Run away from the most powerful diesels of VW T5 and T6!

The most powerful modifications of the VW T5 and T6 are causing suffering for many customers. But experienced mechanics and lawyers give hope for dealing with the proble piese auto online.

Run away from the most powerful diesels of VW T5 and T6!

Thousands of VW customers have already had bitter experience with the most potent, but also the most problematic diesel variants of the T5 and T6 models. Typical symptoms of a problem include high oil consumption, problems with the diesel particulate filter (DPF), turbocharger damage and loss of antifreeze. When these are present, sooner or later the van will have to go into the workshop.

Mechanic Markus Kreus knows the symptoms all too well: “I change an average of two engines a week, which is almost 100 a year.” His workshop in the Allgäu region of Germany specializes in engine repairs for the T5 and T6 models and now attracts customers from all over the world. Kreus receives inquiries for repairs from as far away as Sardinia and even Australia and the United States.

The causes of T6 defects are complex

Wild Motoren in Pleichfeld (Bavaria) also regularly receives calls from desperate VW customers. The order books are full, says workshop manager Richard Wild: "We receive inquiries almost every day," he says. They have already booked appointments for October!

While the main cause of the T5 (engine code: CFCA) has already been identified – a poorly designed exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, the causes of the defects in the T6 (engine codes CXEB and CXEC) are a bit more complex. According to Kroes, EGR is clearly the number one problem area: the exhaust gas recirculation system is prone to failures, which often lead to a gradual loss of coolant.

In fact, there is an improved model, but VW usually does not cover the cost of the replacement. Only in the event of engine failure is there a chance that the manufacturer will cover part of the cost, but usually the chances of this are not great and you have to fight with a lot of effort. The equally serious problem of thermal overload of the intercoolers when driving at full throttle can be solved with larger aftermarket intercoolers.

The consequences of thermal overload have negative effects in the long term. The aforementioned top engines with the designations CFCA, CXEC, CXEB have problems, as poor cooling leads to high loads on various components. As a result, the turbocharger, cylinder head and pistons can fail.

Frequent bearing failures due to poorly designed oil pump design

According to the engine repair shop MIK Motoren GmbH in Hilter (Lower Saxony), the newer Euro 6 DZMA engines often suffer from damaged bearings due to the design of the oil pump. An improved replacement can save you a lot of headaches. Otherwise, major engine repairs could be required even before 100,000 kilometers.

What can owners do to protect their T5 or T6 from serious damage? They must change the oil every 15,000 km – i.e. at shorter intervals. “It is equally important to regularly check the errors stored in the computer and to monitor how much soot has accumulated in the diesel particulate filter,” explains Markus Kreus: “An excessively high level of soot usually indicates that the engine is burning too much oil – and this is a signal of serious wear.”

Another problem arises with frequent short-distance driving: in this type of operation, the regeneration of the diesel particulate filter cannot be completed and the oil can become diluted. That is why Kroes advises: “Long trips are the best for these engines.” The last resort is to replace the engine.

How does the issue stand from a legal point of view?

Unfortunately, if you notice the typical symptoms in a T5 or T6, the damage is already irreversible – and can only be repaired for a lot of money: for the Biturbo modification (CFCA) in the T5, the manufacturer announces a price of around 12,800 euros (25,600 leva) – and that’s just for the parts without labor, while for the T6 it’s even more expensive. At the same time, although the weaknesses of the best engines have long been known, if VW even takes on part of the repair bills, this usually happens with significant delays, under great pressure and under strict conditions.

Some of these conditions, such as measuring oil consumption or the need to ensure that maintenance intervals have been met, are completely understandable. However, it is still quite worrying that VW is not providing prompt and adequate assistance, despite the company having long acknowledged the significant number of defects in its two most powerful engines.

From time to time, the people in Wolfsburg take care of their customers and show complacency, but for many Bulli owners, who have to anticipate repair costs of up to 40,000 leva, the lawsuit, especially in the T5 cases, turns out to be the only way for VW to cover part of the costs caused by the defective EGR cooler (T5) and antifreeze in the oil lines (T6).

Ultimately, however, the chances of customers receiving compensation are better than ever. On the one hand, there are now several forensic reports in Germany that clearly identify the causes of the typical T5 damage to the EGR cooler. If such evidence is accepted by the court, VW is usually “ready to make significant concessions,” says lawyer Pascal Fuest from the German city of Krefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia province). He continues to receive new inquiries from potential customers every day, and for the T6, the number is increasing. Fuest’s office has worked (or is still working) on ​​more than 100 cases involving the vans. Depending on the mileage, VW can cover between 50 and 80 percent of the repair costs.

Lawyer Frederick Giesewius from Stuttgart also says that 80 percent was the maximum possible achievement - which he managed to achieve hundreds of times.

Following a ruling by the Higher Regional Court of Celle at the end of 2024, owners of defective T5s are in an even better position to negotiate: because the ruling mentions a design defect and also suggests that VW has breached its obligations to monitor products and warn customers. The chances of success are also increasing for the injured T6 drivers. Gisevius believes that it was only a matter of time before he received the necessary expert opinion. So far, the courts have "almost without exception" recognized this and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

VW is clearly trying to prevent the intervention of experts as much as possible. Examples of this are the decisions of the Hanover Regional Court and the Lüneburg Regional Court: Shortly after the courts decided to seek an expert opinion, VW quickly expressed a desire to negotiate and reached an out-of-court settlement, Fuest reports. He is not allowed to be more specific because the results of the comparisons must always be kept secret.

Continue to the next page

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

Thousands of VW customers have already had bitter experience with the most potent, but also the most problematic diesel variants of the T5 and T6 models

Mechanic Markus Kreus knows the symptoms all too well: “I change an average of two engines a week, which is almost 100 a year