2002 Volkswagen Polo SE from UK and Ireland - Comments

Interior is beset with rattles. Dash removed and re-fitted, but rattles remain.

The car vibrated severely at motorway speeds. Traced to unbalanced wheels and faulty suspension mounts.

The ECU has been replaced and loaded with new software. Instrument binnacle also replaced, but still get repeated ECU and engine warning lights.

Boot lining hanging down and boot light hanging by wires.

Car failed to start one very cold morning (ECU software flooded engine).

Stain on the rear seat when delivered and a cigarette burn on the carpet.

The paint is very soft (chips easily) and one side of the car has been resprayed because the paint "reacted" with the clear coat (lots of very small bubbles in paint).

When first collected, the bonnet was not on its hinges straight. The passenger door shut flush with the bodywork, but the driver's door sat proud.

I bought this car as my first VW, expecting to enjoy the supposedly legendary German build quality and reliability. However, my experiences have left me wondering if this is more a myth than a legend.

Overall, I love the appearance and road manners. It's great fun to drive and enjoys being pushed hard, with bags of grip, a nice exhaust note and acceptable performance for a 1.4. The interior design is excellent, with lots of nice "touches", such as neoprene linings to all the storage compartments to stop things rattling around and the chrome door pulls.

However, I am thinking of selling after eight months of trouble-filled motoring.

I had been considering buying a Polo to replace my 3 year old Renault Megane (bit of a down-size, I know), but having read the reviews here of the new type Polo, including this review, it seems I'd be wiser not to bother.

Not one owner seems to have avoided a raft of problems, which I find astonishing given that my Megane, from the supposedly shoddy Renault marque (in comparison to VW that is - so the motoring press tell us!), hasn't given me the slightest hint of trouble in 3 years.

Don't buy a Polo, my Polo is the worst built VW I've owned in 20 years of driving VW's and Audi's. Buy a Skoda Fabia. My nephew is on his second, and the build quality puts even some Audis to shame. My next car will be a Fabia VRS diesel.

I have one more car with engine alarms lighting up. I have driven two years and 17.000km and had it repaired four times and this morning lights went on one more time... very disappointed.

Hi.

I really enjoyed this review, and feel you have given a real true and fair insight into life with your Polo weighing up the pro and the cons. It really helps those of us who are considering investing our money in a Polo.

To those who have replied and say the Skoda Fabia is better - I am not disagreeing, but this makes the Polo even more appalling when you consider the Fabia is based on the same base and made in the same factory as the Polo!

Does anybody have an answer from Volkswagen about the engine alarm light? In Portugal nobody knows! I am tired of having this problem. Is the worst car I have ever had... next time somebody speaks badly about the quality of a Citroen or a Land Rover I will tell them to buy a Volkswagen, so they can see what really are car problems!

I have had my Polo 1.2 Comfort line for 5 years now... and this last 6 months everything went wrong with it! Changed the engine last January... and now the ECRU is gone haywire... so have to change that! This Polo has cost me too much, OK it is a safe drive and fun, but the expenses and troubles it has now, have seriously overlapped the good points of this car!

I will not buy a Polo again!