Advice on VW's - reliable or not?

[lewd]

Are VW's really that unreliable? I see so many Jettas on the road that I was surprised to find this website dedicated to bashing VW.
Anyone here own a VW Jetta 1999+? I'd like to know if these problems really do exist?

http://www.myvwlemon.com/cgi-bin/ub...orum=Jetta&number=1&DaysPrune=1000&LastLogin=

 

[bishop]

It is all true, my buddy has a POS VW, peice of shiat. he is looking to sell it and get a civic

 

[submissivedave]

What? VWs are German and are from the same house as Porsche and Audi, how can they be shitty cars?

Although my family nor myself has ever owned a VW, I think my dad secretly likes them. And as for myself, I like the Jettas and Golfs. 1.8 T or VR6 preferred of course ... hehe

 

[DenWa]

Buy American...

*ducks and runs

 

[submissivedave]

American cars are so shitty ... but have gotten better over the past 5 or so years man ...

I miss the good old American cars like the GT40s, the Sting Rays and shit ...

But that's okay ... the Ford Focus is a good step towards improvement. And so is the Pontiac Vibe, which is a Toyota Matrix ...

 

[lewd]

Buy American...

*ducks and runs

Three months ago, I would have laughed you silly. But during this time, I have had American rental cars which have given me some respect for them (not entirely mind you, but much better than before).

Particularly, some of the Chrysler engines aren't too bad, but the handling still suck.

Yeah, the VW Jetta's look sweet...and I've heard mixed comments about their reliability. I just don't want to get saddled with a lemon, but it may be a case of hit and miss. Albeit the odds are probably higher than say a Toyota or a Honda.

 

[The Bandit]

Don' t forget they are made in Mexico. NOT German quality.

 

[Sixer]

Every car is bound to have its fault. But under 25000KM my GM car has already experienced a manifold cracks, leak from both the transmission and the radiator. My mechanic told me the most trouble free car nowadays is Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Anyone here own a Mitsubishi?

 

[impala77]

my brother in law has a new jetta he loved it right up until it started to develop water leaks in the interior that can't be traced and a problem that occassionally drains the battery and leaves him stranded. It wouldn't bother him too much except the fact that he is a doctor on call and needs a reliable car. and the fact that several visits to the dealership and a few letters to the company have not provided any solutions.

Every car will have it's faults it just depends on how severe they are and how well they are fixed by the dealership/company in question.

 

[xarir]

Never stand still

The bar on quality is always being raised, so pretty much any car these days will be sufficiently reliable. Of course, every manufacturer has their lemons which somehow make it past quality control and out the factory door.

I'm not sure that you'd find VW to be any more or less reliable than any other car out there. You'll always find some people who rave about the car, and others who think it's a piece of crap.

 

[red ram]

Veedubs

well.....i would take any german manufactured auto over any american made piece of crap.....how can a country with the population of germany produce so many damn fine automobiles.......compared to north america???......perhaps it is pride in workmanship and always striving to outsell their competitors???.......or the fact that they do not have a bunch of beer swilling.....hot dog eating.....NASCAR ,,,NFL,,,WWF watching slobs building those autos????

20 yrs ago the north americans were light years behind the germans and japs when it came to auto manufacting,,,,,,and they still are behind today.......the honda civic and accords.......are numerous on the highways today for a reason.........as long as you keep any car properly mantained.....it should prove pretty troble free........at least as long as you own it

 

[Girth]

I love my Passat. Very close to the Audi A6 inside and out AWD runs like a dream in the snow. Very pleased, and mine was made in Germany

 

[Snook.fr]

Will somebody please explain what is the Problem Here?

Zis is all zimple...if your car iz not a FRENCH car....zen izis not a good car!

Nuuf said.

Like the Peugeot 307 or the 206CC....(2 little Beauties)

Frenchy

 

[penguin_jf]

Will somebody please explain what is the Problem Here?

Zis is all zimple...if your car iz not a FRENCH car....zen izis not a good car!

Nuuf said.

Like the Peugeot 307 or the 206CC....(2 little Beauties)

Frenchy

Then please explain the Leaker, er.... LeCar!

 

[Zorba]

No issues w/ my V-dub. The VR6 engine is a favourite of mine. I think that the Golf/Jetta platform is known for some reliability issues, but like others have noted, you will ALWAYS find both detractors and supporters for every model car out there.

Really, it all boils down to what you're after in a car. I put a premium on performance and ride. IMHO, "fahrvegnugen" is not a myth I love the chassis / engine combination, and if you want to tweak, there is no greater aftermarket for performance parts (except for some Hondas).

This is almost like selecting an SP; it's such a personal choice! Everybody's opinions and needs are different. For instance, I would take a WRX over any "luxury" or "near-luxury" car, if offered as a gift. I am sure some guy with a Jag could never comprehend such a choice, even though my ass-ugly monstrosity would do laps around his POS (do you detect a bias? LOL).

BTW, somebody compared the Passat to the Audi A6. In fact, I think the Passat and A4 share the same physical platform (i.e. like the Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire).

 

[submissivedave]

First of all, for me, a REAL car comes from Germany ... not France, so there you go Mr. Frenchy. Besides the amount of respect I have for French culture, French cars look ugly ... that's a personal opionion ... hehehe

As for a WRX ... eeeeeeeeewwwwwwww ... a Subara???? That's just nasty .....

 

[Zorba]

Dave, do you have any other 227HP, AWD, Rally-racing bred and inspired suggestions for $35K?

It's faster and more nimble than almost any care you can find on the streets in Toronto, and this includes a fair number of Porsches.

It's also safer.

I can see how it might be considered ugly, if you're not predisposed to the stylings of the rally circuits. But I challenge anyone to find more car for the $$.

I would think that on this board, bang for the buck would be appreciated.



btw, it's SU-BA-RU

 

[jimi]

electrical problems

my 2 bits: great driving car, but the big surveys show continuing electrical problems that are hard to get fixed.

 

[Why Not?]

I have never owned a VW but wouldn't even consider one based on the experience of most people I know who owned one. Of the 4 or 5 older ones that I know the history of, all but one has had serious electrical and/or transmission trouble as they aged. They became unreliable and sinkholes for money rather than aging gracefully.

I have another friend who owns a 2 yr old "new beetle". In the winter if the windows are rolled down they disconnect from the crank mechanism and can't be rolled up. She was told it is a common problem. What kind of crap is that?

And now they want us to pay $50-$75,000 for new high end Volkswagens. I'm sorry but the Japanese just build super reliable cars that age well.

 

[submissivedave]

Dave, do you have any other 227HP, AWD, Rally-racing bred and inspired suggestions for $35K?

How about the new Mazda RX-8 that goes for $36K and the upgraded one for $39K? Or how about the new Acura TSX for $35K?

For me, Subarus just don't make the cut. Besides, they are made by Fuji Industries ...

And, I ain't a great fan of Mazdas either but just listed the RX-8 as an alternative to a WRX ...

BTW, I heard the Mitsubishi EVO is coming to North America. Now, would you get the WRX or the Lancer EVO?