Golf 6 reliability question before purchasing

[Cuthbert]

I am about to buy a new Golf 118 TSI automatic in candy white, and am very excited about it. I love the look of the car and really enjoyed the test drive last weekend.

However, I notice there are many negative reports on internet forums about the reliability of the new Golf 6 (ie engine faults, malfunctions, parts being unavailable, electrical problems etc).

Before I buy my new car, I would be most grateful if you could help me with the following questions:

1. Do these reliability problems mostly related to Golf 6s manufactured in 2009 and 2010?

2. Have the problems been rectified at the manufacturing level?

3. Will my car be manufactured in Germany (I am buying it in Sydney)?

4. Are Golfs any better or worse than other cars? (Currently I have a 3 year old Suzuki Swift, and before that an MX5 - both of which have been absolutely faultless).

Thanks in advance,
Cuthbert

[phaeton]

I am about to buy a new Golf 118 TSI automatic in candy white, and am very excited about it. I love the look of the car and really enjoyed the test drive last weekend.

However, I notice there are many negative reports on internet forums about the reliability of the new Golf 6 (ie engine faults, malfunctions, parts being unavailable, electrical problems etc).

Before I buy my new car, I would be most grateful if you could help me with the following questions:

1. Do these reliability problems mostly related to Golf 6s manufactured in 2009 and 2010?
There was a recall done recently on all DSG/118TSIs so problem is fixed

2. Have the problems been rectified at the manufacturing level?
If the recall has fixed the issue I can guess its fixed at manufacturing level.

3. Will my car be manufactured in Germany (I am buying it in Sydney)?
Yes in Mosel or Wolfsburg

4. Are Golfs any better or worse than other cars? (Currently I have a 3 year old Suzuki Swift, and before that an MX5 - both of which have been absolutely faultless).
All round better car, have the latest technology in its class - that said being the first can also be a negative but the Mk6 is all round pretty well but together.

Thanks in advance,
Cuthbert

Hope these answers help.

[Ryan_R]

You might see 5 or 10 people posting about engine places here, but VW have sold thousands of them without incident. Guess you theoretically would take similar chances with most brands.

I personally love my 118 TSI as well. See the 118 TSI appreciation thread and maybe even the tuning thread for it if you're into that sort of thing. The Golf is also really easy to modify with extra options you didn't tick when ordering (see what I've retrofitted for example)

[SilvrFoxX]

Hey don't start sweating, if you go to all the other car threads out there you will find the same amount of posts pertaining to tech issues. Order it and get excited

[anglo_dude]

Personally I think that there are a number of people who love to dis VWs, and positively crow when they see problems reported (usually on Whirlpool).

From personal experience over the last 5 1/2 years with 2 cars I've had no mechanical issues at all, no service issues and have had the reported fuel usage from both cars. Many others here will say the same. Other will have had issues, but had them resolved by warranty, and have been happy with the service from their dealer (or independent garage).

The key is how you enjoy driving the car. I tested the GTI and loved it. Ordered a couple of weeks later when I got the price and the dealer I was happy with, and have really enjoyed the last 4 months driving it around.

Did I go with the extended warranty? No, I will monitor the car and see how it goes. If I have issues, then I will get the extended warranty closer to the 3 year mark. This is what I did for the Jetta, and didn't bother and it paid off for me.

Personally I think that VWs are the best value brand in Australia today, and there is a reason that they will be the largest volume car supplier in the next couple of years, good products, right price and good economy with flair is a pretty strong argument!

Anglo

[Mountainman]

4. Are Golfs any better or worse than other cars? (Currently I have a 3 year old Suzuki Swift, and before that an MX5 - both of which have been absolutely faultless).

Better than some and worse than others. If you have an ownership history like you have stated and really value reliability cheap servicing and a troublefree experience then look elsewhere. All the beautiful design, technology and quality appearence will wear thin after you see your pride and joy visiting the service centre and sitting there for sometimes up to weeks waiting for parts. And service items such as brake pads won't last anywhere near what you have been used to. And you have chosen the most troublesome model with an engine that has caused heartache to many and for some, the gearbox from hell. Sad really, because when they are working as they were designed they are really something to admire.

[walbjj]

having owned hondas in the past, this is the first euro for me, but my brother had a b5 rs4, which btw suffered a lot of maintenance issues, which were expensive.
so far, in the 12k+ km of driving and less than 1 yr of ownership, i can happily report that i have had no dramas at all with reliability. i had the water pump whistle which was fixed under warranty, although i had to take it back 2 times asthe first time they changed another part that didnt fix the problem.
since then, no issue whatsoever to report, and im getting sub 8l/100km in fuel usage for a car thats pretty quick and an awesome drive.
as mentioned, vw is the best value brand out there, cheaper than an audi, but quality is as good, kinda

[MadWorm]

I'm with anglo_dude.

I don't think forum posts necessarily proportionally represent the bigger picture. When you read about problems you need to critically assess how representative of the population the posted incidents are. My opinion is those who have bad experiences are much more likely to post about what has happened, than the vast majority of silent satisfied owners. (If you don't want to sleep tonight google 'DSG problems')

For what it's worth, I'm very happy with my VW .

[tee_off]

What about the 'reliability surveys'? Is it more to do with owner's frustration at the cost of the spare parts if they break?

And VW have got to work on their supply issues in Australia if they want to up their market share (unfortunately we're nothing on a global scale)

[Ozram]

. And service items such as brake pads won't last anywhere near what you have been used to. And you have chosen the most troublesome model with an engine that has caused heartache to many and for some, the gearbox from hell. Sad really, because when they are working as they were designed they are really something to admire.

Sorry mate I've got to disagree with you. I'm at 2.5 years of ownership and 70,000km later I'm still on the same brake pads all around. I've had the recall ECU reflash for the engine but its never missed a beat. After all this time I still refuse to believe its 'only' a 1.4 litre

I have had the DSG shudder successfully rectified under warranty in a timely manner and at no inconvenience as we were given a loan car. Sure the servicing costs may be higher than your $150 Toyota one, but personally I'd be questioning how much of a service would actually be being performed for that amount.

To the OP, just buy one. The smile it puts on your face every time you drive it is priceless.

[Ryan_R]

Don't forget as well that the Golf only needs to be serviced every 12 months or 15,000kms (whichever is first). The Mazda 3 servicing was a bit cheaper but you had to do it every 6 months, making it more expensive overall and more of a hassle.

[Finance_Analyst]

Don't forget as well that the Golf only needs to be serviced every 12 months or 15,000kms (whichever is first). The Mazda 3 servicing was a bit cheaper but you had to do it every 6 months, making it more expensive overall and more of a hassle.

For any turbo car though, 6 mth oil changes are probably better, given the heat they generate (especially in Aust conditions).

If you plan on keeping the car longer than 3 yrs, it is a must.

[markwid]

To the OP, don't over-think this.

[Digger11]

For any turbo car though, 6 mth oil changes are probably better, given the heat they generate (especially in Aust conditions).

If you plan on keeping the car longer than 3 yrs, it is a must.

With newer expensive synthetic oils this its simply incorrect. Exceeding VW service intervals is a plain waste of money.

Anonymous internet forums bring out plenty of bad advice and wingy whiny types. Golfs are as reliable as any car. Drive a hyundai i30 for a couple of days and then drive a Golf, you will be amazed at the difference. Its like comparing living in Cranbourne to living in Toorak it really is that different.

[Mountainman]

Sorry mate I've got to disagree with you. I'm at 2.5 years of ownership and 70,000km later I'm still on the same brake pads all around. I've had the recall ECU reflash for the engine but its never missed a beat. After all this time I still refuse to believe its 'only' a 1.4 litre

I have had the DSG shudder successfully rectified under warranty in a timely manner and at no inconvenience as we were given a loan car. Sure the servicing costs may be higher than your $150 Toyota one, but personally I'd be questioning how much of a service would actually be being performed for that amount.

Only 70,000km? My Golf has just had its done after 60,000km while the 06 Forester that I had before the present one was done at 225,000km and the Camry before that was 190,000km rear and 240,000km front.

Servicing? Both cars are done at the same VW/Subaru dealership with much the same things done to each vehicle, with a substantial saving on the Forester, especially the bigger services. And their charges on the Golf seem to be some of the cheapest seen on this forum.

Don't get me wrong - I love this Golf for all the reasons that are obvious to most of us but constant checking of oil levels and the expensive topping up, the turbo replacement and resulting down time and now the nagging feeling that I'm just waiting for the next failure wipe away that contented ownership feeling my Jap cars have given me. My brother with a 118TSI DSG Jetta has had a similar experience to me only with the DSG, not the turbo, and constant tuning problems with the stage 1 APR upgrade that has been traced to spark plugs. He loves the car and rightly so raves about all the positives but, like me, does not see it as a safe proposition after the warranty period. And experience tells me that owning a new car does not have to be this way.