Should it stay, or should it go?

[AshleyM]

Hi all, long time VW van owner, but new to the world of T6. I've already found lots of great advice on here, but asking the collective mind - what would you do:

We bought a 46k miles 2019 VW T6 Highline a week ago. On the way home from the dealership the engine light came on! VW assist (AA man) called out and diagnosed low flow EGR valve. The van went off to the local VW Van centre and was sorted under warranty. (EGR flush and one or two other little things). Since it's come back from the Van Centre it now squeaks like a canary when you start it from cold. Reading threads on here that's likely to be the alternator belt/tensioner - so it's booked back to VW Van Centre again early next week - hopefully under warranty again.

Now, as I bought the van remotely I've got 14 days to make sure I'm happy with it (I'm on day 7). Should I accept these couple of issues as "teething" problems that you get with any second hand car, or I should I be thinking about returning it and getting my money back? What else should I be checking?

All ideas welcomed.

I thought buying a van 15 years newer than my old T4 might bring fewer problems....

 

[VanDamMan]

Hi all, long time VW van owner, but new to the world of T6. I've already found lots of great advice on here, but asking the collective mind - what would you do:

We bought a 46k miles 2019 VW T6 Highline a week ago. On the way home from the dealership the engine light came on! VW assist (AA man) called out and diagnosed low flow EGR valve. The van went off to the local VW Van centre and was sorted under warranty. (EGR flush and one or two other little things). Since it's come back from the Van Centre it now squeaks like a canary when you start it from cold. Reading threads on here that's likely to be the alternator belt/tensioner - so it's booked back to VW Van Centre again early next week - hopefully under warranty again.

Now, as I bought the van remotely I've got 14 days to make sure I'm happy with it (I'm on day 7). Should I accept these couple of issues as "teething" problems that you get with any second hand car, or I should I be thinking about returning it and getting my money back? What else should I be checking?

All ideas welcomed.

I thought buying a van 15 years newer than my old T4 might bring fewer problems....

Hi ... if it’s your dream van .. keep.. but ask for freebies...
If it’s a make do. Return and start the journey again ..., but I’m sitting outside Bognor motors and they have lots of lovely vans

 

[Eli]

Hi all, long time VW van owner, but new to the world of T6. I've already found lots of great advice on here, but asking the collective mind - what would you do:

We bought a 46k miles 2019 VW T6 Highline a week ago. On the way home from the dealership the engine light came on! VW assist (AA man) called out and diagnosed low flow EGR valve. The van went off to the local VW Van centre and was sorted under warranty. (EGR flush and one or two other little things). Since it's come back from the Van Centre it now squeaks like a canary when you start it from cold. Reading threads on here that's likely to be the alternator belt/tensioner - so it's booked back to VW Van Centre again early next week - hopefully under warranty again.

Now, as I bought the van remotely I've got 14 days to make sure I'm happy with it (I'm on day 7). Should I accept these couple of issues as "teething" problems that you get with any second hand car, or I should I be thinking about returning it and getting my money back? What else should I be checking?

All ideas welcomed.

I thought buying a van 15 years newer than my old T4 might bring fewer problems....

I did exactly that with a car 6 weeks ago. I gave it back under distance selling rules and the bought a Caravelle

 

[AshleyM]

Hi ... if it’s your dream van .. keep.. but ask for freebies...
If it’s a make do. Return and start the journey again ..., but I’m sitting outside Bognor motors and they have lots of lovely vans

It's not our dream van "yet" - it's a Panel Van we have plans to convert to what we want, but we don't want to do that if the basics fail us. This is why I kept my last van for 10 years... I hate changing them and facing the unknown!

 

[Phil_G]

Maybe if you start return proceedings they will make an extra effort to sort it out properly?

 

[VanDamMan]

It's not our dream van "yet" - it's a Panel Van we have plans to convert to what we want, but we don't want to do that if the basics fail us. This is why I kept my last van for 10 years... I hate changing them and facing the unknown!

As said if the basics aren’t right ...I was lucky ex demo every toy on it .... happy hunting

 

[DXX]

It's not our dream van "yet" - it's a Panel Van we have plans to convert to what we want, but we don't want to do that if the basics fail us. This is why I kept my last van for 10 years... I hate changing them and facing the unknown!

I’d run any van for 6 months before splashing out on a conversion, you don’t want to be spending £££ on a lemon.
Unfortunately new is not a guarantee for less problems, I’ve got a 20 year old A4 that hardly needs anything other than some basic servicing and a 5 year old T6 that has a jobs list so I don’t forget.
Trust your gut feeling.

 

[Curryzz]

Yes, I’d agree, go with your gut feeling. Don’t get stuck with a lemon or a vehicle that becomes allot of stress.

 

[Long tall John]

We returned ours and we are so glad we did. Some of them have a very very hard life if they’re not privately owned. Return it, buy another one and you’ve got another 30 or 60 days or whatever to return that one also if it also feels like a dud.

 

[Curryzz]

I agree, some are abused for 1 or 2 years with every man & his dog getting in and out of it then it gets sold & converted. Privately owned or new is the best way

 

[ThreeBridgeT6]

Sell it - you'll get more than you paid for it a week ago!!

 

[R8N XX]

Chuck it back I would

 

[AshleyM]

@ThreeBridgeT6 I’d considered that

 

[russ_e]

Both are really common faults and covered under warranty.

I'd wouldn't be worried to be honest

 

[Howzat]

Get a code reader (OBD11 or similar) and check for codes daily in your remaining 7 days. That's what I did.

Then like @DXX says, run it for a few weeks before spending big on a conversion and if it doesn't work out for you sell it on as you're unlikely to suffer a big loss financially in the current climate.

 

[DaveyB]

I’d send it back.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Send it back as it's already a bit "leggy" and probably has a sooty DPF if it's done lots of short journeys on less than half a tank of fuel "yeah mate, never regens!"

 

[Drive Wayne]

What did you do in the end @AshleyM ?

 

[AshleyM]

What did you do in the end @AshleyM ?

Decided to stick with the van in the end. Turns out it was a good call.

Happy to report trouble free motoring since then. The issues were all sorted under warranty and Reading Van Centre were really helpful. The only issue I've had since is a replacement wing mirror but that was due to the transit driver hitting me....

Now ply lined, carpeted, three seater Titan bed and a kitchen pod from Evo. Very happy with it ever since