The couple spent more than $140,000 on a new Volkswagen Touran TDI 1.6, which they collected on Sept 21.
Three months on, Mr Cheah Khuan Yew, 37, and his wife Jessica, 41, have found themselves saddled with a $28,000 bill.
The engine and fuel system of their car have been ruined as a result of water tainting the diesel in the fuel tank, and has to be replaced.
The couple, who are in the banking industry, are baffled with what could have introduced water into the diesel.
"We were told it's premature ageing. Basically, it's like a three-year-old car with a 10-year-old engine," said Mr Cheah, drawing his own analogy to show the extent of damage.
"It's been almost three months. As a consumer, I buy a car to drive. I'm not buying a risky puzzle,'' he added.
They told The New Paper last Friday that they first noticed the problem just days after they bought the diesel-powered car.
It was meant to replace their seven-year-old second-hand Honda Civic, which they use mostly only on weekends or to take their three children to school.
But after Mr Cheah pumped diesel into the four-day-old car at an Esso service station, things started going awry.
When Mrs Cheah drove the car the next day, she noticed that it "felt funny".
The engine was stuttering, which meant the tachometer would fluctuate even when the engine was left idling.
"I thought it was just a one-off thing. A woman is not so sensitive to car-related things," she said.
But when her husband also noticed the problem, they realised that something was not right.
On Oct 3, the couple sent their seven-seater to the Volkswagen Centre at MacPherson Road, as advised by the staff member manning the Volkswagen Roadside Assistance hotline.
They were told that the car had been damaged, probably due to tainted diesel.
"They said it was not covered (under the warranty). I couldn't believe it. It's a brand new car," Mrs Cheah said, recalling her exchange with the Volkswagen service staff.
An analysis of a sample of the diesel as part of a preliminary test found the water content to be higher than what is allowed in the Euro V standard for diesel.
The car was then sent to the Volkswagen Centre at Alexandra Road for further inspection.
In the interim, Volkswagen loaned the Cheahs a courtesy car.
On four occasions in October and November, Volkswagen hired LKK Auto Consultants to assess the damage to the car. A Volkswagen Group Singapore spokesman confirmed this.
"We have since carried out an investigation on this case and a third party surveyor discovered there was water content in the fuel tank," he said.
In a detailed report, LKK Auto Consultants found that the engine stuttering was due to its low compression of air.
When that happens in a diesel engine, the fuel cannot be ignited and the car stalls.
According to the report, the low compression was a result of damaged parts in the car's engine, likely due to the presence of excess water in the diesel.
"The water content that was contained in the diesel of the motor car was likely due to external factor(s) and unlikely to be a result of manufacturer defect(s)," the report said.
The recommendation was to replace the entire engine and fuel system of the car.
Three months on, Mr Cheah Khuan Yew, 37, and his wife Jessica, 41, have found themselves saddled with a $28,000 bill.
The engine and fuel system of their car have been ruined as a result of water tainting the diesel in the fuel tank, and has to be replaced.
The couple, who are in the banking industry, are baffled with what could have introduced water into the diesel.
"We were told it's premature ageing. Basically, it's like a three-year-old car with a 10-year-old engine," said Mr Cheah, drawing his own analogy to show the extent of damage.
"It's been almost three months. As a consumer, I buy a car to drive. I'm not buying a risky puzzle,'' he added.
They told The New Paper last Friday that they first noticed the problem just days after they bought the diesel-powered car.
It was meant to replace their seven-year-old second-hand Honda Civic, which they use mostly only on weekends or to take their three children to school.
But after Mr Cheah pumped diesel into the four-day-old car at an Esso service station, things started going awry.
When Mrs Cheah drove the car the next day, she noticed that it "felt funny".
The engine was stuttering, which meant the tachometer would fluctuate even when the engine was left idling.
"I thought it was just a one-off thing. A woman is not so sensitive to car-related things," she said.
But when her husband also noticed the problem, they realised that something was not right.
On Oct 3, the couple sent their seven-seater to the Volkswagen Centre at MacPherson Road, as advised by the staff member manning the Volkswagen Roadside Assistance hotline.
They were told that the car had been damaged, probably due to tainted diesel.
"They said it was not covered (under the warranty). I couldn't believe it. It's a brand new car," Mrs Cheah said, recalling her exchange with the Volkswagen service staff.
An analysis of a sample of the diesel as part of a preliminary test found the water content to be higher than what is allowed in the Euro V standard for diesel.
The car was then sent to the Volkswagen Centre at Alexandra Road for further inspection.
In the interim, Volkswagen loaned the Cheahs a courtesy car.
On four occasions in October and November, Volkswagen hired LKK Auto Consultants to assess the damage to the car. A Volkswagen Group Singapore spokesman confirmed this.
"We have since carried out an investigation on this case and a third party surveyor discovered there was water content in the fuel tank," he said.
In a detailed report, LKK Auto Consultants found that the engine stuttering was due to its low compression of air.
When that happens in a diesel engine, the fuel cannot be ignited and the car stalls.
According to the report, the low compression was a result of damaged parts in the car's engine, likely due to the presence of excess water in the diesel.
"The water content that was contained in the diesel of the motor car was likely due to external factor(s) and unlikely to be a result of manufacturer defect(s)," the report said.
The recommendation was to replace the entire engine and fuel system of the car.
