# Are late model VW's reliable?



## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

I've been seriously considering purchasing a new, 2012 Jeta GLI. What's holding me back are the horror stories about VW reliability in general, with specific warnings about the Jetta, as well as direct warnings from my local mechanic. 

So my question to anyone interested is - how reliable is your late model VW?


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## LC6X (Nov 2, 2006)

My 2012 is still just as perfect as the day I got it, I love it. My 2001 has also never given me an issue.


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## feels_road (Jan 27, 2005)

Yeah, reliability has increase tremendously over the past several years - differences to other car makers are getting quite small. For example, Consumer Reports rates the 2.5 Golf as more reliable than the average Toyota or Honda. Also, the 2.0T in the GLI is a second generation engine that is much improved over the previous one (before 2008.5). 

If you like hatchbacks, you may also consider the GTI. It has a little less rear legroom and of course not a big of a trunk, but otherwise is also quite roomy and has a slightly nicer interior a bit better driving dynamics. 

Zero problems on my TDI after two years.


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## GoFaster (Jun 18, 1999)

Nearing 372,000 km on my 2006 TDI. Although it has been in the shop the odd time, that's to be expected with this sort of mileage, and overall, it has been good. Most expensive non-scheduled maintenance outside of brakes and tires etc has been wheel bearings at all four corners. I have a nagging suspicion that the clutch throw-out bearing is starting to make noise, but it's the original clutch, and I can't really complain about that, either.


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## rhodri45 (Feb 19, 2012)

i love my '12 GTI. drives like a champ. 8.5k miles in 5 months, not a single issue. at all. great stuff. 

i should also mention, at 4000 miles i upgraded the exhaust and threw a stg2 flash on it. so 4.5k miles on that, with again, NO PROBLEMS. 

reliability, checked sat.


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## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

GoFaster said:


> Nearing 372,000 km on my 2006 TDI. Although it has been in the shop the odd time, that's to be expected with this sort of mileage, and overall, it has been good. Most expensive non-scheduled maintenance outside of brakes and tires etc has been wheel bearings at all four corners. I have a nagging suspicion that the clutch throw-out bearing is starting to make noise, but it's the original clutch, and I can't really complain about that, either.


 Holy !!!! That's impressive. My 2000 V6 Accord was recently wrecked by a 24 yo on her way to work (and probably on the phone). 148,500 at time of wreck. I have to admit, even though I loved it, it had a nasty stall on start problem that I could never resolve. 

372K is impressive indeed...


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## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

rhodri45 said:


> i love my '12 GTI. drives like a champ. 8.5k miles in 5 months, not a single issue. at all. great stuff.
> 
> i should also mention, at 4000 miles i upgraded the exhaust and threw a stg2 flash on it. so 4.5k miles on that, with again, NO PROBLEMS.
> 
> reliability, checked sat.


 GTI is a great car. Drove it myself. If I go with the V-Dub I'm going with the GLI - biggest reason is I could never get used to those tiny seats in the GTI, found my thighs uncomfortably squished.


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## rhodri45 (Feb 19, 2012)

TomNJ said:


> GTI is a great car. Drove it myself. If I go with the V-Dub I'm going with the GLI - biggest reason is I could never get used to those tiny seats in the GTI, found my thighs uncomfortably squished.


 the GLI was very comfortable, but i really did feel like i moved around alot, like the seat wasnt holding me when i cornered hard. the GTI has everything i've ever wanted in a car and more


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

TomNJ said:


> I've been seriously considering purchasing a new, 2012 Jeta GLI. What's holding me back are the horror stories about VW reliability in general, with specific warnings about the Jetta, as well as direct warnings from my local mechanic. So my question to anyone interested is - how reliable is your late model VW?


 This is a myth, sort of like the aliens in Roswell. VW are not different than any other make.


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## deagle (Feb 22, 2011)

both consumer reports and jd power & associates still rank VW at the middle in terms of reliability 

other manufacturer's have made more significant strides, but VW is still near the middle 

i wouldn't use the word "improved", but you have a new model, so maintenance should be covered for the 1st 3 yrs 

even though the mk6 has been out 2 yrs, there have been recalls for it, i think the most significant was a fuel/engine issue


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## shepherdgti (Jan 5, 2011)

Most horror stories are due to people who didn't perform any maintenance. Every car will have issues at some point or another. I have owned several VW's without any problems- besides tsb's and recalls which every car maker has. Of course, you will get biased opinions on a VW enthusiast forum, but the new models (06- current) are very sound and reliable vehicles. Additionally, they just drive so much better than other cars within the price range. The new gli is a great car and I think/hope you won't regret the purchase


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## feels_road (Jan 27, 2005)

deagle said:


> both consumer reports and jd power & associates still rank VW at the middle in terms of reliability
> 
> other manufacturer's have made more significant strides, but VW is still near the middle


 If you look more closely, with Consumer Reports VW's average is pulled down by the (former generation) Tuareg that was not so reliable, and by the Chrysler Routan. Take those out, and VW is above average, and some models are at the very top, and several are recommended buys. 

JD Power is difficult to compare between brands, because they rate things such as in which order you have to press buttons, whether you can figure out how to pull the fog light switch without reading the manual, etc. Little to do with quality or reliability. 

And no, if you look at the numbers, VW is one of the most improved brands, over the past 5 years, and the differences to the top are starting to become quite minuscule (they are of course emphasized by the rating companies, because that's how they make their money. But 1.5 incidences over two years vs. 1.2, or whatever, is not a world-chattering difference unless someone is highly OCD).


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## rhodri45 (Feb 19, 2012)

feels_road said:


> If you look more closely, with Consumer Reports VW's average is pulled down by the (former generation) Tuareg that was not so reliable, and by the Chrysler Routan. Take those out, and VW is above average, and some models are at the very top, and several are recommended buys.
> 
> JD Power is difficult to compare between brands, because they rate things such as in which order you have to press buttons, whether you can figure out how to pull the fog light switch without reading the manual, etc. Little to do with quality or reliability.
> 
> And no, if you look at the numbers, VW is one of the most improved brands, over the past 5 years, and the differences to the top are starting to become quite minuscule (they are of course emphasized by the rating companies, because that's how they make their money. But 1.5 incidences over two years vs. 1.2, or whatever, is not a world-chattering difference unless someone is highly OCD).


 this. x2


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

deagle said:


> both consumer reports and jd power & associates still rank VW at the middle in terms of reliability....


 They get their "data" from owners. That is not real data. The only legit data would be from VW service records.


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## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

rhodri45 said:


> the GLI was very comfortable, but i really did feel like i moved around alot, like the seat wasnt holding me when i cornered hard. the GTI has everything i've ever wanted in a car and more


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## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

I know I also read somewhere that the cost to Volkswagen in terms of warranty service has dropped by 10% year over year for the past few years. Don't know how accurate this is. 

Just test drove a Camry tonight. A very nice car, but I do like the Jetta better. 

Shopping for cars hurts.:banghead: It's really not all that fun. 

If I wasn't so worried about going broke servicing a v-dub I would have pulled the trigger already! 

Really do appreciate the insights however. An I'm still in awe of the 372K on the TDI....right up there with Honda and Toyota - even more so. 

I guess I could always go with one and if it starts to crack just dump it.....


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## feels_road (Jan 27, 2005)

TomNJ said:


> If I wasn't so worried about going broke servicing a v-dub I would have pulled the trigger already!


 Also remember, the first 3 years/ 36,000 miles, servicing is for free (well, included in the purchase price). After that, you can take it to a good independent shop. I usually wait 'til the end of the power train warranty 5y/60k, and then take it to an independent. :beer:


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## MattRabbit (Mar 16, 2000)

TomNJ said:


> If I wasn't so worried about going broke servicing a v-dub I would have pulled the trigger already!


 I've had my Golf for 11 years. I bought at the height of 'oh noes my VW is a POS!!' time. In 252K miles, I've had to replace the alternator pulley wheel. Everything else that has gone out is routine maintenance (clutch, timing belt, tires, brakes, etc). 

Every other thing that went wrong with the car was during the warranty period. They were also well known problems (MAF Sensor, window regulators) that were fixed quickly and without issue. These problems were mk4 specific and have all been fixed in newer designs. 

If you like the car, go ahead and buy it. If you treat it right, and do all your maintenance, the car will last you forever. :thumbup:


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## RobMarkToo (Apr 21, 2012)

Would your awe be tempered slightly if you realized he said 372,000 KILOMETERS, not miles? I think that is more like 180k miles? Still nice but not amazing. 



TomNJ said:


> I know I also read somewhere that the cost to Volkswagen in terms of warranty service has dropped by 10% year over year for the past few years. Don't know how accurate this is.
> 
> Just test drove a Camry tonight. A very nice car, but I do like the Jetta better.
> 
> ...


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## capitano_obvious (Apr 26, 2012)

they are not


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## Kaboj (Apr 23, 2011)

I believe reliability has more to do with how the car is driven.


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## PSU (May 15, 2004)

Yes.


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## VR6Now (Dec 31, 2000)

TomNJ said:


> I know I also read somewhere that the cost to Volkswagen in terms of warranty service has dropped by 10% year over year for the past few years. Don't know how accurate this is.


 If you can improve your warranty costs that much, you really had a problem. That is a stat you can't get if you were already making low warranty cost vehicles.


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## feels_road (Jan 27, 2005)

RobMarkToo said:


> Would your awe be tempered slightly if you realized he said 372,000 KILOMETERS, not miles? I think that is more like *180k miles*? Still nice but not amazing.


 How did you do that conversion?  I get 231,150 miles. :beer:


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## blipsman (Nov 20, 2001)

Neither my 2002 Jetta nor my 2002 Passat were particularly reliable... the Jetta repairs were mostly under warranty, at least. The Passat became a money pit once the warranty expired. In the 6 years I owned it post-warranty, I put about $8-9000 into it. Some of that was tires, battery, breaks, etc. that are expected but most was for things that broke -- and they were never cheap fixes. 

And yet I still just traded in the Passat for a 2011 Tiguan last month... this time with an extended warranty.


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## RobMarkToo (Apr 21, 2012)

feels_road said:


> How did you do that conversion?  I get 231,150 miles. :beer:


 LoL, I ran it through my fuzzy logic interpreter in my cranium.. its pretty off sometimes!


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## RobMarkToo (Apr 21, 2012)

blipsman said:


> Neither my 2002 Jetta nor my 2002 Passat were particularly reliable... the Jetta repairs were mostly under warranty, at least. The Passat became a money pit once the warranty expired. In the 6 years I owned it post-warranty, I put about $8-9000 into it. Some of that was tires, battery, breaks, etc. that are expected but most was for things that broke -- and they were never cheap fixes.
> 
> And yet I still just traded in the Passat for a 2011 Tiguan last month... this time with an extended warranty.


 My father had a 2003 Passat and it started having similar issues as yours, even before the warranty ran out. I blamed it mostly on the fact that he refused to give it 91 octane like it asked for, usually driving on 89 for several years.


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## 88Jetta350 (May 4, 2007)

The last truly reliable Volkswagen was the MKII, IMO. 

Sent from my ST15i using Tapatalk 2


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## TomNJ (Apr 20, 2012)

Yeeup... I was thinking miles  Ooops. 

Passats and Jettas circa early 2000's must have been nightmares. I suspect these two vehicles are the source of much of the VW woes that owners unfortunately had to bear. 

I'll have to dig up the link regarding VW's decrease in corporate expenditure due to warranty claims. 
But I do agree, if this is true and these costs have dropped 10% per year, year over year for a number of years, then they must have been putting out some real crap at one time.


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## feels_road (Jan 27, 2005)

I guess now we can link to *the 500,000 mile Jetta*.


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## MacTeve (Feb 19, 2012)

Well you definitely don't have much to worry about it for the first 60,000 miles. And if you try, you can get an extended warranty from the dealer for a pretty good price. If you need that peace of mind. My MKIV GTI has 105,000 miles(not a lot, I know) and I haven't had any issues outside of regular maintainence. Still runs like a champ even though I'm not the easiest on my cars. It's the fun to drive factor that makes it worth it to me. May not be as reliable as a Toyota but I can't think of any Toyota that is as fun to drive(save for the upcoming Scion FR-S) as both of my GTIs are. Buy the GLI, you won't be disappointed.


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## Sixtysomething (Aug 7, 2003)

VWs will have issues from time to time just like any other make of car. However, in the past, publications like CR and JDP blew these issues way out of proportion and for a while, scared the Average Joe and Josephine from visiting VW showrooms. From the time the New Beetle came out in 1998 until around 2001, VW was enjoying the best sales they had since the mid-1970s. 

Then, some electrical problems with power windows and coilpacks surfaced in a percentage of models. Consumer Reports in particular was heavily biased toward Japanese makes, so they jumped on this and gave Volkswagen lots of black marks. In the meantime, JD Powers made VWs look far worse than they really were by measuring "problems per 100 cars." The problem? People didn't read the fine print. For example, if Car A had one problem, but it was a blown transmission at 50,000 miles and a VW had, say, a power window regulator failure and a burned out brake light, JDP claimed the VW had twice as many problems as Car A! Paired with CR rating practically every car not made in Japan as inferior, this decimated VW sales in the US for a few years. 

This is all history now, because VW sales are vastly improved again. If properly maintained, a Volkswagen will go 250,000 miles or even more and the driving experience of an affordable European car can't be beat. As a whole, Volkswagens and other European makes will also fare far better with corrosion and still look nearly new 15 or even 20 years later.


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## uNLeaSHeD. (Aug 28, 2010)

If you keep up with maintenance and don't beat the piss out of it you should be find. Look at the mk1 and the old beetles they are still around and kicking. Just depends on how you take care of it. Its a VW man give it love and it will love you


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## blipsman (Nov 20, 2001)

RobMarkToo said:


> My father had a 2003 Passat and it started having similar issues as yours, even before the warranty ran out. I blamed it mostly on the fact that he refused to give it 91 octane like it asked for, usually driving on 89 for several years.


 I don't think that octane of gas had anything to do with repeated CV boots/front suspension repairs or electrical issues that required replacing the whole steering column ($1500) to fix the horn & steering wheel radio/cruise controls and an airbag fault that I never did fix ($1100 estimate on top of $300 already paid to replace seat belt buckle that didn't stop issue) before trading in car.


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## DUBSfightinRUST (Aug 13, 2011)

2007 rabbit for a DD it does the job well. 

Biggest problem with VWs are mechanics that do more harm than good (even at the dealership) 

Turbo and TDI engines need a very specific oil - and most do not get it. WALMART does not care that your engine needs 0w-20 synthetic oil , it gets the same 5w-30 that every one else gets. They will still charge you for the more expensive oil.And tell you thats what they put in there. 

Ignorance of the needs of German cars by technicians is widespread. Worst of all , they do not care (for the most part)  

I know , all I do is train technicians. For dealerships. 60 hrs a week. Most hate German cars.:what:


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## aer0nae (Nov 9, 2011)

They are as reliable as you make them. I've had my 20th since the showroom floor, she has 127k miles now and still going. Havent had any major issues


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