The unreliability of our beloved vans is not the sole ownership of the air-cooled bays and splits. Helen and I waved summer 2023 travels goodbye due to our 2019, 18,500 miles only T6 Kombi developing an EGR fault.

Back in May we were literally just pulling onto the drive after a trip to Derbyshire and Suffolk to visit family when an engine fault light lit up on the dash. My usual mechanic was able to diagnose the fault as EGR problems but as the van was so low mileage reckoned I should try to get VW to fix it on goodwill.

Now the fun begins. Yes, VW will look into the fault and possibly fix as a goodwill gesture but there’s a three month wait for a garage slot! Bye Bye summer camping. The appointment eventually arrived and despite a few niggles, VW did indeed fix the fault on goodwill (the new manager was very helpful). An EGR flush was carried out.  I did have to pay for a forced regen which wasn’t so bad as you all know put the word Volkswagen in the mix and costs reach for the sky.

It seems this problem isn’t uncommon with the newer Euro 6 transporters due to the ever increasing tightening up of emissions basically blocking the EGR valve with carbon. Pottering around town, which I try not to do seems to be the arch enemy and I have been told by a few knowledgeable people to minimize carbon build up red line it and drive it like you stole it!!!

After having the T6 EGR flush and forced regen carried out in early September 2023, I thought that the engine might behave for a while. It did, but only for nine months and not a lot of miles. On the return journey to Bristol from South Gloucestershire in early June on the M5 joy of joys engine light came on. Managed to book into the local garage within a week. Diagnostic results came back; EGR insufficient flow. They fixed it there and then but I picked it up at the end of the day with a bank balance £1,100 pounds lighter! Most of that bill was for parts.

By all accounts the EGR flush is basically like sticking a plaster on the problem. I suppose I did get nine months out of it.