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Sep 11, 2023

Ask the expert: Should I continue to trust in my faulty Volkswagen Touran?

For the last 35 years I’ve owned Volkswagens, and in 2018, I bought a low-mileage three-year-old Touran 1.6 TDI. The car has only done 50,000 miles, and has been serviced at a VW specialist garage. A

For the last 35 years I’ve owned Volkswagens, and in 2018, I bought a low-mileage three-year-old Touran 1.6 TDI. The car has only done 50,000 miles, and has been serviced at a VW specialist garage. A couple of weeks ago, the car failed on the motorway and I had to be rescued. The cause was a fuel injector, which cost me £685 to fix. The workshop has warned me that this engine is known for this problem, and once one injector goes, they all tend to.

The obvious thing to do is to PX, while it’s still running, for a replacement car. But do I stick with VW, which has really shaken my trust (possibly switching to a T-Cross)? I would like something that comes with guarantees.

– DT

Your specialist is absolutely right to say that this 1.6-litre Volkswagen turbo diesel engine is gaining a reputation for poor reliability. I’m afraid to say that injector failures are indeed common, as are exhaust gas recirculation valves – and they aren’t the only bits that go wrong.

Given one of your injectors has already gone, I’d agree with the specialist’s assessment that the rest may follow. My gut feeling, therefore, would be to do as you suggest, and to part-exchange out of the vehicle.

I don’t think it needs to shake your confidence in Volkswagen cars as a whole, mind you. It’s true that certain VW engines and gearboxes made at particular times do suffer from a higher-than-usual incidence of fairly major faults – one of those being yours. But that isn’t to say that every Volkswagen Group car will go wrong in a big way. There are still plenty of people out there tooling around in Volkswagens without issue.

With that in mind, your idea of a T-Cross is not without merit, if that’s the size and shape of car that would suit you. The T-Cross is a deeply practical little car and, thus far, the little 1.0-litre turbo, which is the engine I’d recommend, hasn’t shown up any major issues.

With faithful servicing, therefore, it should go the distance; you can always shell out for an extended warranty if you’re worried. Having said that, a new T-Cross now costs more than £20,000, so unless you can haggle a discount, you might not be able to afford one.

Instead, why not look at a used Toyota C-HR? It’s a similar size and shape to the T-Cross, though admittedly not as roomy.

A three-year-old example with average mileage can be had relatively easily for your budget, and not only is Toyota’s reputation for reliability among the best, but if you service your car at a main dealer, you get Toyota’s much-publicised extended warranty chucked in for free, up to a maximum of 10 years or 100,000 miles.

If you really wanted to buy new, about the only option available to you for this budget that’s similar to the T-Cross would be the Dacia Duster.

The Duster won’t feel quite as smart inside as the VWs you’re used to; it’s built down to a price. But that does mean you can pick up a 1.0 TCe 4x2 Expression for less than £20,000, and still benefit from the full three years or 60,000 miles of manufacturer warranty. Dacias tend to do well in reliability surveys, the Duster included, which suggests you shouldn’t have any issues – though keep in mind that it might change as they age.

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