Wish I'd bought a Vito... or anything else!

AlanG1975

New Member
I have a 70 plate T6.1 Highline DSG, bought from new (as a converted camper) and now have 36k on the clock.

I've had the Boden cables replaced (following the recall) because not being able to get in the van in cold weather was inconvenient to say the least. And if I did get in, not being able to close the door afterwards was just tedious.

I've also lived with the oil sensor issue telling me daily the oil level is too high, when it very definitely, isn't. This seems have to have resolved itself when I took the van for it's second routine oil service to local independent though..

And just before xmas, driving in a city centre, busy uphill high street, creeping slowly toward the traffic lights the van just clunked, thudded and died. Every warning seemed to light up on the dash from Parking control, to uphill start, to front sensor etc etc.. No engine, no drive, stuck in gear and very dead. I then caused traffic chaos for 3hrs whilst I waited for the AA to come and recover the van. Not popular with Xmas shoppers.

I got the van back yesterday after a week in the local VW commercial service centre. Apparently a cable broke. That's the explanation I've been given. Must be a pretty important cable given the impact it had when it 'broke'. And just how does a cable 'break' anyway? What's to stop it happening again? I had thought (hoped?) the VW T6.1 was a little more sophisticated then being cable operated? My self built go-cart when I was 6, was cable operated.

I'll ask these questions when I take the van back next week. It's been returned with no working reversing camera (VW's OE) and no audio or Siri controls on the MFSW (VW's OE) (meaning also that) the Siri button that used to grant access to the vehicle settings menu isn't working either - I might have got the camera working myself if I could've accessed that menu... I have an Alpine Halo 9 fitted which apparently is the reason for these issues, it not VW OE - although it seemed to work just fine beforehand. Oh, and the Halo screen doesn't power down anymore since the broken cable was fixed. Ignition off. Keys out. Lock up. Screen still shining away on the dash. Marvellous.

Sorry for the moan. Apart from these 'niggles' owning the van is.. um. OK I guess!
 
Sounds like a Friday afternoon build, very very annoying, but not indicative of Transporters in general.

I can list a £182k car that’s been back to the dealers on at least 5 occasions for the exact same thing and now there’s something else wrong with the p.o.s.

They just don’t make ‘em like they used to I’m afraid :(
 
Definitely compared to the T5, T6 is less reliable in my experience. It’s more complicated not a surprise though.
However I wouldn t go back to my 2008 T5.
 
For all the niggles and minor bits which go wrong, I would not swap my T6 for a Vito.
Its vastly superior to a Vito.
l had a loan Vito whilst my vw had some bodywork someone else had ruined, repaired. I was so pleased to have mine back.
In 2016, I bought my first brand new van. Equivalent to a Kombi t6 lwb auto. In the shape of a Vito. I had it six or seven weeks. It was okay, but not a match for the vw. It went back for full refund due to the amount of issues that it had and the extra ones the dealers added having a go fixing it!
With it’s character, would still stick with the vw.
Its a great shame you are having issues with your one. Hopefully you have a good dealer and get it fixed next visit!? Keep the faith. It’s worth it
 
For sure if this had been me I'd be p***** and more as would most of us!
Lucky for me my VWT6 has now done 50K miles, not dropped a beat, brakes only 40% worn, Hankook tyres changed at 36K and I get around 47MPG per tank of fuel (that's a range of 800 miles or so).
Hope you got all your issues sorted.
 
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