2001 Volkswagen Golf SE review from UK and Ireland

This heap of junk broke down on me & left me stranded 3 times in 3 years. In between leaving me stranded it was in and out of the repair shop lots of times.

There was a persistent pull to the left that the dealer could never cure in 5 attempts. First it was tyres, then brakes, then just "road camber" then it was just the way I drove the car!

All of the brake discs were replaced due to brake shudder. All of the pads were replaced as well - down to the way I drive the car said the dealer - most of my driving is on the motorway and almost none in town!

Had to have 3 new window lifters because the plastic clips on the bottom broke.

There were problems all the time with flat spots and stuttering of the engine. Many parts were replaced including (eventually) the air mass meter which finally cured the problem after 2 years of trying.

Clutch cable snapped and left me stranded. Not covered under the warranty!

Engine overheated and left me stranded again because the water pump broke. This caused the head gasket to fail and the car was off the road for almost 3 weeks.

Various other problems with wheel bearings, dampers, suspension and electrical stuff also happened.

I can't recall any time when I had it that the car actually worked 100% properly.

Fuel consumption poor for a 1.6, struggled to get above 35mpg even on a long run.

Not very nice to drive, not helped by suspension problems.

Skidded too easily in the wet, especially the front end. New tyres made no difference.

Seats too hard & gave me cramp on long runs.

Dealers were hopeless. I tried 3 but they were all the same and very expensive.

Would never buy another VW after this experience.