Four problems related to timing tensioner have been reported for the 2009 Volkswagen GTI. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Vehicle has 140,455 miles on it and was well maintained. At approximately 15 mph heard loud sound and had total engine failure. Car was towed to a Volkswagen specialist and said that the timing chain threw due to the timing chain tensioner, a common problem for the 2. 0 tsi engines from 2008-2012. Minimum for repair would be $4,000 due to bent valves; maximum will be engine replacement (~$9,000). Given car's age and value, neither options are worth fixing and I will have to sell car for parts. After researching online, the timing chain tensioner failure is a common issue with 2. 0 tsi engines yet Volkswagen did not issue a recall related to the issue.
Defective timing chain tensioner went and destroyed the entire engine that has less than 50,000 miles on it. Apparently this is a known issue with vw that I found out about after the fact. Luckily it happened in my driveway.
For several weeks, I noticed occasional misfires upon startup and acceleration. Then, the vehicle began running loudly and consuming a lot of oil. The vehicle also shuddered while driving. One morning, the car shuddered and bucked while I attempted to start it, and ultimately failed to start after several attempts. The engine light illuminated. This is not a battery issue; the battery is only a few months old and was tested in the past few weeks (holds charge at 100%). I have had the car towed to two mechanics and the problem was diagnosed as a timing chain tensioner failure leading to catastrophic engine failure. According to the first mechanic, the entire engine needs to be replaced for approximately $4500. According to the second mechanic, the timing chain tensioner needs replacing and the top half of the engine needs to be repaired, leading to a quote of $2800 for repair. The mechanic stated to me that he has already performed approximately 8 of these repairs on Volkswagens in the last year and directed me to investigate a pending new jersey lawsuit against Volkswagen for the same issue. This appears to be a common complaint. If my engine had failed while at speed on a roadway it would have been extremely dangerous.
Premature engine failure while driving due to a known defective timing chain tensioner which vw has sent a TSB about but refuses to do a recall to replace. Instead they expect customers to pay $1500 to have the newly updated tensioner installed. Engines are failing both under and just out of warranty. Sudden loss of power and control of the engine while driving causing the ability to steer and maneuver the vehicle to a safe stop in traffic.