Faults:

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.

Faults:

At 72000 miles the airbag light began flashing on and off periodically. It happens more often during the winter when the heat is on. It is also compounded when I take a rough road, so I'd imagine that it is a bad connection, hopefully in the warning light panel, and not in the airbag system itself. I have not taken it to the dealership because I have reliable sources that have explained that it is not a danger.

At 75k miles the upper rubber hose that connect to the PCV valve literally blew in half during an aggressive downshift.

Driver's seat, left bottom bolster detached and sank very early on in the car's life (maybe 10k miles?)

Fuba antenna deteriorated badly around the 30k mile mark. This is a common problem for rust belt drivers.

Exhaust rusted through just before the muffler at around 73k miles, but was easily replaced with an aftermarket (cat back) system for around $200.

I can do much of my own work on the car, so I have not had to take it in to the local dealer to have them fix it. I have worked for dealerships in the past and can confidently say that they are in the business to take advantage of folks who do not have mechanical knowledge, and take their money. Find a mechanic that you can trust who specializes in the car that you own, and use that person for any service not covered under warranty.

Several very minor rust bubbles have started to appear. I didn't notice them until a close inspection of the paint after washing. These are mostly at the bottom of the doors, and under the hatch release button. They are typical of a car of this age, and easily fixed.

General Comments:

Over all, this 2.0 K2 Golf has been an excellent car. The extras (moon roof, heated seats-mirrors-washer nozzles) have continued to work perfectly for 7 years and 75k+ miles.

Oil consumption is very low for a car at this point in it's life, and except for the very few problems mentioned above, it's been a great buy.

Being informed about checking fluids, brakes, and tire wear has saved me thousands of dollars with this, and every other VW that I've owned.