any design faults i should know about?

[zhn1978]

Hi

just wondering if anyone can advise of any desgin faults/problems I should be aware of as a newbie(ish ) tolly owner? Reason I am aksing is we bought our v5 in March and it has 12 months warranty on it as we bought from a seat dealer.

I know the regulators going in the windows is a common design fault (as it is based on vw golf and this also features the same fault!) and this is being fixed under warranty tomorrow. basically i just want to take as much advantage of the warranty as poss! I am also getting the handbrake cover sorted as this has come loose, plus the brakes are squealing slightly when reversing at low speed. (i've seen someone else has experienced this problem and apparently some coppergrease on the back of the pads should solve it).

cheers for any help/advice

zoe

 

[Stubill]

What mileage, year is your V5 (20V or 10V) ?

Noisy brakes on reversing is common across the SEAT range, copper grease will probably cure but it will return. Nothing to worry about though - just annoying until you get used to it

MAF - will fail at some point (60-80K as a finger in the air)
Coilpacks - not as common to fail as some of the other models but still
vunerable depending on what vintage your V5 is.

Then just the usual suspect sensors - engine temp. and lambda's. Not really any different to any other VAG group car though to be honest.

In my experience of SEAT dealers (and mine is a good one in my opinion) they won't actually replace anything under warranty unless it actually fails.

All in all the V5 is a sound car unless you are particularily unlucky.

Happy V5 motoring

 

[Sam20v]

What year is it Zoe?

The only design fault i can think of is using plastic clips in the electric window mechanisms, i think thats what your having rectified isnt it?

i guess using plastic impellor water pumps wasnt the best design, but they dont all snap.....just keep an eye on your instruments.

The tolly is a cracking car and you will prob find it is just wear and tear rather than probs with design that causes failures........If you have any probs or queries with any specific aspect of the car or if is sounds/handles differently to how it used to for example, put a post on here...............

i have had a fair bit done on my 1.8 basically cos its an early one and just the usual stuff wearing out.

cheers
Samantha

 

[GrayT]

MAF & brake switch are the one's I have experienced (so have lots of others). Touch wood, the brake switch hasn't gone since they replaced it with an uprated design.

Easy to get put off with some of the MAF stories but essentially the engine itself is very robust and most parts of the engine, body and interior wear well and take lots of mileage. Interior door handles seem to wear, though I swapped mine front to back a few months ago so the crappy ones are on the rear.

 

[zhn1978]

re: any design faults

hi

its a y reg on 63k. excuse my ignorance but i am not that techy when it comes to cars but what is the MAF? (and also how much to fix should it fail out of warranty?)

really appreciate all the advice. hubby was getting itchy feet thinking we'd bought a duff. (we've also had a problem with the coils which again was fixed under warranty).

ttfn

zoe

 

[zhn1978]

also forgot to say it has full service history with the dealer that we bought it from. I do have to remind hubby that it will be susceptible to similar probs experienced with the other vaw cars (our previous car was a mk4 golf tdi and its passenger window went).

zoe

 

[Sam20v]

MAF is a Mass Air Flow Sensor. It is a platinum sensor that detects the amount of and temperature of the air and adjusts the fuel air mix accordingly. If it goes wrong it tends keep working badly (hence no fault codes will show up). It results in incorrect fuel/air mixes and making the car run sluggish.....poor performance at the low end on the gear changes.

a new sensor is a couple of hundred quid, but the dealers are offer an exchange service. You buy a MAF for around £80 in addition you put down something like £30 deposit, swap your MAF out and when you take your old one back in, you get your deposit back......so in all it is around £80 for the sensor.

I have had to do mine......at around 89K

 

[GrayT]

My MAF went at just 56K. Literally just replaced, but was done at dealer as it was in for service anyway. Part cost £75.10 + VAT. As Sam says, easily changed yourself.

As others have mentioned you can't really just get stuff changed on warranty unless there is a proven fault. However, if the car is at all sluggish, as Sam says it does not always show up on fault codes. When I first suggested MAF to my dealer they didn't change it because they couldn't diagnose it. Only when it deteriorated significantly did they opt to replace it (still not showing fault codes) which confirmed it was that all along. Experience of others on here suggests that outside of plugs/coil packs 90% of faults relating to sluggish, hesitant performance are MAF related. Replacement at least carries 2 year warranty on it. Some have had Lambda probe problems.

As said, in the wider scheme of things it's a low cost 'repair' for a very smooth, torquey motor. Don't despair, these forums almost inevitably discuss faults and problems and you can easily get a clouded view. Most V5 owners are very happy. Of course they are loaded with equipment and as years go by somethings bound to go wrong but so far electric seats, mirrors and windows on mine have been fine. Car now over 6 years old, I've had it for 2 years and it's wearing very well indeed.

 

[Stubill]

Zoe - Does your V5 have SAT NAV ?

Just trying to establish if you have a 10V or a 20V engine as 2001 was the transistion point.

 

[GrayT]

Zoe - Does your V5 have SAT NAV ?

Just trying to establish if you have a 10V or a 20V engine as 2001 was the transistion point.

Sounds like 20v as post 5 said they had problems with the coils?

 

[zhn1978]

no it doesnt have sat nav and hubby said yes its a 20v.

cheers for everyones help!

Zoe