VW Australia in for a right Screwing "Das Image" does - not match the reality.

Thanks that we don't have any "Das Auto's",
Our cars including our Holden's are reliable "Not like the GOLF" LoL!

Never lost power that could lead to an accident ... "Like the Golf" or Polo or Passat or Audi or Skoda.

Appears the VW Euro Germany Quality / Reliability "Image" is now "confirmed" in tatters - lot of parts are not made in Germany if they are - they are designed for "Fast" recycling.

Interestingly VAG doesn't recall cars in Australia compared to USA China Japan - so tell your spouses or who ever is buying these lemons ?
DSG, Diesel Engine problems with injectors / wiring harness, even people with some petrol models experience shut down.

Australian government is ordering a probe on VAG - Finally
(From the market share VW's got - the amount of pi$$ed of owners or ex owners is something - makes an Australian made Car look like a high quality item)

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...531-2nhgu.html
http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...531-2nha9.html
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor...=1370048347526

Moral is:
Sometimes Beauty is only skin deep - or in VW's case only paint over metal shaped panel deep! - outside or pretty styled euro plastic inside ...

Golf car of the Year ? Our Journalists don't drive them long enough before recommending them to the sheep.
Years and Km tell the truth & overall maintenance costs (Total cost of ownership)

The exact reason why I hate it when people say "I had [insert brand name] once and it was shit, so I'll never buy it again".

Couldn't be assed reading the article as I'm not a VW fan but my sister's petrol Golf has most certainly randomly shut down and failed to restart in the middle of driving. Wouldn't be 6 months old and has done it 2 or 3 times that I've heard of. Service dept never picks up anything that could be doing it when it goes in for work.

this is why you buy a honda/toyota and call it a day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Evman

The exact reason why I hate it when people say "I had [insert brand name] once and it was shit, so I'll never buy it again".

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I have a Ford Focus with a PowerShift Transmission and it is shit, so I'll never buy one again. :lol:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itsme4g63

this is why you buy a honda/toyota and call it a day.

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Yep, that's what they learnt in America over the last 40+ years. On some of the US blogs VW is endlessly bagged for dodgy electrics. The spirit of Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, lives on.

Cheers, Matthew

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jag530G

Yep, that's what they learnt in America over the last 40+ years. On some of the US blogs VW is endlessly bagged for dodgy electrics. The spirit of Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, lives on.

Cheers, Matthew

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Aye,

American cars were shite really till maybe 2003+ really is when they started getting better.

If it wasn't for japanese cars forcing them to step their quality up they would be shite up until this point. Its come to the point where manufacturers like Hyundai have caught up with japanese makers. Sit in any Hyundai/Kia equivalent of a toyota/honda and you'll notice that they are not far apart in quality.
When I was at the Chicago Auto Show this year I got to go back and forth between mid sized sedans like the new Ford Fusion (aka mondeo) and Hyundai Sonatas/Kia optimas Toyota Camrys & honda Accords not to mention VW Jettas/passats and I must say doesn't seem like the Ford fit and finish was there yet, I immediately felt like I stepped into a better car with the Hyundai/Kia, the 10/100k warantee makes it so much better too.

Not to trash euro cars because I do like them, bmws for example but like posted above, their complexities are their downfalls in the longrun, especially with some of the special tools needed to work on them and such, I do not see them as a viable option unless bought new or with some sort of warantee.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ausmartin1

Thanks that we don't have any "Das Auto's",
Our cars including our Holden's are reliable "Not like the GOLF" LoL!

Never lost power that could lead to an accident ... "Like the Golf" or Polo or Passat or Audi or Skoda.

Appears the VW Euro Germany Quality / Reliability "Image" is now "confirmed" in tatters - lot of parts are not made in Germany if they are - they are designed for "Fast" recycling.

Interestingly VAG doesn't recall cars in Australia compared to USA China Japan - so tell your spouses or who ever is buying these lemons ?
DSG, Diesel Engine problems with injectors / wiring harness, even people with some petrol models experience shut down.

Australian government is ordering a probe on VAG - Finally
(From the market share VW's got - the amount of pi$$ed of owners or ex owners is something - makes an Australian made Car look like a high quality item)

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...531-2nhgu.html
http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...531-2nha9.html
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor...=1370048347526

Moral is:
Sometimes Beauty is only skin deep - or in VW's case only paint over metal shaped panel deep! - outside or pretty styled euro plastic inside ...

Golf car of the Year ? Our Journalists don't drive them long enough before recommending them to the sheep.
Years and Km tell the truth & overall maintenance costs (Total cost of ownership)

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You should work for the media with wordy sensationalism like that!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big_Valven

You should work for the media with wordy sensationalism like that!

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LOL! that what I was aiming for ... copy similar and throw it back in VW's face, hate when companies do not live up to the image at same times screwing big time their consumers.

I nearly came a cropper last month with a friend in Europe "upset" with my VW attitude as his own Passat 5 year old with 90 K perfectly serviced was a fantastic / great car and what the HELL was I talking about.
Now a month later ..... "Unexpected" numerous massive expenses have occurred (he has a manual - so no DSG) - so much that not only was his Wallet was thoroughly vacuumed - but also his families bank account to keep his no POS Passat on the road.

He now understands!

VW must have done something as my neighbor said he has been replacing the .7 injectors with .9 injectors over the past few months ... The shitty fuel quality in AU doesn't help Euro cars.

Fuel quality no good? So you are saying that VW can not manufacture a vehicle suitable for Australia?

But they do had a different series of gearbox that does not need to be recalled as in other countries?

Hmmm there is always some excuse. The fact is that other diesel vehicles run just fine here and if indeed the fuel is different then it is VW's responsibility to account for that.

My sister and bro in law had a golf and passat. Both diesel and both unreliable. The week after the lady and tow truck driver were killed on the Hume highway my sisters passat broke down, blew a turbo or something serious, so she is stranded on the side of the same highway with 3 kids in the car waiting for a tow and thinking this is not good enough. As soon as they sort out a couple of other financial issues that pos is going. It still consumes 1L oil/1000km which VW say us normal. Hmmmm.

JJW

we are definitely a VW family, with models from 1954 to 2006 right now.. the 'new' ones have all done up to 184,000 and we love them, they are never serviced by VW. the best 4x4 i have ever owned is the touareg for mix of comfort and off road, at 160,000kms tight as drum.

the JD power survey in the US is a good source of info... the euros dont do that great due to i am sure service and elect issues. I suspect elec issues feature as there are just so many gadgets and fly by wire.... JAG!!! is right up there number 1 with lexus etc year in years out... go figure..

although all above can be discredited as I also own a P76!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matthewfnorbert

I suspect elec issues feature as there are just so many gadgets and fly by wire.... JAG!!! is right up there number 1 with lexus etc year in years out... go figure..

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That's because it's a buyers survey and Jag buyers approach their car with a different attitude to other car buyers. For example, if you own a Lexus and something electrical is wrong, you'd be annoyed. If you own a Jag and something electrical is wrong you're happy because everything else is still working...

When I bought me 420G I was ecstatic that all the lights and switches actually worked, brilliant for what was then an unregistered, unroadworthy 30 year old Jag.

Cheers, Matthew

These type of reports can do a lot of damage to a companies reputation. The articles are from newspapers, so I guess they might have appeared in print also. Imagine you are looking to buy a new car and you pick up the paper and read these reports. A lot of people would scratch VW as their next choice of car, VW's sales could go down the toilet almost over night.

My work VE Omega on LPG has lost power and gone into a misfiring, gas smelling, vapour emitting mess in the fast lane a number if times. Holden cant replicate it. What newspaper do I call?

My Beetle stalls a lot when it's cold. Bloody VW.

(seriously though, have read of enough dodgy modern VWs that I wouldn't buy one. In fact we are currently thinking about a new shopping/school run/mum's taxi device and I'm refusing to look at any Eurotrash).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

My Beetle stalls a lot when it's cold. Bloody VW.

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I don't know how old yours is but my '71 doesn't like the cold either. ​Clearly VW has had certain issues for decades...

I have Jetta Turbo for the missus, touch wood no dramas at all. Uses about 1L of oil per 15K so supposedly I got a good one. Up to 1L per 1000kms is considered acceptable by VW supposedly... You thought LS piston slap was bad.

Otherwise the car is nice, has plenty of poke and steers well.

I've owned one Euro made car (a TS Astra), and it was really good, but once stuff started breaking or needed replacing (even stuff like brake pads) it all costs a bomb.

Personally, I don't think it's worth it. There are enough reliable cars that don't cost a fortune to choose from, so that's what I now do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ausmartin1

hate when companies do not live up to the image at same times screwing big time their consumers.

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Image...
Like Toyotas being reliable? (millions of vehicles recalled over accelerator pedal issues)
Like Japanese car makers being great with technology? (Mazda recalling 6s because their capacitor might catch fire)
Like Holden being great at big V8 sedans? (widespread piston slap issues of VT II)
Like Ford being committed to local manufacturing?

Image is what you see of it. Golfs will continue to sell in their trillions because there are people stupid enough to think it makes them look better than the neighbour in the Hyundai or the colleague in the Holden.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Evman

I don't know how old yours is but my '71 doesn't like the cold either. ​Clearly VW has had certain issues for decades...

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Lol! You right there my father had a great number of new
Kombis the 70-80's air cooled would stall on que.... When cold weather needing to pull up at first set of lights, or on Hot days the first intersection - lucky the traffic was thinner then and people more tolerant as we never got honked at when stalled out. Dam dangerous when I think back. It happened in Automatic ones and manual ones. One manual one other last one.
. was a bugger - would pop 1st gear on occasion from the lights. Never fixed by VW Australia. Clutch cables would snap & my old school father could start in in gear and match shift with no clutch and no grinding gears! to get it to a dealer.... The skills you needed back then!
The first 1974 automatic was fun....the automatic was controlled by vac diaphragm which would break at regular intervals and this would result an increase in engine oil - trans fluid and blowing smoke screen like 007 or prof fink.
The VW's were dealer serviced every 5k including valve adjustments if the w/s heard they we not sounding right, we provided cork rocker cover gaskets so we wouldn't breath burnt oil when we turned the heater on. Bendix pads were used as Vw did last and with all this care they were traded to be turned into camper vans as @ 60 k the engines started to be a little tired. Then father switched to Japanese and they were not viable to be traded / updated and were kept x4 times the length of the Vw's. Which was remarkably actual possible both from a reliability /performance and total financial cost.

Funny thing is after all these years not much has changed after all these years!
Best to sell your Vw once the warranty runs out like my father did back in the 70's -80's but in his case it was financially viable .. Thanks to Leyland bro's remember that old travel program?
Lol!

One of my manager recently bought a Polo GTi - it has only done approx. 8000km, and the oil light has come on twice ffs!!

She has taken it back to the dealer - they just top it up and send her on her way again - this isn't good enough

How long will these engines last??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by heavyduty1340

One of my manager recently bought a Polo GTi - it has only done approx. 8000km, and the oil light has come on twice ffs!!

She has taken it back to the dealer - they just top it up and send her on her way again - this isn't good enough

How long will these engines last??

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You do realize VW thinks it COMPLETLY acceptable for 1L of oil per 1000km, considering most people used to Hondas or Toyotas would be lucky to lift the bonnet to check the dipstick (Many don't even do that)

Answer is Not long - esp if the oil light has been lighting (No oil pressure) or it will carbon up ... how ever with a high K Flogged out old motor you might go for a tad longer...

VW should approach either GM or the Japanese - Honda who can actually make great piston rings
- what's VW installing for rings these days Soft German bratwurst sausage strips ?

Check out the VW forums on oil consumption ... some US guy had a regular appointment for his free monthly oil synthetic top up - here in Australia I'm sure the dealer would charge you for it.
German quality motor pffft!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itsme4g63

this is why you buy a honda/toyota and call it a day.

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I wouldn't buy a Honda or Toyota if you paid for it pieces of crap they are and live on there name not quality

Quote:

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Originally Posted by heavyduty1340

One of my manager recently bought a Polo GTi - it has only done approx. 8000km, and the oil light has come on twice ffs!!

She has taken it back to the dealer - they just top it up and send her on her way again - this isn't good enough

How long will these engines last??

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About 3000km if ya forget to top up the oil haha

The 2005-now bmw's don't mind a drink either along with other makes out there too. Unlucky problem to have someone dying due to a car fault. Didn't Toyota nearly do the same thing with it's floor mats?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itsme4g63

this is why you buy a honda/toyota and call it a day.

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Didn't Toyota just have the worlds largest recall? I don't care what car it is, or what you pay, they all f@#k up........ Flaming Ferrari anyone?

I have an Audi TT as my daily runabout, (runs like a VW Golf GTI Turbo engine,) it has done just over 10.000 kms since it's last oil change and is due for another now,
this thread just reminded me to check the oil and it it still close to the "Full" mark and I have not topped it up since the last oil change.
Fun little car to drive, handles like a go cart, does 5lt per 100kms on highway and under 9lt per 100kms around town.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by whitels1ss

I have an Audi TT as my daily runabout, (runs like a VW Golf GTI Turbo engine,) it has done just over 10.000 kms since it's last oil change and is due for another now,
this thread just reminded me to check the oil and it it still close to the "Full" mark and I have not topped it up since the last oil change.
Fun little car to drive, handles like a go cart, does 5lt per 100kms on highway and under 9lt per 100kms around town.

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yep we have a beetle with the 1.8T engine, very nice motor.

my 60 year old beetle still runs original electrical system, original window and door rubbers etc, like to see a falcodore do that. but dont mention the war

When you start chasing fuel consumption things like low tension rings and thin oil can be a bastard to get right..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VYSHSV8

I wouldn't buy a Honda or Toyota if you paid for it pieces of crap they are and live on there name not quality

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What has your experience been with these makes? I've never owned either, but I would be curious to hear from someone who has, and has had problems.

One very common problem on Audi VW and BMW is that the water pumps often have plastic impellers on the metal shafts,
with the heat and cool cycles, the plastic impeller cracks away from the shaft.

The pictures pasted here are from an Audi of mine with a genuine Audi water pump fitted 20,000kms ago.
My brother's BMW E46 had exactly the same problem a few years ago, very common problem.

Much better quality aftermarket water pumps can be bought with brass impellers:goodjob:

Attachment 2250
Attachment 2251

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Evman

I don't know how old yours is but my '71 doesn't like the cold either. ​Clearly VW has had certain issues for decades...

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OMG mine is a '71 as well, we should campaign for a recall of all '71 models :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VYBerlinaV8

I've owned one Euro made car (a TS Astra), and it was really good, but once stuff started breaking or needed replacing (even stuff like brake pads) it all costs a bomb.

Personally, I don't think it's worth it. There are enough reliable cars that don't cost a fortune to choose from, so that's what I now do.

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We're now finding that with our ZC Vectra - has been great for the most part in terms of reliability, but in the past year I have spent about $1500 on repairs and around $2k on regular servicing (bloody timing belt). I could cop this if it was an awesome car but it isn't, so it's just not worth it, and we have ruled out anything Euro for its replacement.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matthewfnorbert

yep we have a beetle with the 1.8T engine, very nice motor.

my 60 year old beetle still runs original electrical system, original window and door rubbers etc, like to see a falcodore do that. but dont mention the war

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Interesting trend here in this thread - how many of us LS1.com.au guys also own air cooled Beetles?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

Interesting trend here in this thread - how many of us LS1.com.au guys also own air cooled Beetles?

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Not anymore, but I grew up with them (obviously) and we never had car problems that I can remember as a kid growing up - a simple car, that did what it needed to do - yours isn't a red one by any chance?

2008 Golf 2.0L FSI Petrol. $1800 to fix a PLASTIC oil filter housing.

GTIs get plastic intercoolers etc which is thousands of labour and parts to fix. Rediculous.

I asked a mate who has a new Polo Gti who he had the bottle of oil in the back for, he said no, it was for his car.... I thought those days were over back when we had the Kingswood.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CLUBRED

I asked a mate who has a new Polo Gti who he had the bottle of oil in the back for, he said no, it was for his car.... I thought those days were over back when we had the Kingswood.

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The Audi used 1L per 1000KM - perfectly acceptable apparently :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by team illucid

Not anymore, but I grew up with them (obviously) and we never had car problems that I can remember as a kid growing up - a simple car, that did what it needed to do - yours isn't a red one by any chance?

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Nah mine is light green - easy to pick for Canberra members if you see it, it's the one with black trim instead of chrome in lots of places.