1993 Volkswagen Fox from North America

Summary:

The engine still sounds good, but things keep breaking, time to get rid of the fox!

Faults:

The ignition system was replaced first.

New timing belt.

New front brakes; shoes, drums, pads.

Alternator belt replaced.

New rear brakes; shoes, drums, pads.

Driver side handle brakes (cheap parts), easily replaced from a junkyard model.

New Bosch starter.

New rear brakes again six months later... some parts salvageable, repair due to brake fluid leak from rear cylinders.

And most recently, the car won't start, a button was installed to start the car (to save money).

General Comments:

I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some repairs, for about six months I had one major repair a month, but I got it for free so it wasn't so bad.

I give it credit for lasting over ten years, it had one owner before me, and he lived a good portion of the time in Minnesota, and then in Boston, so the rust is a factor.

Not very comfortable for a small person, the dashboard is hard to see over, and the seat is not very comfortable.

It does get good gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 1st September, 2005

21st Dec 2005, 09:33

The Fox is not very comfortable for a tall person either. Headroom is non-existent. I liked the two-door wagon version they used to sell, but to drive one I would have had to recline the seatback to almost a 45 degree position just to keep from hitting the headliner.

1993 Volkswagen Fox GL 1.8 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Nice looking, Cheaply made, hard to find parts, economy car

Faults:

The interior light switch has busted off and the dealer wanter over 100 dollars to replace it.

The dash lights keep burning out and they were easy to fix, but I gave up because it happened so many times.

The speedometer/cable makes a lot of noise when it is cold out.

The drivers side door latch does lock up sometimes and wd-40 does the trick.

The back passenger door lock has broken and the dealer discontinued the plastic peice I needed so I had to use super glue.

Cv-joints went out only cause the joint seal broke and sand got into it.

Glove compartment latch broke the other day and the dealer wants around $130 for the door and the latch.

1 Seatbelt stopped working a while ago, expensive to fix, around $200.

My transmission stopped shifting in and out of gears 2 years ago and I had it rebuilt.

The bearing seal on the transmission went out about 3-6 months ago and it has had virtually no transmission fluid for 3-6 months and the dealer doesn't have all the parts because some were discontinued and the transmission shop can't seem to find "any" parts.

I had done a u-turn on a icy road at about 5 mph and it slid into the curb and bent the rim and front axle (cheap parts). $1000 damage.

General Comments:

This was a nice car and was worth fixing since my transmission went out for the second time, But it doesn't seem like I can fix it because we can't find parts.

It is extremely hard to find parts in general for this vehicle.

I was hoping to get another 50K miles out of it, but I don't see that happening : (

Good car, good gas mileage, cheap parts, does well in the mountains.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 15th April, 2002

1993 Volkswagen Fox Wolfsberg 1.8L SOHC from North America

Summary:

Great Econo Car with potential

Faults:

Clutch has finally worn out at 113k.

Strut-bearings were improperly replaced, and as a result wore out too quickly.

Trunk lid doesn't sit properly, and as a result water leaked into the rear passenger cushion and floor.

Heater valve blew it's seal a winter ago, pissed coolant everywhere and car over heated.

Little things caused by previous owners neglect keep popping up.

General Comments:

Very reliable, car has never failed to turn over.

Acceleration is quick, thanks to a new Techtonics exhaust and manifold I installed.

Although the Engine is an inline, the handling is superb, and pretty tight.

Steering is a bit of an effort, but response is good.

Can't beat 33 miles per gallon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th April, 2002