1998 Volkswagen Golf GTi from UK and Ireland - Comments

Rattly driver's door.

Won't start if left for a week.

Rear wash wipe.

Cup holders.

Alarm.

Alternator.

Various other rattles from the dash.

Discards wheel caps with great regularity.

Engine good, quiet and punchy, if thirsty.

Suspension a cock-up being too soft for decent handling, yet bouncy on the motorway. Steering a bit dead and mushy, lacking in feel.

Build quality did not meet expectations, and reliability has not been good.

Blue dashboard is nice though and the Recaro seats are good.

A Golf GTi was the car I always wanted - beginning to wish I hadn't bothered myself! The illusion is much greater than the reality I'm afraid.

I'm surprised you say all this. I've had no such problems with my Turbo and I suspect that yours may well be a one-off. This is my second GTI (the first being a 1990 Mk2 Golf) and the quality is BMW good. I don't find the steering to be much of a problem and my car certainly isn't bouncy on the motorway (it is the only Golf fitted with sports suspension as standard in the range).

Perhaps my only gripe is that things start getting noisy at speeds over 100mph. Otherwise everything is AOK!

I'm surprised too, I posted the other GTiT review. I have had no such problems. Yes the handling is too soft but this also makes it forgiving on rough roads.

Further to my original entry on this car, I have more to add.

Rear washer has broken 4 times, soaking the alarm circuits causing constant triggering of the alarm.

Car has covered 40000 miles - now requires 2 new rear wheel bearings apparently.

Drivers mirror on visor disintegrated.

Cup holders disintegrated again.

Door rattles on Right Hand corners.

Not the only car to have these faults. I know of another 4 and all have had one or all of the faults I have listed.

I too have had the rear wash wipe problem, has failed 4 times now and triggers the alarm when its enabled or disabled, (basically the cat1 alarm decides someone is trying to thieve it!! was very nice for 4 days at christmas when the dealers were shut) and the official vw line is... wait for it... use vw screen wash. When challenged the dealers they say they can fix it, but cannot guarantee that it won't happen again. It wouldn't be so bad if the back wheels didn't spray up onto the back window now would it.?