NHTSA Complaint #10914861 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED. IT WOULD NOT START. THE ENGINE TRIED TO TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING. IT WAS TAKEN TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE RESULT IS A TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE AND VERY LARGE $2200 REPAIR FEE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT REBUILD OF THE ENGINE IF MORE DAMAGE IS FOUND. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE TENSIONER PART AND THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 1512-01) ISSUED FOR IT BUT NO RECALL. IT IS VERY LIKE TO OCCUR FOR ALL VOLKSWAGEN MODELS WITH THE 2.0 TSI ENGINE PRODUCED BETWEEN 2008-2013. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS.