MajorCommonEngine

Volkswagen Crafter: 2.5 R5 TDI injector wiring-loom chafe and camshaft wear

2.5 R5 TDI injector wiring-loom chafe and camshaft wear is a common engine fault on the Volkswagen Crafter on the 2007–2017 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 5 documented faults on the Volkswagen Crafter.

Vehicle: Volkswagen Crafter
Engine: 2.5L
Years: 2007–2017
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Volkswagen Crafter as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Volkswagen Crafter faults5 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The first-generation Crafter (2E) shares its body with the Mercedes Sprinter but uses VW's own 2.5-litre 5-cylinder TDI. Two faults define this engine. First, the injector wiring loom rubs and chafes with engine vibration, causing misfires, cutting-out and hard starting that come and go. Second, the 5-cylinder camshaft is prone to lobe wear (a known R5 weakness), which shows as rough running and lost power. Both are common on high-km commercial vans and often mis-diagnosed. VW discontinued the 2.5 around 2011 in favour of the 2.0 TDI.

What you would notice

Intermittent misfire or cutting out that comes and goes
Hard starting, especially when hot
Rough idle and lost power
Ticking or tapping from the top of the engine

How to check it

Where to look. Injector loom runs along the top of the engine under the cover; camshaft in the cylinder head

On a warm engine listen for a top-end tick and watch for uneven idle. Ask about any history of misfires or cutting out - the injector loom fault is notorious for being intermittent. Ask whether the camshaft has ever been inspected or replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: A compression/leak-down or a scan for cylinder-specific misfire counts is worthwhile.

Parts involved: Fuel injector.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has it ever misfired, cut out or been hard to start?”
“Has the injector loom or camshaft been replaced?”
“Is this the 2.5 five-cylinder or the later 2.0 TDI?”

Now check the Volkswagen Crafter you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Volkswagen Crafter buyer questions

Is 2.5 r5 tdi injector wiring-loom chafe and camshaft wear serious on a Volkswagen Crafter?

We rate it major and common on the Volkswagen Crafter. The first-generation Crafter (2E) shares its body with the Mercedes Sprinter but uses VW's own 2.5-litre 5-cylinder TDI. Two faults define this engine. First, the injector wiring loom rubs and chafes with engine vibration, causing misfires, cutting-out and hard starting that come and go. Second, the 5-cylinder camshaft is prone to lobe wear (a known R5 weakness), which shows as rough running and lost power. Both are common on high-km commercial vans and often mis-diagnosed. VW discontinued the 2.5 around 2011 in favour of the 2.0 TDI.

How much does it cost to fix on a Volkswagen Crafter?

$800 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Volkswagen Crafter years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2007–2017 Volkswagen Crafter. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.