DEAR CAR TALK: Should we put $12,000 into a new engine for our 2016 Volkswagen EOS? It has 95,000 miles on it and we’re really enjoying it. Or do we dump it and buy another cute used convertible with unknown hidden issues?
Here’s more of the story: We bought a used 2016 VW EOS with 85,000 miles on it. What a fun car!
Now at 95,000 miles and a year later the engine is sucking oil but there is no sign of an external leak. We top up about a liter of oil with every second tank filling.
Recently a “Check Engine” light came on stating there was a misfire. We took it to the dealer, they said the compression in two cylinders was bad and we need a BRAND NEW ENGINE!
Can you help us decide what to do? — Suzie
DEAR READER: Difficult choice. But if you really like the car and it’s otherwise in good condition (make sure they give it a thorough inspection to answer that question), you might want to put in a new engine.
Here’s one way to think about it: if you could get another 60,000 miles from it, would that be worth $12,000? A new engine would last much longer but you have to consider that the rest of the car has 95,000 miles on it. So the other parts won’t last forever.
But that might be a reasonable price. If you put just 10,000 miles a year on the car, that’s another six years, or $2,000 a year – instead of buying a newer car – which adds taxes, registration fees and higher insurance premiums. And remember, the EOS is now next to nothing as a used car because it needs an engine.
You can also do some “engine shopping”. A brand new engine from the dealer – although the best option – will definitely also be the most expensive option.
You may be able to find a shop near you that specializes in VWs and may be able to save you money on a remanufactured engine or even a low mileage used engine.
It will still be thousands of dollars because the work is significant. And if the cost between a remanufactured engine and a real VW is a thousand dollars or two, I would go with the VW engine. But if you can get a remanufactured engine installed for thousands less, that’s worth considering too.
That way, when the rear-view mirror falls off, the headrests crumble, and the transmission dies at 150,000, you won’t kick yourself nearly as hard, Suzie.
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DEAR CAR TALK: I have a Kia Forte with about 110,000 miles on it. If it’s raining and I use the air conditioning or defroster – along with the windshield wipers – when I stop, the battery light comes on and the car stalls. I can then restart it.
This has been going on for a few years, and I took it in for repair only to be told that they “can’t replicate the problem”. They say it’s not raining. I’m a single woman and I don’t want to be taken advantage of. What would you suggest? — sandie
DEAR READER: Well, you might consider hiring an offensive lineman from the Detroit Lions during the offseason and ask him to go with you.
It can be difficult to identify the source of your problem without seeing that it is misbehaving in business. So you should expect to pay them for some diagnostic time. But there are several things your store can check without “replicating the issue”.
It could be as simple as something causing low idle speed. If a small vacuum leak or a sticking throttle body would cause the engine to idle a little too slowly, under normal circumstances you wouldn’t have a problem.
But if you put a lot of electrical stress on the engine – the air conditioning, defroster, lights and windshield wipers – it could be enough to stall the engine. And typically the battery light flashes just before the car stops.
Try explaining to the mechanic that the car is stalling in the rain under heavy load and ask them to look for anything that might be causing a low idle. Or, if you feel like they’re just not interested enough to find out for you, find a new shop on mechanicsfiles.com and go there, Sandi.
Ray Magliozzi gives car talks every Saturday in Car Talk. Email him by visiting him cartalk.com
