5 ms·

> I can't imagine getting this treatment with a legacy automaker. I can. My friend drives a 2016 VW Touareg which he got used - I was present during the purcha

by Tade0 5y ago

> I can't imagine getting this treatment with a legacy automaker. I can. My friend drives a 2016 VW Touareg which he got used - I was present during the purchase and the previous owner told us that the coolant needs to be topped off from time to time - nothing big, but he said that the authorized service center shrugged this off as something they won't bother fixing.

Syonyk 5y ago
How much, and how far apart? There's a difference between "half a cup or so ever few months" and "I have to carry coolant around with me." The reserve tank will comfortably make up the first in any reasonable driving situation, the second is a problem. Water pumps not weeping a tiny bit is a rather new innovation in cars. They typically use coolant to lubricate the seal, and some will get through.
- Tade0 5y ago
  > How much, and how far apart? About a litre every 4-7k km. Was like that from the start according to the previous owner. I found it unusual, because I never had to think about such things in any of my cars, including my old 2000 Corolla.
- KennyBlanken 5y ago
  I don't know of a single car made in the last 10 years where it's normal to lose "half a cup over every few months." Every car I or my family have owned in the last thirty years has never needed coolant added to it over years of ownership. Water pumps "weeping" coolant is a sign of failed seal, not by design. The GP commenter's buddy was sold a car by someone who was trying to pass off a needed repair; likely a leaking radiator or failing head gasket if they were unlucky. If they were lucky: a bad radiator cap or a failing coolant system hose. If they were really, really unlucky: a failing heater core.
  - FireBeyond 5y ago
    Very very much so. Or poor or plastic welds on the coolant manifolds, as plagued my Jaguar, whose coolant system shit the bed catastrophically several times, and even with a factory tech replacing as much as he could with heavier duty aftermarket parts, was only reduced to "needs a top-up every couple of months"
aaroninsf 5y ago
First thought, on the rare occasions we have car shopped, VW was removed from the list (along with e.g. Jeep) because of what appeared to be continually poor QA and reliability. Led us to give up on the idea of trying to go biodiesel (dodged a bullet there...). But Tesla seems to have a really remarkable problem.
- cromka 5y ago
  > biodiesel Out of curiosity, what's wrong with that?
  - selimthegrim 5y ago
    Gunks up the emissions equipment
  - jahewson 5y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal
- foepys 5y ago
  I cannot confirm VWs being unreliable. My family drives 4 18+ year old VWs (3 Golf, 1 Passat), all Diesel with 150,000+ km (2 with 300,000+ km) on them. Not a single rusty part, all on their first clutches (one is pulling trailers regularly), and only a single one needs a cup of oil every 1,000 km. Maybe the VW plants in America are different but my family in Germany will buy VW (or Skoda/Seat) again when the cars give up eventually. Just this time no Diesel.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Interesting. So, to counter that, I've driven VW for many years in many different models on ridiculous mileage and never had a single issue with them. This was until about 2008 when I switched to Mercedes, those too were pretty reliable until the last one, which was a recent vintage C class. Now I drive an oldie (25 this january).
  - 5y ago
deycallmeajay 5y ago
Kind of a big difference between getting the car from the factory and getting it used.
- blinkingled 5y ago
  Also missing brake pad out of factory line is colossally bad QA compared to hard design and metallurgy issues that cause softer piston rings after 100k miles or gaskets that leak coolant after 50k . Yeah but Tesla fans will defend bad stuff by pointing out not so great stuff from the competitors. In that respect you can say they're just like Apple fans.
- Tade0 5y ago
  Yes, but it was like that from the start.
sandoze 5y ago
Ditto. I have a 2010 Prius that burns oil. The dealer told me it’s a known issue at 100k miles. Offered to sell me a used engine with 70k miles to fix it.. Problem was he admitted there was a pretty good chance at 100k+ miles the oil burn would come back on the replacement. No recall, just a ‘known’ defect. Oh, and because they know my car has a defect they made it clear that my trade in value would suffer if I wanted to upgrade to their latest and greatest model.
- eganist 5y ago
  not the same as a car leaving the factory without a brakepad. not even in the same ballpark. not even on the same continent, for that matter.
jacquesm 5y ago
A brand new car vs a used car which has been through who knows what kind of stuff between delivery and the factory, a slow coolant leak (which could be anything from a bad clamp, ripped hose or a serious engine problem) vs a missing safety critical component of which there are 8 on every vehicle so having one 'left over' from a build set just shouldn't ever happen. These things are not comparable.

by Tade0 5y ago

Syonyk 5y ago

How much, and how far apart? There's a difference between "half a cup or so ever few months" and "I have to carry coolant around with me." The reserve tank will comfortably make up the first in any reasonable driving situation, the second is a problem. Water pumps not weeping a tiny bit is a rather new innovation in cars. They typically use coolant to lubricate the seal, and some will get through.

Tade0 5y ago
> How much, and how far apart? About a litre every 4-7k km. Was like that from the start according to the previous owner. I found it unusual, because I never had to think about such things in any of my cars, including my old 2000 Corolla.
KennyBlanken 5y ago
I don't know of a single car made in the last 10 years where it's normal to lose "half a cup over every few months." Every car I or my family have owned in the last thirty years has never needed coolant added to it over years of ownership. Water pumps "weeping" coolant is a sign of failed seal, not by design. The GP commenter's buddy was sold a car by someone who was trying to pass off a needed repair; likely a leaking radiator or failing head gasket if they were unlucky. If they were lucky: a bad radiator cap or a failing coolant system hose. If they were really, really unlucky: a failing heater core.
- FireBeyond 5y ago
  Very very much so. Or poor or plastic welds on the coolant manifolds, as plagued my Jaguar, whose coolant system shit the bed catastrophically several times, and even with a factory tech replacing as much as he could with heavier duty aftermarket parts, was only reduced to "needs a top-up every couple of months"

aaroninsf 5y ago

First thought, on the rare occasions we have car shopped, VW was removed from the list (along with e.g. Jeep) because of what appeared to be continually poor QA and reliability. Led us to give up on the idea of trying to go biodiesel (dodged a bullet there...). But Tesla seems to have a really remarkable problem.

cromka 5y ago
> biodiesel Out of curiosity, what's wrong with that?
- selimthegrim 5y ago
  Gunks up the emissions equipment
- jahewson 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal
foepys 5y ago
I cannot confirm VWs being unreliable. My family drives 4 18+ year old VWs (3 Golf, 1 Passat), all Diesel with 150,000+ km (2 with 300,000+ km) on them. Not a single rusty part, all on their first clutches (one is pulling trailers regularly), and only a single one needs a cup of oil every 1,000 km. Maybe the VW plants in America are different but my family in Germany will buy VW (or Skoda/Seat) again when the cars give up eventually. Just this time no Diesel.
jacquesm 5y ago
Interesting. So, to counter that, I've driven VW for many years in many different models on ridiculous mileage and never had a single issue with them. This was until about 2008 when I switched to Mercedes, those too were pretty reliable until the last one, which was a recent vintage C class. Now I drive an oldie (25 this january).
- 5y ago

deycallmeajay 5y ago

Kind of a big difference between getting the car from the factory and getting it used.

blinkingled 5y ago
Also missing brake pad out of factory line is colossally bad QA compared to hard design and metallurgy issues that cause softer piston rings after 100k miles or gaskets that leak coolant after 50k . Yeah but Tesla fans will defend bad stuff by pointing out not so great stuff from the competitors. In that respect you can say they're just like Apple fans.
Tade0 5y ago
Yes, but it was like that from the start.

sandoze 5y ago

Ditto. I have a 2010 Prius that burns oil. The dealer told me it’s a known issue at 100k miles. Offered to sell me a used engine with 70k miles to fix it.. Problem was he admitted there was a pretty good chance at 100k+ miles the oil burn would come back on the replacement. No recall, just a ‘known’ defect. Oh, and because they know my car has a defect they made it clear that my trade in value would suffer if I wanted to upgrade to their latest and greatest model.

eganist 5y ago
not the same as a car leaving the factory without a brakepad. not even in the same ballpark. not even on the same continent, for that matter.

jacquesm 5y ago

A brand new car vs a used car which has been through who knows what kind of stuff between delivery and the factory, a slow coolant leak (which could be anything from a bad clamp, ripped hose or a serious engine problem) vs a missing safety critical component of which there are 8 on every vehicle so having one 'left over' from a build set just shouldn't ever happen. These things are not comparable.