Gasoline Volkswagens

[radereb]

I've always heard that gasoline engines for Volkswagens are not reliable and TDIs are the best (which is why I bought a TDI). I've decided to go with the buyback and I would consider another Volkswagen but I keep thinking of all the people and horror stories I have heard about gasoline VWs. If I were to buy another VW I would go with a Golf SEL or Alltrack. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Tornado TDI]

My only experience with gas VW's is with my GTI 16V I've had for 25 years.
Still runs like new. The only thing besides regular maintenance I've had to do is replace the fuel pump about 15 years ago.

 

[Mike_04GolfTDI]

My experience has been that every make and model of car has problems and needs repairs from time to time. I've owned about 30 cars.

 

[FVWVWF]

My experience has been that every make and model of car has problems and needs repairs from time to time.

Exactly. Done.
/end thread

 

[Redgrom]

Wife's old Passat wagon was great till the valves burnt at around 120k, so not bad but far from the mileage I originally expected from the TDI

 

[showdown 42]

If you want reliability get a Toyota or Honda and be done with it. I will not be buying a VW gasser. I might buy a BMW or MB however.

 

[Dirtracr95]

Whatever vehicle you are considering do research on. Actively search the Internet for the info you're after.

 

[solman1]

I can't speak as to reliability because I have not owned one.
I did however drive the Jetta sport 1.8L and the Golf 1.8L l both with automatic trans. While the performance was reasonable it wasn't enough to make me want to get rid of my tdi.

 

[RollingCoal]

If you want reliability get a Toyota or Honda and be done with it. I will not be buying a VW gasser. I might buy a BMW or MB however.

Is that decision made from a standpoint of reliability. I know modern bmw and mb are fairly reliable but repair costs can be astronomical even for smaller stuff. If your willing to wrench yourself it's not as bad but VW is certainly cheaper to maintain.

I haven't owned a VW gasser but several good friends of mine have had many over the years. Not one had any catastrophic failure and the only things that went wrong could go wrong on any vehicle and were minor.

 

[TDI smile]

From the 23 VW's I drove, 22 were gasser.... No one gave me a Headache, left me stranded or whatever....To me VW is one of the BETTER cars around for the money they cost! MERCEDES gave me more Headache.

 

[02TDIred]

From the 23 VW's I drove, 22 were gasser.... No one gave me a Headache, left me stranded or whatever....To me VW is one of the BETTER cars around for the money they cost! MERCEDES gave me more Headache.

If you have ever worked on the '60s era MB 600 edition, their "Grand Dame" you'll have more than headaches, as in ulcers, rashes, hives and PTSD every time you test drive it… especially if yer' trying to fix the "valet lights" or the hydro-pneumatic suspension. DAMHIK

 

[MrSprdSheet]

Is that decision made from a standpoint of reliability. I know modern bmw and mb are fairly reliable but repair costs can be astronomical even for smaller stuff. If your willing to wrench yourself it's not as bad but VW is certainly cheaper to maintain.

All Euro repair costs are becoming astronomical. To me, its a sign they depend on them. DSG service is incredibly simple, for instance, and they get, what, $800?

Only my VW experience, but I've had 4 gasers, to 1 diesel, and couldn't disagree more. The gas cars held up. It is easy to ding the diesel, on its exhaust issues alone. Fair, or unfair, I think if your plan is to maintain an as-delivered TDI exhaust system past the warranty, today, you may be in for quite a $$ ride. The gasers don't have NOx issues. They don't have soot loaded exhaust destroying their turbos sooner. You have to want TDI, and believe over any other consideration that you're coming out ahead.

 

[chadbag]

I've had 3 VW gassers (89, 97, 06) and 2 TDI (both 13s). The 89 gasser was totaled in a pileup (not my fault), but the 97 we had for some 13 or so years and it needed no major repairs in that time frame -- just the standard brakes, some exhaust work, and normal scheduled maintenance. The 06 we had for 7 years before going to the TDI and the only issue besides wear/tear items and maintenance was an A/C compressor that failed after about 5 years. My VW gasser experience has been just fine, but nothing since the 2006 model.

 

[bennybmn]

This is a great thread, considering the news the Alltrack is coming with a 6MT.

 

[BuyMeBackSoon]

The question in my mind is more like, does VW deserve to have my money and continued support. Probably not. Based on the communication of the two nearest dealerships I am more likely to just turn it in and head over to Honda or MINI.

The diesel engine sets the Golf apart from other cars, without it, blandness.

 

[Perfectreign]

If you want reliability get a Toyota

Yeah, a nice FJ-40 toyota. Anything past the '80s is pure junk and mostly built by slave labor.

I might buy a BMW or MB however.

From what I know, those cars tend to spend more time in the shop than average, unless you're looking at a W123 or W124 mercedes. Stay away from any mercedes W2XX models.

 

[02TDIred]

This is a great thread, considering the news the Alltrack is coming with a 6MT.

My dealer has $100 deposit on my ideal GSW (2015). They also have a deposit on a 2017 GSW 4Motion… which also comes as a 6MT, albeit as a gasser.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Moving to General VW Discussion.

 

[Matt-98AHU]

VW's 1.8 TSI is surprisingly efficient, even when bolted to the 09G slushbox automatic.

But, it's not without its issues. They had a rash of these motors snap the end of their intake camshaft off last year... The very back section that drives the vacuum pump and high pressure fuel pump.

Like most any direct injected gas motor as well, they tend to carbon up their intake ports in the cylinder head. This varies depending on driving conditions and even oil used. The harder you drive it, the cleaner it stays.

Earlier TSI motors had issues with the chain tensioner causing the cam timing chain to slacken enough to allow the cams to jump time. They've had a couple revisions of the part since then, we'll see how long they last. Though I suppose the frequency of failure has been pretty small.

The other issue is the water pumps on the 2.0 TSI. I'm pretty sure the 1.8 is similar, but it's been awhile since I looked at one. Since they came out with the chain drive TSI engines, they've had a huge amount of water pump failures. It's extremely common and I've personally replaced a couple that were still under warranty with less than 10,000 miles on the clock. The failure rate on these pumps is pretty alarming, and they've been doing it since 2008. In 2015 they were still commonly failing.

They have yet another updated part that has a bit more metal to the casing of the assembly instead of being entirely plastic. Time will tell if that actually helps prolong their life.

Kind of a shame because the do have great drivability with a surprising amount of low end grunt for a small gas engine.

I wouldn't mind a Mk7 GTI. That setup in particular is a riot to drive. But I would be very worried about the water pump suddenly puking most of the engine's coolant out without warning...

 

[kjclow]

The diesel engine sets the Golf apart from other cars, without it, blandness.

That's been my general thoughts as well. Although, if VW sweetens the deal enough, I may let them have the JSW back and get a gasser GSW. That also assumes that I can't get a new GSW diesel.

 

[TDI2000Zim]

VW Gas engines: I owned two Jettas, and drove a Beetle on loan for a few years. Nothing impressive, except that the handling was better than Toyota.

However, I had a Nissan Altima in the 90's that was far better than my Jettas had ever been; more reliable, quieter and powerful.

So, at this point in history, if it isn't a VW diesel, I rather drive Japanese.

 

[FordGuy100]

I enjoy the 1.4t. It isnt a powerhouse, but it has good low end torque, and pulls better than a stage 1 BEW once you get into the RPM's. Its good on fuel as well. Scheduled maintenance should be cheaper as well. Time will tell how reliable it is. They did got to a timing belt on the 1.4t, so hopefully the timing problems wont be a hassle.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

I've had two VW gassers and neither have been troublesome. In fact my last TDI was way less reliable in its first year, than my '16 Golf TSI has been in the first year.

So far I've had exactly zero issues with the drivetrain. Only two small issues otherwise: the Apple CarPlay infotainment system was prone to occasional hiccups, fixed by TSB, and a fastener came off an underbody panel. So far 23k km on it. I average 6.0 L/100 km in summer, and have seen as low as 5.2 L/100 km on the highway (calculated), but more typically average around 5.7 L/100 km on the highway (42 mpg). On *regular* gas.

My previous was a 2007 Passat 2.0T wagon with 6-speed manual. No major issues in 160k km (100k miles). Traded it in on my '11 Mk VI Golf TDI when I had a long commute again. Loved to drive the Mk VI, but hated to own it. Nothing but trouble with that car.

I love my '16 Golf TSI. Good low-end torque, better than the 1.9 BEW (PD) TDI I once owned, but with a much better top end.

If the 1.4 TSI was offered in the Golf, I'd buy one instead of the 1.8. Same torque, better fuel efficiency but with 20 less HP; should still be adequate. I do need a hatchback though, so no Jetta for me.

 

[Dimitri16V]

Picked up a Corolla S and a Golf S TSI both manuals this year
Corolla has been flawless , is a high speed screamer once you get the dual VVTI to kick in, Golf has better torque curve and better interior materials
Golf gets its plastic oil pan replaced with a reinforced metal one
Golf gets way better fuel economy
Both cars have chains and the engine layout is similar so working on them should be easy
Golf has a funky thermostat setup to allow for faster warm up , that I am a little bit afraid it may be a failure item
Golf was cheaper , I paid less for it than I did for my 04 TDI
If you plan on keeping a new car for more than 5 years , go Japanese

 

[2015vwgolfdiesel]

My 2003 Golf GSL (gasser) was great

zero problems

 

[k^2]

My first VW was 1994 MK3 Jetta. Bought it 6 years old used with 100K miles. Drove it for 7 years and put another 180K. Now besides my JSW I have had a 2007 Golf/Rabbit. The car now has 125K miles and still rides on original front brake pads. The only unscheduled maintenance on it was $60 crankshaft speed sensor which I replaced myself. While my JSW has had $500 worth of sensor replaced. Thank god I had the VW visa card to cover those costs.

 

[oilhammer]

I think this is a loaded question, since it really doesn't give any context.

Volkswagen Group has been making gasoline fueled engines since before WW2. There are air cooled, water cooled, inline, boxer, V, VR, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 cylinders, OHV, SOHC, DOHC, gear, belt, chain driven cams, naturally aspirated, turbocharged, supercharged, port injected, CIS injected, direct injected, carburetted, magnesium case, aluminum case, cast iron, .... the combination is basically as varied or possibly more so than any other manufacturer.

And the vehicles in which they were bolted have been just as varied. Rear engine, front engine, mid engine, RWD, FWD, AWD, transverse mounted, longitudinal.

Heck, they even built a few hybrids!

The last of the REALLY good gasoline fueled engines that was sold in this country left the dealer showroom last year, and it was only found in the Jetta S. Simple, sturdy, tough, reliable, tried and true. I'd place that engine 9and its precursors dating back to 1998) over ANY other VAG gasoline fueled engine sold here in the last 25+ years, and I'd place it on par with the ALH TDI in general ease of service and durability. Heck, it shares much of the same basic design.

 

[Lightflyer1]

The last of the REALLY good gasoline fueled engines that was sold in this country left the dealer showroom last year, and it was only found in the Jetta S. Simple, sturdy, tough, reliable, tried and true. I'd place that engine 9and its precursors dating back to 1998) over ANY other VAG gasoline fueled engine sold here in the last 25+ years, and I'd place it on par with the ALH TDI in general ease of service and durability. Heck, it shares much of the same basic design.

The 2.0l you mean? Why not just put it out there? Is this the same as the 2.0 l in the 2008 Passat?

 

[PlaneCrazy]

The 2.0l you mean? Why not just put it out there? Is this the same as the 2.0 l in the 2008 Passat?

No. In the Jetta, 115 hp, normally aspirated. In the 2008 Passat, 200 hp, turbocharged.

 

[pparks1]

DSG service is incredibly simple, for instance, and they get, what, $800?

My dealer charged $350 for the DSG service. It's about $125 in materials. So, around $225 for the labor.