Maybe an end in sight for Kangaroo jerking...

[pompeydave]

Sorry to hear your issues Bigjase88 with the 1.5 130 , I wonder if you had the 150 version things would of turned out differently ? Completely understand you returning car , nothing worse driving something that manufacturer says can't repair the car or can't find anything wrong with it. I am looking to downsize from my current 200hp Astra and was looking at a 1.0FR Ibiza 115 but a Leon 1.5 150 caught my eye the other day but this thread jumped into my mind when looking at it.
Didn't test drive it but wondered if the 150 has similar issues to the 130 , it was a 19 plate.

 

[RUM4MO]

I've probably written this before, but a friend of my wife has a late 2018 VW Golf 1.5TSI 130PS bought slightly used and it has not been updated as far as I know and it behaves very well, and her husband is a car guy so he would notice if anything was wrong. My mate has a May 2018 VW T-Roc 1.5TSI 150PS and that car works as it should, luckily or stupidly he used a non VW dealer for its year 2 service, so no chance of any S/W updates being applied.

So there are cars out there that are working okay and it sounds like fewer 150PS ones have this issue, if I were you, I'd go for the Leon 1.5TSI 150PS, I know that some day my wife might need to end up with a 1.0TSI with a cylinder missing but until she/we will keep away from that option!

Edit:- sorry, both these cars have manual gearboxes.

 

[pompeydave]

Thanks RUM4MO , well I've had a lifestyle job change this year so work from home now hence just looking at a 200hp Astra sitting outside most of the time ! When I do use it it's to the post office and back or to nip down the beach etc .Apart from 1 journey to London and back every other week (160 miles) it's all very short journeys . I did like that mystery blue Leon 1.5tsi 150 but with p/ex etc will prob lose quite a few £££ and not gain anything regards to mpg hence the 1.0 Ibiza 115 appeals .

 

[RUM4MO]

Fair enough, I don't like using a biggish engined car for short journeys either, so my wife's 1.2TSI 110PS Polo gets used 90% of the time, my 3.0TFSI 330PS S4 sleeps in the garage most of the time, unfortunately it has become a "treat/toy" car for special occasions!!

 

[Loadmaster748]

An end has come.....

So after nearly 23 months my kangaroo nightmare is over .....

it’s gone - traded out.

i wouldn’t say the Leon have been all bad but I just couldn’t live with paying that money every month for something that left me exacerbated at times and essentially disappointed so it is gone.
I would say that if Seat and my local dealership had been more forthcoming with support I would have stuck it out but alas no help in sight... their loss as I took my trade elsewhere this time and bought a VW without a 1.5 tsi engine.

Good luck to the rest of you, I’ll stick around on the forum for a while.
Cheers.

Shame it had to end that way - I certainly hope I don't have any issues with my local main dealer if I need any hep.

Having said that, our Ateca is a 2020 (July collection) with the 1.5 tsi manual with no kangarooing whatsoever. Maybe it affected older models, last year?

 

[RUM4MO]

Shame it had to end that way - I certainly hope I don't have any issues with my local main dealer if I need any hep.

Having said that, our Ateca is a 2020 (July collection) with the 1.5 tsi manual with no kangarooing whatsoever. Maybe it affected older models, last year?

From an onlooker's position, I think that it should be the opposite, ie only earlier DACA (130PS) and a lesser way DADA(150PS) - all evolutions or later versions of these engines should really have been brought to market with these issues resolved, but thing don't always work out that way! Remember there are significant differences between the 130PS and the 150PS 1.5TSI engines, the 150PS is not just "tuned" differently, its valve timing is a lot different and it has a variable geometry turbo charger.

 

[Loadmaster748]

From an onlooker's position, I think that it should be the opposite, ie only earlier DACA (130PS) and a lesser way DADA(150PS) - all evolutions or later versions of these engines should really have been brought to market with these issues resolved, but thing don't always work out that way! Remember there are significant differences between the 130PS and the 150PS 1.5TSI engines, the 150PS is not just "tuned" differently, its valve timing is a lot different and it has a variable geometry turbo charger.

Will we ever know the truth behind all this? Doubt it. This thread is massive now, but there is one within it that I read some months ago about late 2019 units being updated and not affected by Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

 

[Yern]

I've never experienced Skippy with my DACA 1.5 TSI (and no updates that I know of).

 

[RUM4MO]

From an onlooker's position, I think that it should be the opposite, ie only earlier DACA (130PS) and a lesser way DADA(150PS) - all evolutions or later versions of these engines should really have been brought to market with these issues resolved, but thing don't always work out that way! Remember there are significant differences between the 130PS and the 150PS 1.5TSI engines, the 150PS is not just "tuned" differently, its valve timing is a lot different and it has a variable geometry turbo charger.

I've just spotted that I implied that the 1.5TSI 150PS has a variable geometry turbo, I should have pointed out that it is the 1.5TSI 130PS that has the variable geometry turbo and a different valve timing to "normal" engines.

 

[Vag8]

I've never experienced Skippy with my DACA 1.5 TSI (and no updates that I know of).

You may well be one of the lucky ones, it was explained by my dealership early on that was the kangaroo issues I was having that the differed to the issues effected 1.5 150.

They are different engines not just a detuned version of the same engine.
They went on to say that the 1.5 130 issues effected roughly 1 in 4 of cars sold, and that was why Seat and VW we’re having such a problem in tracking down the issues, there have been software patches that worked with varying success, there have been ecu flashing, injectors replaced where this reported success, only for the issues to reappear usually within a 1000miles.

Accusations of using the wrong fuel (supermarket not branded) , that your driving wrong etc.... etc
but I can safely say that of all the people I know that have had the kangaroo issues with their 1.5 130 that the issue have never been fully fixed!
Whereas I know a of a few where the 1.5 150 has been fully cured of problems...

if you have a good one and no kangaroo, it will likely stay that way, but if you haven’t I feel your pain...

My only regret is I wish I had pushed for rejection early on and didn’t allow myself to fall fowl of brand loyalty and dealership promises of fixes that never materialised.

So after 23 months I gave up waiting for a fix and traded it out.

 

[martin j.]

Interesting reading that approx 1 in 4 130hp engines are affected, just wondering what the ratio might be in 1.5 150 horse engines? wife has seen a 2019 1.5 fr in blue she might like, dealer (salesman) claims not to have heard of the problem. Not sure if it's even worth taking her for a closer look. Any engine code a better bet than others, I have read ots of the thread but it's turning my brain to mince.

 

[Seriously?]

dealer (salesman) claims not to have heard of the problem

Let's face it, no salesman in their right mind is going to admit that there is an underlying issue that no one seems able to fix.......any chance you can turn up when they open and ask for a test drive when you have a good chance the engine is cold??

 

[Vag8]

Interesting reading that approx 1 in 4 130hp engines are affected, just wondering what the ratio might be in 1.5 150 horse engines? wife has seen a 2019 1.5 fr in blue she might like, dealer (salesman) claims not to have heard of the problem. Not sure if it's even worth taking her for a closer look. Any engine code a better bet than others, I have read ots of the thread but it's turning my brain to mince.

Sorry to say he’s likely to be lying to you,
I’m not saying every 1.5 150 is effected, but it’s naive of him to suggest he’s never heard of the issue.

If I were you I would have a read of honest John website and look for the VW 1.5 hesitation issues - they were pretty much the only motoring journalists to take the issue to task with Vw even though VW say all vehicles with the issue have now been rectified. And if believe that... then I’d still have a Leon !!

I would have a good look a the trocforum.co.uk and there page relating to the 1.5 evo 1st gear kangaroo where you will find 251 pages !!!
Obviously it relates to the t-roc but this is the same engine used in the Leon and many others.

The car your looking at may well be fine, but test drive it first thing in the morning and don’t fall for the ‘we just brought it round to make it easier for you to test drive’ or the ‘it was low on petrol so I just splashed some in, so that’s why it’s warm’ as unless you drive it from cold you won’t properly know if it’s effected.

good luck

 

[martin j.]

As an ex salesman I know all about sales techniques, although we’re not all about to take your first born or steal the sugar oot your tea, there are salesmen who pay no interest other than a signature on the order and payment, I was trying get an idea on how likely is it for this car to be affected, we were getting car to use as a courtesy car while hers is in for work on a 24 hour loan so there will be plenty chance to try it in all conditions. Are manuals as affected as dsg?

 

[Dave90]

I have a seat Leon manual 130 1.5 engine 2019. Never complained about it as I didn't find it too bad but the car does have one of the affected engines and it did suffer from jerkyness in first and 2nd gear and noticeably low power in 1st and 2nd with low revs. Car was in for a main dealer service last week. They must automatically apply any ecu updates and now the car is transformed. My issues have completly gone. No jerkyness even when cold, smooth power delivery and more grunt in lower revs

 

[martin j.]

Wife is having a rethink already, she doesn’t have a good record with Red cars and thinks this might be the wrong move to tempt fate as each previous ‘ouch’ had got more serious, if true to form the next would be really bad.

 

[Seriously?]

Wife is having a rethink already, she doesn’t have a good record with Red cars and thinks this might be the wrong move to tempt fate as each previous ‘ouch’ had got more serious, if true to form the next would be really bad.

Strange you should say that; Mrs Seriously had a grey Ibiza before the current Leon which she kept for 3 years without getting a single blemish on it. In just over 2 years the Desire Red Leon has a mark on every corner(none self inflicted) and a front passenger door with a parking ding that looks like it was inflicted by a Centurion Tank. Go figure.....

 

[GeoffGeoff]

Hey chaps,

Had my first service yesterday and asked them to look at this for me while it was in (along with 4 new tyres) and they did the update for me without issue.

Still early days but initial impression are it’s 95% fixed and only when I really try to invoke it do I notice a slight jerkiness.

Will keep you posted over the next few days/weeks as it settles in and temperature drops further but so far so good.

Geoff

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Kangaroo has finally ended for me. With a little help from the Financial Ombudsman and DEKRA, 24 months since first ordering it, the heap of trash 130 TSI has finally gone and a full refund issued. It’s been a long and stressful road with many bumps but I persevered and never gave up. What a complete farce. Worst car experience ever.

 

[Mr Pig]

....dealer (salesman) claims not to have heard of the problem.

Have you ever asked a dealer about a well known issue and they've admitted knowing about it? I haven't seem it. Not once.