantees of being a durable solution. A new transmission will require dealer installation, and keep in mind the dual-mass flywheel needs to be replaced at the same time. Together, these cost about $11,000 -- more than the value of the car.
VW really screwed their customers here -- they created a disposable car. The engine is great, the body is in near-perfect condition after 10 years, and the drivability is fine -- until it isn't. They didn't do sufficient durability testing on these transmissions before stuffing them into their cars.
This event caused an otherwise sound car to be sold for scrap. My advice -- STAY AWAY FROM VW
- Jeff M., Rochester, MI, US