VW Amarok Coolant Loss Points to Hidden Head Gasket

Had a similar situation with my 2016 VW Tiguan just last season. The symptoms you describe match what I experienced, consistent coolant loss without visible leaks underneath. After inspection, it turned out the water pump was failing, causing coolant to seep internally rather than drip visibly on the ground. The coolant was actually leaking from a hairline crack in the pump housing, but it was evaporating due to engine heat before reaching the ground. The diagnostic revealed engine overheating during longer drives, though not always severe enough to trigger warnings. The radiator fluid was mixing in places it shouldnt, and the radiator cap wasnt maintaining proper pressure. This required: Complete water pump replacement, New gaskets, Fresh coolant system flush, Pressure testing of the entire cooling system This was indeed a serious issue that needed immediate attention to prevent engine damage. Would strongly suggest getting it checked soon, as continuing to drive with these symptoms risks more extensive damage. The cooling system in these VW engines is quite similar across models, so your Amarok likely shares comparable components to my Tiguan.

Had a similar situation with my 2016 VW Tiguan just last season. The symptoms you describe match what I experienced, consistent coolant loss without visible leaks underneath. After inspection, it turned out the water pump was failing, causing coolant to seep internally rather than drip visibly on the ground. The coolant was actually leaking from a hairline crack in the pump housing, but it was evaporating due to engine heat before reaching the ground. The diagnostic revealed engine overheating during longer drives, though not always severe enough to trigger warnings. The radiator fluid was mixing in places it shouldnt, and the radiator cap wasnt maintaining proper pressure. This required: Complete water pump replacement, New gaskets, Fresh coolant system flush, Pressure testing of the entire cooling system This was indeed a serious issue that needed immediate attention to prevent engine damage. Would strongly suggest getting it checked soon, as continuing to drive with these symptoms risks more extensive damage. The cooling system in these VW engines is quite similar across models, so your Amarok likely shares comparable components to my Tiguan.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Tiguan! Had the exact same headache with my Amarok, turned out to be the water pump too. Really glad I caught it early before any major engine damage happened. That coolant leak kept me worried for weeks before the proper diagnosis. The cooling fan even started acting weird near the end. Just wondering, do you remember roughly what the full repair ended up costing? Also, has your cooling system been running smoothly since the fix? Just want to make sure Im not missing any potential follow-up issues that might pop up later.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Tiguan! Had the exact same headache with my Amarok, turned out to be the water pump too. Really glad I caught it early before any major engine damage happened. That coolant leak kept me worried for weeks before the proper diagnosis. The cooling fan even started acting weird near the end. Just wondering, do you remember roughly what the full repair ended up costing? Also, has your cooling system been running smoothly since the fix? Just want to make sure Im not missing any potential follow-up issues that might pop up later.

Thanks for asking about the follow-up. Since the repair on my Tiguan, the cooling system has been working perfectly with no issues. The coolant reservoir now maintains its level consistently, and I havent noticed any air pockets or problems with the radiator hoses. The total repair came to 95€ for fixing a faulty cable connection in the water pump assembly, much less than I initially feared. The mechanic discovered the issue was actually electrical rather than mechanical, which saved quite a bit on parts. Regular checks show the radiator fluid staying exactly where it should, and the cooling fan operates normally now. Its been about 8 months since the fix, and I havent had to top up the coolant once. The engine temperature stays steady even during extended drives. Based on my experience, once properly repaired, these cooling system issues typically dont return. Just keep an eye on your coolant levels during routine maintenance and youll be fine.

Thanks for asking about the follow-up. Since the repair on my Tiguan, the cooling system has been working perfectly with no issues. The coolant reservoir now maintains its level consistently, and I havent noticed any air pockets or problems with the radiator hoses. The total repair came to 95€ for fixing a faulty cable connection in the water pump assembly, much less than I initially feared. The mechanic discovered the issue was actually electrical rather than mechanical, which saved quite a bit on parts. Regular checks show the radiator fluid staying exactly where it should, and the cooling fan operates normally now. Its been about 8 months since the fix, and I havent had to top up the coolant once. The engine temperature stays steady even during extended drives. Based on my experience, once properly repaired, these cooling system issues typically dont return. Just keep an eye on your coolant levels during routine maintenance and youll be fine.

After reading about that Tiguan case, I took my Amarok to a certified VW specialist. The diagnostic process was thorough, they pressure tested the cooling system and found the water pump housing had developed a hairline crack, just like mentioned. The repair took about 4 hours total. They replaced the water pump assembly, flushed the cooling system, and added fresh coolant. Total cost came to 780€ including parts and labor. More than I wanted to spend, but way better than risking engine damage. Its been running great for the past month. The engine temperature stays consistent, the coolant reservoir maintains its level, and that annoying check engine light hasnt come back. The cooling fan operates normally now too. Really glad I got it sorted before any serious issues developed. Appreciate everyone who shared their experiences. Getting that second opinion here definitely helped me push for a proper diagnosis rather than just topping up the coolant and hoping for the best.

After reading about that Tiguan case, I took my Amarok to a certified VW specialist. The diagnostic process was thorough, they pressure tested the cooling system and found the water pump housing had developed a hairline crack, just like mentioned. The repair took about 4 hours total. They replaced the water pump assembly, flushed the cooling system, and added fresh coolant. Total cost came to 780€ including parts and labor. More than I wanted to spend, but way better than risking engine damage. Its been running great for the past month. The engine temperature stays consistent, the coolant reservoir maintains its level, and that annoying check engine light hasnt come back. The cooling fan operates normally now too. Really glad I got it sorted before any serious issues developed. Appreciate everyone who shared their experiences. Getting that second opinion here definitely helped me push for a proper diagnosis rather than just topping up the coolant and hoping for the best.