VW Amarok Engine Jerks & Misfires During Acceleration

Had similar issues with my 2018 VW Arteon. The symptoms started exactly like yours, jerking during acceleration and rough idle. The check engine light was triggered by a faulty oxygen sensor, which was affecting the fuel mixture. The exhaust leak discovered during inspection was causing incorrect readings from the oxygen sensor. The leak was located at the manifold gasket, requiring replacement of both the gasket and sensor. This is a serious issue since incorrect fuel mixtures can damage your catalytic converter and fuel injectors over time. These symptoms often get misdiagnosed as ignition coil problems because they present similarly. The key difference is that exhaust leaks typically cause consistent running issues, while bad coils tend to cause more intermittent misfires. The repair involved removing the exhaust manifold, replacing the failed gasket, installing a new oxygen sensor, and performing a computer reset. The vehicle ran smoothly after repairs with no check engine light warnings. For accurate diagnosis, a proper exhaust leak test and sensor reading verification should be performed using diagnostic equipment. Your symptoms strongly suggest either an exhaust leak or sensor issue rather than ignition coils.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Arteon. My engine misfire issues on my VW Amarok turned out to be failing spark plugs and a bad crankshaft sensor, the symptoms were very similar to what you described. The engine would jerk and run rough especially during acceleration. Did you happen to remember what the total repair cost was in your case? Just curious since I paid about 450€ for my fix including parts and labor. Also wondering if you had any other issues pop up since getting it repaired? My truck has been running great for the past few months but always good to know what to watch out for.

Thanks for asking about the costs. The total came to 265€ for fixing the exhaust leak, which included replacing the manifold gasket and labor. Since the repair three months ago, the engine has been running perfectly smooth with no uneven performance or check engine warnings. Your crankshaft sensor and spark plug issues definitely show similar symptoms to what I experienced. These components along with fuel injectors and ignition coils can all cause rough running, which makes accurate diagnosis so important. The repair resolved all the initial problems and no new issues have emerged. The mechanic also performed a full system check during the repair to ensure there were no other developing problems with the air filter or other engine components. Unlike your higher repair cost for the spark plugs and sensor work, the exhaust leak fix was relatively straightforward. Regular maintenance has kept everything running well since then. The engine performance is back to normal, especially during acceleration when the problems were most noticeable before.

After getting recommendations from the forum, I took my Amarok to a new mechanic who actually listened to the symptoms. They ran proper diagnostics and found both worn spark plugs and a failing crankshaft sensor, exactly what was causing the jerking and rough running. The repair took about 3 hours total. They replaced all spark plugs and installed a new crankshaft sensor. Total cost came to 450€ including parts and labor. The fuel injectors and ignition coils checked out fine during testing. Really glad I asked here first instead of going back to my old mechanic who probably would have replaced unusual parts. The truck runs perfectly smooth now, especially during acceleration. No more check engine light or performance issues for the past 3 months. Definitely learned my lesson about finding a competent mechanic who does proper diagnosis first. The symptoms can point to multiple issues, but proper testing revealed the real problems. Money well spent to get it fixed right the first time.