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Accelerator not reacting for 3 or 4 seconds!

13K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  Dai 8 
#1 ·
Picked up my new Ateca on the 11th December 1.5 tsi manual, but every so often when I pull off from a dead start when you press the accelerator in it takes 3 or 4 seconds before the revs kick in causing it to stall as already let the clutch up expecting some reaction from the throttle,

Had another Ateca before this with no issues

Wondering if there's an issue with the new batch of engines or if anyone's experienced the same issue?
 
#2 ·
Not had this problem myself (my issue is autohold not releasing which no-one else on here seems to suffer from)... It sounds to me like the "fly by wire" throttle is misbehaving rather than the engine itself being at fault. If it's reproducible. I'd call SEAT Assist and demo it to them - they can check for any logged faults and can at least support what you're saying if it needs the dealer to work on it. It's the AA who attend as I was impressed when they turned out at my house with an hr or so without it being urgent or critical.
 
#4 ·
I'm wondering yours might be auto-hold related too in that case. Mine stalls in that scenario and is very reluctant to move off on the flat and goes to electric handbrake on the hill when it stalls. Check the lights on the Auto Hold and E Hbrake buttons and see what happens. You could also try turning OFF auto hold somewhere quiet and see if that makes a difference - a process of elimination if nothing else. keep us posted!
 
#7 ·
Kevin D said:
Yes suffered similar problems,I think it may be related to the stop start I now turn mine off more often than not.do you also suffer the lack of response in second gear could be potentially dangerous..
Sorry only just seen your reply!

I only find it happens every so many days seems like there's a dead spot on the revs in 1st and second gear where it lacks power but really hard to find the right bite and right amount of revs to pull away occasionally,

Find I'm having over rev it to make sure it doesn't stall/crawl out of a junction when pulling away

Think seat are aware of the problem but won't admit it till they find a fix for it!
 
#8 ·
Theres a number of other posts on this subject, appears to be common to all 1.5 TSI engines throughout the VW group. Another contributor said that he thought VW were aware and that an ICU fix was coming (I've had exactly the same issue by the way)
 
#9 ·
This happens to ours! Except ours is DSG... Currently in at the dealer. I know it isn't the auto hold on ours as I always switch it off when I get in, and the start stop too (they're both equally annoying) I'll get to say a roundabout, come off the brake onto acc and nothing for 4/5 seconds (intially) then bang off you went - this was almost a daily occurance (cold start usually)
Finally managed to demonstrate it to the dealership but this time I had my foot to the floor, it was in D, dash shown D1 auto handbrake off, handbrake off, engine running and yet the car wasn't even revving up never mind moving! This went on for at least 2 mins solid, 6 of them seen it happen and we both got video proof. Cars still in there (only been few days) waiting to hear back
 
#10 ·
Same problem here. Its hard to reproduce this, as it happens at random times (cold engine or not), but mostly get it when not revving the engine high (just rev normal as one would expect in 1st/2nd gear). Had nearly two accidents because of it, as when pulling out into fast moving traffic and stalled! dangerous indeed
 
#11 ·
Hello everybody and greetings from Italy!

As I've just said in another thread (Blooming things...) I subscribed this forum because I'm waiting for my Ateca 1.5 DSG, which is in order.
I got a bit worried for all the issues I read about kangarooing and stalling of the TSI 1.5 engines.

Anyway, in an Italian forum (dedicated to Golf, actually, but the engine is the same) I read that, at least in some cases, an additive to the gasoline has helped with these issues.

Has anyone tried any additives here yet?

Cheers
 
#13 ·
I've also just said in another thread...

Just going to leave this here for peoples's information.

We took delivery of our 1.5 tsi Ateca first week of January, took it in to dealer with lack of power/stalling/kangaroo fault on the 2#th Jan. Called Seat assist as SEAT service technicians weren't available as a Sunday. AA attended and arranged a hire car through SEAT assist "mobex" (warning- VW group will only allow Enterprise hire to supply VW group customers with VW group cars so you could end up with an Audi Q7, we ended up with a spartan Skoda Fabia until complaining about its maintenance 2 days later and managed to get a golf plus). SEAT technicians at our dealership managed to replicate the faults on the Monday and provided me with email confirming this. The technician also told me that he had raised a safety critical fault report to SEAT technical. On 3#st January, we had confirmation that there was no fix at present for the fault, expected sometime in 2019... Technicians also recorded faults occurring and sent to SEAT technical in the mean time.
We followed this up by rejecting the car on the 3#st January by sending a letter to SEAT Finance and the dealer exercising our short term right to reject under Consumer Rights Act 2015. This is where the "fun" started!

We had our email and it's contents ignored for the first week while we were passed between several Vwfs dept's and personnel including receiving emails from named managers who no longer worked in those dept's. It was not until we were allocated an executive complaints handler that we had one point of contact with Vwfs. Even then, SEAT UK attempted to deny faults existence, tried to get the dealer to buy car back from finance company, tried to get us to accept/buy a different car, and attempted to take the hire car off us with 6 hours notice after telling us to pick up the Ateca as SEAT technical had found the faults to be non-safety critical. We stuck to our guns and eventually, after the dealer had continued to refuse to buy back the car from the finance company and take the financial hit on the car, (SEAT) Vwfs accepted responsibility for refunding everything we had paid out on the car. Our case handler took a fair few angry calls from me given that I had provided exactly the evidence required from the outset of our rejection but they obviously have pressure from above. Her final decision based on her 4 weeks investigation consisted of basically 4 lines. "You said car had fault, SEAT agreed there is fault, Complaint upheld, here's your money back" packed out with some apologies and the legal information they have to provide.
Full Refund with interest and admin costs received this week after more angry phone calls and emails threatening legal action as rejection had been accepted 2 weeks ago and Vwfs were delaying refund due to arguments between entities of SEAT as to who was going to refund us and the waiting for senior manager's approval. I had also started to go public on Twitter with the issue.

Think the issue may be about to get a lot bigger for VW group as more people realise the fault is not them "adapting driving style to new vehicle" or "characteristic" of the car. Just want to give an insight into the battle that you may face in rejecting a car but also encourage you not to be put off if you are currently lumbered with a faulty car and you wish to take this route. I would suggest having a good read of the Consumer rights act 2015, particularly the right to reject, first 30 days and up to 6 months and beyond. You can also search and read previous case decisions against VWFS on the financial ombudsman service website, gives a good insight into an ombudsman's application of the law in such cases.

SEAT/VW may come up with a fix for the issue eventually but their handling (apart from the dealership who were completely honest and professional with me) of the case has put us off the brand for life, What others decide to do is down to them entirely but if what I've shared helps one person with their own battle, It'll have been worth writing it.

Happy ending for us, we test drove and have just ordered a 2019 Suzuki Vitara to replace the Ateca. Made us realise how a new car should feel to drive!

Dai
 
#14 ·
(Can the admins please consolidate these threads with issues of start/stop, delays in acceleration etc. Its all the same problem, yet there are about 4 different threads on this as we speak. Thanks)
 
#15 ·
Dai 8 said:
SEAT/VW may come up with a fix for the issue eventually but their handling (apart from the dealership who were completely honest and professional with me) of the case has put us off the brand for life, What others decide to do is down to them entirely but if what I've shared helps one person with their own battle, It'll have been worth writing it.
Seems to be the way SEAT is to try and pass the buck to SEAT (VW) FS and / or the dealer.

In your case though, shouldn't the dealer, as the supplying retailer so therefore legally responsible, have dealt with all this for you?
 
#17 ·
Dai 8 said:
I've also just said in another thread...

Just going to leave this here for peoples's information.

We took delivery of our 1.5 tsi Ateca first week of January, took it in to dealer with lack of power/stalling/kangaroo fault on the 2#th Jan. Called Seat assist as SEAT service technicians weren't available as a Sunday. AA attended and arranged a hire car through SEAT assist "mobex" (warning- VW group will only allow Enterprise hire to supply VW group customers with VW group cars so you could end up with an Audi Q7, we ended up with a spartan Skoda Fabia until complaining about its maintenance 2 days later and managed to get a golf plus). SEAT technicians at our dealership managed to replicate the faults on the Monday and provided me with email confirming this. The technician also told me that he had raised a safety critical fault report to SEAT technical. On 3#st January, we had confirmation that there was no fix at present for the fault, expected sometime in 2019... Technicians also recorded faults occurring and sent to SEAT technical in the mean time.
We followed this up by rejecting the car on the 3#st January by sending a letter to SEAT Finance and the dealer exercising our short term right to reject under Consumer Rights Act 2015. This is where the "fun" started!

We had our email and it's contents ignored for the first week while we were passed between several Vwfs dept's and personnel including receiving emails from named managers who no longer worked in those dept's. It was not until we were allocated an executive complaints handler that we had one point of contact with Vwfs. Even then, SEAT UK attempted to deny faults existence, tried to get the dealer to buy car back from finance company, tried to get us to accept/buy a different car, and attempted to take the hire car off us with 6 hours notice after telling us to pick up the Ateca as SEAT technical had found the faults to be non-safety critical. We stuck to our guns and eventually, after the dealer had continued to refuse to buy back the car from the finance company and take the financial hit on the car, (SEAT) Vwfs accepted responsibility for refunding everything we had paid out on the car. Our case handler took a fair few angry calls from me given that I had provided exactly the evidence required from the outset of our rejection but they obviously have pressure from above. Her final decision based on her 4 weeks investigation consisted of basically 4 lines. "You said car had fault, SEAT agreed there is fault, Complaint upheld, here's your money back" packed out with some apologies and the legal information they have to provide.
Full Refund with interest and admin costs received this week after more angry phone calls and emails threatening legal action as rejection had been accepted 2 weeks ago and Vwfs were delaying refund due to arguments between entities of SEAT as to who was going to refund us and the waiting for senior manager's approval. I had also started to go public on Twitter with the issue.

Think the issue may be about to get a lot bigger for VW group as more people realise the fault is not them "adapting driving style to new vehicle" or "characteristic" of the car. Just want to give an insight into the battle that you may face in rejecting a car but also encourage you not to be put off if you are currently lumbered with a faulty car and you wish to take this route. I would suggest having a good read of the Consumer rights act 2015, particularly the right to reject, first 30 days and up to 6 months and beyond. You can also search and read previous case decisions against VWFS on the financial ombudsman service website, gives a good insight into an ombudsman's application of the law in such cases.

SEAT/VW may come up with a fix for the issue eventually but their handling (apart from the dealership who were completely honest and professional with me) of the case has put us off the brand for life, What others decide to do is down to them entirely but if what I've shared helps one person with their own battle, It'll have been worth writing it.

Happy ending for us, we test drove and have just ordered a 2019 Suzuki Vitara to replace the Ateca. Made us realise how a new car should feel to drive!

Dai
Spoke to seat helpline today to report mine for the issues,

Issues I'm exerienceing to date are:
* dead spots in 1st and 2nd gear
*kangaroo effect crawling in traffic when engines cold
*No throttle or clutch response when pulling away in 1st gear/ revs still sitting below idle at 800rpm when this happens

Got the usual response of 'we're not aware of any issues with the engines' which with so many threads of people with the same issues and the honest John article about the 1.5 engines they surely have to be aware of it!

Had delivery of mine December and took it back in January which technician drove it said nothing wrong more or less implying it's my driving style!

This is the 4th seat I've had in manual petrol so I think I know how to drive one 😂 wish I never got rid of the 1.4 Tsi Ateca as that drove great!

Problem is with the seat garages unless anything comes up on the diagnostics machines they haven't got a clue about it,

Anyone had a useful response off Seat yet?
 
#18 ·
I was in a slightly different position to you as I had just ordered my Ateca and asked for a change to diesel but the guy at SEAT I was dealing with admitted there was a fault with the 1.5. My garage have taken a major huff as they said the exact opposite as the guy from SEAT.

Think I was really lucky as SEAT had to kick my local garage up the bum because they were being very awkward.
 
#21 ·
Seems to be the way SEAT is to try and pass the buck to SEAT (VW) FS and / or the dealer.

In your case though, shouldn't the dealer, as the supplying retailer so therefore legally responsible, have dealt with all this for you?
[/quote]

As we bought the car on Finance, with a pcp through with SEAT-VWFS, then from a legal point of view, the buck stopped with them as when you buy a car on pcp or hire purchase, the dealer arranges the finance for you, then sells the car to the finance company, who in turn then rent/sell it to the consumer. If a case goes to the financial ombudsman, then it is the finance company who would be held responsible under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. We also paid some of the initial deposit by credit card so would also have been covered by section 75 of the consumer credit act. We could have raised a claim against, in our case, Barclaycard, as they would be held jointly and severally liable for the beach of contract. i.e supply of faulty goods. Presumably, the might of Barclaycard would then chase SEAT/Vwfs for remuneration.
 
#22 ·
Hayden mills said:
I'm awaiting a call from a case manager in the next 48 hours so may get it moving from there, just so annoying to have such issues with a brand new car!
Skoda appear to have started dealing with the issue in the last week or so by giving out courtesy vehicles to those customers who shout loudest. There is a BIG subject post on the Briskoda forum stretching to 67 pages and things are really starting to gather momentum there as more people become aware. If you call SEAT assist, and tell them your car has an issue and that you cannot safely drive it due to the issue, they will get the AA out who can then arrange a hire car for you under SEAT mobex. The AA can recover the car to dealer as it has potentially dangerous fault. Well that's how it happened for us anyway. (If your car is already at the dealer, they can't get you a hire car through mobex).
 
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