1997 Volkswagen GTI VR6 review from North America

Ignition switch @ 63k.

Right ball joint @ 72k.

This car really has been a pleasure to own. Sometimes the maintenance costs can be a bit high ($135 for brake pads), but if you can't keep up with the regular maintenance on these vehicles don't bother buying one, because your going to have problems. This is the most versatile vehicle I have ever owned. It's a blast on the highway, yet it's an awesome city car. Camping for a weekend is no problem, the car will swallow anything you need. The only thing which ticked me off was the ignition switch. The problem was that because the headlights come on when you turn the vehicle on, the headlights wouldn't turn on when you needed them. But if you played with the switch they would come on. I've heard some not so positive things about the newer models, too bad, hopefully they get it worked out. My paint and interior are both in good shape, as I am pretty meticulous about it. My recommendations for anyone looking to buy one of these would be to buy from a respectable source, and don't buy anything which you can't talk to the previous owner and get its maintenance history. A true VW enthusiast will love to talk about his previous car. There's a lot of pounded GTI's out there, but a keen eye can pick out the right one easily. Now VW better get their act together so I can buy a new one!