What modern years of VW to avoid?

Guys is there some sort of guide to how good or bad each VW is for a given year.

IE if say I came across a 2006 VW beetle convertible in a manual that my wife happens to like just how much pain am I going to be in. Say 50K miles original owner.

I have yet to own a modern VW, I have leased a bunch and for the 2-3 years that we have had them they are great little cars. With no major problems but all I hear is doom and gloom but not entirely sure when that era begins or ends.

She likes this or a TT 300zx that is local.

I'd avoid "the year that is out of warranty"

and definitely avoid the 2000 Jetta.

I think irish has it right, and this from a current VW owner. I only got it because I wanted a TDI, but I searched long and hard for a car with as few electrical things possible.

All of them?

DrBoost wrote: I think irish has it right, and this from a current VW owner. I only got it because I wanted a TDI, but I searched long and hard for a car with as few electrical things possible.

That is why I like this one, manual shift and manual roof manual seats.

2.5l should be good right, no turbo to eat.

The 2.5 doesn't get very good mileage, I have driven a 2013 beetle with that engine and it seemed fine though. Not having an automatic is good too, VW automatics are pretty bad.

All.

Pretty much all of them, but our shop would have gone under if it weren't for 96-07 - ish VWs.

If I were buying a VW, it would be an A2 Jetta. That (IMO) was the last good VW.

curtis73 wrote: If I were buying a VW, it would be an A2 Jetta. That (IMO) was the last good VW.

Agreed, but I'd rather have a Golf because Jettas are chick cars. Also, hatchback trumps trunk.

And it'd have to be a small-bumper car.

Avoid the A1 of any body style. I want them all!

curtis73 wrote: Pretty much all of them, but our shop would have gone under if it weren't for 96-07 - ish VWs. If I were buying a VW, it would be an A2 Jetta. That (IMO) was the last good VW.

Did they get magically better post 07.

Its not a issue of cash, only manual convertible local to me, on purchase I just don't want it to catch fire and head for the nearest orphanage.

wearymicrobe wrote: Did they get magically better post 07.

Probably magically were still under warranty.

Its not a issue of cash, only manual convertible local to me, on purchase I just don't want it to catch fire and head for the nearest orphanage.

Oh, not to worry! After a few years you will SET it on fire after AIMING it at an orphanage.

All of my modern VW's have been pretty trouble free. 2003 1.8t/5spd wagon had one MIL in 80k miles for a bad coolant temp sender. The 06 Rabbit 2.5/5spd (an awful car but problem free) had a seat heater go bad and after the last coil recall the 2001 GTI 1.8t/5sp stopped having any issues whatsoever.

If you plan to do much work on it yourself, take a look at the engine bay, it's pretty tight in there on every new beetle I have worked on, can be a pain without a lift.

I hate working on the wife's beetle, but it's been a pretty trouble free car.
Other than the motor mount bolts shearing on the RH side.
And the ABS light (I assume ABS module)

2009 seems to be a good year.

I've talked about it here before, we've got an '09 TDI DSG Jetta. Mostly trouble free and one CEL in 70K miles.

Oil changes are more of a chore, have to use ramps, no good lift point in the front for the floor jack thanks to the under engine/trans splash shield, and there are eleventy billion torx screws to remove. However, it only needs serviced every 10K miles, and with the cordless Dewalt the screws come out quick. The VW spec synthetic is pricy too, especially if you're used to parts store brand dino juice.

The CEL was for a failed cylinder pressure sensor, which is integral to the glow plugs. With some help on this forum and a Bentley Manual it was a 15 min repair, taking my time. Though those glow plugs are spendy at a buck fifty each.

DSG requires 40K mile service interval, can be DIYed if you're willing, but to do it right requires VAG-Com and some special tools. Paid the dealer a little over $300 and provided the fluid, filter, and seals myself.

Everything else; oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, cabin filter, etc. have been easy DIY stuff.

The only other fly in the ointment is a very recent issue with the key not going into the ignition. Apparently the spring loaded dust cover gets worn and hangs up preventing the key to go in. I borrowed a bobby pin from SWMBO's hair to wiggle it back into place so we could get home. It did the same thing this evening. I found some threads about it on TDIClub and VWVortex with suggestions, so I lubricated it with some Liquid Wrench, and proceeded to insert key, turn ignition, and remove key about 50 consecutive times. Maybe it's "fixed" now?

There's evidence of possibly higher than should be acceptable failure rate of the high pressure fuel pump on the common rail diesels. There's a long thread about it on TDIClub, but the NTHSA didn't find it warranted a recall after their investigation. I know there have been legitimate failures, but believe there has been a lot of internet hype touting the issue as being more prevalent than it really is. Never the less, we use Stanadyne Diesel Performance Formula additive in the fuel about 90% of the time to aid in lubricating the fuel pump, since the modern "dry" low sulfur diesel is claimed to be the primary culprit for the failures.

All of my experience has been on the A5, but I believe the New Beetle is an A4 and the "new" New Beetle is an A5.

Cliff Notes, we like our A5 TDI Jetta, limited issues, acceptable enough maintenance for the smiles/miles per gallon.

I don't know a lot about the New Beetle, we serviced some at my old job, I remember plastic oil filler necks breaking, fluid leaks, and every one of their interiors smelled like a box of crayons.

• Lee

I think the general rule of thumb is stay away from the 99-00 cars at all costs and treat all other years as if they have decreasingly less severe versions of the plague until about 07 and then think of them as a usual German car.
You also run into the people who have had an 00 car for 12 years and it's been perfect so all of them must be perfect. The hitch isn't the ones that VW accidentally made right and were kept by loving faithful owners, it's the o es with typical issues that have changed hands every two years since warranty ran out because the owners got sick of them. Even if VW made half of their cars well, only one guy has owned the good car in the last decade but five have passed around the crappy one.

The better question is...how thick is your wallet and how reliable is your back up transportation?

^^ His wallet is thick and stable is full. Proceed with caution, don't keep it too long.

Yeah, we loved our Audi A6, but the first 100k miles were a lot more trouble-free than the next 10k. And cheaper!

I'd buy another Audi, but only a new one. Based on what I've heard, I'd do the same with a VW, unless it was air-cooled.

I've been happy with my 05 GTI (1.8T/manual). In 230K since I bought it brand new, the only thing that's bugged me about it is the coilpack consumption. Probably 4 sets now. Last set being under recall and have lasted the longest.

I bought the last year of the MkIV specifically because they should have gotten all the kinks worked out. Which so far seems to be true. To be fair It's on jackstands right now for a complete top end reseal and clutch change. (valve cover, cam seals, timing belt, RMS, turbo drain, PCV hoses)

In reply to mazdeuce:

I'd say that's pretty accurate. Maybe this is a situation where a CarFax is a useful tool - not so much for looking for accident damage but for the ownership history.

My '03 has been pretty good. I won't say it's been perfect, but for 326K miles over 10.5 years of abusive northeast driving, I can't complain.

Another Mk IV isn't be out of the question as a back-up car/autox/rally-x beater replacement for the E30.

mazdeuce wrote: I think the general rule of thumb is stay away from the 99-00 cars at all costs

This, they make SHOs, DSMs, Rotaries, and such all seem reliable.

My wife's 2005 NB convertible had all four window regulators fail within one week. A piece of the top mechanism snapped for no reason. I'll spare you the problems with the automatic transmission. One rear tail light burned out constantly and was unfixable by the dealer. It rattled over bumps like a can of dried butter beans. It only had 66k on it when I dumped it on an unsuspecting sucker.

I bought the $1k extended warranty and got my money back 3x over in repair costs.

Having worked in a VW-centric shop for two years and building quite a few of the 1998-2007 era cars...

The issues are way overblown. Especially since by that time, VW had the vagcom thing really figured out. If something is broken that is hooked up to the electronics, it will TELL YOU.

They definitely aren't no Japanese car though. And while they are incredibly solid, there will always be one rattle behind the dash that you can not do anything about. Your wife would like it I bet. In the grand scheme of things on maintenance costs over the course of YEARS (and lots of the problems people have mentioned obviously would be fixed under warranty if the cars still had them/weren't used), their reliability issues are not that much worse. It's just that the japanese do reliability so much better.