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Volkswagen EOS 3.6 V6 Highline common faults.

2006–2011, convertible, petrol, 260 HP.

The fault list covers: CDVA engine, DQ250 transmission.

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4 fault write-ups. 3 important. 4 recalls.

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

Before you buy

Known faults

3 important faults

expensive3

DQ250 (6 speed wet DSG): mechatronics and clutch pack

expensive

The solenoids of the mechatronics unit wear out: slow or harsh shifting, then limp mode. A characteristic sign is the partial or complete loss of reverse. Wear of the clutch pack or the wrong spring force causes jerking and slipping. Because of the wet design it fails less often and at higher mileage than the dry DQ200, but when it does fail, it is expensive.

above 150,000 km

What to check

  • Pull away slowly from standstill and watch how smooth the 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 shifts are
  • Select reverse several times, cold and warm: is it delayed, does it engage at all
  • Under load (on a slope) watch whether the clutch slips
2 more steps in the write-up

FSI direct injection: intake valve coking

expensive

With direct injection the fuel does not wash the intake valves: the petrol goes into the cylinder, not behind the valve. The oil mist and soot arriving through the EGR and the crankcase ventilation therefore build up on the valve stem and head, and from 80,000 to 100,000 km they restrict the flow. Symptoms are hesitation, loss of power, a rough cold start and misfire. It is not a part failure: it is a consequence of the design, and therefore it comes back. Cleaning (walnut or dry ice blasting) helps for a few tens of thousands of kilometres.

What to check

  • After a cold start watch the idle: rough running and shaking point to coked valves
  • Under load at low revs watch for hesitation
  • With a code reader look for per cylinder misfire (P0300 to P0304)
1 more steps in the write-up

Roof leak: at the joint of the rear glass and the roof

expensive

The Eos five piece glass hardtop is the main attraction of the model and its main risk too. The well known leak occurs on the rear edge of the roof, at the joint of the glass panel: the water gets into the rear side wall and collects under the carpet.

Show the rest

VW addressed it with revised sealant, but blocked drain hoses and a hardened front seal cause the same thing. On a leaking Eos the electronics and the bodywork can be damaged too.

What to check

  • Lift the rear carpet and the boot floor: damp, a mouldy smell
  • Open and close the roof fully, and watch whether it closes evenly
  • Ask the seller to hose it down, or view it after rain
2 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

DSG selector lever: failure of the P position switch

cheap repair

The dash shows "Error: Workshop! Only leave vehicle in position P" with an audible warning. The message appears in whatever language the car is set to, for example "Fehler: Werkstatt! Fahrzeug nur in Stellung P verlassen" in German.

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The message points at the gearbox, but the fault is not there. A tiny switch sits in the module under the selector lever and signals that the lever is in park (P). Its contact wears and can also burn. That makes the signal unreliable, and the car warns you. The fault codes appear as 617752, P173400 or B116229.

At first it is intermittent. Sometimes the message comes up, sometimes not, so a short test drive easily misses it. Later it becomes permanent, and the gearbox can drop into limp mode.

This fault looks more expensive than it is. The maker released a separate retrofit switch kit for it (5Q0713128A for the black module, 3Q0713128 for the white one), which can be fitted in half an hour. The kit costs 70 to 100 pounds. At a franchised dealer, however, the whole selector lever module sometimes gets replaced, which costs 626 to 1,000 pounds there. So the difference between the two routes is roughly tenfold.

The affected group is post 2013 MQB platform Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars with a DSG gearbox. The switch is in these gearboxes, because that is what these cars have in common. The part itself is not part of the gearbox but of the module under the lever.

What to check

  • Watch the dash after starting: the message is intermittent and can be missed on a short loop
  • Move the lever from P to D and back several times, then get out and lock the car
  • Ask whether the selector lever switch has been replaced already, and ask for the invoice
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Volkswagen EOS 3.6 V6 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.

Official recall4 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

A12/00923/24Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver airbag's gas generator may be faulty, resulting in uncontrolled inflation and the release of metal fragments. This increases the risk of injuries to the occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01809/23Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations. In the event of an accident in which the front airbag is deployed, this could result in fragments from the inflator housing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/02703/24Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it can result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0909/17Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The earth connection of the ABS/ESP system may be interrupted as a result of thermomechanical overload. This would lead to the failure of the ABS/ESP system and the risk of an accident.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

CDVA · 3.6 FSI V6

220 kW (299 HP) · petrol

DQ250 · 6-speed DSG, wet clutch

DSG · 6 speed

Clutchwet
Torque limit400 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Highline
Body
convertible
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
3597 cc
Power
191 kW (260 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2006–2011

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)

  • DSG oil change, WET clutch gearbox

    • 60,000 km or 4 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)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All I 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