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Volkswagen Phaeton long 4.2 V8 4Motion 4-seater common faults.

2002–2010, saloon, petrol, 335 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

critical1

Air suspension: the bellows and the compressor

critical

The rubber bellows of the air spring loses its elasticity between 80,000 and 120,000 km, the compressor is overloaded, and the control unit reports a fault. The rear settles while the front stays at the correct height. On a twenty year old car the repair can cost more than the car.

What to check

  • Look at the car cold, after standing a night
  • Watch whether the rear settles while the front stays up
  • Raise it to the highest, then the lowest setting, and time it
2 more steps in the write-up

expensive1

Powered tailgate: seizing servo motor

expensive

The tailgate opening mechanism seizes between 60,000 and 100,000 km, or only works erratically. The cause is the servo motor.

What to check

  • Open and close the tailgate five times, from the button and the key
  • Watch whether it stops halfway or hesitates
  • Listen to the servo motor: a straining, stuttering noise

Checklist

Volkswagen Phaeton long 4.2 V8 4Motion 4-seater

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
long 4.2 V8 4Motion 4-seater
Body
saloon
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
4172 cc
Power
246 kW (334 HP)
Drive
AWD
Production
2002–2010

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 3D 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