Broken down in lake Garda

[T6.1Ste]

Yesterday i got recovered to vw in Italy slept outside over due to dreaded addblue issues
I’ve driven back to camp a few miles away with 450 miles no engine start fault
Garage says return camper and they’ll investigate further and order parts, potential I’ll have to return to uk by catching a flight home to return when fixed as this normally takes a couple of weeks
My t6.1 has 5,000 miles on the clock and isn’t 2 years old

Any advice welcome!……what’s my best options, has anyone else had similar experience?
Cheers in advance

 

[Dellmassive]

Rodent damage?

Chewed cables?

They need to have a quick look and scan the van to have a rough idea of what's going on!??

 

[T6.1Ste]

They said after cleaning system and running it on a test drive it’s not cleared fault so it need further assessment and parts ordering

 

[CAB]

Will your travel insurance pick up the flight and other costs?

 

[T6.1Ste]

Vw covering costs

 

[StratosFearXX]

Ugh, what a nightmare ... following ...

 

[T6.1Ste]

Yesterday was our silver wedding anniversary and the wife’s birthday!…….. got to keep smiling

 

[Sasquatch]

Happy anniversary to you both.

 

[Fairy Cringe]

I’m new to this Transporter ownership. I’ve just dropped a king’s ransom on 6.1 Leighton. Reading a few threads on here they seem a right bag of shite! I hope I’m wrong.

But if topping the adblue tank is art form/witchcraft there’s something amiss. Chopped my Vito 119 against mine. Used to brim the adblue tank and forget…

 

[T6.1Ste]

I’m new to this Transporter ownership. I’ve just dropped a king’s ransom on 6.1 Leighton. Reading a few threads on here they seem a right bag of shite! I hope I’m wrong.

But if topping the adblue tank is art form/witchcraft there’s something amiss. Chopped my Vito 119 against mine. Used to brim the adblue tank and forget…

Think mine had a bit of an issue with the level indicator as when travelling over the alps I run into the issues it said I had over 10,000 miles before leaving uk and now is show 450 but only after putting 5 litres in due to it showing fault

 

[Fairy Cringe]

Think mine had a bit of an issue with the level indicator as when travelling over the alps I run into the issues it said I had over 10,000 miles before leaving uk and now is show 450 but only after putting 5 litres in due to it showing fault

I brimmed mine before I headed to Tuscany last month. I was quite surprised by how much it took to fill. Did over 2.5k miles there and back and no drama as far as I can tell…

 

[Bav]

I’m new to this Transporter ownership. I’ve just dropped a king’s ransom on 6.1 Leighton. Reading a few threads on here they seem a right bag of shite! I hope I’m wrong.

But if topping the adblue tank is art form/witchcraft there’s something amiss. Chopped my Vito 119 against mine. Used to brim the adblue tank and forget…

As with all forums, you need to appreciate that this is a place where people having van issues come to find help and to vent about said issues. The silent majority run without issues... until they don't.

 

[jimc91]

Think mine had a bit of an issue with the level indicator as when travelling over the alps I run into the issues it said I had over 10,000 miles before leaving uk and now is show 450 but only after putting 5 litres in due to it showing fault

There’s your problem then, if you had 10,000 miles left in the tank and you put another 5 litres in it’s probably too full and can’t read the level.

 

[Fairy Cringe]

As with all forums, you need to appreciate that this is a place where people having van issues come to find help and to vent about said issues. The silent majority run without issues... until they don't.

True.

My mate has (owns) a vehicle service centre and has some pretty decent contracts (regional ambulance service, police etc). Before I pulled the trigger I sent him a picture of mine asking if I should. He gave me a one word answer- bulletproof. Followed by go for it. So I did! I do like it I must say

 

[Sasquatch]

But if topping the adblue tank is art form/witchcraft there’s something amiss. Chopped my Vito 119 against mine. Used to brim the adblue tank and forget…

Search the forum and you can read about my historical Vito woes!

Adblue filling on the 6.1 isn't difficult. No need for human sacrifices or a tarot reading before hand. Theees no mystery - simply read the fairly straightforward instructions in the handbook and youre dandy.

 

[Howzat]

Think mine had a bit of an issue with the level indicator as when travelling over the alps I run into the issues it said I had over 10,000 miles before leaving uk and now is show 450 but only after putting 5 litres in due to it showing fault

Absolutely insane you're going through all this haasle due to a poor adblue design when the remedy may be as simple as empty some out and reset it.
VW should put a big FO red sticker on the windcreen stating "DONT OVERFILL THE ADBLUE TANK" then instructions along the lines of "check the MFD for the recommended amount to fill and ONLY fill to the minimum level recommended on the display"

 

[Podge]

If VW are paying for flights home and back expect a miraculous fix in the next couple of days.

 

[DXX]

As a person blessed to be in the Euro 5 world is the issue caused by an ultrasonic tank level sensor not functioning without sufficient air space?

 

[JDC]

Are these vans really that bad?? I've had Vauxhall, Merc Sprinter work vans and now a Citroën Belingo van and have no issues with any of them in regards to adblue faults. I've a euro 5 T6 and seem to have dodged a faulty issue on these vans. Good luck with your van @T6.1Ste.

 

[Sasquatch]

My Transporter is the only diesel we've owned that hasn't had an adblue fault.

Hopefully not famous last words.


As you see, most owners report a positive experience. Those with problems have the most to talk about, so that's mainly what we hear.

Thread 'Wonderful...or Woeful?'

5 Sep 2025

Much talk of broken vans lately, but a wise member mentioned that the owners of reliable vans dont have anything to complain about so we dont hear from them.

How true is this? Let's find out.

• Sasquatch
• Replies: 98
• Forum: General VW T6 Chat

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