Volkswagen Amarok Engine Problems

It’s always worth contacting a carmaker’s customer service division in a case like this. I agree that 136,000km is far from a reasonable expected lifespan for a modern more vehicle of any sort. But exactly how Volkswagen Australia will view the matter will depend on the car’s service history and how it was used.

You might have some luck and perhaps financial assistance in getting the Amarok fixed, but VW could also point at the age of the vehicle and the fact that it’s way out of warranty. But, again, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Don’t bother pursuing this at a dealership level, either, go straight to head office.

It sounds like there’s not much left to change in terms of belts and pulleys on your vehicle. But did you change the relevant tensioners at the same time? Tensioners run on bearings which can start to seize up over time and kilometres, often contributing a squealing noise that is easily confused with belt-squeal. Also, simply changing the pulley on, say the alternator or the air-con compressor, will not cure the noise if it’s being caused by the alternator or compressor itself.

Other things to check include the correct belt tension and the alignment of the belt (is it running truly between the pulleys, or attempting to run slightly sideways?) Don’t rule out a coolant leak that is getting on to the rubber belt and causing it to squeal.

Every all-new MY21 Isuzu D-Max and select current versions of the Amarok and Ranger offer a 3500kg towing capacity maximum - namely all Amarok V6 autos and all Rangers EXCEPT the 4x2 XL Single Cab Chassis Low-Rider 2.2 Diesel at the bottom of the Ford range, and the 4x4 Raptor Double Cab Pick-Up 2.0L Diesel at the very top (they're both 2500kg).

Least torquey is the D-Max at 450Nm, followed by the Ranger (2.2L 4-cyl: 385Nm, 3.2L 5-cyl: 470Nm and 2.0L twin-turbo 4-cyl: 500Nm) and Amarok (550Nm to 580Nm), meaning the Amarok will probably be the least challenged towing a 2.8-tonne caravan. But all three should suffice.

Please note, however, that Gross Combined Mass (GCM) tallies means that there are other weight factors that need to be considered before safely towing a 2.8-tonne caravan, even with a 3500kg ute. These include things like the ute's payload, heavy bull bars, sports bars and side steps, canopies and even the number of people travelling inside. And of course, a fully-equipped and laden caravan can easily exceed the stated tare mass.

We hope this helps.   

The deal VW has offered you on the diff rebuild is the industry standard deal on a car that is a few years old and has done a few kays, such as yours. It's frustrating for you, but cars do wear out and do break down. Regarding the belt and tensioner, they are normally considered consumable parts and not covered by the warranty. If you could prove that it was design or production fault that caused the problem you could make a claim against the company.

This is just another example of VW dodging a problem they know exists. Yours is not the only Amarok to suffer this problem, other owners have experienced the same thing. The auxiliary belt fails due to dirt and dust and bits of the belt find their way into the timing belt and cause tat to fail or jump teeth. The end result is often a destroyed engine, as has happened to your car. It's poor design, inadequate testing, and questionable ethics on VW's part having discovered the problem. Even though the warranty has expired on your car VW is still responsible through the statutory laws around consumer protection. The car as it was sold to you is clearly not fit for purpose, it has a design flaw that led to the failure of the engine. Do not take VW's denial of responsibility as the end of the matter; they are only trying to fob you off. Go straight to the top of VW Australia and contact the company's boss, John White directly.

First and foremost VW is required to fix your car and it would seem by what you say they are not doing it satisfactorily. You need to keep the pressure on the dealer and VW, and ask them when they will have it fixed. You should also be given a replacement vehicle of the same sort while your car is being repaired. If they cannot fix it within, say the next week or two, then press for a replacement car or your money back. If it gets to that stage you might be best to employ a solicitor to act on your behalf.

It's too early for a reliability read on classy utes such as the Ford Ranger/Mazda BT50 and VW Amarok, which with their lusty turbo diesels are great for heavy work.

It's disappointing that you have had so many problems, but at least it appears that VW has fixed them when they have occurred. As for the brake rotors, it seems that Europeans makes are more prone to brake wear than cars from some other parts of the world, and 60,000 from a set of rotors is not bad.