Massive VW re-call

[eddyramrod]

In the 70s, if you didn't buy BL you bought a Ford or Vauxhall, or maybe Hillman.  If you were really brave you might buy a Renault or Fiat, or even Datsun.  VW were still that German lot who made aircooled, rear-engined... oh wait a minute, what's this?  Square-cut FWD hatchback?  Don't care what they say in Motor and Autocar, it'll never catch on.  The Golf was roundly lambasted back then for high prices and poor equipment levels, but survived all that and now seems to be the benchmark for the class.  My stepson is on his third or fourth.  I R PARENTING FAIL.

First time I could say I knew someone with a Golf?  1986.

[Spiny Norman]

What people have also forgotten was how shit the early Golfs were.
I remember reading through a 75/76 issue of CAR and they were very critical of the rough finish, poor paint, rattles, excessive noise levels and rust on the first year or two's cars.

 

The only difference between VW and BL was what they did about the criticism, the rest is history.

[alf892]

The Golf GTi made the model.......it was quick and neat. Sports and family car in one. OK maybe done before but not so effectively.

 

The mundane stuff sold on the ack of this.

 

The Beetle had a name for being bulletproof.(!) and the new ones inherited this a bit too.........right up to now really.

 

The 1.9tdi is pretty impressive in any guise though........makes the XUD look like a gaz guzzling dead pedal.

[In The Pit]

In the 70s, if you didn't buy BL you bought a Ford or Vauxhall, or maybe Hillman.  If you were really brave you might buy a Renault or Fiat, or even Datsun.  VW were still that German lot who made aircooled, rear-engined... oh wait a minute, what's this?  Square-cut FWD hatchback?  Don't care what they say in Motor and Autocar, it'll never catch on.  The Golf was roundly lambasted back then for high prices and poor equipment levels, but survived all that and now seems to be the benchmark for the class.  My stepson is on his third or fourth.  I R PARENTING FAIL.

First time I could say I knew someone with a Golf?  1986.

I agree with that.

 

I think the story of the MKI Golf being groundbreaking is something that’s been made up recently, probably by VW fans it wasn’t the first hatchback, not sure exactly what was but Renault were producing hatchbacks in the 60’s and the Golf wasn’t the first FWD car again I’m not sure what was but BL were producing those in the 50’s.  Back then the general public (non car people) would probably have just seen it as ‘one of those little foreign cars’. The MKI Golf rusted just as badly as the BL stuff especially the early ones as did the MKI Polo hence few UK cars have survived.  As has been said Golfs never really hit the publics awareness until the arrival of the GTi and then Fords XR3i when all of a sudden the 80’s were here and everyone wanted a hot hatch.

 

With regard to the Japanese stuff from the 70’s yeah they started in the damp but they rusted quicker than most British built stuff.

[Cavcraft]

Having had the 'pleasure' of owning two low rent (80 and 90 I think) VAG TDi engined cars, plus a 110 version I can categorically state they're NOT better than an XUD turbo.

I did have a 'red I' Sharon that was brilliant engine wise, it didn't half go some.

[Wilko220]

@In The Pit

The first hatchback was the Austin A40, I think.

[stilo_active]

I've said i'll say it again, my experience with VAG products would prevent me from spending my hard earned on one. Each of my friends, family and extended family that have owned a VAG product have all experienced catastrophic and expensive failures. All relatively new products at the time of the failures, too.

 

Of course, it were these people that used to mock me and other family members for owning Fiats, Renaults and Peugeots. What they forgot is that while their overrated, underwhelming piles of wank were in the garage being fixed (again) we were driving our Fiats, Renaults and Peugeots on the road. For instance my Father has driven Fiats for 30 years with one breakdown. Out of the dozen or so Fiat Group cars I've had, I've had one major incident with a 110,000 mile Punto that blew a headgasket.

 

I won't pretend that Fiats are the best made cars ever. However, I refuse to be told a VW or Audi is a good fucking car. Just because of OMGSEXYDOORHANDLEZ

 

I worked as service advisor then service manager at a multi franchise dealer for 10 years and our main site was Fiat and Alfa. We looked after a fuck ton of German shit, French stuff and Rovers. The most expensive to repair and most frequently broken?

 

Well it wasn't Alfa. Nor was it Fiat. Or the French stuff. Or the Rovers...

[Barry Cade]

^ Yay + one hundred billion.

[Felly Magic]

I've lost count of how many times the sis in law's Golf has been in the garage for something expensive repairing, each time its normally about £500. Before that, she had a Citroen ZX 1.4 that NEVER went wrong. She only bought the bloody Golf because her other half can't drive stick, and laughably he rarely drives the Golf. I bet she wishes she kept the ZX!

[SambaS]

Grandparents bought one of them turbocharged Golf things with the 7 speed auto, one of the first, I think Grandad knew of it before the dealers round here. Meticulously serviced at main dealer. Developed gearbox problem, came back from VW garage worse so warrenty company sent it to some specialist who got it right. GPs got straight rid for a Quaski squasky cashcow you know I dont care, Sunderland built thing.

[SambaS]

oh 2k + bill to fix

[saucedoctor]

My OH has a 2011 Golf TDi 150. The poor woman is now convinced (by me) that when the car is 3 years and 1 day old it will go kaboom like a dying star. I have advised her to buy an old Rover, which at least I'll be able to fix if it goes wrong. She has advised me to fuck off.

[brickwall]

The area around where the rear wiper arm goes through the boot lid would go very quickly.  In fact, anywhere the body was drilled would rust rust rust.

[Station]

 

Some people like VW's, some people think their marketing spiel is good (though despise modern day VW's), and some people don't care about VWs.

 

Conclusion: some people think a new VW is mostly style/marketing over substance/reliability. Much like IPhones, the magic is over once you tear off the cellophane, open the box, and get past day one when you realise it's not all that great when it needs to go back because a sensor is faulty or when next door gets a brand new model a year later.

[dugong]

BUY QUALITY BUY GERMAN

[saucedoctor]

These Germans know a bit of CLASS when they see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ-DEi1LP50

[Barry Cade]

. GPs got straight rid for a Quaski squasky cashcow you know I dont care, Sunderland built thing.

Had one of those on the back of the truck the other day- 2010, 43000 miles. Timing belt gone..... seemingly missed a recall, out of both Nissan and dealer warranty. Oh dear.

[red5]

My 07 1.9 Tdi Mk5 Golf has not missed a beat since i bought it Brand Newâ„¢. It remains, to this day, the only vehicle I have bought new*. Had front and rear pads this year (because I thought it was taking the piss on 63k and original pads) and on its 4th pair of tyres. You speak as you find as they say. Not perfect, but certainly better than anything I'd had up to then, including C5's, C8 and Poxy Picasso 1.6 HDI bag'o'wank - all as company cars.

 

* I was working at a VW main dealer from 2004 - 2008 so got a hefty discount.

 

Ps, have tempted fate now, so awaiting explosion from drive as we speak...

[chaseracer]

The first hatchback was the Austin A40, I think.

 

Nah M8...

 

 

[wuvvum]

Aye, the Traction Commerciale was probably closer to a true hatchback than the A40 Countryman too - the Austin had a split tailgate, and you had to drop the lower half down first in order to access the two bolts that held the top half closed.  Bit of a faff to be honest - although still a lot better for loading shizz in the back than the non-Countryman version.

[Hendry]

One thing I have noticed with VW is the spec is still fucking bizarre on their cars, with some major omissions their cheaper rivals come with, few examples:

 

my old man has an 09 Jetta 2.0 CR TDi Sport 140bhp, (mk5 Golf fronted) seemingly the Sport is the top of the range and comes with 17" alloys, front fogs, sports suspension, 6 speed box, all round electric windows, auto dim rear view mirror, auto lights/wipers, front armrest with rear air vents, mp3 stereo with MDi/IPod interface, yadda yadda yadda, but doesn't have cruise control or stereo controls on the steering wheel which his old base model Vectra had.

 

We had 1.6 TDi Golf "Match" spec models at work, these had DAB radio, auto lights/wipers, 6 disc CD multi changer, Optical parking system with front and rear sensors, blah blah blah but yet the 2.0 GT TDi didn't have any of that, we also have a 61 plate Golf GTi which again doesn't have cruise, has base model stereo, manual heater controls, fabric seats etc when for the money they go for you'd expect it to be fully loaded.

 

Their marketing is amazing, how they convince people to pay top dollar for poorly equipped cars I honestly don't know, ask most people the best cars and they'll nearly always say German or Japanese, which I don't get, Jap cars are usually bulletproof, good value and usually well kitted out, so not sure why most see VW as being of the same ilk as that, I like VW styling but I'd never buy one, overpriced tbh, £8K for a 7.5 year old Golf GTI with 75K on it, you must be joking, But it's a OMGGOLFGTIINNITMATEFTW

[eddyramrod]

I like VW styling

 

There's a VW with styling??? How did that escape?

[rml2345]

Is a VW with styling not a SEAT nowadays?

[garbaldy]

I won't have another seat as it was the misses ibiza that had an intermitent brake fault pedal would go hard and couldn't be applied, our local seat dealer was an arogant twat who used the line “well if you had bought it here you would have got better serviceâ€Â

 

As for an 2006 golf for 8k fook knows who's asking that as I've seen them sell for 2 to 4k

[dugong]

As for an 2006 golf for 8k fook knows who's asking that as I've seen them sell for 2 to 4k

 

You've never been to Manchester, I see. 

 

To be fair, I wouldn't bother. I wouldn't want to deal with me either. Get a turning wrong on the M60 and you end up in Stockport. Or Brinnington. Or the Trafford Centre. 

 

EURGH.

[Bobthebeard]

You've never been to Manchester, I see. 

To be fair, I wouldn't bother. I wouldn't want to deal with me either. Get a turning wrong on the M60 and you end up in Stockport. Or Brinnington. Or the Trafford Centre. 

EURGH.

I used the M60 once in 2010. I am still there!

Any advice?

[dugong]

I used the M60 once in 2010. I am still there!

Any advice?

Go home?

[Junkman]

Get a turning wrong on the M60 and you end up in Stockport. Or Brinnington. Or the Trafford Centre. 

 

EURGH.

One could not possibly dream up a nightmare as terrifying as this.

[Pillock]

We've got a Touran SE which is the top of the (admittedly small) range of those, I believe. 2008 jobbie.

It has cruise and the windows work on magic. But the stereo has less features than a Granada GL, no trip computer thing, and a sea of blanking plates. No front fogs FFS, who ever heard of a VW without front fogs? How am I meant to misuse them?

 

It also has the nastiest plastics known to man on the dashboard, and various niggles with regards to broken bits of trim and stuff. The armrest flops onto the handbrake (and a new centre console, the only way of getting the ratchet responsible, is £140 off Ebay). Seats are coming unstitched. The passenger door doesn't unlock all the time. Etc etc. et bloody c.