Engine replacement at 800 miles

[Mani1]

The low oil pressure warning light came on in my 2-month old Mk7 GTI S 6MT so I took it the dealer, who just told me I need a whole new engine and they will order one from the factory and replace it under warranty.

My wife is freaking out and says she'll feel unsafe with our child in a car with a dealer-installed engine. She already requested a new car from VW Corporate but we haven't heard back from them yet (and I don't expect them to agree to it). I'm willing to keep the car with a replacement engine, but have some questions.

Is replacing an engine something a typical dealer technician is capable of doing? Will the car be as safe as it was with the original engine? How about any effect on its resale value? Will this show up on Carfax? If so, I imagine potential buyers would no be interested in a car that had catastrophic engine failure.

If they replace the engine, is it reasonable to expect VW to extend their meager warranty to satisfy our concerns?

 

[BTDUBS]

Dealers have to pull engines all the time, which means putting them back. So yes, they are extremely qualified to put them in. They would not do it they weren't as they would be liable if there was a safety concern. If you ever go into the service area, you will see cars in various states of disassembly. I would not worry about that at all, there is no reason to feel unsafe. There are even some repairs on V8 Audis that require the whole front end to come off and the engine out of the bay.

Now, on to a replacement car. VW is not likely to agree to this without a lemon law case as VW would have to give you a new car, repair the old one, put a lemon title on it, and sell it for a pittance. I had to go through this with my Fiat 500 Abarth when the transmission disintegrated and the car sat in the shop for 50 days. There are steps to follow on this, and i highly recommend an attorney for this. I don't know about New Jersey, but in California, the manufacturer pays the attorney fees and I was not on the hook in case I lost. I put the New Jersey Lemon law here.

http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/automotive-law/lemon-law.php

 

[c0de]

Changing/Installing the engine can EASILY be done by a shop tech. Remember this is installed under warranty and it's in their favor not to have you back, so they would take extra care (I know, wild assumptions).
Those technicians are normally ASE certified and know exactly how to do the job, rest assured.

 

[GOLF NUTT]

Sorry to hear of your engine failure after 800 miles.
The dealer and VW will take care of you and your new car.
Why would your wife be troubled regarding safety?

 

[Pyramid1]

If the engine swap is done right, there should be no issues, safety or otherwise. Having said that, I would grill the service manager about who was actually doing the swap...and if they're certified and experienced with such things.

 

[Sincity]

No worries on replacing engine. It may show up in CarFax because you see service records on a CF report. No worries though as it shows replaced under warranty and shouldn't devalue the car.

 

[The Fed]

And forget about VW extending your warranty. You SHOULD insist VW pay for a rental car though.

 

[everlast556]

And forget about VW extending your warranty. You SHOULD insist VW pay for a rental car though.

I would ask that an extended warranty be include because of the hassle/issue. Worst they could say is 'no'.

 

[Phil1]

The low oil pressure warning light came on in my 2-month old Mk7 GTI S 6MT so I took it the dealer, who just told me I need a whole new engine and they will order one from the factory and replace it under warranty.

My wife is freaking out and says she'll feel unsafe with our child in a car with a dealer-installed engine. She already requested a new car from VW Corporate but we haven't heard back from them yet (and I don't expect them to agree to it). I'm willing to keep the car with a replacement engine, but have some questions.

Is replacing an engine something a typical dealer technician is capable of doing? Will the car be as safe as it was with the original engine? How about any effect on its resale value? Will this show up on Carfax? If so, I imagine potential buyers would no be interested in a car that had catastrophic engine failure.

If they replace the engine, is it reasonable to expect VW to extend their meager warranty to satisfy our concerns?

Can you ask your dealer to give you more details regarding the root cause of this ??
Dealer can do that easily, no safety issue but you should ask for an extended warranty for the hassle.

 

[BTDUBS]

And forget about VW extending your warranty. You SHOULD insist VW pay for a rental car though.

Agreed, they are already footing a high cost on the engine repair. The rental car should be a breeze though simply because the dealer will foot the bill until VW reimburses them. If it did happen again, start playing the lottery.

 

[The Fed]

Shows up on CF. It will be up to a future buyer to determine if it makes a difference to them. Good luck trying to get VW to pay depreciated value.

 

[misaka]

My wife is freaking out and says she'll feel unsafe with our child in a car with a dealer-installed engine. She already requested a new car from VW Corporate but we haven't heard back from them yet (and I don't expect them to agree to it). I'm willing to keep the car with a replacement engine, but have some questions.

I think your wife is missing the big picture here. Wouldn't she be worried that this could occur in the new car also? (not speaking volumes for VW reliability lol) Granted the idea of a dealer installed engine would be a scary though regardless of the facts involved. It's probably more of a niggling doubt than anything else. On the positive side if it fails again, I think you'd have a case for a VW buyback.

 

[Mk620T]

I agree with the above opinions. If I can pull a v8 out of an s4, do the timing job and reinstall with basic hand tools the dealer can certainly replace the engine safely and quickly.

I would insist that they either give you a loaner car or pay for a rental - Its unfortunate that an engine would die so quickly and if they value your business I think they should show you some good will / kind gesture. That being said, a good attitude at the dealer goes a long way. Perhaps calmly express your wife's distress and go from there.

I know your wife is pushing for a new car, but I don't think that will happen since a new engine will completely fix it. My mom bought a new 2012 Passat TDI from Archer VW in Houston. They filled the tank with gasoline before we took delivery and the car made it 30 miles before crapping out. We ended up demanding a new vehicle as gasoline in the fuel system is the number one culprit behind grenading diesel fuel systems and voided warrantys. But in our case "fixing" the vehicle would involve a new engine, fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines and tons of labor and it was because of a really shitty dealership.

 

[Draxs77]

Tell your women to chill, all will be fine

 

[Jack1]

The low oil pressure warning light came on in my 2-month old Mk7 GTI S 6MT so I took it the dealer, who just told me I need a whole new engine and they will order one from the factory and replace it under warranty.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

The low oil pressure light came on and they want to replace the engine?

Did the engine exhibit any troubling sounds? Sounds that would suggest that the bottom-end was FUBAR or that there was any engine damage? I assume the engine didn't seize up as you drove to the dealer for service or am I missing something? Very bizarre.

As far as a dealer tech being able to install a new engine, it should be a non- issue.