1997 Volkswagen Golf CL from North America - Comments

30th Jun 2004, 18:16

"Makes me smile whenever I drive it!"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

Starter replaced at 90 000 km.

Constantly leaks coolant liquid, despite having been repaired recently. As it is now summer, I keep a close eye on it.

Door moldings keep falling off (I've given up on fixing them).

I've had the electrical components (fans, windshield wipers) fail on me on two separate occasions. I don't know why, but restarting the engine fixed the problem.

I've replaced three mufflers and am beginning to have serious rust problems, but this is due to tough Quebec winters (they go heavy on the salt).

General comments?

I love my Golf, but I will not buy another Volkswagen product. I almost traded it in for a 2003 CL, but was turned off by the apparent lack of quality. I figured I was better off by keeping it.

It handles really well and is dependable and fun to drive. I love how I feel driving it. It is the perfect size for zipping in and out of city traffic.

Fuel consumption is very good (mine is gas-powered).

I gave up going to the dealer after being treated poorly. I now have it serviced at independent shops and have no complaints.

I've been wanting to change cars for awhile now, but I can't find anything that even comes close to making me want to trade in my Golf. All in all, it's a great little car.


30th Jun 2004, 21:05

When I wrote this comment, I was sure I would get the yellow smiley face. Therefore, my opening comment looks a little silly next to a blue sad face!

My car is a blast to drive, cheap to run and dependable. Would I recommend it to anyone? Probably, as long as they get a base model with very few options (all I have is key-less entry). The more options you add on a Volkswagen, the more chances there are of something breaking.

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