Wife’s car, but guess who’s got to sort it out 😕

VW Golf Estate 2.0tdi, 2010, 142k miles (we’ve had from new), FSH. Might be worth about 4k. Anyway, the gearbox has eaten itself and it’s currently sitting in a VW main dealer 25 miles away with the gearbox held in by sticky tape and blu tac. Cost of (main dealer) repair is more than the car is worth. Doesn’t qualify for any scrappage scheme!

Can’t be driven or towed back home, and I’ve been wondering about ebay as a source of disposal following advice given on a few old threads on here.

So, if someone buys it as a project, will they want it gearbox in or out?

Dealer don’t seem arsed about it being moved, so should I sell it where it is?

Anybody got any views on whether a sale like this is worth bothering with? Can’t find anything similar on ebay to compare it with. Or just scrap it or try flog to a breaker?

We’re not buying any lottery tickets at the mo, 20th C problem but to suddenly “lose” 4k on a car is not a nice feeling!

If you have had the car from new, with a full history will VW not look some kind of goodwill gesture towards the cost? Ask at the dealers or try VW UK.

Tried. No goodwill. (admittedly haven’t tried very hard).

My Alfa lunched it’s engine when the cam belt went. It was on a PCP scheme, it was cheaper for me to buy the PCP scheme out and then sell the car to a specialist to repair than pay for a repair and keep going with the PCP.

I’d advise finding an indy specialist who may be abel to buy it off you as they’ll be abel to fix it for a lot less than it woudl cost you and therefore may pay a reasonable amount for it.

Were you planning on keeping it or replacing it soon? If keeping I would look for a used gearbox from a breaker. Either fit it yourself or get quotes from a garage to change it for you.

If you do decide to move it on I would suggest leaving the gearbox in the car.

Any local VW specialists that could give you a quote or a decent indi garage? VW tend to err on the expensive side

DSG or manual?

Either ebay it, or buy a reconditioned gearbox (if manual).

Who says the gearbox is goosed? Why don’t you show it to an independent? It might be something ridiculously easy to fix but just difficult to access and the dealer can’t be bothered, or wants to sell you a new car.

If really goosed (unlikely unless you’ve abused it) a reconditioned replacement would be cost-effective, generally you PX the old box. Even a local gearbox specialist might be able to sort it.

We’ve looked into it from an indy, still looking at 1500-2000 quid ish and frankly I don’t think it’s worth it. (extra bonus points for flywheel and clutch slave…)

It’s 7 years old and I just think her mode of usage and its type are mutually incompatible. Frankly, we’re at the “get rid” phase and use whatever money we get to help fund its replacement which will probably be a slightly used 7-seater.

I’m a leasing fan, she’s not. “Waste of money” she says, having lost 2k per annum plus costs on this car… 😀

There is a local VW specialist who might be worth a try to take it off us. Hmm, worth a call.

It’s a manual. Deffo ****. Part of the clutch plate failed and wore a hole in the gearbox (or something like that).

Not much consolation I know, but I have a 2.0tdi Golf estate and over the last 3 months it has needed 4 tyres, 2 brake calipers, discs, pads, two wheels and it’ll soon be going in for a new timing belt.

So while I agree that losing £4k is a hard pill to swallow, you could view it as cost avoidance on constantly having repairs done to a crappy old VW.

I’m not bitter about it though!

eemy – that’s where I am with it. New back springs this year, and a pair of tyres. DPF blocking quite a bit. I’ve had enough of her texting me when I’m working away and saying “car’s done xyz… what do I do?” 😛

So straw poll says get gearbox reinstalled, bung it on ebay and see what it fetches?

I’m hoping it will at least cover the dealer’s bill for the strip down (£youdontwannaknow)…

Is Gumtree better for cars? Anyone any idea what it might be worth? At all?!?

So it’s £4k dead loss if you scrap it.

It’s £2k spend, plus a sellable car worth about £4k, if you get it fixed at an indy.

Missing an option?

If you have had enough of it then get rid. eBay for parts or local buy/sell. Leasing isn’t a bad option. Look on https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/
See what deals are around.

She won’t lease. I even found her this mo’fo and she’s still not having it!
https://www.contracthireandleasing.com/independent-brokers/leaseshop/peugeot/traveller/229052143

mrmonkfinger – just had enough of it. No problem with someone else buying it off us to make a few quid. I guess you might have given us an idea on its worth though, I wonder if we can get 1500-2000 for it. Hmmm. After costs we might have enough left for a slap up bag of chips. Each.

Binners

Surely the only reasonable option is to spend £2k getting it fixed then sell it (as you don’t want to keep it). That way you ‘only’ lose £2k rather than £4k.

Definitely badger VW for a goodwill gesture; I’m in an almost identical situation right now – 2007 Suzuki Jimmy, only 27000 miles and completely knackered – Suzuki ‘never seen anything like it’, can’t tell if the problem stems from the gearbox, 4WD transfer, front axle…£4-5k to fix, worth £3.5k if running correctly, FA as it is. Suzuki have offered me £2.5k for a trade in which I have accepted and I collect my (albeit unwanted) new car next week. Annoying as I had no thought of replacing it but it’s always been a bit of a pup so I reckon it’s worth cutting my losses. Good luck!

is a 7 yr old Golf with over 140k miles on it really worth £4k ?

good luck with leasing at 20,000 miles/year. Typical cost/mile is significant – you’d be looking at doubling the cost of what you had up there

She only does 8k p.a. – I do the motorway stuff.

Only one on autotrader similar is:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201708318836434?year-from=2010&onesearchad=Used&fuel-type=Diesel&make=VOLKSWAGEN&year-to=2010&body-type=Estate&minimum-badge-engine-size=2.0&sort=sponsored&transmission=Manual&postcode=bt266ne&radius=1500&model=GOLF&minimum-mileage=125000&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

molgrips to the thread . molgrips to the thread.

anyways assuming its a nice car and still not throwing major issues id certainly throw 800-1000 quid at getting a used box from a reputable source fitted by an indy – worth getting quotes for supply and fit from them before you look at boxes as they will know how to find the correct one but then from reading your comments you seem like you want nothing to do with this so just stick it on ebay with an honest description as a non runner . youll be surprised what amateur mechanics will bid up to if they think they are getting a bargain…..taking a punt on a used box off ebay and fitting that will only set them back 300 quid ish + time.

eBay .99p start no reserve auction

is a 7 yr old Golf with over 140k miles on it really worth £4k ?

My thoughts exactly.

5 or 6 speed? I’d just bung a S/H tranny in it. Plenty of 5 speed boxes around, but the 6 speed ones are rare as they all seem to go bang at high miles. I’ve just rebuilt mine, so I’m up to speed on VW boxes.

Where abouts in the UK is it, as I might be interested?

Marko

trail_rat – Member
molgrips to the thread . molgrips to the thread.
anyways assuming its a nice car

It’s had Rich’s 3 sprogs clambering around in it in addition to rich guffing in it 😉 I’m guessing the interior has more bacterial soup in it than a sewage works.

I doubt you’d get £2k in it’s current condition. Therefore, the sensible option, if it’s really worth £4k running, is to fix it then sell it.

If you have zero appetite for the repair, ring a few VW specialist breakers and see if any of them want to buy it. They’d stick a replacement (used) gearbox in it then sell it on at a decent profit.

If you can find a couple who are interested and get them bidding against each other, that will likely yield the best return in it’s current state. If that fails eBay, 99p and no reserve.

142k not worth bothering with trying to repair, it’s only a (short) matter of time until something else expensive goes.

Even if you find a box cheap, the amount of man hours to fit it will cost you.

Well… if you get a box from a scrappy, doesn’t have to be good, just work for now, get a back street garage to fit it, then immediately flog it, this is also an option…

Sell for parts on ebay/gumtree will be your best bet though, well easiest..

Piss off Nige, I’m trying to flog a car. “One careful owner” is what I’m trying to allude to 😀

142k not worth bothering with trying to repair, it’smaybe only a (short) matter of time until something else expensive goes.

but equally you could spunk 15k on a used example of the same car and it also explodes in painful expense….

also emmy has a strange attitude towards their car as well

4 tyres, 2 brake calipers, discs, pads, two wheels and it’ll soon be going in for a new timing belt.

all bar wheels are consumables – all cars need them at somepoint(even those with timing chains need chain work at somepoint before the smart arses come ;)) as much as im not VW biggest fan theres nothing about those repairs that makes your car a “Crappy VW that always needs repaired”

Spares or repair on eBay, buyer collects. It’ll go for reasonable money if you do a decent advert and it’s very little hassle. Leave all broken parts in it.

Worth £4k as a runner, spares or repair perhaps £1k?
Recon / tranny from a scrapper plus new clutch and gubbings perhaps £1.5k.
Whilst it might grate to spend money on it, I think its probably worth it. To replace the current (broken ) car with a similar car etc is going to cost at least £4k. And then you’re introducing an unknown variable, where at least the current car is a know entity.
Im fairly handy with the spanners and have changed clutches in the past, so a gearbox swap really isn’t any different from that, so I’d do the work myself.

Following on from our Mazda 5 debacle in the last year or so, I think spending any more money on it is out (apart from recovery) as the law of sod would see it getting a pair of punctures on the way home from spending 2k on a gearbox being fitted!

It’s in Wirral, Marko (actually in Chester at the mo). 6sp box. All motorway miles up to 120k then she’s killed it in 2 years…

It actually had a replacement DMF/clutch etc at 37k under warranty when the pressure plate (?) went kerplop. Hey ho.

Is Gumtree better for cars?

Yes – At the banger/spares or repairs end of market, especially as it’s free. Nobody will travel for that vehicle – well some idiot will.

Nothing wrong with the mileage btw as long as you’ve not been on longlife service intervals.

as long as you’ve not been on longlife service intervals.

Oh, er, hmmm. It’s always had those as it was my company car. Last done sept 16 and (funnily enough) I was going to swap it to regular intervals this time due to her different driving type.

Rich, it’s at Sealand Rd VW? What a bunch of robbing shyster’s they are. I have never met such a bunch of up their own ar#e salespeople in all my life. 👿
There is a VW specialist in Ellesmere Port who is very good( can’t remember the name off hand, sorry) edit…http://www.centralvwaudi.com
If you fancy a new one then give Nick a call here
http://www.nickrobertscars.co.uk
A family friend and top guy.

Yes it is. To be fair, the services have all been very nice to date. Then I pitched up this year and everything had… changed.

The suits are shinier, the haircuts more extravagant and the service not quite as knowledgeable. Bumped into one of the service guys elsewhere too, and he didn’t say much but wasn’t very complimentary about them. Mechanics still seem good to chat to, but there’s a veneer of nice but ineffective on top.

Thanks for the tips, will be making calls tomorrow…