Faults:

The hand brake cable snapped at 108,000 miles.

The clutch cable snapped at 117,000 miles.

Cutting out due to dirt in the carburettor.

The heated rear screen had broken when I acquired the car.

Driver's seat was worn.

General Comments:

Bodywork is excellent considering the car is now 16 years old, only a few small rust patches which were easily cured.

The car has slow acceleration and at high speeds the fuel consumption is bad.

Generally very reliable, and cheap to run and insure.

Faults:

Gear selector snapped at 124266 miles.

General Comments:

My 1st car!

I've thrashed this car to the limits against kids who decide to race me, they are very surprised when the Volkswagen 'shopping trolley' leaves them for dust!

The women love this car!!!

Faults:

A few minor trim problems, no major problems except new mid section for exhaust, pads and tyres.

Very reliable for a very thrashed car.

General Comments:

Reliable on the motorways, several long trips have been undertaken with no problems whatsoever. Bit lively if driven very hard round backroads, difficult to slide though, understeer common. Slow acceleration but standard brakes effective if you push hard enough!

Faults:

Back pressure in engine causing air filter to choke up continually.

Thermostat needed changing.

Mysterious misfire kept appearing at low revs.

Rear wiper & demister packed up at 70K.

Went through spark plugs like a big plug eating thing.

Fair number of rust spots.

Glove box and both windows leaked in heavy rain or the car wash.

Wheels needed re-balancing 2 or 3 times over 20K of driving.

General Comments:

Not a bad little car, but the only thing you could overtake uphill would be a milk float driven by a blind 90 year old tax inspector. Acceleration dire, but once up to 75-80 will hum along happily for a good while. Interior very plasticky and although roomy the rear seat fold down system is terrible. Ride quality pretty firm, and cornering fairly hair raising due to tyres the width of a drinks coaster.

However, very reliable most of the time, pretty cheap to run and very low insurance.

Faults:

Cambelt snapped. Oh dear, bent all the valves, should have changed it when I first brought the car, big mistake!! Had a new head put on from second hand car. All O.K. now.

Bodywork under the battery had rotted through, easy to repair.

The original seats were crap, drivers seat had worn very badly by the driver's door. Got a complete new interior from an accident write off for 45.00ukp (the better quality interior came in about 1986/87).

New drivers door window mechanism (bought original VW part, not too expensive surprisingly!!)

New petrol tank, old one developed a leak, again surprisingly not too expensive (not original VW).

Other minor things again not too expensive due to purchase from scrap yards or copy parts.

General Comments:

A great little car. It has done 137,000 miles and is still going strong. Bodywork is remarkable for the age. Brakes take a bit of getting used to due to there being no servo, however a bit of extra pressure and it will stop no problem. Seems as though it will go on forever with a bit of care and attention.