Snapped rear Spring - dealers fault?

[aandrew]

So my 2011 TSi scirocco when in for a service today, the dealer just rang and said the the rear Spring drivers side is snapped at the end, I've told them to go ahead and replace it.
But the thing is I had them do the MOT just 6 weeks ago (150miles since) and I distinctly remember a loud crack from the rear end as I drove away after picking it up that day, at the time I assumed it was the spring settling back down into the holder, I had a look when I got home and couldn't see anything so I never took it further.
Obivously the car was up on the ramp for the mot and I'm wondering if there is a procedure for checking the springs as the car is lowered back down ? That having not been followed lead to this ?
The car is only used in the dry and has covered less than 16,000 from new.

Thanks for any advice.

[Cuprabob]

Rear spring failures on VAG cars are all too common. It's worth discussing with your dealer but hard to prove.

[aandrew]

I just checked the mot and it's less than 150 miles ago, too much of a coincidence for my liking, I've only been out in it twice.

[Phil]

probably right but sadly as you didn't say anything at the time you may have missed out.. worth a shot though

[Paddy_R]

Springs fail all the time esp when the weather starts to get a bit colder as it is a night now.

Could this have happened at mot, certainly. Will you ever be able to prove it, almost certainly not.

Also unless they drove your car off a ledge, which I'm assuming they didn't, I don't know how else they could lower a car to the ground. A spring should be under compression even when fully extended so should still be in its correct position as it's lowered and shouldn't need checked. I've worked in my mates garage for periods of time and have probably put a couple of thousand cars onto and off ramps and have never once checked the springs as I did so and never once have there been an issue. The only time there has been an issue is when putting cars lowered a silly amount on springs up onto the ramps as the springs can fall out it they are fitted incorrect or the wrong ones were fitted. Though I've not seen that in years.

[froudeg]

It almost certainly snapped during / just after your MOT - but it's not the dealers fault.
The car would have been put on a lift for the MOT checks, in doing so the spring would have decompressed more than normal as the car was lifted - but it is supposed to be able to do this without an issue.

All the MOT did was highlight an existing issue with the spring - it was almost certainly already cracked and was ready to break, raising it up and lowering it back down just finished it off.
When you then drove off, the broken spring then shifted and you heard the clunk.

You may ask, if it was cracked then why was this not picked up on the MOT? - the springs are coated with a thick layer of rubbery paint, to protect then from corrosion. Hairline cracks will not be visible until it has pretty much broken. Plus its hard to see small cracks on the rear at the bottom of the spring as its inside the 'cup' of the suspension arm.

[aandrew]

Ok fair enough, I wonder if it was cracked and they didn't pick it up also?
Basically I was just wondering if there was a lowering procedure that hadn't been followed, as I just assumed the sound was the spring sitting back into the holder properly, I had a really good look and measured the ride height but could see no problem otherwise I would have been back to the garage that day

[Cuprabob]

Sometimes the snapped spring is not obvious as it normally snaps at the end. Many a VW has passed an MOT with a snapped spring.

[froudeg]

There is no specific lowering procedure - its just car up, car down.

[skippy]

I remember when my car went in for service 2 1/2 years ago, there was a creaking/squeaking noise as I drove away. It settled down when at speed on decent roads but when in town and on less than completely flat surfaces, the creaking noise returned.

I put up with it for a while but it really started to spoil the enjoyment of the car, so I took it to the dealer (not the one that serviced it) and they identified a failed spot weld. They fixed it successfully but I am certain that something occurred at the previous service that caused it, maybe when it was on ramps and the wheels dangling unnaturally putting undue stresses on it? I could not prove it of course so I was £200 out of pocket!

[moulin12]

Spring failures on VAGs do appear to be common. Had a rear replaced on my car at my last service, after 30k. Possibly the raising and lowering on the ramps revealed the issue, but in all likelihood it was on its way out. Mine was covered under mondial vw warranty ( to my surprise). Think the cost would have been £86.