Faults:

Air conditioning failed after 46,000 miles.

CD player ejection button stopped working after 50,000 miles.

Front passenger electric window motor failed after 59,000 miles.

Side airbags failed to work in collision with a lamp-post after 64,000 miles.

Brake cable snapped after 71,000 miles.

General Comments:

The Golf GTI Turbo suffered a few electrical problems, but apart from that it was a great car.

Huge fun to drive and comfortable, but fuel bills were a bit on the high side. It was good value at £9,000.

I kept the Golf for three years before I sold it to my sister-in-law for £4,000. She says that it is a great car and hopes to keep it for years to come.

Faults:

Differential seal went at 57,000 taking clutch with it after oil leak.

Gear selection problem since new box.

Gear linkages unhooked themselves, impressing Volkswagen assistance technician on call out.

Near side rear brake caliper failed, and leaked brake fluid.

Gearbox mounting bolt sheared after original bolts were used (after this problem was sorted, the gearbox finally felt as new, first time since old box was taken away, making me think, maybe the box was never quite installed correctly)

General Comments:

Main dealer helpful all the way, with all problems, even when Volkswagen assistance courtesy car needed to be returned, they found me one of their cars to get in, and kept me mobile.

Shame the car was such a problem in the first place though.

Faults:

Just general wear and tear, replaced 2 inner front anti roll bar bushes, rear brake pads.

Slight rust on both rear door window upright guides.

General Comments:

Build quality is quite good, being my first VW, Recaro seats give a quality interior feel, extrerior paint finish and body condition is very good for year and mileage.

Handling is beginning to fade, doesent like being pushed round tight corners, probable requiring new shock absorbers, dampers.

Engine performance is excellent, I had a recent engine tuned when I first got the car, where the boost pressure was slightly increased, 6 up to 8 psi, car goes really well, it not blisteringly fast, but with nice low down torque and virtually no turbo lag, combined with excellent fuel consumption 32 - 36 mpg, make it a great all rounder.

Faults:

Brake servo hose split.

Anti roll bar bushes wore out.

Brake discs and pads replaced (general wear and tear).

Air mass meter faulty.

General Comments:

I thought it necessary to add this review given a lot of the bad press the Mk4 Golf has received on this site. I am not a short-sighted devotee of VW, this is the first one I've had, but I like what I see.

The problems above are nothing major, and quite normal for any car of this mileage.

Compared with my old 306 the Golf is light years ahead in terms of refinement and comfort. The TDi engine is gutsy, quiet and economical. I have several years experience of working in the motor trade and believe that the Golf is a great balance of solidity and style.

Yes, maybe there are better cars out there, but the high resale values reflect the continued demand for these cars. If they had become so bad this would have inevitably changed by now.

My car has not been troublesome. It has had far fewer problems than my last car and I work it hard, covering upto 20K miles a year.

Come on people, give these cars a lot of the credit they deserve. Yes, slate bad examples, but don't be shallow enough to over generalise. There are some excellent ones too.