[tweaker]

Excellent thread which pretty much encompasses all the niggles that these cars can face. I personally have had to deal with failed DMF, Oil Cooler and sagging headliner with my Jetta.

This thread may look like a laundry list of items which might fail but more often than not, these cars are pretty reliable. Sure there's a lot of care and attention that these cars need to be showered with but I feel that the risk is definitely worth the reward.

A good FNG is definitely required though. VW ASCs are just not worth the cost or technical competency; some of them have the potential to destroy perfectly capable cars with their skillset.

Originally Posted by vishy76

A member of the VW Jetta owners group on whatsapp managed to source this locally made condenser for around 5K.

Interesting to know that there's a Jetta Owners club WhatsApp group. Can I be invited to that?

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by vishy76

2021. The “kalyug” for sedan lovers has set in.

Why am I even telling you all this? The reason is simple. If you want a fun to drive sedan around the 25L mark today, you can’t have one.

Thank you for the opening statement. For example, it is odd to look at old cars, almost every sedan had independent rear suspension. Now, companies sell 30L plus cars without it.

Your thread is also motivating me to push the long pending comparison test between Laura and Cedia as I am fortunate to have both. May be age is catching up with me, that I still like a car which has two prominent dials, three buttons/dials on the central console. No slate, no touch screen, no panoramic sunroof

Originally Posted by vishy76

Model Years and Variants

The most reliable combination of the lot is undoubtedly the 1.9PD paired with the 5-speed manual. The PD uses a humble SOHC setup and produces an adequate 105ps and 250nm of torque. Power figures might not be as much as her modern cousins, but she’s a virtually bulletproof engine with very less going wrong on the mechanical side of things.

Thank you. This is new information to me. I always thought the 2.0 CR is more reliable, as it is mainstream now. Also, wouldn't the individual pressure pumps prone to failure, especially with low quality fuel?

Originally Posted by vishy76

Timing Chain tensioner failure

The timing chain on earlier iterations of the 1.8 TSI (before 2012) were prone to slacking or snapping off due to faulty tensioner design. Skoda did fix this under recall (although I am assuming it was a very silent one) with a newer design. The easiest way is to check your car’s service history or do a physical inspection by opening the timing chain cover and having a look at the tensioner physically.

If the tensioner has a silver ring around its neck, it’s the older design as indicated in the image below:

Needless to say, this is a mistake you would want to avoid. Additionally, it is advisable to check the chain for slack every 90-100K km, though VW optimistically claims it is sealed for life.

This is the single most point that bothers me, and every other owner. What is disheartening is that every garage, be it authorised, or FNG, looks at this as an issue that is non-existent.

A note to any potential buyer

Please do not get disheartened by the post. These are highly detailed technical analysis, which you would have never known unless you did research.

How I look the the buying decision?

In today's world, to get an equivalent car to Laura Tsi, you'd have to spend ~30 lakhs rupees. Instead, I can budget for 10 lakhs, buy a Laura Tsi for, say 5 lakhs, and keep the 5 lakhs invested for contingency purpose. What do you do with the rest 20 lakhs? I am not even asking.

Secondly, as many would agree here, the first generation Octavia was the most well built, followed by Laura. The new generation seemingly has lost the indestructibility. Also, Laura is the last model that came with manual gearbox.

Finally, unlike the folklore, Skoda service centres does support Laura. Parts availability is not bad either. You may have to order certain parts in advance.

[pd_scorpio]

Excellent information brother.

I am sure it will help so many Jetta / Laura users to identify something from this thread.

[Altocumulus]

Fantastic thread and a must visit for present and future Laura/ Jetta owners.

As an ex 2009 Laura Tsi owner, the tensioner was one which gave me the most 'Tension', especially because such a small thing had the capacity to do catastrophic damage to the engine. There are a total of 3 tensioners and one had the chance to fail. When I went to the Skoda ASS for getting it changed proactively they gave me an estimate of Rs 81k for changing the entire timing kit, etc. The specific tensioner was just 3.5k.

So I started researching for after market options. What I came across was the Borsehung timing kit. They are supposedly OEM suppliers for VW in Germany and the part numbers are also same. Had the kit imported from Dubai and got the entire change done at Bosch Service in Hoodi, Whitefield, Bangalore.

Btw I wasn't aware that the Laura 1.8 Tsi came with DSG as well. I always though they were only available in MT like the petrol Jetta.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Fantastic thread and a must visit for present and future Laura/ Jetta owners.

As an ex 2009 Laura Tsi owner, the tensioner was one which gave me the most 'Tension', especially because such a small thing had the capacity to do catastrophic damage to the engine. There are a total of 3 tensioners and one had the chance to fail. When I went to the Skoda ASS for getting it changed proactively they gave me an estimate of Rs 81k for changing the entire timing kit, etc. The specific tensioner was just 3.5k.

So I started researching for after market options. What I came across was the Borsehung timing kit. They are supposedly OEM suppliers for VW in Germany and the part numbers are also same. Had the kit imported from Dubai and got the entire change done at Bosch Service in Hoodi, Whitefield, Bangalore.

Btw I wasn't aware that the Laura 1.8 Tsi came with DSG as well. I always though they were only available in MT like the petrol Jetta.

You took the right decision but I know so many who wouldn't know what to do. I fail to understand how a 1.8 TSI owner would find it feasible to keep the car if he's at the mercy of Skoda ASCs alone, with an engine that has critical components rigged to fail.

Coming to the 1.8 TSI DSG, it was introduced at the fag end of the Laura's run here in India around 2013. Less than a year before the Octavia's launch, Skoda updated the variants and made several features standard across the ATs apart from bringing in the DQ 200 on the 1.8 TSI. Expectedly, not many were sold in the first place due to fuel prices and the fact that very few were ever even made.

[yesyeswe]

This is one excellent thread vishy, the time and effort which you must have put in to write this thread is commendable. Although I don't have these cars(have polo petrol 1.2 manual) but I love technical stuff so went over the thread, and I was amazed by the amount of information you have put in, it's going to be the holy grail of information for people who own these cars. Thank you, rated the thread a well deserved 5 stars.

[jithin23]

Well deserved for 5 stars! You've given a lot of technical insight on the TSI's and TDI engines and the potential part failures and workaround. This thread can be very useful for VAG owners.

Also, Congratulations on getting the D-Bhpian badge!

[Raghu M]

Not to be blunt here but looks like before we find a good Laura or a Passat, we need to find an FNG that has good reviews and that can handle these machines. I find it surprising that people still prefer these cars with so many known issues (not small in any case). I would rather buy a decent moving (nos.) model which ticks my requirements than buy something that is amazing just occasionally. The engines may be great but they need too much maintenance which an average Joe would definitely not be impressed with.

[sangam_mm93]

Very informative points Ananth. I can't believe you took so much info and gathered it, and placed them so logically here.

I did not know it was going to be this quick. That's what makes you a distinguished one. Congrats on that.

Now when someone asks me whether or not to buy a VAG, I will simply send this thread's link. Earlier I had to do a lot of explaining.

Adding to your points - Plenty of mods available, thanks to the modular platform. We can keep these old cars matching the new ones and there will be absolutely none or minimum reasons to upgrade.

1. We have Stage 1 to Stage 3 for performance mods. More here (ECU Remaps : About Tools, Software & Tuners!)
2. We can add HU from an RCD340G Plus to Discovery like plug and play.
3. Add a new Steering with paddles if you do not have that will also mostly be plug and play. The MQB steering will be compatible with the PQ platform by using emulators.
4. Add GLI/RS body kits.
5. Beautiful rims.

These cars spoil you so much. At least has me. The next upgrade will mostly be a lateral upgrade like MT to AT or mid variant to higher variant OR it should directly from the Big 3 where budget shoots to moon.

Even with the big 3, you cannot call a 320D, C220D or 520D an upgrade because they are not absolutely better when compared to these cars [esp Jetta and Ocatvia] for that money. Slightly more power, better interior quality and mostly the RWD + Badge. I love them but not for that price. I am a used car lover, thanks to this forum and I am not going back.

A Stage 1 tuned Octavia\Jetta makes the above cars run for the money.

So your upgrade will be in likes of 525D, 530D /E350D. Whatever floats your boat.

Originally Posted by Raghu M

The engines may be great but they need too much maintenance which an average Joe would definitely not be impressed with.

Correct and that's exactly what this thread is about. All pros and cons in one place so that one can understand his potential whether or if he can manage any of these cars.

Half of these imply VAG D2 segments too.

Instead of one person searching for pros and cons about Laura, Octavia, Jetta in each of their long term review threads, one can easily find the majority of the things covered here in brief.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by sangam_mm93

So your upgrade will be in likes of 525D, 530D /E350D. Whatever floats your boat.

Agree, and even I am in a similar position. Have a manual Octavia TDI (stage 1 remap) and I am unable to find a right upgrade for this. Only 330i seems to be a right one (in terms of performance) but the extra money and that small boot makes me think whether it is really worth. So for now decided to stay put (loving the Octavia) and enjoy for couple of more years until I make up my mind.

[srgntpepper]

Wonderful thread! thanks for putting this together.

Originally Posted by vishy76

Piston Ring issues
The newer redesigned rings have it fixed. The shell shaped orifices allow oil to drain away easily into the bore and thus solve the issue:

Any FNG in mumbai where I can get the piston ring swap done? My car has done 72K and I intend to keep it as long as I can.

[androdev]

One good thing about owning a VW is that you will learn a lot about cars :-)

Here is a recent scan log of Passat (TSI MT) of a friend. Amazing thing is that the car is being used regularly with all these problems as he has decided to write it off when it fails instead of getting it fixed. It is a daily driver and needs only coolant top up to keep going. I was both shocked and impressed.


Full scan log:
[ATTACH=Log-passat-93750km-58253mi.txt]2165757[/ATTACH]

[varoon9999]

Attachment 2164791

INA Schaeffler seems to be the go-to make for FNGs. The kits are priced reasonably at VW as well (again, thanks to the fact that they are shared with the 1.2, 1.5 and 1.6 TDIs).
Attachment 2164792[/quote]

Hi Vishy, pls let me know if this INA Schaeffler is reliable enough to last for another 1lac kms. I've also noticed many FNG here in NCR plonk INA Schaeffler timing kit.

How much does it cost ?
Also what is the pricing of original VW Kit?
Lastly what is the cost for water pump?

I beg your pardon to bombard you with so many questions.

My Laura has clocked 88,xxx kms as of date, planning to get the timing kit, new water pump and EGR cleaned up by 90,000 km mark.

[varoon9999]

Just to add-on to the list of parts, I found Clutch Slave Cylinder is another common part that gets conked in quick succession, at least in my case I changed it twice within 10,000 kms. I used sachs in both the scenarios, am not sure if this is a common problem among other Laura/Jetta owners.

My model is 2013, 2.0 CR TDI + 5-speed manual (CLCA)

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by srgntpepper

Wonderful thread! thanks for putting this together.



Any FNG in mumbai where I can get the piston ring swap done? My car has done 72K and I intend to keep it as long as I can.

I personally am unaware of any competent FNG but have heard good things about Wagenwerkz from my limited experience. Get in touch with them. How much oil is your TSI consuming? If it isn't consuming much and the compression is still good enough (not a very good chance it is but still), don't touch it right away. If compression is dropping and the car is gulping oil, then an engine rebuild is inevitable.

Originally Posted by sangam_mm93

Very informative points Ananth. I can't believe you took so much info and gathered it, and placed them so logically here.

I did not know it was going to be this quick. That's what makes you a distinguished one. Congrats on that.

Now when someone asks me whether or not to buy a VAG, I will simply send this thread's link. Earlier I had to do a lot of explaining.

Adding to your points - Plenty of mods available, thanks to the modular platform. We can keep these old cars matching the new ones and there will be absolutely none or minimum reasons to upgrade.

1. We have Stage 1 to Stage 3 for performance mods. More here (ECU Remaps : About Tools, Software & Tuners!)
2. We can add HU from an RCD340G Plus to Discovery like plug and play.
3. Add a new Steering with paddles if you do not have that will also mostly be plug and play. The MQB steering will be compatible with the PQ platform by using emulators.
4. Add GLI/RS body kits.
5. Beautiful rims.

These cars spoil you so much. At least has me. The next upgrade will mostly be a lateral upgrade like MT to AT or mid variant to higher variant OR it should directly from the Big 3 where budget shoots to moon.

Even with the big 3, you cannot call a 320D, C220D or 520D an upgrade because they are not absolutely better when compared to these cars [esp Jetta and Ocatvia] for that money. Slightly more power, better interior quality and mostly the RWD + Badge. I love them but not for that price. I am a used car lover, thanks to this forum and I am not going back.

A Stage 1 tuned Octavia\Jetta makes the above cars run for the money.

Agree cent percent with whatever you have said here Suhaas. One correction, the Jetta DSG got paddles as standard. So there's no need to replace the steering for them. Having said that, lot of scope for other features to be added especially the head unit. A remap is a must in my opinion after the dieselgate fix ruined things for us TDI owners.

Originally Posted by varoon9999

Hi Vishy, pls let me know if this INA Schaeffler is reliable enough to last for another 1lac kms. I've also noticed many FNG here in NCR plonk INA Schaeffler timing kit.

How much does it cost ?
Also what is the pricing of original VW Kit?
Lastly what is the cost for water pump?

I beg your pardon to bombard you with so many questions.

My Laura has clocked 88,xxx kms as of date, planning to get the timing kit, new water pump and EGR cleaned up by 90,000 km mark.

No problems man. This thread is meant to solve technical queries. The INA Schaeffler kit should be reliable and will last the same as the OE kit. No worries there. It costs around 5.5-7K depending on where you source it from. The water pump is another 2.5-3K including the bolts. At VW, the kit costs around 9-10K IIRC. Add another 2.5K again for the pump and related bolts.

Originally Posted by varoon9999

Just to add-on to the list of parts, I found Clutch Slave Cylinder is another common part that gets conked in quick succession, at least in my case I changed it twice within 10,000 kms. I used sachs in both the scenarios, am not sure if this is a common problem among other Laura/Jetta owners.

My model is 2013, 2.0 CR TDI + 5-speed manual (CLCA)

A slave cylinder going bad within just 10K km points to some other issue within the circuit. Are you sure you are using the correct fluid and bleeding the entire circuit correctly? This is extremely important else the new cylinder will conk off earlier than usual. This isn't a common issue among Jettas or Laura's IIRC. The component you posted seems to be the original make only to me atleast. Make sure you aren't running low on fluid level either.