I'm always hearing horror stories about Volkswagen ownership, but I never really paid much attention to them. Before I expand my wagon search to include Jettas, what do I need to beware of? Also, how does reliability compare between the gasoline turbo engines and the VR6?
I suspect a lot of it is rumor - people read about it on the Internet so it must be true.
I sell parts for them, and I can assure you that it's not just the internet. Some of the super-common faults are just really E36 M3ty engineering and/or bean counters. For example, the clutch master cylinder itself is plastic and commonly breaks. Same with the oil fill tube of all things. Lots of poorly designed sensors in the engine that are usually plastic and allow oil to blow by or just plain fall out. Expose electrical connectors, bad wire routing, and dimly designed relay/junction boxes. Do you want a list of my hottest selling parts and their prices? It's pretty extensive.
People expect because its the "cheap" euro it instantly means its on civic/corolla levels of reliability, They are still euro cars ultimately.
The turbo engines have a lot of sludge issues.
A lot of it is brittle plastic components and hoses; look at a 1.8T PCV system sometime. The rest is typically electrical, i.e. coil pack failures were a big deal on the 1.8T and there are lots of compaints about accessory-related stuff.
For some reason though, and this is the BIG one IMO, VW can't seem to design halfway decent timing gear. The history includes timing chain guide failure on early VR6s, timing belt failure on early 1.8Ts that led to a class action lawsuit, timing chain guide failure on 4.2 V8, and timing chain tensioner failure on TSI fours...all of which have destroyed engines, usually shortly after warranty. A 20-year legacy of timing gear failure is pretty sketchy! 
For the first twenty years I've known my mother in law she was a diehard VW owner. A Golf, two Jettas and a Tiguen. The Golf avoided the serious engine troubles that plagued the Jettas though it did have a number of electrical problems culminating in a small fire. Both Jettas had spilt their time between them and the dealer. The Tiguen had numerous small issues but managed to avoid stranding them. All four were meticulously cared for their local dealer. She has finally given up and bought a Honda.
This isn't really VW specific but i kinda hate german wiring diagrams. But then, maybe if it wasn't a VW i wouldn't need to read them? 
My 03 Golf 2.0 just chugs along laughing at all the negative comments.
Stay away from the higher end stuff and you should be fine.
NGTD wrote: My 03 Golf 2.0 just chugs along laughing at all the negative comments. Stay away from the higher end stuff and you should be fine.
I have to say, I think you're onto something. The few people I know who have had really great modern VW experiences drive either naturally-aspirated 2.0 or 2.5 cars.
As Javelin stated. Befriend the dealership parts counter personal. Of course, if you buy a VW, you will do this anyway.
Bad drivers? Neglected maintenance? Urban legend? All the VW owners I know have racked up hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles and they absolutely love their cars. Some of these owners may drive diesels, but at least one drives a turbocharged gasoline something or other.
They can be quirky cars and they're not without their issues, but it seems like most of the ones that end up being unreliable are because their owners neglect them like they would with a Camry. But unlike a Camry, it doesn't take nearly as long for that neglect to bite back...
This vw commercial always cracked me up. It's the one where vw engineers get wings when a vw hits 100k miles.
What demographic are they courting that thinks 100k miles is an accomplishment? And what evidence are they using to back up that claim?
Every SAAB that I've owned has gone past 250k. I've seen some with 350k+, I've personally seen Volvos and M-Bs with 500k+. It's not that hard to find F150s with that kind of mileage either, not mention Crown Vic cabs. Even a first generation Hyundai Excel will go past 100k with basic up keep.
I get the impression that the modern cars are better than the earlier cars, but they didn't keep pace with the rate of improvement in reliability across the industry.
In other words, the biggest problem with VW reliability is called Honda.
Way back when we had our Jetta GLI, the joke was that VW owners know all their parts people by name (and I did), and Honda owners may not even remember how to get to the dealership. But we loved that car and kept it for 10 years and 180,000 miles.
In reply to Javelin:
What likes to go wrong with the 2.5 jettas? Say 2009 or 2010, my brothers boyfriend just bought one after i tried to sway him away but no dice
In reply to chiodos:
The MILs popped a head gasket at about 50,000. One of the minor quirks one has to accept to enjoy German quality. If Camrys did that Toyota dealers would get burned to the ground.
pointofdeparture wrote:NGTD wrote: My 03 Golf 2.0 just chugs along laughing at all the negative comments. Stay away from the higher end stuff and you should be fine.I have to say, I think you're onto something. The few people I know who have had really great modern VW experiences drive either naturally-aspirated 2.0 or 2.5 cars.
As I understand it the roots of the 2.0L can traced back to the 1.5L motors that powered the first Rabbits. It’s an ancient motor that is pretty reliable.
The TDi's last too. I have seen plenty with over 500K km's on them.
The 1.8T is a nice engine but the turbo bakes all the hoses and plastics under the hood. This leads to all sorts of leaks and driveability issues. The sludging issues were mostly early years (late 90's)
The VR6 engines - I'm not that up on their issues.
More issues with electric and electronics on the VW'S.
Their German cars - maintain them properly and they can last a long time. Treat them like an appliance - I hope you like walking!!
In reply to Wall-e:
Dang 50k? That must be some kind of record not matched since the toyota 7m's. His has 100k so i guess i should tell him to cross his fingers, toes, and say a prayer to the german car gods before he cranks it every time.
My experience is from a while back. Perfectly maintained, I had ignition switches go bad, the clear coat peeled, the trim adhesive let go, so side moulding flapped in the breeze. I loved the way it drove, but as a new car I don't have much patience for one that strands you multiple times a year.
I had convinced myself that VW had turned some sort of corner but my friend with the Golf R had the clutch go out at 4500 miles. VW fixed it, but did it out of 'good will' and emphatically NOT under warranty.
chiodos wrote: In reply to Wall-e: Dang 50k? That must be some kind of record not matched since the toyota 7m's. His has 100k so i guess i should tell him to cross his fingers, toes, and say a prayer to the german car gods before he cranks it every time.
At the same time, I know a guy with a 2.5 that threw an HX35 on it and I don't think he's popped the HG, so...
But...but...but German engineering
oldtin wrote: My experience is from a while back. Perfectly maintained, I had ignition switches go bad, the clear coat peeled, the trim adhesive let go, so side moulding flapped in the breeze. I loved the way it drove, but as a new car I don't have much patience for one that strands you multiple times a year.
I've owned three Audis over the last 15 years, and while they haven't racked up Honda-level reliability, not once has any of them left me stranded. Required expensive repairs, yes, but none of them ever needed a tow truck.
My Miata, OTOH, has had me calling AAA 5 or 6 times in that time frame. Most of those are related to modifications I made, though, so the only one I blame on Mazda is the spontaneous complete failure of the clutch slave cylinder. I suppose I could technically probably have driven it home, but 12 miles in stop and go traffic with no clutch didn't seem like a good idea.
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