Wow. I'm surprised there are so many haters of VWs out there. (I'm one of them, too, BTW.) Usually, there's someone chiming in on how he and his family have had 37 of them over the years, and that they've each and all gone 250K trouble-free miles.

On the contrary, my college roommates and I used to joke that VWs were the Snap-Tite (remember those plastic model kits that you assembled with no glue?) of the automotive industry. A good choice for college kids who actually enjoyed wrenching as opposed to say, oh, driving.

Killer idea with one,slight adjustment.
Keep a few gallons of gas handy so the flames WILL spread.:D

Have had a love/hate relationship with A2 Jettas since I learned to drive. We've had plenty, some better than others. The worst one we took on a road trip to NYC. Parked on the street, left the keys in it all day. Unlocked.

No takers.

It'd be pretty funny if he actually parked it on the street in front of the VW lot (not on private property, so they can't do jack to you), waited for the first customers of the day to start showing up and then proceeded to beat the ever-loving p1ss out of it with a sledgehammer. Maybe leave a sign on it when done warning potential future customers. I don't see how you could really get in trouble for that. :)

I have an 01 Jetta TDI, and yes they are fine if you want something else to work on. Today I replace a front turn signal bulb and the socket was melting. I have already done one of the headlight sockets. (*)&*^%$% POS.

I do get 50mpg so I guess I should shut up.

Good God! The amount of VW hatred astounds me. I always thought VW's were good cars? My brother had a few and I have one...no problems (yet). It's getting near 85K (01 Golf GL) and my dad and I are making plans for its replacement in about a year. Was looking at a new Rabbit, but now I'm sort of things to stay away....

Just think how much less stress will be in your life once you get rid of it.....

i've had several vw's over the years. a 65 bug, 67 bus, 89 jetta, 99 passat wagon, and my current 03 golf tdi. the only one i had problems with was the 89 jetta. love my tdi. over 65,000 miles and no problems...knock on wood! all cars have problems. even our porsches. just look at these forums. doesnt mean its a pos.

VWs are generally a lot more fun to drive and better looking than their Japanese counterparts. Up until the late 80's, early 90's they were still pretty simple and robust, but even by then the A2 Jettas & Golfs were getting too complicated and troublesome as they scabbed stuff onto an older car. Compare a 1990 Corrola or Civic to a 1990 Jetta and you'll see what I mean. The Jetta had antiquated suspension, bad electronics and the worst V-belt system imagnineable for air & power steering. IMO, the only "real" upgrade with the A3s was a ribbed accessory belt with tensioner. The A3 & A4 had nothing over its Japanese counterparts, other than looks and marketing.

But yes, they are more fun to drive than a Corrola. However, I drove a new Civic last month, and I couldn't imagine buying a Jetta over that. Better looking too, IMO.

VW still has the diesel car market cornered, but they won't have that for long. Once Honda brings their 2.2 CTDi over, and Subaru brings the flat 4 turbodiesel, VW will be dead in the water.


That was one of the frustrations for me. I never even saw a consistant 40mpg. It got decent mileage @ 55, but c'mon, who drives like that? At 70 on the highway with 3 passengers & luggage, I got ~35. Mind you, the TDi engines get better mileage than my 1.9 idi. Funny though, my 87 1.6 na would get 45 at 70 mph. It was a good car... the only option it had was a 3rd brake light.


Well who would expect problems on a car with under 100k? Seriously, I think it's reasonable to expect 200k miles with only brakes, shocks and maybe exhaust. I've had 4 japanese cars like that, why can't we get the same from a VW?

Oh I know. If this other car checks out, I'm going to fly to montreal on thursday with a couple changes of clothes and my CD collection. Looking forward to the drive back. Planning the soundtrack now. Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, Hendrix Band of Gypsies, Corb Lund, JJ cale.

A couple upsides: (there is always a bright side)
-This Jetta has made my 21 year old, $400 suzuki look like a paragon of reliability and sensible transportation. In the past, Mrs Notfarnow has lobbied to have it banished based on its rediculous ugliness alone. While the Regret-a-Jetta began to let us down more frequently, this little beast has fired right up each and every time, even after being part of a snowbank for over a week. I bought it on a whim half as a joke, but it turned out to be the best $400 I ever misspent.
-This isn't a bad time of the year to be buying a car. There aren't as many listed, but everyone I contact sure is itchy. Not a whole lot of action right after Christmas, and I figure I'll save a couple grand compared to buying in the spring.

It sounds like you could make out just fine by charging $5 per swing with a sledge-hammer. It's rare to see so many people admit they hate/hated a car so much.

I had a Mini in University that was pretty crappy, but I have never hated any car (and I've had a few) as much as some people seem to hate VW's.

PM me about the 300 diesel, I've always liked those. I have a 420e that is really a nice car, but I keep thinkning I'd like to try a Mercedes diesel.

This should be forwarded to Volkswagen of America.

The e300d has the 3.0 "606" engine. indirect injection, 24 valves. The 98 & 99 are turbocharged, 244 ft lbs & 174 hp. There are several people with 4-5 years running them on vegetable oil, so I don't feel anxious about that like I would with a newer common rail diesel.

Here's one in the GTA:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-over-5K-1998-Mercedes-Benz-E300D-Diesel-MUST-SELL-W0QQAdIdZ26226100
A few more miles than the one I'm looking at. About average, price-wise.

The pi$$er is that the '96-'02 e class cars can't be imported from the US under any circumstances. They run 2-5k less stateside. There's one in Houston with 94k miles, with all dealer records, for 12k. I wouldn't even blink.

Downside is my wife is anxious about driving a benz, thinks it's too flashy. I keep reminding her it's less than a 1 yr old Kia, but that doesn't quell her concerns. She's a social worker, and is uneasy with pulling up to clients' homes in a benz.

I may put Kia Amanti badges on it just for $hits and giggles
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtes...amanti.340.jpg

i'm from Europe, and had several new Golf's one of the last mk3 tdi's in 97 and a mk4 tdi in 2000
then i had a company passat for a short while

those were in my 110 000 km a year days...
neither ever missed a beat, nothing broke, mechanical or electrical

they have a rock solid reputation around here when it comes to reliability

sounds to me like y'all are getting the ones that fail quality control for the Euro market :D

That's what I want answers too! How is it they have stellar reputations in Europe, and are absolute rubbish over here? I thought it was because we have Mexican made cars, but I looked and we get some models from Europe, and they're still rubbish. I can't figure out how the same car, off the same production line, has such a vastly different reputation dependent on the market its sold in? I've thought that maybe Europeans forgive it anything because its European, I thought maybe VW replaces everything free of charge during European inspections, I've thought maybe we get the cast-offs...but none of it really makes sense... Any ideas?

Ya, but that's easy to say when the alternative is a Renault or a Fiat. ;)

Seriously, I'd love to understand why the cars seem so much worse over here. Could it be related to climate or driving style?

I've never bought the "made in Mexico" excuse. It wasn't a Mexican who was responsible for chosing chintzy interior materials, or who decided to reuse the suspension, brakes and transmission for three generations of cars.

thats what i was thinking. maybe people treat their cars differently here, than over in europe. i drive my car hard on fun runs and such, but i'm gentle otherwise. i believe the tdi's are assembled in brazil. beetles and jettas in mexico and passats in germany. you'll find alot of people that love vw's on tdiclub.com, watercooledmilitia.com and vwvortex. i cant really explain why there are so many problems with the cars here.

I actually had a Renault in those 110 000km a year period as well
the thing was indestructible, and trust me , i tried very hard to kill it , as i hated the non turbo diesel crap thing with a passion...and an early demise was the only way i'de get another company car, without actually doing 150 000 km (end of lease) or change jobs

Fiat... no argument there... wouldn't touch em with a 10 foot pole

there are other cars to choose from other then Renault and Fiat

Peugeot, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Ford Europe, Open, and a number of Jap cars you guys never even heard off (although they are reliable just the same)

Alfa is italian, so those won't be carrying any reputation of being reliable
Ford Europe on the other hand as far as i know does

Citroen, Peugeot.. dunno
and difficult to compare... Peugeot in France used to be regarded as the place for mechanics who weren't good enough to work in Citroen places(talking long time ago)

I now drive a temporary Peugeot 307SW... till my full lease car arrives... it's not a bad car , don't get me wrong, but it feels like a cheaper car, and you can feel it.. more plastic, more vibrations then even my 20 year old 944S... vibrations i didn't feel in say a Mini cooper, or a 06 Jetta rental i used last year and if i look on the lease company website and on a car magazine website, it's not even cheaper then a comparable Golf would be, which confuses me, Golfs always had rep of being more expensive, but worth the extra cash due to better reliability, resale value, better feel


Golf Plus
1.9 TDi 66kW B2B-line 18.840
1.9 TDi 66kW Trendline 19.260
1.9 TDi 66kW United 19.860
1.9 TDi 66kW Comfortline 21.020

307 SW
1.6 HDi 90 D-Sign 20.700
1.6 HDi 90 Oxygo 21.900

with this pricing, i fail to understand why anybody would even look at a 307SW
maybe the golf has a tad less options, but most people i know would pick the Golf with less options over a 307SW with a couple more gadgets

just checked it... doesn't make sense, the Golf is on par with the Peugeot... yet is similary priced ?! as far as i can remember they were ALWAYS more expensive then Peugeots... and not just a little bit

VW's are really easy to work on. Had a friend with about 5 or 6 misc 'dubs in the backyard and he was always working on it...the same one.

I once owned a 87 Golf which was a nightmare-seagull droppings ate through the paint in two days right after a fresh wax and had two crappy radios stolen from it (with damage).
Then it started overheating. Nothing like sitting in a California traffic jam in 95deg weather with the windows down and the heater on high watching the needle rise. Fan switch was replaced, but the fan didn't run untill it was too hot(computer would be my next guess).
Kragens parts, Chiltons, and the dealership all specified different temperature thermostats. I tried putting the front up in the air and towards the ground to try and get any airlock out while filling up block and radiator seperately. The thermostat is on the bottom of the pump for some strange reason.
Nothing.
Then the heater core popped and sprayed me with boiling water in traffic(heard they rust and get blocked).

Donation time, don't look back.

Yes, that's a pain. Again, not a big deal on a 77 rabbit, but by 96 that thermostat is blocked by the power steering pump and AC mount/bracket. Changing a t-stat takes ~ 2hrs. My thermostat is bad, stays open and never gets fully hot unless on the highway, no way am I pulling it now.

Good news is that I got it running like a champ tonight by feeding the injection pump with a low pressure 12 v fuel pump. Idles higher but much smoother, seems to be running better all around. It's packing it in though, and the pressure feed means it's starting to leak... should buy me enough time to get a new car in the driveway.

Bad news is it's -10C, so of course 2/4 doors won't open, including the driver's door. That's always nice.

I also spend a bit of time on my samurai. It's got a 200k mile VW 1.6 turbodiesel that runs like a champ... what a great engine. I advanced the cam & fuel timing just a touch, and now it goes like a raped ape... just madness. Actually squawked the tires in 2nd. I have a VW 1.9 turbodiesel going in the samurai in a couple months, running a k24 turbo with 18lbs of boost and performance injectors. I'm waiting on a copper headgasket, oil cooler and clutch kit.

I love the VW diesel engines, just can't stand the cars built around them.

Stijn, only teasing about the "you're-a-peen" cars. I had several Renaults, in fact. Had a LeCar (R5) for 7 years, drove it round trip to Dawson City Yukon one summer... 6500 kms each way. Loved that car

Had a 93 Passat = "Pas****". The VR6 was nice, but everything else was junk. I felt sorry for the lady who bought it off me. I feel your pain. Never will buy a VW again.

George

George

The only thing that didn't tank in my wife's Pisant WAS the VR6 engine. The tranny developed serious leaks (two trips to the mechanic, not to mention having to clean the garage floor) , Ya gotta luv those "specialty hoses" in the cooling system that take 10 days to get, 2 fuel pumps (first replacement lasted a total of 30 seconds...long enough to back it out of the garage and that replacement included a new fuel filter, lines and a new relay). I don't want to bore anyone but the list is far longer, but I would be remiss if I did not mention the A/C (which is mandatory here in AZ) and the factory radio became intermittent.

God, I hate that car........

Ever try to get the correct size TIRES for the damn thing?