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Cam follower vigilance is the FSI purchase test

Volkswagen GTI (Mk5) · mechanical

The wear-prone follower between the camshaft and the high-pressure fuel pump is the single most repeated mechanical theme across the corpus. Commenters treat documented follower checks or replacement as a precondition for buying, and worst cases back it up: one former owner reported total engine failure from the worn camshaft issue on his 2006.