This is the most in-depth long-term Volkswagen Amarok review in Australia, by owners who have driven it to its maximum potential.
First of all, we purchased the 2.0L in February 2014 and the V6 was not released yet. So our experiences are directly related to the four banger only.
Secondly, you need to know we drive it hard and use it for what it was designed for ; towing, 4wding, carrying loads and getting about town a bit quicker than ALL of its competitors.
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Why choose the Volkswagen Amarok?
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Our Amarok touring specs.
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Surprisingly good things about the Amarok.
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Amarok problems we have experienced.
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Conclusion
Lastly, we test drove the Amarok and we were both blown away by how quiet the engine sounded and the seamless gear changes with the 8 speed automatic gearbox. It was a revealation. If you’ve ever driven one, you’ll know what we’re talking about. The 8 speed is a pleasure. Volkswagen had somehow managed to revolutionise the diesel Ute market with a 4WD that didn’t sound like a truck, drove like a car and had the most comfortable interior for touring and the everyday commute. The seats were magnificent. The stereo was a quality unit and the interior felt really wide & roomy.
At the time, the Amarok was still pretty new to the Australian market. It had only been out for 3-4 years. So it did feel like we were taking a bit of a risk. Aftermarket parts were still limited. There was also the perception that European vehicles were more expensive to maintain and genuine parts were prohibitively expensive.
So we had narrowed it down to the Ranger vs the Amarok.
After knowing what we know now, we feel like we dodged a bullet when we rejected the Ranger. Even though the Amarok has its problems (just like every car on the planet) the Ranger has more serious ones for a touring vehicle. We have met a fair amount of Ranger owners while travelling Australia and only ONE of these owners hadn’t experienced a blown engine. One owner was even on their THIRD engine. There’s often lots of talk around camp about The Rangers overall performance as a full time touring vehicle. It’s totally fine if you disagree, there are a lot of very happy Ranger owners out there too, we just haven’t met very many of them.
Watch the video below - 2014 VW Amarok v 2014 Ford Ranger. It's quite an eye opener to the Amarok's capabilities.
Our Amarok touring specs.
Our Amarok is a 2014 2.0L Twin Turbo Tdi420 Highline dual cab with VW towing package. We also had rubber mats included.
We paid $55,000 drive away (NSW)
To tour Australia, we added some accessories and modifications :
- BF All Terrain with KING steel Sunraysia rims ($1,900)
- BF Mud Terrain tyres ($1,600)
- SW Performance Chip ($900) later changed to a CRD Tech performance tune.
- Aluminium Roof racks and basket
- VW Weather shields ($250)
- X rox bullbar (modified) $1,400
- Perception Lighting light bar ($110)
- Kick Ass battery, inverter charging system with 200w solar panel package ($1,900)
- Modified sports bars ($50)
- Custom Australian made duck canvas canopy ($300)
- Bilstein front shocks with Dobinsons springs
- Premium wool car seats from Supercheap Auto. ($300)
- Aluminium checker plate toolbox (to house the dual battery, tools and spare parts.)
- Custom spare water storage on roof racks
- replaced mud flaps with custom-made (out of conveyor belt)
- Runva winch which replaced within a year with an Outranger winch
Powerful engine.
We’ve had our Amarok tuned so can say that it goes like a rocket and is an absolute pleasure to drive.
Our Amarok has about 180,000kms on the clock. The engine is definitely a bit louder than it was from brand new. It’s more noticeable when it is getting closer to a scheduled oil change.
Rear leaf springs and OEM shocks
Considering the punishment we have put our Amarok through, the original suspension has handled itself well. We’ve just recently replaced the rear shocks. We had ordered Bilstein’s but received a refund when 3 months later we still had not received them. The car couldn’t really go any longer so we’ve put new OEM shocks back in the rear.
Permanent Full time 4WD
Unlike its competitors, the Amarok is permanent 4WD.
There’s a lot of banter about the Amarok’s 4wd capabilities. It doesn’t have a “true” low range, but it does have an 8 speed automatic with Offroad and Traction Control functionality.
There’s been places an Amarok could go, but a new Hilux could not. (McBride’s Track) There’s been places where we got bogged and others have not (Y62 Patrol & 79 Series (Cape Arnhem Track) A lot of the time it has to do with the line, the driver, the order of vehicles and ground clearance.
There is no wheel slipping on wet bitumen roads and very little body roll. And because it can accelerate quickly and is fast to respond, it feels a lot safer to drive than our previous utes that were selectable 4WD. The Amarok feels very grounded because it is permanent 4WD.
Dealership network, maintenance costs and part availability.
This would have to be one of the biggest misconceptions about owning an Amarok in Australia.
Not ONCE have we had to wait a week or a month for part.
And although there isn’t a Volkswagen service centre in every country town, you can order parts over the phone and have them posted to you anywhere in Australia. I know because we have been in every state in Australia and ordered parts from each one.
Side note: Melbourne is the exception, the dealerships have a stupid rule; that they refuse to post parts. You have to pick them up.)
Parts have always been in stock ( and so far during COVID, this is still the case for us)
The longest we had to wait for a part was two business days. Because we were in Exmouth. And the part came from Perth. That’s 1250kms away. Needless to say, we were stoked. Especially knowing owners of other well known brands (you know the ones I’m talking about) have had to wait several weeks to a month for parts in remote areas. And by remote, I mean places like Broome and Darwin. So just because other brands may have a massive dealer network, it does not mean it has an equivalent parts availability. I hope this gives you some piece of mind if the size of the VW dealership network has you sitting on the fence about buying an Amarok.
Servicing.
Servicing costs vary a lot for everyone. For us, it was important to change the oil more often than advised because of the way we use our Amarok. Lots of towing, 4wding and general touring. Adam made the decision very early on to service the Amarok himself. Basic oil, air and fuel filters changes are something everyone can do. We also bought a Bosch OBE11 scanner for any fault codes that appeared.
It’s also really important for you to know that in some cases, genuine parts are cheaper or much better value than aftermarkets at Repco, Supercheap Auto, Bursons etc. We’ve found that the genuine belts and filters are just a far more superior quality and last longer than aftermarket.
Towing with an Amarok.
With our genuine tow bar package, towing a caravan with the Amarok has been a real treat. Amarok’s don’t need a Weight Distribution Hitch and there were moments when we forgot we were towing at all. It could be a combination of our Amarok, our Coromal caravan (with EZY suspension system) and the Redarc Tow Pro Elite working together as a dream team, but we found towing did not alter the ride of our Amarok.
Low noise inside the cabin.
Somehow the engineers have been able to significantly reduce outside noises from entering the cabin. The interior design combined with a very polite sounding engine makes for a quiet ride.
Volkswagen family & community.
Since joining the Volkswagen family back in 2014, we've since added to our brood with a VW Golf R. The VW family is a very supportive car community and there are many passionate owners who are willing to help fellow members. We have definitely received lots of helpful advice over the years and assistance from VW. We also like to share with others what we have learnt about our Amarok along the way.
Every year, Amarok owners head to the Big Red Bash, a concert held at the edge of the Simpson Desert in Queensland. There you get to mingle with other owners around a camp fire and enjoy the atmosphere at the concert.
The Not So Good Things about our Amarok.
As promised, this is an in-depth personal review so let’s get into the issues we have personally faced.
Amarok accessories and after market parts.
For a long time, Amarok accessories were non limited in choice or really expensive. So if you were wondering why Adam made his own bull-bar, this was why.
In the early years there were two notable businesses that could see the potential in developing accessories for the Amarok in Australia. They were Net4x4 and Wolf4x4.
However, in recent years, accessories and after market parts are heaps easier to come by.
You can now get accessories from:
- Volkswagen
- Outback Equipment
- Net4x4
- Wolf4x4
- Rival
- ARB
- TJM
- Safari Engineering
- Ironman 4x4
- Outback Armour
- AFN
- Bilstein
to name a few!
Faulty EGR valve.
First issue for us was the EGR which is now a known issue with some Amaroks. The symptom was an engine light warning for low level coolant. I pulled over, topped it up with water and took it home. At the time, there wasn’t much information about this issue but there was some mention on a forum about faulty EGR. It was only just out of warranty. Adam bought the EGR and replaced it himself. It took him about an hour and two beers. The spare part at the time cost about $380. And the beers were Great Northerns.
Blocked DPF.
Having this issue came as a bit of a surprise, as I mentioned earlier, we don’t hold back when driving the car. And we had been full time travelling for more than a year when we came across this problem. A VW service centre performed a DPF regeneration but the issue came back.
We now know that a faulty EGR can contribute to blocking up the DPF faster. We had also been doing some really low speed 4WD tracks over the preceding months. So this is most likely why this happened to our Amarok.
We were proactive in preventing any future issues by having our Amarok professionally tuned by CRD Tech. Best thing we ever did.
Central locking actuator.
We had to replace the driver’s side actuator while we were in Darwin. Adam bought a genuine part from the local VW dealer and replaced it himself in the caravan park. Symptoms that you need to do this include doors not locking or only 3 doors locking. This happened when the car was 4 years old. Now the car is 8 years old and it looks like one of the rear door actuators is beginning to fail.
CV boots and shafts.
Not actually a fault of the Amarok as we lifted and upgraded the front shocks & springs and never got around to doing a diff drop. But we’ve had to replace a cv shaft and boot maybe 5-6 times in 180,000kms. The outer boots are the first to show signs of strain. So if you’re thinking about lifting your Amarok, don’t be a dummy like us, make sure you also perform a diff drop too.
Can’t entirely disable traction control when 4wding.
I know there is a button for this but it doesn’t really turn off completely. So sometimes the traction control kicks in when we really don’t want it to and we get bogged. For example, when we are full send over a big soft sand dune, the traction cuts the power and it kills the fun. Adam has discovered a way to completely disengage traction control and we have done this from time to time while doing some private 4WD tracks.
Sun glass holder.
After 6 years the clip inside the sun glass holder broke. We’ve since learnt it is quite common as the local wrecker never has any. You can buy genuine from a dealer though and it’s always in stock 😉
Middle console armrest.
Apparently another common problem, the middle console armrest has a split in the upholstery. Ours lasted 6 years before it opened up.
Front wheel arches accumulate debris.
I found this issue by accident while cleaning the car after travelling around Tasmania for 10 weeks. Debris like leaves and mud accumulates inside the wheel arch and gets trapped. However, this is only a problem if you don’t know about and leave the debris in there. This is only an issue if you are 4WDing on muddy tracks.
Conclusion.
Don’t let the smaller dealer network put you off from owning a Volkswagen. This global car manufacturer has been around for decades and it’s very easy to locate a Volkswagen independent specialist.
A well serviced Amarok will last the distance due to the quality of components used throughout the drivetrain and engine.
Things to watch for include timely servicing of the timing belt to prevent total engine replacement and EGR failure.
Consider a professional tune and preventative action on the EGR & DPF to maximise performance and longevity.
We still think it's the best looking commercial ute on the Australian market. The current Amarok Sportline is the most equivalent to our Highline in terms of looks.
There are many independent Volkswagen specialist mechanics who are passionate about the brand.
Overall, the motor is strong and continues to amaze us with its reliability and performance after all these years.
Enjoyed our Volkswagen Amarok review ?
MORE INFO ON THE BLOG - VW AMAROK - OUR TOURING VEHICLE
Hi there
I have the same vehicle and am planning to buy a caravan.
I can’t seem to locate anywhere the relevant towing numbers of the vehicle.
Things like the GVM & GCM of the vehicle.
Hey, the info you need should be on a plate on the vehicle. It can be seen on the lower part of the door pillar when the door is open. The plate gives you: Gross vehicle weight rating, Gross combination (vehicle plus trailer) gross axle weight rating for the front and rear.
How you guys turning the traction control completely off?? That is really what I need at sand dunes.
The radio speed volume can be turned off in settings, it gets louder as you go faster.
Thanks, I’ll take a look!
Hey team, just a question about towing. I have a 2015 2.0TD auto which I never intender to tow with, but things change. I have a Steinbauer Chip, the usual Bullbar, winch , canopy / drawers etc , running BFG All terrains 265/65/18.
We’re now towing a Jawa 15ft van at about 2600kg. I prefer to travel at about 90 -95kL/Hr, but even on theh flat the gear bow stays in 7th gear. Is is using about 15.5l/100K. If I manually select 8th gear, it uses about 12.0l/100klm.
The web advice is not to use the manual.
Was this you’re experience.
Hey mate,
When towing, I always just use the automatic gearbox.
With your situation, if you really want to use the manual, I would suggest to only use it on flats and declines. It is a lot more convenient to pay for fuel than for a new gearbox, especially if you like touring in remote areas. Another thing to consider is the chip you have installed; is it tuned for towing? I initially had a chip and ended up going with a tune from CRD Tech. You’re also towing a fair but more weight than what I do so that could be what is holding the car in 7th. Could be as simple as getting tyre pressures at a sweet spot too. An average of 15L/100 is actually quite good for what you’re running. Cheers, Adam
Hi Guys
Recently purchhased a 2021 Amarok Core 8 Speed as a towing vehicle. Couple of questions if I may as I am finding the opinions of oweners vary a fair bit but they never seem to indicate the age of their vehicle. That makes me wonder if they are all much earlier versions that may or may not have had issues ironed out in much more recent versions. (i.e 2014-2018).
I plan on towing around 2600-2700 kg caravan not heavily loaded but with some of the weight distributed into to the back of the “Rok” as there is a massive payload potential in the tub of almost 700 kgs after I clamber in with some bits and pieces.
1. Been reading some posts that seemed io infer that transmission fluid getting hot with towing was an issue and that fitment of an separate transmission cooler was recommended. Sounds like an expensive just in case but wondering what experiences you might have found if any with the transmission gettting hot ?
2. Others have also recommended EGR and DPF “adjustment” (cough cough) but seeing the vehicle still has 2.5 years warranty remaining that would be invalidating that little bit of security.
3. Scan gauges to monitor the OBDII port but quite honestly unless the particular area your interested in watching such as transmission fluid temperature has a temperature sensor your not going to be able to make any determination until its overheating ? I am wrong in that assumption ?
Really enjoyed the stories of your exploits