How Reliable is VW?

[Vicz]

ok, point noted.

The fact is also, it is reliable to me and also not just me... mag is after all also mag with different opinions and different facts and figures collected (not sure whether they have any though).

I reckon that there's no definite in life, including cars.

[Rickster]

Thank you all for the replies....

Looking at the few relevant forums...

I can say that the common issue face by VW owners is the rattling sound...

Don't really know how bad it sounds, but to me it's better than having electronic/mechanical breakdown.

 

Common issues face by Renault owners are ignition coil, flywheel sensor, drop windows, underfloor compartment flooding....

 

Been driving the megane for 3+ yrs liao. All the above problems i don't face except the drop windows . So far car is still ok, problems faced are dead battery, windows slide down by itself (window drop), engine mounting loose.

 

But at 3+yrs, the ride is still very quiet and comfortable when compared to many new jap/korean cars.

[Rickster]

These are not definite. i don't experience rattling sound. one of my fren drives a megane, he is not experiencing what u described either....

 

i have driven my VW for 2.5 yrs liao. Never fail on me once. my battery also lasted 2.5 yrs. the best part is that the body really hard like a tank, never even a single dent like my previous japs. 12 yrs warranty for body and 3 yrs warranty for paint work. nobody can scratch it unless u deliberately do it hard hard hard....hard...

 

I do agree that the body shell of jap makes nowadays are really very soft. Can press a mild dent with your thumb. This applies to most of the bred & butter models of jap brands.

[Rickster]

Erm, i think u r not the first person who drives a VW and swore it off your next car buying list. Many people have done that

[Astrid]

I had owned a VW for many years and have had my share of its unreliability issues like:

- noisy, humming air-cond (could not be rectified over its period of ownership)

- foam flakes from the air-con ducting breaking off and flying into the passenger area, after just 3-4 years

- power windows failing one by one, all 4 doors, with the driver's window failing twice over the period I owned the car

- fluctuating RPMs

- the usual squeaks and rattles over road humps

- rattling dashboard (intermittent) on hard acceleration

 

Over the many years, in and out of AD workshop, scouring through magazines and VW owner websites the world over and also in vagsg.com, I have come to realize that most of the above are atypical, stardard issues of VW's production quality, aka unreliability.

 

Of course I have moved on (from VW) since then.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Astrid

[Eyke]

the problems you have listed are very annoying.

 

hope the new Golf will be much improved.

[Tomsss]

My personal opinion of the VW is that, it has a better first 4 years before things starts to fail....without fail.

 

Yeah I agree with you on that. The first 4 years of my VW Caddy it was solid. After that it goes downhill. Window lifters that broke, clutch cable that goes stiff too soon and leakiing fuel tanks... once my battery went flat and short-circuited my instrument panel when I tried to crank. It's usually the bits and pieces here and there that will start falling a part or fail... my van is almost 8 years old now

[Zanzibah]

I went to the showroom. Was not impressed by the cars in "showroom condition".

 

I saw bits of trim dropping off the showroom car. I saw flimsy handles for seat adjustment. I saw cars with external panels that had fallen off.

[Fireball0088]

Been to their showroom three times, twice I was ignored. Wanted to test drive a golf but the SEs were not interested in selling to me.

 

Thinking of getting a VW as my next car purchase soon but really after reading this thread, i have think twice.

[Cbx750p]

Brother, going there you must dress smart and look like someone who can afford a VW. Must be your looks !

 

Go to the PI ! You wear swimming costume also will serve you ! Buy buy buy !

 

CBX

[Marquee]

swimming custume? any chio gal in swimming costume will get to serve at once!!!

[Typhoonz]

Erm, i think u r not the first person who drives a VW and swore it off your next car buying list. Many people have done that

 

Actually I would want to own a VW if I ever have the money... Was driving the Bora for a year... Despite the problems, I really like the drive and feel of the car... Space wise of course not there and the petrol bills is ... One cannot expect the car to have all the pros and none of the cons right?

 

When I sent it in for servicing at VW Center, I took the opportunity to take the Passat for a test drive... Very nice feel to the car... Feels solid and stable... Would have tried the Phaeton if I could...

 

Also drove my friend's GTi... Shiok ah!!!

[Typhoonz]

My personal opinion of the VW is that, it has a better first 4 years before things starts to fail....without fail.

 

Yeah I agree with you on that. The first 4 years of my VW Caddy it was solid. After that it goes downhill. Window lifters that broke, clutch cable that goes stiff too soon and leakiing fuel tanks... once my battery went flat and short-circuited my instrument panel when I tried to crank. It's usually the bits and pieces here and there that will start falling a part or fail... my van is almost 8 years old now

 

 

The Bora that I was driving started to give lots of problems... Compressor went kaput and I had to drive with the windows down (even during rainy days)... The gearbox started to show signs of breaking down... Even heard some metallic sounds when I was driving home... The coolant indicator is always telling me that there's no enuff coolant despite it being always at the full level...

 

Prior to the Bora, I was driving the Caddy... Had a lot of fun with it as it's turbocharged...

[Falc]

Must have money and ... time also .... to be spent at the workshop.

[Liuhao]

Understand how you feel. I was a SA there for a short while. Really sometimes dunno how to explain to the customers when their rides have issues and parts got to wait.

 

not only long wait. but parts are exp. my opel ecu spoiled in 7th year and it would cost me $2.7k to replace, with 2 months shipping time. no point to replace. scrapped instead. my previous honda civic ecu spoiled in 9th year. got a re-conditioned ecu for $300, only took 30 mins to get.

[Zakuii]

When I was looking for a car last year, Jetta TFSI is on my list. Wanted to test drive it but it was not available. Ended with the LGT instead. After reading the posts here, luckily I did not get the Jetta.

[Wolfverine]

Agree with your opinion!

 

Started off with a Celica and then moved on to Alfa before settling with a VW recently. There is no doubt that reliability of Alfa / VW is not as good as some Japanese cars. However, having said that, my opinion is that the drive of the VW (and esp. the Alfa) is definitely much better than most Japanese cars - even for the top range Jap cars like Lexus LS!

 

Thus, at the end of the day, it all depends on what you want. In my opinion, there are 2 choices:

1) A car that will bring you from point A to B with minimal problems = get a Jap car

2) A car that you can enjoy the drive and feel the "soul" of the car with potentially some problems that is bearable = get a VW

 

I thought through these factors when I was changing my Alfa and decided that I still want a car that has some "soul" in it and I can put up with the minor quirks that come along with it! To tell you the truth, the Alfa gave me the most problem but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the drive during my 1.5 years of ownership!

[Rickster]

Yea bro, gotta give & take. When one drives a conti, he must be ready for the higher maintenance. However, the comfort & feel will make up for that