Read any car relibility survey written in the last 10 years and the likes of Toyota or Honda will be at the top VW some place in the middle. So why people pay extra money for German cars on the basis they think they are more reliable is odd. Further if you do have a problems the likes of Honda will get better service and they own up to faults when you have them.

That said there are simply things to avoid with VW like DSG and 1.4t tsi engines. If relibility is a worry for you then don't buy a German car, try Honda or Toyota .

I have neither a Honda or Toyota. My 12 year old jag. has a water leak that needed fixing in the last 2 years and is rated average for reliability. The 7 year old Merc SLK is well rated and had no faults.

.... how do i avoid buying a possible lemon that is basically a ticking time bomb that could fail at any time .

Any 6-year-old car is quite likely to need money spending on it, which is why it is a lot cheaper than buying new. I suggest you look for (a) whether its appearance suggests it has been looked after (b) a decent service record (c) no more than 3 owners, and (d) talk to the previous owner about any faults.

But basically such a car will only have a short warranty because of the increasing likelyhood of things needing fixing. It's called maintenance, and all working machinery needs some.