Faults:

My vehicle has had several maintenance problems, but mostly they have been part of recalls. Only once, at about 60,000 miles, did I have to pay out of pocket ($700) to have the fuel injection pump replaced, but a couple weeks later I received the recall paperwork for that specific part and was reimbursed for the out of pocket expense.

At about 85,000 miles I had to take the car to the dealership for another recall. They put me in a rental car and fixed the recall problem at no cost to me.

Now at 108,000 miles I have to pay $4,200 out of pocket to fix the engine block. This is the most I have ever had to pay for this car.

I like the car, but I am scared that it will cost me more in long run. Other than minor wear and tear, and parts that have needed replacing, this car has been good to me.

General Comments:

I love the outer structure of the vehicle. The interior is beautiful. I have the gray leather seats, and a lot of trunk space. My favorite thing is the neon blue light.

Faults:

I didn't encounter any problems at all with this car.

At 42000 miles I did the 40K inspection at the dealership where I purchased the car. Besides the regular 40k inspection two open recalls (water pump and heated seats) were resolved.

As long as you keep the up with the maintenance plan, I found Volkswagen very reliably (so was my 2000 GTI). I did not encounter any of the problems other user seems to have on both cars.

General Comments:

This car was very reliable for me so far. Since purchase 10 month ago I already drove 12000 miles with this car.

Even on hot weather, I drove through Death Valley and around Moab a lot last Summer, I did not encounter any problems. The AC works very well on this car, compared to my earlier car, which was a Volkswagen GTI 2000.

As I live in Colorado, I really like the big trunk space and the fold-back rear seats. I frequently carry my skis and mountain bike with me on the weekend so for me the trunk space was a huge issue when buying this car.

I wouldn't recommend keeping the standard all season tires (15" 195x65) as there are quite poor on slippery mountain roads.

I'm very impressed with the fit and finish of the cabin interior. The Monsoon stereo system is a must have. Seats are very comfortable on long trips. Full economy is fine for a non-diesel car, I get around 31mpg (top was 38mpg on I-70 in Utah) on the interstate and around 20 - 25 in the city and mountain driving.

Faults:

In the fall of 2007, the car would start to run rough. As though it were only firing on two cylinders. The Check engine light would come on and then start to flash. Rev it up a little and the light would go out and the car would run fine. Took it to the dealership, they told us it was a sludge build up from running 87 octane fuel instead of 92. They said it would not be covered under warranty, but that the oil leak they found would be. So they fixed the oil leak, and it started running fine again.

Another oil leak 2 months later. Fixed and the car started running fine again.

General Comments:

This car is really fun to drive, and if you have so much money that you can't possibly spend it all, it's a car worth wasting money on. If you are like most of the population, and you want a reliable vehicle for daily use, do NOT get a VW. At least not one with a turbo.

I have turned away from VW because of the way they treat their customers. Our dealer has been great, although the service department left a lot to be desired. But VW of America has been a joke. There are a great deal of people who have had engines seize due to sludge buildup, and unless you have documented evidence from a dealer that every oil change has been done, using synthetic oil and a larger oil filter then the car came with, as well as every other scheduled maintenance, you are out of luck. I have heard horror stories of people having to spend in excess of $9000 to replace an engine that should have been covered by warranty.

If you are thinking about a VW, google it first. Take the time to research the class action law suits and the issues people have with VW first. It will pay off in the end.