I don’t give a toss about the badge, the new seats, the trim, the colour...none of it. Park any working camper van, inflate your kite and get in the water or hiking boots on and off you go. That’s what is all about. There’s people who want to explore and then there’s the others who loose sight in the point of having a campervan in the first place and start caring more about all the add ons, RS seats, the right spoiler....they’re sucked into a world of electrical, mechanical and bodywork superficial nonsense and pain that costs a fortune in time and money, and, bet your bottom dollar they’ve spent more time working on that than time spent outdoors or exploring. They’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole to see the way out.
I bought a new T4 in 2003 just as the T5 came out, they were giving T4's away, £8k with every extra imaginable and half a tank of fuel! Best money I've ever spent, still got it 19 years later, very high mileage as I used it for courier work, never let me down.
I have had a vw transporter for nearly 5 years , 170,000 miles on clock , i love it and take it down to cornwall every year , it is a 08 plate and i have to admit the time has come with age that certain things have needed replacing , i can't imagine being without it , i am lucky i have got a vw specialists near me that do the work and they are very good , apart from a rusting sill which i filled and repaired it goes really well , it is also converted into a camper van and me and the wife love sleeping in it , fun days 👍
You forgot that you now have to go on holiday in Cornwall with the rest of London and their VWs. 😉😉😉 Nice to finally see an honest canpervan video. I didn't buy a VW because I had such had such bad experience years ago from VW when I owned a golf.
Just took a T6 on a round Australia trip, over 18 months with thousands of km of very rough tracks, and almost no maintenance. Have had zero problems... not one. Will be buying another one when needed.
Yup exactly , everything past t4 is cheap and throw away design. Ooh there is a fix for dmfw aftermarket single mass flywheel kit. Anyhow food cut back on the coffee or red bull, I wouldn’t buy one cos you and peeps like you own one.
I have a T5.1 California bought new from VW in 2011. Service from VW has been generally adequate, lets face it most car dealers are somewhat lacking. Love the van. DPF failed in France 3 years ago and had it fixed by VW in France for about 1K Euros. Just had the drive shift replace after 80,000 miles 2 months ago. The worst problem was the fridge needed to have Refrigerant gas replaced and because of the incredibly bad design of the fridge layout was unable to get a £150 fix sorted, as access to the fridge is impossible without removing the whole interior. The only thing VW will do is replace the fridge for £2000. I have to say I’ve never met anyone with the same problem so its rare. Just ordered a new T6.1 California Ocean… so the adventure continues.
For battery drain - if youve aftermarket radio check the output for electric antenna as vw seem to put a perm feed in the factory pin location , this powers up the antenna circuit inradios constantly.
What you mentioned in your blog is absolutely true. I have had quite a few VW Transporters, (on my 6th one now). This one has done nearly 223k. My duel mass flywheel is just about to go, so need this replaced asap. I bought this T6 five years ago and its worth more today than when i bought it. Crazy !!!. As long as you change the oil and filters regularly, this helps a lot. VW aftersales service has never been good compared to other manufacturers. Spare parts whether new or secondhand are always crazy prices. These vans are like a cult as status, very high demand. Anyway, I need to change this current one with a newer model pretty soon. I will stick to VW as its the best van available without a doubt.
Its so funny, i am looking at a transporter, because in New Zealand the toyota hi ace is king. Ridiculously expensive 15k for a 96 hi ace, or 18k for a 2014 transporter. Crazy
Kiwi T5 driver here, hang in there - you will find the right one. Be fussy on maintenance history is my only advice, Great machines, but unforgiving if neglected.
Some fair points, I work at a VW commercial main dealer and we almost always replace the door seals under warranty, and also there’s a common issue with battery drain from the manufacturer MOLL so I would check the brand of your battery
The VW T4 2.5tdi was the best medium sized van ever made. Like a lot of vehicles that age they were over engineered & made to do mega mileage. I've got two, both over 260k miles now. The dual mass was a Ford invention. I've replaced mine with solid flywheel. My son is a VAG trained tech & he says since the emissions scandal build quality has gone downhill. I'll be keeping my T4's until they die.
Mines a 53 plate 174bhp & bought it for £8400 in 06 with 60,000 miles & still have it today with 208,000 miles on it, it’s had duel mass flywheel & clutch at 75,000, new engine & turbo at145,000 because turbo broke up & dropped into the engine & smashed pistons etc, new manifold soon after as they crack as well, then injector leaked so filled up cylinder with diesel so when I tried starting it it had hydraulic lock so bent con rod, injector has just broke yesterday so doing it Christmas Day as can’t do anything else this year, apart from that it’s been ok, no rust on the van at all even on the door seals or steps, I have seen 2010 vans with rusty door steps etc so I think they were better made originally or are now sourcing parts that are inferior. It’s a great van & probably could still get £5k or more for it but have spent about £10k on it since I purchased it in 06. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I spend £1000 a year on it, it will still be a cheap van rather than buy an overpriced new one. You will lose £10k on a new one in the first year or so.
electrical gremlins is a good one. I got a 888 special long nose 2.5tdi, this is a good honest video on V dubs, they do hold there money big time. and yes you need to be careful buying these even from a so called garage, I was stung myself and could not get my money back so stuck with it now after spending in the region of 20k to get it to its really nice state it is now, but a lot of money spent, the problem is when you buy a bad one you will spend the money to fix it thinking oh well thats ok I suppose but then things just keep breaking and in the end you think what the f did I do that for but by then you have invested too much money to let it go. love those seats by the way.
15 yrs ago bought my second type 4 transporter ex AA 2.5 104 bhp. The one before 19non turbo sold it with 230k miles . As I bought my AA van my mate bought a 88bhp van . I've driven 281k on top of the 100k the AA did towing cars . My mate bought t6 last yr , only drove it for 5k had two new turbo replacements at a cost of 1k each and then 7k for a dsg box . Wishes he could go back to the t4 . But in too deep now . Love my t4 , solid fly wheel from a vr6 lowered , still does a ton with nearly 400k on the clock . Oil change every 10k , never misses a beat . 20 yr old van . Had it's first bit of welding for this yrs mot . Quality Type 4 is the best modern be van .
I agree on the pricing for the newer and much older transporters. I think the T4 is the sweetspot though. They run for crazy crazy long, 800 000-900 000km are not unheard of. If you get the right engine model they are reliable forever. Parts for mine are cheap aswell.
@@stefpatras So from what I can tell for the VW T4 the 5 cylinder 2,4l Diesel is the most reliable and longest lasting. I think you call them naturally aspirated? So no turbo. It is a pretty weak engine though, 78bhp for a big Van isn't much. But a lot of tourque, even at very very low RPMs.
I have a VW Transporter with the 1.9 TDI axb engine. Manual. 2005. I replaced the dual mass flywheel with a "normal" clutch plate from Valeo - no problems and 50,000 kms since. My axle splines shredded and it's a known problem with the model my mechanic said. Currently I'm looking for a step by step how to for replacing the PCV valve which is "conveniently" placed so that you have to take the cylinder valve cover off(stupid design). The screw heads here and there need a special tool which I replace with standard allen key headed. There's no designated central jacking point to allow a single jack up for either front or back pair of wheels - painful. The lower control arms get used by towing companies to pull you up onto the tray if you break down - no towies will use the VW towing eye claiming it will break. But control arm bushes are not designed to be used that way. One could go on. Merry xmas all.
Totally agree, i bought a 1 year old t6, (highline comes standard with rubbish headlights) battery dead first morning after buying it dealer was surprised Turns out the entire world knows moll batteries can be faulty and thousands have been changed. Shocking treatment from dealer on loads of issues, scene tax is bad on all vws had beetles etc binned it all off for an mx5.and my next van will be a ford or a vivaro loads more bang for your buck !
Hi mate I've had my t4 for about 14 years now it been great bought it with 160,000 On it now upto 300,000 wanted to 'upgrade ' to a t6 but I'm going to hold on to it🤣
A word of warning just incase anyone is buying a Vw van never ping money over for a deposits using bank transfer you probably will find the Van does not exist or has been cloned just speaking from experience
It's interesting what you say regarding battery drain issues. I knew someone who had a VW car 2 litre diesel. It turned out to be a electronic black box. The main cpu unit communicates through a coms protocol called can bus. There was a unit between the main management control unit in the engine compartment and all the lighting circuits. It was this intermediate black box that had an earth leakage issue. So no error codes reported all lighting circuits functioned normally but battery kept going flat.. It might be worth talking to a VW auto electrician if you can find one maybe online on a forum. For sure other people will have the same issues. It sounds like your transporter is not your primary vehicle. If you can locate this box you could pull the plug on it leave the van for two weeks reconnect and see if your battery was healthy. Just a passing thought.
I was thinking about your gripes. And has i said I totally 100%. Agree. But if you looked around all customer car is unbelievably bad. Try buying parts with a Harley Davidson of Porsche brands. And last weekend I bought a new gun. I noticed a problem with it and took it straight back to the shop. They said they send it back to the manufacturer under warranty. I only bought it brand new , a couple hours earlier. It had only been taken out the box once to look at . I had to argue to get my money back. They said, it was company policy. My vw has been more loyal that most wife’s and more reliable too. Come to think about. It’s tidier too. And I’d rather go on holiday with the van. And at least the van has a warranty. You don’t get one with a wife. Imagine all the claims. She said she was low mileage I’ve only owned her 12 months she’s falling apart. She hard to get going on cold mornings. You get the point. Vw vans are more reliable than women.
I've had a 2.5 bnz t5 shuttle and have put over 500k miles on it, i have been through several drive shafts 3 turbos 3 gearboxes, 2 engine's, 3 cylinder head rebuilds, they are nice when running right but the parts are so expensive it can't be justified. Abs control unit £1200, VW QUOTED ME 2 HOURS labour to code it, I left immediately and took it to a Seat specialist who obviously run vagcom and did it in 15min. My next shuttle its going to be a V class.
Bought my 2014 1 year old from Vw for £19.500 including Steering wheel upgrade... it was valued at £14000 in 2020, 77.500 miles & sportline alloys... Amazing vehicle !
Thanks for that. I've got an old T4 (02) we use to carry our stuff to Craft Fairs and events. Reached a stage in life where I won't be sleeping in any van while Premier Inns are still in business. The VW brand comes with 'cool' added somehow. Could have bought two Vivaros for the same price. I have one key and get exercise walking round the van to unlock every door manually and the aircon is a rotary handle in the front doors. It's not our only transport so not cut off from modern life completely but I've been eying up a T5, T6 to combine everything. Now I've heard your spiel I'll think again. On the T4 facebook pages T5 + owners are roundly ridiculed (but so are Transits/Vivaros) Odd thing is that women will only tolerate one type of van on the drive. Ours is slow and noisy but somehow I love it and I can do daft naff things like paint the wheels black and calipers red and just about get away with it - cos it's a VDub.
Absolutely. I bought an ex AA T4 years ago and have a ex RAC T5.1 now. The only fault with the T4 I had was a air flow meter going and putting the engine into "safe Mode." Easy fix to replace and very reliable. The T5 has so far cost me an EGR, Dual mass clutch, intercooler rad and a repair to the windscreen washer pipe (a weak point).
My 9 month old T6 pulls to the left, DAB radio loses signal all the time, plastic splash panels underneath behind front wheels detach going through puddles at anything above 30mph. Still battling with VW Manchester for solutions, after sales is shocking.
Had a ford custom 18 plate 130 limited and had nothing but problems dual mass at 6k rejected it back to ford after many months of solicitors been involved to get another one that the turbo went at 4K shocking build quality. Now own a highline 6.1 dsg 150ps different league all together
1:33... thanks for reminding me...! I remember VW service was rubbish when I owned a Golf. Was thinking about getting some camper but it won't be a T6.1
Ive just ordered a T6.1, my first ever van. I'm told the 6.1 is a decent upgrade as opposed to the T6, and VW improved and addressed lots of issues with the previous model. People I've spoke to who've been running the T6.1 for a year or so now have reported next to no issues, so fingers crossed!
I think they still have the same flaws to my knowledge, the major difference is an aesthetic upgrade. I love my T6 and I'm sure your van will be great 💪
It’s funny what you said about VW service… I had literally a brand new Passat R Line, I’d had it 2 weeks and all the chrome around the windows was fading and had a terrible flat patina. Took it back and VW said sorry that’s normal wear and tear. I looked the lady in the eye and said “I must have a hearing issue as I thought I heard you telling me that on my brand new £38k VW with less than 500 miles on the clock you think it’s acceptable for all the chrome to be faded and flatting and look like it’s 5 years old… surely you can’t be telling me that?”. They swapped it.
These days the reliability of German manufacturers has slumped to below average throughout the industry. Imo I feel like it got much worse at the end of the nineties. None of it seems to matter anyway! German cars still sell like hot cakes! Everyone is so image conscious these days...VW has no incentive to raise the quality of their products when every year they sell more and more cars. Do you remember when VW’s motto was “If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen” now it’s “The Car”. Times change...
I agree about the prices being nuts. I've had my 1999 LWB T4 (a Bilbos conversion) for 4 years now and I've already been offered more than I paid for it back then despite it now having 65,000 on it vs the 45,000 when I bought it.
T5.1, 180000km, 13 years old, bought from new. Original dual mass flywheel, original front brakes. Only 3 issues in that 13 years of ownership: EGR, right drive shaft , temperature sensor in the DPF. Yes, they are utterly unreliable. I don't know how you drive to wreck the DMF so quickly? I am first off at the green lights, and when I have to stop I really use my brakes. Oh, maybe I am only a good driver?
Reason 5 was why I bought a California, factory produced and tested kit holds its value, and the VW service team are happier to attend to something which has not been cannibalised and mashed up with after-market kit. And there are advantages that there has been suitable crash testing, units are lighter, and the noise whilst driving is substantially reduced…..finally the loading distribution is correctly calculated in the design, even a reputable custom business does not have the resources to ensure what they do has the QC which comes from the factory…….which is why the Cali will always hold its value over time. 👍
I have owned my T6 since 2016 and I have not encountered any of the issues you are experiencing, but then I have not modified my van in any way. I have a certain shop that is currently servicing my van since the warranty and service plan expired. One thing I do agree with the the buying price.
Had my t4 since 91 and he has 140000 miles lowered 40mm never had any issue's Like you have had bud most been unlucky and got a van that was finished on a Friday shift 👍👍👍😜🏴🦄🦕😁✌️🤞
I don’t care what people say I love my T5.1 it’s 2014 now on 39k and never had to pay for anything on the van passes every mot without any problems at all. Why buy anything else 42mpg.
I do own a t4 ,y reg 73000 MLS , your paying for cool factor , I might get slagged for this , I like the of the new transits,and the old vivaro.You are right sticking VW tag to any old item puts the price up even if its tat.
@@CorpsMedia I must admit it did come with the right bits, Wacco fridge, smev hob ,crash test bed ,load tyres etc,for how we use it lwb might have a better option feels a bit cramped sometimes.Armrests are nice but as you say can be tricky getting through , quite funny if you leave them down and try to get out of front doors!
I'm currently looking for a used T4 and i totally agree with you ! I've just seen a 340 000 km T4 that was in great condition according to the seller...But i noticed airbag warning light, brakes warning light, coolant leak and diesel leak. And the guy said it was so perfect that he could hit 1 million kilometers with his 2.5 TDI... I had a conversation with another guy selling a 450 000 km 2.5 TDI T4 and he said the same thing : the price is high because the van can hit 1 million kilometers !! TBH i'm not convinced at all...And the sound of the 2.5 TDI engine is terrible to my ears (so rough).
. Would have gone on to double that. The five cyl. Is almost indistructable. Rust is the biggest problem. Now the T5 I wouldn't touch with a bargepole!!
You had it converted,why should they help U with the battery drain?Its not what they sold anymore.In fact I would not be surprised if the waranty was cancelled all together.
I had a 2006 T5 5 cylinder engine model for 13 years, it held its value and I got a good price when I sold it, it was pre DPF model and was fully reliable. The newer models with DPF and all the other crap they put on them are unreliable. They are obviously more expensive now we are out of the EU and import taxes will apply.
Great video. I've a 2018 T6. Had a battery drain issue from new. been back a few times, Replaced battery then battery regulator. Still have issue. Goes flat in 6 days if not charged. Now it is out of warranty they don't want to know. Costs me time and money to take it back each time. They haven't even done a parasitic drain test. Now I'm about to go to the ombudsperson. Apparently if I do so VW have to pay a fee of I think £250 unless they have paid an annual fee. The £250 they could spend doing a proper diagnostic. Unless as intimated in the comments that they know the issue but won't correct it. Regards Stephen
The vw transporter is the real life version of the famous " the emperor isn't wearing any clothes" story. It's just a bubble. They are not as good as they are famed to be. And I'm saying that as an owner of one. And if you think otherwise then there is a prince in Africa with millions of dollars he needs to transfer to you...
I was going to waste 12 grand on a 54 plate one. First time I'm buying a van I would have been devastated, I like transit custom I onlt want lights carpet rocknroll bed. It will have to be my day vehicle as well because I won't be able to afford a car as well. So I need something that hasnt been around the world twice.
VW's customer service is terrible, never had a good experience with them. but the older VW Van's are great. I've had my T4 for 15 years now and it still going strong. I once bent a couple of fuel lines changing my diesel injectors and the van still ran and drove until I got some new ones delivered. Engine wise I've not really done alot to it, apart from regular maintenance and that's one thing I will say VW got right is these older engines. As for the body, there are a few design flaws, wheel arches, sliding door, front and rear bumpers and steps. These places all rot out But nothing some new panels can't fix. I've been everywhere in this van and will continue to do so.
I had a vw T4 2.4D very bad engine. Twice changed engine head. Now i have in use a T4 2.5 tdi 370000 km. Its in indestructibleIt. Seems to work better and better. I also have a T6 Mileage has 110000 km. So far no problem.
To any prospective buyers.... I've had my T5.1 for 4 years. 20k trouble free miles. Lovely van with a professional trouble free conversion. Not all are symtomatic of the generic issues highlighted in this video, even if a lot do suffer as described. (71k on the clock)
Dealerships......thats shocking buddy. They are a lovely van indeed but dont warrant the price tag at all.....like i say a cool van but not the £tag. Im a Ford guy but do like VW too. I hope you get no more issues. Andrew
For battery drain would using a OBD2 memory saver to another battery work as a temporary measure. Can a vehicle be started if the main battery is flat and connecting a battery via the OBD2 port? Just a thought? Regards Stephen
I got a t4 for the first time in my life and always drove honda's but I needed a van so a t4 it is got it for almost a year now and it's like you would expect from vw from that time period good, solid, reliable, with little problems like a window motor that stops, but coming from a Honda guy and mechanic the thing drives so damn good 😁🙏🏻💪🙏🏻
Had T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6. The latter is 204, DSG 4 motion. I’d have another. Says it all really doesn’t it. Also, I’ve had excellent service experience from my local VW agent .
Ive had my t6 kombi from new. It had a battery fault after about 3 months. The VW Dealer would not accept there was a fault telling me it was the type of journey i was doing (my previous t5 didn't have a problem with the same journeys). It took 3 break downs, a VW Master tech and then an AA recovery before the dealer would accept a warranty claim. It turns out the start stop batteries have a known fault but VW will not issue a recall.
@@CorpsMedia it’s not the first run in I’ve had with this VW dealer or the last. I would say the dealer network is ruining the brand but VW aren’t what they were. I jumped into a 97 polo and was blown away by the quality of the switch gear in it. Every button, knob and handle felt and sound rock solid after 23yrs and 200,000 miles. VW like all manufacturers are racing to the bottom line.
The Transporter has very many plusses compared to others. It lasts longer mainly cause it is a Volkswagen and the French cars are not built to be compared to those, Mercedes vans are even more expensive and their electricity system is faulty and their engine is stupidly unstable. Also, half of the Transporters are 4WD so they do not get stuck like anything else. Also you seem to be talking about The VW Caravelle or Multivan because the steering on the Transporter is more advanced than the others, it is not hard and without power. And another good thing is that they are bigger than the competitors and they are more compact and easier to sleep in. I am driving a 2007th year VW Transporter. I do have the shorter version but still quite big and quite fast. To be honest Toyota, Ford, Mercedes Benz, GAZ, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen- They have nothing against the Superior VW. My Transporter's Specifications 2007, 2.0L R5 engine, FWD, Short body, and I did not mention it is a decommisioned Police van.
Still not putting me off. I want a T4 because I think they just look so much nicer than a 5-6. I do however want a petrol engine not diesel. I also drove a transit, a relay and a crafter for work for 11 years and being in a T5 or 6 would just feel too much like I was back in my old job. I like their slightly smaller size too, something cozy looking about it and it will fit onto our drive easier. I have sat in a new T6 and it felt a nice place to be much like my 2012 GTi and I've not yet sat in a T4. Just like the transporters parts for my slabby go for silly money BUT if you cross reference part numbers you often find the same part for a very undesirable bike and can save a small fortune. What I'm trying to figure out now is what to pay and should we have one plus our GTi or sell the GTi to increase the budget and have it as our daily?
Great video and so truth about late VAG models. This is why I bought 2005 T5 wiht solid 2.5 liter engine for my swamper project instead of T6. I rather do T5.1 mod and enjoy the look than deal with 2.0TDI reliability.
The only good thing about the transporters are arm rests on both sides of the drivers seat. Other than that the transit custom and even the Renault trafic destroys it in terms of space in the cab, equipment, driving, reliability, road noise (horrendous in the transporter) and every other metric you care to compare it on. The transporter struggles with any load over a few hundred kilos and even where lightly loaded squirms all over the place when changing lanes and rolls over painted lanes lines or slight indentations. They are constantly in the workshop for this and that. By the time thou get to the end of the road after a workshop visit the dash warning light is back on. Even the Volkswagen assist guys say that they are crap. It’s so bad that even Volkswagen have thrown the towel in and are having the next model designed and built for them by ford. Most transporter drivers will never admit this though because they’ve fallen deep into the sunken cost trap and are total nut huggers for some random reason. They’re not reliable, not good to drive, cramped and cost far too much.
Maybe more money for a t5 but far better vans, mines has 270k on it and still pulls like a train and doesn't use a lick of oil and yes the do have there problems such as drive shafts, 120 quid fixes that for another 4 yrs, gearbox recon 350 trade, set for another 200k, general wear and tear same as any other so don't see your point mate, the money you save on a Ford, citeron etc you will lose ten folds in resale.
I bought my lwb t5 57plate 1.9 pd 102ps in 2009 from Vw, one owner 15k miles on it. I still use it to this day. Gearbox synchro went at 52k (warranty) Once the van was out of warranty I made a mistake of using people who claimed they were proper mechanics and not idiots from main dealer. 153k first dual mass fly wheel installed by Kwik fit as my mechanic said too big of a job. (Dual mass failing at 187k) but still using as I’m driving till it breaks completely currently at 200k and still banging away lol At 170k I changed my wishbones etc. As someone had taken my genuine ones off and swapped for ocap ones along the way as I never had them replaced and ocap Is the cheapest shit from euro cp, I also noticed Other parts missing like the engine bay tray underneath and some battery housing plastics missing, quite a lot of my damage come from idiot mechanics. 109 relay is a common fault I paid £200 for someone to change parts that weren’t broken and still my van wouldn’t start when cold. My no.1 hate is the heating control system cables jam or something and control breaks. I blame this on drinks holders breaking then drinks get put on dash they fall over spilling down the dash vent and sticking the components. Door locks (don’t spray loads of lubricant in there) the sensors break. I’ve tried Indy Vw mechanics with poor quality and high price might as well of gone to main dealer. Best advice I can give in my opinion is find a good mechanic who knows about these vans do your homework on parts and who makes the genuine oem stuff don’t let them use the generic Shit from euro cp etc. Use genuine or whoever made the genuine parts. Or pay the extra little bit and go main dealer. So now my van is on 202300 last mot had few advisories which were major defects shock springs corroded my full beams are stuck on and the heater is broke again so I’ve decided not to sell it or scrap scheme it. I’m going to strip it all out replace, fix and turn into a nice camper. Apart from my troubles that van has been my best van I’ve ever had. That being said I can’t believe how much they are now! I only paid £10k plus vat from Vw nearly new,
Thanks for the vid. I have been pondering the idea of getting a T5 but I will think long & hard now. Re DMF failures Chops garage fitted a fixed/solid DMF to a Caddy with successful results. Not sure about long term but he noticed no difference from the standard DMF.
i HAVE A CARAVELLE...235000 on the clock...still going strong. The only major issue was change the cam shaft after 195000, and the vw was good at it. The only thing is I got to change due to ulez
I agree 100% Spent more on my t5 in repairs in 3 years than i did my t4 in 15!!! Multiply driveshafts,dmf even gearbox! Door locks ,dpf,egr, suspension bushes,topmounts.
I paid £2800 for mine in 2011. Its now worth £40k plus. I got it from California. Its a 1971 bus. Your complaining about bad service from sellers. Stop complaining hit them with a summons from the small claims court. A warranty is part of your contract of sale. Parts are over priced, that I agree with that. Mine is a T2, so it's very simple I terms of engine and gearbox. As for cowboys, you are spot on. Most are not up yo the job.
Found a lovely 2004 t5 owned by 1 careful carpenter.. asked if he wanted to sell.. he said yes, then he looked at what they were going for n pulled some crazy ass price outta the air cos of vw scene tax! Added to that you could hear the dreaded flywheel tapping away 🤦🏻♂️ such a shame
Im torn between transporter and a transit custom but i think you've turned me towards the ford. However i totally get the vw extra costs and they do hold their resale value where i guess the ford would loose value
Love my VAG stuff, I've owned loads of them, run a couple of Skodas which I've done tonnes of miles in, generally detest anything French. But, faced with what VW Commercial sell..... I drive a Berlingo and it's been great.
I’m a bit odd, I’m clinically incapable of doing anything if it’s acknowledged as a trend, or buying popular products. Even if it’s the sensible choice, I can’t even bring myself to buy clothing with branding on it, It’s my cross to bear. For that reason alone I’m not going to be buying a VW van or a Ford van. I’ll probably end up buying some obscure vehicle that will be nothing but trouble 😂 with unobtainable spares, but at least I’ll be “different”. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to recovery 😂
Great videos, very informative. You mentioned in another video to avoid the Twin Turbo models, heard the DSG gearboxes can be a bit crap also, which means expensive to sort out - heard anything about them ?
I've had my t5 for 13 years... and the market has changed so much! There was so little available in terms of aftermarket parts in 2008 that I had to make many of the bits from scratch or alter other car parts as the alternative was genuine vw parts which were far too pricey, even used. Just like your seats, I fitted audi q7 seats (I had no idea if they would fit and rotate, as no-one else had done it at the time) I wanted the rear bed on rails, and ended up buying a Renault espace seat and rails and machining/welding up a bed base to the seat mechanism... Also, even on my older 1.9, the flywheel went at around 70k. I also think that the flywheel are more at risk in a remapped engine (more torque at low revs, you can hear it!) On the plus side, even after 13 years, my van is probably worth around 150% of the price I purchased it for. Not many non-classic vehicles could live up to that!
I had a vw caddy 2008 bought on 30,000 miles I drove that van everywhere sold it on 300,000 miles I bought a T5 to replace. Over the last year nothing but problems flywheel and clutch needed to be changed had a sqeak from steering wheel that to this day can't get fixed even though it's been to 3 different garage. I feel every time I drive van something else goes wrong. But anyone who has had this loud sqeak from steering wheel and fixed it could you please post what the problem was?😊
I have one, and thinking about building a camper. So I will have to buy a new van. The transporter is one of the worst cars in its size to build a camper out of.
I don’t give a toss about the badge, the new seats, the trim, the colour...none of it. Park any working camper van, inflate your kite and get in the water or hiking boots on and off you go. That’s what is all about. There’s people who want to explore and then there’s the others who loose sight in the point of having a campervan in the first place and start caring more about all the add ons, RS seats, the right spoiler....they’re sucked into a world of electrical, mechanical and bodywork superficial nonsense and pain that costs a fortune in time and money, and, bet your bottom dollar they’ve spent more time working on that than time spent outdoors or exploring. They’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole to see the way out.
For some of us building stuff and modifying cars is just like you flying your kite, a hobby.
word
Well said!
I bought a new T4 in 2003 just as the T5 came out, they were giving T4's away, £8k with every extra imaginable and half a tank of fuel! Best money I've ever spent, still got it 19 years later, very high mileage as I used it for courier work, never let me down.
Sounds like a great van you got there mate!
I have had a vw transporter for nearly 5 years , 170,000 miles on clock , i love it and take it down to cornwall every year , it is a 08 plate and i have to admit the time has come with age that certain things have needed replacing , i can't imagine being without it , i am lucky i have got a vw specialists near me that do the work and they are very good , apart from a rusting sill which i filled and repaired it goes really well , it is also converted into a camper van and me and the wife love sleeping in it , fun days 👍
I have had 4 vw: T3, T4, T5 and now a T6 4 motion, with which I have traveled half the world.
Of the best of the automotive market
You forgot that you now have to go on holiday in Cornwall with the rest of London and their VWs. 😉😉😉
Nice to finally see an honest canpervan video. I didn't buy a VW because I had such had such bad experience years ago from VW when I owned a golf.
Just took a T6 on a round Australia trip, over 18 months with thousands of km of very rough tracks, and almost no maintenance. Have had zero problems... not one. Will be buying another one when needed.
Driving Transporters for 22 years ! No other Van comes close the Transporter expierence 🤟
Dimtiri well true
Why? And how do you know that if you've been driving just one brand of cars for 22 years?
Totally true 🤟
True! Most reliable van brand ever!
Forgot to mention that I had a T4 for 11 years & 230,000 miles & only ever changed the normal service items like brakes etc, nothing ever broke on it.
Yup exactly , everything past t4 is cheap and throw away design. Ooh there is a fix for dmfw aftermarket single mass flywheel kit.
Anyhow food cut back on the coffee or red bull, I wouldn’t buy one cos you and peeps like you own one.
I have a T5.1 California bought new from VW in 2011. Service from VW has been generally adequate, lets face it most car dealers are somewhat lacking. Love the van. DPF failed in France 3 years ago and had it fixed by VW in France for about 1K Euros. Just had the drive shift replace after 80,000 miles 2 months ago. The worst problem was the fridge needed to have Refrigerant gas replaced and because of the incredibly bad design of the fridge layout was unable to get a £150 fix sorted, as access to the fridge is impossible without removing the whole interior. The only thing VW will do is replace the fridge for £2000. I have to say I’ve never met anyone with the same problem so its rare. Just ordered a new T6.1 California Ocean… so the adventure continues.
VW T6 Bulli Ocean (2019), no complaints, a true beauty & beast, wouldn't trade it for any van/car !!
For battery drain - if youve aftermarket radio check the output for electric antenna as vw seem to put a perm feed in the factory pin location , this powers up the antenna circuit inradios constantly.
What you mentioned in your blog is absolutely true. I have had quite a few VW Transporters, (on my 6th one now). This one has done nearly 223k. My duel mass flywheel is just about to go, so need this replaced asap. I bought this T6 five years ago and its worth more today than when i bought it. Crazy !!!. As long as you change the oil and filters regularly, this helps a lot. VW aftersales service has never been good compared to other manufacturers. Spare parts whether new or secondhand are always crazy prices. These vans are like a cult as status, very high demand. Anyway, I need to change this current one with a newer model pretty soon. I will stick to VW as its the best van available without a doubt.
t4 200.000 mls. i clutch,one waterpump,3 cambelts.shocks,minimal welding.21 years ownership and still happy with the ol bus. 1998 model 1.9
Its so funny, i am looking at a transporter, because in New Zealand the toyota hi ace is king. Ridiculously expensive 15k for a 96 hi ace, or 18k for a 2014 transporter. Crazy
Kiwi T5 driver here, hang in there - you will find the right one. Be fussy on maintenance history is my only advice, Great machines, but unforgiving if neglected.
Some fair points, I work at a VW commercial main dealer and we almost always replace the door seals under warranty, and also there’s a common issue with battery drain from the manufacturer MOLL so I would check the brand of your battery
Yeah it's been to VW numerous times. I did mention the moll battery but I already had the newer one.
The VW T4 2.5tdi was the best medium sized van ever made. Like a lot of vehicles that age they were over engineered & made to do mega mileage. I've got two, both over 260k miles now. The dual mass was a Ford invention. I've replaced mine with solid flywheel.
My son is a VAG trained tech & he says since the emissions scandal build quality has gone downhill. I'll be keeping my T4's until they die.
The main reason I don't have one is because they are so damn expensive, and I am not persuaded the extra cost is worth the money.
Mines a 53 plate 174bhp & bought it for £8400 in 06 with 60,000 miles & still have it today with 208,000 miles on it, it’s had duel mass flywheel & clutch at 75,000, new engine & turbo at145,000 because turbo broke up & dropped into the engine & smashed pistons etc, new manifold soon after as they crack as well, then injector leaked so filled up cylinder with diesel so when I tried starting it it had hydraulic lock so bent con rod, injector has just broke yesterday so doing it Christmas Day as can’t do anything else this year, apart from that it’s been ok, no rust on the van at all even on the door seals or steps, I have seen 2010 vans with rusty door steps etc so I think they were better made originally or are now sourcing parts that are inferior.
It’s a great van & probably could still get £5k or more for it but have spent about £10k on it since I purchased it in 06. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I spend £1000 a year on it, it will still be a cheap van rather than buy an overpriced new one. You will lose £10k on a new one in the first year or so.
I own a VW Transporter T4 i have had it since 2006 and still drives so good this vans were built like tanks,best van i ever bought.
electrical gremlins is a good one. I got a 888 special long nose 2.5tdi, this is a good honest video on V dubs, they do hold there money big time. and yes you need to be careful buying these even from a so called garage, I was stung myself and could not get my money back so stuck with it now after spending in the region of 20k to get it to its really nice state it is now, but a lot of money spent, the problem is when you buy a bad one you will spend the money to fix it thinking oh well thats ok I suppose but then things just keep breaking and in the end you think what the f did I do that for but by then you have invested too much money to let it go. love those seats by the way.
15 yrs ago bought my second type 4 transporter ex AA 2.5 104 bhp.
The one before 19non turbo sold it with 230k miles .
As I bought my AA van my mate bought a 88bhp van .
I've driven 281k on top of the 100k the AA did towing cars .
My mate bought t6 last yr , only drove it for 5k had two new turbo replacements at a cost of 1k each and then 7k for a dsg box .
Wishes he could go back to the t4 . But in too deep now .
Love my t4 , solid fly wheel from a vr6 lowered , still does a ton with nearly 400k on the clock . Oil change every 10k , never misses a beat . 20 yr old van . Had it's first bit of welding for this yrs mot . Quality
Type 4 is the best modern be van .
I agree on the pricing for the newer and much older transporters. I think the T4 is the sweetspot though. They run for crazy crazy long, 800 000-900 000km are not unheard of. If you get the right engine model they are reliable forever. Parts for mine are cheap aswell.
Which engines are the most reliable ones? Thank you in advance for answering
@@stefpatras So from what I can tell for the VW T4 the 5 cylinder 2,4l Diesel is the most reliable and longest lasting. I think you call them naturally aspirated? So no turbo. It is a pretty weak engine though, 78bhp for a big Van isn't much. But a lot of tourque, even at very very low RPMs.
I have a VW Transporter with the 1.9 TDI axb engine. Manual. 2005. I replaced the dual mass flywheel with a "normal" clutch plate from Valeo - no problems and 50,000 kms since. My axle splines shredded and it's a known problem with the model my mechanic said. Currently I'm looking for a step by step how to for replacing the PCV valve which is "conveniently" placed so that you have to take the cylinder valve cover off(stupid design). The screw heads here and there need a special tool which I replace with standard allen key headed. There's no designated central jacking point to allow a single jack up for either front or back pair of wheels - painful. The lower control arms get used by towing companies to pull you up onto the tray if you break down - no towies will use the VW towing eye claiming it will break. But control arm bushes are not designed to be used that way. One could go on. Merry xmas all.
Totally agree, i bought a 1 year old t6, (highline comes standard with rubbish headlights) battery dead first morning after buying it dealer was surprised Turns out the entire world knows moll batteries can be faulty and thousands have been changed. Shocking treatment from dealer on loads of issues, scene tax is bad on all vws had beetles etc binned it all off for an mx5.and my next van will be a ford or a vivaro loads more bang for your buck !
Hi mate I've had my t4 for about 14 years now it been great bought it with 160,000
On it now upto 300,000 wanted to 'upgrade ' to a t6 but I'm going to hold on to it🤣
A word of warning just incase anyone is buying a Vw van never ping money over for a deposits using bank transfer you probably will find the Van does not exist or has been cloned just speaking from experience
It's interesting what you say regarding battery drain issues. I knew someone who had a VW car 2 litre diesel. It turned out to be a electronic black box. The main cpu unit communicates through a coms protocol called can bus. There was a unit between the main management control unit in the engine compartment and all the lighting circuits. It was this intermediate black box that had an earth leakage issue. So no error codes reported all lighting circuits functioned normally but battery kept going flat.. It might be worth talking to a VW auto electrician if you can find one maybe online on a forum. For sure other people will have the same issues. It sounds like your transporter is not your primary vehicle. If you can locate this box you could pull the plug on it leave the van for two weeks reconnect and see if your battery was healthy. Just a passing thought.
battery drain = canbus on radio well known when radio is changed or upgraded start there by disconnecting it to see
It was an issue with the canbus on the tow bar
I was thinking about your gripes. And has i said I totally 100%. Agree.
But if you looked around all customer car is unbelievably bad.
Try buying parts with a Harley Davidson of Porsche brands.
And last weekend I bought a new gun. I noticed a problem with it and took it straight back to the shop. They said they send it back to the manufacturer under warranty. I only bought it brand new , a couple hours earlier.
It had only been taken out the box once to look at . I had to argue to get my money back. They said,
it was company policy. My vw has been more loyal that most wife’s and more reliable too.
Come to think about. It’s tidier too. And I’d rather go on holiday with the van. And at least the van has a warranty. You don’t get one with
a wife. Imagine all the claims.
She said she was low mileage
I’ve only owned her 12 months she’s falling apart. She hard to get going on cold mornings.
You get the point. Vw vans are more reliable than women.
I've had a 2.5 bnz t5 shuttle and have put over 500k miles on it, i have been through several drive shafts 3 turbos 3 gearboxes, 2 engine's, 3 cylinder head rebuilds, they are nice when running right but the parts are so expensive it can't be justified. Abs control unit £1200, VW QUOTED ME 2 HOURS labour to code it, I left immediately and took it to a Seat specialist who obviously run vagcom and did it in 15min.
My next shuttle its going to be a V class.
Trigger's brush
Bought my 2014 1 year old from Vw for £19.500 including Steering wheel upgrade...
it was valued at £14000 in 2020, 77.500 miles & sportline alloys...
Amazing vehicle !
Where? All the T5s from 2014ish are currently £20k+. Surely they haven't gone up by that much in 2 years? :/
Thanks for that. I've got an old T4 (02) we use to carry our stuff to Craft Fairs and events. Reached a stage in life where I won't be sleeping in any van while Premier Inns are still in business. The VW brand comes with 'cool' added somehow. Could have bought two Vivaros for the same price. I have one key and get exercise walking round the van to unlock every door manually and the aircon is a rotary handle in the front doors. It's not our only transport so not cut off from modern life completely but I've been eying up a T5, T6 to combine everything. Now I've heard your spiel I'll think again. On the T4 facebook pages T5 + owners are roundly ridiculed (but so are Transits/Vivaros) Odd thing is that women will only tolerate one type of van on the drive. Ours is slow and noisy but somehow I love it and I can do daft naff things like paint the wheels black and calipers red and just about get away with it - cos it's a VDub.
Absolutely. I bought an ex AA T4 years ago and have a ex RAC T5.1 now.
The only fault with the T4 I had was a air flow meter going and putting the engine into "safe Mode." Easy fix to replace and very reliable.
The T5 has so far cost me an EGR, Dual mass clutch, intercooler rad and a repair to the windscreen washer pipe (a weak point).
Avoid T5s at all costs. It's a first gen everything so it breaks constantly and it's very hard to fix.
T5.1 and T6 I hear are much more reliable.
They are Scrap Give problems with DPF And Add blue pump dot bye one
Vw t4 2.5 tdi best minivan ever , 455 000 km on bord and still going strong.
💪
Vw customer service in my opinion is disgusting but I still love my vw's.
My 9 month old T6 pulls to the left, DAB radio loses signal all the time, plastic splash panels underneath behind front wheels detach going through puddles at anything above 30mph. Still battling with VW Manchester for solutions, after sales is shocking.
Sounds like a nightmare, I think they just wear you down untill you submit and fix it yourself 🤣
Name the dealership its the only way to get them back in line.
Philip J Knight......be quicker to name a VW appointed dealer that will provide good customer service. Same applies to all main dealers however.
@@andycapp8843 very true all car/ van dealers are the same , once they got ya money the don’t care .
uk dealerships are not up to scratch ,bet you would have got a better response had you been in germany dealing a dealership
Great videos fella. Just getting into the VW van scene. Info and tips are coming in well handy.
Thanks man, if you have anything you need to know let me know and I'll make some content on it. If you have the questions loads other probably do!
Had a ford custom 18 plate 130 limited and had nothing but problems dual mass at 6k rejected it back to ford after many months of solicitors been involved to get another one that the turbo went at 4K shocking build quality. Now own a highline 6.1 dsg 150ps different league all together
1:33... thanks for reminding me...!
I remember VW service was rubbish when I owned a Golf. Was thinking about getting some camper but it won't be a T6.1
I’ve got a 1.9 54 plate t5 with 148k never misses a beat!!
Ive just ordered a T6.1, my first ever van. I'm told the 6.1 is a decent upgrade as opposed to the T6, and VW improved and addressed lots of issues with the previous model. People I've spoke to who've been running the T6.1 for a year or so now have reported next to no issues, so fingers crossed!
I think they still have the same flaws to my knowledge, the major difference is an aesthetic upgrade. I love my T6 and I'm sure your van will be great 💪
Yeah I believe it’s exactly the same running gear just cosmetic differences.
It’s basically the same as a 54 reg t5. They’ve had 16 years to upgrade you’d think it would be done by now!
It’s funny what you said about VW service… I had literally a brand new Passat R Line, I’d had it 2 weeks and all the chrome around the windows was fading and had a terrible flat patina. Took it back and VW said sorry that’s normal wear and tear. I looked the lady in the eye and said “I must have a hearing issue as I thought I heard you telling me that on my brand new £38k VW with less than 500 miles on the clock you think it’s acceptable for all the chrome to be faded and flatting and look like it’s 5 years old… surely you can’t be telling me that?”.
They swapped it.
These days the reliability of German manufacturers has slumped to below average throughout the industry. Imo I feel like it got much worse at the end of the nineties. None of it seems to matter anyway! German cars still sell like hot cakes! Everyone is so image conscious these days...VW has no incentive to raise the quality of their products when every year they sell more and more cars. Do you remember when VW’s motto was “If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen” now it’s “The Car”. Times change...
Spare parts is big business.
I agree about the prices being nuts. I've had my 1999 LWB T4 (a Bilbos conversion) for 4 years now and I've already been offered more than I paid for it back then despite it now having 65,000 on it vs the 45,000 when I bought it.
T5.1, 180000km, 13 years old, bought from new. Original dual mass flywheel, original front brakes. Only 3 issues in that 13 years of ownership: EGR, right drive shaft , temperature sensor in the DPF. Yes, they are utterly unreliable.
I don't know how you drive to wreck the DMF so quickly?
I am first off at the green lights, and when I have to stop I really use my brakes.
Oh, maybe I am only a good driver?
Reason 5 was why I bought a California, factory produced and tested kit holds its value, and the VW service team are happier to attend to something which has not been cannibalised and mashed up with after-market kit. And there are advantages that there has been suitable crash testing, units are lighter, and the noise whilst driving is substantially reduced…..finally the loading distribution is correctly calculated in the design, even a reputable custom business does not have the resources to ensure what they do has the QC which comes from the factory…….which is why the Cali will always hold its value over time. 👍
I have owned my T6 since 2016 and I have not encountered any of the issues you are experiencing, but then I have not modified my van in any way. I have a certain shop that is currently servicing my van since the warranty and service plan expired. One thing I do agree with the the buying price.
Had my t4 since 91 and he has 140000 miles lowered 40mm never had any issue's
Like you have had bud most been unlucky and got a van that was finished on a Friday shift
👍👍👍😜🏴🦄🦕😁✌️🤞
I don’t care what people say I love my T5.1 it’s 2014 now on 39k and never had to pay for anything on the van passes every mot without any problems at all. Why buy anything else 42mpg.
Of course it passes it only does 5.5k q year
I do own a t4 ,y reg 73000 MLS , your paying for cool factor , I might get slagged for this , I like the of the new transits,and the old vivaro.You are right sticking VW tag to any old item puts the price up even if its tat.
They are a nice van, think I'd prefer a T4 still 😉
@@CorpsMedia I must admit it did come with the right bits, Wacco fridge, smev hob ,crash test bed ,load tyres etc,for how we use it lwb might have a better option feels a bit cramped sometimes.Armrests are nice but as you say can be tricky getting through , quite funny if you leave them down and try to get out of front doors!
I'm currently looking for a used T4 and i totally agree with you ! I've just seen a 340 000 km T4 that was in great condition according to the seller...But i noticed airbag warning light, brakes warning light, coolant leak and diesel leak. And the guy said it was so perfect that he could hit 1 million kilometers with his 2.5 TDI...
I had a conversation with another guy selling a 450 000 km 2.5 TDI T4 and he said the same thing : the price is high because the van can hit 1 million kilometers !!
TBH i'm not convinced at all...And the sound of the 2.5 TDI engine is terrible to my ears (so rough).
Listen to the engine under power it should sound like an RR
. Would have gone on to double that. The five cyl. Is almost indistructable. Rust is the biggest problem. Now the T5 I wouldn't touch with a bargepole!!
Because it is?
Had a VW t5 for ten years with very few problems ..sold it with only 25% depreciation. They really keep their value…excellent vans
You had it converted,why should they help U with the battery drain?Its not what they sold anymore.In fact I would not be surprised if the waranty was cancelled all together.
I had a 2006 T5 5 cylinder engine model for 13 years, it held its value and I got a good price when I sold it, it was pre DPF model and was fully reliable. The newer models with DPF and all the other crap they put on them are unreliable. They are obviously more expensive now we are out of the EU and import taxes will apply.
Great video. I've a 2018 T6. Had a battery drain issue from new. been back a few times, Replaced battery then battery regulator. Still have issue. Goes flat in 6 days if not charged. Now it is out of warranty they don't want to know. Costs me time and money to take it back each time. They haven't even done a parasitic drain test. Now I'm about to go to the ombudsperson. Apparently if I do so VW have to pay a fee of I think £250 unless they have paid an annual fee. The £250 they could spend doing a proper diagnostic. Unless as intimated in the comments that they know the issue but won't correct it. Regards Stephen
The vw transporter is the real life version of the famous " the emperor isn't wearing any clothes" story. It's just a bubble. They are not as good as they are famed to be. And I'm saying that as an owner of one. And if you think otherwise then there is a prince in Africa with millions of dollars he needs to transfer to you...
I was going to waste 12 grand on a 54 plate one. First time I'm buying a van I would have been devastated, I like transit custom I onlt want lights carpet rocknroll bed. It will have to be my day vehicle as well because I won't be able to afford a car as well. So I need something that hasnt been around the world twice.
VW's customer service is terrible, never had a good experience with them.
but the older VW Van's are great. I've had my T4 for 15 years now and it still going strong.
I once bent a couple of fuel lines changing my diesel injectors and the van still ran and drove until I got some new ones delivered.
Engine wise I've not really done alot to it, apart from regular maintenance and that's one thing I will say VW got right is these older engines.
As for the body, there are a few design flaws, wheel arches, sliding door, front and rear bumpers and steps. These places all rot out
But nothing some new panels can't fix.
I've been everywhere in this van and will continue to do so.
I had a vw T4 2.4D very bad engine. Twice changed engine head. Now i have in use a T4 2.5 tdi 370000 km. Its in indestructibleIt. Seems to work better and better. I also have a T6 Mileage has 110000 km. So far no problem.
To any prospective buyers....
I've had my T5.1 for 4 years. 20k trouble free miles. Lovely van with a professional trouble free conversion.
Not all are symtomatic of the generic issues highlighted in this video, even if a lot do suffer as described. (71k on the clock)
Dealerships......thats shocking buddy. They are a lovely van indeed but dont warrant the price tag at all.....like i say a cool van but not the £tag. Im a Ford guy but do like VW too.
I hope you get no more issues. Andrew
For battery drain would using a OBD2 memory saver to another battery work as a temporary measure. Can a vehicle be started if the main battery is flat and connecting a battery via the OBD2 port? Just a thought? Regards Stephen
Valid points, thanks for bringing them to the people.
Spot on number 5.. If you are are Builder.. That means You are not plumber or electrition....
Hey squire whats your workout and diet routine? Random I know, but I am interested.
Train 5 times a week, diet is pretty slack but I try to only cheat at the weekends
I got a t4 for the first time in my life and always drove honda's but I needed a van so a t4 it is got it for almost a year now and it's like you would expect from vw from that time period good, solid, reliable, with little problems like a window motor that stops, but coming from a Honda guy and mechanic the thing drives so damn good 😁🙏🏻💪🙏🏻
Main reason not to buy one???......The Burberry Cap of vans !!! When something becomes the cool accessory it very quickly becomes uncool.....
Had T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6. The latter is 204, DSG 4 motion. I’d have another. Says it all really doesn’t it. Also, I’ve had excellent service experience from my local VW agent .
Ive had my t6 kombi from new. It had a battery fault after about 3 months. The VW Dealer would not accept there was a fault telling me it was the type of journey i was doing (my previous t5 didn't have a problem with the same journeys). It took 3 break downs, a VW Master tech and then an AA recovery before the dealer would accept a warranty claim. It turns out the start stop batteries have a known fault but VW will not issue a recall.
Crazy man, I hear the same story over and over again. It's not like they are cheap vans!
@@CorpsMedia it’s not the first run in I’ve had with this VW dealer or the last. I would say the dealer network is ruining the brand but VW aren’t what they were. I jumped into a 97 polo and was blown away by the quality of the switch gear in it. Every button, knob and handle felt and sound rock solid after 23yrs and 200,000 miles. VW like all manufacturers are racing to the bottom line.
The Transporter has very many plusses compared to others. It lasts longer mainly cause it is a Volkswagen and the French cars are not built to be compared to those, Mercedes vans are even more expensive and their electricity system is faulty and their engine is stupidly unstable. Also, half of the Transporters are 4WD so they do not get stuck like anything else. Also you seem to be talking about The VW Caravelle or Multivan because the steering on the Transporter is more advanced than the others, it is not hard and without power. And another good thing is that they are bigger than the competitors and they are more compact and easier to sleep in. I am driving a 2007th year VW Transporter. I do have the shorter version but still quite big and quite fast. To be honest Toyota, Ford, Mercedes Benz, GAZ, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen- They have nothing against the Superior VW.
My Transporter's Specifications
2007, 2.0L R5 engine, FWD, Short body, and I did not mention it is a decommisioned Police van.
Still not putting me off. I want a T4 because I think they just look so much nicer than a 5-6. I do however want a petrol engine not diesel. I also drove a transit, a relay and a crafter for work for 11 years and being in a T5 or 6 would just feel too much like I was back in my old job. I like their slightly smaller size too, something cozy looking about it and it will fit onto our drive easier. I have sat in a new T6 and it felt a nice place to be much like my 2012 GTi and I've not yet sat in a T4. Just like the transporters parts for my slabby go for silly money BUT if you cross reference part numbers you often find the same part for a very undesirable bike and can save a small fortune. What I'm trying to figure out now is what to pay and should we have one plus our GTi or sell the GTi to increase the budget and have it as our daily?
Great video and so truth about late VAG models. This is why I bought 2005 T5 wiht solid 2.5 liter engine for my swamper project instead of T6. I rather do T5.1 mod and enjoy the look than deal with 2.0TDI reliability.
The only good thing about the transporters are arm rests on both sides of the drivers seat. Other than that the transit custom and even the Renault trafic destroys it in terms of space in the cab, equipment, driving, reliability, road noise (horrendous in the transporter) and every other metric you care to compare it on. The transporter struggles with any load over a few hundred kilos and even where lightly loaded squirms all over the place when changing lanes and rolls over painted lanes lines or slight indentations. They are constantly in the workshop for this and that. By the time thou get to the end of the road after a workshop visit the dash warning light is back on. Even the Volkswagen assist guys say that they are crap. It’s so bad that even Volkswagen have thrown the towel in and are having the next model designed and built for them by ford. Most transporter drivers will never admit this though because they’ve fallen deep into the sunken cost trap and are total nut huggers for some random reason. They’re not reliable, not good to drive, cramped and cost far too much.
Maybe more money for a t5 but far better vans, mines has 270k on it and still pulls like a train and doesn't use a lick of oil and yes the do have there problems such as drive shafts, 120 quid fixes that for another 4 yrs, gearbox recon 350 trade, set for another 200k, general wear and tear same as any other so don't see your point mate, the money you save on a Ford, citeron etc you will lose ten folds in resale.
Where did you get a gearbox for £350 from?
I bought my lwb t5 57plate 1.9 pd 102ps in 2009 from Vw, one owner 15k miles on it. I still use it to this day.
Gearbox synchro went at 52k (warranty)
Once the van was out of warranty I made a mistake of using people who claimed they were proper mechanics and not idiots from main dealer.
153k first dual mass fly wheel installed by Kwik fit as my mechanic said too big of a job. (Dual mass failing at 187k) but still using as I’m driving till it breaks completely currently at 200k and still banging away lol
At 170k I changed my wishbones etc. As someone had taken my genuine ones off and swapped for ocap ones along the way as I never had them replaced and ocap Is the cheapest shit from euro cp, I also noticed Other parts missing like the engine bay tray underneath and some battery housing plastics missing, quite a lot of my damage come from idiot mechanics.
109 relay is a common fault I paid £200 for someone to change parts that weren’t broken and still my van wouldn’t start when cold.
My no.1 hate is the heating control system cables jam or something and control breaks. I blame this on drinks holders breaking then drinks get put on dash they fall over spilling down the dash vent and sticking the components.
Door locks (don’t spray loads of lubricant in there) the sensors break.
I’ve tried Indy Vw mechanics with poor quality and high price might as well of gone to main dealer.
Best advice I can give in my opinion is find a good mechanic who knows about these vans do your homework on parts and who makes the genuine oem stuff don’t let them use the generic Shit from euro cp etc. Use genuine or whoever made the genuine parts. Or pay the extra little bit and go main dealer.
So now my van is on 202300 last mot had few advisories which were major defects shock springs corroded my full beams are stuck on and the heater is broke again so I’ve decided not to sell it or scrap scheme it. I’m going to strip it all out replace, fix and turn into a nice camper.
Apart from my troubles that van has been my best van I’ve ever had. That being said I can’t believe how much they are now! I only paid £10k plus vat from Vw nearly new,
Don't get me started on Transporter paint quality. None of my cars have paint that bubbles or rust patches appearing in the same places so why my Van?
Thanks for the vid. I have been pondering the idea of getting a T5 but I will think long & hard now. Re DMF failures Chops garage fitted a fixed/solid DMF to a Caddy with successful results. Not sure about long term but he noticed no difference from the standard DMF.
Which is best = Vw transporter or Toyota hiace or mercedes Vito For long motorway driving .
Luv my t5, had no issues, great van, no problems, 👍
i HAVE A CARAVELLE...235000 on the clock...still going strong. The only major issue was change the cam shaft after 195000, and the vw was good at it. The only thing is I got to change due to ulez
I agree 100%
Spent more on my t5 in repairs in 3 years than i did my t4 in 15!!!
Multiply driveshafts,dmf even gearbox!
Door locks ,dpf,egr, suspension bushes,topmounts.
I paid £2800 for mine in 2011. Its now worth £40k plus. I got it from California. Its a 1971 bus.
Your complaining about bad service from sellers. Stop complaining hit them with a summons from the small claims court. A warranty is part of your contract of sale.
Parts are over priced, that I agree with that. Mine is a T2, so it's very simple I terms of engine and gearbox. As for cowboys, you are spot on. Most are not up yo the job.
Found a lovely 2004 t5 owned by 1 careful carpenter.. asked if he wanted to sell.. he said yes, then he looked at what they were going for n pulled some crazy ass price outta the air cos of vw scene tax! Added to that you could hear the dreaded flywheel tapping away 🤦🏻♂️ such a shame
Looking at buying of these and the custom just can't make the decision seem to get more on the custom but love the look of the 6.1 good vid thanks
I drive a 1.8 ltr honda civic 2006 and I always get overtaken by a VW camper van or caravelle. How fast are the vans because they can shift quickly?
Im torn between transporter and a transit custom but i think you've turned me towards the ford. However i totally get the vw extra costs and they do hold their resale value where i guess the ford would loose value
My T6 did the exact same thing, battery drains in around 2 weeks. I got a brand new battery to try and fix it but it still happens.
I don't know if I mentioned it in the video but mine ended up being a faulty tow bar.
Love my VAG stuff, I've owned loads of them, run a couple of Skodas which I've done tonnes of miles in, generally detest anything French. But, faced with what VW Commercial sell..... I drive a Berlingo and it's been great.
I’m a bit odd, I’m clinically incapable of doing anything if it’s acknowledged as a trend, or buying popular products. Even if it’s the sensible choice, I can’t even bring myself to buy clothing with branding on it, It’s my cross to bear. For that reason alone I’m not going to be buying a VW van or a Ford van. I’ll probably end up buying some obscure vehicle that will be nothing but trouble 😂 with unobtainable spares, but at least I’ll be “different”. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to recovery 😂
I would just leave it with too expensive, I saw an ex police van gutted on the inside going for silly money
That’s why I got a California 6.1 if you can’t do a self build I decided best to buy a camper designed to be a camper.
Cracking honest vlog buddy, thanks for sharing!
Great videos, very informative. You mentioned in another video to avoid the Twin Turbo models, heard the DSG gearboxes can be a bit crap also, which means expensive to sort out - heard anything about them ?
I love a dsg, infact I don't think I would buy a van without it. When they do wrong they can be costly but worth the risk.
Twi
What you are thinking about Mercedes-Benz VIANO ?????
Transporter t5 and t6 are supposed to be fully hot dipped galvanised. You shouldn't be seeing rust for 25 years.
it seems like the case for not getting one is stronger than getting one
I've had my t5 for 13 years... and the market has changed so much!
There was so little available in terms of aftermarket parts in 2008 that I had to make many of the bits from scratch or alter other car parts as the alternative was genuine vw parts which were far too pricey, even used.
Just like your seats, I fitted audi q7 seats (I had no idea if they would fit and rotate, as no-one else had done it at the time)
I wanted the rear bed on rails, and ended up buying a Renault espace seat and rails and machining/welding up a bed base to the seat mechanism...
Also, even on my older 1.9, the flywheel went at around 70k. I also think that the flywheel are more at risk in a remapped engine (more torque at low revs, you can hear it!)
On the plus side, even after 13 years, my van is probably worth around 150% of the price I purchased it for. Not many non-classic vehicles could live up to that!
I had a vw caddy 2008 bought on 30,000 miles I drove that van everywhere sold it on 300,000 miles I bought a T5 to replace. Over the last year nothing but problems flywheel and clutch needed to be changed had a sqeak from steering wheel that to this day can't get fixed even though it's been to 3 different garage. I feel every time I drive van something else goes wrong. But anyone who has had this loud sqeak from steering wheel and fixed it could you please post what the problem was?😊
I have one, and thinking about building a camper. So I will have to buy a new van. The transporter is one of the worst cars in its size to build a camper out of.
No it's fantastic. Watch my other videos. I just did this one to highlight some issues.