Mk7 Common issues and resolutions

[linux_author]

nitpick: when doors and liftgate are open with engine running, backup camera does NOT turn on when in reverse!!!

(i was trying to back up the vehicle on the driveway to give more room for the hose)

willie
on the washing the car closer to the garage Gulf of Mexico

 

[ottobon100]

Rear Nozzle Leaking

Rear window wash nozzle leaking. Have an appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. 1,800 miles on the car and loving it. I had an '06 Benz ML350 (traded it for the TDI) that had the rear window nozzle leak also. Maybe the same supplier

 

[andyrooski17]

Rear window wash nozzle leaking. Have an appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. 1,800 miles on the car and loving it. I had an '06 Benz ML350 (traded it for the TDI) that had the rear window nozzle leak also. Maybe the same supplier

Let us know how that goes, especially what the fix is. I had mine "fixed" almost right after i bought the car, but that was a check valve installation, not any kind of officially sanctioned part replacement. To be sure, it's better, but there are still a couple drips after each spray.

 

[ottobon100]

Fixed leaking rear window nozzle

Rear window wash nozzle leaking. Have an appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. 1,800 miles on the car and loving it. I had an '06 Benz ML350 (traded it for the TDI) that had the rear window nozzle leak also. Maybe the same supplier

Just picked up the car from VW so time will tell if the repair works. They had to order the part which took an extra day. Replaced the nozzle per the Tech Tip TurnOne posted. Same part number as mentioned in the Tech Tip: 5GO-955-993, Washer Jet.

 

[JASONP]

Anyone notice water in the rear passenger floor area after a rain or car wash?
Been getting this now for a few months and going to dealer shortly.

Seem as though it's coming in between the door and door panel itself and sits on top of the seal then runs down carpet.

https://vimeo.com/133085157

 

[cane929]

I am new to Diesel engines so excuse the question, can a regen cycle happen when the car only have 70 miles, today it did just that, the fan kept running after I stopped the engine and a lot of burning smell filled the garage, I understand the regen process but at 70 miles total?

 

[JASONP]

Yes its normal, they will start to decrease between miles as the burns off oils and what not from manufacturing processes and the engine breaks in .
I did notice every 100 km when mine was new, now I don't notice anymore at 29,000 km

 

[cane929]

Thanks a lot Jasonp, I feel much better now, didn't think it would do it this early in the miles.

 

[kjclow]

On the first cr diesels, the regen happens about once a tankful. Some are passive and you may never notice them. Others are requested and those are the ones that you typically notice with higher rpm and often with the engine fans continuing to run. The fans will also run if the car decides it is too hot when you shut it down. Being in Florida, you will notice this quite often.

 

[cane929]

Excellent, good to know Kjclow, thanks

 

[MrShip]

If you have the subwoofer upgrade, make sure your trunk is at the top level. There is a noticeable difference between the floor being at the top level (lots of bass), and the floor being at the bottom level (less bass).

 

[acrossthepond]

Useful tip - thanks

 

[doctorkb]

I do miss the japanese feature of only triggering the panic button if you hold it down for a few seconds.

This can be coded in VCDS.

 

[ottobon100]

Door problem

After getting the rear window washer nozzle leak fixed with a new nozzle a couple weeks ago I now have a problem with the right front passenger door. Takes quite a bit of effort to get the door open! Another very inconvenient appointment to get something else fixed. Still, we love the car. Just going to take awhile to get the gremlins fixed on a NEW car. Probably a minor fix but what a hassle.

Update: 25 July. Coming home this morning the lumbar adjustment handle on the driver's seat fell off! Just fell off coming around a corner at 20-25 mph. Maybe "Assembled In Mexico" isn't a good idea VW! Also, hoping J.D. Power calls for my feedback on VW quality ;-) While these three items in my first month of ownership have only been minor so far I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Appointment made for Wednesday morning (29th).

Update: 13 August. All is well. VW has fixed the nozzle, lumbar handle, and access to the passenger side. Door had to have several parts replaced. Three trips to the dealer with my new car wasn't fun but now - Happy!

 

[TDI_Redux]

After getting the rear window washer nozzle leak fixed with a new nozzle a couple weeks ago I now have a problem with the right front passenger door. Takes quite a bit of effort to get the door open! Another very inconvenient appointment to get something else fixed. Still, we love the car. Just going to take awhile to get the gremlins fixed on a NEW car. Probably a minor fix but what a hassle.

Update: 25 July. Coming home this morning the lumbar adjustment handle on the driver's seat fell off! Just fell off coming around a corner at 20-25 mph. Maybe "Assembled In Mexico" isn't a good idea VW! Also, hoping J.D. Power calls for my feedback on VW quality ;-) While these three items in my first month of ownership have only been minor so far I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Appointment made for Wednesday morning (29th).

I resurrected my membership from 15 years ago under a new name, more than a decade after saying "auf wiedersehen" to my last of 4 VWs (and 2 TDIs) for all the same reasons I'm reading about here today. Amazing.

I have (among others) a 2012 Ford Focus with the sport suspension, dry-clutch auto and 17s. The car reminds me of my M2 GLI 2 decades ago - light, tossable, firm. I have gotten as high as 43mpg on 2-lane trips at 60mph. I have been browsing, gawking, and adoring the Golf TDI Sportwagens since they were Jetta TDI Sportwagens, missing that TDI torque, missing that MB-esque VW interior quality, and loving the idea of a 6-speed, 150hp, 17"-wheeled, panoramic-sunroofed Golf recently, having owned the 90hp, 15"-wheeled, no-roof variants of the 2000s. So, here I was, searching for "Mk7 known issues" when I came across this thread, like a bad-quality repeat of Groundhog Day.

Doors that don't fit? Are you ****ing serious? Gas caps that don't match? pissing urea pumps?

I'm glad to see VW has "improved" (I use this term relatively-speaking) their warranties, from 2/24 back in the day, to 3/36. But come on. My Focus - the first Ford I've ever owned - has top-notch finish, all the panels are tightly-seemed and line up, and after 46k miles, the only thing I've had to take it in for was something so minor I've forgotten what it was, 2 years ago. Yes, you will find thousands of complainants about the "Lemon transmission," but to date, I haven't found any issues with mine, and unlike VW, Ford has extended the warranty on the Focus auto $hitboxes to 7/100, so I'm not really worried about it.

Reading about all this garbage with VW is the EXACT reason I ran to Mercedes CPO 11 years ago - if I'm gonna have to deal with service departments, why not get a CPO warranty for 100k (now 135k), a free loaner car every time, and no hassle? If you're gonna pay 30k for a German car that's going to sit in the shop, you might as well buy a 5 year old E-class diesel with 60k for the same money. Oh - and despite the fact that the paint on newer, non-"elite" MBs (read: anything other than an S or beyond) isn't what it used to be, I haven't noticed any of the 5 Benzes I've had since I last sat in a VW having mismatched paint, or doors that won't close properly

Please, tell me why I still want one of these hunks of crap. It's your job to convince me that I should go test drive a $30,000 car whose quality is every bit as poor as it was 15 years ago, whose warranty is half what it should be, and that doesn't get much better hwy MPG than my gas Focus. I sincerely am trying to keep an open mind here, but I don't want to fall into the "stupid is making the same mistake again" category

 

[Caseyb476]

I'm not a salesman, so keep your Ford.

I'm more than happy with my Golf, and can't think of a car that I've had less problems with. I don't think anyone would argue that they are crap here, at least not yet. I think both of the Toyotas in my driveway have had an equal number of issues.

 

[Korab]

I resurrected my membership from 15 years ago under a new name, more than a decade after saying "auf wiedersehen" to my last of 4 VWs (and 2 TDIs) for all the same reasons I'm reading about here today. Amazing.

I have (among others) a 2012 Ford Focus with the sport suspension, dry-clutch auto and 17s. The car reminds me of my M2 GLI 2 decades ago - light, tossable, firm. I have gotten as high as 43mpg on 2-lane trips at 60mph. I have been browsing, gawking, and adoring the Golf TDI Sportwagens since they were Jetta TDI Sportwagens, missing that TDI torque, missing that MB-esque VW interior quality, and loving the idea of a 6-speed, 150hp, 17"-wheeled, panoramic-sunroofed Golf recently, having owned the 90hp, 15"-wheeled, no-roof variants of the 2000s. So, here I was, searching for "Mk7 known issues" when I came across this thread, like a bad-quality repeat of Groundhog Day.

Doors that don't fit? Are you ****ing serious? Gas caps that don't match? pissing urea pumps?

I'm glad to see VW has "improved" (I use this term relatively-speaking) their warranties, from 2/24 back in the day, to 3/36. But come on. My Focus - the first Ford I've ever owned - has top-notch finish, all the panels are tightly-seemed and line up, and after 46k miles, the only thing I've had to take it in for was something so minor I've forgotten what it was, 2 years ago. Yes, you will find thousands of complainants about the "Lemon transmission," but to date, I haven't found any issues with mine, and unlike VW, Ford has extended the warranty on the Focus auto $hitboxes to 7/100, so I'm not really worried about it.

Reading about all this garbage with VW is the EXACT reason I ran to Mercedes CPO 11 years ago - if I'm gonna have to deal with service departments, why not get a CPO warranty for 100k (now 135k), a free loaner car every time, and no hassle? If you're gonna pay 30k for a German car that's going to sit in the shop, you might as well buy a 5 year old E-class diesel with 60k for the same money. Oh - and despite the fact that the paint on newer, non-"elite" MBs (read: anything other than an S or beyond) isn't what it used to be, I haven't noticed any of the 5 Benzes I've had since I last sat in a VW having mismatched paint, or doors that won't close properly

Please, tell me why I still want one of these hunks of crap. It's your job to convince me that I should go test drive a $30,000 car whose quality is every bit as poor as it was 15 years ago, whose warranty is half what it should be, and that doesn't get much better hwy MPG than my gas Focus. I sincerely am trying to keep an open mind here, but I don't want to fall into the "stupid is making the same mistake again" category

I've had 35,000 miles of flawless driving since Thanksgiving in mine. The doors work, the gas cap matches, and it doesn't leak anything, including fluid from the rear washer. For every person who posts bad experiences on the web, there are another thousand who are quietly enjoying their positive experience.

Drive what you want, even if its a POS focus.

 

[TDI_Redux]

The Focus is definitely not a POS, as evidenced by the fact that the MkIII is the same vehicle they sell in Europe, unlike the previos Foci, and by the way, the fact that someone who has owned 4 VWs, 2 TDIs, 7 Mercedes incuding 5 CPO, all the way from 300Ds to 400Es to SLs, to Toyotas and Lexus LS4xxs says the new Fords are really ****ing surprising. I had never considered a Ford until 2012 for that reason. Alan Mulally did some amazing things in his time at Ford.

If you want to be nice about it and do like the poster before you and give me a positive answer as to why I should consider one, great. If you want to be a ****wad who gets his panties in a bunch when his ego is threatened over a VW, be my guest.

How many cars have you owned? I've owned 20+ and have been driving for 25 years. I'm asking for legit replies, not aholes. Also, I've hosted a few TDI get togethers in my time, so my pedigree on this site is up there, I had some great experiences, but we're starting fresh here

 

[Caseyb476]

Please, tell me why I still want one of these hunks of crap. It's your job to convince me that I should go test drive a $30,000 car whose quality is every bit as poor as it was 15 years ago, whose warranty is half what it should be

Don't be pointing fingers when you are insulting people's cars. At the rate you are flipping cars, it only needs to last 15 months anyway. Why care about reliability?

 

[TDI_Redux]

That's not one at a time, that's multiple vehicles at once. Car fetishism is a sickness.

Insulting? I'm not insulting, I formed my initial opinion based on reading 14 pages of complaints and issues about "people's cars"

Were you here in 1999? I was. The threads look exactly the same as they did back then. I loved the fellowship here, but the cars....nothing seems to have changed. Give me some trouble-free stories to change my opinion

 

[Caseyb476]

That's not one at a time, that's multiple vehicles at once. Car fetishism is a sickness.

Insulting? I'm not insulting, I formed my initial opinion based on reading 14 pages of complaints and issues about "people's cars"

Were you here in 1999? I was. The threads look exactly the same as they did back then. I loved the fellowship here, but the cars....nothing seems to have changed. Give me some trouble-free stories to change my opinion

Nothing but problems. You should run... RUN!

In 1999... I was probably getting laid at a college party.

 

[Bueller]

Our 2000 beetle TDI was purchased by me in '02 with 40,000 miles on it. By 100k miles I'd cleaned the intake, replaced a timing belt and a coolant temp sensor. I purchased my '05 Jetta TDI new. 100k miles later it had a fuel pump replaced under a recall at only 5000 miles, a CD player replaced under warranty at 35,000 miles, and a lift pump at 85,000 miles. When last I checked the person I sold it to had given it to his college student daughter. It was working on 200k miles without issue. For me they've been pretty good cars despite owning two examples from the "bad" years.

I can tell you all about the flawless Ford Fusion in the driveway, as well as my Ford Ranger purchased new that ate $7000 in warranty repairs in 2 years and 24,000 miles - culminating in a blown engine.

I've owned over 50 cars and worked on thousands more. As a 5 time recertified master tech who has worked for Porsche, Audi, Oldsmobile, Subaru, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi I can tell you they are all crap. And they are all good. Does vee-dub build the best car? Nope. Do they build the worst? Nope. Sometimes things break. When they do, I fix them.

My mk7 is my first TDI since selling my '05 in 2010. My commute has become very long again and the '13 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited wasn't going to cut it for 130 miles per day. That was my 6th Wrangler, by the way. Purchased five of the six brand new. They all broke, they all had issues. I sure am going to miss having a Jeep.

Convince you that you should buy another TDI? Not on your life. I couldn't give a $hit less what you choose to drive, and VW isn't paying me to sell cars.

 

[MonsterTDI09]

Please, tell me why I still want one of these hunks of crap. It's your job to convince me that I should go test drive a $30,000 car whose quality is every bit as poor as it was 15 years ago, whose warranty is half what it should be, and that doesn't get much better hwy MPG than my gas Focus. I sincerely am trying to keep an open mind here, but I don't want to fall into the "stupid is making the same mistake again" category

Just go for a test ride. You will like it or not. No my Job to convince you.

 

[Borsig]

I drove my 2011 wagon for 117K, and the only thing that went wrong with it was a glow plug.

I traded it in on a 2015 wagon last month.
We shopped focus in 2011 - again in 2015. My wife, whom isnt a car person -
"its not a wagon" (duh)
"why is it so flimsy, the doors seem cheap - what if we get hit?"
"it seems slower"
"its kinda boring"
"its too small in here" (My wife is 5'1, 120 pounds)

A focus is crap, in my opinion. The Focus' award shelf looks pretty empty too. So Seems like other share that opinion. How's that strike you? Probably about the same as you flapping your mouth about opther people's MKVII's. If I were to drive a ford it'd be a fusion most likely. if I wanted to drive a rental car that is.

Also - "pedgree"? Oilhammer has a pedigree. You don't. The only thing you have is the pretentious attitude of a troll.

None of care less what you drive. I had a 335 that was pure trash (HPFPx2) and an M3 that was amazing. The interor quality and ride of the MQB platform is on par with the BMWs I had in the late 2000s before I moved and had to commute 30 miles one way. My VW did a fine job, so much that I bought another one.

Why don't you just move along down the road and buy another rental car. Or a Kia or Hyundai. They have great warranties I hear.

You've already clouded a useful technical thread with hyperbole and uselss banter.

 

[Caseyb476]

Is there an administrative rule to clean this up?

 

[lil'oilburner]

TDI_redux, If you really have a car fetish and go through cars then just go ahead and get a MQB TDI and see if it meets your high standards. Compared to some of the high dollar cars you've had TDIs are cheap. I'll give you that some Fords are surprisingly good to drive. We bought one of the first Focus sold in the states back in '99, a silver ZTS sedan. It drove magnificently, until the recall notices started coming in for major scary things: rear wheel bearing may not have been pressed with enough pressure and could fail causing the wheel to fall off, fuel rail in the engine bay may leak causing fire, wiring harness may have short recommended it be replaced. I got rid of that Focus before the warranty ran out...it was a first year car but how could Ford have released such a car?

I've only had the Mk7 TDI for 3 months and enjoyed it's driving feel which is similar to a focus but being a 16 year newer car it is more refined and the quality of materials belong in another league of car. Long term reliability remains to be seen but so far I've had ZERO issues in 5k+ miles.

I've had mostly Japanese cars because of the fear of reliability/dependability issues but having experienced family members' German cars I always understood them to be better automobiles if not better machines. By that I mean, Japanese cars are more reliable and won't breakdown and a German car could potentially have some issues but it is still designed to be a complete package; not just quiet and smooth and economical but an overall integrated whole made by engineers who enjoy the act of driving.

This isn't completely fair to say anymore because of cars like the Miata, Lexus RWD sedans, Subaru BRZ and numerous other driver oriented cars the Japanese have come a long way from making cars that are better on paper than on the road. Still, even their best efforts feel like copies of something else. Great copies that better the original in some ways but don't foster the same sense in the driver when being driven. The Golf is an inexpensive car that embodies those elusive qualities that enthusiasts have flocked to the Germans for. To me the TDI most of all as it feels very mechanical and solid. This is why I chose to give the Golf TDI a try and so far I haven't been disappointed.

I don't doubt your Focus is a decent car but how many people are enthused about their Foci? I could understand if you made statements about a 'stang or vette or Jeep but you have to accept that a Focus isn't a choice for enthusiasts anywhere. Yes the ST makes silly power and generates some decent numbers but read the reviews it is a bear to drive; stupid torque steer, turbo lag and on/off power delivery, etc.

So, some people are going to defend their VWs ferociously, because a VW has made a place in their hearts. I suggest you go to a M3 or Lamborghini or Suzuki Hayabusa site and tell them their wheels aren't worth the trouble; you wouldn't because that would be too obvious.

 

[Korab]

The Focus is definitely not a POS, as evidenced by the fact that the MkIII is the same vehicle they sell in Europe, unlike the previos Foci, and by the way, the fact that someone who has owned 4 VWs, 2 TDIs, 7 Mercedes incuding 5 CPO, all the way from 300Ds to 400Es to SLs, to Toyotas and Lexus LS4xxs says the new Fords are really ****ing surprising. I had never considered a Ford until 2012 for that reason. Alan Mulally did some amazing things in his time at Ford.

If you want to be nice about it and do like the poster before you and give me a positive answer as to why I should consider one, great. If you want to be a ****wad who gets his panties in a bunch when his ego is threatened over a VW, be my guest.

How many cars have you owned? I've owned 20+ and have been driving for 25 years. I'm asking for legit replies, not aholes. Also, I've hosted a few TDI get togethers in my time, so my pedigree on this site is up there, I had some great experiences, but we're starting fresh here

its not my job to do anythingfor you - much less convince you of anything. I couldnt give a crap whether you buy a golf or not. My ego is not bruised either way, and i tend to go commando. The golf is a nice highway beater car for me that I put 50-60K on a year instead of more fun vehicles I own. Ive owned almost 2 dozen japanese, fords and chevys, and several germans. This golf has had the best initial quality of any of them Ford makes some decent vehicles - I wouldn't count the focus among them. sorry if that gets your panties in a bunch. Ask a question like an ******* and you will get an ******* response. I hope you dont buy a golf. The community will be nicer without you.

 

[TDI_Redux]

Some helpful comments here. So far, the gist of them seems to be what I should have known before I asked: Probably 60-80% of cars can be junk depending on the day they were built, and whether Javier was neck-deep in a bottle of tequila before he went to work; most people who buy sanitized cars (Camry, Accord) don't know cars anyway, so they think they are "built great" just because they don't break every day, nevermind the fact that they may be flimsy and driving like crap to you or me when we get behind the wheel and actually DRIVE one; VW and particularly TDI people have an emotional, irrational love of these cars, which trumps logic and reason as far as far as getting the lowest cost per mile and trouble-free experience, but perhaps the sheer uniqueness of the platform, and the fact that it is probably more-engineered than any other compact or subcompact on the road makes it attractive and endearing, but overall more of an "emotional" purchase than a "rational" purchase. For me, the older I get, the less emotional and the more rational I get. When I was 25, I wouldn't have been caught dead in a Focus. (Granted, you Focus haters need to drive mine with the sport seats and suspension back to back with the "rental-grade" Focus, with smaller wheels, bubble tires, flat seats and flaccid springs - I had one as a service loaner, and I HATED it. It was NIGHT and DAY). But now, I like the fact that I have the first car I've ever owned get me 3 years and 46K for nothing more than oil changes and a set of tires in 3 years. That's more than I can say for any VW, Mercedes, or Lexus I've owned. Again, the whole reason I made the leap to buying certified MBs a decade ago because - astonishingly - the repairs and maintenance on a TDI can be every bit as expensive as an MB, except the one thing about MB, they will actually back their used cars - nevermind new - for as much as 135k miles, late-model CPO cars can be had for under $30k, the same range as a Golf TDI, and they come pick your car up and leave a loaner in your driveway that's newer and better than what you are sending to the shop.

I guess for you guys that are super handy with a wrench (not me, beyond oil changes and basic maint), it isn't an issue. But for the guys with families, schedules, commutes........that becomes a big deal. I want to buy Golf wagon, but VW needs to get their act together for once. VW warranty and service was half the reason I moved to MB and not Audi - because the Audi service network (at least 10 years ago) was no better than VW, you just pay more for the same poor experience.

And I'm not trolling, I just came to this site for the first time in years and saw the same complaints and issues that people are getting suckered into a decade later, things like ill-fitting doors that won't close that are Trabant-style problems, or 70s GM problems, that are wholly-unacceptable on a 2010s European brand who has been struggling for years - and apparently failing - to correct. If anything, I'm disheartened, hoping to find a shred of reason to let my emotion get involved and pony up for one of these little 150hp 6 speed bastards. I love the idea of a 6 speed (they only had 5 last time I owned), a pano roof, and MB-style Tex interior. The problem is, based on onwer comments I read over 14 pages before I opened my mouth (fingers),these cars are clearly still "Tiffany the redheaded stripper," all too temping, who will leave you with a case of herpes and a bad hangover the next day

 

[andyrooski17]

Almost no new car is a fully "rational" purchase. The math will always tell you that you should buy a used camry or whatever. But for those who don't want to, there's a combination of emotion and logic, I don't think anyone would doubt that.

have you checked Focus forums? Besides the fact that you should probably be hanging out there, I'm sure there are tons of similar threads with people reporting issues. That's what this thread is for, it's in the title. We don't have a "Nothing Wrong Again Today" thread.

Also, what was your user name back in '99 when you were hosting TDI gatherings?

 

[Bueller]

Some helpful comments here. So far, the gist of them seems to be what I should have known before I asked: Probably 60-80% of cars can be junk depending on the day they were built, and whether Javier was neck-deep in a bottle of tequila before he went to work;

No emotion or trolling here, no sir.
You are right. 60% - 80% are junk. You don't want one, so you can leave now.
Jesus, what an idiot.