118TSI - General Discussion

[Kiark]

Personally I would look for the diesel, but I suspect the instances of problems with the 118 are of a much higher concentration here than in the general population.

How much slower is the 103TDI compared to the 118TSI? Would it be an obvious difference?

People come here because they are enthusiasts or because they have a problem.

That was what I assumed was happening. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't EVERYONE having problems with this car.

Either way, get a thorough check done by a specialist independent VW mechanic and check the service history to see whether the usual warranty fixes have been done.

If it doesn't have detailed service history at a dealer then I would stay away. That's not to say that a non-dealer would do a bad job, but because dealer services often do maintenance fixes as directives from VW that non-dealer mechanics may not know about.

I'll have to inquire about the service history, thanks for the reminder!

Thanks for the great reply. I'll like to hear from others as well!

[Brett_J]

Just don't, they are prone to failure, it's not a case of if, it's when. Do you really want to try your luck, especially when you KNOW they have issues? I'd either spring a bit more cash for MK6 GTI or a TDI like mentioned, there's only a few KW in it, plus the Diesel has bags of Torque in comparison, and with something simple like a Bluefin tune (cheap), you get another 35 hp and 60nm of torque, Run away from the 118, run like the wind.

[tigger73]

There's 2 major components with this car that have significantly higher failure rates than "normal" - the engine and transmission. You basically have doubled your chances of having a major mechanical failure which could turn your $12k car into an expensive piece of scrap.

Personally I wouldn't risk it. As others have said there are other cars that have proven to be much more reliable for similar $.

However having said that I have a friend who has one of these and loves it. He services it regularly and hasn't had an issue. I guess you could be one of the lucky ones.


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[Kiark]

What would you guys say to the reviews saying the 2010 118TSI Golf is the car of the year/engine of the year?

[Rawcpoppa]

What would you guys say to the reviews saying the 2010 118TSI Golf is the car of the year/engine of the year?

Would say those reviews do not take into account reliability whatsoever. They are reviews done on new cars and that's it. Brilliant combination of tech when it works. Unfortunately it breaks too often and the response from the manufacturer is not always positive for the customer. Of course after sales isn't really spoken about seriously apart from in forums.

[Kiark]

Would say those reviews do not take into account reliability whatsoever. They are reviews done on new cars and that's it. Brilliant combination of tech when it works. Unfortunately it breaks too often and the response from the manufacturer is not always positive for the customer. Of course after sales isn't really spoken about seriously apart from in forums.

Thank you and everyone else for the feedback! Great community.

[Lucas_R]

What would you guys say to the reviews saying the 2010 118TSI Golf is the car of the year/engine of the year?

The engine design was great in theory - but didn't work out in practise. The 118TSI is a ticking time bomb - i wouldn't touch one.

[popcorn]

I have a 118TSI with the DQ200 7sp DSG in a mk5 Jetta. It's a 2009 model and has done 70k kms. No issues so far, although I hope I'm not speaking too soon. Love the way the car drives, although I'd like a bit more torque for when the car is loaded with luggage and 5 people. The car is completely stock and has been serviced every year (5 services completed). I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. If you get a good example of it, they really are great cars and quite fuel efficient for the performance. Amazing that they run 36psi of boost (according to wiki) in a stock car!

[brad]

What would you guys say to the reviews saying the 2010 118TSI Golf is the car of the year/engine of the year?

Wheels Car of the Year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the Wheels Car of the Year list. There are some absolute stinkers on there. Journalists don't have to live with a car & pay the repair costs after casting their vote.

[Brett_J]

You might get a good one like a few people have, but given that it is a genuine known issue with them, why would you bother, I only know 2 people with them, both have had engine rebuilds. The other family member has a 90 TSI and that has had 2 gearbox rebuilds in less than 35,000km.
Don't play with fire, stay away from 118's and 7 speeds if you value your time and money