Faults:

In cold temperatures the 'Interlock System' freezes and the driver must wait 15-25 minutes until it "thaws".

Left too long in drive or neutral without heat on the floor the 'Interlock System' will again freeze and one must sit until it un-thaws (can take upwards of 30 minutes)

General Comments:

I fell in love with this car the minute I sat in it! It has been a real joy to drive, however the problems with the 'Interlock System' has made it a pain to drive in cold weather and has therefore tainted my opinion of the VW Golf.

Faults:

Accelerator cable was bad upon delivery of vehicle, causing minor accident and almost causing major accident. Accelerator components were signed off on by delivering agent as operable.

Electrical system seems to be malfunctioning, dash-lights, headlights, brake lights and large strip brake light all stopped working within a 3 week period.

Check engine light illuminated at 29900 miles, cause was said to have been CO2 sensor and engine coolant sensor.

Rear brakes require replacement after 29900 miles of normal driving.

General Comments:

My experience with my Volkswagen Golf has been nothing but a disaster. With so many problems on a two year old car, I expressed my concerns to Volkswagen customer care. They are completely unwilling to discuss the matter with me and claim that all of the problems with my Golf are normal.

Faults:

Driver's seat had a snapping noise when you pushed back into the seat. I had the dealer replace it under warranty a month or so after I bought it. It turned out to be a bad seat frame.

Both rear window motors were also replaced under warranty, due to a pinch sensor failure. The rear windows, when raised, sometimes would go up, pause, then go back down. The dealer said this is a common problem with both the Jetta and Golf four-doors.

General Comments:

This car is awesome! I love it. Bought it brand new. All the options I wanted, and the dealership ordered it from another dealer, got it within 48 hours.

It gets great mileage. Latest trip was 1700 miles, and with the air conditioning running, 80 MPH on cruise control, I got about 47 MPG. That's comfortably over 600 miles between fill-ups when highway driving.

Performance is surprisingly good with the TDI. Yes, it's a diesel, but it's turbo-ed, so it drives like a normal car. Handling is a little soft, I hear the GTI isn't much firmer.

Inside, it's pretty comfortable. I've driven 13 hour trips with this non-stop, with no complaints. Cargo room is excellent with the seats folded down. I moved recently, and hauled over 600 pounds of stuff without a problem. (Still got 45-46 MPG with air blasting)

Can't praise this car enough! Would definitely recommend to anyone. My wife even has the 2001 Jetta GLS TDI with similar accolades.