Faults:

The CAT is breaking apart inside after 76000 miles (but still going)

Continuous gunk on oil filler cap (not head gasket though)

Mass airflow sensor failed after 53000 miles

(found very expensive to replace)

Oil leaks appearing around the engine at a rapid rate after 80000 miles.

Reverse switch on gear stick failed so no reverse lights 79000 miles.

Off Side Rear caliper sticking so getting serious break pad wear now.

General Comments:

Car handles better than previously owned cars and wouldn't go back.

Does well on long journeys for mpg if driven sensibly (got 40mpg) but short journeys can be pretty bad (26 to 30mpg) - would say 30mpg is about average though.

Interior is great and built well no problems with it other than the armrest rattling when driving.

Cabin space at the front is good, but very cramped at the back - if you have teenagers in your family go for a Passat.

Boot space is great too, but the opening is a bit too narrow to get big luggage etc in which lets this feature down.

Amazed to see same faults & "features" in other articles - mass airflow sensor and oil filler cap gunk.

Even with the faults this car currently has it's still willing to take a beating and come back fighting.

Faults:

The lighting of the interior controls (especially heater controls) intermittently didn't work.

Rear disks and pads wore down at an excessive rate.

Rusty boot lid edge - on a car only a few years old this is unacceptable.

Bodywork very susceptible to carpark dings.

Various squeaks and rattles, I thought VWs were meant to be a quality cars!

General Comments:

Whitey green mayo gunk stuck to oil filler cap (a 'feature' of this 2.0 VW engine apparently) NOT the common head gasket problem.

This is a heavy car, windy country roads are not its forté.

Even when driven economically it was hard to get over 30mpg.

Comfy supportive seats for long motorway miles.

I'll never stray from the Japanese fold again - I've learnt my lesson!

Faults:

Mirror adjustment control snapped off. Fixed under manufacturer's 3 year warranty.

Electric Window motor failed. Replaced at my cost.

Clutch on air conditioning unit worked loose and had to be replaced.

Wheel trims seem to be a bad design and do not fit well. I have lost 3 so far.

Burns excessive oil during motorway driving. Dealer informed me this was normal, but I am not so sure.

General Comments:

The car is a hard, but reasonably comfortable ride and it's performance is fairly impressive when you are in a hurry. However, the fuel consumption is really high when driven hard.

I am over 6ft, but there is plenty of headroom in the car for me. This is something that I had a problem with in the past and stopped me from buying certain other makes.

Faults:

The Cam belt tensioner failed and as a result the cam belt slipped off. This allowed the vales meet the pistons... this occurred on the motorway with 44500 miles on the clock and at 70mph. The repair bill amounted to 2000 Euro. The engine required a new head, valves etc. The car was serviced at a VolksWagen dealer who would not offer any financial assistance when the tensioner failed.

The only other problems were bulbs blowing quite freqyently (every 4-5 months)

General Comments:

The car is seriously under powered with the 1.4 engine. It is a comfortable and good looking car otherwise.