Tell me about the reliability of new VW's

[PorschePilot]

My wife is looking for a new small SUV and the VW Tiguan is on the list of possibilities. It's built on the GTI platform with the 2.0 turbo. They look nice, the interior looks up scale compared to the competition and it is fun to drive.


Who has knowledge of how reliable the new VW's are, especially with the 2.0 turbo?

[aigel]

If it is assembled in Germany and has over 50% of German parts in it, I'd go for it. This is the biggest factor in VW reliability these days IMHO.

I have an 2011 Golf TDI and it is at 20k miles without a hitch. It is a class above its competitors in terms of fit, interior quality and road feel. It is assembled in Germany and has over 70% German parts.

G

[t951]

2011 Jetta TDI here. 33k miles perfectly. Absolutely no complaints.

[MBAtarga]

I'd avoid auto trans models, based on what I've read/seen.

[nostatic]

Had an '07 GTI. No problems other than a bad coil pack (replaced under warranty). Currently have a '11 Jetta Sport Wagon TDI w/DSG. Love it. No issues so far.

[PorschePilot]

Sounds encouraging so far. The Tiguan is built in Germany. There is a good video on YouTube showing the assembly line, they almost look hand built.

[MT930]

07 Passat Wagon 3.6 4Motion
Still under CPO warranty I have had few things replaced. 65,000 Miles

Fuel sensor
Airbag Wiring harness
couple other things

If the car was not under the certified preowned warranty I would be less than pleased.

The Chrome plated plastic stuff does not hold up well. The shifter bezel is de-laminating VW Price $357.00 I will not replace it.

I do like the car.

[aigel]

I can't speak to how much of the tiguan is taken off the Golf, but speaking for the Golf, it is the best selling car in its class in Europe. If it was an utter POS it would not be bought in these numbers.

Volkswagen Golf Remains European Best-Seller in 2011 | AutoGuide.com News

Why an SUV? You should look at a TDI Golf, Audi A3, Jetta wagon etc. as well. Fuel is only going to go up ...

G

[nostatic]

We're looking at getting the s/o a more economical car and parking her Tacoma TRD most of the gime. Top candidate is a Golf TDI. A bit pricey, but the interior design is so much nicer than any of the equivalent Japanese imports (and the TDI kicks arse).

[Dottore]

The Tiguan is immensely popular in Germany. When it came out it won the coveted "car of the year" award from the German motoring press. I have driven it twice as a rental and liked it very much. Beautiful fit and finish ( like all VW's these days) and great handling. You can't do much wrong with this car.

[aigel]

The TDI Golf is more $ up front but should hold its value quite well, especially with $5 gas around the corner. If it is $4k more than the gas model, it likely will sell for $4k more than the gas model in 3 years from now. I keep a record sheet in the car and will transfer the fuel data some time soon for the first year. I am significantly better than 40 mpg in mixed driving. We are talking half of it in stop and go traffic. If you go long distance interstate and keep it under 70 it easily gets over 50 mpg.

G

[GothingNC]

Had an 04 Jetta TDI,no problems and sold it at 100,000 miles.

Wifey now as a 2011 SPortwagen TDI.

Might need the entire dash cluster replaced under warranty.

Odometer (Not Trip-meter) resets itself - TDIClub Forums

HPFP is another issue on the newer TDI's that could start sending peices of metal thoughout the fuel system. I think it was corrected in 2011.

CR High Pressure Fuel Pump "HPFP" failure FAQ - $7,000 to $10,000 reapir cost

CR High Pressure Fuel Pump "HPFP" failure FAQ - Updated 2/8/2011 - TDIClub Forums

Probabaly as rare as the 996 IMS failure.


CR engine HPFP analysis - TDIClub Forums

[PorschePilot]

Here is the video of the Tiguan being built in Germany. I would think the casual but deliberate pace would allow them to make sure everything is done properly and catch mistakes. Of course I wonder if these guys have several beers at lunch, so I want one built in the morning.

[kaisen]

[algs911]

I have a 2012 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagon with the DSG. I really like it! I did, however, spring for the extra warranty (5 years/100k miles). So far, nothing has gone wrong with it at all. I don't expect anything to go wrong with it, but the extra warranty is nice insurance.

Al

[kaisen]

Long Term Dependability

"The 2011 study takes into account problems experienced in the past 12 months by more than 43,700 original owners of three-year-old cars (2008 model year). JD Power determines the overall dependability by the level of Problems encountered Per 100 vehicles (PP100). A lower score reflects higher quality and the good news is the overall vehicle dependability averaged 151 PP100, the best value since the creation of the study.

[sc_rufctr]

If you search there's a recent thread about modern VWs and their "issues"... Not good.

Personally I've always liked VWs. They have character and are easy to live with.

[Mark Henry]

A guy I know (salesman) has a '07 jetta diesel with high KM's on it (about 100K miles). He bought it new, always serviced by the dealer and has over $16K in out of warranty repairs. It was at my buddies shop (he finally gave up on the dealer) getting it's second camshaft replaced.
I had a basic '95 golf 1.8 gas with 500K on it and our present winter car is a '96 golf 1.8 gas with 270K km on it. I also had a '99 Passat 1.8T, what a total POS, the thing wore out the very expensive frontend components every 12-18 months.

I'm a VW nut, but I wouldn't buy a late model or new VW again.

[Z-man]

Wife is on her second turbo-charged VW -- first was a 2003 New Beetle Turbo (1.8T), and her current ride is a 2009 Eos (2.0T). Both motors were strong, and the turbo motor in both can make those cars scoot!

The New Beetle had some issues with the headlights and tailights, and they were a pain to replace since everything is so compact in that car. (Example: you have to remove the battery and battery tray in order to get to the front driver's side headlight!) But knock on wood, the Eos has had no problems, except for one: the temp sensor on the DSG transmission oil was faulty, and was replaced under recall. Since then, there have been no problems. Did not have any issues witht the complex top, and no leaking issues either.

Speaking of DSG: while I am not a fan of the manu-matic transmission, the DSG double clutch transmission in the Eos is amazing. The shifts are precise and allow me to keep the revs up where the turbo is spooling!

-Z

[RWebb]

for specific models, you can check Consumer Reports

VW is a German car company, BUT don't forget that it is the cheapest of the German car companies