Engine replacement at 800 miles

Jack said:

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.

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The light came on 4 times over 2 days while driving around town, always while idling at a red light, and went off as soon as I started moving. There were no other symptoms at all; the car drove perfectly as far as I could tell.

Once I get more info about what happened I'll post it here.

Mani said:

The light came on 4 times over 2 days while driving around town, always while idling at a red light, and went off as soon as I started moving. There were no other symptoms at all; the car drove perfectly as far as I could tell.

Once I get more info about what happened I'll post it here.

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Thanks for the preliminary info.

By chance, do you know what the oil temp was when the oil light came on at idle?

Does the Gti have an electric oil pump?

I know that the GTD has an electric, sensor controlled oil pump which I'm not keen on when it's such a vital engine component. Vw tech told me it's in the never ending search for lower emission's and better fuel economy, he also showed me that my car has 3 electric water pump's on coolant system.

Mani said:

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?

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Of course yes. It's comparatively simple task.
If a mechanic wouldn't be capable of doing a motor swap,
how would he be up to fitting new brakes?
Sorry to hear that your GTI needs an engine replacement,
but don't worry too much. It'll be as good as with a factory
fitted one.

Mani said:

The light came on 4 times over 2 days while driving around town, always while idling at a red light, and went off as soon as I started moving. There were no other symptoms at all; the car drove perfectly as far as I could tell.

Once I get more info about what happened I'll post it here.

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Sounds like a faulty oil pump that wasn't able to keep up, I'd venture to guess when they drained the oil it looked like a glitter party in the pan. I wouldn't have any concern with a dealer installed motor and being only 800 miles on the chassis the fact it's happened is negligible on value. If you had 20k on the chassis and had the motor swapped then I believe the value would be slightly better.

only 800 miles!!?? That's crazy!!

Did they ever approve your request for a replacement vehicle?

I've had tons of issues with mine as well, but luckily nothing that required a whole new engine.

tcphoto said:

I've had tons of issues with mine as well, but luckily nothing that required a whole new engine.

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What kind of issues?

Internexus said:

Sounds like a faulty oil pump that wasn't able to keep up, I'd venture to guess when they drained the oil it looked like a glitter party in the pan. I wouldn't have any concern with a dealer installed motor and being only 800 miles on the chassis the fact it's happened is negligible on value. If you had 20k on the chassis and had the motor swapped then I believe the value would be slightly better.

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Yep sounds like oil pump to me too. They have to check oil level, color and drain it to see glitter in oil pan. Also they have to test engine cylinder compression too. Dealers won't fix, they swap parts. That's why you getting a new engine.

Good Luck.

I had to have a transmission replaced on my Tundra with only 1100 miles on it. I get that it was a different manufacturer but the Toyota dealer did a good job on it and it had no problems after. I'm sure VW can easily do the engine swap.

Your dealership should have at least 1-2 "heavy duty" technicians that do this kind of work on a daily basis. It shouldn't be an issue.

For what it is worth, VW gave me a great deal towards a new car when I had a low oil pressure issue repeatedly on my Mk6. Had the cylinder head and piston rings replaced twice. A whole new engine at 800 miles might make them go even higher than they did for me, my car had 40,000 on it.

I would definitely press on them for something. Good luck !

I will never understand this mindset that the dealership owes you something because your car had an issue... That's what a warranty is for. I understand it can be unnerving when a new car has issues, but let's be honest, these cars are mass produced and no one has a perfect record of zero manufacturing mistakes. If the vehicle is fixed and no other issue arises that is related, why does the dealership or VW owe you anything more? The car had an issue and they fixed it. Hopefully they provided you with a free rental(covered under warranty for any repair that requires keeping your car for more than 1 day) and didn't inconvenience you significantly. An engine replacement isn't minor, but it sounds like they are taking care of it without any hassle... Parts that are not available in the states take time to get here.

I work at a dealership, so maybe my view is skewed, but I've never felt a shop or dealership owed me any more than fixing my car as promise. Being a pain in the ass customer that always acts like we owe you something is not the way to get us to help you. Why would we want to go out of our way and spend extra effort helping you if we are met with an attitude like that? It will quickly make you the customer that no one wants to work with and that no one is willing to go the extra mile to help... I suppose the The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease, but just wait and see how long that works for you...

Sorry for the rant, but I see this attitude all too often. /rant