I've been away a while, but might be coming back...

I've been to look at 'sensible' cars after landing a new job which may require some business mileage. I looked today at a DSG Octy and was pleasantly surprised - I can't be arsed with manual gearboxes these days!

Are they any good reliability-wise (the DSG boxes) and are there any known faults that I need to be aware of? Expensive to fix in the event of a problem I assume? New clutch plates - costly? Etc, etc, etc...

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I've been away a while, but might be coming back...

I've been to look at 'sensible' cars after landing a new job which may require some business mileage. I looked today at a DSG Octy and was pleasantly surprised - I can't be arsed with manual gearboxes these days!

Are they any good reliability-wise (the DSG boxes) and are there any known faults that I need to be aware of? Expensive to fix in the event of a problem I assume? New clutch plates - costly? Etc, etc, etc...

I have 300,000kms on my 2.0tdi DSG (re-mapped from new) It got a DMF under warranty at 110,000kms but the box itself hasn't given any trouble. Fingers crossed!

(1) Good box and I like driving it – best I’ve had in certain respects. I’ve owned autos for about 25 years now – unfortunately I have no choice because of physical aches and pains!

(2) Some owners report that it changes down to first gear whilst attempting to, for example, filter into a roundabout and that it then takes off in an inappropriate fashion. My understanding is that it should not change down to first whilst on the move and my car certainly does not. Is it the owner flooring the pedal and invoking the kickdown (and thinking they are in first gear when they are not) or could it be a mapping problem with the box? Not sure.

(3) I do NOT like it in the snow. No way to invoke a program that can handle a smooth takeoff when traction is limited. Big omission in my opinion. Even my old clunker of a Vauxhall auto which was 12 years old had that facility.

(4) Some report problems not being able to take off smoothly on an incline (particularly in reverse). Personally I have never encountered this – lots of years being use to the quirks of an auto perhaps?

(5) Quick gearchanges and smooth transition between gears make for a relaxed drive, and I understand it does not kill the fuel consumption as some torque convertor boxes can. Again the fuel consumption on my old Vauxhall (petrol) kept Dubai in profit I felt sometimes!

(6) There are additional service costs with a DSG. Box oil changes MUST be done per schedule.

(7) I believe that the more powerful diesel engines produce torque close to the max design limits for the 6 speed box. Impact of this long term on UK reliability is uncertain. In any event research remaps before doing them (if you are into that sort of thing).

(8) Its alleged that the DSG box is non-repairable and the units have to be exchanged with the factory in the event of problems. At a cost circa £4-5,000 fitted. I do not know the real facts behind this and would be interested in any comments.

(9) Ditto (8) above but for the mechatronics units at £1,500?

(10) Be aware that there have recently been 2 major recalls in the US where this box is a lot more common than here in the UK. As a result they now provide a much longer warranty in the US than here to try and calm current owners and prospective buyers. One of the US recalls has now found itse way over to the UK and some Octavias and Superbs are now subject to it. Personally I’m highly sceptical about what the UK recall is actually achieving but that is another story.

(11) Test drive the DSG/engine combination you are thinking of. I found that the PD109 and PD140 performed differently (from a gearbox viewpoint) and I could not get on with the 109. This may be due to driving style or something else, but either way you MUST take a test drive to see how the DSG box behaves.

You may get lots of pro and anti DSG box fans replying but I’ve tried to be balanced. Some claim starship mileages for their DSG boxes and I’m sure lots actually achieve this and good luck to them. The problem is that if it does go wrong you might be facing a very big bill.

My overall opinion? I like the DSG box. It drives well and very smoothly and has to date proved reliable. Is it reliable longer term? Open question the moment compared to the proven reliability and lower (comparatively) cost of repairs to say a Borg Warner box.

I own one. But, at the moment, its gone once the warranty has expired.

I've a mate that works for VW and he has warned me that at the moment they are having a fair few in with problems on the 6 speed DSG. They are all golfs and its DMF issues most with only 3-6k on the clock. His advice was to put as much mileage on it as soon as possible and if something does not feel right take it in to be looked at.

I had the choice of a DSG or a Manual and while I really like the "usability" of the DSG, this is my personal car not a company vehicle and I've got it for 5yrs no matter what. Take a guess at which gearbox I chose.

A contributing factor was that a member of the family works for a large chain of VW dealerships and the general consensus, bourne out by the number of issues they've had is that in general the DSG is very well designed and built..........however when it does go wrong, it's generally accompanied by a "are you sitting down" type phone call to the customer. Most of the boys who work for this dealership have manual vehicles...........

I suppose if the company is paying for it or you only intend keeping it for the warranty period then go for it, nothing to lose. If its your own vehicle or you intend keeping it past the warranty then its a fair sized risk to take because of the cost of replacement - remember these are generally not a "field repairable" component.......

I met two taxi drivers. Both of them bought DSG Octavia as new and both of them have problems with the DSG box.

I've been away a while, but might be coming back...

I've been to look at 'sensible' cars after landing a new job which may require some business mileage. I looked today at a DSG Octy and was pleasantly surprised - I can't be arsed with manual gearboxes these days!

Are they any good reliability-wise (the DSG boxes) and are there any known faults that I need to be aware of? Expensive to fix in the event of a problem I assume? New clutch plates - costly? Etc, etc, etc...

Where you based? I've got an '06 Octavia sport 140 tdi DSG for sale right now.

I'm in Derby, though not purchasing for a couple of months...

I'm in Derby, though not purchasing for a couple of months...

Thats a pity. Gettin kinda desperate to sell this now as i've already replaced it. It's a crackin car, i just didn't like the DSG.

(10) Be aware that there have recently been 2 major recalls in the US where this box is a lot more common than here in the UK. As a result they now provide a much longer warranty in the US than here to try and calm current owners and prospective buyers. One of the US recalls has now found itse way over to the UK and some Octavias and Superbs are now subject to it. Personally I’m highly sceptical about what the UK recall is actually achieving but that is another story.

I've had a look at the VOSA website about this recall and found out it refers to the Superb and Octy with the DSG box built between Sept '08 and Aug '09, for those interested go to the VOSA vehicle recall website, the code is R/2009/124, it is to do with the faulty temperature sensor causing the clutches to open, losing drive.

(4) Some report problems not being able to take off smoothly on an incline (particularly in reverse). Personally I have never encountered this – lots of years being use to the quirks of an auto perhaps?

When I was looking to buy and asked around all over the place (having got more and more depressed as I tried modern diesels), one response was from someone in Scotland whose parents had bought a Golf and needed automatic. They, like me, had a path that involved backing out blind, uphill, round a 90degree turn across a pavement. The car they were sold, "perfect for that situation, sir", had hill start assist. Apparently in reverse, this and the DSG made it impossible, even for the driver the dealer sent, to get the car out of their drive.

Partly because of this I bought a manual. On my 90 degree uphill reverse with 2 passengers, it feels as if the clutch/ flywheel/engine assembly is going to judder itself to death unless I rev to over 1500rpm and slip the clutch.

In the past, neither my old Land Rover 110 diesel or the petrol Fiesta N-reg were anything like this. Just after I bought the 56reg Octy, a 54reg auto diesel Merc C-class came up locally. Son's R-reg one has been and is brilliant. If the 54reg one was OK, and I didn't look at it, it would have been light years ahead of this Octy, and I'd have been confident of the proper auto gearbox for the '200k miles and still fine' I was getting on Vauxhalls.. My Disco diesel auto has done 160k since 1997 and remains as smooth as silk. How have we come to a situation where people are getting rid when the warranty expires?

My car does not have hill assist and I have to park in the corner of our underground car park. This involves driving down the ramp to the next level straighting the car up then reversing back up the ramp. I dont think i will find many places steaper. It is very easy with dsg just use both feet. Left one on the brake right on the gas. Touque the car up then let my foot off the brake and back she goes. I could use the hand brake but I find it just as easy to do it this way. I love my DSG. I do have to admit it takes some practise using left foot on brake. I no alot of people who stad at it like the clutch and treat it like a switch.

I've looked back at some of the old discussion about the Golf with DSG and hill assist. The problem, if I understood correctly, was with the fact that the engine power and gearbox are both controlled electronically and, unless the driver is young, agile and attuned exactly to what the car is doing, it's easy to have it all go pear-shaped. I understand that, if the revs go over 1100 with the handbrake on, the engine power is cut. For older people with, perhaps, some slight disablement making an automatic necessary, this might be a problem.

Here's a tiny excerpt from what was posted:

There is _no_ 'grip' (drive without actual vehicle movement)

with the engine at idle, there is only drive

between slightly above idle and about 1,100 rpm. If the vehicle isn't

moving by the time the revs reach 1,100 the revs are cut and the vehicle

rolls backwards.

I've looked back at some of the old discussion about the Golf with DSG and hill assist. The problem, if I understood correctly, was with the fact that the engine power and gearbox are both controlled electronically and, unless the driver is young, agile and attuned exactly to what the car is doing, it's easy to have it all go pear-shaped. I understand that, if the revs go over 1100 with the handbrake on, the engine power is cut. For older people with, perhaps, some slight disablement making an automatic necessary, this might be a problem.

Here's a tiny excerpt from what was posted:

There is _no_ 'grip' (drive without actual vehicle movement)

with the engine at idle, there is only drive

between slightly above idle and about 1,100 rpm. If the vehicle isn't

moving by the time the revs reach 1,100 the revs are cut and the vehicle

rolls backwards.

The above fascinates me. I am "old" and perfectly able to handle my DSG in difficult circumstances (only had it 3 weeks). There IS drive at tickover and I use that a LOT for manouvering with foot hovering over footbake. Indeed it will reverse up quite a steep slope at tickover. A touch of footbrake seems to reduce the drive amount at tick over but other factors, hills / handbrake seem to make the car increase the creep at tickover (not certain about that - might be imagination). Other than the word "young" I DO agree with "unless the driver is young, agile and attuned exactly to what the car is doing". I consider that a lot of posts on this forum are from people not (yet) attuned to their cars and I consider that for many of these people youth and inexperience is the cause. The DSG works best with a feather touch on the accelerator when driving at low speeds and in stop/start traffic etc. A heavy foot in these circumstances can make things appear not too smooth. Despite my "AGE" it took me all of 5 minutes to discover this and attune myself to the vehicle. The hill assist is excellent and seems to work with no problems for me.

From a post retirement Pensioner who loves his L&K 1.8TSI DSG Octy estate - last car 1.9TDI Octy diesel

Edited 20 March, 201016 yr by Jrayworth

@SteVRs

Congratulations on the new job are in order, I Guess...

Go for the DSG, should be ok in my view....

The DSG works best with a feather touch on the accelerator when driving at low speeds and in stop/start traffic etc. A heavy foot in these circumstances can make things appear not too smooth.

I'll second that. Stomp on the accelerator and it will engage the clutch suddenly, and appear to jerk (as 1st gear is very low).

DSG is perfectly easy to control at low speed, you just have to feather the brake and accelerator.

DSG is perfectly easy to control at low speed, you just have to feather the brake and accelerator.

Maybe I made the wrong decision in going for my manual, then. It may, of course, be that the person with the Golf had a faulty vehicle.

I'd still be happier if vehicle design had moved towards simplicity.