Hello Yeti People

 

I had my heart on swapping my wife's ageing VW Golf for a Yeti 1.8TSI, ideally in Elegance spec (for the heated seats as much as anything). I rang up about a red one I had spotted locally but it had gone.

In the meantime I did some more reading about them and started worrying about the cam chain problems and the oil consumption issues which started putting me off.

 

Is it one of those problems which is blown out of proportion by too much internet information, or I am right to be genuinely concerned that a 5 - 6 year old 1.8 is a likely money pit?

They do hold their value well, so the trade doesn't seem frightened of them, but the last thing I want is an engine rebuild on my hands, especially as it's the wife's car and as well all know, it's the bloke's fault when it goes wrong. 

 

If we don't go for the 1.8, what about the early 1.4? Is that any better? Ideally I would like 4x4 and a bit of oomph, but not a diesel as our usage doesn't suit.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice whether it's to say "don't worry" or "run and hide"! (Maybe I should do a poll).

 

Welcome.

 

Maybe will say overblown online, on forums, only those with problems post etc.

VW Group say that.

Obviously there are more without issues than with, or at least one might hope so.

 

You need to do research, buy a good vehicle, maybe one with issues resolved etc.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/266114-18tsi-and-20tsi-engine-failues 

Thanks for the reply and welcome.

Yes, that would be great to find one with a newly built engine, but I suspect it's unlikely. The thread you linked was one which sent me into a terminal decline... 

 

Chatting to a couple of experienced mechanics, they suspect the long life oil used in VAG engines hasn't done them any favours, plus new owners driving like Miss Daisy when they first get the car. The rings just don't get chance to bed in properly and a few years down the line you start getting the high oil usage. If they used a more normal oil for the first 10,000 miles the engines might have lasted better. Sadly there's no way of telling on a used car what the oil use is like until you have owned it for a while. 

They could be right on doing them no favours,

but then there were Fundamental Design, Manufacturing, Material & Quality Control Failings & software issues not addressed or owned up to.

So if the Manufacturing had be done correctly the Long Life Oils or Long Life Servicing might not have be part of the issues.

Upgraded parts are designed, manufactured and fitted because the original were suspect or proven as not fit for purpose.

Vorsprung Durch Technik!

Edited 2 November, 20178 yr by Headinawayoffski

I've had 2 1.8 TSi engined cars (Mk II 4x4 Octavia combi and Octavia hatch). It's a lovely engine and caused me no issues in the roughly 30k miles I covered in both cars. A work colleague however had a 1.8TSi fail (seize) in a 4 year old car and this, along with the info on here probably means it's an engine I'd avoid.

 

The early 1.4 (125 BHP) drives little different to the more readily available 1.2 TSi and is 2WD only.

 

The best Yeti (IMHO) is the newest 1.4 TSi. I recently test drive one and it combines the benefits of 4x4 (improved traction), decent performance (150 BHP) and a relatively light front end. Still very costly though and generally features the awful (brown) L&K interior colour scheme.

Merci Inspector Clouseau. That's the conclusion I was coming to. Such a shame as the Yeti 1.8 ticks all the boxes we need, but I'd be constantly wondering if the previous owner had sold it because it had started drinking oil. I'm a bit sick of VAG engines at the minute as I've a Golf VII at work which keeps eating it's coolant since the ever so helpful "software upgrade".  Might be time to go Japanese, but I do like a bit of brown leather... 

 

 

^^^ The coolant loss with the Golf VII is no mystery requiring a detective, even a unqualified technician or fitter should be able to solve and resolve,

it is a leak from pipes / clamps, reservoir (filler bottle) radiators / coolers or the water pump needing replaced which is also a leak.

Edited 6 November, 20178 yr by Headinawayoffski

42 minutes ago, Headinawayoffski said:

^^^ The coolant loss with the Golf VII is no mystery requiring a detective, even a unqualified technician or fitter should be able to solve and resolve,

it is a leak from pipes / clamps, reservoir (filler bottle) radiators / coolers or the water pump needing replaced which is also a leak.

It's the EGR cooler which is drinking it and blowing it out the exhaust as steam. So it's beyond a detective and more of a James Bond feature for obscuring tailgaters!

That is simple then, if the car has had The Fix, VW Group will have to fix that.  Vorsprung Durch Technik.

This problem appears to happening more and more after the FIX/FAIL have a look at the vw diesel customers forum (emissions scandal)