VW Golf VI: reliability issues ? real or not ?

[tee_off]

I've read reliability rankings and every time it's the same. Lexus/Toyota first then Japanese brands, followed by European then American. I know it's best to take this with a grain of salt but it does get me wondering. Obviously things like the demographics of specific model ownership and their driving styles would influence these rankings

I would like to know (if there is such a thing) what the reliability stats actually are (in numbers, percentages, etc)

[Transporter]

I've read reliability rankings and every time it's the same. Lexus/Toyota first then Japanese brands, followed by European then American. I know it's best to take this with a grain of salt but it does get me wondering. Obviously things like the demographics of specific model ownership and their driving styles would influence these rankings

I would like to know (if there is such a thing) what the reliability stats actually are (in numbers, percentages, etc)

Of course, if you would include the bicycle, it would be first!

[Mk6 Golf]

Volkswagen Ranked 21st (out of 33).

For anyone interested...

Reliability rankings for 33 car brands issued by 'Consumer Reports' show Asian models' strengths
28 October 2009
(source http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-1810831.html)

On 27th October 2009, Consumer Reports magazine issued their annual reliability prediction rankings for 2010 vehicles, and East Asian automakers were the definitive winners in this year's survey. The report used responses on vehicle reliability from 1.4 million subscribers of Consumer Reports magazine and its companion website, ConsumerReports.org. Both outlets are produced by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization dedicated to consumers. Car owners recounted their experiences as owners of vehicles with model years from 2000 to 2009, which were then used by the organization's researchers to predict the reliability of 2010 model-year vehicles.

Reliability Rankings for 2010 Car Brands (parent company in parentheses)

1. Scion (Toyota)
2. Honda
3. Toyota
4. Infiniti (Nissan)
5. Acura (Honda)
6. Mitsubishi
7. Lexus (Toyota)
8. Hyundai
9. Porsche
10. Mercury (Ford)
11. Saab
12. Subaru
13. Suzuki
14. Kia
15. Mazda
16. Ford
17. Nissan
18. Volvo
19. Buick (General Motors)
20. Lincoln (Ford)
21. Volkswagen
22. Pontiac (General Motors) - defunct by 2011
23. Mercedes-Benz
24. Audi (Volkswagen)
25. Chevrolet (General Motors)
26. BMW
27. Mini (BMW)
28. GMC (General Motors)
29. Saturn (General Motors) - defunct by 2011
30. Jeep (Chrysler)
31. Dodge (Chrysler)
32. Cadillac (General Motors)
33. Chrysler

[mjr571]

Maybe it would be worthwhile to ask your insurer, if they would replace the roof? If yes, I would be asking how they weld the roof in, since I don’t think that there is a laser-welding machine in Australia. The roof most likely be spot welded; and here I would have a problem with it, since the original strength of the roof and whole safety cell will be lost and I bought the Golf for the safety!

There is a laser welder in the newcastle area but the cost to hire it would be almost as much as a new car

[coastie]

For those that don't know, or are unable to Google the acronym, COTY stands for "Car of the Year".

In 2009, the new 6th generation Volkswagen Golf won the World Car of the Year award!.



My two bobs worth: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt an unreliable, faulty, problematic car would even get on the short list, let alone win, so Volkswagen's new Mk6 Golf is more than fantastic, it's just down right god-like!! The whole package is great. Plus, even if the odd problem does get past the extremely tight Quality Assurance process, then there's still no need to panic; the 3 year warranty will be there to protect you, or 6 years if you go extended. Finally, who do you trust more, a few people posting comments on websites (even this forum), or an international judging panel of car experts. Me, well, I say the latter!

In 1974 the Wheels Magazine Car of the Year was the Leyland P76 not that it has any bearing on this thread but sometimes cars win and they get withdrawn from production soon after.

[Mk6 Golf]

The Golf Withdrawn From Production!

OK, valid point, but does anyone really believe the 6th generation Golf will die out?

Anyway, it was a good excuse to put up the "worship" smilie!

p.s. some other things to consider when buying a car, besides Reliability Rating:

• Safety aspects
• Fuel economy concerns
• Considering Environmental Impact
• Depreciation factor
• Insurance costs
• Make and model
• Manual or automatic?
• Gas or diesel?
• 4 cylinder or V6?
• etc.. (source http://www.samarins.com/choose/index.html)

[dopey]

All I know is - 8000km on ours now and nothing to complain about. Yes, it has the occasional chirp from the supercharger clutch when you shift gears (and it's not a constant thing either) but this is only audible if you have the radio on mute. Other than this - perfect. I've looked after it and it's looked after me. Just completed the 7,500km oil change for good measure.

[PassatB6]

Not sure Consumer Reports is the best source. They make predictions on how reliable they 'think' an upcoming model will be and apparently show some unfair bias according to Vortex members.

Also are consumers the best judges of their cars problems?

I find Warranty Direct quite good because they log Warranty claims ie actual repairs done. Shows the Mk V Golf to be about twice as reliable as the average car.

http://www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/se...28339010848601

[Mk6 Golf]

...shows the Mk V Golf to be about twice as reliable as the average car.

Interesting. Thanks for the comparison.

[gregozedobe]

If you want high reliability go older tech. ie most Japanese brands and Skoda which gets most technology after its been sorted in VWs.

Not so much as some think. Skodas got the new EA888 family of engines before VW (eg the 1.8 in Octavias), and sometimes they get new platforms before VW. A lot depends on where the different models are in the replacement/upgrade cycle. Skodas got the new CR diesels at the same time as VW.

You are correct about Skodas usually rating higher in reliability surveys than VWs, and based on my sample survey (one of each) I concur .

Many of the problems VW have are in the minor parts from outside suppliers (eg I've had 3 different locking units replaced on my VW).

[Maverick]

Many of the problems VW have are in the minor parts from outside suppliers (eg I've had 3 different locking units replaced on my VW).

I assume you mean door locks? If so it's the same part on the Skoda's.

[POLARBEAR666]

Supercharging a Turbo is no different to having just a turbo or just a supercharger....the engine has boost. Whether you have 1, 2, quad turbo it is the boost pressure that puts stress on the engine and the 118TSI's and GT TSI motors don't go above 18psi under load and mostly sit between 10-15psi which is hardly anything for an IRON BLOCK!

EVO 9's have an Iron block motor and often run huge turbo's on stock internals as do RB26 godzilla motors. I bet the iron 1.4 blocks could handle 25psi with the only part likely to get damaged being a head gasket due to headbolts lifting. Stress less! Also, on the supercharger front, my dads last car had a sealed supercharger unit like ours and it worked flawlessly for 10 years, still going strong when he sold the car.

In summary: The block and the supercharger will outlive your ownership. The turbo will last probably 150,000 before the seals go.

[guliver_twist]

love my car. perfectly reliable, not a single fault (1 or 2 minor fixes/adjustments)
Had a ford focus before it, and that was a nightmare..I can't imagine how stuffed it would be if I actually didn't look after it!!

Don't care if toyota has better reliability stats, its like driving a microwave owen to work LOL. I've driven a number of far more expensive car's and would not swap for my golf, and have impressed 2 many people with the Hi-Tech of this car.. If i won the lotto tomorrow i would not swap my car.. not because you cannot buy a better car, but because I am so pleased with how well the car has exceeded my expectations in every way and how happy i feel driving it.

[prise]

Remember the leaked australian reliability survey data that came out a couple of years ago? From memory it was based on the number of faults reported in the first 5 months - the differences between the middle ranked and best cars wasn't much more than 10%. Of course the surveys didn't comment on the nature of the faults. As an owner a rattle in a door trim is annoying but can be put off until the next service whereas a hole in the piston can't.

Longer term warranty data is more relevant becasue its the sort of thing that will end up costing you real money.

[nikamichi]

Aren't these an alloy block motor ?