Does anybody here know what the exact terms are for the coverage of the
timing belt under Volkswagen's 10 year,100k powertrain warranty? For
instance, is it covered only if it breaks or if you would bring it in
for inspection and it is found to be prematurely worn or about to break
would it be covered? Would it be covered if you brought your car in to
service for a noise in the engine and the cause is an exploding bearing
that has also cause the timing belt to be shredded? Are the other timing
belt parts covered as well, like the bearing and the tensioner?

BTW, I am the original owner and I do have all the service records and
all the service is up to date. I had the waterpump replaced through the
powertrain warranty last August with no questions.

Was it negligent of the VW dealer service to not recommend that I have
the timing belt replaced when I had the waterpump replaced on my 2000
Beetle with 70k miles?

On Wed, 7 Feb 2007 00:11:06 -0700, lolajoker (AT) webtv (DOT) net (Gary D) wrote:

because you didn't want to wait till next week for vw , you cooked
your own goose. just my opinion YES it sux you're out the money
Do you have proof that vw said it sounded like something loose or
vibrating? Do you ever watch judge judy? Good Luck to you Gary.

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:05:12 GMT, samstone (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:

Question: where did the OP say "VW Tuner Guy" in his message? Or Next
week? Perhaps my server has not retrieved the right messages?

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 08:57:42 -0500, PeterD <peter2 (AT) hipson (DOT) net> wrote:

It was negligence for you not to read the owners manual maintenance
schedule. And believe VW would cover a belt not broken until the warranty is
out. If the belt isn't broken, its not defective , is it. If the tensioner
is working but needs changed. That's called normal wear. If your vehicle has
70,000 miles on it and the belts not broken. That's good too. Nothing is
prematurely worn on a vehicle with 70,000 miles on it. No matter how long
the warranty is. Good Luck.
<samstone (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

Gary D wrote:

A ''bearing exploding'' doesn't mean anything in this situation...

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:53:44 GMT, samstone (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:


Right... Which then makes his most recent post (this thread) a
troll... Sorry!

I just want to know "how" the timing belt is covered under the
powertrain warranty and what are the terms because I am getting all
kinds of different info from different VOA reps as well as VW service
departments. So if anyone here knows or knows a website that spells it
out, I would appreciate it.

<<<<<when you allowed the " The VW tuner guy " to do the belt ' plus'
job , because you didn't want to wait till next week for vw , you cooked
your own goose. * just my opinion * YES it sux you're out the money
Do you have proof that vw said it sounded like something loose or
vibrating? * Do you ever watch judge judy? Good Luck to you Gary.>>>>

I tried to wait for 2 weeks but my car wouldn't let me!
According to my manual and VOA, VW allows for what it calls "emergency
repairs". If you have trouble with your car and there are circumstances
that prevent you from getting your car into a VW service and you have to
use a independant shop for warranty work, you need to write them out why
you couldn't get it into VW service, supply them with all the reciepts
and parts (which I have). They will then reinburse you If the work was
indeed needed and it's covered. I tried to get the car in 2 weeks
earlier but they said they were booked and even if I brought it down
there and left it, it would just sit for 2 weeks. The dealer is 30 miles
away and I had no way to get it to them the day of the repair.

I do have an invoice that proves they said it was just something
vibrating. They generated an invoice for my just bringing it in for them
to listen to it! They obviously didn't think it was serious enough to
make me shut off my car and leave it there like the "Tuner Guy" did!
They claim to record their service calls for "quality assurance" and
when I called to make the appointment I said I would leave it there if
they felt it was something serious.


<<<<It was negligence for you not to read the owners manual maintenance
schedule. And believe VW would cover a belt not broken until the
warranty is out. If the belt isn't broken, its not defective , is it. If
the tensioner is working but needs changed. That's called normal wear.
If your vehicle has 70,000 miles on it and the belts not broken. That's
good too. Nothing is prematurely worn on a vehicle with 70,000 miles on
it. No matter how long the warranty is. Good Luck.>>>>

What about a bearing exploading and shredding the belt?
I have read the manual and know what the maintainance schedule is and
have followed it to the letter. It calls for the timing belt to be
inspected at 40k and 80k and replaced at 105k. The manual is very vague
on what and how it is covered. They call it a timing belt everywhere in
the service manual but in the warranty manual they call it a "spur
belt"?! According to the shop who changed my timing belt, the bearing
exploaded which shredded the belt. The grinding sound I was hearing was
the bearing. The puttering sound was the shredded belt slapping against
things. The belt was essentially broke, it was literaly being held
together by a tread. It probably would have let go within the next five
to ten miles. Also, since the warranty manual is so vague and they call
it a spur belt, I didn't know the timing belt was even covered. I have
asked the service department in the past and they repeatedly told me it
isn't. Even now, most dealers say no until you point it out to them in
the manual. Also I think the dealer was negligent in not recommending I
change the timing belt when they did the water pump, especially since
they are now back peddling and saying they did even when there is no
proof on the invoice. Every dealer I have called said that it is just
comman procedure to change the timing belt when a water pump is
replaced, especially at 70k! And since the water pump was a warranty
fix, I would have only had to pay for the parts.

<<<<Right... Which then makes his most recent post (this thread) a
troll... Sorry!>>>>

Who is a troll???

Here's my 2 or 3 cents on how I understand it.

Your manual should state when the t-belt must be inspected. If it does did
you get it checked during that service?

If the belt breaks while in warranty, it's should be covered
If the water pump seizes up and takes the t-belt and a bunch of valves, it's
should be covered.
If the tension roller goes bad and takes the t-belt and a bunch of bent
valves, it should be covered.
"prematurely worn or about to break" now that's the $100,000 question and
difficult make a call. And if you go to the dealer and want a belt on
that... well it may not get you a free belt.


Now if you feel real lucky and would like to gamble, then wait until the
last day of warranty or miles(i.e.99,999) then pay to have the t-belt
replaced along with the rollers. If it breaks before then it should be
warranty and the only thing you are out is being STRANDED along the
road(i.e. up the creek without a paddle). But if it was my car which had a
1.8t engine I would replace them around the 80,000mile window. 2.0engines
can go well beyond 100,000miles... at least in our area. I have heard that
in some big cities which have a lot of smog, ozone, and other pollution that
rubber made items go bad a lot faster.

Bottom line, get your answers from the VW representative that comes to the
dealer regularly.




"Gary D" <lolajoker (AT) webtv (DOT) net> wrote