Faults:

Check engine light came up 3 times. Mass air flow sensor replaced twice. Had difficulty starting after gas fill-up, until sensor was replaced. No problem since.

Had to replace faulty cup holder. Have noticed door flap no longer closes properly.

Right-side hinge has broken on glove box.

General Comments:

Extremely smooth V6 engine

One of the best looking compact sedans on the market.

I recommend the leather option and Monsoon Sound package.

I opted for the fully loaded VR6 over the higher priced BMW 3 series because it's quite similar, but a lot cheaper.

Faults:

Aside from the fact that the power window elevator has a bad reputation (I had to replace the driver side twice and the passenger side once), parts availability seems to get the better half. My water pump went out at 40,000 Kilometers and it took the dealership 17 days to ship it in. Also, as part of a bad design on the air intake, I do not recommend driving this vehicle into moderate water rise (above 10 inches). Air intake sucked the water right in, after it had washed up over my left headlight, causing serious damage and a full engine replacement. I will not go into details, but it was NOT a flood and a mistake on my behalf. This would not have happened if the air intake would be a tad higher and back from the left headlight.

General Comments:

Generally, this vehicle has all the bells and whistles, drives like a charm, awesome torque and above average horsepower for a car this size. Suspension needs an upgrade and if you happen to own one with manual transmission, I suggest you get the chip upgrade and air filter. Be prepared to switch your O2 sensor around 50000 km.

Faults:

Oxygen sensor replaced 3 times before recall was announced.

Makes a rumbling noise when turning. VW has never been able to determine what the problem is.

Glove box hinge broke.

Latch on arm rest broke (fixed myself).

Burns oil like crazy.

Temperature gauge broke.

Needed new brakes at 24000 miles.

Screws fell out of driver's door and the locking assembly fell out of place.

Driver's window fell out (in December in NJ). This also happened to my friend's car. They fix it, but use the same faulty part so it is only a matter of time when until the windows fall out again.

General Comments:

I love the way the car handles and looks, but it is put together with scotch tape and rubber bands.

VW service is horrible. They do not call when the car is ready and do not return calls at all. Actually, that's not entirely true. They once called me to tell me the car was ready to be picked up (3 days after I had already gone and picked it up!)

It is not just my car. I know several other people who have had serious problems with VW. I will never buy another VW again.