Buying a used Amarok. Looking for advice.

[Eddy680]

Hi. I'm a new user so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. I'm looking for advice. Looking at buying a 2012 Amarok BiTDI 132kw 4motion. 213 500km. for R180k. Any issues i should be looking for? I know a bout the cambelt and water pump that needs to be replaced. Service history shows only as partial so I'm a bit sceptic. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Nys]

Hi. I'm a new user so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. I'm looking for advice. Looking at buying a 2012 Amarok BiTDI 132kw 4motion. 213 500km. for R180k. Any issues i should be looking for? I know a bout the cambelt and water pump that needs to be replaced. Service history shows only as partial so I'm a bit sceptic. Any advice would be appreciated.

Just do a search on the form. Many threads started in exactly the same vein so all answers are available.
That said, I personally will not buy a high mileage diesel with partial service history. In fact, I will not buy any new technology car of today with partial history.

[retailer]

Prone to cracked cylinder heads, so make sure you pressure test the cooling system, if it fails, walk away.

[jonoB]

Prone to cracked cylinder heads, so make sure you pressure test the cooling system, if it fails, walk away.

I would not say that it is prone... It has happened though

[Nys]

I would not say that it is prone... It has happened though

Agree, not a problem with the head. rather the EGR cooler that can leak water, causing the head failure. Personally, would replace that as a "preventative" measure on a high mileage Amarok

[retailer]

I have heard of a head that failed below 6000kms. I dont think it has to do with the EGR so much as we think.

[retailer]

I would not say that it is prone... It has happened though

look I love my Amarok and I would buy another Amarok when time comes, but if you hear about dealers that have imported non VW cylinder heads available, then you know, its fairly common.

[Ooba]

I have heard of a head that failed below 6000kms. I dont think it has to do with the EGR so much as we think.

I have heard of a C63S engine failing at 5000km, does that mean they all do?

[jonoB]

look I love my Amarok and I would buy another Amarok when time comes, but if you hear about dealers that have imported non VW cylinder heads available, then you know, its fairly common.

I don't believe that in anyway is the Amarok, more or less prone to head failure than others. Head failure has never been a "problem" on the Amarok...

[Morne - Skip]

Hi. I'm a new user so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. I'm looking for advice. Looking at buying a 2012 Amarok BiTDI 132kw 4motion. 213 500km. for R180k. Any issues i should be looking for? I know a bout the cambelt and water pump that needs to be replaced. Service history shows only as partial so I'm a bit sceptic. Any advice would be appreciated.

Partial Service = walk away ..... well for me at least. Nothing else of interest at R180k?

[Eddy680]

Partial Service = walk away ..... well for me at least. Nothing else of interest at R180k?

Walk away was also my thoughts. No not really. I like the Amarok because it's a luxury bakkie if I can put it like that. I am going to use it for work every day but I don't want it to feel like a workhorse, I would like to use it to drive friends/family around. Looking generally for around R200k.

[Eddy680]

I saw a 2011 Amarok 140k on the clock. Any opinions on the earlier models?

[Duka]

Walk away. Irrespective of brand, I will never buy any vehicle with a partial or questionable service history.

[jonoB]

I saw a 2011 Amarok 140k on the clock. Any opinions on the earlier models?

Id stay away from the 2011 models, they had some clutch issues amongst others.

2012 and up. 2012 saw the 132kw version come out, better power delivery and not as prone to stalling (better clutch and different power delivery). A good 2012 is where id start.

[clubbie]

Just do a search on the form. Many threads started in exactly the same vein so all answers are available.
That said, I personally will not buy a high mileage diesel with partial service history. In fact, I will not buy any new technology car of today with partial history.

Best advice ever.

Modern cars have too many requirements wrt type of oils and intervals between replacing crucial items. Too much can go wrong and it will usually cost you a fortune.

[Stephan van Tonder]

And the flipside of the coin is that I have bought cars with full dealer service history in worse condition and with more issue of neglected filter changes than ones that had no service book in at all. Judge the car by what it looks like ie. is it obviously well kept than a single or few items in a service book. There is no black and white here. Any second hand car has risk - you need to decide if that risk is manageable.


I have had cars by me - two amaroks recently that just had exited dealer servicing. Both of them had cabin filters in that had dates on that agree with the manufacturing year of the car and when pulled out on one I filled a checkers bag of feathers, leafs and other junk. So personally - I put very little to no value at service history. Frankly I don't even look at it.

This air filter on the right vs a new one for that car, came out of an audi allroad that I bought that had an up to date service record from an audi dealer in natal. Stamped 4000 km before the Km I bought it at. Does that look like a filter that is 4k km old?. The manufacturing date stamped on it was 7 years old. It did not even fit in the airbox anymore.
Oh and to add - I bought that car at 210k km. Drove it for 4 years and sold it to a friend. On saturday it turned over to 333 333 km. it's the 2.7 Twin turbo v6.

[Oppies3800]

My vehicle does not have a service history, but it has more serviceable items replaced than the dealer would have.

I got the schedule, but try and do more because I would like to keep it for a while still

[stephenplumb]

i am with the others here on service history. My amarock is on 270 000km. I replace the oil every 10k with the correct spec from Ravenol. I do the timing chain every 80k, and all the oils and fluids at around the same time. Generally all filters every service, but usually the fuel every second service.

Apart from oil change, most of the basic service stuff is only done every 60k by the dealers. Like van Tonder mentioned, even this they don't often do properly. I have also had to go around my vehicle fixing all the plastic things they have broken, like bits that hold the pipes near the fuel filter, the power steering pipes were just lying on the bottom of the engine, and quite a few parts that hold the front grill on were broken.

I suppose a full service history is better than no history, but I think the general condition of the vehicle, signs of excessive smoke etc are much better indicators of a well looked after vehicle. Also remember that people that plan on holding onto their vehicles tend to look after them with that in mind. People who trade a vehicle every 3-4 years, will tend to view it as a consumable and may very well not take the same level of care. Do they wait for the engine to start warming up before applying significant throttle inputs, or just hammer it from cold, because its covered by warrantee. Do they keep it clean, or just wait for the next service? Do they top up with the correct oil, or just throw in whatever is cheapest at the garage?

[Nys]

Full service history does not necessarily mean dealer history.
I will be happy to buy one who has got private service history. If you keep track of all that was done, invoices etc. why not.

I personally keep track of all my expenses/services on my vehicles. And am happy to show this to the dealer on trade in. Maybe why I am always offered more than trade for my cars.

[Stephan van Tonder]

Also not every missed schedule in a book of mostly done services spells disaster. Sometimes we service a car and the owner did not have the book available in the car - so it does not get stamped. It then gets sold before he returns with the book or somebody else stamps a next service in that space where that service should have gone. Poef happens...