1998 Volkswagen Golf review from North America

Multiple electrical problems.

Reverse gear starting to fail - will require new transmission.

Wheel lock adapter was stripped.

Side trim falling off.

Front left wheel bearings have been replaced twice (2nd time by me).

Front struts need replacing.

Cup holder does not fit anything larger than a thimble.

Gearing is poorly thought out - 5th gear is at 3k rpm at 65 mph.

The reverse gear problem seems to be reported by quite a few owners. It is a bad tranny and a lot of them have this issue.

My reverse gear makes the sound you got when as a kid you'd clip playing cards to your bike forks so that the spokes spun by them and made a clicking sound. The guy at the garage told me the tranny was "on the way out" and to "baby the reverse gear" and I might get another year or two out of it.

Electrical is also a complete mess. Radio, alarm system, lights, you name it.

Just yesterday I drove through a puddle that was NOT terribly deep - probably 6 - 8", and probably splashed up onto the engine block a bit. I got through it OK, and then the car sputtered and died. When I finally got it started after an hour of cranking, my running lights were out, and one of my head beams was out.

I think these are lovely looking cars, and they drive nice and tight, but they would seem to be very poorly put together. It's a shame. If you MUST buy one, you'd be wise to live in a dry, moderate climate. You'd think the prevalence of the reverse gear problem ALONE would warranty a recall.