The usual…

Nothing new here, just thought I’d throw a few twigs on the fire…

2000 Golf, bought new

1. 21k miles: car turns over; won’t start – engine coolant temperature sensor replaced

2. 36k miles: as above…

3. 44k miles: after endless complaining about car burning oil, and the techs explaining that its not burning but consuming… all perfectly normal… finally a ring job is performed.

While in, they perform the oxygen sensor recall and fix the left window… we all know what happens with the windows…

4. 47k miles headlight replaced (the third…)

5. 53k miles: rear brakes (would be reasonable except it is the second set…)

6. 57k miles: burning oil again… float replaced

7. 58k miles: mass air flow sensor replaced; ending the check engine light (for good), after having them reset it at least 5-6 times.

8. 62k miles: interior light on instrument panel

9. currently at 67k miles: the interior dome light doesn’t work, the car is burning oil again (about a quart a week, although the last fix made it almost 10k miles…), and due to the poor design of the upper door seal (it has a velvety surface that absorbs water) every winter when it rains and then freezes my doors freeze shut and I have to poor room temperature water on the doors to open them.

This is the most problem prone car I have ever owned. If you check jd powers, the car ranks near the bottom in both initial quality and three year reliability (only suzuki, kia, and daewoo are worse…) Never again. Car drives and looks great, but clearly subpar manufacturing in Mexico and Brazil and/or poor design from a reliability standpoint make this car a very, very poor choice…

Toyota or Honda next, it seems clear, or at least a Ford, which may break more than Toyota or Honda (but less than vw according to JD Powers) but costs less to fix…