So what years were VW's OK?

Please, GRM knowledge base, help me understand. I hear newer VWs are not terrible. I also hear that older VWs are pretty good. I also hear that somewhere in the middle each and every VW ever produced will catch fire and kill any/all occupants due to electrical issues and/or arson by owner.

If I pick up a MK1 GTI, everyone will be cool, if I pick up a 2000 Jetta, my life will end. Where is the good/bad cutoff?

And don't be all: Actually, MY Jetta only caught fire three times and one of those times was actually pretty minor because...

My '67 bug was okay.

I am perfectly happy with my 2003 Golf, but generally people tell you to avoid the MkIV's (1999.5-2005 Jetta - 2000-2005 Golf).

Avoid 1.8T's and to a lesser degree VR6's - mine is the plain ol 2.0L 4 banger. The 1.8T's bake everything under the hood. All the hoses break as soon as you think about touching them. Silicone hose kits are available.

Avoid heaviliy optioned cars - electrical issues are the area of most problems.

Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1997-2001 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

The Mk6 cars (my wife had a 2010 Golf Wagon) have a nasty habit of building up ice in the space between the front fender and door and then when you open the door, the front edge folds over!!! Ours was repaired on warranty by VW but if you live in a cold area this sucks.

Edit: Corrected years for Audi A4 as per codrus.

oh good lord, really? Dude. This thread is a turd in the punch bowl just waiting to happen.

Approaching 100K miles on our '09 TDI DSG Jetta, will be at 100K within a month with our current commute. Nothing catastrophic, only thing electrical have been 3 low beam bulbs, I blame DRL for their demise, a cylinder pressure sensor/glow plug around 70K miles, and I had to replace the OE battery after 5-1/2 years and 90K+ miles.

Only really frustrating issue is the D/S rear door handle broke something inside the door and it cannot be opened from inside or out. Pretty berkleying stupid latch mechanism design to allow it to fail in such a way you'd literally be trapped inside or locked out. It's not a super common problem, but we're not the only ones it's happened to.

No fires yet.

I put a new set of tires on at around 40K miles, but other than that we've done nothing but normal fluids and filters. We're still on the original brake pads and rotors even, and they've probably got another 10K miles or more of life left on them.

• Lee

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

So they should all be sent to Dallas?

Seriously, pops bought a B5 A4 Avant. Aside from the broken LCD display in the dash, the rough shift into second in the automatic and the various little problems its had, its currently been sitting for years due to EGR failures which prevents it from passing emissions. Starts and drives fine otherwise, but its stuff like that which tends to kill the cars. To repair it, he'll have to pull the heads on the 2.8L which after doing the timing belt shortly after he bought it, he's not interested in tackling pulling the heads since the engine is very tightly constrained in that engine bay. So it will be traded in at some point and probably turned into Chinese products.

That said, they did just buy a 2014 Jetta Wagon (same color as the A4) and paid for the extended warranty for it.

For me 2001-2009 give or take a year. Our 2014 has been rock solid, and anything they made with a Car or Bosh injection has been bulletproof as well.

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

2004s are B6s.

wearymicrobe wrote: For me 2001-2009 give or take a year. Our 2014 has been rock solid, and anything they made with a Car or Bosh injection has been bulletproof as well.

You're 2014 is a 2014.

So... like this?

http://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/4681885419.html

What year did the original Beetle go out of production? There's your answer.

In reply to Klayfish:

2003

The air cooled ones and maybe the diesels.

I was a big VW fan until the Mk3 Chassis came out. The Mk3 cars weren't bad, but they started VW on the road to fatter, less nimble cars-- and they also started to develop more reliability issues.

The new ones are promising, but I still can't shake the VAG reliability scares from a few years back. Also, it seems that 99% of the time I see a headlight or tail light out on a relatively new car----it's an Audi or VW. It's uncanny. Not sure who's making their lighting units--- but they seem to fail....often.

tuna55 wrote: So... like this? http://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/4681885419.html

I'll say that is a great ad. The gauge photo is my favorite. The good news here is that you can sell the engine/trans/management system, as is, to someone with an MK1 or MK2 for more than the asking price.

MK1 - classic, a bit better than a Beetle. MK2 took all the good things from MK1 and made them better. Mk3, took the good things from MK2 and made them heavier and worse, added OBD1 diagnostics but got modern fuel injection. 2.slow ABA makes a great swap in a Mk2. Mk4 - skip them, unless it's a diesel. Mk5 got good with the 2.0 TFSI engine. I had a 2006 Audi A3 (4 door GTi before they gave them 4 doors) as my first introduction to turbo goodness. From there stylists went nuts.

CL: Avoid 1997 to 2005, in my biased, uneducated opinion.

codrus wrote:

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

2004s are B6s.

The 2004 Passat is a B5.5. Just checked the A4 and I am not sure when it changed in North America.

bravenrace wrote:

wearymicrobe wrote: For me 2001-2009 give or take a year. Our 2014 has been rock solid, and anything they made with a Car or Bosh injection has been bulletproof as well.

You're 2014 is a 2014.

And its a lease, I do not trust VW period end stop...... but my wife wanted the car.

turboswede wrote:

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

So they should all be sent to Dallas? Seriously, pops bought a B5 A4 Avant. Aside from the broken LCD display in the dash, the rough shift into second in the automatic and the various little problems its had, its currently been sitting for years due to EGR failures which prevents it from passing emissions. Starts and drives fine otherwise, but its stuff like that which tends to kill the cars. To repair it, he'll have to pull the heads on the 2.8L which after doing the timing belt shortly after he bought it, he's not interested in tackling pulling the heads since the engine is very tightly constrained in that engine bay. So it will be traded in at some point and probably turned into Chinese products. That said, they did just buy a 2014 Jetta Wagon (same color as the A4) and paid for the extended warranty for it.

YMMV, but the only car I ever had a love-hate relationship with was my 98 Passat. They are great driving cars but they are a nightmare to keep on the roads and the parts are expensive.

Generally the B5 cars (98-2001 in the Passat) are absolutely hated and the B5.5 (2001.5-2004) are better but still not well liked.

I think anything with a warranty still should be fine. Just lease, and then trade up every time the warranty expires. You'll be fine. Mostly.

NGTD wrote:

codrus wrote:

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

2004s are B6s.

The 2004 Passat is a B5.5. Just checked the A4 and I am not sure when it changed in North America.

The last US B5 A4/S4 was a 2001. 2002 A4s were B6s, but the S4 didn't show up again until 2004.

I've owned a B5 and a B6 and really don't see them as the nightmares everyone else describes.

Want some fun . . . . . .

Get a Bentley manual and try to follow the PCV system on a 98 Passat 1.8T.

codrus wrote:

NGTD wrote:

codrus wrote:

NGTD wrote: Treat the B5 cars, 1998-2004 Passat's and 1998-2004 Audi A4's like they have Ebola.

2004s are B6s.

The 2004 Passat is a B5.5. Just checked the A4 and I am not sure when it changed in North America.

The last US B5 A4/S4 was a 2001. 2002 A4s were B6s, but the S4 didn't show up again until 2004. I've owned a B5 and a B6 and really don't see them as the nightmares everyone else describes.

I went and corrected my post. Thanks for the correction.

Avoid the Corrado unless you want to experience the emotional and financial roller coaster of owning an exotic car on a slightly lesser scale.

tuna55 wrote: So... like this? http://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/4681885419.html

I knewa a guy in jersey with a 4 door version of that. He had 280K miles on it or something. Generally reliable.

bravenrace wrote: My '67 bug was okay.

My '67 Bug was E36 M3.

Of course, I got it for free and sold it for $75...