Faults:

Alright here we go!

Wheel bearing has gone.

Idling Pulley replaced.

Terrible Ticking coming from exhaust manifold.

Oil buzzer and warning light comes on when engine reved higher or it is warm out.

Coolant hose turned to dust.

Passenger seat is terrible, metal things are poking out of foam.

Both headlights broken, Foglights broken.

Entire rear lighting system went haywire.

Lots of rust for the year, around the license plate, and above the windshield.

Door lock nob's keep breaking off?

Ignition switch went.

E-Brake hardly works, can't tighten it!

Think that's about it, but I may be forgetting something!

General Comments:

Well, performance is dissappointing, in first gear its alright, but then blah, terrible.

I also dislike the suspension, even hitting a small bump on the hi way cause the car to jump around, and start bouncing.

Interior is alright, seats are falling apart.

Not very much luggage space, due to large stereo, but that is my fault!

Gas Mileage is pretty good as long as I drive like a 90year old. once you start to rev it up, you can almost see the gas gauge go down.

But my biggest probley is that ticking manifold, some people say I need new gaskets, but I understand they were already replaced twice, and other people say that there is a bolt broken off and a 1/4 inch gap that is leaking, but I can't see this?

If anyone has any suggestions about the Manifold I would appreciate some help Plz.

Oh the rusting is making me mad, this car isn't that old.

And the rear wiper doesn't shoot out fluid very well, it just sprinkles it out!

Faults:

In general, I've had mostly minor cosmetic problems:

Power steering pump leaked ~70,000 miles. Replaced by dealer with a rebuilt used part, OK ever since.

Seat crank handles keep breaking off, presumably when kicked by back-seat passengers.

Driver side, then passenger side door locks have both fallen out.

Wires that connect driver's side door lock to rest of doors (for power door system) and alarm system fatigued around 100,000 miles.

Minor unidentified leak into trunk door in heavy rain. Not into trunk, but into the door itself. Weird.

The trim on my Golf (and most 97 VWs, I think) fell off once on each door around 60,000. I glued it back on using 3M weather stripping adhesive. So far so good!

General Comments:

Overall, I've been very very happy with my '97 Golf. I have been conscientious with maintenance; I get synthetic oil changes every 5,000 miles (which I think has been worth it so far).

It's been very reliable, fuel efficient, and most of the wearing parts on the car have lasted longer than I would have expected (e.g. battery, brakes, clutch, exhaust system, belts, coolant system, air conditioning, moon-roof motor).

I have had no problems thus far with the clutch, belts, AC, and moon-roof.

I had the exhaust system (after the catalytic converter) replaced at 120,000 miles. Battery was replaced around the same time.

Performance-wise, the car is fine. It's not meant to be a crazy-fast sports car, but I think it handles very well for a car in it's class. It has a lot of pickup for a 4-cylinder engine.

The trunk holds a lot of stuff, especially with the seats folded down. I can fit bikes, snowboards, even an entire small kayak, easily in the car.

The finish on the car is slightly dull after 7 years, but I haven't taken good care of the outside (it needs to be waxed, badly). I have noticed no rust spots, though.

I have put A LOT of miles on this car and it has been very good to me. I plan to drive this car until it becomes unreliable, but after 135,000 miles that hasn't happened yet.

However, reading reviews of more recent VW cars has made me concerned with the newer models. I think I will wait until the reviews clear up before buying another VW.