I bought a nearly new VW Passat, having been sold by the advertising. I wanted that 'premium feel'. Car suffered serious electrical problems, groaned and rattled from day one. The dealers were the most obnoxious, arrogant bunch I've come across.
Took it for a service and they managed to gouge my alloys, then flattly denied doing it!
Sold the car after a year because I was sick of their inability to fix it.
Bought an MG ZT which never went wrong in my two years of ownership.
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All good informative comments and almost all views reflect my own, ie could / need to to better. I've been insulated from the dealers as I found a good one from the word go and stuck to them all but once when I bought my MK4 golf. Total disaster, they could'nt even transfer my number plate. Theyre 5 minutes down the road from me and I travel 50 mins to my favoured dealer as they serve me well.
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Well, in my experience (perhaps I have been lucky?) I have had an Audi A4 which I ran to 150K with nothing other than servicing, and consumables, an A6 which I kept until 100K - same story, although an oil leak had developed and the cost to repair was stupid given the engine / gearbox had to be removed. Next an Audi A4 cab which I have just parted from after 18 months - no problems, but to early to give a reliability report (but during my ownership was faultless and required no warranty work)- I sold as I decided to move into something smaller / cheaper to run. Have just bought the other half a VW sharan - it was a pre reg and got a fantastic deal - cheaper than I could have got an equivilent galaxy / alhambra. Service from supplying dealer was fantastic, and the small mistake they made was quickly put right and they apologised, so all in all I have been happy with my VAG ownership to date, and in day to day life I cant really say I have come across anyone who has been unhappy, although I would agree that the premuim prices being charged are becoming more difficult to justify when most other manufacturers make a product which is as good / better.
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Have taken early 80 VWs (golf,scirocco,polo) to high mileages on shoestring budgets.
Must say I have gone off them recently-the competition seems to have caught up in terms of design and durability. Just look a an 86 astra/escort parked next to a golf of similar vintage, then look at more recent offerings.Whether the alternatives stand the test of time remains to be seen but it certainly looks pretty good at the moment.
My question when last changing cars was what was a 3 year old VW offering that the alternative was not in practical terms ? I simply could find a good reason for paying the VW premium when changing this or the last 2 times. Next change it may be different.
Currently drive a 51 astra-seems good so far and was cheap(ish)
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I like the interior build quality.
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We've had numerous VW's (7 in total). 1 Audi (very good 80 TDI) then Toyota (for SWMBO) which was a lesson in not believing all the propaganda re reliability, or on Toyota dealers) and now Honda (2 vehicles) which have been P.D.G. I'd prefer a VW Golf TDI DSG to any Honda, from the driving pleasure/familiarity POV, but VW don't seem to care one way or the other.
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Our old Transporter (A reg - 1984) made it round the clock twice before the HG went.
Timing belt went when we first got it but we had it ten years and it was very good from what I remember. In fact I think the shocks and springs were original...
The new one (V reg - 1999) does hardly any miles. Only fault has been the alternator.
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As I've previously said no failings on my 4 VWs (not 3 as previously stated) also owned Dreg Cavalier, Dreg Volvo 240 estate only a brake pipe for one MOT (damage by careless jacking by previous owner) Greg Volvo 740 estate p.o.s!
My old feller has had 1972 Ford Zephyr ( huge when you're 8) Then he retired and does 6-8K miles per year approx
new 1980V polo no probs (too small)
New 1982 Nissan Stanza good work horse but tempramental carb
New Nissan Bluebird 2 lots of gearbox bearings in 24K
12months old ford sierra 20L auto ghia cam chain snapped at 24K miles
Laguna Nreg 20RTi16v ok but very revvy 4krpm at 80
Treg Golf gt tdi 110 relay 109 and immobiliser probs under warantee
now has A class 51 plate new front discs and front suspension at 24k
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Omega.
Who told us that VWs were reliable? The VW marketing team with "If only everything in life was as reliable as a VW". It has to go down as one of the best marketing campaigns in the history of advertising, because everyone seemed to buy the message.
Two people that I know have got rid of them in their first year of ownership (from new, with the horrendous costs that implies) because of serious, seemingly unsolvable faults. Suggests that something is wrong, even if it's only anecdotal.
V
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We had a 2001Y Passat TDI. Dash rattled like a kids toy and the AC failed more than once. Re-gassing sorted it for about a month.
We now have a Rover 75, bought last June which has given us no grief whatsoever.
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as a vw owner of some 15 years I agree with the general sentiments here:
1980s - class leading reliability and design
1990s - still good
2000s- lost the plot - worst aspect is dealers and refusal to admit the daft design errors /cheap outsourcing
However I have 99 mkIV GTI 20v, hasten to add sourced in Holland v cheap and maintained independently - has been superb. Interestingly my independent Golf man says that the 98/99 Mk IVs were better than the 2000s so keep hold. Interesting comparison with mercedes over the last 5-10 years - both have basically sold the family silver for a quick profit (can;t believe a 4 year old £40K E Class is to be avoided because of rusty wings!!) and deserve to loose all their custom to ? ford ? Skoda ? Japs
Commments?
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New Nissan Bluebird 2 lots of gearbox bearings in 24K
As you will see from many of my other posts, I am no fan of Jap cars, but even I was led to believe that Nissan Bluebirds were the most bomb-proof car that ever was !
I once worked for a company that bought a job lot of new Bluebirds as company cars for my department. I was the only person who didn't have one as I already had a Cavalier. All 18 of these Bluebirds were appaulingly badly treated due to the disgruntledness of being FORCED to have one, and my point is that given this abuse, faults on the cars were negligible.
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VW cars seem to me to be overrated (by some) and certainly overpriced.
MB E320CDI
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I have owned several VW's and never had any major problems, only normal wear & tear costs.My 'latest', a P reg LWB HIRoof transporter with the old 2.4D engine has been owned from new and is a paragon of virtue despite an arduous life doing what it was built for!
Other ultra reliable VW's have been a Mk1 Gti, Passat estate (PKY888M) Polo (RWX566R) Passat estate (RWX567R) Polo 16v R reg).
Maybe the moral of this story is only to buy older VW's...I cannot afford a new one.
ps Is it still possible to buy the old Mk1 Gti which I heard rumoured were still built in SA?
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Is it still possible to buy the old Mk1 Gti which I heard rumoured were still built in SA?
It's not 100% accurate version of the MK1 GTi but it's pretty close.
www.vw.co.za/models/model_detail.jsp?modelName=cit...f
I'm also a fan of the pick-up which can be made to look pretty damn good too.
www.vw.co.za/models/model_detail.jsp?modelName=pic...p
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My MarkVI (November 99, 2000YM) 1.6 Bora has been trouble free (apart from the occasional glitch when the remote locking button on the front passenger door gets out of sync, due to me mis-hitting the remote control button, and easily sorted) during the three-and-a-half years I've own it.
As with my previous two Jettas, I just jump in and know that whether I'm going near or far I'll get there and back without drama.
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It's not that bad. The Golf IV came out 8th, below the Bravo/Bravas and above the Megane in the latest Reliability Index. www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/index.htm?news_id=3130 HJ
Well thats a surprise, 3 VAG group manufacturers in the top 10 (Rover 2nd!)
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I posted a couple of month ago about vw,skoda,seat all being in the reliabillity index top ten for manufacturers,But of course some how they turned it in to a vw bashing thread.Its come to where i dont trust the forums opinions on vw because all most of them want to do is put the knife in.i own a mk5 golf and focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)but i dont rant and rave how rubbish they are like some about vw?
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Its come to where i dont trust the forums opinions on vw because all most of them want to do is put the knife in.i own a mk5 golf and focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)but i dont rant and rave how rubbish they are like some about vw?
Don't concern yourself too much. They did same to Rover for years and are simply sorely missing their regular fixes;) lol
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I posted a couple of month ago about vw,skoda,seat all being in the reliabillity index top ten for manufacturers,But of course some how they turned it in to a vw bashing thread.Its come to where i dont trust the forums opinions on vw because all most of them want to do is put the knife in.i own a mk5 golf and focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)but i dont rant and rave how rubbish they are like some about vw?
Its why I started this thread, but I have to say I'm surprised that the responses are basically the same as my own. There must be a lot of people here the run down thr reputation having never owned a VAG group car.
I'm blinkered to VW cars but not blind to their problems.
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I have grown up being fed the story that VW group cars were of excelent quality and reliability. For such a story to have such credence there must have been some basis in fact.
There have been stories on here that VW cars started to decline recently. I never really put any credence on it assuming it to be the odd disgruntled owner with the odd lemon.
Therefore when I took on my current VW I expected it to be of the highest quality. Its a rude shock to find out that basically it has more inherant problems than a departed Renault (universally slated for being rubbish quality)
In truth people are not moaning because VW are only just as good as any other maker, but that in personal experience, the myth of higher quality has been cruelly exposed.
If everything was as reliable as a post 2000 VW we would be deep in the Scheiße
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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For what it's worth my 2000X A4 1.9tdi (owned from new) has been totally reliable over 70k. The only slight problem (fixed under warranty with absolutely no quibble) was a faulty coolant thermostat. Otherwise routine servicing and tyres, and even then I get 22k from the fronts and double that from rears. Exhaust is original.
I'm seriously considering ordering a new Passat for the new 56 reg, and I've read lots of reviews online - all of them are favourable. I've also had a test drive and found it confortable, roomy and well-built. The interior fabric on the SE seemed a bit cheaper than that on Audi/BMW and so I'll probably go for leather.
However, I did own a 1980 W Jetta 1.3 which had great bodywork but was mechanically a bag of nails once it got to 50k!! Carb, alternator, valves, cv joints, boot lock, clutch cable pulled thro' bulkhead (twice!)... etc. Put me off VWs for a while, but if my Audi is representative of the current group quality then I have no qualms about recommending their cars. (the galvanised bodies give peace of mind as well).
Pat
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There are I think 23 manufacturers in the index so being in the top ten might not be a big deal. The WD indexes (indices?) are also very volatile for reasons probably including low claim numbers in the claim period reveiwed(I have only had a cursory look but can't see the numbers in the data).
Being sandwiched between the Brava/Bravo and the Megane doesn't sound like anything to be proud of to me but maybe they are victims of unfair criticism too?
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A friend recently swapped a (bought new) Laguna early 04 estate for an 02 Audi A4 estate.
Both he and his wife are delighted by the clear superiority in build quality and interior refinement over the Renault.
Mind you I think I played a small role in their decision to go for a VAG product...:-)
The same with an acquaintance's wife when she first came across my Bora. I later learned she was so impressed that she insisted, successfully, that her husband bought a Bora (also in Reflex Silver) in place of her Rover 400, as she felt it represented a much safer conveyance for her children.
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>>focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)<<
Forgive me, but if they're so poor, why have you bought 6? Surely you'd be better off with a VW?
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focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)<<
Forgive me, but if they're so poor, why have you bought 6? Surely you'd be better off with a vw
Come on Adam its obvious.
There cheap and when it does need something doing(and it will)ford parts are easily found and cheaper than most?
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I posted a couple of month ago about vw,skoda,seat all being
Its cometo where i dont trust the forums opinions on vw because all most of them want to do is put the knife in.i own a mk5 golf and focus estate and can honestly say i have never owned a trouble free ford(ive had six)but i dont rant and rave how rubbish they are like some about vw?
Personally, i'd expect grief from a Ford, my view on Fords is that they're built down to a price. I completely acknowledge that it might well be an old view based on heaps that i used to have like Mk4 Escorts and a horrid Mk2 Fiesta, but I can't see myself buying a Ford anytime soon. I've been well and truly put off them.
The way VW cars are advertised would suggest that they are extremely reliable and bombproof, and let's face it they're not. They're not bad, they just don't live up to their own reputation.
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>>they're built down to a price
All mass produced cars are - they have to be, to help turn a profit for the manufacturers. This is the fundamental skill in engineering design for manufacture, and why I have *much* more respect for products like Fords than I ever will have for the open cheque book designs of Ferraris and the like.
Obviously, the manufacturers of mass market cars will always try and kid you via their slick marketing that they are different; better than the other mass producers, take more care, sacrifice more cows, use more coats of paint, have doors that make a nicer clunk, etc, etc. Of course, it's all twaddle, designed to entice the average mug punter to be happy with parting with more cash, buying features and spec. that they don't really need.
The tactile qualities of trim, the sound the door makes as it closes, and the advertising campaigns are completely unrelated to the inherent quality of the design, performance, and reliability of cars.
Number_Cruncher
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The tactile qualities of trim, the sound the door makes as it closes, and the advertising campaigns are completely >>unrelated to the inherent quality of the design, performance, and reliability >>of cars.
That is why the quality of trim is so important, because there is often less fundamental differentiation.
So the Seat Altea I recently had the crummy feeling electric mirror adjuster knob came straight off in my hand.
It's a bit like somebody turning up for an interview in scraggy 'charity shop chic'... they might be the best candidate but they ain't likely to get the job..
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My son does a big mileage every week and has had a 1999 1.4 Zetec engined Fiesta and, for the past couple of years, a Focus 1.8 TDCI; both were bought secondhand.
Both have proved excellent and, as an advanced driver, he enjoys the fact that both are very much driver's cars.
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Personally, i'd expect grief from a Ford ......
I've had 8 Fords from new and, by and large, they were all reliable. The most unreliable and flimsy cars I've had in recent years were 2 Citroen ZXs and a Peugeot 306 XSi. I've never owned (or driven) a VW so I wouldn't know about them.
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L\'escargot.
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