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Just how reliable/unreliable is it?


Humpty
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Hi, not sure if this question has been asked here before.

I am quite new to this forum, but the amount of little niggly problems and leaks and overheats and MAF failures and blinky warning light stories from relatively new VWs is getting me worried. I have a 2 mth old VW and am worried it will start getting all these problems I am reading about here.

Is VW that unreliable? Or are there 999 satisfied owners out there for every technical problem posted here?

Merry Christmas!

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No one posts here saying "My maf didn't fail again today" or "I'm so glad the warning light hasn't come on yet", and all the posts here reflect common problems. However, the number of people who don't have problems is far greater than that.

If you're going to get a problem, chances are it'll be something documented on here, but don't sit waiting for it to happen. 169144-ok.gif

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Its a B5.5 (thats what you guys call it round here?) Passat. Got it steeply discounted as its the last few pieces. AZM engine.

Its a dinosaur but I am hoping that since the engine design is about 2 decades old and the rest of the car is about a decade old, VW would have ironed out any problems by now. I hope!

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German engineering is rock solid, but, sometimes VW and Merc have a tendancy to be 'unreliable,' but, only with a small amount of components. If you consider there are thousands of components on a car, and the list of ones that fail (in a fashioned sense - like you read about on here) is tiny in comparison, then it's not that bad. I'd much rather have a smart looking, exec car that had to go back to the dealers a few times (possibly), than an Avensis that wont go wrong, but will make me die of boredom.

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I can understand your concern. there does appear to be a lot of common faults with VAG cars. Unfortunately they are all too common and the reason for this is either because VAG can't or can't be bothered to rectify them even right down to the last cars at the end of production.

On the up side, all the usual problems are well documented so with a little brains you don't even have to post a problem, just do a search and all the answers come up from previous posts. 169144-ok.gif

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I will make it 2 in the survey! I have done an average of 1000 miles a week for the last 8 years in VW Passats.

Besides the minor (mostly) electrical faults they are great cars with an excellant build quality. The diesel engines are as good as any on the market (better than any in the similar price bracket).

Don't you start winding me up again Tian!!!! blush.gifgrin.gif

Happy new year beerchug.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

I will make it 2 in the survey! I have done an average of 1000 miles a week for the last 8 years in VW Passats.

Besides the minor (mostly) electrical faults they are great cars with an excellant build quality. The diesel engines are as good as any on the market (better than any in the similar price bracket).

Don't you start winding me up again Tian!!!! blush.gifgrin.gif

Happy new year beerchug.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

See that? That's my foot, here goes.... I had a Subaru once, the only Jap car I've ever owned. It's also the only car I've ever owned that's broken down to the point of needing to be towed away. But that doesn't prove anything. NONO3.GIF Does it??? confused.gif

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Yeah, your right, me and you can't provide enough data for anything of meaning.

The only car i have had that broke down and needed towing (3 times in 2 weeks!) was a wonderfully built VW Passat.

This forum does show that VW's seem to have a number of problems. I still like them smile.gif

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Regardless of any problems I've had with the VW's I have owned, I have loved them all, and always argued that they are well worth paying the extra money for. beerchug.gif

However in the future, if I were to buy another I would have to make sure it was still under manufacturers warranty.

Simply becuase, in my experience, once you go over 60k VW don't want to know fekr.gif

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My last 5 cars have all been VWs or Audis.

MK3 16V Golf GTI - Run for 55K - No Problems

A3 1.8T Sport - Run for 50K - No problems

A4 Avant 1.8T Sline - Run for 5K - No problems

TT 225 - Run for 32K - Coil Packs Replaced - Whole Dashpod Replaced- corrosion on roof rails - dropping windows mad.gif

MK5 GTI - Run for 1K miles and 6 Weeks - Faulty Mulitichanger, Fuel leak - supposedly repaired by VW after 7 days mad.gif Fuel leak again - still unresolved after a total of 14 days @ VW mad.gif

I'm a BIG fan of VAG cars but after my current MK5 episode I'm begining to doubt their quality and VWs ability to resolve issues competently frown.gif

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The quality of the materials used is good and VW's do have a solid feel about them. However it would seem that the mechanical side of things are no better than a Ford or Vauxhall. Mind you thats not the end of the world as most modern cars are very reliable these days.

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[ QUOTE ]

The quality of the materials used is good and VW's do have a solid feel about them. However it would seem that the mechanical side of things are no better than a Ford or Vauxhall. Mind you thats not the end of the world as most modern cars are very reliable these days.

[/ QUOTE ]

The quality of the materials is on the way down, that's obvious to me as someone who has driven VAG cars for years. The materials used in the Mk5 Golf are poor compared to what they used to be like. Mechanical reliability is a different matter, problems used to be bigger in the old days but easier to solve. These days dealers appear to have trouble fixing or even finding various small, silly glithes that don't stop a car being used but spoil all the fun. Nobody wants to drive their car when they know it's just not right. SAUER0421.GIF

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi mate, sorry to tell you, its 99% rubbish. Its all marketing, Ive been duped too and feel totally cheated.

I had a coil pack replaced YESTERDAY and another one has just gone TODAY! The problem is the second time it has been when I was 60 miles away from home and I had to call the RAC who just towed the car to the nearest VW franchise. I was left stranded with my wife and kid and have just spent the best part of £50 and 2 hours getting home in the freezing cold. Mine is a Golf 1.6 Match on a 53 plate first registerd Oct 2003 and bought Brand New. So far I've had, Faulty Brake sensor, Faulty CD unit, Faulty Radio unit volume control, Wiring fault behind Dash board requiring whole dash to come off, faulty electric windows, Door trim needed replaced, Drivers seat base needed replaced, Have suspected faulty crank sensor code 16706 causing car to cut out but they are refusing to replace even after the RAC diagnosis, faulty coil pack no.3. and I think the last two are seriously affecting fuel consumption as contrary to their statistics the best combined rate I can get is about 32mpg and recently has been average of about 29mpg ie just went to Edinburgh at steady 70mph and it didnt get above 29.5mpg. spending £45 a week on fuel right now.

Sell it and get a Japanese car, thats what all me mates are saying. Read on a US site that there is a recall press release saying that apparently all coils should be replaced and that VW should cover courtesy cars, WE NEED TO FIND THIS!! email me at [email protected]

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On the V6 R32 engine there has been cases of the crankshaft trust bearing (white metal bearings) becoming worn and the crankshaft being allowed to move side to side (End float) and causing noise when the clutch is dipped due to the pressure acting on the crankshaft causing the crankshaft to move side ways. Also excessive end float on the crankshaft can cause noise from the lower timing chain area.

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