Why oh why can't 4th Gen Golfs be reliable?

ebonyandivory wrote: *snip* Heck, I'd daily drive an old circle-track car if it was legal.

This!

Ugh, again with the VAG bashing. Look, this is really simple. These cars simply do NOT tolerate fools. At all. Not even a little bit.

They're NOT a car you can put gas in, change the oil whenever you want and expect them to run for 500k miles. If you maintain them, they'll treat you very, very well. I've got several hundred's of thousands of miles on various VAG products (including the GRM much maligned Audi B5's) without a single issue. Never been stranded, never had to get towed.

You HAVE to buy one from someone who has ALL the service records on them. A neglected one will bury you quickly....

sigh Looks like another one of those "Brand X cars are total pieces of crap because I drive a Brand Y car".

I have 178K miles on my 02 Jetta Wagon VR6 which is actually close to the highest milage I have run up on a vehicle that I have owned yet (although I'm only 33 so that's not saying much). At present I need new rear struts, my start has an occasional grind but it always starts, the soft tough coating on my interior is looking shabby like every other MKIV, and my heater blower motor is sounding suspect. Overall none of which are more then an annoyance on a 12 year old car and have never left me stranded. Aside from window regulators, a coilpack, and a coolant temp sensor I haven't had any major issues in 5 years aside from the one that I expected which was the preventative measure timing chain guide replacement.

Generally speaking VWs are popular with enthusiasts because they are fun to drive, have had good aftermarket support, and have historically had good build quality and interiors that were a step above their competition. Every time I sit in a domestic car I think "My God this interior is TERRIBLE compared to the VW's I've owned." Like any car company you can find faults with the cars but generally speaking none of them have been unredeemable. If you want to have FUN with a car you have to make some sacrifices. I'll go back to the saying "Cheap, fast, reliable, choose two." If you want something bullet proof reliable then go buy a boring appliance car like a Camry. I personally can't stand to drive a toaster.

And one last parting shot I have no idea where you guys get the "smells like crayons" thing from. I have NEVER heard another VW owner complain about this (and I know MANY of them) and nor have I experienced it in my 98, 2002, or even my 84 for that matter. So have fun spreading a stupid rumor just because you are a Honda fanboi or something else instead.

ebonyandivory wrote: Just one more of these threads I promise (my fingers were crossed). Seriously, ever since my buddies Diesel Rabbit, I've wanted a VW hatch. These have the right combo of newness and price. My choice is a 4th Gen Golf, Diesel preferred I think but I'd be looking for a gasser. So what's the deal? Am I kidding myself (and SWMBO) that I won't get killed by breakdowns. I can't have an unreliable car... Again!

To the OP, you can generally count on a TDI to get 300K plus for mileage if properly maintained and still retain "Honda Accord Resale Value" even at that mileage. The only thing I would caution against is the fact that a 200K mile car is still a 200K mile car, and even at that mileage for a diesel you still still shell out a min. of $5K for one. If you like that generation of VW in general a 2.0L gas motor is also a very reliable motor that will get low 30's for highway miles and will treat you well as long as you aren't buying an automatic. Check the maintenance history, make sure the timing belt has been changed, and see if the window regulators work and that's about all I would worry about. You could pick up a 2.0 golf for $3K no problem.

Contradiction wrote: And one last parting shot I have no idea where you guys get the "smells like crayons" thing from. I have NEVER heard another VW owner complain about this (and I know MANY of them) and nor have I experienced it in my 98, 2002, or even my 84 for that matter. So have fun spreading a stupid rumor just because you are a Honda fanboi or something else instead.

Wow, lighten up Francis.

I get it from my olfactory sense. I do have a prominent schnoz though. I said it earlier in this thread, gave 3 different 1st hand experiences & I own a Jetta, so you can't say you've never heard it from a VW owner before anymore.

Also; if I'm a fanboi of anything it's Jeeps, Volvos, & TDis, certainly not Hondas.

• Lee

Had a Corrado, smelled like crayons (and played La Cucaracha warning tone when the door was open.) These were the two redeeming qualities it had. Why the crayon hate?

I did Zipcar's fleet operations in Boston back in 2001ish, and we had about 40-45 cars. It was roughly half Mk4s and half Civics, with a Passat or two thrown in for fun. All were within their lease periods (under 50K miles).

In my year of working there, the only times a Civic needed a repair it was the fault of the driver. Diesel in the gas tank. Driving 200 miles with the parking brake jammed on. That sort of thing. They broke so infrequently that I had trouble remembering how to get to the Honda dealership.

The VWs were in for service so often it'd make your head spin and I was on a first name basis with everyone at the dealership. Really, I was there every day or two for something. Two transmissions on 20 almost-new cars in one year. More MAFs than I care to remember. A never-ending stream of ignition components. Window switches you'd go to use and they'd fall right into the door. An absolutely ungodly number of plastic body panels. They were just horrible, horrible vehicles. Idiot Bostonian drivers certainly didn't treat them well, but the point is that the Hondas put up with abuse without complaint while even the meticulously maintained VWs fell apart.

In my own VW ownership, I skipped right from a Mk3 VR6 to a B5 Passat which was reliable enough, but it was just so miserable to wrench on that I swore off VAG products after that one.

Tyler H wrote: Had a Corrado, smelled like crayons (and played La Cucaracha warning tone when the door was open.) These were the two redeeming qualities it had. Why the crayon hate?

Haha. I remember our 97 Jetta played La Cucaracha when the door was opened too. We loved it.