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Volkswagen Amarok LWB 2.0 TDI 122hp BMT 4Motion Highline common faults.

2011–2016, pickup, diesel, 122 HP.

The list covers this version.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

2 fault write-ups. Both are important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

Timing belt: 120 thousand kilometres, and a snap means a rebuild

critical

The four-cylinder 2.0 TDI and 2.0 BiTDI run on a timing belt, not a chain. Replacement of the belt is due at around 120 000 kilometres.

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If the belt snaps, the damage is severe: the piston reaches the open valve, and then the valves, the pistons and the cylinder head all have to be repaired. The replacement is therefore not an item that can be left out.

The work itself is complex: a specialist workshop takes between eight and twenty hours over it, and because of the precise alignment it is not a job for home. The tensioner and the auxiliary belt have to be replaced along with the belt.

One thing is worth asking about, because many people mistake the part here. On this engine there is also a chain-driven unit: the drive of the oil pump and the balance shaft. Its wear is worth inspecting or replacing within the work that goes with the belt change, because afterwards it would need opening up separately. So look for that on the invoice for the belt change as well.

above 120,000 km

What to check

  • Ask for the invoice of the timing belt change: the date and the mileage at the time are needed too
  • Check whether the tensioner and the auxiliary belt were replaced as well: the belt alone is not enough
  • Ask whether the chain drive of the oil pump and the balance shaft was inspected at the same time
2 more steps in the write-up

2.0 BiTDI: stretching timing chain

critical

The timing chain of the twin turbo 2.0 BiTDI starts to stretch above 160,000 km, sooner on the most powerful version. Heavy loads speed the stretch up, and a working pickup tows a lot and often runs loaded. The precursor is a rattle audible at idle or on a cold start: the chain tensioner is not holding the chain.

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The repair requires removing the gearbox, and the cost is between 2,500 and 5,000 euro.

above 160,000 km2,500–5,000 EUR

What to check

  • Cold start, and pay attention to the metallic rattle in the first seconds
  • Listen at idle too: a stretched chain sounds when warm as well
  • Ask about the mileage and the towing: the load speeds it up
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Volkswagen Amarok LWB 2.0 TDI 122hp BMT 4Motion Highline

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Engine and transmission

No engine and transmission for this yet. When they are in, you see them here.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
LWB 2.0 TDI 122hp BMT 4Motion Highline
Body
pickup
Fuel
diesel
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1968 cc
Power
90 kW (122 HP)
Drive
AWD
Production
2011–2016

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)
All 2H versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms