mk4 reliability

[Chris_t]

Hi guys im sorry to start a thread like this questioning the reliability of vw's. Here goes, 2 years ago i purchased a used 02 gti 1.8t 5 speed. after driving it for about a year i really got fed up with it, meaning i constantly had to drop by the dealership for numerous differnt things. one thing would get fixed and then a month later another thing would go wrong, so i had no choice but to just sell it because im only 18 and am a college student couldnt afford to keep repairing it.

so now my question is are all vw's not that reliable or was it just me that i got a bad "lemon" or somehting because i once again want to try another dub but dont want to go through the same thing.

please guys honest replies
thanks

[Road Runner]

Re: mk4 reliability

I've got an 03 gti 1.8t 5 speed. Haven't really had any problems, had to have a clutch plate replaced about a year and a half after I'd got it, but that was covered by warranty. Besides that I personally haven't had any reliability problems, took it for regular servicing, etc. I've done several mods and have about 60,000 km on it, the only other problem I had was a result of a stripped bolt on my rear sway bar.

I'm thinking you might of ended up with a lemon personally. Was not much of that stuff covered by warranty? Or was it a 2 year warranty? (I'm not sure what year they switched from 2 or 3 years to 4.) I've enjoyed my dub, haven't had many problems, I'd say give VW another shot...

[Silverstoned]

Re: mk4 reliability

'03 GTI VR6, and I haven't really had any problems with mine either, at least that wasn't covered under warranty. I missed the whole window regulator thing, they replaced my coilpacks even though I hadn't had a problem with them, and other than the odd squeak or rattle, my only complaint is the speeding tickets. I attribute a lot of my squeaks and rattles to my suspension, which is less cush than stock, and the sub in the back probably rattling a few things loose. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another VW.

Only cost to my car other than mods has been regular oil changes and a new air filter.

Jeff

[mk4jetta]

Re: mk4 reliability

ive had my 2000 jetta 1.8t since january, a couple weeks after i bought it, it overheated on the highway, i pulled over let it cool down then went home. then a few days later my passenger side front window fell in the door. So i booked an appointment at the dealer, then on the way to the dealer my car was overheating halfway there. So i sat at the dealer all day missing work, and i ended up needing a new waterpump which was covered by the 5000 km warranty, and then they seen that my timing belt hadnt been changed yet (139 000 km on the car..), so i got that changed, and they fixed the window for free. Now my suspension has started making annoying noises( i need new sway bar bushings, strut mounts, tie rod end, and my struts are starting to leak), squeeking and stuff, and my clutch is catching really high. i know these are problems with any used car thats why i only payed $10 900 for mine..o and this has happend a few times now, im driving along then all of a sudden all my interior lights will turn on and my car will start beeping like when a gas light comes on or something anyone know what this is?

[VAG_Tech]

Re: mk4 reliability

All in all they are a great car. I should know, I work with them on a daily basis. You will get a lot of small things that will drive ou nuts but in the grand scheme of things they are a good reliable vehicle. My $0.02

[Klobi-One-Kinobi]

Re: mk4 reliability

2000 gti 1.8t. About 2 1/2 years with upgraded turbo and other mods. Window regulators failed (covered under warranty) 1 coilpack ($20) 1 maf sensor ($90, ruined because of my oiled air filter)

It has been a great car. My friend's bone stock acura mdx has had far more problems than my modded gti. I think every car maker has its lemons.

[B5]

Re: mk4 reliability

My honest reply is:

Do not feel sorry on starting a –ve thread. Look at vwvortex sometime ago when the mk4 still current. People moan, swear up and down to get their local dealership to fix stuff. Perhaps, you might satisfy by someone naming your car as a ‘lemon’. One or two out of the hundred is lemon seems ok but when you see that many people not happy with their cars then there is a problem.

Reliability is nothing to some extend. Some people think the down time is nothing because they treat their car like a toy. What I always think is I paid full amount on this car and I should not need to deal with this crap. Hell no!

You might want to drop by Chapters or some mag stands read up those consumer reports. It is entreating to read some. My suggestion to you is to wait and see how vw will do with their new product line(in the mean time there are many great cars out there hehe…). I hate to go through the same ordeal again but if they can build some solid cars, plus can provide me the ultimate customer service experience then I might come back vw. Well, it is painful to review the truth but lets face it.

[Chris_t]

Re: mk4 reliability

My honest reply is:

Do not feel sorry on starting a –ve thread. Look at vwvortex sometime ago when the mk4 still current. People moan, swear up and down to get their local dealership to fix stuff. Perhaps, you might satisfy by someone naming your car as a ‘lemon’. One or two out of the hundred is lemon seems ok but when you see that many people not happy with their cars then there is a problem.

Reliability is nothing to some extend. Some people think the down time is nothing because they treat their car like a toy. What I always think is I paid full amount on this car and I should not need to deal with this crap. Hell no!

You might want to drop by Chapters or some mag stands read up those consumer reports. It is entreating to read some. My suggestion to you is to wait and see how vw will do with their new product line(in the mean time there are many great cars out there hehe…). I hate to go through the same ordeal again but if they can build some solid cars, plus can provide me the ultimate customer service experience then I might come back vw. Well, it is painful to review the truth but lets face it.

i guess ill have to wait a bit and see how the mk5's do i guess.
thanks guys

[kuhli]

Re: mk4 reliability

In all the reading of car mags and publications that I've done reliability is a function of the particular model and not a manufacturer. For example a few years back Cadillac had some of the vehicles with the highest reliability and some with the lowest...there simply isn't a meaningful rule that can be applied to a manufacturer.

I'd also challenge the notion of reliability, if it isn't a major thing that can be fixed yourself or inexpensively at a dealer I don't really consider that a reliability issue. Brakes, engines, transmissions, suspension...those are reliability red flags for me!

[Stonewall]

Re: mk4 reliability

Well you can deal with small things like broken glovebox hinges (since fixed) or bad mass air flows(since warrantied and fixed) and just deal with small problems or you can go drive a car that will not give you the nice fit and finish, driving experiance and overall satisfaction for your $$$. Hell ever a VW tech who sees all the problems said most are minor, so why bother waiting.

[Tpuppy]

Re: mk4 reliability

Put gas and oil in mine.
Well not quite O2 sensor's MAF sensor (My fault) Battery waterpump Tires windshield
Yup It cost me probably 2000 bucks for matence for 5 years and 200,000KM's of the best driveing expericence I'v ever had. 1999 1/2 golf
Buy another one but I have to wear out this one first I think it still has another 300,000 in it with not a whole lot of problems.

[dubspeedGTi]

Re: mk4 reliability

I have driven my 04 gti 1.8t for nearly 2 years now and 31k miles. I love this car! I would buy another VW in a heart beat, I have actualy I had 1 before this one that I still have and I have bought 2 others since this one. I loved them all. Some of the older ones gave me some problems but that is to be expected from a vehicle that is 23-14 years old. But back to my mk4 I have had an issue with the trunk sensor, it does not reconaize that it is closed. I still have to take that to be fixed I just can't be with out my car right now. It is my only transportation. Sometimes my windows clunk when I roll them all the way down. I have modded it a little mostly in the brakes and suspension, I also added an intake and a race n75 valve. It seems to do well. There has only been one time that the temp has gone ver the half mark for me. It was a coupple of weeks ago after a really hard lap on the Nurburgring, and it only went a little over the half mark. Other than that just gas oil and tires. I drive so hard that I have gone through 3 full sets of tires so far. I have accepted this and I just deal with it and buy new tires. I don't expect long life from parts like the tires and brakes due to the way I drive and how much I race.

[Gumby]

Re: mk4 reliability

After working as a VW tech for 7 years and last June switching over to Toyota i can say that every car company has its problems. I will admit however that at VW there was a lot more diagnosing of check engine lights, low power, poor running etc. I spent a ton of time on the scan tool everyday and when i went to Toyota i was there for almost a month and asked the other guys "do you guys ever use a scan tool?" I have been there almost a year now and probably used the scan tool 10 times. The bulk of my time is now doing maintenence services and not actually "fixing" broken things. I still drive a 2005 Jetta TDI and love it, you can't compare the details on our Jetta or even a golf cl compared to the top end Avalon. The Trunks on all Toyotas are still econo looking and the interior plastic still looks cheap compared to the Germans. I had thought about buying a new Toyota but i would look a BMW next i think.