Faults:

The electrical lighting to light the brake lights and automatic headlights has to be replaced fairly often I would say every 6 months.

General Comments:

This car corners well and has excellent speed and control at the same time. It is very quiet for a volkswagen in comparison to VW of the past and the trunk space is huge.

Faults:

Paint peeling on front bumper (repaired under warranty)

Broken glove box door (repaired under warranty).

Oil cooler leak (repaired under warranty).

Failed water pump (repaired under warranty).

Failed mass-airflow sensor (no longer covered by warranty, but replaced under warranty as a "goodwill" repair).

Coolant leak from coolant glow plug.

Suspension squeak (never repaired).

Front suspension bushings (wear item, due to very bad roads where I live)

General Comments:

Outstanding fuel economy, the car would routinely exceed 60 miles per imperial gallon on the highway, with a high of 68 mpg once while driving at the speed limit.

Very good handling.

Excellent brakes.

Very pleasant to drive, quiet at highway speeds.

Limited rear seat room.

Spotty reliability especially nearing warranty expiry.

This car had many problems just prior to warranty expiry, but the dealer, Volkswagen dealer in Rock Forest, Quebec, Canada, was outstanding, one of the best I ever dealt with. They fought VW on my behalf for the mass-airflow sensor without any prompting on my part, when they diagnosed the problem with the car.

I would consider another one, but would trade it in when the warranty expires.

Faults:

The car has gone through several O2 sensors.

The fuel pump broke under warranty.

The Mass Air Filter broke under warranty.

General Comments:

The car is well rounded, it is peppy and handles great.

It is very quite inside with plenty of room for its size.

The build quality is up to par with BMW's and other more expensive cars.

Other than "new model glitches" the car has been very reliable.

It looks great and sporty, no offensive angles like on American cars.

The aftermarket parts business is for this car is huge, it is a popular tuner car.

Faults:

I bought the car with a few minor problems, such as my gas cap latch was broken, nothing major. Within a month of having it, here are some problems I didn't expect:

I had to replace the engine because I had rod bearing pieces in my oil and all through out my car.

Two weeks later my alternator went out and I had to replace that.

General Comments:

I love everything about my car, from the lights, to the look of the car, to my gas mileage.

What I don't like is that Volkswagen puts this high reputation out for people to believe, and then falls short of that quality.

Faults:

Oxygen sensors went out on a monthly basis. After replacing five within a six month time period, I asked the dealer about a recall. None had been issued.

Window regulator went out causing the drivers side window to fall into the door. This happened while my wife was driving at highway speeds. She nearly wrecked and killed herself.

The sunroof had to be repaired after it would not close due to an issue with the track.

Fuel Pump Relay had to be replaced. Springs fell out of the seats. CD changer worked on an off and on basis. Stereo and Climate Control back lights quit working.

The computer had a glitch at 50,000 miles causing the A/C compressor to kick off if the engine was running under 2000 rpm. The only fix was to replace the computer at a cost of $1100. Windshield wipers fell off randomly while driving even after replacing entire arm mechanism.

General Comments:

I will NEVER own another VW product. The customer service was the worst I've ever dealt with. The service managers, mechanics, even down to the lady who took payment were all very rude. I've worked on every vehicle I've owned. I'm a decent mechanic and I know what makes a car work. These peope treated me like a moron. They just wouldn't come to terms with the fact that they were dealing with a bad product.

VW never issued recalls on the issues I mentioned above. They never took responsibility for selling an overpriced piece of junk. My wife now drives a Nissan Maxima (a MUCH nicer car with more room, more HP, more options, much greater reliability in the same price range). We love it. We've learned to stick with Nissan and Honda. Better price, better service, and much better reliability.

I hope someone from Volkswagen reads this. I tell everyone I possibly can about my experience. If I could, I'd put VW out of business. They're a terrible company and deserve what they get.