vinkodex.10 fault write-ups. 7 important. 4 recalls.
If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.
Before you buy
Because of a badly fitted heat shield the brake fluid reservoir can melt, and the brake fluid can leak into the engine bay. It affects cars with the electromechanical brake booster and DSG. It is safety critical, and a recall covers it, so it is tied to the VIN and free of charge.
What to check
The injector does not close fully, and with the engine standing fuel drips into the cylinder. The symptoms are hard, long cranking (mostly after standing for a while), smoky first minutes, a hesitant idle, and dilution of the engine oil: the oil level goes higher, it smells of petrol, and the diluted oil lubricates worse. It shows up on cars built between 2018 and 2020.
What to check
A thin wall of the mechatronics valve body can crack, which causes a loss of pressure. The typical signs: jerking and harsh shifting from 1st to 2nd at low speed, a flashing PRNDS display, then a gear engagement fault, intermittently at first.
What to check
The DSG gearbox jerks and hesitates at low speed, in congestion, in a stop and go rhythm. It affects higher mileage cars run without an oil and filter change: the oil change here is not a lifetime fill but prescribed maintenance.
What to check
In the EA211 the water pump and the thermostat are one plastic module, and the pump is driven not by the timing belt but by a separate toothed belt behind the exhaust camshaft. There are usually two problems with it: the plastic housing warps or cracks (slow coolant loss, a sweet smell, rising temperature), or the drive belt ages (a chirping noise, then an engine left with no cooling). The housing is particularly sensitive if oil reaches it: for example from a leaking crankcase ventilation. The module has to be replaced whole: dismantling it warps it in itself.
What to check
The piston of a rear caliper with an electric parking brake cannot be wound back by hand: the caliper has to be put into service mode with a diagnostic tool. Where that was bypassed, the actuator of the caliper is damaged, and soon after a disc replacement the caliper needs replacing too.
The other complaint that recurs on owner forums is the parking brake fault itself: an "electric parking brake faulty" message, sometimes together with faults in the related controllers (hill hold, hill start assist, stop-start). In that case it is not necessarily the brake that failed, but the sensor or the communication between the controllers.
What to check
Because of a broken seal or a blocked drain, water gets into the cabin. It collects in the foam under the carpet, so for a long time only the misting windows and the musty smell show it. In a post 2020 car the number of control units and connectors running in the floor has grown by orders of magnitude, and from then on the damp fault is an electrical one.
What to check
On the MQB evo generation the MIB3 touchscreen freezes, restarts on its own, and sometimes stays black. In the What Car? survey, 59 per cent of 8Y A3 owners reported a fault, and 44 per cent of those concerned the infotainment. Volume and temperature are set on touch sliders instead of physical buttons, and if the system hangs you cannot adjust them while driving either.
The maker released several software updates. Many cases are resolved by them, but not all. The update is free and fault finding is not, so before you buy, check whether the latest version has been installed.
What to check
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.
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
The per cylinder ignition coil of these direct injection, turbocharged petrol engines fails. According to the Haynes service material this and similar simple electrical faults account for roughly eighty per cent of workshop visits.
In cold, damp weather, on startup, the engine runs unevenly, misfires under acceleration, and the engine warning light flashes or stays on. Do not keep driving with the light flashing: the unburnt fuel destroys the catalytic converter.
What to check
vinkodex.Checklist
First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.
Before you buy
The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.
The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.
A12/00566/22Safety recallBurns, Fireno date · EU Safety GateEngine design covers installed on affected vehicles could come loose from the attachment depending on use (e.g. very sporty driving style or poor road surface conditions) and the running time. If the design cover is not fastened, there is a possibility that it will come into contact with the hot area of the exhaust gas turbocharger, increasing the risk of burns or fire. 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
A12/00636/22Safety recallFire, Injuriesno date · EU Safety GateA defective fuse can produce a voltage flashover into the vehicle interior. This might cause fire and lead to an accident. 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
A12/01114/20Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety GateThe eCall service may not function properly and the call centre/rescue coordination centre cannot be activated because of the lack of audio connection and data transmission. As a result, the driver will not be able to get help through the system in the event of a fault or 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
A12/02508/23Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety GateThe rear left steering knuckle may be defective, affecting the vehicle's suspension and steering. The stability of the vehicle can be impaired, increasing the risk of an accident. 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
Variant data
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
DQ200: lifetime fill by the maker, not in practice
Cabin (pollen) filter
Engine oil and oil filter
Brake fluid change
Coolant (antifreeze) change
Spark plugs, petrol
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.