1998 Volkswagen Golf GL review from North America

The exhaust system has been very delicate. One muffler was replaced at 70,000 miles; the entire system was replaced at 95,000.

The starter malfunctioned at 95,000 miles. The mechanic said he'd never seen a Volkswagen starter "burn up" like that.

Each one of the electronic door controls has malfunctioned -- the door remote, the central locking system, the sunroof, and the trunk release.

The biggest problem with the car right now is rust. It's only six years old, and there are numerous rust spots throughout the body, in areas where a car twice its age normally would not experience rust. I have rust on the hatch door, on the body below the hatch, on the upper body behind the passenger side doors, on the quarter panels, and on the passenger side door to the front of the door window.

Within a year after I bought the car, the cushioning in the driver's side seat had collapsed.

This car is so much fun to drive and generally has been reliable.

My first Golf, a 1987, was a dream car that lasted for 11 years and 280,000 very tough miles. But because of the rust and the high cost of repairs, this one will not be in my garage that long.