Faults:

Exhaust back box blew at 42,000 miles.

Squeaks from dashboard around radio.

Brake shoes, discs and pads replaced at 46,000 miles from a non-VW garage.

Rear light goes on and off intermittently at times.

Difficult to select gears at 48,000 miles. After paying out nearly £60 to a VW dealer car was OK for about a day then gear selection was clunky again.

Water pump failed leaving the fan heater blowing cold air when turned on to hot setting-replaced by VW for £144.

General Comments:

Car is very economical.

My experience of three different VW dealers is that customer service is poor, once they've sold the car they're not interested in you, and service department staff tend to be arrogant.

My car was returned damaged after a service from a particular VW dealership. Their technician denied any wrongdoing and the dealership maintained that the technician would not need to access that part of the car even though I knew that the on-board computer for fault diagnosis (part of 20,000 mile service) was located there.

Faults:

Heated rear window needed rewiring.

A couple of glowplugs failed.

General Comments:

Good, reliable runabout with excellent fuel economy. 52 mpg average so far. It's a one owner car from new, owned by people we know well (I actually dropped them off at the VW dealer when they bought it new), and with a full VW service history.

Performance is not exactly sprightly, although the big 1.9 litre diesel is quite torquey and makes the car feel lively enough for most situations.

The build quality is disappointing and despite just 57,000 miles, the dash is very rattly and there are squeaks from all over the interior on a bumpy road. VW build quality is not what it was, and dare I say not really any better than cheaper rivals.

Holds the road well, but you'd never particularly enjoy yourself in it, which is one area most rivals are better than the Polo. But it was reliable economical family transport we were after and the Polo has delivered it. Just don't expect much else.

Faults:

I bought the car in December 2001. While it was manufactured in 1998 it wasn't registered or on the road until Feb 1999. So when I got it it was only effectively three years old. And the guy I bought it from had it in absolutely immaculate condition. It's warranty expired in Feb 2002. Six weeks after that the exhaust system clapped out. Thankfully the dealer agreed to fix it under warranty. Four months later the thermostat broke, but the dealer wouldn't cover that and it cost a fortune. Two months after that the timing belt went, this also cost a motza. Then the car got recalled because of a problem with the brakes Just before I sold in May 2003 it started falling out of gear as I accelerated in second of fourth gear.

General Comments:

For so many things to go wrong with a car that had been well looked after is wrong. Sure, I just got a lemon. But the problems, combined with the incredibly rude service by every Volkswagen dealer and service representative I dealt with, means I'll never buy another one.

Faults:

Near side front door leak (replaced door membrane)

Steering geometry reset after hitting a pot hole.

Brake servo hose replaced (no charge as it was a recall by VW)

General Comments:

Very good car, plenty fast enough on the motorway.

1st gear a little short, but bags of acceleration in 2nd and 3rd esp. if you let it rev between 3000-4000 RPM.

It has electric heated mirrors which seams a little strange as it has no pas or c/l.