Faults:

Gearbox replaced under warranty at just 3,500 miles.

Loose trim on B pillar and in boot.

Central locking failed completely.

Water leaking into passenger footwell (was told this caused the central locking problem). From experience, was very sceptical this would be fixed, but to be fair it was, and first time.

PAS rack popped a seal and blew out all the PAS fluid.

Passenger window regulator broke up.

Outer CV joints started knocking (both sides, one 6,000 miles after the other)

Tailgate wiring loom needed replacing.

Three separate oil leaks. Two were fixed satisfactorily, but the third may necessitate a complete replacement engine as the block appears to have a hairline crack in it. I'm told this is not the only one the dealer has seen.

At the time of writing, the car also has a defective CD player, a creaking seat and a lazy passenger electric window, but it is sitting at the dealership while I am driving the seventh courtesy car since I picked up this Golf.

General Comments:

I'm something of a VW fan, having owned a mk3 Golf CL TDI before this, and a mk2 Golf GTi 8v before that. Both were great cars racking up 155,000 and 134,000 miles respectively without missing a beat.

I will leave it to your interpretation of the fault list above to tell you what I think of this mk4 Golf.

I am told all the above faults bar the CV joints, (blamed on "duff parts") are common faults on the mk4 Golf, and I have since read a couple of used car guides and surveys which rate the car well behind the Focus and the Japanese competition for reliability. How is it that the Golf's reputation for engineering solidity, something which until last year I would have defended to the hilt, seems to survive unblemished?

As for a new engine being required at 42,000 miles in a considerately driven diesel VW with FVWSH, I believe this illustrates on its own just how bad things have got.

Owning this car has been like a bad dream.

Faults:

Rattles!

Dashboard rattles, dealer cannot fix problem so they've decided to fit a new one.

Headlining rattles.

Centre console rattles.

Horn works intermittently and sticks on.

General Comments:

Car is comfortable and quick, but seems thrown together rather than built properly. Interior is a bit gloomy, but is comfortable enough.

The seats are a bit hard for my liking.

Good economy and reasonable insurance costs add up to a good package, shame about the build quality as it's spoiling my enjoyment of the car.

Most of the faults are known to Volkswagen and their dealers, so why can't they have sorted them out on the production line?

Faults:

Veered to the left when new.

Rattle from parcel shelf. Found to be a snapped bracket.

Handbrake number due to be installed three due to rattles.

Still rattles from the dashboard.

Central arm rest fell to bits. Threaded screw.

Told me it needed a service after 200 miles.

Intermittently tells me it needs a service.

Wheels starting to tarnish after just 8000 miles. Despite weekly cleaning.

General Comments:

VW seem to be resting on their laurels in terms of build quality. The materials used to build the interior are of a suitably high Germanic quality. Sadly they're thrown together in a hap hazard fashion that results in numerous rattles and bits and pieces falling off. Despite that...

I still love this car to drive. The 1.9 diesel delivers torque (and rapid acceleration) in abundance. Overtaking on A & B roads is a doddle. Six speed gearbox is slick.

You won't find the handling excites like a little sports car, but you'll glide through the corners in safety, comfort and most of all - rapidly.

Fuel economy is at worst 40mpg. At best 60mpg. Most normal journeys will see 50mpg. Best was 560 miles on a tank of diesel. Very frugal.

I have the 3 door, so rear leg room isn't its strong point. Ample boot.

My car is an import, but despite this dealers are keen to resolve problems.

Dealers are helpful and courteous. Sadly, they are generally the cause of most of my car's problems. Of the seven visits its had, five have been the car going back to fix the shoddy work of the previous visit. With any luck visit number eight will solve the rattles and I'll be left with the rapid diesel that doesn't rattle.