Should you still just avoid all Volkswagens?
Posted by Medium-Pay-9057@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 143 comments
I worked in auto parts for almost a decade and would see the prices for parts and labor for a lot of cars and would always hear about how VW made expensive unreliable cars. And yes, the prices for some parts were a lot more than their Japanese counterparts.
But now I’m looking at a 2018 Golf TSI S with 105k miles. I drove it and loved it. I checked forums and other websites to find some information and found some common problems, but found just as many if not more forums talking about how reliable they are.
But I can’t help think of all the comments I’ve heard throughout the years about VW in general being expensive to repair and being really unreliable.
Is this still a thing, should I just avoid Volkswagen as a general rule? Or have people just echoed whatever they’ve been told throughout the years?
blanthony80@reddit
You either hate VW or love it, there is no in-between. But everyone should be doing this if you want your VW to last. https://youtu.be/hP0I8MkwY-c?si=dQJ25CuLHhrN9B9O
Sad-Offer8857@reddit
Really thankful of the YouTube summarize feature, I have no idea how people can watch AI voice over videos. that list is very generic
blanthony80@reddit
It's a pretty complete list of things you should be doing well before what the owners manual says on normal maintenance items. Been treating my 2024 to oil changes at every 5k before seeing this. Going to make it last hopefully or so i don't get stranded.
OutlawMINI@reddit
Avoid the 1.4 and 1.5's.
OldeWorldWays@reddit
I have 6 Volkswagens at home & the bucket of shit work car - the awd Element. All vintage compared to what the yutes of Reddit drive.
My 04 tdi wagon is the latest model. Fantastic and zero problems. Nothing new can replace what it does so why change?
The Honda Element is by far the worst car I've ever owned in terms of reliability or cost per mile. What a turd box.
Individual_Step2242@reddit
Well I’ve owned 9 and have had numerous weird and expensive failures on 4 of them. In spite of meticulous maintenance. Parts that aren’t even maintenance items, just poorly designed or poorly made. I’m done with the brand. Great cars when they are working right though, and if you enjoy wrenching and have the skills then by all means.
curtass7@reddit
Why do you keep buying them?
Individual_Step2242@reddit
Slow learner. They were fun to drive and when I was working I could afford their quirks. Now that I’m retired,I can’t. I was also really into TDIs as I had a 100 km each way commute.
sakura-peachy@reddit
Yeah good diesels are hard to come by. Wagons even rarer. I have an Octavia and it's been mostly okay except for the fuel cap failing and needing an expensive replacement actuator. But I honestly don't trust this car to not cost me a heap because of the dsg or something. Can't even get rid of it now because diesel has more than doubled at the pump. Thankfully I have an EV and the Skoda is a backup.
eddyb66@reddit
Tdi would be perfect for that, I had one and VW bought it back so I now have a normal Golf. Mine is 10 years old but minimal amount of odd issues.
WrappedInLinen@reddit
Those TDis almost seemed too good to be true. Great performance for a diesel, good mileage, all while somehow maintaining impeccable environmental standards. Oh, that’s right….
antaphar@reddit
This is what annoys be so much about the parrots who say “German cars are reliable you just need to do maintenance right on time.” The failures they are notorious for have nothing to do with maintenance items!
the_Q_spice@reddit
I mean, YMMV.
I have had some minor gremlins with my VWs, but only 1 with a major mechanical issue, and even that is partially explained by my parents neglecting its service for way too long…
Also on them for putting 87 octane in an engine that called for 91…
For 7 years, with only 2 oil changes in that timeframe.
So in a way, that failure is actually a seriously impressive testament to how durable they can be even if pretty horribly abused.
Out of 60 years of VWs in my family, that’s the only one that actually died.
Dredgeon@reddit
Sure it wasn't calling for 91 RON? 91 RON is the same as 87 in America's measurement system.
the_Q_spice@reddit
Nope, R+M/2>91 was literally on the gas cover.
Dredgeon@reddit
Damn which engine was it?
the_Q_spice@reddit
CCZD, Gen 2 EA888.
I believe the fuel rating issue was due to VW only having VVT on the intake valves until they came out with the Gen 3 EA888s.
Individual_Step2242@reddit
Some examples: 99 Jetta TDI: coolant migration from the coolant overflow bottle leaked down the wires on the level sensor to the main wiring harness and corroded it. Total car shutdown.
05 Passat TDI: balance shaft module, which also drives the oil pump. Chain started making noise, a sign of impending failure when the tensioner breaks (which also disables the oil pump and leads to catastrophic engine failure). Replaced module by a redesigned gear drive (new VW part number); a $4000 out-of-warranty job but I managed to get VW to cough up 3/4 of that with the help of a great dealer.
07 Passat 2.0T manual wagon. Great car but afflicted by high oil consumption from the get-go. When consumption went from a litre every 4000 km to a litre ever 2000 km at around 160k km (100k miles), I got rid of it.
11 Golf TDI, its replacement; HPFP failure, $2k, out of warranty, half paid by VW. Intercooler icing/condensation which would cause a slug of water to be ingested killing power, at critical moments requiring full power like when overtaking or merging. A TSB offered a free fix but the dealer flubbed the install and I lost all coolant when the fan ate through the rad hose.
13 Golf TDI wagon: Dieselgate, bought back by VW. Need I say more? Otherwise the car was trouble-free.
18 Golf Sportwagen 4Motion 6-sp manual. Great car to drive but: turbo wastegate actuator seized 1000 km before the warranty expired. Flex coupling between the driveshaft and the Haldex failed twice. First time under warranty at 60k km, second time out of warranty at 130k km. The second time also took out the driveshaft, driveshaft bearing, and transmission seal. A whopping $5400 repair out of pocket, representing 50% of the car's book value. Cracked oil pan caused it to piss out all its oil, $1.2k repair. Plus LOTS of rust starting at year 5. I got rid of it and bought a RAV4 instead. I also have a 6.5 year old Corolla, not a speck of rust on it.
Plus a lot of small shit like CV joints, coil springs, in-tank fuel pump, etc etc. and multiple recalls and warranty extensions.
If anybody knows any maintenance tricks to solve those issues, I'm all ears...
Cool-Ad5520@reddit
So why do you consistently go back to VW if you have trouble with every single one of them. You've owned 6 of them and each one had issues.
freetotebag@reddit
genuinely asking— how did it take til 9 cars to move on from the brand? Were the other 5 so good it outweighed the issues you had with the 4 expensive failures?
Individual_Step2242@reddit
TDIs and affordable station wagons/hatchbacks. Most of them were acceptably good until the warranty expired.
Angelblues13@reddit
This is pretty similar with my families experiences. I love the engineering of the German cars. I love the tight, solid feel and weight to everything. The cars feel solid and well built. But the repairs and failures can be on another level. VW pricing is at least reasonable. Once you get into BMW…just don’t.
GeneralissimoFranco@reddit
Have you tried a Corolla, Civic, or a Mazda 3? If maintenance cost is your main worry, a Japanese hatch would be less expensive and still is pretty nice to drive.
If you do the work yourself on a VW, there are specialty stores like FCP Euro or ECS Tuning which have very generous return policies and will save you a lot of money.
Guru_of_Spores_@reddit
"Nice to drive" and "Japanese Hatch" do not belong in the same sentence.
74orangebeetle@reddit
Honda Civic type R, GR Corolla, GR Yaris.
Guru_of_Spores_@reddit
Compact vehicle with four cylinder motors that push entry level bmw/audi/Mercedes HP.
74orangebeetle@reddit
The 2 Toyotas I mentioned are 3 cylinder motors, thank you very much!
Guru_of_Spores_@reddit
I was being generous.
Cool_Butterscotch_88@reddit
Except gas corolla & civic have a CVT, & mazda3 has a normal automatic transmission, but have gone back to a version of their engine that has the CCV problem that's still a work in progress.
Since they've discontinued the MT corolla & civic, there's a reddit rule violation for every compact now. Surely VW is still better than hyundai for random things that might break that warranty won't cover.
SuccessfulHospital54@reddit
What’s wrong with their cvts?
cryptolyme@reddit
They still make m/t Civics
thewheelsgoround@reddit
Sister’s close friend has been a VW technician for 15+ years. Has access to preferred employee pricing, discounted or free parts, knows exactly how to repair anything on a VW. Owns a RAV4 Prime as it’s a far superior vehicle to anything in VW’s range.
shredlikebutter@reddit
If you don't live in Europe, don't buy one
Dedward5@reddit
Americans really don’t get on with European cars do they, but then again Europe doesn’t even buy American cars in the first place so we don’t even talk badly about them, we don’t even talk about them.
dudedudetx@reddit
Brotha you see BMW/Audi/Merc/Porsche all over the US, don’t get your panties in a was. Euro cars do fine here, VWs are just shit. Everyone knows Japanese cars are what you go for if you want low/cheap maintenance.
Dedward5@reddit
Mate, the amount of hate Euro cars get on this is real. Anything other than a base spec Jetta is a “luxury car”
shredlikebutter@reddit
Most Euro cars break these days, and when they break they are ungodly expensive to fix. If you buy a POS big three vehicle, at least they are less expensive to fix. Japanese is still top dog, less breaks and cheaper to fix when it does
R2-Scotia@reddit
Our village has an estate (subdivision) of car dealerships.
The parts department at Toyota/Lexus is the same size as the one at VW, BMW/Mini, Kia/MG, Nissan/Mazda, Land Rover.
Black and white assertions about brands are bullshit. Every individual model and engine has weak parts that fail more often than others.
I put 227k miles on my Audi A6 with the twin turbo APB engine which I had tuned at 100k and I used to motorsport it.
krazul88@reddit
Wouldn't the reason why all these parts departments are generally the same size be that they all need to stock parts for the same finished item: a car? In general the parts list for a Toyota will be very similar to the parts list for a Land Rover, Nissan, BMW, etc., right? And being that the auto industry is extremely mature, wouldn't it make sense that every service department is going to follow extremely similar business models to each other? I don't understand how having the same sized parts department is supposed to mean that all brands have the same reliability. Some are objectively worse than others. I bet the number of parts being replaced per vehicle, per year is going to be vastly different between Toyota and Land Rover.
R2-Scotia@reddit
If Toyotas never needed repairs, while other makes needed loads, they would be different sizes
krazul88@reddit
So going by your logic, because Toyota, who sells 4 to 5 times more vehicles per dealership annually than Land Rover (in the USA), then Toyota should have parts departments that are 4 - 5 times larger, right? Do you see the problem yet?
Wigberht_Eadweard@reddit
Ngl I think you took it too literally bro
krazul88@reddit
Well excuse me for assuming that words have meaning. NGL I literally think you don't know what "literally" means bro.
Wigberht_Eadweard@reddit
Why are you so angry bro
krazul88@reddit
Bro, if anything, I'm amused. If I was angry I wouldn't be calling you bro.
Wigberht_Eadweard@reddit
Alright then brother.
Tall-Drawing8270@reddit
Yep, truth is it's always down to year and model.
StJe1637@reddit
That's just not true, compare land rover or maserati to toyota
crookedledder@reddit
Depends on your priorities. If reliability, serviceability, and cost are important, I wouldn't recommend any German car. Or really any European car.
StJe1637@reddit
They are unreliable that's just a fact, and you pay audi/lamboghini prices for things too. My brother had a \~2016 golf which had all the coils randomly fail after \~40000 km.
LAM678@reddit
if you do the preventative maintenance on schedule, VWs are reliable. they don't handle abuse well though.
HeavyDutyForks@reddit
Mine has had every service performed on time its entire life and is still a massive POS. When will it become reliable?
jerik22@reddit
I have had three Volkswagen GTI’s, I do all of the maintenance myself, I have never had any issues that I could not fix and I spend less than friends with Toyotas or Honda. Just because you have an antidotal experience does not mean everything applies to that experience experience.
HeavyDutyForks@reddit
Well then go ahead and look up how VW fairs in reliability surveys then. Middle of the pack to below average depending on which year and survey provider you choose
My anecdote aligns more with the results of major automobile ranking firms than yours does
jondes99@reddit
I like that your case is anecdotal but their 3 cars are not.
free_beer@reddit
Antidotal, even
LAM678@reddit
if you add the 2 VWs i've had it's 3 vs 3
Important-Captain104@reddit
Vws are so bad that their owners have stretched the definition of preventative maintenance to replacing gaskets, water pump twice, and reaching over to fix the whole electrical system while doing an oil change
Important-Captain104@reddit
No they’re not
whatdoido8383@reddit
I've owned 4, 3 gassers and a TDi.
Mechanically all of them but one were fine, no real issues. The TDi needed a battery about year 5 but that's pretty normal.
The one that gave me issues was a 24 Jetta I purchased new. It must of just been assembled on a bad day on the assembly line. Rattles galore, HVAC issues where the whole dash had to come out, and something was wrong with the tpms system, it would randomly throw codes for no reason starting from when it was like 2 months old. I got sick of dealing with it and sold it.
My Jetta was built in Mexico, my other 3 were not. I'm not sure if that's the cause but I took a break from VW after that lol.
BehindHazelEyes718@reddit
Mine was fine- only 2-3 non maintenance visits to the mechanic all the way up to 130k miles on my golf R. I hear the new ones have a lot of software/electrical issues baked in.
Forward-Criticism-19@reddit
In my anecdotal experience, the longevity of VAG products depends on where you live and how you drive. Here in Arizona, where the weather is hot and the drives long, their plastics and rubber disintegrate and the commutes take their mechanical toll even with obsessive maintenance. Friends and family in the Pacific Northwest and East Coast with shorter trips have much better mechanical luck and the seals/gaskets/electrics/latches etc seem to hold up much better
MattTheMechan1c@reddit
You just have to buy the correct gen, used the correct spec fluids during maintenance and be aware of known issues. You can save money by DIY or taking it to an independent Euro garage. I own a 2019 VW Golf and it’s the most reliable car I’ve ever owned so far.
Bob_12_Pack@reddit
VW is the new “K car”. They will make it just fine to 100k miles, but you will drag them kicking and screaming for the next 100k, and it will be expensive.
chrisz2012@reddit
Yeah, my Aunt owned a 2013 or a 2014 Tiguan the Turbo went out on it at 88,000 miles. She fixed it then sold it.
The Diesel cars can be reliable, but seems like on a lot of Volkswagen cars they need a lot maintenance and parts are expensive despite being a mid tier brand.
I drive Japanese cars and if I need a part replaced it’s readily available at a junk yard, or online aftermarket for cheap.
If you want a bulletproof car 2012 CRV or a 2012 Civic those things will go forever and require very little maintenance
Minimum_Persimmon281@reddit
I mean, VAG is the second biggest automotive conglomerate. You don’t get there by selling just trash. Sure, they have their fair share of awful cars, but it’s not exactly like other brands are free of them either.
probiothicc@reddit
you can't argue with diehard cultists, toyota has sold almost 50 million vehicles here in the usa since 2000. volkswagen only sold a meager 8 million. it's a bit of an unfair comparison. i didn't take care of my first car, a 97 camry and the engine blew up at 180k. my second car an 01' celica ate a quart of oil every week. my third car, a high mileage gti was the most reliable/comfortable while also being fun to drive. I beat the hell out of it for years and it's still trucking at 262,000 miles with an original engine/trans. idk, maybe i got lucky lol
AgreeableCommission7@reddit
Never again for me, loved the car but the constant problems was not worth it. My brother bought a used one after I warned him and also had constant maintenance issues amd after their animal testing scandal....never again
Battle_Intense@reddit
VW, when you want 80% of the maintenance and repair costs of a BMW or Mercedes with 20% of the status.
350SBC@reddit
I'm a big VW guy. First car was a VW, ended up being a VW/Audi mechanic at a specialty shop for a while, I've owned over 2 dozen VWs and Audis over the past 20 years. They aren't nearly as much of a nightmare as you perceive them to be. They require some more maintenance, and parts are more expensive than a Honda or Toyota, but they're generally great cars. And the bigger issues they have are very well documented so it's easy to know what to look for. And the community and aftermarket community is top notch, so there are usually companies out there making better versions of common failure parts.
The mk7 generation, especially (the one you're looking at), is a very well made and generally very reliable car. I had both a mk7 GTI and Golf R and they were both fantastic. Again, don't expect Toyota reliability, and make sure you stay on top of maintenance, and I think you'll really enjoy it.
devo9er@reddit
Averaging over a VW a year throughout your dabbling of the brand is kinda wild and doesn’t necessarily bolster confidence lol. 😅
They have made some cool cars and the Golf R is rad
350SBC@reddit
Hahaha honestly that speaks more to my own problems than the cars haha. a lot of them were projects, cars that I got from when I was a mechanic and people didn’t want to pay to repair their car so I fixed them up and sold them, etc.
If you count just the daily drivers it’s been 6. A mk3 Jetta, mk4 GTI, a mk6 gti, my two mk7s, and a b9 s4. The mk4 was a bit of a nightmare but the rest were great.
Wise-Parsnip5803@reddit
Just thinking that I've only had 2 daily drivers over the past 19 years and most years until recently that was 25k miles per year.
BudFox_LA@reddit
I don’t know.. hard call. I had a 2010 GTI that was endless small problems. Ex wife’s 2013 Tiguan is still going strong, but had its share of issues. On the other hand, current wife has a ‘17 Beetle, pushing 100k miles not it and it’s been bulletproof.
fknchewch@reddit
German cars are just as reliable as anything else IF you stick to the maintenance schedule. A German doesn’t say change the oil at 5k miles if he means 5500.
BeaverMartin@reddit
The only VWs I recommend are air cooled though I do have a serious sweet spot for the old 16v.
Electrical-Reason-97@reddit
So let’s see, my three AUDI A3’s sold or traded in booked a total of 540k miles over 8 years. I never replaced any major items but did have a window regulator break, a clutch master (covered by AUDI) and a couple switches. Much more reliable than my two Toyota trucks, one with a major engine failure, and the other with a busted steering assembly that Toyota finally had to account for after being sued.
Radiant-Percentage-8@reddit
I’ve had two VW’s and an Audi. The Jetta TDI manual, and the Audi Q5TDI has absolutely zero problems. The GTI has non stop issues. We replaced a clutch at only 25 or 40k miles on a manual. Just constant expensive problems.
Tuques@reddit
It makes no sense whatsoever to buy any german vehicle in north america unless money is of no concern to you.
Correct_Cockroach818@reddit
You can own a Ford or a Chevy or a Chrysler and find they break often and are expensive to fix and drive like crap. Or you can do the same with a car you actually like.
BTW, there are good VW's and shit VW's. Same for every make. 90 percent of the time I can repair my own car so that colors my opinion. And I'm careful what I buy. I have a Jetta in the driveway with 200,000 miles on it, it's drives great, I've never replaced any wheel bearing, or any suspension part, or any steering part, or any a/c part, or any motor mount, or either cv axle. The original brakes lasted 140,000 non highway miles. Try that with a Ford or Chevy. I did replace the egr valve and the clutch and patch/repair the egr cooler flap - so not perfect, but.
My son has a Jetta with the old style 2.0 non turbo engine. 140,000 miles with a timing belt kit, a tuneup and one a/c repair. Brakes and tires.
Ejmct@reddit
Yes
ADMIN@reddit
I’ve only owned Volkswagens and Audis. Always something ridiculous wrong with all of them. For the first time I’m looking at buying different brands.
k-mcm@reddit
They come in different levels of complexity and the simpler ones are fine. Even a Golf R is relatively simple.
SpaceCat72@reddit
We like what we like. And then we just deal with it. Get it. Enjoy it. And yes, work on it. I own an 09 rabbit with the 5cyl. Life has been interesting.
SailingSpark@reddit
If i only bought what the internet told me, I would have a Toyota. Instead I own a vintage landrover and a fiat 500 abarth. Which, to be honest, have been very reliable.
SpaceCat72@reddit
There ya go. At times, one must follow their heart and hope their wallet can keep up lol
SailingSpark@reddit
Its hard to believe that the 2003 land rover discovery is bought as just a used car in 2008 is now an antique.
Scary-Detail-3206@reddit
My wife had an 07 rabbit that we bought new and it was a relatively decent car for us until things started to snowball around the 115,000kms- 12 years old mark. We had a great VW mechanic and he basically told us to unload the car because the repairs weren’t worth it anymore.
It was obviously lightly driven with regular maintenance, but the electrical gremlins started coming alive and there was no saving it. We traded it in on a new Forester and moved on.
SpaceCat72@reddit
Ah gotcha. Sad to see em go south. I owned a 69 subaru years ago....none since. I had buddies that owned brats. They were fun
DolceFarNiente009@reddit
Have a 2004 VW Passat since 2009. 175k now only. Did only 85k in 17 years and had to the change the transmission and 1 time other issue. Overall maintnace and 2 problems about 10k + so overall not bad for 17 years. Will keep it for few years more if possible.
Sensitive_Paper2471@reddit
Way too many common faults that begin to be visible from 10-15yrs of age
until then its ok ig
Hersbird@reddit
Maybe you shouldn't, but I have sworn them off. I'd buy a Nissan with a CVT before any VW, at least you get a good deal. The one VAG product I would consider, is a used Boxster or Cayman if the price was good. It would be a toy, and a project anyway. I would rather have say an s2000 but those prices are insane. Becuase of poor VW reliability and difficulty to repair, the Boxster seems like a good platform for the money for a mechanical inclined person who can do their own work.
timeye88@reddit
Wow
NoobensMcarthur@reddit
I’ve had the same Jetta for 15 years and outside of maintenance, it’s been to the shop once. My key got stuck in the ignition and it was less than $400 to fix. By far the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. I wish it would just die so I can get something newer.
motorboather@reddit
TDI’s are awesome.
AlaskaGreenTDI@reddit
You’ve never been supposed to avoid ALL Volkswagens. Just some of them.
OldManTrumpet@reddit
As someone who has owned 4 VW's over the years, if you just pick a good one it's fine! I'm 2-2 btw.
other_view12@reddit
I'm 3-0.
New 2009 golf GTI - 200K miles. Used 2012 Jetta TDI - 240K mikes. On my 2023 Jetta.
I mostly have a thing for manual transmissions, which is keeping me in the VW club.
b33lzebubba775@reddit
Wasnt the 2012 Jetta TDI one of the dieselgate models?
other_view12@reddit
It was. VW paid to have it fixed and even gave me a check after that. It worked out well for me.
Familymanjoe@reddit
Yea, and the dieselgate models are highly desirable for their reliability and ease of ownership. Go look at all the million mile VW diesels in r/tdi
Winstonoil@reddit
15 years ago the lemon aid guide told us to avoid all Volkswagen’s, and All Jaguars.
Fl3mingt@reddit
Is this a US vs EU built distinction?
Medium-Pay-9057@reddit (OP)
This one has a 1st VIN digit of 3, which is Mexico.
outthere71@reddit
We swore off VWs in 1979 after the last awful one. We moved to Toyotas and Lexus since then . All have been exceptionally reliable and low maintenance / repair. There is no comparison in quality.
The_Carl_G@reddit
VW has had their shitty products over the years, but I would not consider the Golf hatchback or wagon one of those products. In the grand scheme of things I feel the Golf is much closer to VW’s bread & butter, and not so much a terrible, unreliable product.
ShatterProofDick@reddit
I personally will never again on VW/Audi because one silly thing equates to thousands in repairs, and for the money they don't really perform that well.
If you're ready to potentially toss a few grand at repairs and you really like it, hey you do you.
vaibhav_bu@reddit
I got a 2016 TSI S last week at 86K with a 5 spd and been loving it. The car is small enough to be fun while practical enough to have a baby inside. Is it more work than your average corolla/civic? Yes. But the issues all are pretty well documented and there is a decent enough community around these. People have been able to get high mileages in these and its a matter of on time maintenance, and sometimes not trusting the company (5K OCI instead of 10 for example). Take care of these and they will take care of you.
Heavy_Law9880@reddit
My GTI is approaching 300k miles with no issues so far.
sathirtythree@reddit
VW’s are great until they aren’t. They’ll be perfect their whole life, then boom, some shit and they’re pretty scrap metal.
It’s like the opposite of toyotas which start falling apart the moment they hit 80k miles, but never in way’s that matter, so they just keep going like half functional shells of their original form that are to stubborn to actually die.
HousingSmart4426@reddit
Toyotas don't fall apart at 80k miles.
WorkerEquivalent4278@reddit
I do all service on time with the right fluids, etc. I only buy diesel VW. 2002 Golf 191k miles, running fine, 2011 Jetta emission cheat model, 81k miles also fine. Sometimes you’ll get a POS, most of the time VW is ok. I would not buy a turbo gas model, as my friend TJ had one and it was nothing but problems.
BuilditforYou@reddit
I’ve heard the same thing as well, I love the GTI 👍🏽 BUT, I’m gonna stick with the Japanese Acura/Honda brand ! Buy something a little older and NO CAR NOTE It’s ruff out here-Lol Honda Strong 💪🏼
VeeDubDave81@reddit
I currently own 3. If you get something old it’s not the price of the part it’s finding someone to work on them. My 02 TDI beetle is literally crumbling. Cheap plastic. Wires deteriorating. But for the moment it runs like a tank. The engine will far outlive the body. I basically purchased every part to do a complete resto on a 79 rabbit diesel for under 10k. Parts are cheap and easily sourced. Good luck finding a mechanic.
Donzi98@reddit
We have owned a 2009 CC and a 2016 Touareg TDI. Both were excellent. Still own the Touareg.
It seems to me the German built models are better than cars built elsewhere.
kvsig@reddit
I owned 5 VW Passat's over a 20-year period starting 1998. I put between 150-200K miles on each one, and never had a problem with any of them. Oil changes, tires, breaks and recommended maintenance at required intervals.
redditgeten@reddit
VAG stuff is crap.
asul1843@reddit
which is funny that this post showed up after I spent nearly $500 on vwpartsgiant for waterpump/ thermostat replacement. Owned a GTI for 3 months and right after the DSG service, waterpump went out. VW GTI is a cult car, in fact, I think the entire VW fan base is a cult (not in a bad way). They are lovely but also hella expensive to maintain if something goes wrong, but no, I don't think you should avoid ALL Volkswagens.
604WORLDWIDE@reddit
I’ve had a great experience with my 2017 gti.
Do the maintenance on or before schedule (oil changes a bit before they’re due is cheap insurance) and it’s been basically problem free from 25000kms when I got it to now having 148,000kms almost 7 years later.
I’ve had a fuel pump recall done for free and water pump and thermostat done under warranty.
It’s been a fun versatile car and the experience owning it makes me want a newer golf R next.
cakebythejake@reddit
Their cars aren’t all equally unreliable. You HAVE to follow their maintenance schedules. Unless you know they were cared for then it’s risky.
Stevecore444@reddit
With any manufacturer sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. Some designs stand the test of time and some are German spacemagic engineering with terrible results.
I’ve owned multiple gen GTI’s a second gen Tiguan, and currently own an atlas and an Audi S4. I can tell you they are fine if you actually read Han’s service manual. Replace means replace, inspect means to actually inspect, and if a bolt says do not re use means “DO NOT REUSE”.
Most importantly when Hans says “Öffne deine Brieftasche” you bend over and accept it lol.
Life is short drive what you want ~~and worst case drive it into a tree~~
Muttonboat@reddit
Yes and no.
If you do maintenace and stay on top of repairs they hold up pretty well, but the cost of repairs in general will be more expensive than most brands.
I had the same car you are looking at and did all the maintenance, babied it, etc - engine needed to be replaced at 90k miles
I wouldn't say to avoid VW and research model reliability, but also go in with eyes wide open to what you're signing up for.
mattkime@reddit
Why did the engine need to be replaced?
Muttonboat@reddit
One of the cylinders was continuously misfiring and they couldn't track down the issue despite it being back in the shop several times and several attempted fixes.
They eventually just replaced the engine.
mattkime@reddit
>One of the cylinders was continuously misfiring and they couldn't track down the issue despite it being back in the shop several times and several attempted fixes.
Sounds like you needed a better shop.
I lost an alltrack to a spark plug that broke. I knew the engine likely needed a teardown but they just replaced the plugs and coils...it destroyed itself a short while later. I tried to find someone to replace the engine for a reasonable price and failed, sold the car relatively cheaply and it was back on the road a week later. It can be hard to find a shop to install a used engine. Also, I suspect a better shop would have gone straight to an engine teardown. It would have been expensive but the engine would have survived.
It was running like new at 80k miles until that happened.
UnkeptSpoon5@reddit
The mk7 golfs are in my experience, fairly reliable cars. My dad has a 7.5 GTI, and has had no issues with it, my friend has a mk7 sport wagon and it is similarly trouble-free. They have excellent build quality IMO.
The real problem is deciphering if the previous owner has been on top of their maintenance, as they are less abuse-tolerant than some of their Japanese and American counterparts
generic2022@reddit
You seem to have VW-focused anxiety. Maybe that's not a good brand for you.
Guru_of_Spores_@reddit
This type of person just needs to buy a Toyota and get over it.
I'm sorry but if you cannot handle the maintenance on a VW you sure as fuck cannot handle anything premium lol
mattkime@reddit
Talk to people who own the cars. Most car "wisdom" is 20 years out of date. If people can't provide specifics about which model and the specific failures then they don't know what they're talking about. You're buying a specific car, not a logo.
That generation of VW is very reliable. Water pumps and turbos tend to be the weak points, they're annoying to replace but don't impact the longevity of the car.
Zestyclose_Paint3922@reddit
Why so many people say this while Volkswagen is the best selling car in many countries, including China.
whateveritisthey@reddit
One and done. I will never ever buy another Volkswagen!
syntheticFLOPS@reddit
They have electrical issues. My 2010 Jetta 2.5 manual was a tank otherwise. Abused the hell out of it. Blew out the pilot bearing after a few years because I was race shifting the car all the time.
sohcgt96@reddit
Just depends on which one. BUT - something to be aware of: I noticed lots of the local parts stores mark up VW parts like... a LOT. FCP Euro and Deutsch Auto Parts will absolutely crush them on pricing. I guarantee nothing about the parts cost more, its just "Fuck you, you have a German car, you've got money"
My 2015 GTI is on par if not better than everything else I've ever owned so far as reliability and maintenance, apart from the DSG fluid changes being more expensive than what a regular transmission would have been.
Pinkys_Revenge@reddit
With VW you get a lot of the downsides of a German car, without the upsides of every other German brand. That being said, they still have some great cars.
Poggers4Hoggers@reddit
I have a 2021 Golf TSI with the 1.4 CDZA motor and 6 speed manual transmission. 140k miles with no issues yet. Love the car and plan to keep it for another 100k miles at minimum.
Be aware that euro cars and North America cars are slightly different. Euros had a bad version of the 1.4 tsi the US never got.
HousingSmart4426@reddit
If you cant afford to buy or lease it new then you probably shouldn't be buying it. It is a turbo. If they miss a single oil change you are fucked.
Brave-Captain-7596@reddit
I will never again have one of those overrated craps... hard plastics inside, a lot of black piano, electrical parts like screens, computers, etc. that are of the worst quality, fragile engines... I really loved VW until about 2015, its last big vehicle was the Touareg v6TDI. of those years and the jetta MKV. If you like to buy bad things at a high price, VW is for you. But if you're smart, look for a Japanese option.
Ghia149@reddit
Do the maintenance, and it will treat you well enough, will it have some issues that are a bit more expensive... yep, will the parts cost a bit more... yep, they have the Audi logo on them after-all. Will the car be a smooth, quiet, nice driving experience... yep. If you want the cheapest possible car to drive, don't buy a German car. But then if you are looking at a German car you probably want something that is more than just an appliance.
DoctorSquibb420@reddit
You could get an old TDI like early 2000s or before. Those were good.
seighton@reddit
This is some serious anchor bias but my parents owned a Vanagon in the 80s. I swear I think they bought like 10 mufflers for that thing. I remember thinking man, mufflers really go out on cars. 🤣 anyways, will never buy a VW
Substantial_Team6751@reddit
This is a good thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Volkswagen/comments/18l1ulp/2018_2020_vw_golf_18_tsi_14_tsi_reliability/
The 2018 doesn't sound like one of the bad years. It's still a VW with 105k miles on it. Googling, it's going to offer average reliability over Honda or Toyota.
Sounds like the waterpump is a potential repair to look out for.
Personally, I'm shy of any car with a turbo and higher miles. Did it have synthetic it's whole life and was the owner on top of maintenance?
LensRebel@reddit
VW rule is to buy new or used with maintenance records, otherwise, avoid.
jnyc777@reddit
I hate any engine wrapped in plastic, oil pans should not be plastic nor timing covers, valve covers aren’t so bad, except for boxxer engines.