Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Boxsterboy Replies: 14
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 18:26 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Boxsterboy
(Alright, troublesome Transporters really but that title brought back childhood memories ...)

I've owned VW Transporters continuously over the last 10 years, so it's fair to say I quite like them. But no more. My recently departed '63 plate Shuttle 180 BiTDI had just 60,000 miles on the clock and the end of its finance term was looming. I had looked after it, changed the oil earlier than VW recommended, was happy with it and so was about to buy it out. When the oil light came on. Strange? It's not leaking any oil?

A quick search (there's a Facebook group with over 1,000 members - many with the same problem) and a Millers Oil test confirmed that it was suffering from catastrophic engine failure! The EGR cooler has unprotected aluminium fins. These corrode as the warm air cools and condenses. As the aluminium corrodes, bits of it get back into the engine and wear the bores, causing the engine to burn oil. The Millers Oil test showed that oil that had done just 10,000 miles had 300 ppm of Al and Fe, when Miller's limit is 30ppm and 100ppm respectively.

It's a year out of warranty and while some folk have got contributions, a new engine and anciliaries is circa £8,000, so even with some goodwill, a big bill was still looming. So the van has gone back. A revised EGR is available, but it is too early to say if the coating on the Al fins will last. Apparently VW cannot make replacement engines fast enough to keep up with the demand!

So the van has gone back. I could not endorse such poor design/engineering by replacing it with a fourth Transporter, so tomorrow I am picking up a Peugeot Traveller. A spacious 8-seat MPV based on the new Expert van and on the platform that underpins many PSA cars. Sort of like a bigger Berlingo/pregnant Partner. Further impressions to follow in due course.

Don't you just love that German engineering?!
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 18:40 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Fenlander
>>>Don't you just love that German engineering?!


Hmm very much like the 2007-2011 (or later) BMW diesel timing chain failures which in the end limited our BMW choice (as in 3/5 series vs C-Class) to no later than a 2006 with the old engine.
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 19:30 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Bobby
When you say the end of its finance term do you mean it was a lease?

I think PCPs, leases etc now have that added attraction that you only keep the car (mostly) for the term that it is under warranty and then hand back. Would be hellish if you are a private owner having to foot a bill for a design flaw!
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 19:57 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Boxsterboy
It was a finance lease - where you cannot just hand back but have to buy out in some shape or form (p/ex against a new, etc.) and then do what you want. I was going to keep it but sold it straight on into the trade.
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 20:39 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Harleyman
As one who's run vans for some time you'd expect me to consider the Transporter a viable option; but they just don't do it for me. I concede that the engines seem to be pretty bomb-proof but gearboxes aren't, and there's a lot of overpriced rot-infested junk at the lower end of the market.

Whilst you can get most motorbikes in the back of a Transporter (my main criteria) the load space is low and narrow compared to the likes of the Vivaro, which offers perfectly acceptable fuel economy and performance and sometimes a higher level of equipment.

Good vans, admittedly, but I think prices are partly ruled by the image factor.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Wed 27 Sep 17 at 20:40
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 20:44 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Bobby
Now have a 5 year old Vivaro to have as well as our 10 year old Transit.
Although Vivaro has 110k miles, feel its a better driver than the Transit and certainly more toys - elec windows, air con, heated mirrors and bluetooth.
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 20:45 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Bobby
Interestingly the Vivaro had a full body wrap since new until we got it - although there are a couple of dings on it the actual paintwork is immaculate!
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 20:50 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - R.P.
Price is horrendous. A friend drives an old and very worthy LDV Maxus. Cheap as chips to buy and run - and seems reliable enough, but zero image.
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 20:53 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - legacylad
When 'in trade' my first Transporter was a new H reg 1600cc diesel, rear engined Syncro. The new front engined model had been introduced by then, and I got a huge discount as it had been sitting on the quay at Harwich for 18 months. Brilliant reliable piece of kit, superb off road and for delivering to remote properties. Lockable diffs too if I remember correctly.
Followed by a new model SWB, then a LWB, and finally a LWB HiRoof on a P plate which I ran for 8 years, mileage well into six figures, and kept even after I sold the business. Old fashioned 2.4 5 cyl non turbo diesel, almost permanently overloaded and used as a mobile warehouse. Sold within hours of being advertised.
They never let me down and although slow proved fabulous workhorses, although the latters maroon bonnet turned pink and there was evidence of minor rust on some wheel arches
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 21:36 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Boxsterboy
20 years ago I had an ex-Anglian Windows lwb 2.4 5-cylinder Transporter. Great thing it was. I think modern diesels are being undermined by their emissions-enforced complexities.
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Wed 27 Sep 17 at 21:36
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 22:40 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - bathtub tom
>>The EGR cooler has unprotected aluminium fins. These corrode as the warm air cools and condenses. As the aluminium corrodes, bits of it get back into the engine and wear the bores

Going back to my 'O' level chemistry, I recall that aluminium oxide has the same density as aluminium and so as aluminium oxidises it forms a protective layer that prevents further oxidisation.

Do I recall it incorrectly?
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New Wed 27 Sep 17 22:45 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Hard Cheese
A neighbour had precisely this problem, 12 plate and about 60k IIRC. FSH brought a VW contribution, again IIRC.
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New Sun 20 Sep 20 16:32 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - Boxsterboy
Old thread revival.

The Peugeot Traveller that replaced the troublesome Transporter goes back to Peugeot next week. It has been a model of reliability. Absolutely no faults at all in the 3 years/32,000 miles I've had it, although I have to give it an MOT before it goes and I see there is an outstanding recall (nobody has told me about this).

French cars eh? Pah!
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New Sun 20 Sep 20 21:13 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - MD
Renault Master for me. I bought one new in 2002 and worked it hard for sixteen years. Yes a few issues along the way, namely two gearboxes, but aiui the bearings had been too tight from build.

I now have another badged as a Nissan NV400. Very pleased so far although the body panels are much thinner, the rear door hinges are made of Cheese unlike the first model. Why oh why do they have to rugger about with things that work? Despite all of the new tech and I guess a lighter body it is no more economical.

The fashion van these days is the ford Transit custom. For builders, real builders they are too small, but all of the local lads have them, all on PCP's. But those same lads go to work dressed as models! Pah!
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New Sun 20 Sep 20 23:43 
 Volkswagen T5 Transporter Shuttle - Troublesome Trucks - legacylad
The past few months I’ve been decluttering my life..lots of old furniture being sold for peanuts and I’ve missed my old LWB hiRoof Transporter having called in favours.
For what it was worth I should have kept it...insurance & tax more than paid for by friends wanting to move stuff around the country. Mattress and stove in the back for cheapskate weekends away...
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