The more i read the less I like..'there must be somewhere out of here..'

http://www.parkers.co.uk/vans/news-and-advice/most-reliable-vans/

I don't know of any vehicle brand that is guaranteed to be 100% reliable 100% of the time. Not every component can be checked on every vehicle. Even the F1 cars, which cost millions have their breakdowns. You just have to accept that that is a fact of life and that's why there is a Warranty.
Every new vehicle has its share of problems and Emission Control just makes things more difficult and Manufacturers just cannot fully test a vehicle under all conditions with all types of drivers.
That's why I never rush to buy the 1st of a new range but rather the last of the old that is tried and tested.
I do hope yours is sorted soon and that you get to enjoy the lifestyle you want .

The fact that it took 4 attempts to fix your AC points more to the ineptitude of the " mechanics/technicians " employed by the Dealership than anything else.
 
I think your last couple of sentences sum it up. The T6 is more complicated than the the T5 engine wise Euro 5 vs Euro 6. If you have a Euro 5 {t5.1} keep it, the T6 is inherently more unreliable engine wise. This VW is the most unreliable car I have ever owed bar none. It is worth noting that none of the problems are due to the Cali conversion just down to the basic VW van. We have scrubbed the new Q3 for the wife as its VAG and will probably go for a Kia based on reliability. I await a new Telsa in 2019. For me VW trashed their brand with their diesel emission cheat and their reliability is now well below most brands as well. Anyway it has to be sold before March 2019. There is no way I would own a VW outside warranty. So contact me if you feel lucky.
 
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Flood51 said:
I think your last couple of sentences sum it up. The T6 is more complicated than the the T5 engine wise Euro 5 vs Euro 6. If you have a Euro 5 {t5.1} keep it, the T6 is inherently more unreliable engine wise. This VW is the most unreliable car I have ever owed bar none. It is worth noting that none of the problems are due to the Cali conversion just down to the basic VW van. We have scrubbed the new Q3 for the wife as its VAG and will probably go for a Kia based on reliability. I await a new Telsa in 2019. For me VW trashed their brand with their diesel emission cheat and their reliability is now well below most brands as well. Anyway it has to be sold before March 2019. There is no way I would own a VW outside warranty. So contact me if you feel lucky.
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I appreciate that facts rarely get in the way of complaints like this, but VW-owned Skoda ranked number one in the JD Power UK dependability survey in 2016, and VW itself ranked number six out of 26, with results that are significantly better than average. If you read the link that Welshgas provided, you'll see that the Transporter is the most reliable medium van in the UK market.

Tesla is an interesting choice. In October 2016, the US Consumer Reports group ranked Tesla at the worst end of its reliability league table. JD Power, however, reported that “Spending $100,000 or more on a vehicle that has so many problems usually would have a dramatically negative effect on sales and brand perception. Right now, though, Tesla seems immune from such disenchanted customers.” So a Tesla could well be a lot less reliable than a VW, but apparently you won't mind. Perhaps there's a lesson in that - enjoy what you have, as most California owners do.
 
Reliability surveys vary from one to the other.
This shows a Volkswagen vehicle highest placement is at 45 out of 100.
Might be worth adding it's a VW Fox which is about the most basic vehicle Volkswagen make.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/top-100
 
soulstyledevon said:
Reliability surveys vary from one to the other.
This shows a Volkswagen vehicle highest placement is at 45 out of 100.
Might be worth adding it's a VW Fox which is about the most basic vehicle Volkswagen make.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/top-100[/QUOTE

You're right that surveys vary and the one you cite is produced by Warranty Direct, which sells policies to owners whose manufacturer warranty has expired. The data thus relates to older cars; for example, the Golf it lists is the 2009 model. I haven't seen any surveys of recent models where VW itself comes out badly. Audi does though, as do other premium brands.
Click to expand...
 
Spitfire said:
I appreciate that facts rarely get in the way of complaints like this, but VW-owned Skoda ranked number one in the JD Power UK dependability survey in 2016, and VW itself ranked number six out of 26, with results that are significantly better than average. If you read the link that Welshgas provided, you'll see that the Transporter is the most reliable medium van in the UK market.

Tesla is an interesting choice. In October 2016, the US Consumer Reports group ranked Tesla at the worst end of its reliability league table. JD Power, however, reported that “Spending $100,000 or more on a vehicle that has so many problems usually would have a dramatically negative effect on sales and brand perception. Right now, though, Tesla seems immune from such disenchanted customers.” So a Tesla could well be a lot less reliable than a VW, but apparently you won't mind. Perhaps there's a lesson in that - enjoy what you have, as most California owners do.
Click to expand...


Spitfire
I was well aware that Skoda was top of the JD Powers survey and I would love to enjoy my California like most owners but after you have suffered a series of failures (6 times in the shop for breakdown in 15 months of ownership) and two recalls on the T6 it is a bit difficult to trust a brand and enjoy it. In fact I won't now take it to Norway but will take my trustworthy BMW and B&B instead. My BiL has a Passat two years old and over 100K miles no problems and swears by them. However when you spend so much on a vehicle and is continues to give you problems you feel let down and occasionally vent. My only point is if you own a California 5.1 which is reliable think hard before you change it to a T6.

JD power by the way include cost of repair so more expensive vehicles always fall down the ladder.
 
Look at any new vehicle and it will be loaded with technology. To castigate VW for failings is fine but reality is the brand is such a big seller and for good reason. They may be expensive but I stick with them because they serve me well. We have 2 T6 in our drive and an Audi. All give great service and have proven reliable. I feel for those let down but remember all makes have problems. A friends S class Mercedes spent more of its 6 month life in the dealership garage than on the road due to faults.
 
This topic drags on but not much to add to my post #2.

It boils down to the facts - most vehicles are reasonably reliable, some get lucky, some don't.

But modern vehicles are ridiculously over complicated and full of a gazillion sensors and systems from numerous manufacturers, blame it on the sales push for safety, integration, economy regs or whatever.

I don't want to 'drive' an iPhone on wheels - give me a 'proper' mechanical vehicle any day and chuck out all the over complicated, 'nod to automation' crap. I'll take anti-lock brakes, airbags and fuel injection OK but leave me in control with proper dials, knobs, switches and a brain that takes care of the driving and decisions.
 
While agreeing broadly with the above (never had anything as reliable as my old Morris Minor!) - I love my Cali and wouldn't change it for anything!
 
Cali's are not perfect.

My on experience in 2015 proved everything. By July it had spent more nights in the Dealers garage than I had spent sleeping in it.Nothing that was a stopper, leisure battery 240v charging circuitry, nothing like the misery that @Flood51 has experienced, but enough for me to feel totally disenchanted. Fortunately the love affair never faded and was rekindled stronger than ever once problems were resolved.

I feel for anyone that has had the problems @Flood51 has had. Fortunately for the rest of us such a catastrophic chain of misery is rare but that does nothing to remove the angst felt by the one who does get the wrong one.
 
We've had a couple of niggles, but they've been fixed in an efficient and timely way by our local dealership (not even the dealer we bought from) all under warranty. There's a lot of technology in these vehicles, and nothing's perfectly reliable, not even, it seems, a VW (despite those cheesy 1980s ads)! The enjoyment and freedom our Cali gives us is boundless, and we are very happy with our purchase.
 
I am looking at either a MP or the Cali.
The one thing that's really putting me off the latter is the known problem of the roof corrosion. I don't think I could bring myself to spend 60k on something I know is faulty. People are saying it is only cosmetic but could you tell me if the corrosion could reach the stage where it 'eats' through the roof - I don't know what it's made from
Thanks
 
Swiss cheese .... anyway better that than the total yuksum mp ....
 
Roof is aluminium and the defect is cosmetic. It will be sorted when VW pull the finger out. It does not effect the structural integrity of the roof.
 
Thanks for the info Digger - Cali may still be in the running then.
Phillme - I did not ask if you liked either of the vans - that is obviously personal choice
 
What Digger said,

My understanding is that it poses no threat to the structural integrity of the roof. Personally, for everything else that is right with the Cali and for the fact it has been a brilliant, competent vehicle for me, and my type of use, if I decide to buy a new van in the next couple of years then it will be a Cali again.

I like the MP, there are some bits that really appeal, but quite frankly Albert has been there for me so many times, from wading through mud, my shelter in the wildest of storms, getting me out of deep drifts of snow and turning out to be as tough as old boots when being shaken around on rough surfaces I will not have much hesitation.
 
I may have a very low opinion of the dealers and VW but I love my Cali. On the ferry on our way home from 2 1/2 weeks in Corsica. It performed flawlessly - both driving and camping.

The 200 DSG engine and gearbox combination was absolutely fantastic on the steep and windy Corsican roads, and on Alpinr passes on the way home - it was never us holding the traffic up.

This was our longest trip away since we bought the Cali and we learned lots of little things and have come up with ideas for mods / improvements / accessories. I'm sure many have already been discovered but I'll post our experiences over the next few days.
 
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