1992 Volkswagen Golf review from North America
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I've had to fix a lot of things with this car:
- Alternator.
- Muffler (twice in 2 years).
- My head gasket was leaking oil in my coolant.
- Warped head (had it leveled and changed the timing belt etc.)
- Starter.
- 2 water pumps in 2 years.
General comments?
This car is easy on fuel (I routinely get 45 MPG), but it's been very unreliable for me.
It's terribly slow (0-100km/h in 15sec), hellishly noisy, rides very harshly, vibrates like mad when the engine is cold.
It has failed to start many times in my first year of ownership (though that can be expected of a diesel in the harsh Canadian winter), leaving me stranded.
The shifter sometimes makes terrible scraping sounds when I shift, and it's very hard to put in first gear.
There are some good things about it though: It corners very well, the stock speakers are fairly good (they need to be to drown out that horrible amount of road noise and engine noise), the sunroof is sweet and the interior is still waterproof.
I'm getting rid of this lemon as soon as I have enough money to get myself a Japanese car. VW, never again!
Recommended reviews
| Great car for somebody who travels |
|
| I miss the car, but not the problems |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1992 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 3 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 133000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 169000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 27th January, 2001 |