Advice on mk6 GLI

[Alex_715]

So as some of you may know I have been having some electrical and clutch problems with my 2012 GLI. So again I take it in to the dealership tomorrow for the 4th time in my 2 month ownership. The clutch is in "factory specs" and there are "no electrical problems to be found". So I don't know what to do anymore. I just want car that will function correctly.

Electrical problems
1. Random stalling of car while driving.
2. mfd/steering wheel controls/ipod input/touch screen tend to randomly freeze or stop working.
3. When shifting the clutch will disengage when you push in the clutch pedal, but when you release the pedal sometimes the clutch won't engage for 4-5 seconds which isn't fun.

Luckily for me these problems have not been seen in pretty much any other GLI, so my luck with Volkswagens continue.

Any advice on what I should do for my next step would be helpful.

[shawn o]

I would start asking for a new car and if the dealer won't help, contact VW corporate.

http://www.carlemon.com/lemon/MN_LemonGuide.html

The Manufacturer's Duty to Refund or Replace

The law has special refund and replacement provisions for cars that have substantial defects or problems, commonly called "lemons". Under the law, if the manufacturer or the authorized dealer has been unable to repair a car's problem after a "reasonable number of attempts," the buyer or lessee may go through a manufacturer's arbitration program, or to court, to seek a full refund of the car's purchase price (minus a deduction for the use of the vehicle). The law considers "a reasonable number of attempts" to be any one of the following:

• Four or more unsuccessful attempts to repair the same defect; or
• One unsuccessful attempt to repair a defect which has caused the complete failure of the steering or braking system and which is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; or,
• A car which has been out of service due to warranty repairs for 30 or more cumulative business days.

In each case the initial defect must occur within the warranty period, or two years, whichever comes first, but the manufacturer's repair attempts may extend to the end of the third year. Even if you do meet one of the above categories, you may still have a lemon law claim, but it will be harder to prove.

[Alex_715]

VW corporate is the problem. The RCM(regional case manager) has basically said another local dealership found everything was within specs nothing is wrong.

[shawn o]

If there's nothing wrong with the car they should be able to buy it back then at whatever price they'd normally offer.

[CommonGTI]

I too have a 2012 GLI autobahn and well there is something wrong with these cars. I don't know where to start. Its a DSG for one. Ive had some shifting problems it would get stuck in 3rd and never come out be it in sport mode or manual. Running it up to 6800 rpm's where the computer forces it to shift well it never happens. I took the service adviser for a ride and it stayed in 3rd right up to 7200 rpms and it never up shifted He said that was normal.. Anyways after a few days of it sitting there waiting for a new Air bag control module which I had code and light for. Tech line believed it was causing the shifting issue as well so that was replaced and it'd didn't fix the issue. Now the DSG is getting a new mech unit which VW had to approve so thats good news. Now the good stuff I've also had multiple CEL's for mis-fires on random cylinders and a couple CEL's for all cylinders mis-firing at the same time and limp mode which was tripped passing a car . I also get a hesitation or mis-fire feeling around 2k rpm's when accelerating. Which a few people on the vortex are starting to come out and say they have the same issue as well and someone did mention he was stalling out. http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...2200-RPM/page3
I'm leaning towards a fuel pump module at this point but everyone says its operating within spec. I might go buy the APR hpfp for fun and see if that fixes the issue since. Did I mention I just turned 3500 miles today .

[Alex_715]

I'm at the point were I just want it gone, but if I trade it in I will take a hit and lose money, and if the car is lemoned out I take a hit and lose money.

[magilson]

Did you want help trying to assist VW in fixing the issues or just advice on how to convince VW to do the right thing?

Electrical problems
1. Random stalling of car while driving.
2. mfd/steering wheel controls/ipod input/touch screen tend to randomly freeze or stop working.

Can you elaborate on the exact scenarios where this occurs? Are you at part throttle? Is it under heavy acceleration? Sitting at an intersection? Has the dealer been able to replicate it? Have you drive *with* a tech in order to recreate it for them?

I know you say it's random so it's likely that it's hard to replicate on demand. But this sounds like maybe a module problem or a connection problem with a control module or something with your Can-Bus. Does it occur after your car sits in the sun all day? After you rapidly cool off your car with A/C? Humid days? Bueller?

3. When shifting the clutch will disengage when you push in the clutch pedal, but when you release the pedal sometimes the clutch won't engage for 4-5 seconds which isn't fun.

Maybe the pressure plate? Could be aligned just fine but poorly built?

[Alex_715]

Did you want help trying to assist VW in fixing the issues or just advice on how to convince VW to do the right thing?



Can you elaborate on the exact scenarios where this occurs? Are you at part throttle? Is it under heavy acceleration? Sitting at an intersection? Has the dealer been able to replicate it? Have you drive *with* a tech in order to recreate it for them?

I know you say it's random so it's likely that it's hard to replicate on demand. But this sounds like maybe a module problem or a connection problem with a control module or something with your Can-Bus. Does it occur after your car sits in the sun all day? After you rapidly cool off your car with A/C? Humid days? Bueller?



Maybe the pressure plate? Could be aligned just fine but poorly built?

Honestly, my buying experience was horrible, and now my ownership experience has been horrible. So at this point I just want to take a step away from Volkswagen as a brand for awhile. So convince Volkswagen to do the right thing.

The first two times that the stalling problem occurred was in 3rd gear going about 35mph steady, no accelerating at the time or slowing. The 3rd time it happened after I had shifted from 4th gear to 5th gear and was in combination with clutch problem. The 4th time I was in 5th gear going a steady 55mph. All have happened on different days. Some extremely hot, some mild, and other rain.

As for the dealership they have not been able to replicate the issue and say there is no way I have experienced these problems as they have never been reported that they know of in other GLIs. Drive with a tech has been done also. But, each problem has only happened about 4 times in a little over 4,000 miles so hard to replicate.

I just don't feel safe driving the car, because twice now it has stalled in intersections and luckily I was able to coast through and barely missed getting t-boned by an F150 once.

[magilson]

I'm not sure where you are financially on it but I'd walk in and tell the sales manager that you want to trade it in your functionally perfect GLI for something else on their lot. You have to decide what your time is worth. Continue to press the dealer and VWOA for as long as it takes for one of their techs to see the issue. Or maybe take a small loss and move on. If they balk at your asking price for the trade in then you might have to keep pressing them.

I've spent more than I should have had to keeping my GTI healthy and by the time VW comes around and admits a problem (due to legal pressure, ultimately) I've either exceeded some criteria or I don't want to argue with them about my modifications.

This is why I've only ever recommended a VW to one person in all the time I've been an enthusiast. They're such a bi-polar experience for a consumer base that is perfectly fine with boring Toyotas that will last 250k miles.

[Alex_715]

I'm not sure where you are financially on it but I'd walk in and tell the sales manager that you want to trade it in your functionally perfect GLI for something else on their lot. You have to decide what your time is worth. Continue to press the dealer and VWOA for as long as it takes for one of their techs to see the issue. Or maybe take a small loss and move on. If they balk at your asking price for the trade in then you might have to keep pressing them.

I've spent more than I should have had to keeping my GTI healthy and by the time VW comes around and admits a problem (due to legal pressure, ultimately) I've either exceeded some criteria or I don't want to argue with them about my modifications.

This is why I've only ever recommended a VW to one person in all the time I've been an enthusiast. They're such a bi-polar experience for a consumer base that is perfectly fine with boring Toyotas that will last 250k miles.

This is where I am right now. I don't know if I want another Volkswagen, though I would consider a TDI Golf, but I really am tempted to either get a Ford Taurus SHO or another Scion tC most likely a tC as it is the only car that was ALWAYS reliable..

The other thing is I have a loan through my bank on the car, so I am trying to figure out how I go telling them I am trading this in and seeing if they will allow me to get another loan through them even though I have only had this car for not even 2 months.

[magilson]

The other thing is I have a loan through my bank on the car, so I am trying to figure out how I go telling them I am trading this in and seeing if they will allow me to get another loan through them even though I have only had this car for not even 2 months.

You'll have to get a new loan to cover the gap between the trade in value and the loan value on the GLI plus the cost of the new car. So the old loan will close out as paid in full and a new loan would be issued.

[Alex_715]

Yea, I know that, but I'm just afraid they will be like nope, no new loan for you

[SLK]

Yea, I know that, but I'm just afraid they will be like nope, no new loan for you

Some banks will allow it, some won't. You just have to ask. My bank won't allow it unless you have the credit for both loans at the same time.

[veedubmechanic]

lemon laws are a joke.
On a side note though, If they can not duplicate your concern they cant do anything. And unless they get authorization from vw they cant just start replacing parts.
If your car is randomly dying, then there HAS to be codes stored in it. Its not possibly for it to just die and not store codes if something is malfunctioning with electronics these days.

[Casper]

Whatever happened with this?