There is no better car in the world than the Volkswagen T4! Wait, what about T5? It has improved in comfort and dynamics, received a lot of new equipment, but has clearly lost its maintainability. What about resource and reliability?
Data
- The T5 family was produced from 2003 to 2015. However, it is worth recalling that the T6 generation is just a deep modernization of the T5, so much of what is written below will be true for the successor.
- Restyling of the T5 was carried out in 2009. In addition to a slightly adjusted appearance and an updated interior, as well as revised equipment, the family received new engines - a petrol 2.0 TSI with direct injection instead of the 3.2 VR6 and a 2.0 TDI with Common Rail instead of the pump-injector 1.9 TDI and 2.5 TDI. A 7-speed DSG robotic gearbox (DQ500) also appeared. Thus, the T5 entered the 2010s with advanced power units at that time.
- The T5 family includes several seriously different models. First of all, this is the commercial version of the Transporter, which has various versions: station wagon (fully or partially glazed body for cargo and passenger transportation), van, flatbed, flatbed with a double cab, as well as a car chassis with a single or double cab, on the basis of which many cars were created special purpose.
- Passenger versions, in addition to the simplest Transporter Combi, are Caravelle (and in the early years in some markets also Shuttle) and Multivan, the latter option being of increased comfort, especially if complemented by expensive option packages that turn the interior into a real office on wheels. Another version is the California, which is an equipped campervan. However, this is a rare guest on our roads.
Market
12 years of production and a wide range of models are good reasons for a wide range of prices. So, if for Transporter the price ranges from $7,000 to $17,000, then for Caravelle and Multivan – from 10,000 to 32,000! In this case, the year of manufacture is of secondary importance. It’s a little more important whether it’s pre-restyled or not, because the engine depends on it. The main factors influencing the price are the design option and the declared technical condition.
At the same time, all Transporters and Caravelles are equipped with a diesel engine and a manual transmission. Only in the case of the Multivan can you try to find an option with a gasoline engine (3.2 VR6 or 2.0 TSI) and automatic transmission. And every fifth “cartoon” will have 4Motion all-wheel drive.
This is all great, but what should a potential buyer know about the reliability and durability of the main components? Which versions should you give preference to and which ones should you be wary of?
Volkswagen T4 - is it worth buying a used one? Problems and malfunctions
In 1990, the Volkswagen T4 rolled off the assembly line, opening a new chapter of success for models with the “T” index. The nineties were perhaps the most progressive years for the automotive world in terms of the introduction of new technologies at that time. All possible electronic systems were actively developed, drive designs were changed (previously they liked to make rear-wheel drive cars), as a result, comfort, controllability and ease of use of car maintenance in general were improved. Volkswagen T4. It was no exception; it is two heads higher than the previous T3 model in terms of technical solutions.
Body types and problems
The Volkswagen T4 was offered in four versions - the Transporter cargo version, and the Carravella, California and Multivan passenger versions. In Ukraine, traditionally the most popular was the Transporter, although the Carravella was also in steady demand. After five years of production, the designers carried out a small facelift, which affected mainly the front part of the car. These are the versions that are currently being readily purchased on the secondary market. Offers for T4 are in steady demand and are selling well. True, it becomes more and more difficult to find a really good example over the years, and they don’t willingly part with neat and “master’s” cars.
Body problems are usually associated with previous accidents and unskilled accident restoration. The body is well protected from corrosion, thanks to galvanized metal, but even such protection cannot withstand time for long. Therefore, pockets of rust can be found on many specimens. Usually these are sills, fender arches, trunk lid, door panels. Sliding door rollers and manual window lift are also often replaced , although this is a wear problem, not a generic malfunction.
Engines and possible malfunctions associated with them
Traditionally for all Volkswagen models, the range of engines is very wide. There are both gasoline and diesel engines. The most popular, of course, are diesel units - 1.9TD (ABL), 2.4D (AJA, AAB), 2.5TDI (ACV, AUF, AYC).
The engines have a long service life, but do not forget that the mileage of almost all T4s has already exceeded 400-500 thousand km, therefore, in most cases, the engines were taken to a service station. But here, it is important to look carefully at where, how it was done, and most importantly, what spare parts were used during the repair.
Body, interior, electrical
The T5 suffers from the same “disease” as other models of the VAG group, which were launched into production in the 2000s. The paintwork has poor plasticity and does not adhere well to the body, so it can peel off in any suitable case. And these are not only chips on the hood, sills and arches when fired with stones, but also characteristic swellings and bald spots in the area of the door handles, on the lower edge of the trunk, and so on.
Yes, there is a layer of zinc under the paint, but it only gives the owners time to get the body in order. If you missed it, you get corrosion! For caring owners, T5s look neat, but for slobs they don’t just bloom a rusty color, but outright rot. On the other hand, in some ways this is even good: a “tired” specimen is easily identified by the naked eye.
The appearance is also not helped by the headlights, which quickly become cloudy and often noticeably sweat. And in the interior, intensive use or impressive mileage is indicated by worn paint/coating on the front panel, door handles, etc. But the upholstery materials are quite resistant, and the electrical equipment is generally reliable (although isolated failures in operation, for example, of power windows, do occur).
When inspecting a car, special attention should be paid to the side sliding door, namely: the condition of the guides and mechanisms responsible for movement. If the car is equipped with an electric door drive, then you should make sure that it works flawlessly, as problems are possible over time, and repairs can be unpleasantly expensive.
Engines
Let's quickly deal with gasoline ones (this is still a rare case). If you are satisfied with the dynamics and consumption of a 2.0-liter 115-horsepower naturally aspirated engine, then take it: a very simple, reliable and repairable unit. The 3.2-liter VR6 (231/235 hp) accelerates a heavy bus much more fun, but also consumes much more fuel, and it is also quite expensive to maintain; with age, there are also a lot of problems with it (you should monitor the cooling systems and ignition, oil burn is possible).
In 2009, it was replaced by the 2.0 TSI (150-204 hp), which pleases with greater efficiency without loss in dynamics (if we talk about the more powerful version). Well, the potential problems are well known: a not very durable timing chain drive, the possibility of oil burn, sensitive fuel equipment and sensitive ignition coils.
But we repeat: more than 90% of all T5 representatives in our secondary market are with diesel engines. Until 2009, in-line engines with two valves per cylinder and pump injectors were installed: four-cylinder 1.9 TDI (86-105 hp) and five-cylinder 2.5 TDI (130-174 hp), both with and without a particulate filter him.
Common age-related problems with these engines are the condition of the pump injectors, loss of tightness in the places where they are installed due to broken sockets/loose fastenings, and the need to replace the camshaft. The latter, like hydraulic compensators, may suffer from low-quality or old oil, although there is a version that the reason is low oil pressure in the cylinder head due to prolonged driving at very low speeds. It is the camshaft and its bed that suffer, while the crankshaft and bearings do not experience lubrication problems. Be that as it may, the camshaft is really the weak point of these diesels.
The 2.5-liter engine has an aluminum block with plasma-coated cylinder walls, and scuffing may occur with age, as indicated by a sharply increased oil consumption. Another is that a leaky heat exchanger leads to mixing of oil and antifreeze.
But some people still prefer to take a risk, because unlike the “stunted” 1.9-liter version, this engine has good traction and power, and it also has a trouble-free timing gear drive versus a belt drive. In general, each of the options has its pros and cons, but the main thing is still the condition in which the car offered for sale is currently located. This is difficult: owners are in no hurry to part with the T5 just like that, a live copy will be expensive (see above), and there are a lot of “tired” cars on the market.
But let's get back to the engines. Since 2009, a fundamentally different diesel engine began to be installed on the T5 - a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, with a cast iron block, and most importantly - with a Common Rail fuel system. The power range is from 84 to 180 hp, with the most productive option being dual-supercharged. But it is BiTurbo that is considered the least resourceful and the most capricious. In the case of a used car, it is better to give preference to a simpler option (140-horsepower is considered optimal).
Early problems of these engines are related to the environment - EGR and particulate filter. The turbine geometry control system may also require attention. An important point: the design of the engine is such that if the attachment belt breaks, it can get into the timing drive, which can lead to major damage to the engine. So you should change both belts and their rollers in a timely manner. If we are talking about powerful versions, it is extremely important to monitor the condition of the cooling system, since the engines are loaded, antifreeze leaks quickly lead to overheating.
Boxes
Weak versions were equipped with 5-speed manual transmissions, the rest - with 6-speed ones. The latter are considered stronger, but in general this is the case when the “mechanics” cannot be called completely problem-free, since the bearings of the input shaft are not very durable, the safety margin of the differential is small and on powerful machines it is easy to provoke its failure. We also remember about the not very durable and expensive dual-mass flywheel. Judging by the owner forums, one of the options to fundamentally solve this issue is to switch to the clutch and flywheel from the T4. But the same owners note that there are more vibrations in certain modes.
Early versions used a 6-speed automatic transmission made by Aisin, and it worked well even on powerful versions. But after 2009, a 7-speed DSG robot appeared on the T5. But the car received a DQ500 gearbox - with a reserve of torque, and in general it was already quite well developed at the design level. On the earliest copies there were still problems with mechatronics, but since 2012 everything has been very good in terms of reliability, quite comparable with modern hydromechanical “automatic machines”. Which, of course, does not negate timely maintenance, and the need for diagnostics before purchasing.
The operation of the all-wheel drive transmission, in particular the Haldex coupling, driveshaft, suspension bearings, and rear axle shafts, should also be carefully checked. But even if you're looking at a front-wheel drive car, there's a lot to look for in the transmission. The weak point of the T5 is the spline joints in the right front drive, which even on not very old cars at some point simply shear off. Again, with a powerful engine, this problem is easier to provoke.
Multivan T4 - review and characteristics of Volkswagen Multivan T4 (Volkswagen Multivan)
The T4 multivan, like other cars from the T4 series, became a kind of legend in Europe just a few years after its appearance - among minivans it had no competitors in terms of convenience. More than 20 years have passed since then, but the Multivan T4 is still in demand in the used car market.
Let's see what caused this popularity.
More about Multiven T4
Typically, a new Volkswagen T-series is born like this: engineers take the previous series, remove the bad qualities from it, develop the good ones, add new ones, develop a fresh style, and send it to the assembly line. With the Volkswagen Multivan T4, everything happened differently: the car was developed almost from scratch. Firstly, the engine was moved to the front - even at the time of the T3's release, the rear engine was already considered obsolete. Secondly, the engine was given a liquid cooling system. Thirdly, the drive also became front-wheel drive (later all-wheel drive models appeared).
The appearance has also been seriously redesigned. Multivan T3 looked like a rounded iron box with small wheels. The VW T4 Multivan received a design that is close to modern - the dimensions and wheels have increased, more smooth lines have appeared, the front part began to resemble a passenger car, and not a mini-bus.
As for the interior, it was carried over from the T3, but with significant improvements. The three-row configuration remains, as does 7 seats. What remains is the concept of a sofa that can be folded out of the last 3 seats, and the possibility of turning the middle seats towards the driver or towards the back row. A rail system has appeared - not the same as in T5 and T6, but the middle seats can already be moved more or less freely. Other improvements: the more spacious passenger area is now heated by 2 heaters at once, the table has become more functional, small details have appeared such as additional cabinets, ashtrays and cup holders.
In general, the VW T4 Multivan laid down the interior that we can see in later series.
Car history
Volkswagen Multivan T4 cannot boast of a rich history. The line began to be produced in 1990, initially 2 diesel and 2 gasoline engines of 4-5 cylinders were available. In 1998, all-wheel drive models appeared, but they were not really bought - front-wheel drive was quite enough. There was no full restyling - only minor improvements. The most significant of them was the lengthening of the front part of the car - there was not enough space for the V6 engine.
Chassis
Frankly, there are no weak points here; everything runs more than 100 thousand km. The problem is that the T5 is a commercial vehicle/minibus, original parts or a high-quality “license” are expensive, and an attempt to save money leads to the unpredictability of the resource of the replaced unit. In this case, wheel bearings, for example, are replaced as an assembly with the hub, so replacing them will not be cheap. And of course, the mileage of parts depends on what roads, with what load and speed the car is driven. So, when choosing a T5, remember that the chassis parts, of course, are “consumables”, but they cannot be called cheap, so shock absorbers or even ball joints asking for replacement are a reason for bargaining.
Our verdict
Even at a decent age, the T5 is not cheap, but this is only justified if the car is really in well-maintained condition. After all, there are plenty of potential problems: weak paintwork increases the risk of body problems, complex engines have their drawbacks, which are especially possible in the case of advanced age and high mileage, even a manual transmission may require repairs, and a banal clutch replacement does not promise to be cheap.
And there are two options: either the previous owner saved you from these issues, at least for the next few years, or he is ready to give a good discount, which will compensate for your next investment. Otherwise, there is no point in settling on a dubious option: tidying up T5 is quite expensive, and it’s stupid to overpay just for the image.
Minibuses and minivans in the Automotive Business ad database
conclusions
Thus, the Ford car is designed more for transporting goods; it can carry more weights at a time. The Volkswagen minivan is designed to carry passengers.
In terms of design, the minibus from the American company (Ford) is more popular with users, although the latest modification of the VW T6 is also quite interesting in this regard.
But in general, only the buyer himself , based on the technical characteristics and customer reviews, as well as on the purposes and frequency of operation of the vehicle.
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