Lug nut, Uh oh

Just discovered a loose lug nut on my week old CPO 2015 GSW tdi. Now I'm wondering what else they missed in the CPO inspection, lol. Is this issue worth raising with the dealer?

I doubt you have anything to worry about. You may want to let them know just so there is a record of it and so they can address it in the shop if need be.

Depending on what else you find, I would not.

Never really followed it personally, but I've read many places (usually tire shops) that lugs must be re-torqued 50 miles after removal and putting wheels back on.

I believe part of the TDI settlement warranty specifically mentions new tires?

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen or had to service lugs/ bolts that have come loose by dumbdumbs doing shotty work, Always recheck the torque after a few miles, 50 is about right. The problem is that wheels are now powder coated or painted vs the 90's and what not. I have had many a time where the culprit was a hot wheel from race braking and it softened or melted the powder coat and or paint.
Never EVER use an oil or antiseze on threads, it A makes them easily back out, and B more importantly increases the clamping force DRASTICALLY. A typical 5 lug wheel at 80ftlbs will yield about 800 to 1000 ftlbs of clamping pressure between the wheel face and the hub/rotor/drum. If just simple oil is used that number can go up to as high at ~5,000 depending on the condition. A study was done with Rusted studs and bolts and also with new studs and bolts, no oil was ~1000 on the new and ~800 on the rusted, when oiled the new reached ~4900 and the rusted reached ~4600. This kind of clamping pressure will defiantly warp a rotor and distorts the mating surface of the nut or bolt.

My hunch is that some jack0ff put some oil on the threads and it mushroomed the mating surface and it backed out. Pull the wheel and check with a flashlight the mating surfaces and the threads for metal shavings and oil etc... If anything like that is found, especially oil, bring it back and have them replace all the bolts/ studs and tap the threads and fix or replace any damaged wheel.
When I did training for NTB years back, this was a 101 course we all took to be "trained" as a GS (General Service).
It may also just be a mistake and it was never torqued and you’re fine. Still check it out and look for these signs because serious damage can be done if oil or any lubricant was used.

CPO warranty? Report everything. Then later if an issue does arise your covered.

IMO, 1 loose lug nut out of 5 on a wheel isn't going to harm anything. Definitely not a "warranty issue."

FWIW, my CPO had a loose negative battery terminal cable. I mean loose as in you could just lift it up off the terminal. It pays to always do your own safety inspections.

Report a loose lug nut as a warranty claim?
I’m not sure I could imagine anything more petty
Perhaps a door not properly shut, or a seat not returned to your preferential posture?
It’s crazy how people will use the smallest thing to segue into the whole “If there’s one, there’s more! I bet it was a drag car before you got it!”
I swear... people out here be like “he smells like he’s the type of guy to use the same hair gel that street racers do. CLEARLY this car’s been ragged and abused its whole life. Case closed. Run away”

if it became loos from a lubracant used or some other reason, other than it just not beeing torqued down,
100% go fail a claim and have it fixed. a retapped hub that no longer allows the bolt to torque down or mushroomed mating surface etc..... is a big deal.

No reason for hyperbole.

As already mentioned, improperly torqued lug nuts can result in wheel and/or rotor damage, which *is* a valid concern. Any issues that are potentially damaging should be documented in the event they do cause damage; that's a separate issue from raising Cain over it, though, and I don't see anyone suggesting to do so.

I'd just tighten it up and move on. Problem solved.

2000alhVW said:

Report a loose lug nut as a warranty claim?
I’m not sure I could imagine anything more petty
Perhaps a door not properly shut, or a seat not returned to your preferential posture?
It’s crazy how people will use the smallest thing to segue into the whole “If there’s one, there’s more! I bet it was a drag car before you got it!”
I swear... people out here be like “he smells like he’s the type of guy to use the same hair gel that street racers do. CLEARLY this car’s been ragged and abused its whole life. Case closed. Run away”

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I didn't say submit as a warranty claim, that would be dumb. Sheesh. I simply meant 1) to get it on record, and 2) to let them know someone in the shop got a little sloppy. And also just worried that the CPO inspection/ service might have been done hastily/ shoddy.

bbfarmer said:

I didn't say submit as a warranty claim, that would be dumb. Sheesh. I simply meant 1) to get it on record, and 2) to let them know someone in the shop got a little sloppy. And also just worried that the CPO inspection/ service might have been done hastily/ shoddy.

Click to expand...

Have you ever seen a VW shop do an oil change? If they can screw up an oil change they sure as heck can screw up a CPO inspection...

Yeah, you definately don't have to worry about the inspection being shoddy...that's a given!

I usually have to deal with over tightened lugs. Takes a breaker bar and a pipe extension to loosen. The tech at the tire shop gets carried away with the impact wrench.

my old shop had a strict policy when it comes to this issue. we fix it or send you packing to some other sucker mechanic. we refuse to not fix things that become our liability.