Well they help keep me busy. Probably one of the least reliable 4 cyl TDI we ever got.
Common CKRA issues:
turbochargers (doing one right now... they had a warranty extension on them before the whole Dieselgate thing, and they ran out of replacements for a while, with some cars waiting over a year for a replacement!)
oil filter housing (made of plastic, spontaneous explosive loss of coolant is common, usually on a first cold snap... there are fortunately aluminum aftermarket replacements)
camshaft seals (TSB about this, really stupid design, need a special tool to remove them, and another to install them, although I go back in with a "regular" type seal instead)
valve covers (again, plastic.... they bake themselves to the head and leak oil all over)
the SCR system (tank, pump, heater, again parts shortages happen from time to time)
injectors (can be just mild 'nailing' during warm up under load, but can progress to bad nailing and misfires and cylinder contribution being flagged)
clogged heater cores (due to too aggressive of low pressure EGR duty cycle literally boiling the additives out of the coolant in the EGR cooler... this can progress to gunk up the whole cooling system, which is VERY complex although not nearly as excessive as the CVCA is).
NMS issues not related to the engine:
The Chinese made HVAC motors, some of which require dash removal.
Compliance bushings on the front control arms.
They are hard on the inside edges of the tires, much MUCH worse the bigger the rim size.
Rear calipers can stick, usually due to improper (no) parking brake use.
Front rotors warp, usually from the above.
Melted DRL bulb sockets. (easily perma-fixed)
...when they are all dialed in, and running correctly, they are a nice car. Good power, roomy, understated conservative styling, excellent fuel economy. But I'd never want to rely on one as my only means of transportation, no way no how.
