2003 Volkswagen Golf GT TDi 130 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Gearbox replaced under warranty at just 3,500 miles.

Loose trim on B pillar and in boot.

Central locking failed completely.

Water leaking into passenger footwell (was told this caused the central locking problem). From experience, was very sceptical this would be fixed, but to be fair it was, and first time.

PAS rack popped a seal and blew out all the PAS fluid.

Passenger window regulator broke up.

Outer CV joints started knocking (both sides, one 6,000 miles after the other)

Tailgate wiring loom needed replacing.

Three separate oil leaks. Two were fixed satisfactorily, but the third may necessitate a complete replacement engine as the block appears to have a hairline crack in it. I'm told this is not the only one the dealer has seen.

At the time of writing, the car also has a defective CD player, a creaking seat and a lazy passenger electric window, but it is sitting at the dealership while I am driving the seventh courtesy car since I picked up this Golf.

I'm something of a VW fan, having owned a mk3 Golf CL TDI before this, and a mk2 Golf GTi 8v before that. Both were great cars racking up 155,000 and 134,000 miles respectively without missing a beat.

I will leave it to your interpretation of the fault list above to tell you what I think of this mk4 Golf.

I am told all the above faults bar the CV joints, (blamed on "duff parts") are common faults on the mk4 Golf, and I have since read a couple of used car guides and surveys which rate the car well behind the Focus and the Japanese competition for reliability. How is it that the Golf's reputation for engineering solidity, something which until last year I would have defended to the hilt, seems to survive unblemished?

As for a new engine being required at 42,000 miles in a considerately driven diesel VW with FVWSH, I believe this illustrates on its own just how bad things have got.

Owning this car has been like a bad dream.

VW reputation for reliability survives because it takes more than a couple of years to build (or bring down) a valuable brand image. I recently read that it took Audi almost 20 years (mid'70 to mid '90) to be perceived as a prestige brand rather than a firm producing durable mass-market bland cars (the contemporary example being Opel/Vauxhall).

However one thing is sure: VW quality isn't what it used to be, as illustrated by this reader's ownership of a Golf II and a Golf IV. I, too, have a friend with a Golf II GTI 8v with 340000 km on the clock and practically nil oil consumption. What are the chances of a (turbo'ed) Golf GTI IV cracking the same number of miles? Based on the number of sad blue faces next to Golf's and Jetta's reviews in this web site, I am very skeptical.

I had similar problems with my 2.0 petrol. Oil all over the new paved driveway due to a blown oil seal. Needless to say there was no way VW would help with getting the damaged drive renewed!

More electrical problems than I could count especially windows and engine sensors (temperature probe, lambda sensors, ECU, alternator, central locking, alarm, window motors burned out). You are lucky that you can get a courtesy car, I always had to wait 3 weeks to get one and even then it was a miserable Polo 1.2E with no fuel in it.

Tried to trade this piece of junk in after 18 months and suffered appalling depreciation (£8,000) with the dealer who sold it to me.

It was my third and last Golf. Previously I had a MkII that had over 140k miles on the clock when it was finall sold.

VW Golf MkIV - over priced, over rated, poor service and not that good to drive.

Volkswagen have changed, the reliability is not good, dealership service worse. I have owned (consecutively!) :

Golf 3 GL TDi 1997

Golf 4 GT TDi 1998

Passat PD TDi 2000

Polo 16V 1998.

Problems on all cars, I love the brand, but shame about reliability and dealership experience. Each time my mind says don't buy another VW, but the heart over rules this!

The brain says, "buy a Toyota Corolla!", Heart says "No, way!!", and ladies and gents, of course the mind is right, and I hate to admit it!

I have a 1998 Golf GT TDI. It starts fine when cold, but after being left for about twenty minutes, it has to be turned over several times. I would be so pleased if someone has any ideas. cliveatvagg@aol.com.

Was this a Wolfsburg (VWW start on VIN) or Uitenhage (VWSA start on VIN) car?

I am also appalled by the MK5 Golf, my current MK4 GT TDI has been pretty reliable so far. (98,000 miles)

" Touch Wood " My Golf GT TDI 130 2003 has been spot on! Services have been carried out when due. Bought the car in 2005. Previous owner had racked up business miles only.

Now done 91,000 with a current motorway MPG of 50.4.

Reviews I read regarding the Golf claim that the MkIV was a better engine than the recent MkV. The MkIv will hold its value much better. Even the mechanics at VW have told me similar.

Sometimes people get a car from a poor batch, Sometimes people buy cars secondhand without the true knowledge of the cars previous treatment. And some people thrash their cars about expecting them to last an age! Baffles me when I see cars on the hardshoulder no less than a year or two old broken down! Do they never look under the hood?