The Trouble With Volkswagen Engines

There’s an important deadline coming up for VW owners who previously paid for repairs to their timing chain system or damage to their engine from a timing chain failure, and want the automaker to pick up the tab.

A recently approved timing chain settlement benefits thousands of owners by providing them with an extended “new vehicle limited warranty” for any future repairs, plus conditional reimbursements for any previous repairs.

The extended warranty is applied automatically if you own or lease one of the affected vehicles and didn’t opt out of the class-action.

Owners who want to be eligible for reimbursements must file a claim by January 25th, 2019. More information is available at TimingChainLitigation.com.

How to Submit a Claim ∞

1. Use the VIN lookup tool to check your eligibility
2. Gather the documents requested by the Claim Administrator
3. Submit your claim before 11:59 PST on January 25th, 2019

Like many diesel vehicle owners, Allen and Jennifer Pickard chose to keep their two Passats as part of Volkswagen's $10-billion diesel emissions settlement.

The agreement came with compensation contingent upon the exhaust system being modified to meet EPA standards. And sure, every owner knew that likely meant a knock to engine performance or fuel economy. But I doubt anyone expected this...

According to court documents, both Passats have been in the custody of an authorized Volkswagen mechanic for months because the emissions repairs caused both cars to not start.

The plaintiffs claim numerous attempts made by VW technicians have failed to fix the no-start problems, so the owners tried to trade in one of the Passats. The lawsuit alleges they were told a trade wasn't possible because the car was worth $0 since it couldn't be started.

Needless to say the couple is … let’s call it, “unimpressed” with VW’s “fix” and has filed a lawsuit against the automaker.

Owners and lessees of certain 2008-2014 VW and Audi vehicles may soon be eligible to receive benefits for their engine’s defective timing chain.

On November 19, 2018 a judge will rule on a proposed settlement that would either reimburse owners for previous repairs or fund future work on the timing chain tensioner system.

This decision has been a long time coming. Even snails are embarrassed by how slowly this case has crept along.

• May 2016 VW was first sued for failing to help pay for repairs on their defective timing chain tensioner system.
• August 2016 Another lawsuit popped up after 24 plaintiffs in 17 states complained about their timing chain “jumping a tooth.”
• May 2017 VW filed a motion to dismiss the cases after they were combined in court. They were denied.
• May 2018 VW reluctantly agreed to settle the class-action lawsuits in one combined action.

It appears Volkswagen is close to settling 7 lawsuits regarding defective timing chains and the threat of engine damage.

The proposed settlement includes all consumers who purchased or leased certain 2008-2014 Audi and Volkswagen vehicles that will be determined by the vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

According to the terms, reimbursement amounts will be determined based on the age of the vehicle, how many miles are on the odometer and if the timing chain tensioner, timing chain or engine was replaced."

Reimbursement amounts are highly favoriable to owners who get work done at an authorized VW dealership. Our advice – if something goes wrong with your timing chain or tensioner and you're covered under this settlement, skip your local mechanic and go to an authorized dealer.

Despite VW's best efforts, a timing chain lawsuit will continue in a New Jersey court after the judge denied the automaker's motion to dismiss

. The case is a combination of two other lawsuits in the state, both of which allege VW is concealing known timing chain defects that lead to premature engine failure.

You know that stack of papers they have you sign when you buy a car? Volkswagen's argument for dismissing the case was a hidden clause that says all problems must be taken into arbitration and not in front of jury. Which, let's be honest, is a shady thing to throw into a purchase contract. Luckily the judge ruled those agreements are between the consumer and the dealership, not the automaker.

While a few of the lawsuit claims were thrown own, this is overall good news for consumers who have dealt with (or are worried about) timing chain failure.

Owners of Volkswagen and Audi vehicles have filed a lawsuit claiming there's a defect in the timing chain tensioner system that allows the chain to "jump a tooth" in the camshaft.

Once that happens, the engine could be destroyed. Want to repair it? You'll destroy your bank account too.

The lawsuit focuses on 2008-2013 Audi and VW models equipped with 2-liter TSI or 2-liter TFSI EA888 engines. The plaintiffs say the problems happen well before 120,000 miles (the recommended time to repair them) and can cost upwards of $11,000 to fix.

"The plaintiffs claim Audi and VW not only refused to acknowledge the alleged timing chain problems, but also refused to compensate certain owners for engine repairs. The lawsuit also alleges Audi and Volkswagen didn't offer loaner or replacement vehicles even though the vehicles were useless to owners."

This isn't the first lawsuit to accuse VW of concealing timing chain defects.

A lawsuit filed in New Jersey says Volkswagen's timing chain tensioner has serious defects and can lead to premature engine failure.

According to the plaintiff, in VW's warranty and maintenance schedules the tensioning system is expected to last 120,000 miles without the need for maintenance.

"The VW and Audi A3 vehicles are equipped with EA888 2.0L TSI engines with engine codes CCTA or CBFA. The remaining Audi vehicles are equipped with EA888 2.0L TFSI engines designated with engine codes CAEB, CAEA, or CDNC. The plaintiff says all the engines with these five codes are versions of the EA888 engine and all use the same timing chain tensioning system."

When the tensioning system fails, the results can be catastrophic and lead to out-of-pocket expenses that will make your bank account cry.

This is a big lawsuit, covering many VW and Audi models from the 2008 model year on.