2000 Volkswagen Golf GL review from North America

Front windshield wipers seized at 60,000 miles.

Rear windshield wiper broke twice! Once just 400 miles after warranty expired - dealer said "too bad". Once just this past winter of '03 (at 55,000 miles).

Rear hatch lock broke just 1000 miles after warranty expired - again dealer said -"Oh, that's too bad".

Front windshield spontaneously cracked at 42,000 miles - there was no sign of impact of any sort. Was it improperly mounted? God only knows.

Engine cut off in the dead of winter at highway speed (47,000 miles). I pulled over and waited a few minutes. It started again - phew! The thought of walking miles for help in -20F cold was not comforting. Dealer said - "I never heard of that before." Nothing was fixed. CarTalk says Golfs tend to have bad ignition modules.

This car has always consumed as much oil as the 17 year old Tercel I had previously. One quart every 3000 miles. Volkswagen says this is normal. (!)

Before the warranty expired, the "Check Engine" light came on several times for no reason according to dealer. The "check airbag" light came on too, and they had to reset something for that.

New rear brake disks and pads at 45,000 miles - I hear this is normal.

I drive 25,000 miles annually.

This car is fun to drive, peppy, good looking, sporty, and very practical (I hauled a lot of stuff with me when I moved from Canada to the US).

However, the 1983 Tercel Hatchback I had before this was far and away more reliable, even after 17 years.

The problems I've had have not been serious, but I think they are far too numerous for a car that is now only 2.5 years old. My Tercel still had its original windshield wipers when I got rid of it. Maybe Volkswagen could take a clue from Toyota on basic windshield wiper design.

I don't think I will be a repeat customer with Volkswagen.