12th Dec 2007, 05:00

Welcome to the real world of VW. I bet you didn't know that a lot of the Mk4 Golfs were made in Mexico?

Most of the problems you have had are common to the model, especially the falling windows (athough there has been no recall in the UK for these). VW quality control is pants these days and you are better off buying a Toyota or Honda than VW.

23rd Aug 2008, 00:03

My Golf has 112k miles and still has original front pads, original battery and still runs like the day I bought it.

It did have the pwr window problem, few light bulbs, coolant sensor replaced (done myself, $23 part, 5 min job). In 9 years, it cost me under $50 in repairs, all parts. Not bad, not bad at all. Few thousand times I got into the car, it never failed and it always felt solid and well designed.

8th Jan 2009, 22:18

I have a Golf GL 1997 and I have had a lot of issues with it, so I'm going to sell it, because it's too expensive for the maintenance.

10th Feb 2009, 19:26

I have a 2000 Golf GL which I purchased used in 2001 with 26,000 miles on it. With 119,000 miles on it now I have just recently changed the ignition coil pack (2.0 AEG engine with automatic transmission). The engine does use about 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles, but the plugs when changed are oil free. I get about 28 to 30 mpg with mixed city and highway mileage. My glovebox right hinge and armrest lid latch are broken. I am very happy with my Golf, and despite all the little "problems" I have never been stranded on the side of the road.

23rd Sep 2009, 00:49

I have a 2000 VW Golf GLS. I got the car with 80k miles, and now have 120k+. During this time I have had a window fall in, power steering rack and pump replaced (going out on a major highway), brake light switch fail, which in turn blew my A/C and got to listen to beeping from my e-brake going off.

An automatic stalling when started, or at an intersection.

My key not recognized... yes, the car would start and shut off. We were then told to just wiggle a couple of wires to start the car.

Countless batteries have been purchased, and now best of all, a leak somewhere on my floorboard, so I can bet on a nice puddle waiting for me after it rains. I will NEVER get a VW again!!

23rd Sep 2009, 13:42

I'm not so sure that a Saturn was really an upgrade, was it?

27th Oct 2009, 08:35

I own a 2000 golf, it's almost 10 yrs old... I have had MINOR problems (no car is perfect), but I have never been stranded on the side of the road cause the best thing about VWs is they drive broken!!!... You guys say you need brakes after so many kms, well how were you driving it... LIKE you stole it? Then that's your own fault...

Drive any car like you put your hard earned dollars into it and you won't have MAJOR problems... it's a VW world and Hondas are just in it.

11th Dec 2009, 16:23

I own a VW Golf 2001 2.0 AEG. I just got my window regulator fixed. The oil pan replaced because the people who owned it before me took it to a quick lube place and the drain plug got impacted on and stripped the pan. I had to change the serpentine belt at 96k. I also changed the front pads at that time.

My lights inside that says my door is open only works some of the time. I also blew an O2 sensor (my fault though). The coil pack also broke. My air bag light is on because the things holding it are too tight I guess, but that's like 400 just to have that fixed.

I love my car, and because I know a little about cars and have people that will do it for cheap, I have not paid to much.

I wouldn't blame the problems with my car on VW, because it all depends on how you drive your car and where you drive it.

I've spent almost 600 on just parts, but I think it's worth it because I will be driving this car for years to come.

31st Dec 2009, 13:44

I have a 2000 VW Golf GL, and have had a litany of problems over the years, including...

1) Glove box hinge broke three times (my wife is not the easiest on it but seriously its made of cheap plastic!)

2) Driver side window (it's a manual crank) fell through the door and took 3 times to fix properly.

3) Engine coil on #2 replaced.

4) Cylinder head gasket repair at 160,000 kms.

5) Brake wear is absolutely terrible.

6) Headlights and rear lights burn out all the time, more than the average vehicle.

7) Water pump replaced.

8) Weather stripping on drivers side eroded.

9) Replaced alternator.

10) Replaced bushings and struts.

11) A/C has had to be fixed thrice, last being a total overhaul.

12) Coffee holder was fixed once, broke again and now dealer wants $200+ to fix..

Good points : No rust after 10 years and 165,000km. It starts in the winter no problems. You won't get a better handling car that can zip in and out of trouble and around corners than this for under $25k. I am torn since I love the driving experience so much, but can't bring myself to make the mistake of driving another VW again for the reliability.

19th Feb 2010, 20:37

What about the crappy plastic water neck? This thing cracks if you look at it too hard. What a pain. VW Golf sucks / loses oil like the Exxon Valdez. Where does it go??? You need to fill the oil and check the gas every time you start it. The oil warning beeper is always yelling, and I need to carry a gallon of oil on any trips. What a piece of junk, don't buy one. Don't leave such a carbon footprint. Not to mention the amount of rust on these things. I'm a car guy, own American if possible.

3rd Aug 2010, 20:18

I went from a perfectly healthy 1997 Toyota Tercel that cost next to nothing in maintenance to a $$ and part-hungry car known as the 2000 VW Golf.

I bought my silver standard transmission car with 98 000 km on it and fresh brakes.

Within 3 months I had the serpentine belt go $$.

Within 6 months the car stopped accelerating initially, and would lag until it 'warmed up' $$$.

I had the catalytic converter go after discovering that the coolant was leaking into the transmission... $$$$.

The temperature gauge malfunctioned in the dead of Winter, leaving me with no heat and irritating beeping, as well as the overhead light staying on.

The power lock function and overhead lights stopped working and cost $400 to replace.

Front headlights are foggy and hazard lights have never worked.

CD player crapped out - it was in the trunk and never really functional anyways...

The airbag light has been on constantly, along with the check engine light and oxygen sensor, periodically.

The muffler fell out from underneath my car on the highway creating a terrible rumbling noise $.

The brakes have squeaked since the day I bought it - something that was supposed to go away with time and wear (they still work great), but 3 years later they still squeal!

I have had an oil change done every few months based on the shear amount of oil it guzzles! $$

Dents and minor scrapes have added another $1000+ in superficial repairs.

On the brighter side (if you've read this far, I'm shocked)... gas mileage isn't bad and it is fun to drive, but runs hot. Having been a young, far-from-rich college student, this car has been a nightmare financially!

I only learned through the grapevine, after my purchase, that the 2000 Golf's were manufactured in Mexico. Awesome. Unless your pockets run deep and you enjoy the suspense of owning a mechanically unreliable vehicle, this car is best left in the dust.

22nd Sep 2010, 09:52

I own a 2004 VW Golf GLS.

I have owned several VW cars including 2 Jettas, a Passat Wagon, a Passat Sedan, and a Quantum wagon. I ran all of them to over 170,000 miles.

My VW Golf is a piece of junk. It has 90,000 miles and like some of the other stories, it burns through headlights, and tailights, guzzles oil, had to have the catalytic converter changed (which, thank God was covered by 8 and 80).

Now the problem with it is that when you're driving it, it gives sort of a pull, then starts running rough and the check engine light flashes. If you let it rest it will restart. Since this problem, I have had the thermostat, O2 sensor, fuel relay and most recently, the #4 fuel injector changed to the tune of $800. I have taken it to a dealer and they can't seem to find the problem. I will never buy a VW again.

My last Jetta burned through oil and gave me more problems than I had ever had with VW, but now I realize it's a quality issue.

I will never buy another VW again.

3rd Oct 2010, 12:20

I bought a new VW Golf based on my experience with a VW Beetle.

That was a mistake. There is no comparison between them.

Germany is known for quality autos, but the VW Golf was the worst car I ever owned. I started searching blogs about the car too late. On all of the blogs, people are saying don't buy the car.. I finally got rid of it, poor guy, and I replaced it with a RAV4.