VOLKSWAGEN consumer reviews

Mike, United States of America on the Volkswagen Jetta

I am impressed with this car. This is my first diesel, it doesn’t smoke like the older models. And it’s quieter then the Buicks I have previously driven. My first fillup was an amazing 44.5 mpg. The dealership Brandon VW gave fantastic service. Would highly recommend buying a car from them. Ask for Tim Flaherty or call him at 813 -401-8033. You won’t be disappointed. Mike A. PS I drove from Tampa, Fl. to Charleston, SC without stopping for gas. The only complaint I got was from my wife.

Dan, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

This is the first van I have ever owned. Purchased to carry more gear than people and to house clients on location shoots. Quality is quite good. DSG trans is a little noisy, but changes smoothly and is very compliant. Power steering is a little heavy and rumbles when steering on the spot. Other than that I have the MF wheel and table. The wheel is a must have and the table makes a great talking point. I would buy another, but I would love 4 motion and the tdi 400. The van is black with dark windows and actually turns heads! Next time though it might be a Transporter crew.

Ken, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

My 2011 Caddy Tdi perfoms very well. MPG wise I am currently getting 750 miles from a full tank to red light. Refuelling it takes 55Litres. My maximum speed is 65m/hr. I am a courier doing 400 miles a day and I made a decision to reduce my speed and it has paid off for me very well, try it.

Pete, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

A great car, which I couldn’t fault on looks or gadgets etc., until today when the engine failed. I had noticed an increased whirring noise from the engine under acceleration so I called the VW garage and they said not to worry unless there’s a warning light, of which there was none. It lost all power today and when I pulled over it wouldn’t start. The AA man said when he tried to start it he could hear the crank knocking and there was no oil in the engine. It has only done 7k miles and no warning lights have ever been displayed since new. I hope VW sort this under warranty and I get a proper explaination! Very disappointing!

Daniel, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Passat

In the main the car is fine, but the auto brake does not always release or apply when you park! I have been to the dealer three times, but they never replicate the fault; granted it is intermittant so I have recorded the cockpit, but Volkswagen UK and the dealership will not accept this as proof of the fault. I recommend you google Passat handbrake.

James, Scotland on the Volkswagen Golf

I have been getting condensation inside the car in frosty weather and I’m having to scrape ice from inside the windows!

Jack, South Africa on the Volkswagen Polo

The aircon is noisy, it pulls to the left and the brakes shudder!

John, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Golf

No problem giving it 5 stars as it is such a nice place to be, especially when I sometimes top a 1,000 miles in a week. The average economy since new is showing as 64.4, and no I don’t drive like a granny just sensibly. It surprises people just how big the interior is and comfortably seats 5 adults, the boot for me is adequate. Things that have gone wrong: The horn is down to just the high pitch and it is unfortunately easy to stall, but the stop-start mech minimises embarrassment.

James, Berkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Having driven pretty much every van out there the Transporter is by the far the best. That’s why I bought one. One word of warning though, you get nothing as standard with VW and even have to pay extra for a spare tyre!

Martin, Australia on the Volkswagen Crafter

Purchased new in July 2011, I have done 65,000 in 9months. I missed the first service by 20,000k’s, but it didn’t miss a beat. I had to replace the tyres at 61,000k’s due to a dodgy wheel alignment done by VW here in Brisbane causing uneven wear. I replaced the tyres with the same spec Kumho tyres. From new, I had the wood paneling put in the rear and upgraded the rear suspension as I carry up to 2tonne a day. I deliver wine, tyres, paint and chemicals. I travel between 430-600km’s per day. I have not had any problems other than a glow plug warning, that killed the power until I switched off the ignition and restarted. That is it. I have just fitted an LPG unit to it with a 55litre tank. I used to travel up the hills either struggling in 3rd or revving like mad in 2nd. I now can get up them in 3rd with plenty of power to boot. My fuel consumption on the LPG has dropped the diesel usage from 65litres per day done to 50Litres per day, usine 10litres of LPG to do it, but as LPG is half the price of diesel, the savings are between $10-$30 a day. This vehicle regularly travels over 110kph for 150km’s at a time, sometimes faster, but thats not something I will discuss on here. I can’t fault it. It would be nice to have the hand grips in the a frame interior and the centre console lid like on the Sprinters, but as the Crafter is $10000 cheaper than a Crafter and looks better, goes better and doesn’t break down, who really cares? To all those who say the Crafter is a rubbis vehicle I would suggest looking at the way you or the people you employ drive it.

Ian, England on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life

I love my Maxi-Life, which I bought last April and have so far done 10000 miles in mixed city and long distance work. It’s a perfect car for outdoor pursuits work and even tows my 1000kg caravan happily. With its long wheelbase it’s very stable. With the Rear seats left at home we have used it as a comfortable ’tin-tent’ in inclement weather. Great length. I bought roof bars, but have only used them once because almost everything fits inside! Glitches? Yes, a few: I agree with Derek, 12000’ish is probably realistic for front tyres. The sliding door ’port-hole’ windows both leaked from day one and I’ve little hope of a cure so am resigned to wet door pockets. The ’electronic’ options can be baffling, just the locking/unlocking and electric window settings will probably take me years to master. That said, it’s a great car/van/utility vehicle!

Bay, Barbados on the Volkswagen Passat

Great car.

Reece, Wiltshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I actually work for Volkswagen so it almost goes without saying that I think they’re great. But I genuinely believe this car is the best I have ever driven. I’ve driven nearly our whole range of cars from the Polo to the Toureg and yet I can’t get over how well this car performs! I love it. It pulls very well from any gear with the supercharger and turbo working in perfect harmony to give you a real buzz when driving it. The comfort of the car is outstanding as well. You can drive for endless miles, yet you don’t start feeling uncomfortable after sitting in the same position for hours on end like you do in other cars. Personally I love this car and would recommend it to anyone.

Sid, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Golf

Excellent car and no road tax with 59 mpg, I cannot see myself buying any other car from a Volkswagen.

Paw, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Passat CC

A great looking car with good acceleration and. However, I’ve barely done 1000 miles in my brand new cc and the dashboard rattles. Also the start and stop technology seems to have died a few days ago and I need to pay a visit to VW in that respect. 27k well spent??? Well, we will see, but mixed feelings at the moment.

Nige, Somerset on the Volkswagen Transporter

What can I say? A 28k mistake! This is the first and last T5 that we shall be purchasing. A 1 Star Rating is far too good for the thing. Had the van from new, 1st March 2011 and we have covered 7500 miles and the road noise is horrendous. The dealer has changed the tyres (only after several heated phone calls), but this has not improved it at all. To top it off the driver’s door seal has started to let the rain in; build quality appears to be very poor. For the past 8 years we ran Renault Trafics, which we feel are a far better van and half the cost. Roll on 3 years when we can get shot of the thing.

Roger, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Crafter

Got this as a hire/replacement while my Trafic is away for accident repairs. Surprisingly the VW feels flimsy, with a worse finished than my Renault. The seats especially are very poor, with a very short seat base offering little support, and tactile quality of the switchgear etc is frankly naff. I really don’t want to spend much time in there. There is a very basic level of equipment on the standard hire vehicle. Cargo space is impressive and useful tie-down points to keep everything under control, but where is the power to move all that load? I can’t find it. The engine and gearbox are smooth as they should be, but seem under-specced for a working van. Sorry VW, but the Crafter will not be on my Christmas list.

Nick, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I also have had the handbrake release. I got home at 23.40 last night, and was woken this morning to be confronted with a fairly disgruntled neighbour (I don’t blame them) as they were woken at 00.51 by a bang and found my van residing in their garden via a low wall. I’ve been in the motor trade since 16 so nearly 24 years and I believe the problem to be that when the brakes get hot everything expands, when you stop and apply the handbrake and over a short period of time everything cools and contracts thus releasing the pressure on the handbrake and away she goes. I have complained on more than one occasion that the brakes dont feel right, so back to the dealer it goes on Monday.

Stanley, Malaysia on the Volkswagen Passat CC

The car was delivered to me in May 2011 and has so far needed to be towed three times. The first time due to low pressure and fuel pump issues. The second time was due to high pressure and fuel pump issues. The final time was again due to low pressure and fuel pump issues.

David, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life

I’ve only had this a few weeks and have not run it in yet, but so far I am very impressed. It’s civilised, spacious and comfortable, and with the right extras. A great car. I am a kayaker, and leave the back row of seats in the garage, which gives a huge load space. The MPG so far is about 50 in mixed local and distance driving. I love it....even if my 13 year old son thinks it is not "cool"!

Doug, Australia on the Volkswagen Amarok

We wanted comfort springs, but the wait meant we decided to live with the heavy duty model, the reality of which is still very civilised and it’s good to know I can carry 1000kgs odd in the back. The car has had the door adjusted on driver’s side and that’s it so far. It drives very well for a commercial vehicle. The cabin is a nice place to be and we got the uprated stereo and bluetooth phone which works very well. 100% recommend the reversing sensors and camera as it is a LONG vehicle and the rear vision with a canopy is pretty limited and useless in rain or after driving down dirt roads. Fuel consumption was about 11 l/100kms (9 on long trips) until VW flashed the ECU and now I seem to see regularly 8 - 9 l/100kms in commute and low sevens on a trip, with no discernible reduction in performance post-flash update. It feels unbreakable and the gearbox (manual 6 speed) is very heavy duty and taking some time to free up.

Keith, England on the Volkswagen Golf

I have had my car since mid-sept 2011. VW say the mpg should be 72mpg, but I am only getting 46mpg. The car has been in to VW twice, they took the car for a test drive and said they can only get 46mpg and then said the car is running ok. So why are they selling golf 1.6tdi automatic bluemotion tecs at 72mpg when their own tests can not get that mpg? They say it’s down to bad roads and poor weather and bad driving. Well if that is the case then don’t sell VW in England. One good point is the car is great to drive and the road tax is low. My advice is to stay away from eco cars as they’re a waste of money.

Derek, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life

I am a taxi driver in Newcastle upon Tyne. I bought my Caddy brand new 1st Feb 2011. As of 13th December I have done 44500 miles. It is a very good drive and my customers often remark how comfortable it is. However, the lack of a spare wheel, spare wheel carrier and jack is a disgrace. The compressor and puncture fluid do not work (I have had five punctures so far and have had to borrow a spare wheel from a friend every time). I now carry a spare in the boot which takes up much room. The clutch has just gone and in 25 years taxi-ing, hitherto in used vehicles, I have never had less than 70,000 miles out of a clutch - usually 100,000+. I suspect this is related to the Dual Mass Flywheel, which the Caddy has and of which I was forewarned before buying it. I am not sufficiently technically clued-up to know why this should be, but let the buyer beware. Also access to the rearmost seats is complicated and I have already had a replacement handle, gas-strut and full rear seat bottom plate under warranty. Note also that the Caddy is VERY demanding of front wheel tyres (12000 miles per tyre). With regard to fuel consumption, I drive almost constantly in traffic and get 30 -32 mpg (It was 35mpg for the first 20,000 miles). The warranty expires at 60,000 miles. I’ll keep you posted.

Jeffy, Scotland on the Volkswagen Passat

It’s a sh*t car.

James, County Armagh on the Volkswagen Golf

Got my first VW ever 3 weeks ago, a brand new Tsi 1.4 match, which I was able to get under motability and so far I am very pleased with it. It has all the toys parking sensors, dab radio, 6 speed gearbox etc, and is a very smooth quiet driving car, in fact at traffic lights I found that sometimes I had to look at the rev counter to make sure the engine was actually running!! I’m not doing big mileage, but on a run to my brothers last week of 230 miles it showed how refined it was with the cruise control making for a very relaxing drive. When I picked up the car at the dealers and the salesman was showing me how it all worked he mentioned the glove box being cooled when the aircon was on, I jokingly said it will keep my bottles of beer cool and he opened the tray between the seats and showed me the VW marked bottle opener inside!! Any gripes? Few that are VW’s fault; the seating is much lower that my old Focus C-Max, but the golf’s seats are supremely comfortable for my spine, in fact the only irritating thing is the light on the dash that shows an arrow telling you when to change up or down gear, but a small sticker over it cured that. would I recommend one? Absolutely although not cheap by any means, mine came out at over £18,000, but the quality is very much there and well worth the wait.

Amy, Ireland on the Volkswagen Golf

This is a top car, good quality all-round with a great range of technology and gadgets. Great sturdy car drive, very quiet engine.

Mike, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

I took delivery of the Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI in March this year. The car has the DSG gear box which is absolutely superb given that I am disabled. It is not ideal in relation to getting in or out, given the nature of my disability, but I am prepared to forgo this given that it looks superb, is a dream to drive and it is so well equipped with the superb leather seats and all the other standard equipment. The engine is excellent as is the ride quality. The only one criticism I have is the sat nav, it does not accept post codes with 5 or more letters which is a pain. Yesteday I had to go to Hyde in Cheshire. I set the nav with the Town and the street but I finished driving everywhere except getting to my destination. However that said I would certainly recommend the car for style, comfort, performance and equipment.

Noel, Ireland on the Volkswagen Golf

Have done about 24000 km in the last 8 months car is very easy on diesel showing an average of 4.4 liters per 100km now that the weather is getting warmer. Have had 2 punctures which fortunately the pump supplied with the car was able to inflate. There is no spare tyre. Apart from a stone getting caught in a front brake disc the only thing that has broken was one of the stays supporting the rear parcel shelf they are a bit flimsy. Overall very happy with the car.

Nick, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Decided to get the new T5 in 2010, never had so many problems with a vehicle!! Diesel particle filter first, drive shaft on drivers side spun the bearing taking out gearbox end, problems with radio reception, been back into Leicester VW 3 times for that problem. Van was in Leicester for 6 weeks over Christmas waiting for drive shaft. Now radio packed up altogether and particle filter light on dash came on again tonight. I hate it!! I want my Vivaro back.

Ronald, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Polo

The best looking and most comfortable interior of any car at the price. The car also irons out potholes better than an ambulance. The gearchange is so smooth and the clutch so soft you are unaware of them. However, the engine is very noisy and on hills or low gears the car sounds like one of Eddie Stobart’s lorries. I recommend constant muzak or ear plugs. The 1.2 engine is far too small for the overgrown body and struggles in hilly areas. The car is quiet on motorways and long distances can be covered without fatigue. This is a hard to love car if you want " Performance," perhaps investigate the 1.4 engine for more guts. I’m getting rid but I’ll miss the beautiful interior.

Victoria, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Tiguan

After much persuasion from my husband, we bought this car. All I can say is what a lovely car and after the winter we have had, it has been a godsend. The tyres haven’t been an issue at all! Driving this car, you feel safe and for my peace of mind I know my son is safe. The amount of gadgets and cubby holes is great. This I have to admit is the best car ever! Such a smooth ride makes me wonder why I hesitated so much.

Iain, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

My van is 10 months old now and, apart from taking it back to have sportline wheels fitted because the ultra efficient Germans altered the brake calipers so they wouldn’t fit without retro spacers, and then taking it back to have the sliding door gear panel refitted and resprayed, it’s been good. The van can really shift with that big engine and it’s streets ahead of my old Hiace (05 plate). Overall its good and the flexibility of seats in for children then seats out for joinery work means I don’t have to buy a 4 wheel drive big car to achieve the same results.

Alan, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

Took delivery of the Passat CC GT 170 in September 2010. I have now done 6,000 miles and still smile when I get into the car. My previous two cars were 320 BMW’s and whilst the BMW is a fantastic driver’s car the Passat is equally as enjoyable to drive and performance and economy are good. The handling is excellent and equipment spec’s(most of which are standard) are far better than the BMW without paying a fortune to BMW for a similar spec.The styling and looks mean that you are frequently stopped in the street and asked about the car but even more suprising is that people don’t know what the car is. Given that the CC GT is a significantly diffent car to the original Passat VW have possibly missed a trick by not launching it under a different name.

Syd, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen’s new Polo with the 70PS 1.2 litre three cylinder engine is one of the few small cars that doesn’t make you hunger for big engined poke and refinement. While far from being the hottest of small hatchbacks, it makes big speed figures seem supernumerary - so complete is its performance in other areas. Getting into a Polo is always to be reminded of what a finely honed piece of work it is. Shut the door and experience that nicely weighted ’thunk’; examine the quality fabrics and plastics; experience the damped action of the controls: it all inspires confidence. And with plenty of room, excellent visibility plus that cohesive air of understatement, a maturity and pragmatism is brought to small car motoring. High fashion has not subverted basic function here so it’s no surprise that all its winning features led to the Polo being voted ’Car of The Year’ in 2010. Now, thirty four years on and in its fifth generation, it is more technically advanced than ever - and it’s bigger too, bearing strong resemblance to the sixth generation Golf and clearly appearing to be one of the new Volkswagen family. But it’s also lighter than the previous model: and that has contributed to improved economy and lower emissions. I’ve rated the Polo for years; and still do - even though the competition has grown significantly tougher. It’s one of those small cars that fits easily and comfortably into today’s motoring picture, however strenuous and constrained life on the road becomes. Available with a choice from petrol or diesel engines and with three or five doors, in four trim levels and with prices ranging from £9,995 for the 1.2 litre 3 door S, to a frightening £19,410 for the 5 door 1.4 litre GTI with the renowned DSG gearbox, there’s a Polo to suit just about everyone who wants a car in that segment. The well specified SE five-door model tested, with the 1.2 70PS three-cylinder engine was high on comfort, convenience and safety - but initially I had reservations about that small engine. Frugal with the fuel it surely is at nearly 52mpg overall, but a top speed of just 103 mph and that ridiculously irrelevant 0-62 mph time of many seconds, paints a picture of lethargy. I’m pleased to be able to report that it is far from lethargic. That sense of integrity and solidity mentioned earlier is detectable on the road too. The Polo feels like a car you can trust making for relaxed driving. Light controls, a good driving position, an engine and slick gearbox that gel perfectly, plus responsive and secure handling make it stable and surefooted and a rewarding car to drive quickly. ’Quickly?’ I hear you ask. Well, I’m pleased to be able to report that 80 mph on a motorway is effortless. There’s some gruffness under hard acceleration, but when you throttle back to steady cruising all is quiet and refined. With the new Polo, aspects, which left room for improvement, have been addressed with intent. The choice of priorities has been astute and that splendid Polo character has, thankfully, continued intact.

Dazza, Leicestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Work supplied for my job, very disappointed, brand new and faults galore! Airbag fault, driver’s door wouldn’t unlock whilst spare key in ignition defrosting cab on cold day, aux socket not working on radio to run mp3, radio reception intermittent permanently, gutless engine, rang Leicester van centre for help getting vehicle unlocked, they never phoned back!! Managed to unlock myself after an hour, I thought VW were supposed to represent quality? Avoid, c**p all ’round.

Alan, Kent on the Volkswagen Golf

Potentially a very good car, engine and chassis very good. Lots of silly gimmicks like the chrome bezel round the air vent reflecting in the RH outside mirror. Circular dials ok but the ’computer’ area between them is a jumbled mess. Main and very serious fault is the terrible road roar on coarse surfaces. V tiring on a long journey. Needs some damping in the roof, which of course one cannot do easily. Would a change of tyres help??? The nearly-new market dominated by ex-VW vehicles, all of which seem to be black or silver with black interiors. Forecourts look like undertakers’ car parks. My eight year old TDI 130 had much better quality interior trim and was more comfortable.

Michael, Northern Ireland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Just want to write a review on the volkswagen caddy. It is an excellent van and very car like to drive and volkswagen have once again made a strong and sturdy vechile, was considering a transit connect and a citroen dispatch but after driving the caddy there is no comparison, a little more expensive to buy but in the long term works out better. A really excellent van.

Carole, Wiltshire on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

I have just ordered one after driving it. I tested the Golf but the Plus suited us better. I am 69 years old and most cars are too low and the doors too small for us to easily get in and out of. A SUV is too high and large and an expensive run. I wanted an economical car, small enough to drive and park but with an automatic gearbox and rear view camera. It has a good seat height to see in front of me without having to use cushions or hit my head on the roof. As you get older they become important. Automatic lights and wipers make it easier to concentrate on driving. It parks itself too! Turning around to see behind you is a thing of the past. I highly recommend this car to all drivers over 60.

Zuber, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought a new t32 kombi, so far ok but rear brakes making a sound, going to ring VW. Already owned 05 t28, had many problems but all fixed under warranty.

Kleem, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

My 1st experience with VW. I have always been a Vauxhall man, bought the 180 bh LWB. Wow, what a machine, comfort, overtaking excellent. Loaded or unloaded makes no difference to drive! Being a 6 foot man - found cockpit a little small, but acceptable, fuel consumption... well I thought it would be better - but it is 180 and I’m heavy footed. If you’ve ever enjoyed driving Golf’s, it has very similar characteristics, a nice positive feel, tight and responsive. Have only had it a few weeks - am glad I got the rear parking sensors - haven’t felt or seen any issues yet and hope not too. Wanted a Sportline but they won’t be released until end of year... can’t wait, I will be getting one!!!

James, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

This is the 2nd one I have owned, the new common rail engine is much quieter and refined and more economical, I now get an average of 55 mpg. The car is great on the long journeys, comfortable and a good cruiser. People who have been in the car with me think it it a really nice car. I know the standard Golf is sexier but I think more people would be better with the Plus with its extra room and flexiblity. I do not need 7 seats in the bigger MPVs this is about right but one thing I would do; why don’t VW make the boot bigger say 4" on the length? This would differentiate it more from the golf and make it a better proposition.

Kevin, Neath Port Talbot on the Volkswagen Tiguan

Excellent car I’ve only had the car a week and it’s brilliant after driving a Mistubishi l200 animal (which was awfull). The Tiguan has very good build quality driving dynamics are very good, all the controls are easy use. The 140 td has good power delivery and the brakes stop you very well. Just wished I choosed VW Tiguan before the l200.

Christine, England on the Volkswagen Golf

Having driven Toyota cars for the last 4 years, which were very reliable, I’ve just changed to a Golf 2.0 GT Tdi and cannot believe its excellence in every respect. It is comfortable, easy to drive and economical with all the extras I require. This is the first car that I actually enjoy driving, and my partner now has to be passenger most of the time!

Craig, Somerset on the Volkswagen Transporter

Very nice van a lot nicer to drive than a Transit or Vivaro but nowhere near as well built as the transit. Have had the VW for 5 weeks and have done 4000 miles so far and it’s used as a plasterer’s van. The rubber cills on the back doors are peeling off and side door becoming very stiff to slide. The interior feels ok a bit flimsy in places and gerabox very clunky. Overall nice drive but don’t think it will last as long and well as my old transit.

Roman, Kenya on the Volkswagen Polo

I love this car, but it is too complicated for the road side mechanic!

Eric, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

VW should be ashamed of this most un-reliable pile of s**t . Worst vehicle EVER!

Alex, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Cosmetic surgery gone wrong here! Having major problems with gearbox & engine. Dealer really struggling to resolve problem, makes me feel sick every time I look at my van or any other T5 facelift. Wish I’d stuck with my last 2.5 130bhp, have owned 3 x T5 2.5 130bhp and found them bomb proof. If I can find a low mileage 2.5/130 the facelift will be gone.

Martin, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi all, I have owned my transporter for 9 weeks now and it has gone wrong twice. Currently I am driving a Transit van supplied by VW assist while my van is being repaired. This van was very expensive and VW vans are supposed to be reliable. I have to say the Transit van I am driving has better features on it than my new van and costs some 10k less. Lets hope this fault is a one off and I get trouble free motoring from now on.

Mahesh, Kenya on the Volkswagen Passat CC

One of the sleekest machines in its class. The road handling and throttle response is awesome. Done about 5k now and it has developed a nagging squeak in the back and the dealers have failed to rectify it. Otherwise, it is a driver’s car.

Roy, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

What have VW done? My 5th van to date, my last was a swb 174 and the best, I now have wing mirrors that fold up not in and seem to contain the radio aerial, I had to purchase the sump guard as an extra. I am now getting rumbling noises when changing up through the gear box  abridge dealership told to leave alone as no other reported instances. Too many cost cutting exercises, very disappointed at the moment.

Andrew, Scotland on the Volkswagen Polo

Purchased the Polo and whilst I think most of the car is superb, I hate owning it because of the HORRENDOUS vibration/rattle that comes from the steering column whenever you turn the steering wheel when driving over uneven ground. I have invoke the Sale of Goods Act with VW UK who said they are aware of the problem, but not enough people complaining about it for there to be ’fix’ invoked. I know a few people who were aware about it and are now in the process of taking it to their dealership. I have had 2 x steering columns replaced under warranty to try and rectify this, but no joy :-( Such a shame as its a great wee car apart from this terrible noise.

Mike, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Tiguan

Great car, pity about the suspension, like driving on solid tyres.

David, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Eos

My Eos replaced a 2008 Mercedes C Class as I no longer needed a saloon for business. After 4 months I can report that it is much nicer in almost every way than the Mercedes. A really great car to drive with the top up or down and much better than I’d imagined it would be as an everyday vehicle for shopping and carrying a couple of passengers. The finish and build quality are fantastic, nothing rattles or creaks and everything works as it should. My only complaint is the computer, which always gives a reading of 5-7 mpg too much. I am getting around 45 mpg which I am happy with. Finally, I think that VW should do more to draw owners attention to lubricating the roof seals. My supplying dealer advised Krytox at least every 6 months.

A, Ceredigion on the Volkswagen Transporter

90% happy with my facelift California except for a worsening rumbling noise from the clutch when changing up. I noticed it from new & pointed it out to the dealer but they couldn’t hear anything. Currently at 4500 miles & it’s much worse. Will see how bad it gets before taking it back & keeping my ear to the ground on web forums to see if anyone else has this issue. (Roy from Hertfordshire sounds like he has a similar problem!)

Derek, Cumberland on the Volkswagen Transporter

This is my 1st Transporter and I bought quite a high spec van. Medium roof wth 180ps Bi-turbo. Very disappointed with the high level of road noise in the cab and not as torquey as I’d of thought it should be! Anyone any suggestions/comments? Thanks.

Chris, Carmarthenshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Had this van 4 months ago having previously had the 2007 130 4 motion. Not as punchy as the 130 and has to be driven hard. Awful for towing no guts at all. Good mpg, but the build quality is also poor, lots of rattles from the dash and the radio doesn’t pick up any decent signal. £26k with a few extra’s wish I had gone for something different now! To add insult to injury these vans can not be re-mapped without VW knowing as the ECU has to be opened up, typical!!

Clive, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Scirocco

Drive one, you won’t believe it’s a 1.4! With the DSG, it’s very smooth and quiet - also quick enough to question, why you would need the 2.0 versions. MPG is diesel like without the torque lumpiness. Far nicer than my last A4. don’t pay a premium price for an Audi, it’s badge engineering!

Gary, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Polo

I bought my Bluemotion because of its good looks, build quality and claimed economy figures. Having driven it for a year it has not disappointed on the first 2 counts, but the economy is nowhere near the claimed combined 88mpg. The consumption did improve after the first 5000 miles, but I typically return 67mpg on a motorway run and 55mpg on an urban type cycle. I since realised that most manufacturers economy figures are based on the most unrealistic European test standards and are not worth the paper they are written on. I drive around 20,000 miles per year and have been really impressed and surprised with the Polo’s cruising capability. Due to the high gearing it is reasonably quiet and very comfortable on long runs. The car does need to be kept in the 2200 to 3500 rev band to keep it moving along in the city and despite reports of its sluggish performance it does manage to keep up with traffic and can be fun to drive at the expense of ignoring the gear change indicator, which is pretty useless and does not account for the cars load or if its going up or down hill. If I could improve anything on this car it would be the headlights, which are very near useless on the Bluemotion when driving on unlit country roads. The new Polo range has 3 headlight variations with 4 different bulb configurations so ensure that you test drive the actual model you want to buy in darkness to check them out yourself. I also switched the tyre repair kit for a full sized spare (again sacrificing some economy) over been stranded with a serious puncture in the middle of nowhere. I have also found that the electric cooling fan seems to go through periods where it will be constantly running and then it settles down for a few weeks. The dealer could not find any fault, but seems efficient and courteous. Finally the horn on this model is feeble and no good on a motorway to let a truck know he is pulling out on you. Overall its a great little car with just a few niggles that would not matter if you just want to use it for the school and shopping run.

Mark, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

Fantastic car. I do agree with the dash board rattle problem, it’s very anoying. The car was bought in March 2010 and today has covered 56k trouble free motoring, the only problem being a knock from the near side rear. After complaining at the three services the car had, they have finally changed the rear calipers, carriers, brake pipes and rubber hoses and the knock has gone.

George, England on the Volkswagen Polo

Any potential purchasers of a Polo with the 7 speed DSG gearbox should be aware that the gearbox is excessively noisy. VW classify this noise as a "characteristic". I classify it as irritating even after following their advice to "turn the radio up".

Bal, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Passat

I have done 20k in less than one year of ownership. A great car. Economical at an average 55mpg and I have got close to 65mpg and best range was 920 miles with 15 miles left. A huge boot and good interior space. Noisy interior squeaks often though. It is underpowered and needs frequent gear changes at low speeds. The electronic brake is no problem, I always leave it in gear as per the operating manual. To start the car on on a hill you need to press clutch in fully then the accelerator and the car drives with no problems. The 3 dc outlets are great for all mod cons requirements including the one in the boot. At speeds of 80+ (autobahn) the mpg drops to 45, at 90mph this, equates to 37-40mpg not bad for 1.6 tons. Lag in cruise control acceleration noted. Relaxed driving and variations in the lumbar support region ensures a chilled driving experience. Variable service, have got up 18k previously, this appears the norm. Please note when driving hard keep an eye on the oil level! Variable service also is for cars that have not been driven hard. Hope this helps.

Robert, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Brought a Caravelle Executive from Eurovans in Crawley to replace my T5 174. It’s the top of the range and is really good apart from the heater, which is not up to heating a van in winter. The van has also been in for repair for a leaking factory fitted sunroof for 33 days in the last 8 months. I can honestly say I would never buy a VW van again as the service from VW Head Office and vw Finance has been shocking. The dealer, however, is trying hard and is to be commended.

Noel, Ireland on the Volkswagen Golf

I have had the first service done at 29500 km according to the service indicator in the dash. Car is running well mechanically but interior buzzes and vibrations are ruining my ownership experience of the car. Have complained to dealer and I am waiting for their response.

Chris, Berkshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Bluntly, the worst car I have ever owned, and my past ownership includes an Austin Allegro! I only gave it a "1" becuase I couldn’t give it "0"! I bought this car in February 2010 and took delivery in May 2010. The car never got near to its stated fuel consumption of 65.7 MPG (combined), typically it returned between low 30s and low 40s when driven in mixed motoring (dual carriageway "A" roads and a small component of urban). As fuel economy was a central reason for my purchase decision, this was a "big deal". The car also suffered 3 sensor failures, and spent 2 months at the main dealer out of the last 4 months of ownership with faults and for repeated attempts at rectification of poor fuel consumption. Added to all that, I discovered that the bottom of the rear seat had no trim fitted. When the car was being used for carrying "stuff", you could see an expanse of cream foam with factory idents stamped on it. When I flagged this as a defect; I was shown a car in the main dealer showroom that looked identical. In short, it seems VW is now shipping cars in this condition by design. So much for the "superior" VW trim! With respect to post sales support, I found VW UK unhelpful in the extreme. The dealership was glacially slow (nothing they tried took less than a working week) and didn’t seem to know what they were doing. With regard to the ride of the car, I found it harsh and unpleasant over speed ramps and rough roads. I traded this car in at a little over a year old because I was sick to the back teeth of it. Recommendation: Avoid (like the plague)!

John, Somerset on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve had a 2010 van converted to Kombi by after market converter. It’s now much cheaper to run and the van has worked hard in its first year, covering 25K. The T32 gives a hard ride but brilliant at full weight, very comfy to drive and good handling.The T5 is a good product, excellent on fuel and DPF comes on if you use 5% biodiesel ’dirty’ supermarket fuel. Stick to Esso/Shell, etc. I work in Industrial chemistry processes so the DPF problem is here to stay. The van goes well on motorways at full load and the handling is great. My main problem is VW dealer. The problems I’ve had include body scratches, the wrong number plate on front upon delivery and the radio reception is rubbish. If dealer won’t sort it I’ll be writing to VW UK with a complaint under their quality programme as any ISO 9001 firm should sort this properly. Trading standards is always an option!

Royston, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

The worst Transporter I’ve owned by far. The Van is currently broken down with broken EGR valve and is waiting to be repaired, as VW have no spare part because so many are failing. The design of the van is great and when it’s not in the garage it drives great, but the build quality is very poor.

Austin, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Polo

A fine car blighted by annoying "B" pillar clunking and load vibration from the air conditioning pipes when the engine’s under load. Both these problems have eventually been fixed by the main agent. It is now 13 months old with over 7,000 gentle miles on the clock and I’ve been told a new turbo is required. Not very confidence inspiring.

Martin, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve got the Caravelle executive. To put it short and sweet: What a great all rounder, not one problem, drives exceptionally well and great mpg. Sounds like you’ve all bought either Friday afternoon motors or night shift motors. Other forums also read the same about other cars/vans/bikes. We have to remember us humans make every machine, make the parts and fit them, plus the worlds not perfect! Just enjoy, at least it’s money well spent.

Stan, England on the Volkswagen Scirocco

This car consistently delivers over 40 mpg and I have so far covered nearly 70,000 miles in less than 2 years. It’s a superbly comfortable car with adjustable chassis control and eats the miles at whatever speed you wish to drive. I’ve seen an indicated 140mph! It handles very well, exceptionally in the wet and not too shabby in the snow either! The rear seats are very comfortable once you climb in! I defy anyone to go back to a manual after using a DSG, it is so fast and smooth to change, far quicker than a manual change. I’ve been driving over 40 years and it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve dropped below 60 thousand miles a year; this car has been brilliant, it goes back in couple of months and I can’t think of anything to replace it with - so I might as well have another one!

Maciek, Poland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I love new look of the VW facelift, I think it’s very smart. My new van is easy to drive and I like the interior, but I have noticed that the new VW is not as solid as the old generation. What worries is me is that engine is noisy; it rattles and looses power sometimes (possibly dpf?). I feel there are a few stupid things VW have done to the new version; they haven’t fit an engine temperature on the dials, which I think its very important when you pull your trailer and instead I have an internal one. Misery. I can’t figure out my internal light and central lock (locked my keys inside already!), the radio looses its signal constantly and there isn’t enough room in the cabin. The mirrors been broken after only a few months because they dont fold. The lift jack is made of paper. Before this I owed a 2003 t4 2,5 tdi and I still miss my it; 120 000 miles on the clock and no problems. The old van was bullet proof, but I’m not sure about the new one.

Pete, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Had the Kombi from new, and no real issues to report. Yes road noise is a little high, but then there’s no acoustic treatment to the rear. If you ply/carpet the rear and stick a headboard in it will get quieter. It goes ’well’ ;-) and the power is useful for overtaking and makes it good fun to drive. Cruise control makes the motorway miles disappear. Issues: rear number plate light trim worked loose, but a spot of thread lock sorted that. No other issues really. Apparently there is a recall on the turbo hoses, but we’ve yet to get that sorted. VW Commercial in Cheltenham have been great and I’d highly recommend them. Would I buy again? Yes.

Paul, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I got my van in Jan 2010, white as all ways. I had an iPod adt fitted by the dealer and all was fine for 6months then there was no sound from the radio. The dealer changed the radio, which developed the same fault within 3months. I had to wait for one month as VW were out of stock for a replacement. I’m now on my third radio and this one is ok at this time, but only time will tell. The first set of tyres only lasted seven months, but I had done 25000miles. Now the lastest fault is the windscreen washers; the fuse blows then it gets cold (??) but as I have had VW’s for about 10 years now I must say the dealers have been good to me.

Mohamed , Egypt on the Volkswagen Jetta

The car is perfect. I loved everything about it, until my DSG gearbox decided not to shift to reverse gear, 2nd, 4th nor 6th. I took it to the workshop and they advised that it is a common DSG gearbox fault and it has to be replaced. Replacing the gearbox after doing 40,000 kms in less than two years isn’t considered a happy scenario. I met six other owners with same problem on the same day.

Adam, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

The VW T5 is the most unreliable, botched vehicle I had ever owned. I purchased a 2010 VW T5 180PSI DSG Auto in September 2010 brand new from Eurovans, Eastbourne. From day one I have had to endure fault after fault and I am now of the opinion that the vehicle is irreparable. Here is a list of the problems to date and the outcome of each: Radio reception not working properly - Eurovans explained that this was happening in all the Transporters made at the same time and that there was not a fix at that moment in time. I was assured that they where working on it though. This was repaired once the solution was discovered. Satellite Navigation not working. (Also creating roads that do not exist) - Eurovans took in the vehicle for diagnostics. They confirmed the reports to be correct. However, they had to send the results off to VW head office for further evaluations. They then had to take the vehicle back for further tests. Once again the fact that is was not functioning correctly was confirmed. VW Customer Care then assured me they would have a fix soon. They once again recalled the vehicle for even more diagnostics and concluding that the unit was irreparable and the unit was replaced with the current Kenwood (after market product). With the new unit installed I then received a phone call from Eurovans. They wanted to know if I could return the Vehicle as they had left a set of pliers inside the dashboard unit! I do not need to inform you of the severity of this incident, as I’m sure you are aware of the chain of events that could have ensued should these pliers have deployed one of the Airbags with my 8-week-old child in the front! One of my main reasons for purchasing this vehicle was the fact that the Sat Nav relayed its information to the MFD. So if the Sat Nav’s main heads up is changed to a call or radio the MFD will still be showing the journey’s directions. This no longer happens! I have brought this up with both the garage and VW Customer Care and both parties say they do not know how to resolve this. This is a major factor for me and must be resolved. Sun roof not operating - Eurovans explained that this was a problem with the seals. They replaced them. The driver’s front side tyre was completely bald after 9000 miles - Eurovans replaced the tyre. However, they also explained that this was due to the tyre’s being of cheap and poor quality. Firstly £32,00.00 for a vehicle with cheap tyres does not sound right. Secondly after seeking out an independent opinion I was told "If the extreme wearing was down to cheap tyres then why weren’t they all the same with the same amount of wear?" Thus, they were of the opinion that there was something out of alignment, which needed further investigation. This needs to be investigated. The front parking sensors - The wiring has been reported by Southern Motor Group as ’a mess’ and that due to the shoddy work they are un-able to re-fit the glove box correctly. They also beep intermittently and randomly when driving in the rain. This could be driving at 60MPH on the motorway or 10 MPH in a residential road, each time without anything in front. The roof is leaking - After heavy rainfall, the roof section above the driver’s side rear seat drips and the roof liner becomes soaked. The driver’s side footwell carpet also gets sodden - This is currently being inspected. The driver’s side, sliding centre door window leaks - This together with the roof leaking has damaged the MDF door panel - Southern Motor Group are replacing the window. The Windscreen wiper jets have stopped working. Do not buy this vehicle!!!!!!!!!! VW customer services have thrown me from pillar to post and basically do not seem to care. As they have excuse after excuse as to why they cannot repair the vehicle.

Keith, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

I decided to operate self-control back last autumn and wait for the 10 plate. How worth it was it! It is an amazing car; everything I’ve wanted but never found until now. Its quiet, so quiet that I’ve stalled a few times not hearing the engine. Any road noise is down to our wonderful road system. I decided on the petrol GT manual, here again, no regrets. It will pass most things easily. It must have just about every device for the driver’s convenience, and even the road brake button is easy to get used to and is pleasingly innovative. I traded my 06 Audi Avant in px and have borrowed my son’s Merc convertible for the last 3 months. This Passat CC looks a dream and beats the lot, I mean it!

Syd, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

Today’s sophisticated, ecologically conscious motorist is becoming more demanding. Not satisfied with the straightforward virtues of swift, secure and comfortable transportation, the twenty first century driver insists upon giving the planet a helping hand. If journeys have to be undertaken, the environment must not, as a consequence, suffer. Deleterious by-products of motoring must be pared to the bare minimum. VW’s engineers - renowned for their ’blue sky’ thinking - have come up with a package of innovations labelled Blue Motion, which runs through much of the VW range. The term is redolent of open space, freedom from inhibition: of pure natural existential progress. And talking of space, that’s just what the Golf Plus is about. Lofty and cavernous and with more flexibility than the standard Golf, the Golf Plus sits between the Golf and Touran, but is still a five door hatchback and not an MPV. Its main competitors are Focus C-Max and Renault Scenic. The Golf Plus is likely to attract those without families - or with a small family - but who need more room and versatility than the traditional hatchback. There’s higher seating, cavernous stowage and loadspace and more legroom, despite retaining the Golf hatchbacks qualities of excellent driving dynamics and top levels of safety. There’s a choice from two petrol and three diesel engines and just two trim levels are available - S and SE. Both offer a most comprehensive range of equipment. Tested with 1.6 105PS diesel power and in SE trim at £20,575, this is a car that whispers along the road thanks to low rolling resistance tyres, mechanical refinement and splendid aerodynamic efficiency - all the way to 116 mph, should you wish. All this was a constant reassurance to me that the right thing was being done in the right place at the right time. Handling, ride comfort and overall driveability are not noticeably compromised by the technological manipulations in the quest for eco-econo. happiness. It would take harsh testing (just the sort of ungentlemanly behaviour that is so inappropriate in a car like this) to bring to light any weaknesses. Once in a blue moon such a motor revelation occurs. Here we have a decent size ’do-all-you-need’ car that you will love for its versatility, smooth sophistication, robustness and economy. (55+ mpg is easily attainable). While other marques experiment with nuclear power, photon beam warp drives, see-through windows and balsa wood bodies, Volkswagen apply Occam’s razor and hone what is logical and practical. This is a ’real world’ machine with a jolly good diesel engine - not some dreamed up spaceship powered by catapult elastic. Clever chaps these Germans with their many and multi-various systems. They even manage to retrieve some of the energy from braking via the ’brake regeneration system’. Sadly this was not wired to your aged correspondent who could do with a bit of regeneration himself. So - if life is a journey, every trip under Blue Motion technology enhances the quotidian aspects of life, making the journey worthwhile. One of these splendid machines in your garage would banish blue Mondays forever. Here is a podule that makes driving so like an extension of modern living. Obviously packed with microchip technology, I approached the Golf Plus Blue Motion with the attitude of Lenny the Luddite - suspicious of new bells and whistles. Would I be instantly at home and not require the services of my eighty year old grandmother computer whizzkid. Well, all was as reassuring as the 1926 edition of The Children’s Encyclopaedia: unlike some current models that are as complex as something found abandoned in a used mobile phone warehouse. Casting eyes around the comfy and airy cabin I looked suspiciously for signs of blue - but there was just a tastefully well-appointed interior that is one of the best in the business. Big seats, excellent visibility and a wonderfully cohesive air of understatement about its overall design make this car an excellent travel accessory. Bigger than the standard Golf, but there’s no inflation here. Everything is functionally contrived to maximise utility and enhance a sense of opulent comfort. Space galore for passengers and space aplenty for storage. VW have also seen to it that the car is safer than houses and more secure than unit trusts. The whole Golf Plus Blue Motion package offers motion slickness from the established maestros of movement. A rhapsody in blue without a Rattle means that VW are determined to serenade their customers once more with true automotive harmony. A sensible refinement of automotive engineering with the purpose of extracting maximum benefit with minimal disruption to Gaea’s Garden.

Kevin, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve just sold my Jeep Commander and was really keen to buy a VW Transporter. After reading all the reviews I’ve changed my mind.I do think German engineering tends to be over-rated. You can’t beat the Ford Transit.

Neil, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Just had new T5 Transporter, now on third one having had 04 swb 130bhp from new then 07 lwb 130bhp, now on 10 lwb 180 bhp. Have changed every three years to keep in warranty, which "yes "early models did suffer with fly wheel problem knocked out timing, Faulty hand brakes, steering rack, inter-cooler, water pump, but I had recalls to advise of problems and had van sorted at dealer. Like all new models you get problem but the t5 is now 7 years old and has been improved with progress. Transit’s every 12 month so they can charge for bits to put every model in Ford range right. Yes all my work done under warranty for which I have had over 4 VW call outs in the last 7 yrs, " What a service, the best" Call in to report a problem, guy rings you and says be with you at this time and every time with you as they say. Will either fix or get you in another van . New T5 WHAT A TOOL, one thing I will say in VW defence I bought my t5 04 plate 5k deposit new and sold after three years with repayments of £300 a month and have worked way up 7years later to my new T5 £25k and I haven’t had to put a penny in the pot. The resale value is fantastic. Anyway new van, just amazing, so much better than older model, 300miles plus on £40 of fuel. Goes like you stole it. Could be in a church when you drive it, sits like tank at any speed ( if you know what I mean?) Stops like you hit a rugby player. 70mph at 2000 revs Errrrrr what does your transit do??? Pulls a 2.5ton trailer and load on motorway at motorway speeds????? up and down hills with out changing gear. Errrrrr what does your transit do " not pull a trailer" if you got any sense.... like sitting in one of those big chairs at pictures Errr transit your still trying to find the steering wheel adjuster lever. WHAT NOT GOT ONE?... How very odd. oh well just listen to that engine at the junction rattle and shudder the van. Just the best t5 to date they have got rid of all the gremlins, and got this one so right. Yes you say I have a new one but you buy any second hand van and it’s either been used to rob a bank, carried a battleship across a ploughed field, or used to simulate Jenson Button’s win in OZ 2009. Transit I had one for three weeks while i was waiting for new t5 as my old one sold so fast for some reason?????? lol. WHAT A PILE OF S@*" after two days I took it back to see if it had a hole in the fuel tank, I even stayed up one night because i was convinced that someone was stealing the fuel in the night. But no it just drank it like an AA candidate. Noisy I have been to watch the Who on the 2nd row i’ll never be fooled by a Transit again no no. Mine’s for sale in three years time if you have 18k and if want my number just ask for my mate the funniest plumber in Tamworth and he will tell you it.

Laurence, England on the Volkswagen Fox

Travelling home from a meeting on Friday 7/5/2010, I was travelling eastbound on the M4 from Bath, when going past junction 13 I noticed in the rear view mirror outside of the car a large plume of white smoke completely covering the rear window. I immediately pulled over to the make an emergency stop on the hard shoulder. I noticed the oil warning light on the dashboard and then smoke appeared from the engine. A passing motorist on the westbound side of the M25 raised the alarm on the extent of the fire, so I immediately tried to escape from the car (jarring my back at the time). I have had a back problem over the last few months which the pain has been easing, and now since trying to get out of the vehicle as fast as humanly possible, I have jarred my back yet again!!!! The motorist was 100% correct in raising the alarm as fluid was leaking profusely from the engine compartment and the flames were getting stronger. I called the fire brigade and they were on the scene within ten minutes. By the time the fire brigade went to work the flames had engulfed the entire front of the car, melting everything including the tyres. Now obviously I did not have time to remove any personal stuff, therefore after the fire brigade doused the flames my belonging in the car were soaked. At the time of the incident I called VW assistance for help. Initially they said there was nothing they could do as my car was on fire and a potential write-off. To my horror they advised me to get the car salvaged and arrange a taxi. I reminded them that my car was only five months old and recently serviced by an authorised VW dealer. I may have been in shock so I hung up and rang back. Again I was advised that the recovery team would not come out to assist me. I had to have a lengthy conversation with someone before the option that VW recovery would arrange a taxi to take me home. Trying to get hold of VW over the weekend was futile. Today they were most ungelpful and even suggested that I may have been smoking! Have there been other cases of a five month old car simply self combusting?

Thomas, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

Done nearly 20k in the van so far no problems, gears are a bit stiff when cold, clutch judders and is a bit gutless but apart from that ok. Returns 23mpg every time with about 800kg in the back. ESP doesnt seem to work that well, just sounds like abs is coming on but still spins 1 wheel. Comfortable van to drive, big side door is good.

Roy, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Polo

Diesel version has no go and sounds like a tractor!

John, Kent on the Volkswagen Caddy

Got the van for dog handling purposes and to and from from work, long journeys are very comfortable and performance is incredibly good. The van is as basic as can be as that’s what I asked for and I have to say I am well impressed. I used to work security and got the opportunity to have a pop at driving Vauxhalls, Transits and others as well, gotta say they didn’t even come upto the same standard. Im sure there’s gonna be something down the line I’m not pleased about, but then no one likes paying for parts or fixer work as it always costs once outside warranty, hence why I only gave it 4 stars. The van on its own merit, I’m glad i went with the VW as I had a few choices and spent a long time making the decision. As for the parts and fixings if you want a job done right you may as well go to the people that know the van better than anyone else.

Roger, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Tiguan

Amazing car, even when towing a caravan (use Witter towbar- had two PCT fails.) Performance too good when speed cameras around! Disappointing reversing lights, & no electric retractable mirrors. Interested to hear views on tyres. Mine got Good Year Excellence, which GY rate as summer tyres & VW say are not suitable for "prolongued use in snow or ice". What does that mean? Mine wouldn’t stop on slushy snow. Boot is not huge unless you are used to a mini. Could be 75 mm longer. Self levelling only available with Xenon lights.

Jeremy, Kent on the Volkswagen Crafter

The van is comfortable, reasonably quiet, and has a great driving position. Fuel economy is OK if you drive sensibly. Unfortunately, it is also badly made. It was supplied with loose gearbox mounting bolts, fortunately detected before anything serious happened. It is about to go in for the third time in a year, because the alarm keeps going off, and the garage cannot diagnose the problem. It was an expensive vehicle, and I expected better. I would not buy VW again.

Jack, Blaenau Gwent on the Volkswagen Beetle

The interiors of this car are not up to the mark when considering its price.

Ken, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve just bought a t32 window van 1.9pd102 but there was no handbook with the van, can anyone help me to buy one anywhere? i have tried everywhre without success, thank you.

Sam, Berkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Just had 12 of these on hire for 4 weeks. Main faults were 5 of them need new gearboxes, either gears crunch or dont go in at all. 1 had the door handle fall off on the inside and out making the door totally useless. All have gone back to the hire company totally battered and in need of warranty repairs. Load space is appaling due to the large wheel arches inside the back. Once loaded the van is extremely unstable. Whenever you have a passenger in the van who isnt a midget they continually put the hazard lights on with their knees. Worst vans ever.

Rich, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve just bought a 174 Sportline Kombi van after owning a ex AA t4 swb. I thought after trouble free motoring I was pushing my look and law of averages says sooner or later it’s going to let me down, here we go; I have never ever ever had so much go wrong with a vehicle in my life and we own a commercial garage so we’ve seen our fair share of bad vehicles. My 174 after 2800 miles is on its 3rd turbo after constant ecu light on and constant limp mode. The heater will not clear the screen, I left it running for an hour outside work the other day and from half way up the screen it still didn’t un-freeze the screen. The next thing to go was as I was pulling out of our drive I pressed the foot brake and the pedal was solid, as though the servo had packed up, enter the RAC again. They came out and told me it was the abs kicking in, well no it wasn’t, so he told me there was nothing he could do so my wife went out the next morning and it did the same thing, foot pedal solid, then it works fine after pumping a few times. I’m awaiting VW’s response but I will never buy another VW again, the sportline is badly made, badly finished off, not as quick as everybody makes out. I’m disappointed after owning a well made, well finished off t4. I’ve had the RAC out to my 174 3 times and the AA out once. Never again, if i can get rid I will.

Tony, Conwy on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

Although I have not done a huge mileage yet, I am very pleased with it. Drives very well, comfortable, quiet and very economical. Quality of build is excellent, and has loads of extra headroom for a tall person like myself, and the rear sliding seats are very handy. Was almost put off by critical remarks on Top Gear etc, who could not see the point of it, but for someone who wants the quality of a Golf and not the size of a Touran it’s ideal, can’t fault it.

Treflyn, Gwynedd on the Volkswagen Jetta

It’s very early days but this is a very, very enjoyable car to drive. I’m a big fan of VW’s having owned five Golfs previously and this car ticks ALL the usual Volkswagen boxes, especially its superb build quality as exemplified by those heavy front doors. My only minor concern (relatively speaking) was reliability as my previous car was a Toyota Auris, since ,let’s face it, the Jap cars are even more reliable than the Germans. However, I recently drove it all the way from North Wales to Kent and the drive was an absolute pleasure, with such a refined and powerful engine. A class act and if it proves to be reliable I shall certainly consider buying another.

Josh, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Polo

I recently visited my local dealership and I’m not at all impressed with the new Polo!! It’s not very nice looking and the cabin is so uninspiring to look at and sit in, it’s just so drab and boring. Theres a big gap lower down the dash where something should of been but they left it, leaving it a bit bland looking. Even out on the road I struggled to find something that I actually liked, the seats are very hard and un-supportive and the engine isnt exactly powerfull, also the suspension is quite stiff and the car overall has a very jiggly ride. I wont be purchasing the Polo but I have narrowed down my list to the Ibiza, 207 and Clio, So far the 207 is my favourite but it the most expensive and has the best equipment levels. The Ibiza is exactly the Polo only its got the good looks and a tempting price tag, the clio is very comfortable and is as nice to drive as the Peugeot but I have heard alot of bad reports about it. I’m pretty much stuck!!

Carole, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Polo

I bought the SE 1.4 5door model with the new 7speed DSG (twin clutch) gearbox and am generally happy with the car. The car has a very grown up feel to it and is very Audi like in the interior. with very good quality black upholstery and dashboard. The equipment level on the SE model is comprehensive, lacking only a few of the more upmarket models features such as air con instead of climate control and lacking the multi function trip computer and steering wheel controls for the audio system. The supplied audio system is, however. very good quality soundwise, albeit with a vivid blue display, which is at odds with the crisp white speedo/ tacho dials and the very professional looking red illumination for the dash switchgear. Several people have commented on the fact that they thought the car was a Golf until they say the badging on the tailgate, which I suppose is no bad thing, given the Golf’s popularity. All models in the range benefit from a neat little false floor in the boot and SE models and above have a sliding drawer under each front seat, very good for hiding all the clutter. Now to the not so good, The 7 speed DSG gearbox, whilst it does propel the 1.4 litre car along at a fairly brisk rate, shifts quickly and without any lag, except when pulling away from a standstill. This can be quite disconcerting when trying to emerge onto a busy roundabout for instance. I will address this problem at dealer level at the 1st service as it is not a major problem (yet). The gearbox has a choice of manual shift, automatic and sports automatic. Of these options most people will probably play with the manual ’tiptronic’ mode for a while before the novelty wears off, and then revert to the automatic side of the ’box. The automatic sport mode is possibly the most interesting as it allows shifts at a much higher rev rate and also changes down through the gears when slowing down (all very Maserati like !).On the move the car is quiet, rides well and handles poor road surfaces with ease. The car does feel, somehow, faster than the figures would lead you to believe, and when pressed the engine sounds subtly sporty. All in all a very well developed little car that thinks it’s a big car!

Roger, England on the Volkswagen Tiguan

Very impressed with this vehicle, the performance of the 1.4 Petrol engine is unbelievable for a car of this size. Comfortable driving position and ease of controls makes for a relaxed journey. A car I would recommend you try.

Bill, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Tiguan

After many enjoyable years with Mitsubishi (space wagons) I never thought a more enjoyable car would come to hand but our Tiguan Sport 140 PS Auto has surpassed all our expectations! Totally superb, build quality is as expected; the best. The drive is like sitting on a magic carpet. No, we have no connection to VW; just pleased we chose our VW Tiguan.

Martin, Oxfordshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Nice car - good driver’s seat, excellent engine and handling. However it has a few design problems compared with the Mk5: - chrome surrounding instrument dials are very distracting; chrome surrounding right-hand air vent reflects in the driver’s window right where the door mirror is: don’t they test these things? - like the Mk5, the rear seat bases do not remove or even tip up, so the best you’ll achieve is the seat backs leaning at about 30 degrees - not exactly a level load space! What a great wasted opportunity, VW - you could have fixed this in the Mk6 and you didn’t. - compared with my Peugeot 306 HDi, it’s very easy to stall the engine when setting off from rest: it needs nearly as much throttle as a petrol engine would - rear seats are very primitive and don’t give much lateral support - as with so many modern cars it has a "toy" spacesaver spare wheel which is b*gger-all use if you get a puncture on a Sunday when you are about to start a 200-mile journey and can’t get the real tyre repaired. All my punctures seem to happen out of hours. I wish it was a legal requirement for every car to be fitted with a fully-serviceable, fully-interchangeable spare wheel.

Kevin , Oxfordshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I changed to the new Mk 6 Golf from an Audi A3 2.0 litre FSI Sportback and I am thrilled with it. Although the engine is only 1.4 litre, it performs as well as the A3. Loads of torque at low revs (max from 1500 rpm). Flies at 6000 rpm but still delivers 45 mpg if you keep a light right foot (cf. 35 mpg for the Audi). Very quiet at motorway speed. Easy to get caught speeding - I got my first ticket in >40 years of driving just a few days after I bought the Golf, so beware. Build quality just as good as the Audi (so why pay more?).

Jack, England on the Volkswagen Passat CC

Best buy and best car I have ever owned.

Nick, Ayrshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Great looking little car with 15 inch alloys and colour coded bumpers. The car comes with all the toys and a comfortable driving position. One problem I have found with the 5 door is that being 6ft 3 the centre pillar can dig into your shoulder. On the road the car handles really well and the ride is as good a car from the next class up and is very refined. The 1.4, 3 cylinder diesel which puts out 70bhp is never going to set your pants on fire but is very torquey and pulls like a train from nothing. The car will cruise all day at 80mph on the motorway at just under 3000rpm and still give you nearly 50mpg! Overall, a great little car and after 13,000 miles since bought new in February it has proved very reliable. The only problems we’ve had are the seatbelt not retuning properly and a intermitant fault wih the cd multichanger making a noise like a helicopter.

Stuart, London on the Volkswagen Golf

Test drove the new Golf prior to purchasing my Nissan Qashqai. In true Golf style the subdued interior oozed a classiness that is lacking in most competitors, and the understated (some may say boring) exterior is inoffensive. All controls and switches operated with a nicely weighted feel and as with the previous model interior space was impressive given its compact size. Good all round visibility meant driving through London was a doddle, and you had a feeling that this is a car that people respect. So why did I choose the Qashqai over the Golf? As already mentioned in other posts it came down to dealer service (or lack of ). The salesman showed no genuine interest in firming up a deal, I got the feeling that he felt the product is so good, so why bother? I have no regrets in buying the QQ as it really suits my needs and everyone loves its funky, youthful, adventurous image. The Golf still remains a great car, but others are not that far behind and VW have to address some of their reliability issues and stuck up staff!

Samantha, Kent on the Volkswagen Fox

The car itself is lovely, however, I put an order in at my local VW centre back in July and am going to be waiting until at least January for this car. I am getting no compensation, my tax runs out end of October, MOT in January, and when I first bought the car I was told it would be ready by September... it is just not good enough.

Paul, Devon on the Volkswagen Touran

I bought this car a year ago as I wanted a MPV rather than an estate car, so that I could transport my fishing gear, the dog and the wife. At the outset the car behaved well with good performance and fuel economy, but 3months down the line the cd unit packed up so it went back to the garage where a new unit was installed under warranty at a cost of &pound640; glad i wasn’t picking up the bill. Another couple of months went by and the esp light came on and stayed on,so back to the garage it went where a new esp ring was fitted, which has somthing to do with the ABS, at a total cost &pound350 (I’m getting my moneys worth out of this warranty).Just 3 weeks ago i awoke at 3am to the sound of the car’s alarm going off. I was popular with the neighbours i can tell you since i m a heavy sleeper. When i went down to the car i found all the windows had let themselves down and it was raining cats & dogs so I ended with an added extra.. a vw with a built in swimming pool. Would i buy another one? Quite frankly no.

Syd, Surrey on the Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen engineering is rather special. There’s something that manifests itself in all their products. It is something that implies a meticulous attention to detail and to finish - an innate compulsion to be absolutely thorough. The painstaking design and workmanship produces very convincing models indeed - and none more so than the new Golf SE Mk6 in 1.4litre TSi form. Looking impressively solid in steel grey metallic, the test Golf was dressed as expensively,soberly and inconspicuously as any Brummel could desire. There were no splashes of meretricious plastic chrome and stick-on decals or other trumpery tricks from the merchandising departments armoury of deceptions.The car endowed dignity upon its users through the absence of puffed up glitter. Fondly supposed to need little improvement, VW has undoubtedly kept the Golf to the highest standards,refusing in any way to compromise the ’gentleman that it has become after six generations - unlike other manufacturers who think it’s much more fun to become a rake.VW has carefully controlled the Golf’s evolution and built on the best of previous models to take the Golf to a level where it is a better car than most supposed ’prestige’ rivals. Having established itself over many years as the very apotheosis of the dependable and inspiring hatchback, this archetypal model has much to live up to.Now in a ’derived’ form that is clearly related, the Golf must surely go down in history as one of the noblest cars in the Volkswagen saga, where subtle change to shape and substance reflect consumate virtues and an air of timeless ’rightness’. It is, to put it mildly, a most accomplished car and I’m pleased to report to you that the virtues of the Golf are still inimitable and indispensable. No wonder twenty six million have been sold since 1974. The SE 1.4 TSI 122PS 5dr with 7speed DSG transmission tested,(with a basic price of £17,885.). certainly perpetuates the Golf Stream in whose balmy benevolence we lucky motorists have basked for many a year now. This TSI engine variant is turbocharged only, but more powerful units have both supercharging and turbocharging. It’s a jewel of an engine that gives effortless performance from any revs. Creamy smooth and driving through that remarkable DSG gearbox with its imperceptible changes, the linear nature of the acceleration all the way to the 124mph top speed, is turbine like - but without the lag one would get with a turbine. With this engine VW have taken the reciprocating engine to new heights of sophistication and refinement. It makes for good economy too, with nearly 50mpg achievable overall. Smooth and quiet motorway cruising is a strong point and with the incredible overall composure of the car you drive easy and relaxed. Off the motorway it’s the same story and if you’re so disposed, you can set to a cracking pace on A and B roads when it snaps to attention. Utterly ’together’, it is so beautifully balanced and poised that driving can once again become a pleasure. Inside it’s typically Teutonic with all the sturdiness of a Black Forest oak tree and you just know that it’s as tough as a Tiger Tank and as robust as lederhosen and will give you aeons of good service. Thankfully it’s more comfy, with an excellent driving position that can be ajusted to suit all from the fattest Burgomeister to a Leprechaun without a licence. There’s more than enough room for four adults to travel in relaxed style and rear passengers aren’t compromised by ’racy’ sloping rooflines. With solid residual values a Golf is always a wise choice and the initial extra outlay to buy quality is worthwhile. Certainly one of the most complete cars available today, the Golf is a car that looks good because of what it is and not what it aspires to be. It will flatter any driver from the chic to the bucolic, transferring upon owners an aura of the proper prestige that comes without trying.

Vince, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

I,m now on my third T5 174 ps. The first was a 54 plate which went back to the dealer over 20 times with the same fault, plus problems with the turbo, discs and pads at 20k. I valeted the van at 1 year old with 30k on the clock and gave it back to the dealer with the log book and keys telling them i was rejecting the vehicle as it was not fit for the purpose.They then sold me an 06 at really good rate inc. part exchange, which i kept for 3 years with no problems until the week after the 3 year warranty ran out, then it fell apart mechanically. I now have an 09 model which has just notched up 4k and developed an intermittent noise which is getting more regular and sounds like the flywheel as it’s when the engine is under load either accelerating or throttling off. I took it to the dealer who said bring it in when it’s noisy and they,ll have a listen. Reassuring!!!! I’ll work more local if it helps shall I ?! We also have a T5 130 ps on a 55 plate, which has been perfect,so perhaps the 174 is just too much of a beast.

Geoff, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Having recently purchased the van three weeks ago and having covered around 700 miles to date, so far so good as they say. The only shocker I have had is the road fund tax being at £400 / 12 months because of the issue of the details on the log book as recorded as being a car and not a van on the log book. I have seen other comments made on the subject and it seems a hard pill to swallow on the fact that it has a couple more seats than a van and you pay a penalty. I thought the Government were trying to encourage car sharing, another Labour faux pas I guess to add to the list.

Stuart, West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) on the Volkswagen Golf

I got this VW through motability and have now had it for nearly 3 yrs. It is so good that I have decided to keep it another 2yrs rather than get a new car, which I am due in March 2012. The reason being, it gives me 55mpg around town and I have had 70mpg on the motorway. I also tow a caravan and it regularly gives me 47.4mpg when towing. It is so quiet and comfortable, also the power it delivers is outstanding (thumbs up VW ideal).

John, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi everyone! One person said Volkswagen are very hard arrogent people to deal with and this is so right. I have had my Volkswagen from new in 2009 and have had all sorts of problems and they will not back anything. The engine started eating itself, with metal missing inside of it requiring a complete engine and other parts replaced at a cost of $15000. Two months later it is now parked up due to a loud bang when leaving the traffic lights. I don’t know what happened this time but has no drive, even though it has the clutch and the engine starts. I will have to sell it and will never, ever buy a European made car or van again.

Hassan, England on the Volkswagen Golf R32

The cest car I have ever driven, better than the Audi S3, Audi S4 and the Ford SR... the lot of them. It’s the drive you get in it - live it!

Mark, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Crafter

Well, well, well, I’ m leasing a crafter 09 plate and at first it seemed great. I then had a problem with the dpf; when the warning light comes on you must take it for a drive, preferably on a long stretch of road, normally for about ten miles in 4th gear at 2500rpm (50mph). It works every time but for some reason it didn’t on this particular occasion and it took me nearly 50 miles to get rid of it. The van eventually packed in after a few more times as the dpf was blocked. I got the van to VW Benfield in Newcastle and, to cut a long story short, the turbo had gone so obviously I wasnt getting enough power to burn off the soot in the filter, but that has now been sorted. It’s had an oil leak from the sump and now it’s got a tapping noise coming from the engine; dpf is working fab. Apart from these few problems I wouldnt swap my Crafter, it’s spacious and a nice motor for my job. With regards to the dpf, you just have to know how to manage it and it’s fine.

Paul, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

The vehicle has covered 44,000 miles of light use with 1 main driver. It suffers water leaks into the driver’s footwell and also from the top of door when at speed. Also, the cd player failed after 12 months. Finally the gearbox started making a whining noise. I dropped the vehicle off at the dealer’s for repairs and 3 days later recieved a phone call to tell me the gearbox had been removed and sent off for repair, also the clutch was 40/50% worn and would need replacing (I’ve been in the trade for 12 years). I told them to leave clutch as it’ll probably last a further 40/50,000 miles. They also said the cd player was working fine with no faults apparant (not worked for 12 months), took his word but wasn’t convinced. Five days later I recieved phone call no.2 and was told the gearbox was back and clutch was worn down to indicators and was again advised to replace it (5 days previous it was only 40/50% worn). Again I told them to use old clutch. A further two days later I recieved phone call no.3 to say the water leak was repaired and the vehicle was ready for collection. I went to collect the vehicle only to find the cd player with the exact same fault (only been with them for 2 weeks useless) and now I have to take it back in 2 days. I hope this informs you that standards at VW have dropped on both manufacture and aftersales service.

Conrad, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a 59 Caravelle Exec 174ps DSG. It’s the best car I have ever owned. I’ve had it a year now, paid 28K for it but I wanted a van with warranty as I had heard mixed reports. So far it has run sweet as a nut. It’s great for taking the family on adventures and great for loading up with wood from the DIY store. I tow a cravan with it and it hardly notices the extra weight. Fuel economy is good for a van I think: 33mpg on my 10 mile trip to work, 35-40 on long motorway runs, nearer 40 if not over if I stick to 60. Even with the caravan hitched up I get 30-32 mpg. I do drive it carefully! With 174 on tap if I put my foot down it shifts! My mates love it and can’t believe how superior it is to their T4s.

Jim, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Volkswagen Scirocco

Awesome! I had this car from new, the DSG gearbox is a dream! Never thought I would have an auto box (old man gearbox) but oh my god! Move over Vettel, here I come. The car turns heads wherever I go. White is best but the blue looks good too. Wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this car. I would love to try the R model as well. Go on, buy one you know you want too!

Jim, West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) on the Volkswagen Crafter

I don’t know where to start, but here goes! I bought this new, but the last two years have been an absolute nightmare with it being off the road on average every six -eight weeks, mainly with emissions lights. It has also gone through more bulbs than Blackpool Tower. At 3000mls over warranty six weeks ago the water pump went and also the timing belt broke, which will cost over £1000 to repair. I put it in for its service on Tuesday at STRAITON and a pre MOT. Sraiton’s Service dept. phoned to say the service had been done (£285) and had a list of things it needs done to get through its MoT (to quote "as long as your arm!"), which they quoted £3000-£4000 for the required repairs. They said that I have to pay as I am resposible for the MoT on a van that I lease at a cost of over £500 per month. The final straw came today (9/11/11) when the regeneration filter went and will cost £1200 to repair. The van is now off the road indefinitely as I cannot afford to pay for this repair. Now up a creek and stuck without a paddle!

Chris, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

A 59 plate that’s needed three steering racks, wheel bearings, oil leaks, dpf. Rubbish! The steering wheel wobbles all the time and I have been told its the new tyres ?? If you have the same and can’t do anymore to sort these problems out get hold of VW customer services and don’t let them off the phone till they get your van centre to sort it. Shouting does work!

Graham, Devon on the Volkswagen Caddy

I love this van, but I have had some serious mechanical issues and its only 2.5 years old. The sliding doors wouldn’t lock as they didn’t fit correctly. The dual mass flywheel went at 50k, but also shook the engine to pieces. Both the engine and flywheel were replaced under warranty. Now at 88k, I parked up today after it had driven fine, but when I later pulled out of the parking space the van started pulling to the left and continues to do so??? So much so you have to steer right constantly with the wheel at 45 degrees. It’s going back to the dealer on Monday! Also the turbo has started to squeak when it spins up. What worrries me now is that I’ve got to keep it for another 18 months. It’s such a shame as it started out as a brilliant and comfy van, but it just hasn’t seemed to last.

Alan, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life

I bought mine last Jan (first reg Dec. 09/59) with 11k on the clock. It’s white so I decided to offset the ’van’ appearance by adding a silver panel to the side and across the back end, also roof rails. It looks so good, I can’t park it anywhere without someone coming for a closer look - car parks, sea front, and it’s never ignored. As for the drive? It’s fantastic, smooth, and powerful; doesn’t slow down for hills and returns 40mpg. My other car (motor caravan) is a T5 with the same engine, that’s how good I think it is. I would recommend to anyone thinking of buying one, don’t think, do it.

Martin, Ireland on the Volkswagen Crafter

Twelve months ago I bought an ’09 Crafter demo model from the main Volkswagen dealer in Limerick City, which gave a few problems at the beginning. These were all sorted by the dealer whose service was first rate, they also extended the warranty for a further twelve months. Will deal with this garage again.

Heather, England on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

We love this car. Have had Golfs before and almost chose a Golf again this time but then saw the Plus in the showroom, took it for a test drive and fell in love. The extra height is great, it is easier to get in and out, gives you a feeling of security because you are up higher than the normal Golf, has so many refinements I’ve not yet worked out what they all after a year :) I don’t care that people say it costs more than a standard Golf and won’t hold it’s value as well. I want the comfort and pleasure now, not a few hundred quid extra in 3 years time :) Lovely car, lots of room and the sliding rear seats are great, more room for the hounds.

Stephen, Durham on the Volkswagen Golf

Quiet and comfy. Solidly built. Typical Golf! Fuel economy - the main sales pitch - was a total letdown. The manufacturer could not improve it and insisted there was no fault with it. Over 7500 miles of gentle driving it averaged only 48 mpg and most disappointingly on long runs seldom got significantly over 50. Overall I thought it failed to do what the ads said and sold it within 9 months.

Vince, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

Nice van to drive compared to Toyota or Ford, handles well and good on juice. Only the turbo fell apart at 11500 kms whilst on a ski weekend. Rang VW assist and had it transported via tilt tray back to my place and then to dealer following day. No cost to me thank god. My first euro commercial van and I don’t have much faith after warranty period. If this is any indication of what quality German build is like, I would have to say that it is over priced crap.

Mel, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Transporter

This van has been GREAT except for a problem with the sliding door. VW dealership Carrs in Indian Queens tried to fix repeatedly but we only actually got it sorted when we got our local garage to do it. Wouldn’t buy car from there again as didn’t feel appreciated as a customer at all. The van drives really well and cruises on long drives. We opted for six seats as we have a big extended family. It’s a great family car, but, three rear seats are easily removed if needed. My husband uses it everyday for building work and when we go away we can fit a matress in the back too , this model highly recommended and trustworthy.

Sarah, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Warning - do not consider buying a 2.0 litre TDI Touran, there is a serious and expensive design fault. I am lead to believe that VW are aware that the alloy used on the cylinder heads is sub-standard, this leads to pourous heads and coulant leaking which is very expensive to fix! I have had my Touran for 10 months and really enjoyed it at first, until the cylinder head failed, now it is constantly in the garage. We now have an issue with the injectors! Again VW have come across this problem many times before. Think hard about taking a chance on the 2L Diesel engine!

Drew, Perthshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

Vehicle now covered 49k miles loaded to 3500kgs all of the time and also pulls pulls trailer @ 5500kgs train weight. The only problems so far have been EGR valve (was off the road for 2 days, would have been longer but on top of dealer while in workshop) and fuel consumption. After having had the ECU re-mapped by Superchips fuel consumption has gone from 25mpg to 27mpg and performance is much improved. Well worth the £350.00. All ready paid for itself in fuel saved in 9 months. Can’t fault van as other makes just don’t stand up to running @ 3500kgs all of the time. Only fault with VW Commercials is they need to look @ Daf and Volvo trucks and not act like a VW car outlet to keep commercial vans running. I don’t make money while van is in their dealers workshop.

Paul, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

My 09 VW Transporter is noisy as hell to drive; the tyre noise comes right into the cab. The radio is OK but the speaker system is of a very poor sound quality. I also have a Ford Transit that leaves it standing in regards to to driveabilty and build quality. The doors on the van are poorl you have to slam them to close. Also a very rough ride.

Mark, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

Best van I have owned, I have the short wheel base model and you can fit a full sheet of plasterboard flat above the wheel arch’s so you do not have to take your gear out. I have the factory steel bulkhead fitted as well, I test drove the 140ps model and found this van very fast, in fact too fast for van. The 102 is very good, not as good 0-60 but perfect for van, the engine has lots of torque and it pulls very well at higher speeds, unless you want to carry heavy loads or be a boy racer then this engine is great. I would advise having rear parking sensors fitted and the s pack. The only negative thing I have to say about the van is the stereo is to far away from the driver so get the steering controls. Also, if this van had 6 speed and another 15hp it would be the perfect van.

Gerry, Ireland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Best deilvery van I’ve had in 20 years.

Ewan, Scotland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have had my van for a year now. It was bought new as a replacement for a trusty old T4 that had finally given up. I have done 13,000 miles in the first year with no problems whatsoever. It has been absolutely superb in every way. I travel over to France every now and then and so fuel economy is important as I live in the south of Scotland. I can get to Rennes and back on one tank of fuel - brilliant. The cab is a comfortable place to be on a long drive and performance is excellent. I can not recommend this van highly enough.

Geoff, England on the Volkswagen Caddy

Fantastic car, 2ltr, 6 speed, 50mpg easy, well made, loads of room even with 7 adults, very impressed!

David, Ayrshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Very disappointed after all the hype from the motoring journals telling me how good the car was. Seems solid and well built however dreadful road noise on coarse surfaces, woolly gearchange and far too easy to stall the car - no power just off idle. After 19k miles the timing chain jumped seven teeth (!) and blew the engine. Would I get another? No.

Freddo, Australia on the Volkswagen Crafter

Have had a 2009 mwb shiftmatic for 19months, now done 95k. Had diff oil leaks, turbo replaced, power steering pump replaced, belt tensioner replaced. Both VW Commerical dealers in Perth are pathetic, have to self diagnose the faults to get it repaired properly. Last VW Crafter for me, has been a disaster with so much down time.

John, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

Had a Sprinter from new, thought I would give VW a try so got the Crafter lwb. Should have stayed with the Sprinter!

Ciaran, Ireland on the Volkswagen Crafter

Bought two Crafters a year ago. First thing that went was the idler pully now the turbo has gone. The second van turbo is going the same way. Best thing to do is steer clear, too costy as always something going wrong!

John, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I have had my Crafter nearly 3 years now and only been in VW once and won’t be going back there. £75 an hour for labour from arrogant stuck-up staff made sure of that. It has just started to give me a glow plug light and goes into limp mode. Once it is switched off and back on again, it stops. If anybody else had this problem or has any clues what the problem is, email jammawdz[at]aol[dot]com

Keith, London on the Volkswagen Golf

Great car when it’s working as it should. Lots of power and torque in every gear. The Diesel Particle Filter DPF is useless especially when driving around town. At an urban speed 30-40mph the exhaust doesn’t get up to the correct temperature for the carbon deposits to burn away so after a while it blocks and a sensor sets off a dash warning light and you either drive like a mad person to ’solve’ the problem or go to VW to resinate it for you £109+ vat. Even a VW tech told me the DPF is not designed for city driving or low speed driving!! My pal has this problem with his 2011 Golf too!! overall 3/5 is being nice Probably wouldn’t buy another VW especially a diesel.

Martin, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

Have run old shape VW with no problems, new crafter is a pile of rubbish; dpf light always on, key problems, get a horse and cart instead.

Chris, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Traded my Vauxall Vivaro in for this, to be honest it was probably a backward step, the main problem with these is the diesel particle filter had to have a regeneration on it, what a pile of rubbish that is, all the main dealer say is you have to rev the bo.....ks out of it and the light will go off, its thirsty as well you always seem to be at the pumps, as far as jct 600 main dealer goes they just want your money and its bye don’t come back. Summary: overpriced, dated now, and I won’t be buying another.

Jon, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

Just reading these reviews seems like only the moaners post notes. We have two crafter vans which we use on a daily basis around the UK. Both vans have been totally reliable and quite economical when taking into account the body size.

Sparky, Monmouthshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

My 2008 2L SDI Caddy is noisy, has poor performance and poor fuel consumption compared with other vans I have owned. Having said that it it a well built workhorse that holds its value well.

Francis, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Golf

Bought my ex-demo Golf 2.0 TDi 140 on December 2008, by December 2009 it had a new clutch, flywheel, air con unit and instrument unit for speed ometer etc.. I wish I never bought it in the first place, VW customer services are apalling! I found the dealer quite rude/ in your face when I confronted them about the problems. I know a few people who have bought a Mk5 Golf and have also experienced problems but after reading all the reviews and videos on What Car I thought it would be a good choice, HOW WRONG WAS I! It makes my old Renault Megane look reliable, and that didn’t ever have problems as big as the Golf! After reading reviews and hearing problems from other I will most definitely never buy a VW again.

Shahid, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat

I have this car from 6 months old and is now at 70000 miles. First I had a problem with the dpf filter, which blocked and made the car go into in limp mode, I spent £2000 to replace it. After 1 month it had problems with the gearbox which is tiptronic; when I change gear it jerks three times then drives ok. Even if I rev gear or change gear the same thing happens.

Samuel, London on the Volkswagen Golf

Having considered a Honda Civic Ctdi, I bought a Golf GT Sport with DSG gearbox, since the car felt more solid and heavier. The doors close with a satisfying cluck. Centre console has an armrest, large cup holders, and the door bins are massive. Large enough to hold a 1.5 litre mineral water bottle. The leather seats are very comfortable and the heated seats a godsend in cold weather. The gearbox is amazingly slick under full acceleration and the gear changes are lighting quick. However when the car is coming to a rest, the change down is less smooth, and you feel a sudden jolt. Same same jolt is felt when pulling off, this is overcome only by a very gentle left foot, so much so would be a nuisance to other drivers following you. The diesel engine is unrefined, noisy, intrusive, not too different to a transit van. The constant drone of the diesel is somewhat overwhelming. I normally arrive at destination rather flustered, I wish I had bought a Honda Civic.

Mohamed, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought this van off a dealer and had nothing but problems. Under warranty had the water pump replaced 38K, air conditioning poly went 40K £600.00 fan switch just went all this in under 50K. Today the alternator has given up the ghost, another £700.00. Had a Toyota previously and it had 96K on the clock. Drove it up to 110K, no problems what so ever. Wont be bying VW ever again.

Simon, Dorset on the Volkswagen Golf R32

I loved this car to drive. The exhaust note was addictive, the fuel economy was better than I expected and with a very light foot was quiet exceptional! The bad points were the fuel tank was far to small. The big bad point that drove me totally mad and made me get rid of it in the end was the sat nav! Because you can’t put a whole post code in you were totally unable to get nearer than 20 miles sometimes when in rural UK. Not acceptable for £1850. The other thing was tyre wear was excessive, 6000 to 10,000 miles and £300 plus a tyre. Reliability? Not good! Broken A/c which in the end the whole system was replaced before the car had done 15,000 miles. Also the power steering failed. Alloy wheels get pitted quickly and the build quality of interior was below what you would expect from VW. The dealer was also just a box shifter and got the wrong spec for my car! No sunroof or powered mirrors, also did not inform me of fixed price service details. So I would not recommend Breeze VW in Poole. Over all now it has been gone a year do I miss it? In the winter, in snow? Definitely not! But over all? Well, I have to say a big yes I do!

M W, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Excellent car. Had for 3 years. Yes, the alloys can - not always - go "milky". It needs man handling in diesel form but repays with gutsy performance and when needed, amazingly good fuel consumption, 70+ mpg easily available when driven sensibly. Handling also very confident and B roads can be real fun. Good on the motorway, cruises very smoothly and quietly.

Joseph, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

Won’t be buying one again!!!!! I have a 2008 Volkswagon Shuttle and use it as a hackney. In its short life it has been nothing but trouble spending a lot of valuable time in the garage/off the road. The following is a list of the items that have filed so far: a) Door hinge failed b) Trouble with the drive shaft which had to be replaced. c) Door trim clips had to be replaced. d) Exhaust sensor failure resulting in replacement. e) Cable failure. f) Cam shaft failure and front suspension mountings and bearings. Bearing in mind the vehicle is serviced on time every time and is minded as much as possible it still gave the above trouble which I feel is a bit too much as the vehicle is less than three years old. Would not recommend purchasing this model if it is reliability that you want.

John, Sussex on the Volkswagen Crafter

I know the van is trouble some, but is this all the fault of VW, the van is actually made entirely by Merc using a VW engine only. The faults other than engine faults must affect sprinters as well. You can tell it is merc by the fact of the corrosion issues and somewhat antique electrical systems and poor quality components used, so dont blame VW entirely and I know that VW dealers hate them, the worst thing they have ever put their name to.

Martyn, Huntingdonshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

We got this last year at 1 year old and had been accident repaired at a main VW dealer with less than 5k on the clock; we got it very cheap! At 20k it needed a new sensor valve, however VW didn’t have it in stock and took over a week to fix. With 40k a scratching noise appeared over 3krpm, again VW rebuilt the turbo twice with two known recall faults. Then tried a new turbo, still didnt fix it. Turned out to be a hole in the manifold gasket. Whilst it was there for nearly three weeks they also did lots of other recall faults, too many to mention! Now at 52k for the size of van tyre wear is good along with brakes. It will pull fully loaded with trailer, so much torque, just a shame about the following: 1. Manual says don’t use the gearstick as an arm rest, so why didn’t they fit an arm rest?! 2. The 12v plug is nearly on the floor, useless for satnavs and phone chargers. 3. The engine is all torque and no power. 4. The heater is driven by the speed of the van and I am constantly changing it. 5. VW will let you down more when the van breaks down they have no idea about customers and helping them. Considering we got a bargain van it does what we need and nearly 50k in a year and only 6 weeks in the garage. However, I do drive at a constant speed twice a day for more than ten miles each way! Not a single dpf fault. Keep you posted for any major faults. I wouldn’t recommend this van but if driven hard maybe ok for some.

Nick, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my van new. After 6 months old a shuddering occurred. Warranty replaced both drive shafts. At 55000km the glow plug warning lamp came on. I stopped and turned off motor. Left it for 15 mins, then started again and it’s never come back on. Now at 60000kms I can’t fault it. I am an Electrician and have roof racks, conduit tube and tools. Total weight approx: 2.48 tons. I drive this van very hard and have travelled to Melbourne and back a few times with no issues. I have had my van up to 200k/ph towing a box trailer and was still very stable at that speed. Hard to say why there has been so many problems with this model. I know of Golf TDi’s blowing turbo’s with very low k’s, which can in turn ruin the motor which have been out of warranty some 7 months. VW had put new motor in for my friend when his turbo and motor were ruined when out of warranty. The bad points are: bad driving position, rough ride off the freeway, noisy, poor traction 2WD when flooring it, towbar too low, c**p stereo, c**p standard seats. I would buy another one. I looked at the V6 Turbo diesel Vito Mercedes and found it had a worse driving position and was some $10,000 dearer. I am looking at buying the new 4 motion 7 speed Bi Turbo DSG because these vans break traction a little to easily. But after reading this forum I need to think about the low speed overtaking power as suggested is slightly lacking than compared to the 2.5 Tdi.

Rob, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

The road tax is a joke on this van? car? £425 a year! I have tried - but with no luch - to get this changed but they tell me it is to do woth the auto box and air-conditioning - this puts the tax up to the same levels as AMG Mercedes super cars. I have had this van for nearly two years and now have water in the oil. The dreaded oil cooler and water pump - do not know about the rest of the damage yet. Good old VW.
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Lee, England on the Volkswagen Passat

For those who have called it a slow thing; I have had mine for three years and have never had a problem. It is a solid, reliable and refined car and this is my second. It’s got all the gadgets and toys you would find in a luxury car. Like me, buy a 17bhp  and you won’t be disappointed. If you are, well I’m sorry.

Samuel Osei, Ghana on the Volkswagen Passat

The model is great, interior space is roomy and is a good enough family salon car. The electrical part of it is also not bad, however its plagued with too many problems plus as always the parts are very expensive, which is a disincentive. The interior for all its aesthetics is creaky and makes too much noise. The gears to don’t change smoothly after you start changing oils.

Handford, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

We have two Transporters en-fleet, which are unreliable; we have had problems with the turbos, gear boxes and engine failure. The material used in the manufacture is questionable, money saving quality. Getting anything sorted on the VW warranty is a difficult process. I don’t recommend it.

Brian , Dorset on the Volkswagen Golf

Best car I’ve ever owned, it’s my first venture with VW after 10+ years with several Ford Focus and I just can’t fault it. The 2L TDi pulls like a train with the six-speed box averaging 52mpg; if I’m really careful I’ve had it up to 65mpg. It took a long time to find one with the GT spec but worth the wait, especially as I didn’t want leather upholstery. The only trouble I had was getting insurance for it as I’m an advanced driving instructor working for the police. I’ll buy another next time around.

C&T, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Sharan

I have had problems with EGR Valve and other running faults since we bought the car from new. We will never buy another VW. It ’coughs’ and also has a ’hunting’ motion almost as though you are taking your foot on and off the accelerator. VW HQ keep saying it is because it is blue motion, "it is characteristic of that car and that it is to be expected". That is all very well, but when the car cuts out when you are turning on to a busy road and you have a 7 year old child in the back it is very frightening. They say that is "driver error" - NO - it is the car. We feel we have been very badly treated; the car is obviously not a good car and for the money we paid is definitely not worth it. Since we used to have VW camper vans in our youth and never had problems with them we feel that VW have gone backwards.

Dave, Oxfordshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I am on my 3rd Crafter now. I buy them a couple years old with low miles and have kept each one for a couple of years until they reach about 200/250 thousand miles. I have had very few problems compaired to Transits and Sprinters and I will be buying one again.

Graham, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

A great van and very reliable even at 90mph all day long. 450 miles to the tank, which is ok and roughly 30mpg everywhere. It’s had no mechanical issues in 55000 miles.

David, Lanarkshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I am a driving instructor and I use my Golf as my driving school’s teaching car. The first thing I can say about this car is that it certainly does pull like a train, only when you have it in the appropriate gear though because it does lag for 1-2 seconds. But, on the downside, the Recaro bucket seats in the front can become uncomfortable if you’ve been driving for more than 1 hour. Because of the high mileage and the number of students that have driven this car, it has developed a few problems such as; when the car is in 2nd gear, the gear stick will rattle and bounce about. Also, the clutch has a high biting point which is very difficult to find and hold. Contrary to some reviews, the clutch does need to be replaced quite regularly.

Ian, Caerphilly on the Volkswagen Crafter

This van is absolute horse c**p! My company has 2 x08 plate and if one gets a fault it’s a sure bet the other will get the same fault. I’d rather drive a horse and cart. The last straw was when the one I was driving suddenly lost all power GRrrr!!

Azy, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Shocked at all the problems with the injectors, oil pump, fuel pump, dpf and now something is making a noise! Very, very, very bad to maintain. It’s very fast, but it’s no good after the warranty.

AJ, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

Having owned 2 of these from new and covering 50k+a year I have a pretty good idea of what they are like. They are comfortable and carry weight no problem. The biggest problem with them are the dealers and ’mechanics’ they have working for them, who are just glorified tyre fitters who have no idea once the diagnostic machines fail to identify the problem. If you oWn a crafter you’d better have deep pockets unless you look after it and get a reliable mechanic to do your work cheaper than the £90 an hour VW charge. The dpf problem is all down to fuel and if you use cheap fuel you will have problems especially bio fuel, which these vans do not like at all. Regular servicing and an occasional fuel system cleaner will help. As for servicing, VW are extorionate; I was quoted £967 for a cam belt replacement!! Overall I am not happy with the van and I would not buy another as I think the extra you pay over a Transit would be better spent on maintaning the Transit as you will have just as much hassle as you do with any other 3.5 tonne van doing multidrop work. I have pondered getting a Sprinter when it is time to repace these Crafters, but I honestly believe the 2.0 diesel engines are over-worked and turbo problems are inevitable as forced torque never works reliably in cars, so vans will be the same. I could say a million other negatives about these vans, but I will just advise you do not waste your money on these pieces of rubbish. Stick with what you know and get something easy to fix.

Michael, Australia on the Volkswagen Caddy

What has happened to the German reliability and quality? My Caddy TDI is just over 3 years old. I "nurse" it, but it continues to give problems. The battery packed up under warranty, the air con packed up under warranty, the radiator packed up under warranty and new one was fitted, but it’s lasted 10 months and has packed up again (no more warranty). Also the back brakes had to be replaced at 90k. Toyota next time!

Karl, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

Just awful, I hate every bit of it. Noisy, uncomfortable, and the ride is ridiculously harsh. The steering is far too quick and any sort of poor road surface has you slowing down as you are literally being thrown around the cabin. The battery goes flat in ten days, which I’ve been to VW about loads of times, but they are useless. It has poor economy if you drive it hard; you should expect only low thirties with it empty and back damage.. You can’t get more than 40 no matter how careful you are. It should be a great van but I honestly think my grandfather’s maestro 1.3l was a better sorted, nicer vehicle to drive. On the plus side the bonnet opens to nearly vertical, which makes access to the engine very easy... Did I mention how uncomfortable it is?

Marcus, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

This van has been a total pleasure to own. It’s my 4th T5 as I get a new one every year as I travel up to 60k a year. I never had a single breakdown on any of them in over 200000 miles... No real problems to speak of really - just good quality vans as they say - you get what you pay for. When I part exchange every year it’s still worth very good money... Top vans VW! Thanks!

Richard, Suffolk on the Volkswagen Scirocco

I didn’t think I was going to be very impressed with this car, but when you see it in the metal it’s far better than the press pictures suggest. Within a mile of driving it it’s clear VW have captured and developed the spirit of the original . It is much better in lots of ways than the current Golf GTI to drive ( I regularly drive a mk5 Edition 30 ) and it’s the first VW for a long time that really makes me enthusiastic about a car again. The suspension system is particularly impressive, rough local roads are an enjoyment rather than an endurance and the whole car just has a wonderfully well balanced feel to it. Can’t wait for Viper green GT to be delivered!

Leigh, England on the Volkswagen Scirocco

This has to be the sexiest thing manufacturers have put on rubber for years. I bit of a restricted view to reverse park, but then if you can’t use your mirrors you should not be on the road. The range of colours could be increased with some real funky ones. Not sure what it will do to the resale price of Golf GTI’s, but I would expect the resale price of the Sirocco to hold it’s own. Enough negativity, off for another drive. Merry Christmas everyone! Leigh.

Keith, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Passat

I have always owned a VW ever since I could drive, this latest Passat is faultless, with smooth "torquey" power delivery, and simply eats up the miles. I covered around 450,000 miles in my 1998 Passat and this just proves how reliable they are, this is on the same turbo, gearbox and clutch! Service bills were never extortionate and the standard oil and filter changes when required have kept all my VW Diesels in good working order. The Passat in particular drives like a hot hatch cornering well and picks up rapidly when you wish to let yourself loose on the road! The car has plenty of space for luggage and passengers. The one main feature I love about VW however, is that the interior and bodywork alike wear very well with age, and friends and family could not believe the condition of the upholstery and bodywork on my 1998 version when it had covered such high mileage. My latest Passat has only re-affirmed my belief that this is quite possibly the best middle of the range passenger car in its class. A real tribute to VW.

David, Durham on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

This is my second Transporter Shuttle and I think they are a top class motor. It feels like a big car to drive and has good mpg for its size. Many years ago I used to be a Ford man but found the Transit more of a bread van (C**P) compared to the VW Transporter.

Ian, Lanarkshire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

I have a 58 registered Passat Estate 1.9 diesel. I use it for a taxi, a few interior rattles, a squeak when I press the gas pedal, and definitely the worst clutch control I have ever experienced, disappointed. Hoped for a bit of quality.

David, Herefordshire on the Volkswagen Tiguan

I chose this car after a great deal of research. Much preferred it to the Freelander, which doesn’t compare in internal quality and rolls more. Don’t need great off-road capability, but I do need the security of 4wd as I live in the countryside where muddy roads and standing water are a regular hazard. The CRV is a good buy but soooo ugly. Quite liked the Kuga, but a bit girly for a middle-aged man! After 1000 miles I have 44mpg on the Tiguan, the car drives very well and my passengers rate it higher than my previous Audi A4 and A6. The only complaint I have is that the lumbar support is useless. By the way, I can’t agree that the boot is huge, but it is adequate. In black it serves well as both a smart compact exec and it works as a practical car for the weekends. Oh, and the sunroof is great too.

Jeannie, England on the Volkswagen Eos

My new 2008 EOS cost 32,000.00 and it leaks on both sides of the front top. The condensation on the windshield is constant and bothers me. I have to keep my wipers on and I live in Orlando, Florida. I wouldn’t have leased the car last week if I read all the blogs on 08 VW EOS convertibles.

Terry, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Scirocco

The new Volkswagen Scirocco stays true to the original (which I owned many moons ago) but has made the necessary improvements needed for motoring today. It manages to accommodate four adults with ease and is a sports car that can be used for everyday use. It looks great and is stylish yet practical and conforms to the typical high standards that you would expect from Volkswagen. There are, of course, similarities to the Golf GTI (which it is based on) but it is far bigger and, in my opinion, far better to drive. The Scirocco's price is also a pleasant surprise, being lower than you would expect. An elegant, commanding, practical and energetic car.

Nigel, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Golf Estate

Excellent car, no problems for first six months. DSG auto box is superb. Excellent ride, quiet and no fuss. Good fuel economy of 52 mpg overall (according to the computer, I reckon about 48mpg actual). Bags of space in the back, versatile options. Looks excellent in Salsa red, a solid colour so no extra to pay for metallic. Parking sensors work fine.

Lynda, England on the Volkswagen Fox

I’ll give it 5, I’m used to Corsa’s and thought I’d never change - after test driving a Fox I was hooked, disappointed that they don’t do a diesel yet though. 1.2 is nippy enough and holds the road better then a Corsa. I was peeved that glove box was a bit small but found a great storage container under drivers seat after a month. Really economical and like a Tardis inside - sooo rooomy.

Ian, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

This van is only 3 months old, it has already had a new turbo, intercooler, drive shaft EGR valve and every gasket along the exhaust replaced. It has had all new bonnet support rubbers as they stick to the underside of the bonnet and stop it from opening. The handbrake was adjusted at a week old due to rolling when pressing the clutch to start. Since then this van has rolled down my drive and caused a large amount of damage upon impact with my garage. VW say tough, you should leave it in gear. I have had this van inspected by VOSA, it even rolled away for them. It appears that when the handbrake is applied to hot rear disks, once the disks cool they contract, causing the pads to loose grip. That means that this van is an MOT failure at 3 months and it doesn’t comply with construction and use regulations for sale in the UK. If any one else is / has suffering / suffered with the handbrake issue please contact me @ ian@applianceservices.co.uk.

Simon, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Worst car I have ever owned by a mile! 700km - new turbo fitted, wiggle door lock with any key (not moving enough to unlock) and passenger window winds down to help thieves steal the car, VW wont supply radio unlock code, dash board fails intermittently, oil leak on motor, oil leak into turbo, flywheel has been replaced, plastic jack holder busted from factory, remote control lock not working, 1 month off the road in repair in 7 months of owning the car, 15,000km on the clock and 7 services later car still doesn’t run properly. No control over engine speed with throttle from time to time, car shut-down in middle of freeway in front of truck. When backing off throttle then applying power again car surges dangerously and without warning rather than apply power smoothly. Has all been detailed to dealer and all they can do is tell me they will give me a loan car as a reward and that I am even lucky to get that! Car now owes me $65,000 and only cost me $50,000 the rest is lost income :( VW are a pack of ****** who don’t care for their customer once the money is in the bank. Will never buy one of these lemons again. If you have had problems similar can contact me simpleminded69@hotmail.com

Tom, Carmarthenshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Took delivery last Friday and cannot fault the car! Have added 200 miles on the clock and with a ’tight’ engine, the average mpg is in excess of 40. Superb ride and the ’Park Assist was included in the sensor package. Shall use little of that technology but i did try it out this afternoon. It was incredibly accurate even if frightening when I saw that steering wheel turning of its own accord! Handling is superb and the driving position is as good as if not better than the three Touran’s I had previously! No regrets so far!

Gareth, Powys on the Volkswagen Golf

I first bought a Golf in 2002, it was the Mk 4 and it gave me 5 years of reliable, pleasurable driving. I had never been so happy with a car so I did not hesitate in moving onto the Mk 5 when I felt it was time to upgrade my motor. The Gold now looks even better and every aspect has been improved upon. It is a fantastic all-rounder that gives sublime performance, reliability and practical for a busy lifestyle. I like to be able to make adjustments to get the best driving position and the Gold allows me to get the seat and steering wheel just right (until my girlfriend borrows the car and then I’m back to square one again...). I know that the residual values are extremely strong and although I plan to keep for car for at least 5 years it’s good to know that it will still be worth a decent amount even then. Green cars are very much in vogue at the moment and my variant has low emissions of 132g/km and high fuel economy of 56 miles per gallon. The Golf is a car that can fit into any household, it does everything you need from a car. 5 stars*****

John, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Having previously owned a VW Polo, which had been 100% reliable I chose a VW Golf TDI DSG for it’s replacement at my driving school. Now I’m wondering what the hell just hit me! And im stuck with it for 3years! I’ve not the time to list all the problems I’ve had with it. I’ve owned it just over a year and it has already cost me over £1500 in repairs and then there is VW main dealer service - wow that’s painful! VW, what happend? You need to spend money to build a good car. I think I will look at a Ford Focus next.

Arlene, Dumfriesshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Bought Volkswagen 2.0 GT TDI 140bhp in April 2008. Current mileage 33500 which I think is quite remarkable for FOUR YEAR OLD CAR. ESP light can’t be cancelled and I’ve been told I require a brake pump. I was also told this is a manufacturers fault but I’m still expected to pay total of £577. Volkswagen have offered to pay 40% of the total cost. I liased with Consumer Care Scotland who advised me to quote Sale of Goods Act. The original cost quoted for me to pay was approximately £1000 plus VAT and Volkswagen would pay the remainder 40%. There is a huge difference between what was originally quoted but I still think it’s outrageous and I will liaise with Trading Standards. When I contacted Volkwagen Customer Care Team I was asked about my loyalty as a customer. I’ve had many Volkswagen’s but I was asked for registration numbers and when I couldn’t remember ALL OF THEM I was then asked for chassis numbers! My idea would be if they are saying this is a manufactureres fault then I should not be paying anything! The retailing garage have been very supportive and I could not fault them BUT I’m very disappointed with Volkswagen and I would certainly have to consider whether to continue as a customer.

Eddie, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

This replaced a Merc 220CDI estate. Not quite the same fun drivers car but much more comfortable for passengers. Lower fuel consumption of 4wd is offset by huge savings in servicing. I have had 3 services so far and the cost still has not reached a single merc service I had. Loads of legroom for rear seat passengers even with drivers seat fully back. Auto hold handbrake feature takes a little getting used to, but is brilliant on hill starts when towing. I drove a much older model at work some time ago and cannot believe that if anything the comfortable driving position especially on long distance has improved. Very traditional in styling terms and nothing to write home about in the cabin, but rock solid. Should be on any families shortlist, especially if you tow.

Howard, Herefordshire on the Volkswagen Touareg

This is my second 2.5 Touareg. Very comfortable on and off road BUT... the tow bar is terrible. On the last car the towbar was changed because all trailers rattle unbearably. Replacement tow bar was no better. New car I arranged with dealer only to buy a Touareg if they would guarantee the tow bar would be OK. Guess what? Towing is unbearable. We have a Discovery and Mitsubishi L200 both of which tow the trailers without a sound. My none engineering opinion is that the towing ball has been machined off too high at the base ie the ball is not deep enough and the ball is positioned about 1" too low.

Sean, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

Had my Crafter from new. It has now done 50,000 miles and it has spent more tme in the VW workshop than on road. This van has now developed an engine knock and is breathing from dipstick say VW - they all breath, my arse they do. And for the knock they think it’s the flywheel but I can’t get it through to them to check compression. I will never buy another VW.

Helen, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Golf

This is our third Golf and our second GTi, the first being the Golf GTi 180 (on a 53 plate and the second one a GT TDi 140 on a 55 plate). We have had no problems whatsoever with any of the above cars and especially our new one in white and with 18 inch rims and a host of other extras really turns heads! Its very comfy and the dsg gearbox is fantastic, covered just over 10,000 miles now and I think its just about run in as we’re getting over 36 to the gallon and we were worried when we picked it up we couldn’t get much more than 28 to the gallon. The satnav is a hoot to use and stereo with the 30 gig hard drive is a must when we travel to Devon from Leeds, it is full of over 80 cds. Anyone wanting to buy one should do so as the build quality and reliability are second to none.

Joe, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Golf R32

I bought this as my first car and I think it’s brilliant. The 3.2 v6 is powerful and pulls fantastically - very good for overtaking and flying down the motorway. VW say the top speed is 139mph but I got 145 and it could go further.

Sue, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Comfortable for passengers, not much boot space unless the lwb version. Seemed to drive top heavy around corners. Very dissapointed.

Maurice, Wiltshire on the Volkswagen Eos

The first drive was to the Highlands of Scotland from Wiltshire. Car felt good, engine/wind noise minimal. Fuel return fantastic to unbeliveable. Cornering/road holding outstanding. It feels like a quality product and drives like one. With top down it’s great fun, no it’s wonderful fun. My wife just loves it and she does look good driving it. There is plenty of storage and even with the top down there is space for shopping. I would certainly recommend a test drive to one and all.

Harry, Flintshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Best company car that I have ever had. Very economical on a run, 65 plus to gallon, around town mid 50s Last 2 company cars have both been French; this puts them to shame. Very comfortable and full of lots of toys that all work not like last 2 cars. At first had noise from door seals at any speed but dealer has fixed this has been my only problem.

Mark , Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Fox

This is just the very basic 1.2 Fox with no extras - so, it’s manual windows, lock your own doors etc. It does have airbags, PAS and a half decent CD player and the good news is inexpensive doesn’t mean cheap! OK, so the quality of the plastics is not in Passat league, but it’s solid and well screwed together. It drives really well and the 1.2 is fine about town and even holds it’s own on the motorway. It’s really roomy (even more in the back than it’s bigger cousin, the Polo?). It handling is neat and tidy, and as economical, comfortable transport (albeit basic) it’s absolutely ideal. I know other cars in it’s class have more toys, but I’d rather do without the extras for VW quality (and residuals).

Paul, Dorset on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi

What a amazing bit of kit the most comfortable van I have ever had, cruises like a car, has all the mod cons, aircon, electric windows and the 140 ps engine with six speed box. The van has twin sliding side doors that are a bonus esp when you have big loads in the back does not come with a spare wheel which is a nonsense I think. You do get a puncture repair kit.. OK if you dont work all over the UK and drive on remote roads.... the leather seats give plenty of support only thing is the passenger side does not get much room but then I dont tend to have passengers... the engine is well amazing plenty of get up and go even fully loaded all in all very happy with it ,so if you want a van that has plenty of get up and go-go for the Sportline Caddy Maxi.

Dave, England on the Volkswagen Golf

Excellent car; loads of power and good on fuel too! Why bother with boring slow petrol engines when you can have a car like this?

Ryan, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I work for a maintenance firm and we have 5 Crafter’s. I drive a 58 reg 109 ps mwb hi top crafter.The van is a good size for my work and is nice to drive. The interior is comfortable and is well equipped as standard. The engine size of mine being 109 ps is what lets it down; it does not like hills and feels very gutless. It reminds me of the old Escort vans we used to drive; but in the performance stakes it does not seem to matter what gear it’s in going up hill it will only do 65 and if you change down a gear nothing happens - the noise from the engine just gets louder. The van has used 1 litre of oil every 6500 miles - apparently this is normal according to VW. This costs around £20 from the dealer as its special oil. The van has traction control which works well and it can be turned off but as soon as the wheel slips it just turns its self back on - not useful when you are trying to drive in snowy conditions as it just makes horrible noises and wont go anywhere! Having said all this, it has not gone wrong yet and is comfortable to drive. It has a 6 speed gearbox although this seems to be a bit stiff when cold. The build quality feels solid but it is a little flimsy; this can be seen when opening the back doors and the side of the van flexes quite a lot. I had the misfortune of lightly tapping a post with the front wing and it completely crumbled and the whole wing needed replacing.

Paul, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’m on my second 174. Just bought a Chip Express chip kit for it. Fitted in 10 minutes and you can really tell the difference. The standard van is fast but now!

Gary, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Passat CC

Picked this car after weeks of looking at alternatives; the C5, Mazda 6, Volvo V70 R Design, the list goes on... and wow, how pleased i was when I finally took one of these. Only 1 week in to my ownership, but already 900 miles on the clock, a little concerned about choosing the base model over the GT, but with leather trim, sensors and bluetooth for a better price, it was the right choice. Good points - style, design, power from the 140bhp engine, massive boot, smooth ride even from base model with sport suspension, economy already between 50 & 60 mpg. Bad points - dashboard rattles after just 400 miles. Bluetooth prep but still won’t link with my Blackberry. Shame about the small niggles, otherwise an absolute cracking car to drive and be in for hours and hours.

John, England on the Volkswagen Eos

A great car with the folding roof. Comfortable at speed on long journeys and returns a good mpg. Hopefully will not be too bad on tyres and servicing costs.

Julie, Leicestershire on the Volkswagen Touareg

Having driven a Freelander for the past 6 years I thought the Touareg would be a nice change. How wrong. Visibility in this car is awful and road holding (as proven in the recent bad weather) is poor.

Cruse, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

Write your report here...Great van, would buy again now on 200k in under 3 yrs, only had a gearbox go which was done under the warranty at 12k, has always been reliable and does 35mpg. Can only guess that people with lots of problems may be overloading their vans or driving them like t***s to cause so many problems. They say only a bad workmen blames their tools.

Allen, Canada on the Volkswagen Passat

I have been leasing a 2008 for 2 years now and the car is burning oil. VW Canada says its "normal". The car burns 1/2 litre of synthetic oil every one thousand kilometers and VW says it’s within the spec!! Also a few other issues, for example driver seat motors stopped working, but were fixed.

Karl, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Caddy

Air con, heated seats, cruise control, multi -function steering wheel, auto wiper and dsg gearbox all work well. Mpg on ave is about 4 to 5 mpg down on 5 speed manual gearbox also dsg comes with dpf filter which does not help mpg. I also have all weather tyres, my ave 44mpg a good mix of driving/motorway work 80 mph drop to 39 - 41 town work 37 mpg. VW service oil change £150.00 at about 15000 miles, the dsg gearbox oil needs to be change at 40000 miles at a cost of £160.00. The front tyres will get 20-22 k wear, whilst rear 50 -55 k. Top up oil is about 1lt per 12000 miles.

Paul, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Was Fine for 3 years now 91k, squeak on dash I can put up with but, rear door will not open? Front offside drive shaft splines broke.

Graeme, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

We run 5 Crafters and would never have another. Loads of problems, DPFs, steering racks, ignition switches that dont read the key, glow plug lights on then goes into limp mode, air flow sensors, agr valves, vw dealers useless, AVOID

Alexander, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

This has to be the worst van ever made, it has constant filter problems, does not go 48hrs without a light flashing. Please save your money and buy the Mercedes Sprinter unless you have pots of money to waste, this van is not fit for road use from a guy who has 10 years of transport knowledge.

Gerry, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Fox

Only had it two weeks but what a small car, plenty of room, good build, good ride, still can’t cloes the door frist time yet as its so well built. Not many extras but well worth the money.

Len, England on the Volkswagen Passat

This car has been very good, but its also had lots of problems. It’s fast and handles well with the sport setup. The bearings went in the gearbox, needed a new brake servo unit, as I nearly crashed when the brakes failed. Three new EGR valves, new rear shocks, new hand brake switch, 2 glove boxes, ECU and a new injector. All this happened outside of warranty. Eats tyres (good job it’s a lease car). It eats the miles and it’s been driven on the motorways for hours. Verdict: good car to drive but could be expensive once it’s done 100,000+ miles.

Andrew, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

Hi there, I bought my first brand new VW 9 seat Transporter Shuttle SE 2007 130HP LWB 2.5 diesel 6 speed gear box, good vehicle but lower gears (1,2,3,) very tough right from new. VW dealer has promise that once I cover 10,000 ml it will be smooth and easy, unfortunately for me at 200,000 ml and 30,000 ml the gear box is still the same VW dealer now is saying that this it specific of 6 speed gear box and apparently they are all the same, has anybody experience such problem? VW mechanics do not like this 6 gear box but because there all the same not a lot can be done (words of dealership) in 4 weeks my warranty is finish what to do anyone? P.S. It is a pig to drive if and when you have to change gears :-( vehicle 4* gear box 0*

Mark, England on the Volkswagen Jetta

This is my second jetta having upgraded from a 2006 1.9tdis. What a fantastic bit of kit. VW have pitched this car for a family, as the Passat may be to big for some people and has a long bonnet which my wife found difficult to judge. My new baby has full leather, dsg, winter pack and all the other bells and whistles. It drives, handles, accelerates, and looks fantastic and is far less common than most makes. I seriously cannot fault this car as it gives complete driving pleasure. I have fitted ipod and upgraded the headlamp bulbs to xenon which gives it a wicked look. Read all the OWNER reviews on the web and you will find there is not a car to touch it at the moment. Don’t be fooled by the magazine reviews that it is a golf with a boot, they just don’t see it as anything else. If you are looking for a new car, just take a test drive and look at the all round package, and you will be pleasantly surprised! Hope this helps someone, drive safe!

Matt, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Have a 174 TDI. In 70,000 miles its broken down 4 times, oil in the coolant, air mass meter, 2 other things that I didn’t really understand, cruise control no longer works (garage said it was because I had a different radio fitted), sliding door doesn’t unlock, front number plate fell off and plastic above rear number plate came very loose. Not pleased at all with Heritage VW in Bristol, they don’t seem to have the knowledge to deal with these problems or they just don’t care. Don’t know what to do with the van. It’s brilliant when it works but mostly it’s a shed on wheels. As you can tell I’m a bit upset by it all.

Colin, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Touareg

The Touareg replaced a 5 year old Nissan Patrol that I loved. I was worried that I would miss the Patrol but after a few days I had been completely converted. The Touareg was better in every way, quicker, more comfortable, much better road holding and more like a big sports car than an off road 4x4. If you get the chance do a VW Touareg off road and race track day as the abilities of this car will amaze you. The VW dealer in Guildford, Colbournes, are excellent and not just for Touaregs. It only has one disadvantage and that is the incredible road holding does come at the price of tyre wear but what price your neck? The Patrol would be off the road on every tight bend that the Touareg does not even notice but the Patrol tyres lasted for 23k miles and I have had 2 sets of tyres in 23k miles in the VW. Buy the maintenace and tyre package, I did. A great car, a pity that the current model has stopped production and the new one is not due until the Autumn. Not sure what I will do when my one goes back in July. I may buy this one at the end of the 3 years PCP or very possibly a Suzuki Grand Vitara. A difficult choice.

George, Mid-Lothian (Edinburghshire) on the Volkswagen Touran

No faults at 19,000miles. Tyres 50%. Overall fuel consumption 53mpg. Excellent bottom-end torque, no need to red line. Quiet engine but slightly disappointing increase in exhaust noise above 3.500rpm (65mph) in top. Blue version might solve this. Acceleration satisfactory for normal usage. Suspension loaded/unloaded an excellent compromise. Steering and handling very good. Very good driving position and seat adjustment. Certainly not for pedal thumpers. Body design very versatile and well finished. A good buy, in my opinion, provide the ABS gives no trouble! Lamp failure warning light excellent idea, should be general requirement. VW dealerships good on sales but expensive so choose VERY carefully indeed for servicing. Would consider DSG, but ..

Karl, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a transporter for my business, a 57 plate which has just clocked 80k with very little faults other than a couple of rattles. People with turbo faults need to understand that VGT turbos need time to warm up before setting off flat out and to cool off after they have been worked hard. Doing this a major fault can be avoided. Drive shafts on front wheel drive vans will fail from time to time especially when van is fully loaded I would not have or recommend any other van than VW!

David, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a 2007 Transporter; from the 3rd day of having it the particulate filter started blocking up. It has probably been in garage 10 times for this problem; they tell me to get on motorway in 3rd gear and keep my foot down - great if you can afford to do this every week (I cannot). Now I have had 3 red lights come on altogether and they now tell me its going to cost me £2500 for a new filter - not good and not happy. Why cannot VW sort there act out with this problem?

Marcus, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

It’s just awesome. Knocks spots off a Vito. It’s (very) fast, comfortable, economical, good to drive, reliable. It will hold its value and is built like a tank!

Milan, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have it since new. 3rd radio, 2nd auto gearbox, 3rd instrument unit, fuel pump and a million minor hicks up which I already learned to ignore. So far I can’t afford to by a new van. Honestly, is there anything better?

Darren, Leicestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I purchased a VW Transporter 1.9 Trendline brand new in 2007. The cost was £14,000 and I was very disappointed with the van from day one. It was scrubbing the tyres on both sides on the front very quickly. The van never felt like it was driving true and I only got 25 to 28 to the gallon. I heard a lot of positive things about the Transporter’s but I was not not impressed. I will stick to Renault, I have had several without any issues.

Marius, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat

This Passat is not what l was looking for at all. I say this because: DSG is very uncomfortable changing gears (it makes me look to others like I am a very bad driver); when slowing down it makes a big push - very, very uncomfortable. The engine I’ve got has only done 22k and is now in the garage. When the engine is cold I really have to rev it up to help the gear box to change and the engine to work. It has been very disappointing. The failure to accelerate is apparently something I am not alone with - it is a common problem for this particular type of car. My problem is that l want to be able to give it back or swap. Very upset; very, very, very.

Marc, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

My van was delivered to me with no miles showing and on a transporter. Few extras included. I love the van, great handling, brilliant to drive. I’ve done nearly 60K now. All good, so far. Now for the down side, the intercooler went at 30k, cracked exhaust manifold at 35k, alternator and air con. drive coupling at 57K. Fortunatly everything was done on warranty with no quibble, but just started to lose coolant so it’s going back in at my expense this time. Fingers crossed, it might be time to get another new one...

Graham, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my Sportline new in 2007. Its now late 2009 and I have just clocked up 75,000, no mercy, trouble free miles. The only fault I had was a broken cooler pipe bracket which caused a rattle. Top van in my opinion. Those people with continual problems I can only guess its the way you drive’em..pussies!!

Gerry, Renfrewshire on the Volkswagen Jetta

I Have done 57000 mls in ONE year as a private Taxi. No parts have been required just routine attention. Fuel consumption is showing at 44 mpg, which is very impressive. The body is very robust; a Lorry backed slowly into me and remarkably there was no apparent damage! The clutch pedal offers a bit too much force up through the left foot but that is all I can criticize it for. It looks great and has many extras: bulb out indicators, traction and cruise contol, automatic lights and wipers. A great car.

Naz, Scotland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought the van 2years ago, loved it when first got it and still like it now. I haven’t had any problems with it, apart from 2 fly wheels, which VW fixed under warantee. Although I must admit I’m worried it could happen again. Looking forward for the T6.

Cathy, Northern Ireland on the Volkswagen Golf

I have driven VW’s for a number of years. I bought my lastest golf in 2007, a 1.6 automatic comfort line. Within the last 3 months I have had a lot of trouble with the car. Firstly all the dash clocks packed up and had to be replaced (luckily under warranty). My door speakers in the front have an intermittent problem, they go on and off for no reason. And just this week the central locking on the two front doors started playing up and had to be replaced. VW covered the parts and 50% of the labour cost but I was still well out of pocket. I have spoken to a VW mechanic and was told that both the problem with clocks and door locks are not just a one off as he has had to replace same in several Golf’s. I paid £26,000 for this car and have only put 24,000 km on the clock so I really don’t find this situation acceptable. Has anyone else had these problems?

Andrew, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have always bought VWs as they are German and have a reputation for superb reliability and build quality. However after having this van for a year I can honestly say I’ll never buy VW again. When you pay nearly £20,000 for a van you would expect only minor faults. So far I’ve needed a new wheel bearing, new radio, new wheel discs (because my brakes wore into the discs). This van doesn’t have brake wear sensors as standard because it was too expensive. On a £20,000 van! That little job cost me nearly £600. The VW staff are awful, they still think that their vehicles are brilliant and refuse to believe that they could go wrong. I’m just of to Southern Motor Group (VW) now to get my diesel particulate filter sorted. Another bloody day off work. Don’t know if I’ll get it sorted under warranty, apparently VW are getting really picky on what repairs they will carry out under warranty. I’ll be buying Japanese next time, all day long. Do not buy this van. I’d sell mine tomorrow if there wasn’t a recession on!

Daniel, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Golf

Everything about the Golf is quality. It offers a smooth and refined ride and is the most comfortable and quietest car that I have ever taken onto the motorway, road and wind noise are almost non-existent. This is the best car in its class and the attention to detail shown in the interior makes being in the cabin a complete joy. Everything works well, reliability is second to none and the fuel economy is pretty good. The icing on the cake are the excellent residual values which makes the Gold attractive to buy new, or as in my case, lease. The best small family car / hatchback.

Chrissy, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Jetta

More room than a golf and less obvious than a Passat. A very good looking car that has plenty of zip and is a real delight to drive. All the high standards you would expect from VW, feels solid and safe and has a very comfortable and roomy interior. Glad I took the plunge and opted for this car, it’s a real beauty!

John, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

This is my second Passat Estate and VW have done a great job in updating an already cracking car. The boot is now bigger and the interior feels even plusher. Brilliant car that drives exceptionally well and is affordable to run. 5 out of 5.

Charlotte, Sussex on the Volkswagen Eos

Absolutely love this car. It’s fast, looks great and is fun to drive. No problems with the roof and it has an NCAP rating of 4 - not bad! A reasonably priced convertable that gives around 40 MPG.

Elaine, Kent on the Volkswagen Eos

Lovely car to drive but having problems with rainwater collecting under doors and dripping into foot well. Has anyone else had this problem?

Pete, Somerset on the Volkswagen Eos

Leaky roof, persistent condensation, noisy ride at motorway speeds, questionable handling. Is this a practical alternative or a poor compromise?

Frank, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Jetta

I’m a huge fan of Volkswagen cars and the Jetta hasn’t dented that any. Based on the Golf this Saloon is easy to drive and very smooth. It is extremely comfortable for a family of 5 and would easily seat 5 adults. Good space in the boot and of course you know reliability isn’t going to be an issue. Excellent car.

Simon, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

Considerate little luxuries such as air con, large glovebox and cup holders make life on the road easier. This is the third one I have had. They are always reliable.

Jeremy, England on the Volkswagen Golf

This car is excellent, roomy, great handling and can cope on country roads and busy motorways. The fuel economy is good and everything is where you would expect to find it within a well-ordered cabin. The TDI engine is very, very good and a good choice of engine, I went for for the TDI Sport. The main reason I went for a Volkswagen was the reliability and that is what it has given me. Very, very pleased.

Jon, England on the Volkswagen Golf Estate

Excellent car...

Samantha, Flintshire on the Volkswagen Tiguan

Brilliantly built, extremely reliable, a joy to drive and very comfortable. The 2 litre engine has exactly the right amount of power and gives me 40mpg which is stunning for a 4x4. The boot is HUGE and the inside of the Tiguan is beautifully laid out with the ability to adjustment everything to your liking. The Tiguan is the perfect 4x4 for a family.

Steve, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Touareg

Leased through main dealer Gilbert Lawton in Trafford Park. Supplied with wrong disc, SatNav was in German and all controls on touch screen were unintelligible. Dealership wasn’t familiar with new touch screen due to it being 08 model! iPod doesn’t not work with the £155 glove box dealer fitted kit. Dealership just offered a refund no apology. Rubbish service considering it’s listed as one of their flagship vehicles. VW have not written the software for it despite it being released to public. Tailgate rains in, in buckets when opened, soaking anything nearest the boot lip. Great to drive, excellent motorway cruiser.

Patricia, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Fox

I chose the 1.4 litre engine over the 1.2 so that I could have a little more oomph . It gives me plenty of power and is perfect for longer journeys. I can not give the Fox 5 stars as the build is not up to the same quality as the Golf, a car I have recently owned. This is a good and cheap alternative to the Volkswagen Golf.

Jeremy, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

This is the best car that I have ever owned. Everything about the Golf Plus is spot on, quality personified. The Plus is slightly bigger than the normal Golf ( a car I have also owned ) and this means increased head and leg room plus more room in the back. The economy is fabulous and safety features are all that is required and more. This is the choice for those looking for more room without wanting to buy an MPV.

Mandy, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Golf

Great car, roomier than the Polo and the Toyota Aygo which I test drove before settling with this one. Cheap to buy, low insurance and good fuel economy. Good, comfortable drive too.

Jon, Kent on the Volkswagen Touran

I was in the market for a good-looking MPV and the Touran won the beauty contest! Safety was important and the NCAP ratings were superb. The amount and size of the airbags is very comformting too. The MPV is also lovely to drive, my kids have suffered from travel sickness in the past but there are no problems on either long or short journeys, I honestly believe that this is due to the lack of movement at speed in the Touran. The Touran has great versatility and the seats can be folded flat to create an extremely large boot. This is a great choice if you are looking for an MPV with style and space.

Simon, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Tiguan

I have recently test driven and I am very impressed with this addition to the 4x4 market. The Tiguan feels very solid and safe, as you’d epect of a Volkswagon, and the handling is superb. The interior is very comfortable indeed and the engine is extremely quiet. The only downside I’d say is that the rear visibility isn’t that brilliant although you can opt for rear parking sensors. The best I’ve test driven so far and you can’t really go wrong with a Volkswagon can you?

James, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

Great little van, a real workhorse. Very comfortable cabin and good and clear arrangement of instruments. Very easy to drive, alhough the steering can sometimes feel a little over assisted. Excellent fuel economy and of course, as all Volkswagon, very reliable.

Jerry, Essex on the Volkswagen California

Being outdoor nuts my girlfriend and I decided that we would fit our vehicle around our lifestyle and have spashed out on the California. It’s a beaut of a camper van and has everything you need (no toilet or shower though). Perfect for just chucking in the essentials on a Friday night after work and heading off to the coast for a very comfortable camping weekend, whatever the weather. Nice to drive, but be careful when cornering, you do get used to this but you can’t just throw it around corners like a car. I think Volkswagen have done an excellent job of updating the old Camper van and make weekends something to look forward to.

John, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

Solidly built, nice shape and surprisingly spacious in the rear seats. Compromises on boot space.

William, Aberdeenshire on the Volkswagen Golf Estate

A little noisy and underpowered but it has all the space you could wish for and with Volkswagen reliability. I bought it because there was space for the dogs in the back.

Leena, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Eos

As a sales manager for a nationwide company I do an awful lot of mileage and was therefore looking for something reliable, comfortable with a little power. I have certainly found this in the Eos and then some. I’ve also got one of the stylish cars around, I think. It’s a dream to drive and makes short work of long journeys. Driving on the motorway has never been so much fun. Very pleased I chose the Eos. Can’t wait for summer.

Ruth, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

This car drives much more nimble than you would expect for its size. Spacious in the cabin and great safety features.

Shazad, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Driving on M60 motorway in Manchester, when a coolant warning light came on, advising me to stop and check coolant levels. Pulled over to hard shoulder and saw that the coolant reservoir was full to the top with engine oil. Don’t know about any of you lot, but where I come from that’s ’head gasket failure’. Got 17k miles on the clock. Never take van over 2500rpms and now this after a year of premature and incorrect settings on the Diesel Particulate filter. Bulb holder on interior light had never been fitted to the front cab from the factory. Complained to VW and they explained that there must be some mistake. VW would never make that mistake. Sick of reading maps in the dark after 4pm and when I switch my ignition off have to carry a torch. Van needs to have handbrake cable tightened as van rolled down a hill and nearly went into a large pond in someone’s garden. Bounced off someone’s fences. VW van centre mentioned that it’s a good idea to leave van in gear on a hill for extra safety. VW Assistance came round and diagnosed problem with my van as a ’blown’ cylinder head gasket. He was shocked as the engine looked brand new and was very apologetic. VW Van centre Manchester reckon I can get my van back in 5 days. That’s good when you’re a very busy heating engineer in Manchester.

Liam, England on the Volkswagen Caddy

Its the noisiest van I’ve ever driven out 02 Ford Transit is quieter. The Caddy Over revs all the time so the engine can always be heard, the Doors don’t shut properly so there is a nasty draft which adds to the already loud wind noise created by the van. Load space isn’t the greatest of a small van compared to others.

Shaun, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi to all people who have bought the Transporter. Stop running the Transporter down - it’s one of the best vans on the road - maybe you all bought from poor dealer with no good after-service. I have the ’07 Trendline; from new with major conversion done. I am very happy. So spend bit more money on new model.

Ginny, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I love this car! My company were able to buy it for me as a fleet car, as it is economical enough to do so, and it’s great to have a fun car for work. I do high mileage in it, pounding up and down motorways a lot, and it is comfortable, quality, sweet to drive, with crisp gears and excellent handling. The diesel engine seems as responsive and quick as any petrol engine I’ve had, and has a pleasant, ’growly’ note, so it doesn’t sound as much like a tractor as other diesels, and sounds like it means business. It does. The acceleration is reliable (Wheeeee!) and good for overtaking and getting out of the way (of other overtakers) if necessary. I get good mpg out of it, so fill-ups are not too frequent. Love the Rocaro seats - had some ordinary ones in a hire car recently, and felt I was slithering around on cornering! I hope they let me buy it at the end of its term......

Shaazad, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Van bought new in Sept 07 from Manchester VW van centre. Engine is currently BPC engine code (2.5tdi DPC). Currently covered 14.5k miles with mixture of motorway and urban driving. Clutch pedal is almost at biting point when 10mm off the floor. Diesel particulate filter has had two firmware updates to the ECU, under warranty. Have to drive everyday for approximately 10 minutes twice a day on the motorway at 2000-2500 rpm’s to regenerate the DPC otherwise the filter gets blocked and the van switches over to limp-home mode with a 50% reduction in power output. This is a real pain in the butt and is a big waste of fuel at current prices, especially when you are carrying 2000kg of payload including piperack/roof rack and 3 section ladders etc. Costs me around a tank of fuel a month to carry out this environment friendly procedure which wastes more fuel and then contradicts what it initially was there to achieve as you are doing unnecessary mileage. The company that manufactures the Diesel Particulate Filter for the VAG group is called BASF Catalysts based in Ludwigshafen in Germany. Coincidently, my wife is employed by this company as a Travel manager and has contacted the appropriate department internally/unofficially in Cheadle, Cheshire at the Stanley Green site. The response of the R & D manager at this firm was that there is a problem with the settings/parameters in the ECU program which need setting up correctly and that there is a superior technology available to VAG group called DOC filters. Unfortunately due to cost they didn’t adopt this technology. They went for the more cost effective one which in turn causes me more aggravation and wasted diesel and time. My van is fully loaded and I mean everything on the options is excluding left-hand drive. Seems to be dying a death systematically and gradually. What happened to German build quality.

Paul, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought this van after having my previous t5 which was 9 months old had gearbox problems... only to have the same with my new van. Whenever it goes to the main dealers they say they can’t find problem; very unhappy as van was £13000 + vat and I don’t expect this type of crap. Wish I still had my old escort van which was sound... too many other irritating problems too mention, wont buy another for sure!

Karl, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I bought this van 8 months ago. It is very rusty for an 07 and is so gutless its untrue; on motorway journeys at 70mph I don’t even get 18mpg. I’ve had various new bits, but nothing improves it. It has now also developed an odd whining noise, which I’m thinking may be the turbo? It’s comfortable and nice to drive, but overall very poor. It seems to have been designed to cost the owner money. I also have a 58 plate Caddy 1.9. I have to say this is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. I won’t go on about it on here, but I will never buy another VW or go near a VW dealer. I had an Iveco before, which was rough and ready and not as comfy, but had a far better engine. I would suggest everyone avoids VW.

James, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I purchased this lovely van as a non warrantied used vehicle with 129000miles on the clock a year ago. I’ve made a few changes to her, which include the following: One each side behind the driver fixed smoked glass windows, walls and ceiling carpeted in the back, hard wearing floor, full length three quarter width double bed (cloth to match the front seats) 240volt mains electrics with 3pin plugs, tow bar plus twin electrics, reverse parking beepers and a set of really good looking alloys to finish her off. I find her a treat to drive and managed to get 42 mpg ona camping holiday down to Cornwall last year. The MOT last month cost me a headlight adjustment so that was nice. I would have no problem in buying another Transporter and just wish I had got one earlier. How sad, she even has a name...Ludolf (to go with th reg number)

David, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

I never considered VW until my son purchased a golf 2.0 GT TDI. I was so impressed I bought the plus with 35k on the clock. On a 15 mile journey A roads 3 villages it returned 50 mpg and plenty of power if required. What a wasted time with all my other cars I have purchased. The build quality, seats, space in my opinion best in class, superb drive. Don’t hesitate and ignore the Top Gear report if you wish extra, but do not want the reduced handling and cost of a full MPV.

Bobby, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Touran

I’ve owned VW’s all my life and when it came to buying a family car, I only considered a VW. We bought a VW Touran TDI S 105PS on a 57 plate with 76000 miles on the clock and full VW service history. After owning the car for 36 days, the car broke down. The mechanic investigated and showed me what had happened - conrod smashed a hole into the engine block. I then investigated further and found that I wasn’t the only one to experience this; a common occurance on the BXE engine number, which mine was! I contacted VW, hoping for a small good faith gesture as the car was ALWAYS serviced by a VW dealer, but was told politely, "Not our problem". After approx 2 weeks, the car is being fitted with a used engine, thus devaluing the car even more. Not to mention I have no idea about the state of the turbo as it shares its oil with the engine, or any other mechanical items after the engine blew up! Overall, the seats were comfortable, the car drove good with ample feedback to the driver on road conditions and what the car was doing and space was fantastic. As for reliability and mechanics, I give the car a 0 rating as it has barely lasted half as long as the VW website boasts. VW, I’m sorry to tell you this, but I will NO LONGER be servicing any of my cars with your dealers as a full VW service history means NOTHING!

Sara, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Touran

My family loves the car. It’s comfortable to drive and a big mummy taxi. It’s got ample space, for 2 kids, plus 2 prams and loads of shopping. My husband enjoys trying to get the best mpg out of the car. He drives like an old granny sometimes to get 53 and better. The only problem I’ve got, is that it’s going for its second engine. The car’s covered 98,000 miles since getting it from new in 2007. At 60,000 miles the engine gave out which VW replaced after a lot of hassle, but we paid labour. Now again, the engine given out with exactly the same problem... a hole in the engine block, which something inside it has caused.

Bill, Ireland on the Volkswagen Crafter

I have 4 crafters. Regrettably these vans are the worst we have ever bought. We purchased ours in the late 06, and early 07. Since the vans completed the first 25000 Kilometers, we have experienced ongoing problems with; DPF filters, brake discs, electronic problems with the engine management, computer softwear problems, back axle seals, keys and locking systems and the list goes on. Our experience with Volkswagen, its dealers and importers into Ireland has been very bad. My decision is we will never deal with this brand again. We will scrap the Crafters, as to try and sell them on to someone else would be unfair to any prospective customer. In summary: The experience with Volkswagen and the Crafters has been a complete disaster from our point of view. I suspect many thousnds more people and companies have had a similar experience.

Trevor, Cambridgeshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I’ve had this from new and in the first 3 years it has needed the following: 1). Steering rack replaced 2). Vacuum pump replaced 3). Two turbo’s 4). Engine Management System replaced 5). Prop shaft replaced 6). DPF replaced twice 7). Engine manifold replaced 8). Complete new engine 9). I have broken down approximately 10 times with gear box problems 10). Water sensor replaced. And now 11). New instrument panel. £10000 worth of parts and work needed, not including servicing and VW think I was just unlucky!! Plus many more things. All the servicing and work was done by a VW dealer and it has always been limited to 68 MPH and serviced on time. A rubbish vehicle, bad service and bad VW customer service. Don’t buy one!

Darren, England on the Volkswagen Caddy

Though I’d spend a little more and buy something renowned for it’s build quality and value for money, so I bought an ’07 1.9 SDI around 18 months ago with 42k on the clock. Big mistake! The radio has to be on nearly full blast to drown out the sound of the engine. In the basic model all the sound proofing has been left out so wear ear plugs if your radio packs in! Around twelve months ago a warning light came on telling me there was a problem with the coolant system, but the problem turned out to be the sensor not the coolant system and I was told the whole C/S would have to be replaced for silly money so I’ve had to put up with the beep, beep, beep and continual flashing warning light. Today though the van has surpassed itself; the coolant bottle is full of black gloopy engine oil, so it’s either the head gasket or the oil pump. Magic! Do not buy one.

Melanie, Australia on the Volkswagen Crafter

I have replaced the turbo, steering rack, etc. I’ve had so many problems with this van I will never ever buy a VW car/van again. Now it’s out of warranty and a new problem has occured; the engine light is on and the steering rack needs replacing again! The VW Group are telling me it will cost me $15k to fix. Do not buy a VW Crafter!

Brian, England on the Volkswagen Golf

This is my third Gold 1.6 FSI. It is only four years old, but the gearbox sounds like a washing machine with loose change rattling around. Not happy! 

D , Wiltshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

Wish I’d never heard of Crafter vans. Bought this one from Heritage VW van centre. Lots of silly problems during its use. Then it failed its first MOT on emmisions. It took about 10 weeks of trial and error before they eventually fitted a new engine. Then we had a spate of warning lights causing us to have to keep having to go back to them for help. Now they say it needs a new steering rack (83000miles) at a cost of £1300+. In my opinion they are pretty unreliable to say the very least.

Tony, Isle of Anglesey on the Volkswagen Caddy

I use mine for multi drop parcel delivery in a rural area. I started off with a LDV 200 (sherpa), but I simply do not have the time to list the problems I had. Transit R reg next, good van, reliable but shame about the rust. Next I had a Sprinter, which was again very reliable, but thirsty, and rusted even quicker than the Transit. Next I has a 51 reg Transporter, which was very comfy and a good van but it had niggly problems like door handles, wheel bearings and suspension (mind you, I do open and shut doors more in one day than most folk do in two months, and spend a lot of time on farm tracks I then bought a 2003 Toyota Hiace D4D, which has already done 68k before I took it to 204k in the space of 4 years. It needed 2 sets of front brake pads, 4 front tyres, 2 rear tyres, bulbs and wipers and that is it! A fantastic van! Unfortunately, the company that I deliver for lost a couple of big contracts so the Hiace was much too big, so to save diesel, I decided to get a smaller van and having liked the previous Transporter, went for a VW Caddy as Toyota do not do a smaller van. The Caddy is cheap to run, and nice to drive, but I will stop there. On the first day it broke down due to a fuel pump fuse, a week later the rear caliper seized up, and in the next village the back exhaust box broke off. 2 days later my wipers only work if the van is moving?? Today there is a loud knock coming from the rear suspension. Not very good for 3 weeks of ownership is it? The above may be teething problems, but you cannot run a reliable business without having a vehicle that you can depend upon and I simply do not have the time or patience for this, so I have already decided to trade the thing in against another Toyota. I will honestly be glad to see the back of it.

Gerald, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought this new in 2007. It has great performance and mpg, but with seats as hard as hell. And now to the good stuff: The flywheel went at 30k, it has needed countless cv joints (one only lasted 3 months, genuine vag), the rear engine mounting broke (akin to paper mache), the oil cooler went mixing oil and water(common problem I hear). Next the exhaust gasket between the manifold and turbo went (causing fumes in cabin), the electric window switch drivers door failed.shocks didnt last very long.Inner splines in the gearbox went leaving me stuck on the side of the road. The Ac gave up thanks to a faulty sensor, the engine light came on due to a faulty oxygen sensor. I now have now 137,000 miles trouble-full miles on the clock. From a former VW fan.

Mark, Ireland on the Volkswagen

Hi all! I’ve had so much trouble with this van, it’s gone beyond a joke, at this stage my DPF filter has gone 4 times! VW have picked up the bill, but I’ve lost 5 weeks of work with this van in the 3yrs I have owned it. There is a major problem with this filter and a total recall should be done. There is a design fault with the filter and us mugs are paying for it. It drinks bucket loads of oil for some reason and as I type this, it’s back in the garage with injector problems. I have not had one year of hassle free driving yet and I don’t think I will as it’s getting older. I want my old Sprinter back please.

Bob, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Built like a tank, easy to work on and there are numerous parts outlets. Don’t bother with a transit, after all, you always get what you pay for!

Artie, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my Kombi at 8 months old as an ex demonstrator. Well specced with air con, rear heater, cruise, elec windows etc. I have now covered nearly 70k trouble free miles. I have it regularly serviced and the only things I’ve needed are normal service items, Front tyres last about 30k, and I’ve had other bits and bobs done, but no cluth/flywheel/gearbox problems at all. Versatile, good to drive, fast and pretty economical (I average 33 - 35 mpg of mixed driving, 40+ on a run). I’ve just had a Transit for a couple of weeks and it reminded me why I like my VW so much! This is my 3rd Transporter (2 x T4 and 1 x T5) and I may have been lucky, but they’ve all been excellent. Speak as you find, as they say, and I’ve found them to be the best van on the market.

Tim, Sussex on the Volkswagen Caddy

I bought a second hand Caddy with 57,000 miles on the clock in February 2011. I’ve now done 63,000 miles and has it has cost another £1700 just to keep it on the road; a new gearbox, new clutch and new exhaust. This is the fourth VW Caddy I have had and is by far the worst. Lovely to drive when all is well, but what has happened to VW reliability?

Andrew, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a T5, but never again, nothing but trouble, clutch. flywheel, poor build quality the list just goes on, also have a TT Audi, also which is mechanically C**P these manufacturers should listen to there customers and remember there are other makes available, I for one wont replace my T5 for another VW or buy another Audi. Sometimes we need to go backwards to go forward, I had a transit from new and with 275,000 miles on the clock when I sold it, yes sold it, and I never spent in the 10 years I had what I have spent in repairs on my T5 in 24 months. I can see why they make good surf vans, park them on the beach and just hopes the tide carries them away, oh what a beautiful site! VW and Audi should be ashamed of themselves for producing such unreliable yet expensive machines which at best are hardly capable of doing there job. It will be back to Ford for me after this very expensive relationship with our European manufacturers.

Paul, Cardiff on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi all! Bought Tansporter 2007 hit 51000 miles and problems started; vibration on engine 1500 revs took it to cardiff Volks. It’s had new fuel pump, 5 injectors, tandem pump cambelt bearings followers and fuel filter. Five weeks later took it out still same problem. 1 month left on warranty turbo blew. New turbo now going very well, all faults cured, just had remap 215 bhp, getting 42 mpg now on a run.

Chris, Devon on the Volkswagen Caddy

Coming up to three years old now and still drives like a dream. Just hit 40k and have only just needed new rear tyres! Fronts I’ve only replaced just replaced for a second time. It’s a very quick van even when fully loaded and still gives me 400 - 450 miles each tank. Very comfy to drive on long journeys, quite quiet, everything works well and the load space is good - it seems small but I can stuff loads in! The only issue I’ve had was the sliding door lock broke and took VW 3 times to fix it. Front and rear lights on the near side had water ingress but has all been sorted under warranty. Overall a good van and will buy another. It’s solid, well built and I personally think it’s the best looking small van around. Expensive if you want all the gadgets, but they do hold their value!

Colin, Cumberland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Bought the van from a local VW van center at six months old, it had 7,000 miles on the clock. In three years I clocked the van up to 94,500. The van was serviced every 10,000 by a local garage not VW and i have never had any trouble with it. I have never had any issues with the turbo or any pumps this van was fantastic. Very very nippy and looked stunning with my 17" alloys and powerflow exhaust system. I also fitted a K&N air filter when I purchased the van. The only reason I have not bought another one is that I needed something bigger and I don’t like the look of those stretched ones. Just sold the van on e-bay and the new owner was very impressed. Do not be put off buying one of these vans they are as good as they look.

Mike, Monmouthshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Part x-ed my Caddy in May for this van.It’s been back to South Hereford VW 7 times; 1). New waterpump. 2). Went in to limp mode (new pipe on turbo). 3). Starting problems when parked on hill (could not find problem after 4 days in garage). 4). Limp mode again (pipe not fixed properly). 5). While on holiday in Scotland, went into limp mode again (switch off engine and wait for it to reset itself). 6). Back of holiday (new turbo). 7). 4 weeks later still having trouble starting, took the van back to south Hereford VW, 3 days later (via phone call) and they tell me it needs new head (diesel leaking through the cracks). All I can say is the South Hereford VW van centre have been very good, (when I bought the van they gave me 3 mths warranty, after 4 visits they gave me another 3 months as a good will gesture). Thank f**k when the van is running ok (it’s very good, 34 mpg) so watch this space (van will be ready sat morning fingers crossed)!

Martin, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

What a waste of money!!! DPF filter is a disaster, be prepared to either spend thousands of pounds fixing or to drive (or have the driver to drive in my case) in completely opposite directions than your destination so the DPF can be "regenerated"! Driving in London every 7-10 days the light comes on and you need 15 minutes at 60MPH - where are supposed to find stretch of the road to do that? So far going from Northolt to town we end up in High Wycombe on A40! Van is nice, big, comfy etc. but completely unusable in town. I am getting rid of it this month, replacing with MK7 transit (already have one of these - great van) - -no more VWs - ever! Dealers are ignorant b****ds, Southgate manager actually said "telling people to watch out for DPF light would be against our interest, we need vans to break down every now and then" (!) - almost punched him when he said that :)

Jim, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Had the van from 42miles to 24,000 still going strong, there isnt much faster out there - very powerfull compared to a transit 110. I have to admit as it is lease I have thrashed it everywhere and it’s never missed a beat! only reason for not giving it 5 stars is purely down to the interior finish; I had a door handle break. Fuel economy is ok.. not amazing but ok. I’m now looking to buy my own, great van.

Handy, Mid-Lothian (Edinburghshire) on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have also had the Released handbrake syndrome happen to me! It sat on a steep hill on the handbrake for 12 -13 minutes then started rolling backwards down a hill to come to rest in a garden wall. VW Garage had it for 5 days doing a "Technical report" to VW Germany. I lost my £200 excess & no claims bonus. Was told they would get back to me with a answer....... still waiting. Other than that the only thing gone wrong is the cup holder fell apart after around 3 weeks!

Lynnette, Durham on the Volkswagen Touran

I’ve been happy with my Touran. I use it as a taxi but I’m finding it is using a lot of oil!!!! I keep having to top up every 4-5 days! It has 134,000 on the clock but is running champion apart frm the oil! I have replaced the AMS, fly wheel, clutch... obviously due to wear and tear! Has anyone experienced the same problem with the oil?

Chardonnay, England on the Volkswagen Golf R32

I bought this car as a runaround for me and my kids after my divorce and having to sell my cayenne and I have to say I love it more than that. Sounds amazing and I love the looks I get when men realise it’s a woman driving it, aha! Love the leather and the gear change but don’t like the satnav, or the original wheels which I’ve replaced with 18 inch black Volkswagen ones, which look alot better against a black car with blue callipers. Overall I love this car and would recomend it to anyone :)

Steve, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Fox

A surprising little car, the Fox. We were looking for something economical to run and looked at the usual Peugeot 107, Ford Ka and Fiat Panda, but happened across a Fox by accident at a dealer. It is quite a plain looking car, but the styling is neat and it manages to avoid looking cheap when compared to the alternatives. The sheer space inside is amazing considering how small the car is, and Urban spec gets a sliding rear seat which means you can flex the space between the boot and rear seats. It also has electric windows and central locking - all that is really missing is aircon. The Fox is actully very pleasent to drive, and feels much more grown up that the other small cars we tried. The ride is also really comfortable and not jittery like a 107. The 1.2 engine sounds quite characterful, and pulls well around town. It is also bearable on the motorway, but perhaps a little short of puff. The only real downside is the cheap plastics in the interior - not really worse than the competition, but not as good as they should be. The real bonus, however is the running costs, which are rock bottom, and the decent residuals once you trade in. A thoroughly decent little car. Don’t overlook it.

Terry, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

We are a courier company running 6 crafter vans, since day one they have been nothing but a pain. We have changed dpf filters, ignition key barrels (one van has had 3 barrels only 110, 000 miles) vacuum pumps, turbos replaced , one has had half a new engine, and various other parts. These vans have spent just as much time off the road as on it. When I complained to Volkswagen they said that they do not sell the vans so not their problem and to speak to the dealer I bought them from. I would but they have gone bust, no surprise there! They also informed me that the drivers were driving them incorrectly when dpf light comes on you should stop what you are doing and then drive continuously at 50 mph for 20 mins.

Nick, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Transporter

My van kept going to limp, approx every 100 miles. The garage put a cleaning fluid through the turbo and it didn’t do it again for almost 700 miles. It went into limp less frequently, but still continued. Eventually, it showed the oil can fault light on the dash, had to be recovered and I haven’t had it back since (6 and a half weeks now!). The garage drained the engine of oil to check for damage (apparently you see small shards of metal if there is damage internally). They thought it might be an oil pressure problem. So, they then ran a cleaner through it and replaced the turbo - which incidently was knackered according to the garage (I do trust them, but am doubting them a bit!). I was due to get it back yesterday. They had been driving it around for 2 days, saying it was running lovely, then yesterday the oil fault light appeared again. They are scratching their heads.

Richard, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

OMG, where do I start? Off loaded a shabby looking but reliable 112 Vito for a shiny good looking 174 VW Transporter, German engineered excellence we are told,  well 3 years later and nearly £14000 later on repairs all I can say is never ever buy one. You name it, it has gone wrong; 3 drive shafts, 1 stub drive, eats tyres 5 set in 65.000 miles, 3 sets of brakes, new power steering pump (engine oil in power steering), 4 set of discs, keep warping (yes all genuine VW parts), latest and still in garage for second time dule mass fly wheel and drive shaft again shattered for total loss of power. These are just the things that stick in my mind not to mention the alternator failing and suspension problems. I wouldn’t even sell it second hand now, I wouldn’t put any one through the pain, I would rather scrap it because that’s all it’s worth. A good looking van but that’s all. Running gear total rubbish and with very good inside information VW know it. Leave well alone, you have been warned......

Michael, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

At 108,000km the van stopped. The mechanic found that the speed sensor was damaged from inside the engine. After removing sump (not an easy job) it was found that approximately one third of the oil baffle had broken away over a period of time? This has been belted into a nugget which eventually damaged the speed sensor. A miracle engine was not damaged. Local VW dealer not interested in knowing or following up my concerns with VW Australia.

Stuart, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought van in 2007 from VW Hereford, have have no problems apart from the vibration noise that occurs now and then when changing gear (Sounds like I’ve got a cow under the bonnet). I did get shunted in London and had VW fix the damage, as a result I have a new back door but now the side door doesn’t like opening first time. Hmmm. Van is having it’s first MOT today so hopefully it will pass with flying colours. Maybe it’s just me but most of you guys have bought the higher PS models of the transporter and had alot of problems, where I’ve got the 84ps version, which has had no problems really.

Tuck, Swansea on the Volkswagen Transporter

Owned 07 transporter for 5 months now. 120k miles. Used for work roofing & building, reasonably loaded up. Had no problems to write home about except bit gutless, gave it full service when purchased. Had ecu re-mapped to 140hp, different van, far more driveable, more torquey! Mpg im not too happy about, 31mpg. Was same before re-map, I drive it easy, 65 mph mostly on motorway, occasionally chase MR2’s down the lanes. Poor storage in cab. Plenty of accessories available on net to tart up.

Shane, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I’ve owned this 20 months. It had only covered 22k when I purchased it. It’s had a new fuse box and two new engines, the first engine had only covered 29k, the second had only covered 17k.. biggest load of c**p I’ve ever bought. All work has been carried out at VW, as cost a small fortune.

Dan, England on the Volkswagen Golf

In all my years of driving I have always (but of one Ford) driven a VW. This was because I held viewpoint that German enginering is tops and German cars have no match for reliability and solid engineering. How wrong was I with this car! At 83,000 miles the dual mass flywheel has gone and requires a replacement, only 4 months after the dealer warranty ran out (how do they time that so well?). To say that I am grievously disappointed would be understatement of note - a reliability catastrophe of this magnitude on something as basic as a flywheel? The dealer garage said its a common fault on the 1.9TDi models and manifest after a few years. Great! So who knows what faults manifest on the new VWs that you buy today? With my wife’s Mercedes suffering an aircon failure (£1000 plus repair bill) I am deeply disappointed in German cars and I am wondering where to turn to next.

Doug, New Zealand on the Volkswagen California

I purchased my California camper from a dealer here in Auckland NZ. It had 40,000km . I have since had it in the garage for a lot of its life, 3 months. The manifold has had to be replaced, cracked. Appaerntly they are defective in this 2.5TDI 175 BHP model. Not according to the VW company though. The electric side sliding door is in the workshop for about the 4th time now and again tomorrow to try to get it sorted out from not opening and closing properly. So far the dealer is footing the bill and should do so at this low kilometers. I have lost total faith in it and will sell it on and finally go to an Asian, Korean, Or Japanese made vehicle. I am getting sick and tired of buying European and having things always going wrong with them . I love the way they drive but Reliability is non existant. I have owned 19 European cars in 18 years and most were very unreliable. This is my third VW Transporter. THe first Autosleeper, bought in Britain and was shipped around the World with us on our 80,000 mile travels. Fantastic except the Harmonic Balancer was defective at 80,000 km. The 4 Motion VW 2.5 tdi I last had approx 4 months ago was good but only had 3500km on it before I sold that, only in the Garage once for a fault. Good luck all you Transporter and European owners.

Dave, Dumbartonshire on the Volkswagen Polo

My previous car was a a big VW Golf Plus 1.6 FSI , which was very comfortable and I thought fast, but the tax was going up rapidly to nearly £200 a year, until I exchanged it for the smaller Polo (downsizing). I have saved money already, even the tax is only £35 a year because it’s the 1.4TDI (S version with no extras), which is still relatively rare in these parts of the country. I was totally surprised at the acceleration of this tiny diesel power unit, much sprintier than the Golf Plus petrol. Although a smaller car, it is still comfortable and can sit at the wheel for almost 2 hours without feeling tired or sore. If I sit at 60mph, the fuel needle hardly moves and could probably do about 500 miles on a full tank at that speed. I would recommend the 1.4TDI, if you can source one. I found from the service dealer that there are two service intervals, 10,000 and 15,000, they say it’s got to do with your driving habits.

Akon, Japan on the Volkswagen Golf R32

This car is fantastic to drive.

Sam, Surrey on the Volkswagen Crafter

I’ve had a crafter for the past 6 months, good van if being used over long distances, otherwise the dpf is a nightmare. Nobody at VW seems to care about the problem, the only response from the dealer is that it’s a common problem!?!! would not buy another due to many other faults, but have become very friendly with the RAC since I have seen them so much due to recharging the particle filter!

Nigel, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

I bought my Passat 1.9 estate for the fuel economy having traded in a Landrover TD5, wow 0n motorways 60mpg is the norm and I don’t drive slowly, on the autobahn in Germany at 75mph I was getting 70mpg. Comfort and space is exceptional, I have heard horror stories about the electronic handbrake but so far so good. Best car I could recommend for a family.

Perveen, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat

I bought the car which is a Passat SE TDI 140 Auto 2007 just over a year ago now with about 60,000 on the clock. It’s not been a bad car to drive until problems start to occur. It’s now in the garage having a new injector put in; driving on the motorway no warning whatsoever the engine cut out completely shutting down everything in the car. This certainly is not SAFE driving and costly at just over £800 to have the injector put in and am told this is a common problem with the new diesel engines. Not happy at all.

The Vdub, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Golf

It’s a 57 plate and is amazing! Lots of low down torque and mated to a 6spd manual. It’s a sexual car.

Dane, New Zealand on the Volkswagen Crafter

Hey guys. I brought my Crafter late 2007 and initally I loved it. It’s now 3 and a bit years down the track and I couldn’t count how much has been spent on it. It does high milage has 431402 km on it now and in that time it’s has had 4 turbos, 4 vacuum pumps, the rear differential has been rebuilt twice, it’s had I think 3 steering racks, the wipers now don’t park most of the time and just jump about and also has a major rust problem. It’s gutless, the ecu got wet as it’s behind the headlight and had to be replaced, the a/c blower has been replaced, the list just goes on. I have been fortunate in that the local dealer is very good and they pull parts off new vans to keep me moving and it has only had two days off the road and they have gone to battle with the local importer who has paid for a lot of the work and parts but overall I’m becoming very disappointed with the van and it’s unfortunate that VW have had their reputation tarnished by mostly Merc parts that are total c**p.

John, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

Our crafter is now four years old having covered only 26k it now needs a new vac pump at a cost of £400. A year ago after a long battle with Benfield van centre it finally received a new steering rack under warranty they tried to fob me off with a b******t story about air in the rack system. It also suffers with a violent judder on the clutch, which again Benfield Van Centre of Stockton were not interested in dealing with whilst the van was under warranty, but now that it’s out of warranty they are prepared to investigate. I took the van to Benfield van centre this morning for a service, whilst talking to a salesman about my experience with our van he practically told me that they were not interested. PLEASE DO YOURSELVES A FAVOUR AND DO NOT BUY A CRAFTER, THEY ARE TROUBLE!

Matt, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

Very comfortable, very economical, lovely to drive...however, I have had a lot of trouble with mine. Even now has only 90k on the clock Cruise control broke, Air-Con broke, Gearbox replaced, Rear shocks replaced, Exhaust replaced , Front discs and Pads replaced (Shocks, Exhaust and Brakes) only after 20k. On top of all that, the Turbo has now broken and have been quoted more that £1200 to fix. Lovely van but bitterly disappointed in reliability, wouldn’t spend so much on a van again considering it was more than £18,000 new.

S, Cardiff on the Volkswagen Caddy

Bought 104ps, 20k on the clock, now on 85k, regular service with private garage £150, good on tyres, get about 43mpg, drives like a car. I previously had a Transit Connect, found it heavy on fuel but a good van. Would definetly buy another Caddy although expensive to buy new. P.S. Halfords sell replacement mirror glass £10, £50 with VW!

Malc, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought this van new in 2006, Best Van I have ever had, goes like the proverbial s*** off a stick! was good for 125mph but got cold feet after that, and the engine was still gunning for more. Cost a mint at £22k, but can honestly say was worth every penny. Had a T4 and was the biggest pile I had ever had and vowed I would never buy another VW, but bought a Ford Transit to replace it with and that was just as bad, drivers seat back collapsed and was on the 4th seat when I sold it after 3 yrs, was delivered with a seam not welded in the roof and Ford garage couldnt find where the water was coming in, eventually I found it, then needed a fuel pump. I moved onto the T5 and as I say great van, the only downside was it didnt like tyres, fronts were replaced at 12k religiously. Mpg for a van this size wasn’t bad and returned 28 round the doors and 32 on a long run, I suppose if I hadnt enjoyed driving it too much and kept my foot off the gas could have done better, was written off in December. Was going to replace but insurance company offering very poor settlement, so can’t afford £24 + vat to replace, don’t know where I go from here, :-(

Naz, Ireland on the Volkswagen Passat

The Passat is a great car to drive, why does every single person have one every corner I turn I see a Passat, so they must be good cars? So I decided I need to buy one cause my old Lexus, is200 which I loved had to go cause it loved to drink. The first drive of the Passat felt very stiff the gears, the seats, the steering, I thought I was driving a tank, in my dreams. But I knew it was safe family car and I thought it will be more safe but still watch out for the seats, I hate the seats, everything else about car the looks great over all. Buy one, you will save on fuel only on long drives.

Triznyak, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

I bought this van 3 years ago with 41K in the clock. Now it has 60K on it. New toothed belt just been fitted. Never had any problem, it goes through on MOT`s without any problem. The dual mass flywheel just became a bit noisy. It`s gonna cost around £700-£800.

Peter, Australia on the Volkswagen Caddy

While they perform well, are economical and sized just right they are unreliable and extremely expensive to fix. Mine needed a new clutch at 120,000Km and that cost $2,500 to fix (and that was the cheaper single plate clutch). When I traded it I was quoted $4,000.00 to fix the airconditioning (for the second time), rear brakes, shock absorbers and CV joints. Paint coming off radio buttons window switches and both side arm rests. Reading stories from other Australian Caddy owners show that mine has been no worse than many others out there.

Keith, Surrey on the Volkswagen Touran

I bought a VW Touran Sports TSI in 2006. Only done 43000 miles and the engine burnt out. There is a fault on this model. Vw refused to do any goodwill at all. I will never buy any VW in the future. If you have one get rid of it at soon as possible. It will brake down at anytime.

Azam, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Bought my Volkswagen 2.0 Tdi 140Bhp 2006 a year ago. After 3 months the fuel injector failed whilst driving on the motorway, really dangerous, while driving on fast lane as car stopped still, cost me £800. Now the driver door is not opening. Good drive plenty of room in the car, but costly repair bills are downside.

Wayne, County Antrim on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought this Transporter shuttle minbus new in 2006 and from day one was an absolute headache; electrical faults galore, oil leaks, when the warranty ran out. I’ve replaced the turbo, intercooler, clutch and flywheel, power steering pump, drive shafts, you name it I’ve replaced it! I even replaced the engine at 157000, at a cost of £4000 at VW dealer, however I didn’t use the dealer from which I bought it, their after sales service was terrible. Avoid Transporters and avoid Donnelly Motor Group in Northern Ireland.

Nafees, England on the Volkswagen Touareg

I’ve owned my Touareg from new since 2006. I can assure you that it is absolutely a reliable motor, yes its quite heavy on fuel, but comfort and space its a luxury vehicle, I will definitely buy a second. I’ve driven a two year old Range and it rattles, which I found out from a Range Rover owner it’s a common fault with all models that their drive shafts are not that good.

Rog, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Bought car 2nd hand previously a lease car. I think its great both for comfort and performance. The dreaded ESP light got us, checked out by an indi mechanic with diagnostics found it needed a ABS pump. Wrote to VW customer services who said get it to a VW dealer for diagnostics and we see what we can do. Did all of that and then they said no complete VW service history so no can do anything. Asked to speak to a manager who then said 75% off the bill, maybe I should have stuck out for more but I am greatful So stick in there and give it your best shot

Antony, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

70,000 miles in comfort, then the oil turned to mayonnaise. £1,300 later and the oil is still turning to mayo. I’m sure the garage did what the bill says and change the oil cooling element in the sump. However, either that wasn’t the problem and I’ve been ripped off or, well, it couldn’t have been the problem. How can I be losing a litre of water through the engine every 200 miles. VW, designed to fail or what? I thought I’d be getting something that would see the kids through to college.

Wayne, Somerset on the Volkswagen Transporter

Wanted a T5 for ages, though wish I’d never bothered. Bought it from a VW dealer a year ago, it had 20k on the clock. So far it’s had a new gearbox, new drive shaft, new windscreen wiper motor, new ecu,and now the driver’s door handle does not work and it will not start when the engines hot! Booked in again with the dealer next week. I am sure there are other things I have had done to it but to be honest its been to the dealer more times than I can remember. The interior just falls to bits, and the ashtray/cup holder makes me laugh every time I use it. Complete junk. Basically it’s a complete load of rubbish. Had nothing but trouble with it and would never buy another VW, which is a shame as it’s a great looking van. Apart from the looks its got nothing else going for it whatsoever. It even drives like a bag of s**t ! Take my advice, don’t buy one.

Ian, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

I purchased this vehicle in June 2006 and from the moment I signed the paperwork I have had nothing but grief with this vehicle. From the non-existent assistance and service from the dealership, Darryl Twitt Volkswagen in Shepparton Victoria here in Australia to the endless issues of failures and reliability with the vehicle. The first issue was with the auto trans. Faulty from new. It would always hunt up and down through the gears when I had the cruise control on, not fixed until 45000km service. Door handle covers breaking/falling off, trans selector button flying off after pushing in to change gears, other interior parts/fittings falling off, annoying vibration in heater box from new, still there after 10 attempts to rectify, still there with 103000 on the clock. Cracked exhaust manifold, alternator totally failed leaving me stranded, drivers seat foam collapsed at 75000, replaced. Cloth trim on drivers seat wore through at 101000, was only replaced at 75000, had to pay was told "normal wear and tear"!!!! The battery keeps draining after parking over the weekend, am told there is "normal" current draw of 100mA, this doesn’t explain why the battery STILL drains over the weekends. Control arm bushes totally worn out at 101000. Now after paying nearly $2000 for the 105000 service along with the seat replacement and control arm bushes, I picked the vehicle up and was given a separate quote and told the turbo actuator is leaking and requires a whole new turbo at $3660. If I had known this at the time of the service I would have just driven it into the river. It’s quoted trade in price is $15000, I have spent $3000 on it in just the past 6 months alone. Having said all this VW up to date have been fairly helpful with some goodwill repairs after the warranty ran out but as I obviously require the vehicle for work, it has probably been off the road for a total of 6 months out of 4 years I have had it. Everyone rubbishes the Australian vehicles but I have a 6 year old Ford Falcon ute and have had nowhere the issues of this vehicle. Will never buy another Euro vehicle again!!

Al, Surrey on the Volkswagen Touran

The DSG gearbox on my Touran failed at 64k miles, resulting in a £4k replacement cost which the VW dealer agreed to reduce to £3.2k - thanks a bunch, if customers of VW Tourans knew before buying the car that the gearbox would fail at only 64k miles, they would never buy a Touran. I discovered that this is a not uncommon problem with VW’s DSG gearbox - see the website www.dsgwoes.co.uk where you can find other Touran owners who have had the same major DSG fault. I would like to buy another Touran but no way with such a fault-prone DSG gearbox.

Louise, Sussex on the Volkswagen Touran

DO NOT BUY A TOURAN - your EPS will fail. Ours has 29,000 miles and 3.5 years old - just out of warranty. VW will not contibute. I will never buy a VW again.

Stewart, Wiltshire on the Volkswagen Touran

A great family vehicle but it does have weaknesses that need sorting; the ABS system as on other reviews and in my opinion the gearbox/clutch is weak. Although VW claim that it is not common, my gearbox exploded after 33000 miles causing major disruption to traffic, the vehicle was completly immovable, had this happened on a motorway the situation would have been life threatening! The cost was enormous;the vehicle was out of warranty and it took many hours of discussion before VW agreed to pay 60% of cost. What was more annoying was their refusal to investigate the cause. It was suggested that I pay for the investigation and if the fault was found to be VW then they may reimburse me the cost of inspection! It is now a concern that this may happen again! On top of all this the dealer had the vehicle back 4 times before they managed to get the new gearbox fitted correctly! Now the locking mechanism has failed, the boot releases as soon as you unlock the doors and you need to drive the vehicle with the boot undone....how much is this going to cost I wonder? A great car spoilt.

Terry, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought late 2006, had vibration from auto box, took to VW who could not find any problems, said it might a separated tyre. Changed all my tyres but still had the same problem. Took back to VW who said it could be the drive shaft; three drive shafts later, gearbox valves replaced, still the same. Then a new gearbox fixed the problem. Next was the engine management light on 7 times; exhaust manifold leaking exhaust fumes into cab. Have replaced rear brake callipers, replaced water pump, two turbo’s in three months, two wish bones, rear heater packed up, rear and front shocks, heated mirrors stopped working, three arm rests, passengers seat belt. Spent more time in Volkswagen than on the road. I don’t think they could do any thing to make me buy another Volkswagen, which is a shame because with 8 seats and all the luggage room they are the perfect for the job. And to finish the engine management light has just come on again! Thanks to VW I’ve never been so poor.

Shaun, Sussex on the Volkswagen Golf

Bought an ex-demo 140 GTD Golf, well spec’d. Bought as a car to keep after a few Afla’s which didnt last. On the plus side, quick enough, good MPG (60). On the down side, alloys are peeling and blistering. Last service found leaking front shock, lipped rear discs, air bag fault in passenger seat (seat out, cover off to fix). worst of all broken air con pump £1.5k to fix!!! VW will not even cover the cost of the parts, yet this is a common fault. Disappionting for the money. Not sure I would buy another one.

Brian, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Yet another family who will never again buy a VW! We bought ours at 3 years old, just out of warranty period. The previous owner had it serviced at independent garages. The diesel unit failed within 3 months costing £1,800. There was no goodwill gesture as it did not have a full VW service history. The ESP light has recently come on. The usual story as given above. The rear bulbs blow every couple of months also. The VW main dealer servicing is excessive and expensive. It is a good car and engine, when it works, but it is not reliable. We will be getting rid of it for a Nissan.

Naz, Ireland on the Volkswagen Passat

It’s boring to drive.

Ben, Surrey on the Volkswagen Transporter

I had a few issues when I first got the van and after a few angry calls to various dealers I got it sorted under warranty. Since then it has run like a dream. You must make sure it has a run on a motorway every couple of weeks, or the DPF will clog up. The van smells of parafin when regeneration occurs. This isn’t a VW fault, European law states that all vehicles must mave this DPF! The cab is a nice place to be, a bit bland, but everything is where it should be and does what it should; I had a Vito before this and could never work out the AC or CL system. I have the 2.5l 174bhp model, and it pulls like a train. On a run (60 miles +) in 6th gear at around 70 mph it will return about 35mpg, drop the speed by 5-10 mph and you will see 40mpg. Around town expect 25mpg, this drops considerably if you floor it everywhere!! I have a SWB version, I can just squeeze 8’x4’ sheets in the back, although if you carrying these on a regular basis I would go for a LWB. Mine has been converted to a 6 seater with windows which really has made it a versatile vehicle. Overall I would recommend it. I would buy another one without hesitation. I know at least 8 other people personally who have these vans in various engine sizes and not one of them has had a problem either ;-)

Jim, England on the Volkswagen Touran

Arghhhh! Don’t buy a Volkswagen lemon Before you think of spending your hard earned money on a new car, do your research and if you think of buying a VW do your research again and again and again. Then buy another make. I paid £18,000 for a top of the range Volkswagen Touran, in 2006. At 6 months old and it rolled down a hill with the handbrake fully on. At 12,000 miles the front tyres were worn down to the cords; Birmingham Volkswagen, wanted £157 to check the tracking and to tell me they had manufactured my Volkswagen Touran wrong. I took it to a local tyre specialist who charged me £35 using the latest laser equipment. I wrote to Volkswagen Customer Care when the vehicle was 11 months old and they didn’t reply!! That’s how much they were bothered about one of their new vehicles rolling down a hill with the handbrake fully on. On the first service at 15,000 miles I took it to Birmingham Volkswagen, and I asked them to seal a bad oil leak on the gearbox. They didn’t! What they did do was charge me £206 for an oil and filter change, a job I was doing at 16 years of age. For its second service I took it to another local garage who informed me the gearbox was empty! I again took it back to Birmingham Volkswagen, and after a lot of nagging they agreed to have it in to stop the gearbox oil leak, after the next incident I would never use Birmingham Volkswagen, again. About a month after I got my car back from Birmingham Volkswagen, I was traveling up the motorway to Scotland, when a police officer informed me that something was hanging down under the engine; Birmingham Volkswagen had left 2 bolts out and 4 bolts loose that held the sump cover in place, had it dropped down it could have killed us all in the car. Volkswagen UK, and the Volkswagen dealers don’t talk to each other! They don’t keep records so if you go back to them later there is no record of your complaint. Still thinking of buying a Volkswagen? Google VW ABS pump fault, these pumps fail at between 3 and 5 years and for VW to repair them it will cost you, and wait for this, £1,500, yes £1,500. Unless you have won the lottery and can afford the cost of repairs think before you buy a Volkswagen. They are rubbish and the after sales service is worse!!!

Gar, Dumfriesshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Just to let everyone know that this model and subsequent diesels up to 2009 were prone to injector failure, but Volkswagen are now offering free repair and replacement if you have this problem. I have just heard that they will refund my costs of repair incurred this Autumn which amounts to £1700.00, even though I did not purchase my car from a main dealership. This is an important piece of information for anyone with or thinking of buying a Passat TDI, in case the same thing happens to you. Best of luck.

Paul, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

Performance and fuel economy are fine as is towing, but three flywheels in 90,000 miles, plus a possible DPF judder in low revs/high gear will certainly put me off another.

Jo, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

The worst ever machine made by the VW is the Transporter 1.9tdi. It is a big van with a small engine and s**t gear box. I really cannot understand why they have put that engine in a 2.3 ton van which hardly pulls the van; especially on hills. The engine cries and always screams for help "please get me out from here".

Myles, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I work for an event company and we have 2 Crafter’s in the fleet, the 158 is without doubt the best of all our vans, it’s quick point to point and will cruise happily on long distances. The interior is well thought out and very comfortable, with drivers seat being able to be adjusted many ways to get yourself comfortable. The load space is a good size and almost perfect for what we carry. Economy is good on this van (although terrible on the Box van version we also have, the LWB using £36 less fuel on the same return trip from Manchester to London). All in all a good van although warning lights do appear time to time, mainly with ours its the engine management light which is quickly remedied by our local specialist (NOT VW).

Adam, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Transporter

My window van costs me £220 for six months duty, seems excessive for van with 130 ish HP. If you have a window van of similar spec what are you paying in duty and is it classed as a diesel car on your log book? Could you let me know. Fairly pleased with the van, funny flat spot now and again, in traffic mainly when on and off the gas around 40 to 55 mph, when this happens the engine fans run slowly after the vehicle is stopped, engine temp stays at 90 and the exhaust smells very hot!. Lights also flicker slightly when it happens at night?? VW have updated the ECU but it happens around twice a month? No fault codes show apparently. When the engines going well it goes like a rocket, stiff T32 springs are hard at slow speed but it corners very well at speed and stays flat without roll. Buy another? Not sure.

Atif, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Jetta

When I saw the ads run on the new Jetta back in January 2006 on Sky, I quickly got myself to my local dealer and ordered one there and then. There was a slight delay though, because I had leather interior, but it was definitely worth the wait. Now, having lived with it for over 2 years I, together with my wife and 3 kids feel that it is the perfect family car one could buy. Having lived with all the Jetta’s ever since its first launch back in 1982, the new Jetta practically sold itself and it didn’t require any introduction. Jetta always had big boots ,and this one is no exception,looks are superb, but it’s the quality of build and drive which are most surprising!! The car is generously packed with easy-go life necessities, and its running costs are very sensible from road funding licence to service costs. In all the car is a total pleasure to be with and i would recommend it any day!!

James, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi, sounds like some people get a bad van. I bought my van brand new in 06. I’m a same-day courier, this van has been exellent. The amount of problems I can count on one hand, it has just clocked up 195,600 miles and has been fitted with its first set of discs today. In the past it has had a rear wheel bearing which it didn’t need as the noise was wrongly diagnosed; it turned out to be a tyre. At 125000 miles the turbo went, this was replaced as part of the 2 year unlimited mileage warranty. The only other money spent on it is oil and servicing. I have had various vans in the last 15 years of courier work, my last one was a old shape caddy in which I did 312000 miles and was very good. This has led me to buy another VW. Renault, Vauxhall, Citroen and Ford are not in the same league, guys at work drive various vans, most of them crap, you get what you pay for believe me. Hope this helps anyone considering buying VW.

David, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought a Transporter Kombi T30 104bhp with 105,000 miles already on the clock. An ex VW Service Vehicle with full VW History. Well, I’ve had none of the disasters that seem to be mentioned in these reviews except a slight intermittent power steering problem. It fails randomly and I only notice it once a week for a few seconds. Other than that it drives superb. It wont accelerate at low revs, especially in second gear, and its not the fastest of models but it does accelerate reasonably well and on the motorway it will cruise as smooth as silk at 80/90mph. I expect a lot from any vehicle I buy and if it doesn’t perform it gets the chop ASAP but this is a pleasure. I drove a Merc Vito 110 to compare before I bought the VW - dreadful driving position and as you may notice on a lot of Merc Vitos... they are rust buckets on wheels. I am a fan of VW/Audi but I was passenger in a Renault Traffic Sport recently and jeez, that thing flew like the wind. Noticeably very quick, and a Vauxhall Vivaro 115 crew cab (all done up with tints and alloys/ lowered) blitzed me at the lights few weeks back.... So...confused?? I am.

Mike, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Beautiful looking car which has aged well with typical VW quality, doors close with a satisfying thud but inside they seem to have dropped their standards a tad. In summer my dashboard, although it felt solid used to creak and groan quite a bit. Enormous boot with loads of passenger space in the back. Handling is impressive but at the expense of comfort with a slightly harsh suspension. The 1.9 is underpowered for size of car and noisy too but delivers excellent mpg - around late 40’s on short runs, 50+ on longer runs. No faults over 24k miles with only one service at 18k. But the worst thing is the push button handbrake (an annoying gimmick) which doesn’t always release when it should. The jury is out if it’s a fault or not but it only needs to do it once or twice before you lose confidence in it. You can’t even quickly jump in the car to roll it back on the driveway without belting up, closing doors, talk about big brother. VW need to drop it. Would I buy another? I’ve had a lot of VW’s in the past but sadly no.

Michelle, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my van from new and the road tax has doubled in the last 2 years because it is registered as a diesel car. I have spent all that time trying to get the details on the log changed. DVLA can’t alter the details, VW won’t alter the details. They say because it has extra seats it has to be classed as a car. I was not told at the time of purchase that although I was buying a van, it would be registered as a car and I would be spanked for road tax. The really frustrating thing about this is that some vans are registered as LGV’s - it’s just pot luck who enters the details on the registration document. I would like to hear from anyone who is experiencing the same problem or from anyone lucky enough to be registered as LGV. Let’s get this problem sorted - Watchdog here we come!

Mark, Surrey on the Volkswagen Transporter

Mine is coming up to 3 years old and the end of it’s warranty. Initially I was delighted with it. Very comfortable, bags of power and torque and if I drive it carefully I can get 36mpg quite heavily loaded with tools and equipment and a rather heavy false floor and drawer arrangement. Early on I experienced intermittent toughness in the steering at high lock. At it’s first service at nearly two years old I was told I need to take it back for a factory recall on one of the steering linkages. Today is in VW van centre having a new water pump and power steering pump fitted together with a burst hydraulic hose in the steering system. They’ve had it for two days now and it looks like I may not get it back today as they don’t seem to stock many parts. From all the reports above I’m starting to fear that this could just be the beginning of some more expensive repairs. I was planning to keep the vehicle for at least 10 years, but I think it might be time to trade it in.

Richard, England on the Volkswagen Golf

We purchased the Golf because although we were paying a little more than comparable models from other manufacturers, we thought we were buying a quality-build vehicle, how wrong we were. We have had the following problems, rear door window winder mechanism jammed, milking on three of the alloy wheels, three complete sets of alloy wheel trim centres replaced due to milking, rear hatch badge replaced due to milking, faulty radio replaced, door seals on both rear doors fell off and had to be replaced, radiator leaking and replaced, and lastly the drivers interior door panel replaced due to poor finish. Most of the aforementioned faults were within the first year or so and were rectified under warranty. The question is, would I recommend anyone buy a VW Golf, most definitely not.

Gary, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Crafter

I have had my Crafter 14 months, it has spent more time in the dealers garage then on the road. The vehicle has now only done 40,000 miles it has had three sets of brake callipers, a gear box out because problem obtaining the gears, the electric steering lock locked on would not come off and had to be recovered. following this it spent three weeks in the dealer trying to find the problem. The wipers stopped working when you put the indicator on. Leaks water in the passenger side. Dealer put new door seal on but it was put on back to front. It cuts out when you brake, causing the steering to lock up and resulting in a few near misses. Clutch pedal very noisy,keep having to grease linkage. Used 8 litres of oil in 11,000. All that aside its a good van!

Hugh, Scotland on the Volkswagen Jetta

Purchased my Jetta SE 1.9 TDI new. Some 2 years and 30000 miles later I have nothing but praise for this model. Reliability is superb, build is excellent and economy for a car of this size is mind blowing, - ACHIEVING AN AVERAGE 55 m.p.g. Emissions level is low and accordingly so is the road tax band. Boot space is enormous, - fold down the rear seats and I can accommodate my mountain bike with ease. I will be selling the vehicle soon and I will be replacing it with the exact same model. That’s the best testimonial I can give any car!

David, County Down on the Volkswagen Golf

I have had a Golf most of my life, got the new mk5 model and recently been getting a humming noise like an owl. I took it to the dealers who were too busy too look at so took another half day too bring down but same excuse, too busy. This went on for ages and I made a complaint as I was unable too book an appointment so they wanted me too keep bringing the car back until it suited them. At the end of it all I took another half day off and person sat in car and said that was normal. Now I’m driving about with this owl noise coming from my car, when I drop my girlfriend off she can hear it the whole way down the road. VW say that it’s normal in some Golfs. Also, it’s getting worse so what else can I do? I tried selling the car and 2 people have looked at it but was put off by the noise so it looks like I’m stuck with it. After service is really bad, stay away.

Mark, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Transporter

Had absolutely no problems whatsoever with my T5 after 20,000 miles. Would like to comment on a review by a previous reviewer SHAAZAD HASSAN from LANCASHIRE who reports he has had problems with the diesel particulate filter. It is a common condition T5 drivers encounter apparently, but you will only experience this if your constantly doing short journeys & not allowing the engine to reach running temperature, which you should be doing whatever vehicle you drive! The filter will get clogged with the worst of the ’cold engine soot’ constantly on short journeys & will resort to safe mode. Running temperature on my van is achieved after 4-5 miles driving on A or B roads which I’m happy with, also considering the filter is the main reason my vans emissions are so low, costing me £120 for 12 months road tax!

Bill, Essex on the Volkswagen Touareg

This is my 2nd Touareg. Owned for 2 weeks only. Fantastic to drive. Just got 30MPG on a run to North Wales. The most comfortable 4x4 I have owned by far and great trim and accessory levels.

Caroline, County Londonderry on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi - husband bought one of these about 2 years ago - last Christmas it broke down and had to be taken to dealer with a turbo problem; it stayed there for 3 weeks as parts had to be ordered in (must have been coming from the moon)!!! In September past it went in for routine service and it was discovered that it needed new steering rack. This van has only done 31,000 miles - does not get any driving abuse whatsoever - have rang customer services but may as well have been talking to a brick wall!! Can’t afford to change this van but we probably have to. Absolutely disgusted with this service.

Mick, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Touran

I owned the VW touran 1.9 tdi se for nearly three years. An excellent car, the only fault occurred recently - ESP after 2 and a half years of driving. It is quite a hard ride, as are seats, they are reasonably supportive though. There is loads of room in the front and rear for 5 adults and the boot is massive, the same as the Zafira. Lots of power from 105 horses and 185 torque; the book says 0-60 in 13 secs, this is absolute rubbish. I think that everyone hates VW!!! Fuel consumption great, unless you push it hard, still better than a petrol I bet. All controls are simple, easy to use and not cheap quality / looking like the Zafira. Engine noise in cabin is not fantastic, especially at speed. Engine growls when pushed, sounds good. Radio / CD player is easy to use, with good sound from the 8 speakers. I would definitely buy another if the price was right but am still looking at others - Verso, Zafira, C-Max (a bit cramped), S-Max.

Rob, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Superb van. Yes, a few niggles like a new steering coupling and leaks from windows and rattles but nothing that can’t wait until next service each time. The 174 engine is a joy - power and economy in equal measure. 40k miles now and very reliable. I cannot imagine a better all round vehicle.

Ben, Monmouthshire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a stylish estate that gives excellent performance. Gives you everything you need and doesn’t cost the earth. Well done Volkswagen!

Alan, Cornwall on the Volkswagen Crafter

Good large panel van. Good for load space and access. Nice cabin area, very comfortable and fully adjustable drivers position. Comes with ABS and ESP as standard as well as central locking, electric windows, cd player etc. It’s Volkswagen so you know it’s a reliable van. Just about everything you need really and drives very nicely indeed.

Scott, Durham on the Volkswagen Touran

How pleased am I that I bought this car instead of the other models available in it’s class? VERY! Passed a Scenic on the hard shoulder of the motorway the other day and I have every confidence that I will most certainly not be visiting that particular lane of the motorway whilst I own my Touran. Feels undeniably solid and the build quality is very high. On the downside the engine is a little noisy and the ride a little firm. Bought mine on a great pre reg deal!

Alasdair, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Volkswagen Polo

Good all round machine; visibility "over shoulder" could be better. Unfortunately, developed cylinder head problems at 15,000 miles (running on three cylinders only). Solid, reliable & dependable but exudes no character when driven! Quite a bland motor.

Stacy, Durham on the Volkswagen Polo

Never lets me down, nice to drive, comfortable for driver and passengers, good boot which becomes masive with the back seats are folded down, cheap to run - can’t really ask for much more from a car can you?

Bernard, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Touareg

I have had my company Touareg now for two years and done 34000 miles. Superbly put together and quite economical: 26 around the houses and almost 30 on a run down the motorway. Only problem is a sticking rear door handle. I could have had a Range Rover Sport but have not regretted my choice. Going for its second expensive service now but not too heavy costs to service when you consider the servicing intervals. I will be buying another.

Brian, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Touran

I’ve had this car for 12 months now and have just recommended it to my brother-in-law who is looking for a good, flexible family car that doesn’t cost a bomb to run and is very reliable, which this car fits the bill perfectly. The only downside I have found is the residuals on this car are low considering it’s a VW. I’ve advised my b.i.l. to buy a used one.

Edward, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Good reliable car, comfortable with plenty of room. Now at 41,000 miles, mostly high speed motorway but still achieves well over 40mpg.

Kelly, Kent on the Volkswagen Polo

I love my little car. Nippy but not juicy, stylish & well equipped.

Graham, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have just bought a T5 56 reg Transporter. With only 52,000 miles on the clock, what could go wrong? In 5 weeks of ownership I’ve had to fit a new clutch and flywheel, front shocks, tailgate light,it’s been bad at starting and now it’s in for a central locking fault. The dealer had the van for 4 days this time and they still can’t locate the fault on the central locking. The van is of poor build quality but the service from the dealer has been very good though.

Chris, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’m on my 4th Transporter and it’s the dearest at £27,000. I’ve never had as much trouble with a vehicle ever. At one point it was in the dealers for 7 weeks with a fault they couldn’t find. As I write this I’m waiting for a return call from the dealer regarding my 2nd Turbo that went nearly 3 weeks ago. It’s had so much go wrong I can’t remember half the problems, but there have been at least 20. I’m seriously thinking of changing my van but not VW.

Kevin, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought a 1.9 102bhp t5 when it was 15 months old and initialy I was very impressed with it but then couldn’t get into any gear with out crunching. I took it back to the dealer and they changed the gear box oil and all was ok for a while. Next it started to wobble when doing speeds of 42-60mph. I took it back to the dealer but they couldn’t find the cause. It continued to wobble so I took it back again and this time they put a new steering rack on. This didn’t solve the problem so made another visit and this time had a new gear box fitted. The problem was still there so another visit to the dealer and a new drive shaft on the driver’s side has been fitted but this still hasn’t fixed it. The 3 year warranty is up soon, what do i do??

Phil, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Touran

I’m very happy with the overall drive and quality. However, a problem with the abs occurred just 2 months after warranty expired (£1700 to repair). VW initially told me if I had full VW service history they would repair for free under goodwill. One service had been performed by an independant garage but the car still had a complete history. They eventually offered only 40% saying I had not had genuine filters fitted to the engine; this puzzled me as this is a common fault and has no relation to the workings of the engine. However, as I was advised by the VW man they don’t have to offer any gesture I had no option to accept. I like the car, shame about VW customer support. Would I buy another Touran? Maybe...

Paul, Suffolk on the Volkswagen Transporter

I love my van and really look after it, it has always been serviced by the main dealer and I very rarely drive it hard. It just keeps going wrong. I’m on my 3rd gearbox, I had a knocking from the steering column and a leaking sliding window within 60K. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty by the main dealer with the minimum of fuss. Its now out of warranty and has covered 75K and has kindly just spit out parts of the turbo into the intercooler. The Turbo alone is £1100 from VW so I’m expecting a £1500 bill. Also the heater controls are jamed so they will only work on the window, haven’t priced the repair on that yet but its got to be in the region of £200-£300. Its such a shame these great vans are so costly to keep on the road. When its out of warranty it will cost the same as the monthly payments on a new one to keep on the road, should I go and buy another one?

Michael, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

This is by far the best van I have ever owned and driven and that’s saying something. I have driven and owned various vans over the years - Ford, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Mercedes-Benz (Vito) - for my roofing business and found many unreliable or juicy. These may not be the fastest vans, unless you get the sport line or turbo version but it’s the quality, build and reliability that counts. I would certainly recommend theses vans to any one.

A, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

First of all, rapid, it really does drive well. I’ll give 2* for that plus Smith Knight Fay Manchester have looked after me. Problems- electrics went within two weeks, wing mirrors folded in, no indicators etc. 5 visits to workshop for low break fluid. 2 slave cylinders, 1 turbo, 1 clutch, another electrical unit that stopped it from starting. VW reliability? Van has only done 30k.

Michael, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Golf

I have had this car 2 weeks now as a company car,it was used by a colleague at head office previously and has done 36000 miles. Fuel economy seems poor as it is hard work to get over 40mpg and I don’t thrash it. Also when stationary and in slow moving traffic exhaust fumes can be smelt in the cabin and from outside when standing near the car, anyone with any ideas as to what is the problem?

Patrick, South Africa on the Volkswagen Transporter

I live in South Africa and work in Botswana and Zambia. To date this is my favourite car. Equipped with Seikel Dakar suspension and 16" wheels, the body clearance on the sides is an awesome 300mm! Actual under-vehicle clearance is probably >260mm. Also fitted is the (expensive) diff lock and a dual battery system. I use this vehicle to work in lodges in Botswana including the Makgadikgadi Pans. A guide that works on the pans was complimentary of it’s great off road comfort and was surprised at the ability in mud and sand. Although I drive the car enthusiastically, the return at the pumps is favourable for it’s huge size. A careful drive will return about 30mpg, which is not bad for a 2 ton 4X4 brick! I believe the 2WD is a lot more frugal. Very proud at the moment as the T5 engine, inherited from the R5 Touareg, is currently powering the 1,2,3 domination of the Dakar as at stage 9 on 11 Jan 2010. My 112CDi Vito cannot compare with this superior vehicle.

David, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Passat has been a very poor car. Turbo failed, clutch failed prematurely, inside cabin rattles and squeaks making the cabin ambience unpleasant. The electronic parking brake is useless and fails essentially when ever you need. It sticks on when setting on a hill or similar, leaving you sat at junctions unable to move. It also has a habit of letting itself off from time to time. I keep coming back to finding it sat in the middle of a car park somewhere. The engine gearbox combination is a poor marriage making the car hard work around town - you will be stalling it constantly until you have got used to it. Equally unless on open motorway, in the Passat you will find yourself endlessly changing gear in a hunt for power or some activity from the turbo charger to move it along. Don’t push it at all on winding roads, it is very prone to understeer whilst the steering does not give enough feedback for you to know what is going on with the car. It is strictly for straight labrador in the back driving. Fuel economy is OK on longer journeys but in real world driving expect 36-41mpg. It does OK on motorways. If you have a labrador, drive 3 miles to walk that labrador in the woods on a daily basis, then this is probably a good car. Otherwise I would advise steer clear and choose another option. This car is plagued with faults. Not a nice car. There are plenty of better options out there.

Alan, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Not very happy with T5, cruise knackered, offside drive shaft went and had a job to get goodwill from VW, now I have problems with rumble from steering and coolant leak and quite loud rattle from offside engine area. I have 2 driving hols to France and Spain this year and I would not trust it as far as I can throw it. T4 was ten times better. My advice when the warranty is upis to get shot of,  a VW warranty after 3 years is so expensive and now I know why. I will be hiring something else for hols and getting shot of shortly.

Kevin, Surrey on the Volkswagen Transporter

I purchased my van a year ago, it was nearly 3 years old with 100,000 on the clock. Trouble free for 12 months, clutch has just gone. £900 bill for new clutch, fly wheel and slave cylinder from Mr. Clutch. Had a Renault van and a Peugeot van before which weren’t as nice to drive but never had repair bills like this. Very concerned now about future reliability and costs. Also when the steering lock is on full when manoeuvering there is quite a bit of juddering. Service is now due. If this is another large bill I don’t think I will keep this van long term, instead of the planned 5 years. Shame because I like driving it and it’s perfect for my job.

Jane, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Something I’ve wanted for the last 10 years probably so bought it second hand with low mileage and a good service history. It drives like a dream, I especially like the 6 gears and the way it accelerates out of tight spots/away from the traffic lights! Apparently I look quite menacing when following someone as it’s black but it suits me perfectly - the only annoying thing it has a single slot cd and the variable speed (automatic) windscreen wipers. Hopefully though the music system will soon be upgraded........

Aaron, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Golf

I have recently bought a 56 plate 2.0 TDi GTD and I love it, the car is in immaculate condition and I am a very proud owner. The Golf in general is a great car and VW seem to hold onto their value well. The only annoying thing about it is that the automatic windscreen wipers seem to have a mind of their own, they even attacked a lad trying to wash my car, that certainly woke him up.

Chris, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

30,000 miles and I also have had the dual mass flywheel for a princely sum £900. Very very unimpressed, particularly seeing that this seems to be a common design problem. Not exactly inspiring confidence for a 4 week trip around Europe this summer.

Richard, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought the van second hand from Euro Vans at Eastbourne, nothing but trouble, poor starting, turbo not working, typical bad news story from VW. Why do people say these vehicles are so good? Bought a Toyota Hiace, no problems at all.

Michael, Northern Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi! I bought t5 transporter 130bhp 2.5cc only 4mths ago. Sept 06 having a lot of problems with particulate filter, paid £180 having it regenerated. VW say it’s because I do town driving, this happens every 4weeks, tried driving it as in manual but no joy, light still on, can anybody help with problem??? I do like this van otherwise, cheers.

Harry, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought second-hand from a local VW dealer, with 28k on the clock. Test drive was fine and other than the price tag i was convinced it would fit the bill... Took the gamble and a year down the line I wish I hadn’t been seduced by its styling & peformance credentials. Problems: 1) Not very economical, but managable considering its around town driving - Av. 450 miles to a tank (if riding the torque all the way!) 2) On sweeping corners (lefts & rights) the driveshaft generates a metallic rotational grinding noise - sometime barely audible, but ALWAYS felt through the accelerator pedal as a vibration!! Drove with VW mechanic and sod’s law not a peep!.. Local dealer has checked & found nothing wrong, - VERY convenient for them as I’m outside warranty now! 3) Shortly after 30k it has developed an INTERMITTENT accelerator issue whereby from 1st gear as I press CLUTCH to change up to 2nd there is a SHORT SCREECHING NOISE, then as I work up through the gears the the TURBO becomes abnormally loud (like a whale has just surfaced under the bonnet!)... Engine feels like a bag of nails and creates A DEAD SPOT ON THE ACCELERATOR which when pushed past suddenly slaps the turbo in the face thus snapping the van forward... Worst of all, my annoyances with the van are intermittent which as you likely know mean they’re as predictable as the weather... If VW won’t help then I’m left no choice but wait until the van ruins itself. You may argue my driving style etc., doesn’t suit the van, however I’ve had the DPF light up twice and both times the manual procedure has resolved this, so I can’t be going far wrong if at all... Back to the drawing board VW. I feel robbed. Lets hope the new face-lifted range has addressed these reputation-damaging issues.

Jimmy, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

Rubbish van, I’d NEVER buy another!! Is it just mine or do all Transporter vans Shake as you go over a bit of rough ground??? I’ve had it totally checked out; suspension; mounts; all the rubbers(including the tyres) Ok, so they look good, really modern etc etc, but in regards to handling- Motorway, 10/10 (although a bit noisey-probably the reason why the stereos’ are so good!!) Around town, 1/10 (if that). OK would I recommend one to you? NO WAY! (Unless of course you’d like to buy mine?)

Phill, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought van new in July ’05, no problems under warranty. At abount 70K water pump failed causing £700 repair, also constant problems with handbrake. Last week while loading vehicle on my drive the handbrake released itself. The van crashed into a wall causing 4k worth of damage. My drive is quite steep and I normally also leave it in gear but on this occasion I did not. If anyone else has experienced this please comment.

Jed, Stirlingshire on the Volkswagen Touran

ABS unit went at 24,000 miles, and has had several visits to garage since. A decent vehicle spoiled by mediocre reliability. I think people should hesitate before reviewing any vehicle before it has done at least 30k or is three years old. That’s when parts start to fail.

Roger, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

Had van from new, it’s nice to drive and good on fuel. After 24 months had a loud bang, no gears and it was the drive shaft completely snapped in half but under warranty so was lucky. Now at 4.5 years had the power steering pump, oil cooler and water pump go . I had reported oil light issues to VW while still under warranty but they said they could not find a problem until now and they are now arguing saying it isn’t their fault for not checking the original fault properly. So be warned VW are an arrogant bunch of W*&^%r’s and will never admit fault. Has any one else had this problem as we need to get together to make them listen.

Frank, Switzerland on the Volkswagen Touran

A good family car.

Mohammed, Scotland on the Volkswagen Golf

I bought a VW Golf gt tdi 1 year ago. I took it to the dealer who told me my clutch and flywheel has gone and is gonna cost me £1250. I know this is a common fault and VW should recall all Mark 5 Golfs. Anybody who has a Mark 5 Golf should make sure VW UK are aware and I think this is could be a watch dog issue.

Brett, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’m from Australia and have a 2005 T5 2.5Lt 6Speed manual with 123k on the clock. This is a expensive car down under. It’s the best van I have ever owned when it comes to power and comfort, bloody brilliant ! I use it for work and often spent weeks in central Australia. I wouldn’t call my trips hard, demanding would be a better word. At 120k the power steering pump exploded leaving me stranded in 48 degree temperatures for 4 hours before I flag down help. $1900.00 AU to fix it. Two weeks ago BANG no gears, no speedo, still waiting to hear from the mechanic why and how much $$$$. Sounds like input shaft. Breaking down where I go can kill you! I can no longer trust this van in the Australian Outback so today I purchased a 2009 Crewman T5 2.5Lt, 228Kw with 6 speed manual, 4 motion with optional RH door and towing pack. Drive away with 12 months rego this cost me $52000.00 AU I almost purchased the Benz but went for the VW again? I hope I’ve done the right thing but I’m a little worried after reading this review section.

Dene, Somerset on the Volkswagen Transporter

owned this van now for 3 and a 1/2yrs,no major probs yet ,just oil in coolant,fixed on warrenty twice!!! Had chip conversion to raise HP a few years ago; don’t bother, save your money, went from 31-33 average mpg to 25 average with no big discernable notice in performance. Taken it 5 times to south of france on various trips and so far not as much as a glich. It’s used every day for towing 1.5ton diggers and compressors and again as yet no clutch or gearbox problems. I dont drive it hard, just pottle around, sorry to hear there can be so many probs. I nearly bought a Merc instead of VW, both solid vans just preferred the looks of the VW, I’m glad I chose it though I have heard of gearbox problems but think that might just be 1.9 versions. Time will tell on reliability but I’m planning on keeping it for another 4-6 yrs.

Gavin, South Africa on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my 5 cyl t5 second hand with 38000km on the clock. Shortly after the power steering reservoir started overflowing with engine oil from a bad seal on the pump. Cost a new pump, fortunately under warranty, but other than that a brilliantly versatile vehicle with so much power and economy to boot. best vehicle I have owned. Have a set of chains for mud in Swaziland and let the tyres down for the sand in Mozambique. 16" wheels are the secret for clearance also remember to switch off electronic traction! Also own a very reliable Audi A4 and a new VW Beetle which has been trouble all the way, so win some lose some I guess.

David, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Transporter

I drive a T5 transporter shuttle bus as a taxi, the back windows are a c**p design and have been broken countless times over the last four years, the triptronic gearbox has now packed up after 294,584 miles. It is the fastest van I have ever driven (132 mph would you believe), the body work is perfect. Taking in account that it’s a night taxi, where you are picking up drunks that abuse the vehicle, this is to my mind the best bus on the market. Well done Volkswagen.

Alan, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Touran

We owned this car for 3 years. Seven seats great idea, to take the kids friends out. Good to drive. MPG great, got better as the engine loosened up, from about 25k miles onwards, push it as hard as you like and you’ll return 45mpg. We drove back from Cornwall fully loaded at 70mph and averaged 52mpg!!! Now for the BIG PROBLEM; The ABS control unit went and the ESP light came on when the car went out of warranty, VW were stating £1600 to fix. We have full VW service history and car had 48k miles. After a lot of wrangling VW paid 40% and we still ended up with a £900 bill. My advice is get rid before end of 3 year warranty.

Derek, England on the Volkswagen Touran

I love the car, it’s fun to drive and is economical but the turbo went at 20,000 miles and the ESP light has been on for 12 months now and could cost £1300. VW should do a full recall for this ESP/ABS fault, don’t buy one until they do!

Brian, Northern Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

VW transporter 1.9 tdi 85 bhp with 116,000 miles complete, no issues up to now. today during cold weather got stuck in 4th gear. I left until mid day and all ok again. got checked out and water got into gear linkage cables and froze. To fix it will require new linkage. (currently tried to get water out with wd40 and grease) all in all I’ve had this van from new and I would recommend it to anyone.

Anthony, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

Initially i was very pleased with the bus, comfortable and practical for me, my wife, four kids and three labradors. There is always a slight offset pull when accelerating, I put this down to heavy load. Hang on, this is a commercialy rated veh. major beef at 78000 miles dual mass flywheel disintegrated as did drive shaft, what a stupid cheapskate design,if there is too much torque/transmission shock, improve and strengthen mountings and components. To pass cheap designs onto customers who end up with expensive bills I feel VW are totally betraying the trust of loyal (not for long) customers. P.S. Who designed the rubbish sliding door windows? Having read everybody elses beefs I am filled with dread for the next 100000 miles.

Paul, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

This is an excellent vehicle, mine has done 150k so far and the only fault I can find is that it judders when pulling away with full lock on; it feels like the brakes are pulling on or the four wheel drive is cutting in, not sure, but when clutch is dipped it rolls freely. Once you are moving or using a bigger turning circle there is no problem. Has anyone had the same problem or at least similar? I would be interested to know before paying for the VW garage to take a look.

Rob, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Passat Estate

What a let down, the car had constant faults; Air bag light kept coming on, Broke down 3 times, Fuel pump, Fuel cooler, Software problems, engine emission flap failure £400 before the final death at 92000 miles when oil pump failed. Inchcape VW Bridgnorth were useless, the changed oil pump cost circa £1000 to do then they inform me engine is scrap. On inspection by another competent engine company Inchcape had put it together incorectly and damaged the crankshaft drive gear. I would be very careful of buying one with high milage unless you can change oil pumps and the turbo yourself otherwise expect big garage bills. Also I would not recommend Inchcape; their customer service is disgusting & service rubish.

J, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Van bought new April 05, apart from 2 driveshafts, a water pump, oil in the coolant, and a few other issues, no major mechanicals etc. Van has now done 300,000 miles 4 years on and has NEVER had a clutch!!!!!!!!! This is after a mixture of solo motoring, towing a 2 ton twin axle trailer and towing a 1500 kg twi axle caravan!!!!!!!!! My secret - CRUISE CONTROL. Best thing ever invented. Previous vans 88bhp 2.5 T4 160,000 miles and 102bhp 2.5 T4 360,000 miles, neither had new clutches throughout my ownership. Yep you guessed it both had CRUISE CONTROL.

Jim, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

After searching for a suitable van for my auto locksmith business I stumbled across the Caddy by chance. I was impressed with the build quality and especially the comfortable seats having just given up my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The performance is more than adequate although I don’t thrash it. Its done 121K and feels just as tight as a new one. I’ve done just over 10K in a year and apart from one oil change nothing else has gone wrong. Came with aircon and CD player. Bags of storage space and pockets in the cabin. Consumption is regular around the 37-41 MPG. Well pleased especially as I was seriously looking at the Connect. Would recommend to anyone with a bit more of a budget. Quality comes at a price. Just read that British Gas have ordered 5,000 Caddy’s due to reliabilty and running costs.

Rob, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Golf

Without doubt the worst car I’ve ever owned. Chose a VW Golf for reliability after previously owning an Audi A3, and a MK4 Golf TDi and boy what a mistake. Bought the car back in January 09, it’s a 55 plate Golf TDi Sport, done 42k miles. Had the radiator, centre brake light, flywheel and clutch all fail and replaced by VW within 6 months. Including a service, total cost of repairs for 6 months ownership of a 3 year old Golf TDi is £2,300. Not what I’d call reliable. Although after further reading I see loads of MK5 Golf owners have had the flywheel/clutch replaced so obviously a major problem. AVOID A MK5 GOLF!

Roy, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought a VW Transporter T5 for taxi work, beautiful to drive and very comfortable. In fact, our clients love it. Service charges are very reasonable and I like the long service schedule that comes with the vehicle. Down side is the vehicle has only done 200,000 miles and has had to have some serious cash spent on it over the 4 years eating away at any profit it has made for the business. At 110, 000 miles Turbo blew on M25 with customers on board, then needed new clutch at 120,000 miles, new gear box 128, 000miles approx and now at 200,000 miles a damn new ABS System has just been fitted with very little change from VW out of £1800. Excellent to drive, but I doubt I will buy another one for taxi work again. They just don’t appear to be able to cope with the vehicle continually stopping and starting.

Colin, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Not done 60,000 miles yet and its had a water pump & now a gearbox & clutch - £4000 of repairs in 2 months! Appalling reliability!! Very, very disappointed with the vehicle - also extremely disappointed with VW Commercial - they would not help us at all. I do not consider that this it is acceptable, that a low mileage vehicle, only 4 years old should have such major mechanical failures. This vehicle has been main dealer serviced and well looked after by us. It seems that VW’s reputation for engineering and customer service is not what it was!

Jackie, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Bought a low mileage 2005 Golf as I thought being a Volkswagen there would be no problems. Dual Mass Flywheel and Clutch had to be replaced at a cost of £1200. Volkswagen deny there is a problem with 2005 plates but I was told different by a Volkswagen employee. They tell you they will give you a goodwill payment towards the cost once they have checked it out in thier garages at a cost of £50. Once you get your car there they then go back on the offer and deny they ever said it. They have no interest in helping with the situation. I will never buy a volkswagen again. Awful service.

John, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought this van in 2005. Great until just a month before the warranty ran out, so it got the clutch repaired. However, 20,000.00 for a van without brake wear sensors on it has cost me 600 pounds. Then a week after the warranty ran out the alternator buggered up costing 450 pounds. Then the turbo intake pipe blew off costing a further £105 pounds. Now the 5th gear is buggered and it’s about to go in to find out if it’s a 500 pound job or a 4,500 pound job. Not impressed now. The van layout is great and the drive comfortable but for a working van that has just hit 110,000 mile (90% motorway miles) this cannot be good.

Paul, Wrexham on the Volkswagen Touran

AVOID at all costs unless you like £1500 repair bills for the ABS unit. Google "Touran ESP Light" and you will get the gist.

Brian, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Golf

This has to be one of the most boring and annoying cars to live with. When i test drove it i loved it, that soon changed after i bought one!!. The cabin area must be one of the most boring places to sit in, the seats are as comfortable as sitting on the road and the the plastics look so drab and boring. There’s a huge gap lower down the dashboard that really looks awful, when driving on a motorway the wind and road noise is deafening, i can’t hear myself think. Don’t be taken in by the drive when you first drive it and the looks, it will feel and looks dated in no time. Finally the Motion 4 system is horrendous, last christmas I stopped on my steep driveway covered on snow and tried to drive up it hoping the systme would kick in and get me up it but it didn’t. Instead, a few weeks later when I was on my way home from work and it decided to kick in when I was doing 70, it made the biggest clunk/ bang i have ever heard. Stay away, no matter how much you like this car.

Nee, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Touran

I’ve had the Touran for 3 years and covered 120k. It has had a few problems with interior plastics, wheel alignment, fuel leaking due to poor servicing at Main Dealers (3 times!); They didn’t put fuel pipe clips on properly first time followed by not tightening fuel filter cannister lid causing complete satuaration of engine compartment and 20 foot of fast lane on motorway! Thankyou to the Highways agency for cleaning that up! Would I buy another one? To be honest Ive driven the C/S-Max’s,Zaffira and Scenic and while they all have there merits it is always the VW I’d rather be driving. So the answer is yes I would but with the proviso that VW answer(satisfactory) the many complaints regarding there poor customer relationship and put an end to daft charging structures(like £28 to change a tail bulb which took 4 mins!) especailly when you have religiously followed all there servicing reommendations and handed over approx £1100 each year to keep it on the road(not inc tyres).

Lisa, Aberdeenshire on the Volkswagen Touareg

I have had my VW Touareg 2.5 TDi for a year and have been very pleased with its performance. It is a solid, sturdy vehicle, extremely comfortable, a little heavy on fuel, but the quality of the car makes up for it. The finish is excellent, the accessories exceeded my expectations. Having driven various VW models over the past 18 years or so, my entire family is a VW fan and the VW Touareg has certainly been my favourite to date.

Richard, Worcestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

This van has been in the garage more times than I can remember. Problems such as leaking rear windows, clutch, steering vibration, water pump, paint problems around side door handle, power steering fluid problems, loss of drive to gearbox due to input shaft worn, rollers on doors not rolling, clunking sound on steering full lock when turning slowly. All items have at some point been rectified under warranty but now the warranty period is up I wonder if its time to call it a day with this van at 65,000 miles. It has no way been as good as the 6 other t4 vans that I have owned, all of which have done above 110,000 miles. As a self employed electrician, a good van is why I paid 20k plus for this one and other lone vans I have had have felt like the quality element as gone.

Patrick, England on the Volkswagen Caddy

I am from China, my 7 seats Caddy Life bought in 2006; I drove it for over 40,000Km till now, nothing is wrong on this van....

Richard, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Just ordered my second Touran. The first 1 has completed 90K trouble free miles and is still averaging 45-50mpg. The DSG gearbox is superb and having to drive the Ford S Max Auto this week the VW leaves it standing (in more ways than one). The VW’s quality interior has survived all I can throw at it and the general performance for long distance travel as well as the short city trips is every bit as good as the Audi A4 I had previously. The pleasure of this car is the quality 2L TDI matched with an excellent gearbox - If you have a choice, go for the great leather seat options, I have a back problem and if I could put the seats in my front room - I would. Now I have tempted fate, hopefully my second VW won’t be a lemon!

Peter, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Passat

My 3rd Passat, Better than last model, Very good drive & solid, had a few re-calls but not let me down 39K miles. changing to a Golf tomorrow hope it’s as good.

C, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

When HOT engine oil begins to bubble up into your power steering reservoir and spill out over the engine, I consider that a dangerous mechanical failure. A sealed unit which malfunctions in a dangerous manner should be VW’s responsibility. IT’S NOT WEAR AND TEAR - IT’S A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH A VW COMPONENT THAT ALLOWS CONTAMINATION OF THIS CRITICAL FUNCTION (steering) BY ENGINE OIL. When a VW mechanic diagnoses the fault over the phone and on inspection describes it as a "dangerous common fault" VW should show concern. THEY HAVE NOT AND IT’S A JOKE DON’T BUY VW!!!! GREAT PRODUCT, BAD CUSTOMER CARE VW - THEY JUST DON’T CARE IF YOUR STEERING FAILS APPARENTLY...

Paul, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a LWB Shuttle 2.5 Tiptronic, and as far as being a van is concerned it is fantastic, incredibly comfortable, great workhorse, seriously looks the Biz! And it’s great to drive apart from a persistent intermittent fault that VW say they cannot find, even suggesting that it doesn’t exist even though they have had the van SEVEN TIMES and their master technician has witnessed the fault whilst passenger in the vehicle (he even suggested the likely cause!!!!) BUT, it would seem VW is reluctant to effect any repairs. I have read on other forums regarding the DSG gearbox, that a number of people are having serious issues too, but VW seem uninterested in resolving these problems. Clearly the VW of the new millennium is far removed from that of the previous!

Aydın, England on the Volkswagen Passat

I have the 2005 exclusive model TDI 130 HP. This car is very strong. Unbelievable fuel economy with very powerful power plant. I test drove many new models but I believe that the Passat is still number one. I have heard that VW is changing TDI technology to CRDI (Common rail diesel injection) type diesel technology with the model of 2008. I’m not sure what that does and if it is worth changing my car to the 2008 model.

Mark, England on the Volkswagen Passat

I have had a couple of diesel cars before and I drive a lot of motorway miles, none have impressed me until now. The VW Passat is unbelievable; it is very comfortable, loads of space for my kit and for people travelling with me, and it out-performs most of the 2-litre petrol cars I have driven. I still get over 50mpg. Mine has done 120,000 miles and there are no rattles or knocks and it is still very comfortable. The only bad side I can say is it took me until being 38 years of age before I discovered this car. Without a shadow of a doubt this will not be the last one I buy.

Martin, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

As with any new vehicle, I guess, first impressions great. I had to have a new clutch & flywheel at 18,000 due to a bad shuddering. They also replaced a leaking water pump. A wiring fault which kept the rear wiper firing up at all times, even though it was switched off. They broke the plastic wiper cover whilst doing this, it’s never been replaced. There has always been a problem with a flat spot in 2nd gear, when pulling away after idling at traffic lights etc. VW carried out an management update, which made the vehicle more flexible in the lower gears, but has never cured the flat spot and it reduced fuel consumption. Both sliding windows had to be replaced, due to leaks, n/s twice. Second n/s window, catch broke first time it was used. I have been waiting forever for a VW regional technician to road test vehicle for an apparently untraceable vibration that occurs between 40 & 50 mph. This, coincidentally appeared shortly after it had been in for the replacement clutch/flywheel. Southern Motor Group in Croydon have been bulshitting for months regarding this and VW GB have been complicit in coluding with them over this matter. They told me it was the wheels out of balance, I had only just had new tyres and rebalance two days before. Then it was the alloy wheels ’out of shape’ They fitted a set of new steel wheels and tyres. ’no change’ They had the vehicle for weeks in total, for road testing, which consisted, I later found out, of one of their staff members using the vehicle as personal transport, putting hundreds of miles on the clock and using gallons of my fuel. I believe that the third year Van Centre warranty, is not worth a light. When it’s been back to them during this period, I firmly believe that they just leave the vehicle standing in the yard and do sweet FA to it. Strangely they would never give an invoice for warranty work supposedly done during this period. It went back for clonking noises from the steering, noisy steering pump, at low speed. The handbrake has never been efficient from day one. The only way to make it work half securely is to pump the foot brake and nearly pull the lever out of the floor. This is a known problem, but VW say "it meets the required standard" I guess they knew from the off. "Refer to handbook," it advises that you should park in gear and kerb your tyres to make sure that it doesn’t roll away. I know many owners who have had this problem resulting in vehicles rolling away, causing damage to their’s and other vehicles. I’m still waiting for VWs Regional Technician to road test the vehicle. I have my doubts that such a person exists, or that VW are capable of diagnosing the problem. Having owned a T25 for 15 years, I thought, obviously mistakenly, that I could expect the same reliability. The future does not bode well.

D, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

New water pump and turbo. Faulty central locking and brake switch. Uses more oil than diesel - pile of s**t.

John, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

Having bought the vehicle new from a main dealer I feel compelled to let people know what they are letting themselves in for. The car has been in to the dealer more times that I can remember. After day 2 of owning I had to return the car because the Air Con had failed (kept overnight) resulted in leaking pipe. Then returned on a further 2 times for the same problem, each time re-gassing needed. Now for the good stuff. How about replacement Water Pump, replacement Sat Nav unit, consistant rattle from rear bench seat, replacement gearbox (common at 65,000), replacement Turbo Charger, replacement Battery, all this was luckily covered under warranty. But then 10,000 miles and just 2 months out of warranty rear shocks leaking and then just yesterday the icing on the cake. Travelling down the M1 Motorway in the middle lane all power lost, dashboard lighting up like a Christmas Tree, resulting in Head Gasket Failure. VW customer service is not worth the phone call. All they tell you to do is take to the main dealer then they will see what they can do (maybe a goodwill gesture??). This car has been serviced at every interval by the dealer themselves. They failed me on my MOT saying that rear shocks are leaking and Brake discs are dangerous (Total bill approx £1000??). I then took the vehicle to an independent garaged for repair work to be told that "shocks do need replacing, brakes are a little low but still have life left in them?? Total repair bill inc MOT £248 with original VW shocks fitted. Would I buy another one? Hell would have to freeze over first. Take my advice and go to Mercedes and buy yourself a proper Van/People carrier.

James, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Lupo

This is my second Lupo having previously owned a year 2000 1.0e. I bought the Sport when I heard the replacement for the Lupo was going to be the Fox which I am not keen on. I have piled the miles onto this car and it now stands at nearly 70000miles. In the time I have owned this car it has been a joy, I believe that there is no car in this class or the class above that has such a fine interior or standard of fit and finish. Everything about the car seems to be of higher quality than its rivals a good example of this is the Ford Ka that we also own, both cars cost roughly the same when we bought them but the Lupo stereo has a good quality sound whilst the Ka sounds tinny, the carpets in the Lupo are well fitted the Ka’s are not. My time with the car has not been entirely trouble free, at 65000miles the pedal box broke but this was repaired without any drama by the dealership and with no cost to me. The ride is very good for such a small car and it holds the road very well too. I would say the car is a little small for passengers but this is not a major problem for me as I seldom carry passengers or luggage, for a couple the Lupo would prove very practical. My car is fitted with a 1.4 16V 100PS petrol engine which endows the little Lupo with a pleasing turn of speed whilst still returning 42mpg which ithink is very good as I do not drive with economy in mind. The dealership experience is still an area that VW needs to work on, I have one dealer that impresses me and they alway service this car now but I have tried two other dealers that did not impress me. I would also say that the servicing cost do seem a little on the high side for a city car. Overall I think this car is brilliant and would heartily recommend them to anyone.

David, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought the van two years ago with 24000 miles on the clock and have loved every minute. I’ve had a lot of work vans, mainly Transit’s (poor), and a T4 that was great. I have had my T5 chipped 165bhp so now engine is even more impressive. I have done all the oil and filter changes and a set of brake pads, front and rear. No faults at all, now on 48000 miles. The van gets driven very hard and I am always impressed how it performs. I hope this carries on as it is.

Stewart, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

At first I was very happy with van, now not so sure. Last year the flywheel shattered while driving at moderate speed in 5th gear - replaced under warranty, now out of warranty the gearbox needs replacement at an advised cost of £1700 plus VAT. Did not expect a bill of this magnitude for a van I have owned from new and looked after, full service history etc. approaching 70000 miles, disappointed with you VW.

Angela, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Many recalls for handbrake failure... check recalls list.

Jodie, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a three year old T5 Transporter van, bought new in July 2005. In September this year, when the vehicle was six weeks outside its warranty, the offside drive shaft and inner spline failed. Even the VW mechanic said a component like this "should never fail in the lifetime of a vehicle like this". I had just had it serviced at the VW dealership, Murrays, in Plymouth because I believed their lies that if I did this, even after the warranty ran out, I would be shown good will for being a loyal customer. I got it towed to Murray’s and had an incredibly frustrating week (without transport) trying to get them or VW UK to value my custom by showing some good will towards me and this £500 repair. To add insult to injury Murray van centre had done the repair without my express permission. I had told them to wait until I knew if there would be any good will, but they ignored me (probably because I am a woman) and did the work anyway. They even had the cheek to tell me they would not charge me for taking the part out and putting my broken drive shaft back in. I looked into getting the repair done elsewhere as I thought it may cost less, but because the part can only be bought from VW and I would have had to of added the cost of towing to the bill, not to mention not having transport for a further few day, this was not a viable option. I was forced to give Murray my business. This was even more infuriating when they informed me I would have to pay over £100 extra if I wanted to take away the drive shaft that had failed, which was outrageous given that it belongs to me and I had paid for a new one. This van has done less that 35,000 miles and very little work in it’s lifetime as I use it for surfing and camping. I was quite complimentary of VW Transporters until this happens but now I have lost all faith in my van and VW as a brand. I am shocked and disgusted that the component failed, that VW would not do anything to help, and at the treatment I received as a customer of Murray van centre. The manager and the sales man were incredibly rude to me and very unhelpful, far from the ’valued customer’ treatment I was lead to believe I could expect.

David, Norfolk on the Volkswagen Caddy

I’ve had my van from new and have now done 69000 miles. An excellent van that is still on its first set of pads and exhaust; I have only needed to replace tyres, cambelt and oil etc.

Colin, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

I bought this van second hand with 110,000 miles on it. I too have had problems with the dpf, but you have to use the correct oil, that’s very important. I have recently changed the dpf and will be using additives in the fuel system to assist it. I have no issues with the van, it’s great, comfortable and powerful, but I do not take it to a VW garage as I know they are not the best at customer relations. I always change the oil every 8000miles and never take the key out if the steering is on full lock or the key will jam (I got this advice from a friend). I am interested in any recalls that may be due, but will have to ask the VW dealer. As for knocking the guts out of the dpf, you could be in trouble with the DVLA; my van is cheap to tax because of its emmisions taking the dpf away increases your emmisions so you should inform the DVLA that you have changed its taxation class. To sum up: I have owned plenty of vans Toyota Hiace, Transit, Merc Sprinter, VW, and this one is the best. My friend always buys VW and loves them, but he dislikes the dealers.

James, Cambridgeshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Complete cr*p, piece of sh*t, one problem after another.

Terry, Devon on the Volkswagen Caddy

Dissapointed, tandem pump playing up, common fault, not happy.

Davy, County Londonderry on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought with 30k on the clock, 1 month later needed a waterpump, 6 months later a new turbo. 73k on it now 2 yrs later, going ok. Good points: Very frugal 600miles for 80 litres, very stylish, fast. Bad points: Crap seats, ride quality, turning circle, build quality. If only honda could make a small commercial vehicle..

D, Gwynedd on the Volkswagen Transporter

Having had a T4 with great reliability for a few years I took the plunge and bought an 05 1.9 T5. with 40 k on it. Since then I have done another 45k, mainly with boats on the roof. It generally drives very well and returns about 500 mile per tank full, however, in the last couple of months the Dual Mass Flywheel went bang and now the drive shaft splines have gone (male and female bits). Reading on the web now rather than before purchase I have found that this scenario is all too common. NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT FROM VW paying premium prices for a supposedly quality product. Think twice, do you need to pay an extra couple of grand over and above normal maintainance costs?

Mr, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Touran

Bought at 3 years old with 38K on clock and full VW history. 3 seperate middle row seats are wider than competitors such as Zafira and Grand Scenic. Boot nearly as big as them but can’t get a McLaren buggy in with 7 seats up (you can on others). Fantastic torque and lag free response from the1.9d (105) and great economy. Noisy round town but pretty good on motorway.Fantastic space package on a small footprint. Seats rubbish for weak lower back -even though it has lumber support (use a cushion now). Wife loves car though. At 5 years old and 50K it all went wrong. There had been a bit of a judder building up over the previous year from the clutch/ gearbox but smooth when over 25mph so ignored it. Judder got worse, now diagnosed as the Dual Mass Flywheel. Needed a new Flywheel and matching clutch (original clutch fine but it’s recommended both changed at same time); very common fault? A month later the Alternator went wrong. Now the ESP light has come on-a massive expense and apparently common?(that word keeps cropping up with VW) on all Touran/Golfs 2004 to 2008. We loved the car for its space but what Common fault is going to happen next? Just check reports and you will see Vauxhalls and Fords are more reliable and I bet they dont cost as much to repair as a VW. At least the diesels didnt get the exploding gearbox as fitted to 1.6 petrols (I hope!). Summary: Great until it goes wrong.

Ian, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Powered by 19TDi 130 BPH. Brilliant smooth running car, good economy; late 40’s on short runs and 54mpg on long. Love this car.

Dale, Suffolk on the Volkswagen Passat

Only had eight months and already looking to get rid of first problem with keys had to be replace and reprogramed and that was the fist 2 months then last week #2 injecter went at a cost of £500 to replace and the car stopped dead on a busy road, major safety issue I think VW! I dread to think if I was overtaking a lorry and this happened. I will not buy another VW.

James, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Hi, I have a mark 5 golf gt tdi 140 all (mark 5 golf tdi) these cars suffer really terribly for turbo failures. Spoke to a vw tech and he said they were fitting 3 to 4 turbos a week and also they keep the parts in stock. What I have being told is you get a police siren sort of noise and then it eventually goes, very expensive job. The turbo is not big enough for the car, this should be a recall and all fitted foc by VW UK.

Tom, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought the van new 2005, great for first 15k then noticed noise coming from steering and misfire around 2000rpm. Left van in for first service and faults. Well you wont believe what happened next. I was told to collect van following day and was made wait from 5pm till 7pm for them to finsh working on van. Left the garage and noticed there was no power steering, the engine wanted to jump out of the van and all the warning lights were on the dash. I rang VW Ireland and complained, I had the van towed back to garage and it was there for four months, flywheel broke up, fuel filter broke up and the subframe dropped down! I explained to VW that I would not accept that van back as the engine was completely stripped down to the block, they promised that the van would be 100% and extended the warranty by one year. well that was just the start of it, the van was back every few months with the same problems. noise from steering, idle would shoot up to 1500rpm, burning oil 1ltr per 5000klm loosing coolant, water leaking into cab, misfire from engine @ 2000rpm, it would take six weeks to book the van in to a VW garage the van would be in for as much as a week some times and nothing would be done, all the problems still there when collected, and I would be made wait another six weeks to book it in again. edventually after the diesel pump coming loose and breaking I left the van back with VW in 2008 and I am currently suing them under the sale of goods act and for loss of earnings. My family all drove VW for many years and trusted them, but all three vehicles have had problems from 2002 on and VW warranty are not nice to deal with. All driving Fords now with no complaints.

Dave, Dorset on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought 18mths ago with 147K on the clock. Now has 160K and a new MOT and six months tax. The thing drives so, so well and just keeps going. It has a FSH and is a real pleasure to own/drive. You can poke your Fords etc, the T5 is the one to own. Mine is the very, very rare twin sliding door version and is just superb. My issue is that I really don’t need the size anymore and could probably do with downsizing but don’t know to what. I doubt there’s much out there with the Kudos and drive of a T5 and, even though it’s loaded up, still hits 40mpg around town!

Dave, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I currently own a 52 plate t4 and I have the chance of a swap for 04 plate t5, after reading these reports I will be keeping the t4, with 191K on the clock and owning for 18 month, only thing I have changed beside the service is water pump and rad, rear discs and pads. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Keith, Australia on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi to you all. I am the owner of a 2004 VW Transporter 126kw type 5. I have just completed a 4680 klm trip in my van towing a Geist caravan (weight 1200kg loaded: my VW van was converted into a camper van in 2005). I had no trouble at all, the van as now done 73000ks while towing the caravan and I DID NOT use sixth gear (overdrive), only fifth. There was only a 200 rpm difference between gears. On the trip I averaged 8.62 kilometers per litre, I was away for 21 days. Next year, all being well, I want to go away for two months up to the KIMBERLYS in the far north of our state.

Roderick, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought new Nov 2004. Super machine. Currently just completed 80000. No issues apart from an occasional limp home mode kicking in. Just stop and restart the engine and it clears whatever it thinks is wrong. Normally only happens when I drive it hard for long period. Just thinking about a change to the new one. Tried one at weekend 140 dsg.Quite quiet but not as responsive in my opinion. Gear change smooth but it just seemed under powered to the older unit. Being a more maure driver do not get too excited about the latest thing and have no real need to change just now unless I fell in love with it and I didn’t. Couple that to the price and may be we all need to stop and think wht it is we are buying . It is still only a van and the new current price list reads like wishful thinking. Yes they will sell but mainly to company buyers not picking up the tab.Spec a Kombi up with a few creature comforts and you are well into £30000. You can get an 18month old S class merc for that! No it wont carry the kit but it will tow a trailer!

Tom, Ireland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Bad points: have the van for 4 years and have put 2 new turbos in it. Van was serviced every 10k, VW are rubbish, use to be good but not anymore. Always a warning light on the dash for something or other.

Andy, Pembrokeshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I had a 1998 T4 5 cylinder non-turbo LWB for 8 hassle-free years and I only replaced it because I was offered my SWB T5 at a price I couldn’t refuse. It was 3 years old and had 68,000 miles on the clock. Now nearly 4 years and 60,000 miles later I’m eyeing up a Nissan NV200 and found this website. I really do like my VW, the build quality is excellent, the SWB is much easier to drive than my old LWB and I use this van much more than I ever used the old one. It romps along, despite being the least powerful of the range and I can’t get less than 36 mpg from it ... when it is running, & therein lies the problem. With hindsight, I should have registered it as a charity. It suffered from electrical chaos initially; the wiring loom in the top of the engine was replaced as it’s cheap to do and my man regarded it as being a good starting point. Then the battery went. Then the alternator. Then the thing that’s attached to the side of the alternator?Regulator? - I’ve deliberately tried to forget a lot of this,  then the nearest side driveshaft went and the nice AA man horrified me with tales of electrical problems involving an earth under the driver’s seat - I haven’t had that, yet! A previous AA man had the engine go on his identical van while doing the rescue for the alternator. Then the clutch wore out, taking with it the flywheel, which everyone says is a disgraceful design. My man says I should keep it now as I’ve spent so much on it, but my confidence in it is shot. The interior lights don’t work properly, there’s 3 of them and the ignition key is misbehaving in that it’s not disengaging properly when you take the key out and you come back to find the radio still playing and the van not properly locked. The T4 was great, the T5 not. I know several folk with T5s and my experience, sadly, is not unusual. I’d love to try the latest version with the 2 litre engine, but I can’t risk this level of expense again and the NV200 really does sound too good to be true.

Pete, Kent on the Volkswagen Golf

I bought my Golf from a salvage yard with no damage just needed a new lock and engine as it had been stolen then thrashed to the point of engine blowing up! So I put new engine in and have now been driving it for over 6 months now! The only issue I have had is with changing the brake discs and pads! She drives fantastic, pulls like a train, great on fuel and motorway journeys are a dream! I’ve read a few bad reviews and it appears the main gripes are with dealers and their poor customer service, and I have to say that it doesn’t surprise me. I had a 1.6 mk5 Golf petrol that had a gearbox issue and the local dealer was crap! Never once took responsibility and the service received was very below par! However my MK5 TDI has been great and I avoid dealers now as much as possible as they are all as bad as each other!

Adam, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my van with 89000 on it. Just before I bought it the driveshaft had snapped, but I wasn’t awareof this as the garage got it wrong and first of all thought it was the clutch so replaced both items and I bought the van the next day. I did a 500 round trip towing my car only to find it had 1/2 litre of gear oil in so this broke the gearbox eventually. I got a recon and had it repaired and I’ve now been all over the country in it and towed dozens of times and it’s never let me down. I know I can jump in it and drive all day and it will get me back. It now has 115000 on it and hasn’t missed a beat since the gearbox was done around 16months ago. I would get another at some time as it’s good for an all round vehicle. I only buy VAG cars and have only had reliability from them. I’m a happy chappy.

Col, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought new on a 04, it runs fully loaded constantly full of tools, it grips over fields and winds down country roads like a train, pulls trailers excellently, current problem is when you hammer it and it decides 2000 rpm is enough, just a quick off-on and its away again, yes I had the gearbox problem at 12000, couldn’t select reverse when stationary, VW did this free of charge. I have finally found the latest Goodyear tyres don’t blister, they do actually wear out, mechanic fitted from new 8000 miles and all four where blistered, "not a tyre problem though!". It drives like a car not a heavy van. I love it, we have a 06 Vito all I can say is - don’t knock the VW until you have tried one. It would get stuck in a puddle, unlocks doors if it feels like it, loves engine oil, needs two people to lift front electronic windows, seats are like a park bench. Remember accountants design and build new vehicles, not engineers.

Nicole, Aberdeenshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

My partner and I have had our T5 for 3 years, it was bought 2nd hand with 79,000 on the clock from a VW dealer and it is now sitting at 170,000. All that we have had to replace is the Water Pump and Altenator. To be honest the van has never needed anything else. Thank you our trusted T5 xx

Malcolm, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought new 53 plate from Ashford Kent main dealer who are less than useless. Recalled for steering rack safety mod within weeks, now judders at low speed! Engine refuses to do over 2000 revs in 2nd gear at random times! Loads of bits fall off, for example, passenger window winder, driver’s door handle etc... rear spring broke. I am an electrician and carry light loads only - at the 1st MOT VW said it needed new pads AND DISCS! At 30,000 miles local garage said discs still fine at 65,000! Heater pipes to dash/windscreen seem to have become loose as poor demisting and dashboard top gets unbelievably hot! Traction control is bl@@dy dangerous - wet road, T-junction, up slight slope, CANNOT pull away without locking TC button out as brakes grab and release alternate wheels causing van to jump up & down. VW say nothing wrong! Lately ABS light comes up and stays on until ignition turned off and on again, VW say can’t happen! Couldn’t believe a modern van costing £13,000 + tax comes with cassette/radio, manual windows/mirrors and a handbreak that can’t hold it on a hill! Plus side, comfortable driving position... good handling... was hoping van would last another 3 years until I retire but worried it won’t!

Paul, Sussex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I got my T5 August 2008, was at first very happy. But as time has gone on I’m becoming increasingly unsure. I got it from a massive garage in Sittingbourne, obviously I cannot say their name, but i would not go back. The bloke said to me they don’t need cam belts until 100,000, I then found out its 60,000. I wanted a van I didn’t have to spend loads on. Too late I suppose. Anyway, its going in for a service, and cam belt. I already have the squeak in the dash previously mentioned, the rear door lock does what it wants when locking, the van judders when steering; when idling and the vents in the dash don’t blow cold, as the dials are knackered. Not the sort of thing you expect from a 54 reg vehicle. And I have found this all out in ten days, so what’s left to come. Seriously doubt the build quality with these new t5’s, I really do.

Ronnie, Pembrokeshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

What can I say... Bought mine 3 years ago 2nd hand from a VW dealership. Until this year/last month it’s done well. With 69K on the clock now, just had a new water pump, new starter motor and new clutch.... Due the high performance of the van (174 bhp), VW have done some fancy stuff with the fly-wheel (Duel-mass or something similar) to get the power output. So if you have a T5 2.5tdI (130 or 174) and it starts juddering whilst pulling off in 1st of reverse, be warned - it will cost you a hefty repair bill.

Murray, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

absolute pile of cra* !!!!!! i have had to many problems to list but main one is flywheel and gearbox , i have had 3 replacements already which were carried out under warranty however it has just gone again outside warranty so i have been given a big repair bill ( currrently being disputed with vw customer care ) i would seriously urge any one looking to buy a t5 to look at something else i have spent hours in the garage with this van and now have so many bits falling of i have got to the point where i superglue them back on myself, from a really pi**ed of plumber.

Dean, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Transporter

BEWARE; do not buy the t5 Transporter, I’ve had my t5 for just over a year and I’ve had 2 alternators; 3 fan belts; the heater’s and coolers don’t blow or clear the condensation from windows; the gear knob split and came off in my hand; I had to glue it back on; the drink’s holders fell to bits (they wouldn’t glue back together). The driver’s door handle cover keeps falling off and to cap it off I’m told today that I’m looking at a new gearbox - teeth have sheered off the main drive. This van has done 80k but light work; I honestly thought that when I bought a t5 I had made a good choice... HOW WRONG I WAS TO BUY A VW T5! I couldn’t wait to get rid of my Vito but would swap it back for this pile of crap straight away.

Dave, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat

Long line of diesels...2 Mondeo’s, 3 Vectras, 2 Peugeot’s; then a BMW 318i (2002). Not impressed by the BMW’s thirst for petrol I decided to go back to a diesel. I got my current 2004 Passat tdi at 2 years old and have had it 2 years now; normally change after 12 months but it is the best car I have owned; definitely beats the BMW hands down in so many departments so I am not parting with it yet... Now covered 120k and never fails to impress.

Dave, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my T26 in 2004 and have covered 34000 miles now and must say this is superb. Apart from the steering problem in the early days and the usual brake light switch replacement the van is all I expected from VW. Cannot agree with some of the previous comments about the T5.

Kate, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

I bought a VW Transporter shuttle in January 2004. Six months after purchase the turbo booster broke - this part has been fitted 3 times - plus water pump and oil pump. Personally, this machine has caused me nothing but grief!

Penny, Rutland on the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

I do love my Beetle but there are a couple of things I would change if I could: 1. Bootsize - pretty small, which I know to expect from a cabriolet but still, it is tiny. 2. Rear visibility - Absolutely fine with the roof down, but when up can be a real problem and let’s face it, in this country the roof is going to be up 85% of the time. However, what I would say is there are plenty more positive points than negative to this car - Fabulous to drive, really funky interior, comfortable both for driver and passengers, looks great and there is nothing better than being able to cruise along on a sunny day with the radio blaring and the roof down. A real feel good car.

Jon, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have owned 3 of these VW vans in the past 10 years, they have all been great. Unfortunately though the ALL NEW T5 VW Transporter is a disaster it has broken down 5 times now and has been towed back to the dealership. The faults i am having are not isolated they are becoming more common now there are more of these vans around and some are reaching 4 years old with high mileage. The faults i have experienced are expensive to repair and even though VW have admitted they are due to faulty parts they will not replace them now i am 3 weeks out of warranty. The problems i have had include the entire range not just the T26. This is a great van; i have never been so comfortable sat in my van waiting for the AA to recover me from the hard shoulder of the M1. If you want a van you will love for 2 years and loath for the rest of the time you own it, buy a VW T5 Transporter.

Paul, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Fantastic to drive great comfort eats the miles effortlessly! But starting to have doubts about its reliability and ruggedness. My vehicle has done 65000 miles bought new in 04 mostly motorway work light loads not thrashed is currently in a thousand bits with gearbox failure and has been for two weeks waiting for a 4th gear to arrive! Asking at 3 service centers why it should get stuck told it was a mystery and that it is normally the 6 speed box that gets stuck in first and second, is this a common fault perhaps? While the gearbox is out I am fitting a new clutch as everything on this van takes so long to do. The dashboard has developed an annoying squeaking which I am still trying to stop . This is a long term project for me one day to be turned into a camper van so I hope nothing else major occurs! Great to drive not so sure about reliability not something I would thought I would say about VW as I have owned several and also run an LT!

Dave, Devon on the Volkswagen Touran

Previously had a Zafira and the Touran I’ve now got leaves it standing for quality and performance. Loves motorways and give it a steep hill to get stuck into and the torque is unreal; it just pulls effortlessly . On the downside it is a bit of a bumpy ride on certain roads but I’m not going to blame the car - I would rather blame that on miss spent road tax.

Ian, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Caddy

Very reliable vehicle. My caddy has 170k on the clock now and is as tight and lively as it was when new. Acceleration is superb through all the gears helped by a fantastic little turbo unit, even when fully loaded. Fuel economy is good, Motorway travel averages 49mpg whilst around town it will do 39 - 41mpg. Cabin is spacious, well laid out and very comfortable. Road noise is low and if you did not have the slightly restricted view out the back you would believe that you were in an MPV. Parts, when they do need replacing can be pricey but then again it is a Volkswagen and the parts do last. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who was looking for a reliable load-lugger. Only 4 stars because nothing is perfect!

Ken, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have 26,500 miles on clock, the vehicle has failed its second MOT on front n/s shock absorber. The van still looks like new but I’m not a happy self employed joiner.

Amy, Devon on the Volkswagen Beetle

This is such a girlie car and I love it. It’s cute looking and comes with a flower vase, what’s not to like?! It also has a decent engine and drives really well. It’s totally reliable and well built. A reinvented classic that has become a classic itself - pity you boys have to miss out!

Clive, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Golf

After owning VW golfs for over 25 years I’ve always found them reliable easy to maintain and a pleasure to drive, well I’ll never buy another one and advise people to read below before purchasing one. Two weeks ago I had trouble starting my VW 04 1.4FSI golf MK 5 , so I phoned the vw dealers and got it towed to their workshop to diagnose the fault, they told me they were not sure but they thought the cambelt had slipped and would need 6 hours investigation time to confirm it, I gave them the go ahead but said I was surprised because the service book says the cambelt did not need to be checked till 60000 miles and my car had only done 35000 miles. Anyway they checked and informed me that the cambelt had faulted and done considerable damage £1705.65 to be exact. I told them to fix it as I did not have much option, I asked if it was a common occurance on this model they told me that they had seen it happen but not on a car with such low mileage. I got in touch with VW customer relations and they told me that information in their service book can be changed at any time so they can state 60000 mile cambelt inspection but can then change it to 4 years or 60000 mile at a later date without informing anyone but their dealers, they say they won’t reimburse me or show a measure of goodwill so I’ve no option but to go to a small claims court. So beware before you purchase any new or used golf in the future it won’t affect me because I won’t buy another.

Gill, Scotland on the Volkswagen Golf

I am a Golf fan, got mine over a year and a half ago. Couldn’t afford much so I opted for a 1.9 TDI, it was few years old and the clock had already hit 80,000. Didnt stop me though because I reckoned the diesel engine could handle that. Been fantastic so far, it’s had a service and MOT since I’ve owned it and all I’ve had to do is replace a bulb and replace oil filters... pennies! Just your luck with cars but overall I think VW have done a grand job. Its proves itself as there are sooo many on the road!! and they have now built the new one on the same chassis. Oh, and my boyfriend has a GT and its a brilliant drive, much more sporty with great road handling. I drove it round the roads at the top of Scotland (single track/narrow) and it was the best drive I’ve ever had. On the roads up there I could keep up with everything else... i.e. all you nice Volvo sport drivers out there :~)

Mick, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Quite simply the worst van I have ever owned. If anyone is contemplating buying one, please do some research on the web first. 42 days at the dealer in 3 years. Faults include - turbo, ecu, water pump, flywheel, clutch, gearbox. The final straw was a driveshaft stripping its spline without warning 100 miles from home, requiring a return trip on the back of a recovery vehicle (for the first time in over 30 years of driving). All the above faults are known weaknesses on the 5 cylinder variants (again, dont take my word for it- ask one of the mechanics at the main dealer. It is not a question of if it is going to let you down, it’s when). Decent van centres are few and far between; my local one, who seemed to cause as many problems as they cured, have thankfully closed down.

Stephen, Carmarthenshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

What can I say? I have always bought Volkswagen and this is my first Transporter. After all the hype of the vans I thought I couldn’t go wrong. But since owning the vehicle I have had the pressure house from the intercooler blow off, all tyres have at some point worn in one place like they are bulging (baffled the guys at my local tyre place). I bought the van when it was 4 years old (70k with 12 month warranty), only they never put it on the system as having a warranty. 2 weeks ago the fly shattered taking the clutch and all other clutch related parts with it. Fly wheel seems to be a very problematic part, these should never go before about 200k but VW reckon they don’t last much longer. They tried to charge me £175 for picking up the vehicle from the motorway. Anyway, 2 weeks later I am still struggling and fighting the warranty on this as the parts alone are up to £900 plus the splines on the drive shaft have gone. 4 hours to find the fault at £50/hour plus a further 6 hours to fix. I need to buy a new van and with the VW being so costly I will definately think again, may even consider a Ford, yes, things are that bad.

Tim, Carmarthenshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Has anyone got any ideas what it could be? I have recently bought a t5 with 175k on the clock. It has been in the garage for a good seeing to - cam belt, filters change etc. After the engine has warmed up an a longish journey (after approx 1hour) the engine starts losing power and juddering, it then stops as if it clears and may not happen again for sometime. Has anyone got any ideas what it could be?

P, Surrey on the Volkswagen Polo

I really loved my car until it started giving me problems and only got rid of it recently. I think VW’s servicing and maintenance is too expensive. I had a warning light come on and they said I would need a new EGR and Cat replaced which would cost £900 with my discount. I thought if I do get any more problems it was going to be expensive. Also the VW garage I went too are not very helpful at all and I had to make a complaint in the end. I would only recommend getting a VW if you can afford the servicing as mine would cost in circa £300 to £400 a time. I would go for a Golf not a Polo.

Uwe, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I bought the mk5 Golf after I had had a VW Passat for more than 12 years - it has never let me down. At first I was very pleased with the Golf... then after 1 year, during the warranty, the radio broke. I had to wait 3 months for a replacement, got stainless steel door-trims as compensation. I had to fight for compensation!!! After 42000 miles the dual mass flywheel broke. I had it replaced with a solid flywheel replacement-kit. VW is denying that there is a problem. At the moment I am looking to buy a van for my business. I was planning to purchase a VW Transporter, but the Transporter suffers also from Flywheel failure, and we know VW do not help. The customer service is very bad. The prices are too high. The quality is going down. In addition, as a German citizen, with more than 15 years ownership of VW-cars, it is time to make a change and buy a Japanese product.

Mr, Suffolk on the Volkswagen Sharan

The best car I have ever owned apart from my Bentley. It is a very comfortable.

Lynnette, Wrexham on the Volkswagen Transporter

I think that these cars are pretty good. I would recommend them to any one that I now and they would see where I am coming from. They are a good work horse and I have use them for a while now and had no problems. So, that is why I would recommend it to anyone.

Ch, Isle of Anglesey on the Volkswagen Touareg

I have always been a VW fan, ever since my A reg blood red Mk 1Goldf GTi through to a V6 Mk4. But the Touareg is a stormer. Maybe it does not have the badge kudos of Porsche or BMW but I chose the V10 as it offers everything from comfort (hydraulic suspension) to high equipment levels to a friendly badge that means you get let out at junctions. Fuel consumption is average for a 2.6 ton SUV but if you want big mpg, get a moped. One tip when buying, get it in black. You won’t regret it.

Alan, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi, I love my Transporter but had the same problems as Jodie in Devon - offside drive shaft spline failed at 50,000 miles. I bought a new drive shaft for £150+VAT. I hope it will be OK.

Billy , England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve had my t5 174 tdi 6 years now. I bought it from new and the water pump went at 30k, this was done under warranty in its 2nd year. Now it has 152k on the clock and it’s starting to show its age. 1st, clutch went, no warning whatsoever it just felt like every gear was neutral, 675 quid. 2nd, nearside drive shaft, again no warning, it just snapped at the boot, 272 quid but did that myself. 3rd, gear box, it hasn’t quite gone yet but it’s going to very soon, struggle to get it in 1st gear and it crunches like hell when trying to get it in 6th. Am not knocking the van at all, I drive it hard and quite surprised it hasn’t gone wrong sooner. Bit pricey on the parts/repairs but as they say, "nothing lasts forever" and "all good things come to an end". Its earnt its money and I’d have another.

Patrick, Ireland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Just bought my caddy this week! 2004 new shape 119.000 miles on it. Timing belt just done. I was very, very impressed and suprised at how comfortable it is to drive. I previously had a Mercedes A Class and the caddy is far better, even though it’s a van. I have never driven a van before, but this feels so much like a car, it’s great. Too early to tell if it has any problems, but I am so far delighted with it. It’s quiet, comfortable, and fairly nippy as she goes. Plus the headlights actually work, something I didnt have on the Merc. It also feels so solid and well built when driving. I was going to buy a Mercedes Vito, but I’m glad I went for this. P.S. anyone thinking of buying a Vito either first generation or new generation, DON’T! for the love of God. Just read the reviews on them. I really, really, really wanted one, but just don’t do it.

Trevor, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

"Lets go to work" they say. Surely that should be, let’s try to get to work to earn the money to pay for new gearbox £2000, Dual mass flywheel £700, new steering pump, new water pump £800 new, intercooler £750 plus repair bills from local garage £1100 to sort out that the injector seals where leaking and van would not start! VW couldn’t even find the problem..."Computer says all is ok Sir" ..Well why the hell do I turn the key for 2 minutes every morning until the pile of c**p starts then!!! DO NOT BUY A T5, unless you have very deep pockets and are happy to constantly employ the "Technicians" at VW. By the way, I was unlucky enough to buy 4 of these vans in 2004 and the list I have given you is just on my own one. It has covered a grand total of 80,000 miles and I can’t wait for the journey when it finally disappears into the distance to become someone else’s problem. VW are not interested in any of the problems and obviously know they have created massive design faults. Latest problem with other van is camshaft worn, this will cost £2500 and although the garage say it is caused by wrong oil this is not the case. Van owned by us from new and serviced always with the specified longlife oil. I can’t be bothered to argue, it will get me no where. If one person reading this decides not to buy a T5 then my time has not been wasted.

John, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought van for work purpose for my lads to go to work; travel all over the country, as I own a steel erecting company. A great van, great on fuel, going very well still. Bought from new, 2004 model, a very happy customer.

Chris, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve had this T5 about 3yrs now and thank God I’m just about to get rid off it, it was used as a taxi and although it was practical the van kept letting me down. First off the dual mass flywheel has gone 3 times, drive shaft twice, intercooler split, electric windows have mind of their own, air bag warning light on and off. I have done 100,000 miles in 3 yrs and the car has been serviced very regularly. It has cost me thousand in repairs and lost work. I had 3 more shifts to do before it was got rid of when the drive shaft went again. Roll on Wednesday when it finally, I goes will never buy VW again.

John, Ireland on the Volkswagen Caddy

Bad Bits: VW labour costs very high, new pads fitted, bonnet release plastic lever broke, central locking problems, altenator replaced, pullys replaced, bulbs keep blowing, driver’s seat not good, fly wheel starting to go, small cargo area, let me down once, VW not as good as they used to be. Good Bits: Fast!!!! Good Mpg, easy to park.        

Brian, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

Absolute pile of s**t. I’ve had Volkswagens all my life, always the 1.9 diesel Golfs and Transporters but no more after this. I bought my 2003 model Transporter 1.9 tdi when it was only 4 years old with 65,000 on the clock. It’s cost me a fortune and left me stranded in central France for a week when the inevitable flywheel,slave cylinder went taking with it the engine sump,clutch and drive shaft costing me €1800 with only 85000 on the clock.Its also had constant minor problems such as the headlight switch, back door lock,side door handle etc., going. This van has never even done heavy work; tow bar never used. Previous owner musician carrying only band equipment. I’ve only been using it as a camper.

Diane, Dorset on the Volkswagen Golf

Having had 2 brand new Ka’s in recent years I needed something bigger and more sturdy, so due to finances, opted for a second hand VW Golf DTi this time. The man at the garage said it would be the best car I would ever own and he was right. She is diesel fuelled for a start, having never owned a diesel I am amazed how economic she is. The 4 door design is spot on for getting my twin grandsons in and out with ample boot space for their paraphenalia. She handles well and I feel safe even when driving in some of the poor weather conditions we have experienced of late. There are a couple of areas on the paintwok that need touching up due to bubbles but otherwise she is a cracking little car. The only complaints I have are that the heater takes a good five minutes to get the car warm inside and the windscreen takes a while to clear on cold mornings (why manufacturers don’t put in heated front windscreens is beyond me!). In all, a good reliable car and if I ever was in the position to buy new again, a Golf DTi would be my first choice by far!

Ian, Aberdeenshire on the Volkswagen Passat

Nice roomy, reliable car with a 5 star security and safety rating.

Dougie, Dumbartonshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

A great all round vehicle that does what it claims to. Great for converting to camper or mobile caravan.

Lee, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I went through 3 clutches in the first 6 months. From new I’ve had wires snap in door loom - a common problem. This is not as good a van as I would have thought!!

Garry, London on the Volkswagen Transporter

I’ve had this van from almost new and I would recommend it to anyone. Solid as a house and very comfortable to drive thanks to fully adjustable drivers seat and steering column. This is a van that will just run and run and not let you down.

Geoff, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Polo

I bought my Polo in 2003 and it has held its value pretty well. Over the past decade the solid build has stood up well to my demanding commute but most importantly its reliability has been as good as I had expected from a Volkswagen. Its interior is roomy and refined and the 1.4 engine is adequate.

Hayley, England on the Volkswagen Lupo

I’ve had my Lupo for 7 months now and in those 7 months I’ve used my car for only 3 months. It has been stuck in the garage with electrical faults; the mechanics don’t know what it is and it will never be found out, DO NOT BUY THESE CARS

Tom, Dorset on the Volkswagen Lupo

I bought this car in November from the VW dealer as an approved used car. It had 7000 miles on the clock. However, I’ve never used it for more than 2 weeks worth of consecutive days, because it’s always been in the garage. In fact, it was in the garage for the whole of December. Electrical niggles are the order of the day. I’ve been through 3 alternators, a new ECU, battery and FULL rewire in 3 months and 2000 miles... Lucky it’s under warranty. I don’t fault the effort VW put into trying to fix the problem, but they simply can’t diagnose it. The dealer (Heritage in Salisbury) has been top notch. It’s a lovely car to drive, and it’s a real shame. I picked it up from the garage this Monday and it went well all week until this morning, when on the way to work I experienced the same problem. I’m taking it back to the dealer this afternoon to get my money back. Absolutely useless piece of junk.

Caroline, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Golf

This car is great at all kinds of driving, from city to town to country road and motorways. It has great full efficiency around 48mpg. It is nippy and fast to accelerate and is smooth on the bumpy roads and the motorway. Okay, it is slightly noisy inside at speed compared to a BMW 3 series diesel but it is a lot cheaper. I have driven it in heavy rain, ice and snow and with care it handles well and I feel confident at the wheel. The air conditioning is great but I try not to use it too much and the heated leather seats are luxury in the cold weather. I’d definitely have another.

Dave, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

If everything in life was as reliable as a VW..... we would be well and truly up the creak with out a paddle. My van has had new gear box, clutch and fly wheel replace at 95K under warranty. Clutch failed again at 190K - main dealer replaced it but missed the fly wheel which need replacing a week later, and two weeks later the gear box has completely collapsed and needs replacing. Always have had squeal on tight cornering, high pressure hoses replaced frequently plus problems with back door. I would never ever have one of these vans again. As for prices of main dealers!! For example - new clutch, main dealer £900, specialist in Leeds £500 Hmmm no-brainer really.

John, Cambridgeshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Hi! I’ve been running this for 8 years now and it’s cost me absolutely nothing except for two headlight bulbs! It’s the 20,000 mile or two years servicing model, so even those costs have been kept to a minimum! Seriously, I don`t know if the build quality was better on these variants or what, because I’m reading the horror stories of fly wheels and turbos going wrong on the Mk5’s and the costs of the parts are seriously worrying! I’ve done 110,000 trouble free miles and averaged 50mpg (I did get 68.7 once) in what feels like a Tiger tank it’s so well built! Just a little tip about cam belt renewal and pricing: Apparently when you do change it replace the rollers and the water pump at the same time. Now the interesting part: I was quoted by 3 local garages £425.00 to £469.00 to do this work and supply the parts. The VW main agents quoted £399.00 in Jan 2012, obviously cheaper and this is exactly what they charged me at 60,000mls in 2007!

John, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Hi all. I’m another owner of a 100bhp Golf and these things just seem to be bomb proof!! I’ve read a lot of horror reviews on the mk5 Golfs with no amount of problems that owners seem to have had with them, whereas these Mk4`s certainly seem better made and in 9 years I’ve had no problems whatsoever! Goodness knows what they’re made of, but I’ve owned lots of cars since 1971 and this thing seems to chug on forever and ever, and ever...and ever! For instance the battery; most of us have had to replace these at some time or another and usually after 3 years, but the thing in mine is 9 years old with a car that’s done 120,000 miles and it’s still going!! How on earth is that possible?? I think the biggest problem us owners of these tanks is going to be, what on earth are we going to do when we come to replace them?? If you’re browsing these forums to do your homework on these because youre looking to buy one, find as low a milage one that you can and pay whatever they’re asking for it! You won’t regret it and if you can find one like mine with the 20,000 ml / 2 years between servicing you’ll be laughing!

Barry, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Hi I bought my van new and I love it. It has only done 36000mls and it is serviced by VW. The cambelt has been changed every 4 years. I put a stainless exhaust on it and I waxoil it twice a year. I buy anything stainless for it I can. I do not do short runs in it and it has never missed a beat since day one. I did 525mls in it last week (my longest one way trip). I sit at 70mph for hours (speedo is 3mph fast). I Love all vans they all have their own problems, some more than others. People may say my van has done nothing, but it’s still like new and what it does it does it great.

Toby, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought an ex demo with 4k on the clock. A lovely van to drive; smooth, quiet and economical. The dual mass flywheel disintegrated at 22k (only just fixed under warranty) and was replaced again at 88k, which proved very expensive! The heater control’s a problem and was never fixed properly by the inept VW dealership. Apart from that and general wear and tear I’ve just sold it with 117k on the clock. All in all a great a van, if not as tough as the T4. My main gripe are the VW dealerships, which are generally overpriced and incompetent.

Robert, Northamptonshire on the Volkswagen Touran

Bought the car second hand with 96000 miles on the clock, service history from independent not had a single problem with it and I drive 2000 miles a month. I keep it maintained and serviced. so what’s all the griping about? Look after it and it will look after you. The wheels and brakes were all changed by VW for the golf R32 type and handles a lot better, so I’m told by VW themselves. So now at 120k and still no problems after inspection by VW independent garage.

Oli, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Polo

I’ve had a very funny relationship with my beloved polo. I adore it, but it hates me. I have easily spent over £2,000 on repairs in the last two years on a new gear box, clutch, drive shaft, front suspension, countless coil packs, cambelt, and what feels like 1 million litres of oil (oh it drinks oil like I drink beer!) So it’s in the garage, a lot, it might just be mine, but I have read a lot of forums about faults with Polos of this age, especially warning light problems and issues with the EPC, so be careful! However, when it’s running, it is a joy. It’s fast, holds the road like glue, is comfortable on long journeys, easy to park, has a fantastic stereo and feels altogether very solid (probably because underneath mines brand new!). The cabin feels very spacious and the fabrics and plastics do not feel as cheap as other small cars. In all, it’s an epic little car when it wants to be. If you go for the sport, make sure the owner list isn’t too long like mine, who knows how they have driven the thing!

Martin, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

Mine was 3yrs old when I bought it. From the word go nothing but trouble. 2.4 engine type. Had it for 5 yrs. Got it serviced twice a yr and looked after it well and still had problems. 2.4 is useless on road trying to pass out anything. I’ll never buy VW again, ever. Have a Nissan Primastar now, far better van.

Chris, Kent on the Volkswagen Bora

Excellent all round, economical engine, excellent build quality, ride and handling good. Would definintly have another one! No faults in the 3 years I owned it.

Alan, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Bora

I have owned a Bora 1.9 tdi sport for 7 years and it’s covered 139000 miles with little cost on repairs; it’s getting ready for rear shocks, but this is only due to wear and tear. It’s 6 speed long journeys return 50+mpg and tax is only £130 per annum. The body is still in great condition and it stands outside. I have no intention of selling it, I think it’s fantastic.

James, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

Rubbish engine and bad machine. Nothing but trouble!

Michael, Kent on the Volkswagen Polo

I have owned a Passatt 1.8 Sport Estate for 8 years. It’s great, still drives like new. It’s covered 175,000 miles. However the Polo is a different story, it’s done 50k and drives like a much cheaper car and is not to the usual excellent VW standard. The Engine sounds like a diesel on low revs and I’ve had to replace a long expensive list of parts. In my humble opinion it does not seem like a VW.

Bert, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen LT

We have had this van since 80k miles, it has now done 135k miles. We have had it for 4.5 years and it’s been 100% reliable. Only cost us for wear and tear items like tyres, pads etc. Fantastic van. The only negative is that the paint/bodywork is prone to rust. Shame it’s looking dated now but I would buy another to replace it.

Simon, County Fermanagh on the Volkswagen Transporter

Love it. Always wanted one as I’m a surfer and like camping. My van has had a rear seating conversion done and carrys 6 people. Everyone wants to borrow your van when you get one of these. No they’re not as good to drive as a car and yes, they are harder on fuel than a regular car, but as long as you aren’t too image conscious they are the nuts. I put snow tyres on mine each winter (I’ve a spare set of rims the snow tyres live on). I can go anywhere my wife’s Navara can go (almost), I’ve never got stuck anywhere, amazing tyres and the traction control is good also. I have 140,000miles on mine now and the engine sounds great still. Yes stuff breaks from time to time, but this happens in all vehicles. Regularly replacing bushings and drop links, but it keeps the vehicle feeling tight. Get yourself a good cheap mechanic and  treat him well and you won’t get robbed. My servicing has been really reasonable. I get about 530 miles until the fuel light comes on then another 50 if I push it. I’ve a LWB which is handy, but long so I fitted parking sensors which I love, a parrot bluetooth kit (installed myself - its easy and brilliant £50 ebay).This van is highly recommended, but not so if you are picky and fussy about life’s little things.

Charlotte, England on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought this van new, 52 reg, the last type 4 made and had it converted by Reimo into a camper van. It just went and went, never needed any work done apart from regular servicing and of course a new cam belt as per specification, again done on time. VW Cordwallis at Heathrow are superb, they did all the servicing and never ripped us off over anything. This van went all over Europe without missing a beat. I can’t fault it. I did hear from the Cordwallis mechanic that the type 5 had problems from the start and they only just sorted them out when VW went and changed the spec again! But the type 4 is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone. I would just like to find another one that’s as reliable because I’ve sold this one to get a long wheel base van to convert into a camper with more facilities.

John, Scotland on the Volkswagen Caravelle

I bought this van when it was two years old and it had 230000 miles on it. I changed the belts and gave it a good service the only trouble I have had with it is the water-pump and the power-steering which were properly due for a change anyway i modified the aux eater to come on by remote control great on frosty mornings before this I always had Transits 4 of but after driving the Caravelle I would never go back to transits. I can remove the seats and I have a space every bit as good as the transit but with the luxury only a Caravelle can provide.

Alan, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have a T5 Transporter Van T28 with 2.5 engine, bought new in January 2003. Apart from the 4 re-calls and a fault with the brake-peddle double switch, which took some months by the Main Agent to find, it has been quite good. But now it has developed a squeak from the dashboard just above the passenger’s airbag. This it intermittent, but is very apparent for most of a journey (may be 50 to 100 miles) it will then cease for a similar period, if you are lucky. You can get some relief by removing the speaker cover (near-side front) and pressing down on the exposed area. (The wife cannot sit pressing down on it all the time). It is also apparent whilst cornering. Hitting a pothole will sometimes stop it, until you meet the next one when it will return. Of course the Agents have never had this problem before!!! They are willing to dismantle the complete dash, at £80 per hour, but will give no assurance that they can correct it. I see from the letters that mine is not an isolated case, has anyone found a cure? If so please let me know.

Sarah, London on the Volkswagen Bora

Well, it is a great car with no doubt. However when it calls for work, it calls for megabucks. I just spent $8,000 to fix the steering pump and the steering rack and it was a refurbish one. The steering got locked up and the mechanic said he changed the pump and it was still stiff, so he then changed the rack and it was okay, however I am now getting a shimmering on the left rear tyre. I want to sell the Bora VW, it is really costly. Thanks much for hearing my word. If I can get advise please help. I don’t know if I was ripped off or anything on cars.

Trevor, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Bora

This is my first VW after mainly Volvo and more recently Mercedes and Audi. The Bora has the the solidity of the Audi (not surprising, same VAG group) and cruises real quiet. The driving environment is somewhat cramped but you can settle comfortably. I used it on a 500 mile round trip to Wales and managed 39mpg with combined driving. Boot is surprisingly capacious (room for your mother-in-law). It does have a peculiar grinding noise when pulling away. I purchased from a VW main agent paying a little extra for security. One criticism, my previous car, an Audi A4 1999 had a fantastic climate control. This VW, being the SE model comes with a primitive air con button. OK you can live with it but I’d expected something better. Also there’s no under bonnet sound insulation which the Audi had, but having said that it’s a quiet drive. There are some criticisms about its road holding, hang on a minute, its a saloon and I for one do not want to corner at 40mph and above, I prefer the more sedate and relaxing drive that the Bora offers. It is more stable than the equivalent Golf due to its stiffer suspension. Go on, buy one you’ll not regret it. The automatic dipping rear view mirror and auto wipers are great. With group 8 insurance for a 2000cc engine is good. Not an abundance of room in the rear seats though.

Jennifer , England on the Volkswagen Polo

Although this is my second polo, i have decided it will be my last, with common engine problems, i would recommend the old model any day but not this one.

Gareth, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Beetle

What a great car, bought it from possibly the worst VW dealer in Cheshire, I was a bit worried about buying a car with high miles from such a bad dealer, but the car was great. It had 77,000 miles when I bought it, had it 2 years and didn’t spend a penny, not even tyres. Great fuel economy and reliability, build quality is very good, go for the TDi model, choose your dealer very carefully,great little car for the money.

Steve, England on the Volkswagen Passat

This is a superb vehicle. I have a false hip which makes getting in and out of smaller cars somewhat difficult. In the Passat I feel relaxed and totally in control; in particular the engine has enough spare capacity for rapid acceleration if one needs it. She tools round the sharpest bends with ease and one hardly knows that one is turning, no tilt of "hunting" even on roundabouts. Steep hills are eaten with ease, and the vehicle performed well in the recent snow when even BMWs were struggling. The Passat, I feel, is the Pullman of cars. Not quite your Bentley or Morse’s Jaguar, but a supremely reliable and comfortable car that loolk smartb and acts similarly.. Oill capacity is a bit limited so a frequent change is recommewnded; cambelts can be dodgy too. Internal and external trim is superb. We live 200 yards from the sea and no rust can be seen, even though the winds blow hard in these parts.

Peter, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my T4 a year ago and have spent a bit on it since, ie service etc..starts first time every time and is quite fast. Probs: Not many although turning on the lights changes the radio station frequency (weird). I wanted a T5 next but after reading so many duff reviews I’m doubtful. My previous vehicle was a Ford Transit, which I owned for nearly nine years, apart from the usual probs like new battery, water pump, etc it was no problem at all, at least they were made in the UK where people who assemble them have a good idea what quality means. The only reason I tried VW was simply because they are narrower than the trannies, although not as stable when cornering, easier to park etc for the wife. I think VW have a reputation that they don’t deserve. I’ll keep my T4 for a while longer as they seem to better than the T5, but I may go back to Ford who have a greater share of the commercial vehicle market, over 30% which must mean something compared to other manufacturers.

Nick, Essex on the Volkswagen Transporter

I have had two T4’s from new, put high mileage on both and have been very pleased with both vehicles. My current T4 has the five cylinder intercooled engine and after 200,000miles it still pulls like a locomotive! I have always been a firm believer in good, regular maintenance, I service every 10k and this has paid dividends because I have had very few problems. There was a fuel pump problem at 30k and it was replaced under warranty, this problem arose because the dealer put petrol in the tank before I collected it new and the petrol damaged the pump causing the bearings to squeal. Also the actuater arm on the turbo was sticking recently causing power to be vastly reduced. This problem was overcome by the judicious lubrication of the offending component(a point to be remembered by all who run this series of vans). Overall the vehicles have performed well, economy is good, power delivery and reliability excellent. I’m sorry to hear so many tales of woe concerning the T5, these problems can’t all be down to poor individual driving style, though I suspect more than a few are. As good and quick as these vehicles are they are still only LCV,s and all operators should remember this. Hopefully all the bugs have been ironed out as I have just ordered a facelifted T5 LWB 180PS DSG 4MOTION with nearly all the bells and whistles, we’ll see!

Steve, England on the Volkswagen Passat

Apart from well known problems with blocked drains leading to water in the battery compartment this has been a brilliant car. Over 7 years and 150k in my ownership it has proved to be extremely reliable, very comfortable with loads of room for passengers and luggage and an average 48mpg with very mixed driving from high speed motorway cruising to pootling down to the local shops. I wish they still made this model I would have another. Not that I need a new one I think mine has got years of life in it yet.

Des, Hertfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my 2.5 Transporter new in 2001 and it’s now 11 2009. I’ve never had a thing go wrong with it. It is serviced once a year, not by a vw garage as they are a rip off. I have nothing but good to say about the VW Transporter.

Scott, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Excellent car, looks more classy than the other lower class cars such as Corsa etc. Plush car for a cheap price, absolutely fabulous. German cars are the best and I don’t know why people buy Renualt Clio / Vauxhall Corsa / Fiat Punto’s etc - they are just cheap compared to the Polo.

Mel, London on the Volkswagen Lupo

Very unreliable, constantly breaking down on me. Suffered lots of electrical faults - most of which even VW couldn't diagnose, understand or even fix! DO NOT BUY! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Julie, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Excellent car. Comfortable, safe, roomy and easy to drive. It’s like a reliable old friend, always there for you.

Tommy , Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Golf

I brought my Golf in 2003, it had already done 90,000 miles but good advice from my dad convinced me to buy it and I have never looked back. A great drive, pulls like a train, sounds like a diesel. I drove it through drift snow in the highlands, black ice, heavy rain in the heat of summer, up hills, down valleys. I service every 6,000 miles half and full service. Fuel consumption is 55 to the gallon straight roads and 45 to the gallon around town. I have drove in one run over 700 miles in this car very comfortable and bomb proof reliability on the road. Only downside is VW garages have total rubbish service. My Golf is now at 170,000 miles and still going and just past its 5th out of 8 faults three MOTs in. All in all, an absolutely fantastic car.

Joe, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my van 3 years ago with 100,000 mls on the clock and it now has 150K on the clock. I’ve no major problems to report, the engine has never given me any trouble and still pulls well. The door handles inside are a bit flimsy and I’ve had to replace a front window mechanism (wind up). The ride is a little hard, but it is a joy to drive on a good piece of tarmac; a lovely van for motorway driving. It can easily be given a bit of a facelift with clear indicator lenses etc. I’m very happy with it. I don’t know if I would buy a t5, my brother had one from new and it had some kind of clutch problem where a hose had slipped off. The garage said it just wasn’t pushed on properly when van was being put together, he only had van 2 days, although a good looking van, tough and very quick (red di). My other brother had a Renault Trafic from new to 100,000km with the air bag light continually coming on the only problem, a very comfortable and well equipped van.

Geff, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen LT

Had this 5 years now and it’s absolutely brilliant. Never let me down.

Lilian, Swansea on the Volkswagen Bora

Bought new 2001. Driven over 135,000 miles by now. Apart from 9,000 interval services and the usual mileage related work - new cam belts @ 60,000 miles etc. only had to replace two electric window parts @ £130 a go, both driver’s and passenger’s front windows failing in the last couple of years. Got to be the most boring car in the world but it’s cheap and reliable and not showing its age at all inside. And it cruises as easily as ever in the fast lane of the motorway along with the bigger cars. Surprisingly big luggage capacity because the back seats fold forward and you can actually get a wardrobe in as long as long as it’ll fit under the back shelf. Not bad for a saloon!

Abdul, Lancashire on the Volkswagen LT

Bought when 3 years old, now covered nearly 300k miles, outstanding never missed any dead line. Most reliable van ever had even better than smiley faced transit and does 35 to the gallon. Beats a sprinter any day.    

Simon, Devon on the Volkswagen Lupo

I have had my 2000 Lupo 1.4E for 4 years now and experienced a range of problems. 1) Annoying problems with electric windows: When closing the drivers electric window, it goes up almost half way then suddenly opens fully meaning I have to close it in steps. On rare occasions locking the drivers car causes both windows to fully open. The electric sun roof is almost impossible to close, it closes almost fully then opens again. 2) Not at all easy for changing light bulbs! It took me almost 1 hour just to replace the front offside side light. I had to remove the air intake pipes and their supports, to access the headlamp unit! How anyone would cope if they neded to change light bulbs by the roadside! Cramped badly organised engine compartment makes simple maintence jobs very difficult. 3) Tyres are expensive and not always in stock. Due to their less common dimensions. 4) Door hinges on both side jump and jolt. Hinge is already worn. 5) Engine warning lights often come on but there is no physical problem with engine. 6) Gears are difficult to engage especially changing down and going into 1st from neutral. 7) Boot is so tiny it will not even take a single standard size suitcase! So what’s the point of even having a boot? On the plus side the car is very easy to park, light to drive and very economical. The 1.4 petrol engine is ideal for the size of the car. However, I would not consider buying another Lupo.

Mark, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Not the best van I’ve ever driven but possibly the best vehicle I’ve ever driven, love it to bits. I’ve got a BMW Z4 and 320se, I prefer the T5 out the lot of them, fast as fok, drives & handles awesome. Gonna part chop the Z4 for another T5 for the misses, she loves ‘em too! Can’t rate the T5 highly enough, great motor! Owned mk1 & mk2 Vito before, they drove great but just fell apart costing thousands. My T5 is up to 117000 now and drives better than new.

Irene, Greece on the Volkswagen Polo

The polo 2000 1.4 engine Automatic gear box has been nothing but problems from day one when I bought it new. The service in Greece is unreliable and the company overlooked my problems from the first day bought. All in all I paid double what this car is worth in repairs alone. It is loud although yes reliable and safe but just not worth the trouble. It is a complicated little car!

Les, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

My lwb 2.5 has 160000 on clock and has had a new flywheel and new drive. I have overloaded it, I’ve had it drawing trailers with over a two ton load on a regular basis. This van has endured serious abuse. I will admit the cup holders are crap and internal door handles fall off and they can be expensive to work on, but I can’t fault them otherwise. I will definitely be buying another one if this one ever stops.

Kevin, Cumberland on the Volkswagen Sharan

I’ve had this vehicle from new and it has paid for itself several times over. We have been to France three times and have driven the length and bredth of Britain since owning this and it has been absolutely solid and reliable at all times. I wouldn’t hesitate buying another Sharan and wouldn’t consider changing for one of these flimsy, pretty new plasticy pretenders you now see on the market. Absolutely essential car for a large family.

Andy, Dorset on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought my van almost 4 years ago with 113k miles on the clock and service history. Only problems I’ve had are a broken rear spring (apparently a common fault), glow plug relay failed, starter motor, and ignition switch. All of which were easily remedied at little cost. It drives well and is a good workhorse. Would always recommend a VW. They’re worth spending the extra on!!!

Janet, Suffolk on the Volkswagen Bora

I really like my Bora; it’s nicely medium sized, runs very well and is very economical. However, one huge disappointment is that the front suspension springs have broken and just had to be replaced. Although it is a 1999 V reg, it has only done under 60,000 miles and I really wouldn’t have expected such a catastrophic failure of such a component. I’ve had lots of old cars, using them well into the 100,000 miles mark and nothing like this has happened to any of them and I wouldn’t expect it to happen on a VW. It has certainly made me think twice about replacing my VW with another one, when the time comes.

Helen, Kent on the Volkswagen Lupo

I have had my Lupo for 5 years now. It is 9 years old. It is the best car I have ever owned. Reliable and fun to drive. I have been lucky and had very few mechanical problems with it. However mine is a basis e spec Lupo so is a basic entry level VW, so I can’t comment on electronics. However I always say the less on the car the less to go wrong!!

Basel, Ireland on the Volkswagen Polo

I’ve just bought this car. With the cold weather and a cold engine the battery indicator starts to flash and the engine dies off after I push in the fuel paddle in neutral. When the car has heated up the problem does not show up again. It is very cold now in the place where I live about 2ºC.

Audie, South Africa on the Volkswagen Polo

My best car to date. After doing 285000km there’s no lack of performance and fuel consumption is 14.8km/l on average 135km/h.

Simon, Kent on the Volkswagen Transporter

Well, having had the vehicle since ’99, it has 160000 miles currently on it. so was thinking of changing for a newer verion, I was just checking the reviews on the newer T5’s. To be honest, the troubles and obvious expense that those guys have incurred by owning the new ’improved’ version, I think I may just run my old girl as long as I can, as there doesn’t seem to be an alternative! The problem I have is that there haven’t been any major problems, apart from expected wear and tear. It’s sure as hell no race car, but it is certainly reliable and cheap to run.

Carl, Gloucestershire on the Volkswagen Passat

Very comfy car, plenty of power. It has done 205,000 miles, but still drives like new. Only 30 mpg, which is a bit of a down side, but it is safe, reliable and quick.

Simon, County Down on the Volkswagen Bora

I bought my ’V’ Reg Bora 1.9 TDi 110 SE out of England in June 2000, the car was registered in December 1999. It’s been a fantastic car up until recently, with 128k on the clock the turbo has died on me, the battery can hold it’s charge, there is a knocking noise coming from the front driver side wheel, I had to fit 2 new rear shock absorbers and the central locking system (That has been messed up for ages). Another thing I found is that the build quality isn’t the best. The dash rattles a lot and there seems to be a jingle coming from under the dash somewhere. Lots of panels have come un-done and the seat fabric stitching has all split leaving exposed padding and foam. The car was fine but it’s near time for it to meet the scrapyard. It’s my work car so I really only use it to drive 20 miles per day to and from work.

Cyril, Devon on the Volkswagen Transporter

I operate airport transfers and the vehicle a T5 (T30) has 400,000 miles. I have had the engine rebuilt, new turbo, starter motor replaced. Offside drive shaft replaced four times. Clutch and mass flywheel replaced. I had a bent camshaft and was told wrong oil used but this was not the case as it is serviced rgularly with correct oil etc. I had that fixed and three weeks later the engine seized solid. So if you are thinking of getting one maybe you should think again? By the way the local dealership is cr**p!

Brian, England on the Volkswagen Sharan

I have just replaced our 1998 VW Sharan with the new 2010 model, but thought I’d leave my thoughts on the older version. With three kids and a mother-in-law my Sharan was a Godsend. Solid and reliable, powerful (although not a racecar by any stretch). We could switch it from family minibus to minivan by taking out all the back seats - perfect for taking all those garden cuttings to the tip. We had this car all over the country, and into Europe and beyond with no major problems. This was my third Sharan in 12 years (we had a break with an Audi A6 Avant - big mistake) and we’ve stuck with the latest Sharan too. If you’re looking for a good quality family car that takes 7 adults comfortably on long journeys, then the Sharan/Alhambra must be on your list.

Polito, England on the Volkswagen Polo

I had this car a few years ago and it was very reliable and nice, only breakdown I had was a gearbox which is their main weakness. It cost me good money to repair. Very solid to drive, feels like driving a bigger, wider car.

Jeff, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

I bought my van brand new back in 1998, it has 106,000 miles, had the starter motor replaced and obviously the timing belt has been changed. It may not be as fast as some of the vans but I do know this; it’s body has had a couple of knocks but it is reliable...... the amount of rust is less than I have seen on a transit that was 5 yrs old, I have even seen a Merc Van with more rust on it than my van, I did say that I would buy another new one when this one has failed but as I was told by the garage I will not be buying a new one as this will keep on running..... will post another comment when my goes to the scrap heap, unless I end up there first!!

Kevin, Bedfordshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Bought from a friend in 2008 with 120,000 miles on the clock and a well-worn interior. I paid £500 intending to keep it a year, chuck it in the skip, then buy another cheapo, since the only thing I use a car for is a 40 mile daily commute. Pleasure driving is a thing of the past. I had it serviced when I bought it, but the oil filter wasn’t put on properly (not that I knew at the time). A few months later, the engine became noisy and we discovered that there was less than a litre of oil in it. I changed the filter, topped it up with oil and waited for it to die. It’s now at 170,000 miles, has had all of four tyres, front brake pads and two more oil changes, and still it refuses to die. It returns a tank average of 62mpg if the onboard computer is to believed, although my maths puts it at nearer 55mpg (50mph commute in single lane traffic tops). I absolutely cannot fault this car. The acceleration is pokey enough on the rare occasion there isn’t a HGV in front of me. Some bloke hit the mirror assembly while I was parked, and it flew into pieces - but nothing broke. It was just a case of clicking everything back into place. Looks well-worn, sounds hideous thanks to the engine damage from running low on oil, but continues to chug along without a problem.

And, London on the Volkswagen Passat

I have been driving it for nearly 10 years. Bad sides: The interior is very simple and does not have high quality materials. The engine is a little bit noisy during acceleration. High fuel consumption. And the worst of all, the 4 speed auto transmission sometimes refuses to change to a higher gear unless you reach 4500 rpm. Good sides: A very strong car, nothing has gone wrong since I bought it. Roomy. Good road holding. Very comfortable and silent suspension. I would certainly buy a newer one.

Samaita, Buckinghamshire on the Volkswagen Sharan

It’s the only car that meets the needs of an mpv at all ranges of performance and reliability. I will not dream of driving a family car that is not a VW Sharan, it’s got power on demand and spacious, try to prove how much you can get out of this car without having to spend more.

Ken, Lincolnshire on the Volkswagen Passat

215,000 miles and still going strong. Unbelievable fuel economy with loads of room for passengers and luggage.

Kenneth, England on the Volkswagen Passat

This is one of the best cars on the road for safety.

Susan, Surrey on the Volkswagen Polo

I love this car, it has never needed any work doing on it and passes its MoT every year even though it doesn’t get a regular service. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a small car.

Jim, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Passat

To the guy who has 210000 miles covered, mine has now done 310,000 miles and economy just seems to get better! The MOT is due this month and my wife wants a change so the car is going, but how can you sell a car with those miles on? I am prepared to give the car to anyone who promises to carry on running it. I do not have the heart to scrap it and take £150 when it has served me so well, what a motor this has been!

Michael, Ireland on the Volkswagen Transporter

A great van! I bought mine last year for €800 and I haven’t lost a cent to it. I know it’s a bit dead and agricultural, but with minor adjustments to the throttle cable (these stretch with time), removing the air filter element (no need where I live) and lubricating the gear linkages and other moving parts it’s giving an acceptable performance. A bit thirsty for high speed runs, but very solid and comfortable to drive. This is my second. I was sorry after my last one, a 1996 1.9td. It gave much the same performance, but lacked the torque of the 2.4. I’m currently tidying it up body wise, but continue to spend very little on it. An excellent van!

Rob, England on the Volkswagen Golf

In 2 years/12k miles of ownership the car has been the epitome of reliablity. Keep it serviced and it’s a solid motor. Can’t fault it.

James, Vale of Glamorgan on the Volkswagen Polo

This does soak up the bumps and pot holes in the road surprisingly well, I found this car to be remarkable on fuel and cheap to insure but the handling is the only point of the car that lets it down but otherwise is a good all round car.

Ross, West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) on the Volkswagen Transporter

Great van! I got this van about 2 years ago with over 140,000 miles on the clock. The van is now up at 175,000 miles and the only things I have had to change are a ball joint and a power steering belt. I know other people with other vans. One friend has a 5 year old Transit that has more rust on it than my 14 year old van! I was looking at buying a new van and was considering a Vauxhall or Renault and have heard nothing but poor reviews from friends who own them. BUY a VW - They are expensive for a reason!

Stephen, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Polo

I bought the car in 1994 with 15000 miles on the clock. It has cost me a couple of new exhausts. A few sets of tyres,( normal wear and tear). two new batteries, and three springs. One set of back brakes, one set of front discs and two sets of front pads. New fuel tank, wiper blades etc. THAT’S OVER 17 YEARS. It’s a 1300 and is quite nippy on the country roads and too easy to break the law on the motorways!! It gets a yearly oil change but never uses oil and gets a good clean up and polish now and again- especially for the MOT. It has failed twice , due to me not spotting a broken front spring, and then two years later the same spring!!! I have had a few rusty holes in the sills repaired, touched up rust on the doors and damage done with stone chips. It is getting to be one of the oldest cars in West Yorkshire and looooong in the tooth ?? But it is 99.9% reliable, always starts even in the very cold winters we have had in the last few years and despite it sitting out in the open. I have been looking at the new Polos but I’m not convinced with 3 cylinder engines and thin timing chains. Still looking into them. Besides, my old car is easy to service and repair. I know it doesn’t have central locking, heated wing mirrors, electric windows, power steering, a light in the boot, ABS brakes etc, but if you haven’t got them, they can’t go wrong!!!! I will keep looking at the new models but I’m certainly not in a hurry to spend £12000+ on a new one.

John, Hampshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Awesome vehicle, 170,000 on the clock had it since Jan 2010 have put 20,000 on clock myself, brilliant no probs. 22 mpg local approx 31-33 mpg on long hauls, highly recommend. Had loads of vans in my time, this beats the lot. (Not keen on the t5, ugly looking beast)

Paul, Leicestershire on the Volkswagen Caravelle

My second Volkswagen, the previous 1985 1.6 diesel Transporter van is still going strong. Great for work use, mpg and no problems. I have had a trouble free 22years ... for domestic and off road my second vehicle a 2.1 Syncro Caravelle with permanent 4 wheel drive with additional diff locks although heavier to run on petrol great fun to drive and loads of space to seat seven adults, table, fold down bed etc but may convert to dual fuel lpg and flick switch back to petrol when required very cheap to run and two fuel tanks.

Tom, Essex on the Volkswagen Golf

Pulls like a train and is great fun to drive! But very thirsty and hard on finances during these tight days! Should go for miles and miles if well maintained but maintenance costs are quite high.

Roy, United States of America on the Volkswagen Golf

I love this car, it’s easy to work on and gets around 46-65 mpg. The only thing is people need to remember is to add some kind of diesel fuel additive to the fuel. The new age fuel doesn’t have oil that the fuel injectors need and it will burn them up. I paid 600 bucks for my Golf in June ’11 and put over 8k on the clock. A very low maintenance car.

Angel, Mexico on the Volkswagen Jetta

Excellent!

Kent , Sweden on the Volkswagen Passat

Best car ever. Don’t buy another car, just buy german cars. Passat is my best ever car. I have driven many cars but I decided to buy Passat 2004 1.8t. And yes, this is the car I must drive. I recommend it to everyone who is looking to buy a car.

John, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Transporter

Bought the van new for 20k. After a couple of months the transmission started playing up in 5th gear. The van went back to dealer so many times I lost count, no one knew what was causing the problem (having been vehicle technician myself specialising in transmissions and vcads work for many years the bullshit faded to silence and shrugging of shoulders). At 40 months old 56k the transmission failed. The van went back to the dealer at a proprosed cost of 4.5k. Needles to say I kicked off big time, eventually VW coughed up half the bill. I’ve done endless hours of reserch into the T5 transmission, my conclusion is the transmission is not up to the job, FWD is not the answer. Having spoken to a VW technician this is a well known problem, drive shaft splines cvs flywheels and transmissions failing, major components on a 20k van not on VW.Having said that, what is the alterative? I’m in the market for a new van, thought of the new 180 dsg but been told to stear well clear. Anyone with same problem please let me know... if I haven’t spoken to you already. Something about the T5, strangly I love it, I can’t help wondering if VW had got the drive line right what an awesome vehicle it would have been.

C, Kent on the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

I’ve had mine for seven years and with regular servicing, I’ve had no major trouble. I could have used rear parking sensors but it’s a feelgood car and I’ll be sad to see her go. I would recommend the windshield for motorway driving which I wouldn’t have been without.

Kishor, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Transporter

The Volkswagen Transporter is a great solid van. I bought mine at VW Scunthorpe where the sales rep spent nearly two hours going through the details and answering all my questions. Great after sales service too, can’t fault it in anyway. Great van with high seating position so it’s even easy for the wife to drive. Reversing sensors are a godsend. My wife can now reverse without worrying about blind spots. I wouldn’t swap it for anything else. I was advised by a sales rep to go for the 84ps or the 120ps as the higher specs have more gadgetry, hence more chances of things going wrong.

D, Surrey on the Volkswagen Transporter

I will never buy another of these vans - poor quality and a poor service from the main dealer. Leaking driver’s door; back to the dealer three times - never rectified properly and now get wind noise instead. Turbo air pipes failed at 6 months; side loading doors rattles - never resolved. Clunking noises when making slow full lock turns; clutch judder although the dealer could not find it. This was just before the warranty ran out. It is now much worse and needs a new clutch/flywheel; the van has only covered 36,000 miles of light use then a few weeks ago the water pump has failed, total pants.

Tumelo, England on the Volkswagen Crafter

I have 2 crafters on the road each, covering a distance of 700 kms on a daily basis. The oldest, a crafter 35, has 300000 kms on the clock and the new one is a crafter 50 with 25000 kms on the clock. I’m in the business of transporting passengers from Gaborone to Serowe return. My aim is to keep these two for 5 years and by then each must have rewarded me a whopping 700 000 km on the clock. I never skip a service and so far the oldest has had its differential, turbo charge and gearbox replaced for free as it is still under warantee. Do you know if this is possible?

Nick, Essex on the Volkswagen Touareg

Although I find the Touareg a joy to drive, with all driver comforts, I find the engine a little under powered. I should have opted for the v6 or above and sacrificed some mpg. At present the car returns 34mpg on a run, not bad for a vehicle of this size!! The car has been dealer serviced from new, however, now that it’s 4yrs old plus I am starting to encounter problems I would not have expected considering a mileage of 60000 miles. Recently the rear drive shaft mid bearing failed - a new shaft being £650 + VAT!! as a replacement bearing is not available. Items of interior trim are starting to break, eg - underseat drawer facia and centre console lid catches and guess what they have been modified with replacement parts costing a small fortune. Wiring problems with airbag system is another gripe although the system was modified under a dealer rework programme. Needles to say all this happened after the manufacturers warranty and extended warranty expired, so beware.

Bloggs, Yorkshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Having bought this car from new in 2007, the car has developed what I can only describe as a ’squeak’ as you accelerate in all 6 gears. The car has been in to the garage several times from mid 2008. They have replaced a water pump and also installed a software upgrade which has not solved the problem. The garage have been excellent and supportive, however whilst the problem has been reported to VW Germany, their technical team have not come up with a solution. They have acknowledged there is a problem but have no answers. We have complained to VW UK about the issue, but they are trying to fob us off with the noise is a ’characteristic of the car!". The car did not have this noise when we bought the car and they have even tried to imply that the noise will be coming from the turbo or supercharger! We do love the car, but when you spend £18k on a car with a noise that is audible in and out of the car as you change gears it is rather irritating and VW so far are trying very hard to fob us off. Big mistake as we will not give up. I would be very interested to hear from anyone else has/is experiencing this.

Lyn, Warwickshire on the Volkswagen Polo

Surprisingly roomy, reliable car. Economical to run and cheap to insure.

Martin, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Golf

This is my second Golf and I can’t ever see me changing to anything else. Fuel economy is excellent, as you would expect from a golf, on an average of 60mph for my daily work journeys. It's a very comfortable car, no problem on long journeys. There's plenty space for rear passengers, too, and excellent storage pockets all over the place. Not a bad word to say about it.

Peter, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Passat

This is a good solid saloon, I have read other reviews from people who seem to have had problems with theirs but I have to say, knock on wood, so far mine has been extremely reliable and has given me 9K miles of enjoyable driving.

Alex, Staffordshire on the Volkswagen Touareg

I’ve only had this car for two weeks so this really is a review of my first impressions and I have to say so far so good. Okay the fuel consumption is a little steep but I expect this to improve as the car settles down and I was aware of this before I bought it. The interior is spacious and certainly comfortable and the performance and handling of the car are excellent. Yes there are other 4x4’s on the market and some might argue that they offer a higher level of luxury but I have no complaints and the Volkswagen trustworthy reliability gets my vote every time.

Paul, Shropshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Great car, roomy, nice looking vehicle and if you are in the market for this type of car, you can’t go wrong.

Steve, Middlesex on the Volkswagen Golf

All time favourite hot hatchback. Solid, economical, fun to drive. Just a good all rounder.

Lochy, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Passat

The power delivered from my 1.9 tdi is impressively phenomenal yet smooth. The road holding is made all the better by an impressive electronic stabilisation programme. Carries the driver and four adult passengers in extreme comfort, and also has a massive boot capacity. Mpg is the best I have ever experienced, and I have had lots of diesel saloons, Ford, Rover, Peugeot, Vauxhall, in my experience none compare to the VW. Oh, if only I'd discovered it sooner!

Daisy, Leicestershire on the Volkswagen Beetle

Perfect! This is a car built for girls and I love it! It was a toss us between this and the Golf but the beautiful curves won it for me.I would say that my Beetle is ideal as a car for one or two people to use but should not be contemplated as a family car - there is not much room in the back!

Tommy, Northumberland on the Volkswagen Polo

I like this car, nice ride, very economical, and not bad for a little runaround.

Danny, Derbyshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Great car - does approximately 45 miles to the gallon. I spend a lot of time travelling in it but have (touch wood) not had any physical complaints as the ergonomincs are excellent. Quality car.

Danny, Nottinghamshire on the Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen’s are renowned for their reliabilty and this, plus the obvious quality and attention to detail make this the best car that I have ever owned. My Golf is very comfortable a wonderfully quiet. I know that the depreciation on this car will be very good but that is not really an issue as I don’t see any reason to change for many years. Quality, comfort and reliability are the three words that I would use to describe my Golf.

Kevan, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Golf

Superb car. Quick enough when I need it but 50+ mpg in normal driving. Am lucky enough to be offered a GT Sport 170 company car, will be sorry to see the Match go.

Wayne, London on the Volkswagen Golf

Great car, when me and mey mates get together, I am the envy of all, and it helps me pull the girls. Top lads car. Would give it 6 stars if I could.

Jackie, Cheshire on the Volkswagen Golf Plus

The Golf Plus has easier access than the Golf hatch, drives well & is great for families. Very comfortable, safe & versatile.

Debbie, Devon on the Volkswagen Beetle

You either love or hate the Beetle! I love it. Well built. Little room in the back though.

Stewart, Somerset on the Volkswagen Phaeton

As a company car this is a pretty good one. Comes with climate control, sat-nav, air sprung suspension and leather interior as standard. The performance is strong and handling good but not excellent. It’s a very comfortable car with an exceptional amount of leg room both in front and back. As a VW it goes without saying that it’s a very reliable car too.

Denny, Lancashire on the Volkswagen Caravelle

As a self employed taxi driver you can’t afford to have any vehicle that’s unreliable so for me it had to be a VW. The Caravelle is very comfortable and easy to drive and when you’re behind the wheel for 8 hours a day that counts for a lot. The interior is quality built and durable. All in all it’s a good workhorse and should retain good resale value. Not the cheapest 7 seater on the market but you get what you pay for.

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