Spring breakage

[vwdsmguy]

I have had both front springs break over time. They break about 2" from the bottom end and just lay in the strut next to the spring. This doesn't cause much drama because the bottom end of the spring is still well supported. Am I alone on this issue??

 

[jettawreck]

Never had the front strut springs break yet but have gone thru several rear springs. MN winter salt/corrosion perhaps but most seem relatively clean and just eventually crack.

 

[Metal Man]

It happens pretty often. I think VW had a recall on some newer cars for this. As yours did, usually they break at the bottom. I've had one that broke at one of the big coils at the top . The spring was resting on the strut tower.

 

[JB05]

Both left front and rear springs broke on my Golf. I had VR6 springs installed in the front, and OEM in the rear. Wish I had known about the Jetta Wagon rear springs as an alternative for the rear.

 

[GlowBugTDI]

Few years ago my mk4 broke the front right spring same as yours. The broken piece sat in the strut for a month or two before i installed new ones. Maybe its more common of an occurrence then i thought.

 

[Franko6]

The further North and the more salt you get, the more likely broken springs can happen.

The stock springs have been dipped into a plastic coating to keep them out of the elements, at least for a while. The springs are high carbon steel and it's not that they rust, it's that the rust will follow any carbon striping (inclusions) in the spring steel. Any inclusions, which are not uncommon... and a few years of working into a weakness in the steel, a good hard jounce or overload, and the spring breaks.

It's one of those 'whatever it takes', situations. It's not the kind of thing you can effectively maintain. I guess you could recoat the springs when you are doing shocks. There are good suppliers of aftermarket springs. Be aware, there are usually 3-4 dots of color on the springs, which indicate the car and load the springs are intended to take. New Beetles springs aren't the same as a Jetta Wagon.

 

[Tdijarhead]

I recently found both my front springs broken on my golf. That was not the first time either. I had one breakage that the piece lay in the strut perch bouncing around making a tinny sound and I thought I had a serious problem.

 

[oilhammer]

I have seen lots of broken springs. The A5s are worse. Fords often do this, too. They must use the same suppliers, LOL.

 

[pedroYUL]

Metal fatigue is to be expected. I had one of the rears on my wagon snap, easy fix.

Once bought a mk5 with a blown engine and all springs broken.

 

[fatmobile]

Yep, broke one on the front of my 2000 jetta.
Didn't look too bad, still had paint.
Broke in 2 places, pieces sat on the strut and clanked on bumps.