Faults:

2002 - Mass air flow sensor replaced (under warranty).

2003 - Window clips replaced (under warranty).

2003 - Brake light sensor replaced (under warranty).

2004 - Broken armrest.

2006 - Water pump replaced (under warranty).

2008 - Check engine light came on and loss of power - resulted in ONE bad spark plug wire... which I paid the dealer $200 to replace! Ouch.

2009 - Check engine light came on the next year with the same symptoms as the previous year. I took it to Pep Boys and had them replace all my wires and spark plugs. Replacing spark plug wires one by one would have been very costly! Check engine light gone and issue fixed.

2010/5 - Power steering fluid leak. Had a family mechanic check it out and he replaced the front axle (rebuilt).

2010/6/22 - Check engine light. The car has trouble starting at times. Currently at the dealer. Turns out I need to replace a multi-function sensor for the check engine light. Also having them look at the transmission not going into reverse at times. Transmission issue should be covered under drivetrain warranty (10 years/100k?) We'll see...

General Comments:

I like the looks of this car, but it's cheaper to fix the darn thing than to get a new car at this point.

Faults:

Ever since I bought this car, it has been nothing but trouble. When I first bought the car, the right tail light went out on the way home. Then the check engine light came on. The dealership I bought it from fixed it, but that resulted in another check engine light on and replacement.

The tail lights go out every other month on every other side.

The e-brake cables kept coming undone from the handle. When I took everything apart and assembled back together, it only continued to undo itself again.

The car will also lock and alarm itself without the key fab. I've had the car lock with the key in the ignition more than once, and I've learned to always have a window down.

The seats are a pain to clean. Lint is almost permanently embedded into them and hard to remove.

General Comments:

The only good thing about this car is the sun roof.

Faults:

ABS dash light was on. After doing a brake job on this unit, I noticed the rear ABS notches are made from a metal basket, which wraps around the rear hub. Most companies have machined notches right on the hub. This metal basket rusts prematurely, and not only does it malfunction, but it jams up against the sensor and ruins it also. Thus "German engineering" is quite lacking here.

The heater blower was defective and a replacement motor is approx.$300.00. They've got to be kidding!!! Found one in a scrap yard for $80.00; still expensive, but not $300.00 plus taxes.

If I could not fix this vehicle, I certainly could not afford to keep it going.

General Comments:

This is a great car, and it still handles well.