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I had a bad thermostat and it's only indication was the temp rising when going up hills under sustained load.
I had this year ago, thermostat was stuck closed, so coolant couldnt go to big circle and into cooler, it went up after 10 minutes of highway driving up to 115° (obd temps) on dash it wasnt that much
I used the genuine part as there is no desire to redo it again too soon.
Duralast is ok. Does not have to be OEM. It will work just as good
It has been two weeks since the repair without issues, so I am going to call this one solved. If I was paying for this out of pocket in the future, I would only replace the thermostat and not the pump as that is what was closing and causing the issue.
Sounds like your water pump is working, but maybe your thermostat is stuck closed? Have you tested the thermostat?
Parts 03F-010-501-B Sensor 04E-121-113-G
Duralast thermostat? They are a piece of shit!
Original was stuck open, replaced with new VW which now appears to be stuck closed. ????. Fortunately I have recently acquired a new OE thermostat on clearance for jollies.
I warranty my shitty duralast thermostat (I hate duralast but when I gotta get to work the next day it works in a pinch it works) now after a 5 am swap I’m good to go
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If choosing thermostat across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare thermostat across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, thermostat OEM Volkswagen were overall better than Duralast.
In March 2026 on PartReview, thermostat OEM Volkswagen were overall more popular than Duralast.
By vote balance, thermostat OEM Volkswagen surpassed Duralast:
By number of reviews, thermostat OEM Volkswagen surpassed Duralast:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, thermostat OEM Volkswagen and Duralast have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
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For example, comparisons of thermostat OEM Volkswagen with: MotoRad, Wahler, Mahle, OEM Mazda, MOPAR, MISHIMOTO, Gates, OEM BMW, OEM Nissan, OEM Audi.
Also available: comparisons of thermostat Duralast with: MotoRad, Wahler, Mahle, OEM Mazda, MOPAR, MISHIMOTO, Gates, OEM BMW, OEM Nissan, OEM Audi.
You can also see who is better among other thermostat manufacturers: Wahler or MotoRad, OEM Volkswagen or MotoRad, Mahle or MotoRad, OEM Mazda or MotoRad, MOPAR or MotoRad.