I want to get an honest answer about VW's.?

Question 1
I want to get an honest answer about VW's.?...  I'm looking at Jetta's and GTI's. Either 6 or 4cyl turbo's. Used. Prob around 12grand and under.(99-06. But i keep hearing that they are unreliable cars and break down a lot. Who can tell me other wise? Or are they really unreliable cars?

Answers
1)   google it - Alison

2)   i think they are fairly reliable... but considering ive never owned one, you'd better research it a bit. - ☮ Flo ☮

3)   Well I have a cabrio and I hate it! (it's only about 10 years old)
Water leaks in when it rains. The alarm "sticks" when it's cold out - I'll be driving and suddenly the alarm goes off. ><
I also hear the tires lean somewhat inwards, and mine got so bad that I had to get the whole front wheel thingy (excuse my car language) replaced earlier this year. The tires would wear out like once a month and I'd have to buy new ones.
The only thing I like is the radio, lol

Now this may just be the quirks of my car, but you know... - Soapy

4)   I have owned 2 VWs in my life (not the same model you're looking at) and I WOULD NEVER OWN ANOTHER ONE! In 12 months, I had one in the shop 16 times, and that was all before I hit 40k! I've replaced just about everything, big and small and it's all expensive. Electrical is a NIGHTMARE. My boyfriend is a mechanic and he will tell you that VWs and Audi's are the worst cars on the road and are the most expensive to fix. Replacing a headlight in a VW for example is almost $100 because you half to take out half the motor just to get to the headlight!!!! - Stina

5)   They do have quite a bit of electrical problems

Edit: LOL
Motorhead is clearly a VW fan.
I would suggest you buy a VW, they keep me in business. - Sunny

6)   Cars are like life Good and Bad in a forum like this you will get many assorted answers however VW like any other make these days are "if serviced properly , maintained properly , and treated properly " will perform well , however treat them like junk and that's what you end up driving and complaining about
Just make sure that the inspection on any used car is comprehensive and unbiased
Happy motoring - Barking_Dog

7)   None of these answers knows anything about cars, much less VWs.
VW is probably one of the finest cars on the road.
They do not have electrical problems, and I have changed the headlight in less they 2 minutes.
What makes them so great is that unlike Japanese cars, they keep the parts the same for as long as possible, so there is much less difficulty getting after market replacements for less.
It is a more practical car than something like Mercedes, Volvo, or Lexus, so it fewer expensive options to break.
Japanese cars are much worse because they will constantly change parts suppliers, so it can be very difficult getting the proper replacements. German engineering is also much more durable. There was a period around 1993 when they tried transferring some production to Mexico, and they had quality control issues for 2 years back then. But that is all.
The only more reliable cars are far more expensive, and much less fun to drive. Just look at the resale values. A used WV sells for more than almost any other car, on a percentage basis. That means customer satisfaction. I have had dozens of VWs, and they were all great. I have also owned lot of Jaguars, Mercedes, Alphas,Hondas, Toyotas, etc., and while there are some others with good points, the WV is clearly the easiest to maintain. - Motorhead

8)   I used to own a 2003 Jetta, nice car, but it burned to much oil, and I always have an oil change every 3 months and not every 3000 miles. Every time I go to a oil change shop same place I go to all the time, they always tell me, you almost have no oil in your car, and thats crazy...I've heard from a friend that he have a similar problem with his Passat, I hope it was just a coincidence, but it wasn't. I'm not buying a VW again until they fix that problem, here is website that you could check out, http://www.myvwlemon.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true
and I hope this will help you, good luck! - G_a

9)   OK, my turn.
I own a 2006 GTI with 53k reliable miles on it. After almost 5 yrs. of ownership, I still smile every time I get behind the leather wrapped steering wheel. Yes , its that good!
My wife drives a 2005 Jetta. Bullet-proof at 85k miles.
My son adores his 2008 Rabbit. Braggs on its durability all the time.
My sister still drives her 2000 Golf everywhere. Even with 150,000 miles on it ;it has never let her down. I really try not to be biased in favor of VWs , but my experience with them has always been great. If they were unreliable, I certainly would not buy or own them.
I have owned several other brands of car [Ford, Mazda, Toyota,etc.]. All good cars in their own right. But when I drove my 1st VW at a test drive years ago, I knew this was the marque for me. There really is a difference. Other cars can get you from A to B; boring, no driver involvement.
VWs, however are 1st of all pure driver's cars. They track better, have superior road holding, and at the same time are practical and get great MPG. For most people driving is a chore. Not so with VW; they inspire passion.
Consider this; VW sold 6.4 Million cars last year. All those people can't be wrong..... sure, they are not perfect. No car is. Even stalwarts like Toyota and Honda make mistakes; witness the millions of safety recalls both are going thru now.
You desired an honest answer; hope this helps. - fenton

10)   Vws are great cars, but they need to be well maintained. If you buy used, just make sure it has good service records, if it doesn't look for one with a good set of records. That way you know what has been done, and what needs to be done. The turbos require more maintenance than the non turbos, you might want to check out the TDIs, also. I have drove VWs since high school, nothing but praise, don't get me wrong, have cursed a few, but I tend to buy them that need a lil work.. I have friends in the local VW club that have 500K on their gassers, and over a million miles on their diesels, and wouldn't drive anything else! If you buy a car that has been abused and beat, with nothing done to it, you will have someone elses problem, and sink lots of money in it , and bash VWs like all the dipweeds around here! - onlyoldiron4me


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Question 2
Is my VW considered "air cooled"?...  I have a 1987 VW Golf of America. I believe that its considered air cooled. I know it uses the radiator fan to cool it because I always here it turn on when the car gets hot. Anyone know?

Answers
1)   It has a radiator, but it has a radiator fan to cool down the radiator. It's not air-cooled. - TheMechanic

2)   It is water cooled and the radiator is proof of that. Early VW's were air cooled like the Beetle and Micro-Bus - DynaFlowHum

3)   No. If it has a radiator it is water cooled not air cooled. - T.J.

4)   no, if an engine uses a radiator it is an watercooled engine - MR pointy head

5)   VW stopped manufacturing 'air cooled' engines many years ago in most countries/markets.
All Golfs, Jettas, Boras, GTIs, New Beetles, Passats, Touregs, Tiguans, etc. are water-cooled.
The fact that you have a radiator [it is filled with water and a chemical coolant , usually a 50/50 ratio] means that your Golf is water-cooled.
Hearing the fan [its electrically operated] come on is usually normal. The air flow when the fan is on helps keep the water in the radiator cool.
Be sure you keep an eye on the water level in the radiator. If it gets too low, you can damage the engine.
My suggestion would be to get a Manual for your Golf. Either the owner's manual or a similar Repair Manual. Many costly repairs can be avoided by reading/knowing how to maintain a vehicle.
I had an 86 Golf which I kept for 14 years. It never let me down.
Hope this helps..... Thanks for the question, it lets me help others, and isnt that what its all abt? - fenton

6)   Your MKII is Watercooled. No argument with a VW fanatic, it's water cooled. - TriNStylZ


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Question 3
VW bug. Has anyone heard of coolant leaking into the oil and if its a safety issue wouldnt it be recalled?...  

Answers
1)   old bugs were air-cooled, no coolant, new beetles , you have a bad head gasket or head! - onlyoldiron4me

2)   Coolant leaking into the oil is caused by Cylinder Head Gasket failure. The failure in turn is usually because you allowed the engine to overheat. It is not a safety issue, just ridiculously expensive to fix and no, there will never be a recall for something like that. It can happen on any car. - Mark F

3)   It's not a safety issue, it's not anything that should be 'recalled' it's something that can happen to all vehicles and should just be fixed. Go to a shop and get it diagnosed and fixed or do it yourself. - TriNStylZ

4)   A certain amount of water will condense in the oil from the products of combustion, so if you see foamy scum on the oil cap, that is not enough to worry about. But if you see milky oil on the dip stick, then you probably have a serious head gasket problem. The way to be certain is to rent an cooling system pressurization pump. It is basically just an air pump that replaces the radiator cap. You pump it up to whatever the cap is rated to, probably 17 pounds, and then see if it holds pressure. If the water is leaking, it won't. If the head gasket needs to be done, it will be about $1000, and more if the head has to be milled from being warped due to over heating. And make sure they change the thermostat as well, since an over heated engine ruins the thermostat too. It is not a likely recall item, because it is usually driver error, unless they have a rash of them because of a defective part or something. - Motorhead

5)   I have never seen a bad head gasket on a water cooled VW leak in to the oil. But I have seen the add on oil cooler (oil Stabilizer) that is water cooled intermix the oil in to the water and vice versa.

There isn't a recall because crap happens on older water cooled vw's and this is just another part that can wear out.

If you look at your oil filter flange and you have a square box that sits under the flange and above the filter, with two radiator hoses off of it, then you have the VW oil cooler which is more of a oil stabilizer as it ties the oil temp to the radiator fluid temp, and they are know to intermix with older. - Briano


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Question 4
How many people can fit in a 2000 VW New Beetle?...  I am 5'9" and my husband is 6'. We have 6,7, and 9 year old kids. Will we be able to fit everyone in the car?

Answers
1)   you can only fit 4 ppl in their roughly!!!
my GF had this car horrible space to carry things or ppl lol - Jfx90

2)   Trick question? Yes, but don't inhale. - elge13

3)   Keep it cozy, go ahead and have the kids bring their friends along. You
might be ok for the time being, but when your pre-teens hit teen years
you will need a minivan or crossover type vehicle. - Pat

4)   It depends.
Are the people fat, or skinny?
If they are Skinny are they really really Skinny?
Are they alive or Dead?
If they are Dead are they embalmed, or cremated? (get a ton of more cremated folks in one.)

Chances are that your family will fit in one for a while. I had 3 kids in the back of my MK1 rabbit with the wife for many a cross country jaunts. But as they grew to be about 10.8, and 6 we sought a bigger car. - Briano

5)   My wife and I had a 1999 New Beetle. Fabulous car.
Truly capacious up front. A 7-footer could sit comfortably there. No kidding.
Yes it will fit your children in the back seat. However, I would not recommend doing so.
The NB only has two sets of seat belts in the back . It is a 4 passenger car.
So legally and for safety, the NB is not for your family.
We were in the same 'tight spot ' as you years ago. So we sold the NB.
We were so impressed with the NBs quality that we bought a VW Jetta to replace it. Best decision we made, as the Jetta held all 5 of us in comfort and safety.
And we can carry Kayaks, Canoes, Bikes on the top of the car, and still have over 16 cubic feet of trunk room for assorted gear and clothes, etc. The trunk is really cavernous!
We still miss our bug; if VW ever stretches one to 4 doors and a large trunk [lol] we would be 1st in line..... - fenton


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Question 5
What is the best way to drain the diesel tank on a vw bora, there was about 25 L petrol put into it?...  

Answers
1)   Use a siphon pump. - Smokies Hiker

2)   Go down your local market or motor factor and buy a syphon pump (about £5), get all the petrol out then put a few liters of diesel in it and re-syphon it out to flush it out.

Do not start the engine with the wrong fuel in it! - T

3)   drill a hole in the tank and light a match - Glen C

4)   Hey David if you did not put the petrol in I would be getting the tank removed, drained , cleaned and reinstalled professionally at the person who made the mistakes expense OR take the tank out myself and clean it , a siphon will not remove all the contaminants you can try but check with a professional face to face first - Barking_Dog

5)   Jiggle Pipe from Halfords £15 approx done in no time Use wisely xD - tinkerman


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