[DDiSLover]

Originally Posted by Reesnat

No.1 reason for DSG issues is holding onto the brake in gear in stop/go traffic. This is the DSG’s Achilles heel. Bring the car to N if stopped for more than 10 seconds and you should be good.

Interesting. I have a very basic question - what happens with auto hold & start stop.

I'm reading conflicting stuff online about shifting to N vs leaving it in D vs allowing the auto hold/start stop to work.

I leave auto hold ON and start/stop ON, and do not keep the brake pressed while waiting at signals. I do keep my foot ready to press the brake if the need arises.

[ironager]

Voted yes but with a caveat.

Do not buy a dual clutch automatic especially from Volkswagen/Skoda If it will be your primary car to be used daily, but if you use it ocasionally as a secondary car then it will generally work well with minimum problems.

I have a VW GT TSI (2013) which has done about 45,000 kms till date and it has never had a problem with the dsg which shifts smoothly. The car has mostly been used on the weekends when there is less traffic. My daily rides are (1). Skoda Laura 1.8 tsi Manual and (2). Honda Brio AT.

[Comrade]

Votes yes. If a car meets all of my requirements but transmission reliability is the only issue, then I would definitely buy it but with max extended warranty possible.

I bought polo 1.2 dsg over baleno and jazz automatic because I love the way it drives. I just got 7 yrs extended warranty along with the car, mainly due to DSG concerns.

[Rahul_]

Another observation when we discuss the DCT failures. Aren't there like two classes of failures ?

1) Mechatronics Failure : Typically, this would happen earlier and this is the one that should be watched out and be ideally publicly shamed.

2) Clutch wearing out : Isn't this one expected in any car that uses friction based clutches ? Now that this gearbox has 2 physical clutches which is complex and hence the changing of the worn out clutch is expected to be expensive. Shouldn't this be expected at say 60k-100k kms or 5-7years anyways ? I believe this should be treated as any other required repair in the car rather than shaming it.

I completely agree with many BHPians here that many people who feel against the gearbox haven't driven it. Somehow the way this gearbox drives makes you forgive many of it's known flaws. Also it comes with 7 year warranty extension, which covers you for 70% time (given you plan to keep the car for 10 years!!)

[rajshenoy]

Do we know of issues coming from other DCT vendors, I can think of Hyundai, Kia and MG selling decent number of automatics. I have only heard horror stories from the DSG.

Personally I felt the need for an AT only in chocked city drives and AMT or CVT works just fine for me for the sedate driving. On highways, I find manual to be more engaging, but the pain of crawling in tolls is making me reconsider this.

[Rahul_]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Do we know of issues coming from other DCT vendors, I can think of Hyundai, Kia and MG selling decent number of automatics. I have only heard horror stories from the DSG.

Personally I felt the need for an AT only in chocked city drives and AMT or CVT works just fine for me for the sedate driving. On highways, I find manual to be more engaging, but the pain of crawling in tolls is making me reconsider this.

No, I believe DCT vendors like Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Ford - all of them come with their own share of issues.This forum is filled with multiple such examples from each vendor. DSG being the pioneer in India for dual clutch gearboxes has become the Xerox in the photocopying world. On the contrary, I believe in even worst of the Bangalore ORR traffic jams DSG has never given warning similar to lets say Kia/Hyundai. It depends on how you drive the car - give it extra care of shifting to natural while being stationary (something I used to do in manual gear box as well to not ride the clutch) and most often than not you would be more than fine.

DSG in fact has the maximum experience advantage in india when it comes to dual-clutch.

[igemini]

Voted YES!

I have used multiple DSG cars in the past while I was abroad. My own Golf 1.4 TSI and company owned Passat. Both had DSG failure over time. But the passat that used to drive by a few of us got the DSG failure much earlier and twice. So I assume the DSG failure may also caused by the way of driving in most cases. But not necessarily in all cases as I feel it's just being unlucky.

When that occurs that repair is going to make a BIG hole in your pocket also take away a lot of valuable time. No doubt about that. The VW service and part availability issues could make it a tiresome experience. From my own experience.

But I still believe at least 50% of the DSG equipped cars are trouble free. So I would take that chances. But make no mistake, the DSG is no engineering marvel. If it was, it shouldn't had this many negative impact on people's car ownership.

I have never driven a Kia/Hyundai Dual Clutch AT, but what I learnt so far that those have also some fair share of transmission troubles. But probably lesser chances of failure compared to VW DSG.

[cpabhijit]

Voted Yes. Love the DSG. It is sheer bliss. DQ200, yes. 8 years and 70k kms now. Hasn't missed a shift yet. As smooth and silent as the day I got it. BLR traffic, fast highway runs, bad roads, winding ghats, been through it all. Just works.

I'd take a DSG eyes closed. In fact, I did. Love it so much that I went and got another DQ200 last year .

[Rajeevraj]

Voted Yes. To me the benefits of the driving pleasure it gives overcomes the reliability concerns due to it. Personally for me - owning the Vento TSI, the risk has paid of so far. It has been nearly 8 years and 62000+km. So has been totally worth it. I do expect the failure to come, only hoping that, if it comes, it happens in a city environment and not in some remote location.

[sandeep108]

Each AT transmission has its weak points which need to be understood, especially in our hot climate conditions and b2b traffic.

For DSG/DCT shifting to N at traffic lights and/or using manual mode to avoid jerking would likely prolong its life and/or reliability.

For TCs, changing transmission oil at shorter intervals would likely prolong its life as oil breaking down due to heat will not perform optimally.

For CVTs it is meant for lazy laid back driving, least jerky but then there is the 'rubber band' effect - but when we are becoming older and/or having chauffeurs, probably best for most of us in the cities and let us face it we are opting for ATs because we want to be lazy.

For AMTs it is very similar in characteristic to a manual, except you don't have any clutch to press - so rev matching (by lifting off the accelerator slightly) is essential to avoid the jerkiness.

It seems that manufacturers need to understand our climate / driving conditions by providing additional transmission and sensitive electronics cooling, etc. to prolong life and increase reliability.

[CarJunki]

I wouldn't touch a DCT/DSG with a barge pole. My peace of mind is far more valuable.
And I am not to be found near a VW/Škoda, not even if they pay me to keep any of their cars. Simply too unreliable for my liking.

[Nair.V8]

All automatic cars purchased by me or my family have been dual clutch units.

1. Skoda Superb 1.8TSi DSG - Purchased new in Mumbai (2012), had one mechatronic failure in 2015/2016 which was thankfully replaced under warranty. We still have this car and touch-wood, it has not gearbox issues to date.

2. Ford Focus 1.6 petrol DCT - Purchased used in Dubai (2015), had a jerky gearbox soon after purchase, this was thankfully fixed under warranty. While it did solve most of the issue, the gearbox was noticeably unhappy in slow moving traffic. Ford moved to a torque convertor unit for the facelifted version of this car, the DCT had several reliability concerns worldwide.

3. Volkswagen Arteon 4motion 2.0TSi DSG - Purchased new in Dubai (2019), this 7speed DSG & the 280hp 2.0TSi motor was a match made in heaven. Effortless performance in traffic, highways & an absolute beast when pushed hard! Had to sell this beauty unfortunately, since i relocated to Mumbai recently this year.

As a lover of good DSG's i would totally buy one, but only if I intend keeping the car for under 5 years from new. For long term ownership (5+ years), a reliable torque convertor equipped car will be my default choice.

[Lalitha Venkat]

There is resistance to any new technology and people have always taken a negative approach. But science has thought us that we should go to the root cause of the issue and get the same sorted and not shun the new technology. VW has worked through the issues and has largely fixed matter and the frequency of the issues have surely declined post 2018. I had feedback from a VW service mechanic that frequency has come down. Now its up to the person who drives and if he likes a DSG he can go for it as it gives a proper thrill and enhances the driving dynamics. But if driving a car is just going from point A to B , then you dont need to be worried about a DSG. VW also has understood this has introduced the TQ GB on its new polo and Vento. Its a pleasure to drive using the DSG and trust me you will never repent the decision. As it has been said many times if you engage N during signals you should be largely fine. Taking extended warranty is getting common on all car these days DSG/ non DSG. EW is like insurance but not a solution. I have voted Yes, I am driving Vento with DSG and have crossed 80 k kms

[Altocumulus]

Voted No

I had been itching to buy a GT Tsi 1.2 DSG for a long long time. However the DSG woes kept me from buying it even though I took multiple TDs to convince myself over the years. Same goes for the Rapid TDI DSG. I have driven both these cars extensively thanks to a few close friends owning them, they are great as long as I am not the owner.

However, the worries disappeared as soon as VW/Skoda introduced the Aisin TC. I immediately got a TD car home and was blown away by how good the modern TCs have become. It's not VW DSG quick but it is as good as DCTs of other brands. Plus the brilliant engine makes up for the negligible delay in shifts compared to the VW Dsgs. I am a very happy man since.

[allinbalance]

Voted Yes. Although I straddle both types.

I have S-Tronic Dual Clutch on my Audi, and its been 4 years of flawless performance.

I have Torque Converter on my Honda, but its decent enough and very reliable.

No complaints on either type from me - except the S-Tronic is super fun, while the TC is relatively staid.