VW Golf VI: reliability issues ? real or not ?

[rayw]

elepheno
you can turn off the Bixenon headlight unit
DRL should be just the LED light only

[elephino]

elepheno
you can turn off the Bixenon headlight unit
DRL should be just the LED light only

Quite true...on the newer bi-xenons. On the original ones, no LEDs.

[sbowden]

Some really good comments in this thread...I have just read it all the way through.

I bought my 09 Mk VI golf dsg 118TSI when it had 9000klm, it now has 52,000. Have had the window button support plate replaced (goes under the actual button, sits inside the door...$3 part). Other than that, some clutch shudders, which disappeared after driving it "as a manual" for a couple of short trips. This was a tip from a forum member.

so I've done 43,000 problem free kays.

I've carried masses of concrete tiles, roofing tiles, and bricks in it. I've fitted a lawnmower, whipper snipper, hedgetrimmer, blower-vac, petrol cans and a passenger in it, all at once of course!

I've taken my wife, my mate and his wife, plus one other lady, all of us in our ball gowns and suits, out on the town. And I often travel hundreds of kays with bikes on the roof, golf clubs and other stuff cramming the boot and seats, and still get amaaaazing economy, handling and pleasurable driving.

I understand some folk have had less than pleasant experiences with their 118TSI's.... but not me. I love it. And based on what I think of the car, I will buy another VW when the time comes. Who cares what other people say about their car in various surveys? It's what I think about my car that matters.

As one earlier poster to this thread said, people who are happy with their car are generally too busy to tell anyone... people who aren't happy seem to have all day to tell everyone!

I'm not suggesting that folk with bad experiences don't share them....they should. And VW should take note, and if necessary, take action.

But more of us happy VW drivers should post here, because diligent folk do research before they buy, and our forum needs to be a positive influence on prospective buyers. Let's grow the family!

[Brendan_A]

Great post Sbowden! I'm another happy 118tsi owner

[AdamD]

As one earlier poster to this thread said, people who are happy with their car are generally too busy to tell anyone... people who aren't happy seem to have all day to tell everyone!

I'm not suggesting that folk with bad experiences don't share them....they should. And VW should take note, and if necessary, take action.

But more of us happy VW drivers should post here, because diligent folk do research before they buy, and our forum needs to be a positive influence on prospective buyers. Let's grow the family!

Do you know about this thread? If you're happy with your Golf, post in it and revive it.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ead-69908.html

[walbjj]

i cant post in that thread, cos i have had issues, but they have been resolved. but in saying that, im happy with my gti

[sbowden]

Do you know about this thread? If you're happy with your Golf, post in it and revive it.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ead-69908.html

Thanks Adam, no I didn't know about this thread, and will track it down. UPDATE: Posted to thread as suggested, cheers.

I think I would post positive comments in both, though.

If a person doing research on what car to buy runs a Google search (for example) "Holden Astra AH reliability problems", they will get predominately the negative... see below a tiny selection from an actual search. So it's good to balance that in our threads...

User #105208 10895 posts
Eman
Whirlpool Forums Addict
Avoid at all costs. They are European making them expensive to service, and the timing belt needs to be changed every 60,000km (pretty expensive). They tend to die after about 120,000km....

Look at anything japanese.

reference: whrl.pl/RcBPnp
posted 2011-Jan-12, 10am AEST
User #25848 3434 posts
paul09
Whirlpool Forums Addict
Considering you took out a loan to buy, you should probably look at toyota corolla/camry, honda civic/accord etc etc...as these will be cheap to service and run and shouldn't die on you half way through the loan repayments

reference: whrl.pl/RcBPpW
posted 2011-Jan-12, 10am AEST
User #81636 5473 posts
Glynn J.
IT Domain Australia
Merchant
Avoid all the Opel based holdens at all costs

(e.g Vectra, Barina, Astra)

They all develop wiring problems, timing belts need to be changed at 60,000k, engines are fairly unreliable (my company barina has gone through 3 heads, 2 snapped timing belts, 3 gearboxes and has had the wiring overhauled twice due to burning out)

[Finance_Analyst]

Nonetheless, all the evidence so far cannot deny that Audi/VW have their fair share of reliability issues. So too BMW and Mercedes to a lesser extent (except for their ML range)

I do not buy into the argument "people who are happy with their cars don't write or sing praises etc etc". Lexus and Honda are always top of the charts in US and UK so the evidence is overwhelming and they have been on top for decades. While so far, I am a happy VW owner with no issues, you are all kidding yourselves if you think you can hide behind the VW and Audi reliability problems. It is there and cannot be denied by anyone, merely defended with little or no substance (GTIs are probably the most reliable as they have been proven, hence why I bought one).

This issue which has been circulated on this forum in a vicious circular motion (no pun intended) must be like the equivalent of the Roswell incident and all of you in the VW defensive camp must also work for the US Government, behind closed doors and covering up the so called existence of extra terrestrials beings and UFOs and destroying the X Files and Fox Mulder

[Candyman]

I'd have to say none of the Lexus owners I know locally give a **** about their car and they have all had various problems requiring a dealer visit. Sheesh, Lexus even had a class action lawsuit against them for two faults.

JD Power surveys are notoriously unreliable and flakey. Read into the process and brief used, almost laughable.

VW, all of them including the GTI, have reliability issues. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise

[AdamD]

I do not buy into the argument "people who are happy with their cars don't write or sing praises etc etc".

Seriously? How many threads in this forum are dedicated to issues - and how to resolve them - versus the absence of same? Half(*) the members on a car forum join up because they have a problem with their car and are seeking a resolution. I'm happy to write about how pleased I am with my car and its reliability, but I'm very much in the minority in terms of owners overall.

Lexus and Honda are always top of the charts in US and UK so the evidence is overwhelming and they have been on top for decades. While so far, I am a happy VW owner with no issues, you are all kidding yourselves if you think you can hide behind the VW and Audi reliability problems.

I was previously a Honda owner (four in a row), and was involved in the local Honda community and online scene. Trust me when I say that Honda owners do complain about reliability issues, and faults with certain models are very much commonplace - just as is the case with VW and other marques.

The more the average consumer spends on a purchase, the more reliable they expect it to be. People do spend reasonable money on VWs and Audis, and if something does go wrong, then it's likely they'll be more disappointed than if they'd spent less and expected problems. It's not a (necessarily) rational viewpoint, but whoever suggested consumers are always rational? Car purchasing decisions can be very emotional.

(*) 74% of all statistics are made up on the spot.