Pretty much guaranteed to have DSG issues?

[mattaus]

Hi all,

Long story short, I have blown my left knee out very badly and won't be able to physically drive a manual car again for a significant period of time. Unfortunately this comes at a time when I a) own a manual and b) don't have much cash to throw around. I have a current gen CX-9 but that was bought for the Mrs to cart our precious cargo around in and I'll am loathe to force her to drive my s***box ('09 CJ Lancer Manual) while I cruise around in comfort. Plus I want to keep the mileage on the Mazda low.

I'm looking at a 6R Polo (77TSI likely) with no more than 80k on the clock if I can help it. Should I be concerned about the DSG and are there any particular years to focus on to avoid/reduce potential issues? The intention with my current car was to drive it into the ground. I intend on doing the same with whatever car I replace it with. I guess I should remove any desire to tune the car right out the gate otherwise I'd simply exacerbate any possible problems

Any advice or even suggestions on something else to look at would be appreciated. I'd like a VW again and something with a bit of aftermarket presence as well.

Cheers,

- Matt

[Sydneykid]

Between us my wife and I are onto our 3rd VW (2 Golfs and 1 Polo) with the "small DSG" without a single issue in over 7 years and a couple of hundred thousand K's between us. That's mostly city traffic, with a couple of interstate runs per year. We treat then like the robotised manual that they are and possibly as a result they haven't given us a single problem. I know of 2 people who treated them like a full automatic and had clutch pack issues caused by overheating. They don't have a torque converter so it's not good idea to use the engine to hold them against rolling in stop start traffic. No need to change gear or push the clutch in, just drive them like they are a manual, don't ride the clutch (pack).

Cheers
Gary

[parraeel]

I have a MY13.5 Polo 77TSI with 71,000km on it (give or take) and the DSG hasn't skipped a beat, no issues at all.

[Kachingg]

I agree treat it like a manual and you won't have issues 4 dq200 dry clutch's in my family atm i showed all the girls how to treat them so far no issues after 4+ years

Tho with a 2nd hand one you are at the mercy of the previous owner

[mattaus]

Thanks for the responses guys. It does make me a little less hesitant to look at VWs with the 7 speed dry clutch, although as Kachingg has said the previous owners treatment is something I cannot really account for.

[KiwiME]

IMHO, those made after the "oil" recall (2013-ish?) are just fine, particularly with less-powerful engines. I'm amazed how quite and smooth it is (other than at parking speeds) considering what drama goes on inside. I'm also amazed they last as long as they do as it seems to shift about 5 time more often than you would with an actual manual. But with no service interval (unlike the older 6-speed) it gets boring for us who like to do a bit of maintenance now and again.