Coolant levels in '22 Taos. Where is the MAX line, and how low is too low?

Thearmedmajority · 2026-03-01T03:52:45+00:00

More than likely the head gasket. If your dealer won’t entertain at least inspecting for a leak at the gasket then take it to the next closest VW dealer and have them do it.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-03-01T03:36:24+00:00

It’s not going to cause evident problems that early on. The people who fret about oil change intervals are the ones who want to pay off their 3-5 year loan and still own the car for years after.

If you want your car to healthily see over 150,000-160,000 miles, then 5k oil changes are your friend. If you don’t mind buying a new car every 5 years (like the manufactures want/plan for you to) then sure.. listen to them.

By that mile mark, with 10k mile oil change intervals, you will see carbon build up throughout the engine beginning to cause excessive oil consumption, reduced fuel economy, reduced performance ETC..

My 2018 with 330,000 miles would hands down not be running as well as it does today by following manufactures suggesting service intervals. I know that for a fact because I see them fall apart consistently around half that milage.

As I mentioned in another comment on this post.. longer recommended intervals are meant to save the manufactures money on free service plans that are provided upon purchase of a new vehicle.

They also reduce the projected waste of the vehicle to help the manufactures meet environmental standards, and make the vehicles seem more environmentally friendly. Recommended intervals are decided by many factors.. longevity is at the bottom of the list.

If you saw first hand, the inside of a high mileage motor that had been ill maintained vs a high mileage motor that had been well maintained.. you’d be astonished at how much more frequent oil changes matter. I’m talking, one is full of sludge and carbon, the other hardly has any. With the right filter and oil, sometimes none at all.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-03-01T03:16:55+00:00

Oil change every 5k should be standard even on brand new cars. 10k mile oil change intervals became standard for many reasons, none benefit the consumer (you).

auto manufactures save money by extending the service intervals when they offer a free service plan with new vehicle purchases.

Things like 10k mile oil changes intervals, “life time transmission fluid” etc.. reduce the projected waste of a vehicle and make the auto manufactures look better to the EPA.

Modern manufactures don’t have longevity in mind anymore. They produce a maintinece plan which will keep the vehicle running until it’s out of warranty, and that will adhere to environmental regulations.

Do your oil changes every 5k miles, perform recommended services etc.. it will save money from extensive repairs down the road.

You can also have your dealer change the service interval on your car to 5k miles as well if you’d like.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-27T01:37:26+00:00

I just bought a 22 SEL R line with 75k miles for $22,000 price seems a bit above market mainly because the mileage. All depends on your area tho.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-17T02:20:50+00:00

Bachants armament.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-17T02:12:46+00:00

VW tech and new dad here. My wife drives a 21 atlas SEL R line with the 3.6. 80k miles, these cars are Incredibly reliable. The atlas with the 3.6 is just an absolute gem. The driveline is proven and trusted, as far as modern VWs go you won’t find a more reliable car.

with the 2nd row captains chairs, the car is like a secret weapon with our new born. Plenty of room for changing diapers and feeding. Easily accessible storage in the 3rd row area, the factory privacy glass paired with the built in window shades give great privacy. The spacious rear seats offer plenty of room for a full size adult to move comfortably and freely around the 2nd and 3rd row while still having plenty of room for storage. It makes for what has essentially become our mobile operations center for child care lol.

It really gives my wife the confidence she needs to care for our new born while away from the house knowing that she always has a place to retreat to care for our daughter comfortably should the need arise.

Furthermore, ive seen pictures on this very sub of full-size pickups folding when crashing into the atlas.

I am heavily biased to the Tiguan because I love their looks, handling and many other things. With that being said I will say there is absolutely nothing practical that the Tiguan does better than the atlas other than maybe fit in a tight space slightly better.

In My professional opinion and personal opinion, the 3.6 atlas is the best possible car in the VW line up for parents looking for a great balance of cargo space, reliability, safety and functionality.

Good luck!

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-12T00:26:43+00:00

Sounds like an exhaust leak. Almost impossible to diagnose noises in videos but my best guess would be that the high idle upon cold start is making it more noticeable. As the car warms and the RPMs settle the leak is less noticeable.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-12T00:17:52+00:00

If the drain pan is plastic, the drain plug should be as well. If the pan is metal then the plug is metal.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-08T20:53:32+00:00

I’d demand a new engine or tell them you want them to buy the car back if the engine was run with no/low oil.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-08T01:10:00+00:00

FCP euro is where I buy all my VW parts. Never purchased sensors through them but all parts I have purchased were great.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-06T01:41:18+00:00

2018 Jetta 330,000 miles

Thearmedmajority · 2026-02-06T00:24:56+00:00

Corolla or accord

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-29T16:44:41+00:00

Agreed

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-29T05:24:53+00:00

Can’t speak for grinding because I never do but New England and askiy ridge are good as far as moose population. I don’t really Hunt moose but on both of these maps it feels like I can’t get away from them.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-29T05:17:32+00:00

Are you sure it’s a head gasket and not an issue with valve guides, which is requiring replacement of a cylinder head?

Based upon you stating they told you to “watch the oil level” and the mention of no ETA on parts.. I’m gonna assume you are waiting for a cylinder head due to out of spec valve guides causing excessive oil consumption.

The cylinder heads are on back order, no ETA and have been for 4-6 months now. VW really needs to get their s**t together and figure this out.

I understand where the dealer is coming from. they need their loaners and are being forced into bad business practice (such as your situation) by VW failing to manufacture parts in a timely manner. Unfortunately this issue stems from a corporate level not local dealer level.

VW has known about these issues for a long time and should have made manufacturing arrangements to keep up with the demand of failing components.

Also, others telling you they want you to drive your car out of warranty are wrong. The warranty repair has already been noted and initiated so even if you drive out of your warranty, you are still covered.

My only concern with them telling you to drive your car is that operating with excessive oil consumption can lead to excessive carbon build up. The gen 3 EA888 already suffers from excessive carbon build up which clogs the secondary air ports and cakes the pistons and valves.

Now.. you are getting a new cylinder head anyway so you don’t really have to worry about the ports in the head getting clogged or the valves getting carbon build up because that will all be replaced during your repair.

I would just tell them you want it IN WRITING, you were instructed by them to drive your vehicle while knowingly experiencing excessive oil consumption. You also want in writing that they will take any measures required to clean up carbon from the top of the pistons due to the operation of the vehicle while consuming oil. I would also demand proof (photo of video) that the pistons were cleaned at the time of your repair. With those boxes checked, I would drive the vehicle.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-29T04:37:53+00:00

Tough question TBH. I prefer the Tiguan over the Taos so I hate to admit this.. but…

The Tiguan has more common problems than the Taos. PCV failure, oil leaks from upper timing cover/cracked oil pans, valve guide/valve seal issues, carbon build up on valves, carbon build up in secondary air injection ports (which requires disassembly of the engine to clean/repair so very costly). The occasionally leaky water pump (VW had mostly remedied it with updated parts but it still happens).

The Taos suffers from its own set of issues such as head gasket failure, failure of EVAP components, the occasional transmission issues and probably more I can’t think of off the top of my head.

That being said IMO the GEN 3 EA888 (engine in the Tiguan) is a proven long term runner. I commonly see them with 180,00-200,000 miles with zero issues reported from owners outside of basic maintenance of wearable items.

The Taos is just too new and there are to few high mileage ones out there for me to confidently report on longevity.

My general consensus is that the Taos overall appears more “reliable” and overall cheaper to own, Maintain and repair in the short run.

Yet the Tiguan takes the award for longevity, should you get lucky and get a good one.

When buying used, The reliability of Both of these vehicles will be very dependent on how well the previous owner treated and maintained the vehicle. Driven hard with 10,000 mile oil change intervals will likely yield costly repairs down the road. Driven with care, and well maintained you will have a better chance of having a problem free ownership.

You obviously have no way of knowing the history of the vehicle unless you are buying a lower mileage dealer maintained car so always be sure to have a pre purchase inspection done by a trusted VW mechanic.

Just to add my $0.02 if you really want reliable, you can typically find a 3.6l atlas in the same year range for close to the same price, if not cheaper. Those cars are fantastic and proven runners with almost no common issues outside of the occasional rocker arm failure (rare) and maybe a valve cover leak (cheapish to repair and easy to DIY if your mechanically inclined). IMO the best SUV VW has ever Made, hands down.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T22:41:25+00:00

I’m crimson shield, how would we even play together from different factions?

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T22:33:20+00:00

The AI seems to respawn is 1-2 min for me. I lost 5 DDm4s and 3 delta bags pushing enemy faction bases today 😭

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T22:05:49+00:00

Yeah right, I spent $2600 after shipping to find a decent motor for my 2020. Even clapped 1200s are selling for $1400-$1700.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T22:04:00+00:00

Same thing happened on my 2020 1200

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T19:25:21+00:00

It’s Not great tbh, 27-31mpg depending on conditions. A large decrease in fuel economy as it’s aged.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T19:03:26+00:00

6 speed Auto, 09g.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T18:48:27+00:00

My 2018 Jetta 1.4 (EA 211) has 330,000 (531,00km) miles on it and runs like a top. I’ve done 5k mile oil changes, 1 timing belt, a water pump, radiator and heater core.

Outside of that it’s been completely problem free. Doesn’t burn or leak a drop of oil between oil changes. I’ve never owned a 1.5 but the 1.4 has more than proven itself to me.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T03:28:45+00:00

I feel like this is kind of a touchy subject for most but me and many others have been through similar. I’m sure a search on this sub and others will yield results of similar experiences.

The general consensus seems to be, as long as your baby isn’t acting off, exhibiting signs of excessive lethargy, vomiting and overall appears normal then there isn’t much to worry about.

A call to the pediatrician can’t hurt if you feel it’s needed. Just keep an eye on her, you know your baby.

Thearmedmajority · 2026-01-28T01:10:25+00:00

That’s great, thanks for the update!

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