I only use Gates now after some cheap ones failed but didn't leak. Gates are very good. I have not had to replace one.
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.
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.
I installed a Gates 33009S 195 degree after my Hughes install and haven’t had issues.
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
I installed a Gates one a couple months back and it worked well for a little while; engine got up to operating temp fairly quickly and stayed there, but now it’s running really cold no matter how long or how hard I drive it. Think it’s stuck open.
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.
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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 Gates were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.
In March 2026 on PartReview, thermostat OEM Volkswagen were overall more popular than Gates.
By vote balance, thermostat OEM Volkswagen surpassed Gates:
By number of reviews, thermostat OEM Volkswagen surpassed Gates:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, thermostat Gates led more car-specific ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
Gates are chosen by owners of cars such as: Dodge RAM, and others.
Thermostat OEM Volkswagen have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of thermostat Gates with: MotoRad, Wahler, Mahle, OEM Mazda, MOPAR, MISHIMOTO, OEM BMW, OEM Nissan, OEM Audi, Duralast.
Also available: comparisons of thermostat OEM Volkswagen with: MotoRad, Wahler, Mahle, OEM Mazda, MOPAR, MISHIMOTO, OEM BMW, OEM Nissan, OEM Audi, Duralast.
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.
