Faults:
The first problem encountered was with the engine coils. They began to fail within the first 6 months of owning the car. Had a repair done, which cost over six hundred dollars, and within a week, the new coils began to fail again. We took the car to the dealership, because we discovered a recall had been issued, where they were once again replaced.
The sunroof leaks into the passenger compartment when it rains heavily, and though there seems to be no official recall on this problem, the dealership will perform the required repairs. I have read that this never resolved the problem for many owners.
The service engine light came on, and it seems to be the vacuum hoses are the source of this new event. You can only purchase the parts through Volkswagen, and they are around $300.00 plus in US currency. The labor to make repairs is also around the same amount, so in order to repair these eight year old hoses, it will cost over six hundred dollars.
The battery began to fail, but as a side effect of this, it caused many service engine lights to come on, and the dealership never mentioned that a failing battery would cause this result, and it apparently does not show up on a scope of the computer, which costs in the range of one hundred dollars to have done. The only way I discovered this little problem, was when the car wouldn't start one day, and after replacing the battery, the idiot lights all went out.
Some of the electronics seems to be in the first stages of failure. The car no longer alerts you if you leave the lights on, and I have a feeling that is just the beginning.
The driver's side rear door lock no longer functions with the key fob, and has to be locked manually to ensure the car is secure.
11th Oct 2010, 16:43
This is the infamous German engineering. I suffered through 20 years of Audi / VW. Never again. I think VAG bought out Lucas, for the design of electronics. Or maybe it was Hella who bought them out, because much of the electrical equipment on VAG vehicles is Hella manufactured.