vw recalls 800,000 cars

[budomove]

these guys need to get their act together in the electrical dep't. http://www.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/02/26/...all/index.html

[cfg83]

budomove-

Originally Posted by budomove

these guys need to get their act together in the electrical dep't. http://www.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/02/26/...all/index.html

Before my wife got the Civic coupe, she really really really wanted the hard to get Golf GTi 2 door. But after reading all the horror stories on VW ownership, she changed her mind. We read that you can end up with a VW in the shop for over a month because the V-Dumbos can't get the parts. VWs are very attractive from a gizmo-factor standpoint, but what do you do in the USA when all that stuff starts to break? They should get back to the KISS method that made the original Beetles so nice.

CarloSW2

[GasSavers_brick]

A guy I know has a Passat that came with a really great fault. One day he left it running to warm up, and came back just in time to find the seat heater melting through the fabric. Can't have been a year old at the time, so everything was covered under warranty. But still, how does that even happen? Paperclips instead of fuses?

[rh77]

Precisely why I didn't buy a Golf TDi a couple years ago. I test drove one, I loved it, it got great FE, but further research found that the reliability factor wasn't worth it. I trust the reliability of a Kia more. But why??? We want to love these cars...

For years, many German carmakers have been plagued with electrical "Gremlins". V-dub's Audi cousin has a recent past of the same -- it's not if the electric windows will quit, but when. Just a simple switch and motor! Is Bosch to blame? Audi and VW have great cars, with problems. The brake light issue: a simple plunger-switch that opens the brake light circuit when the pedal is depressed, and closed when the brake pedal springs back into place. This is one of the simplest engineering facets. Did they spend too much time on making the decision to put cupholders in cars?

The Audi R10 TDI is a racing vehicle of heroic proportions -- fuel economy and durability helped it win the 12-hours of Sebring and placed well at the 24-hours of Le Mans. The orginal Quattro revolutionized Rally Racing in the early 80's and set the gold standard for many AWD vehicles to follow.

The same, IMHO, applies to MB and even BMW. Great cars, but not super-reliable. But if you just own one for less than 80K miles, your set. What happened to the simple days of the 2002 tii, and the late 70's Benz diesels. I guess you're right cfg83, you can KISS that goodbye.

RH77

[Silveredwings]

Yeah, I owned a Passat for a relatively short time and had a few minor problems, but I heard so many horror stories that I decided to quit while I was ahead. Nearly all my problems were a result of a poor choice of plastic for the parts. Coincidence? I think not.

Problems I had:
Windows - Very common, 1) wires in doors hinge points are made out of the same things as the non-hinging wires. They get brittle (especially in cold), crack, work-temper the copper, and finally break off. I'm surprised there haven't been more fires. My fix was to replace the wires with very flexible speaker wire. 2) The window regulator is a recirculating cable that runs around plastic pulleys. Duh. Of course they break. My fix: ebay for used part. Oh and getting into the door was a small nightmare.

Water pump - Very common, plastic impeller broke. Had to pull the engine to get at it.

Serpentine belt tensioner - Very common, plastic pulley disintegrated. Had to replace the whole assembly for lots of $.

Shift linkage connector - Say it with me now: "plastic." Yeah, it broke and it was an odd little piece but the linkage wouldn't work at all without it.

I have no doubt the list goes on but this only my personal experience.

I figure they're saving a lot of money. You see, once burned, many people won't buy another one so VW can build fewer cars....and save money.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Exactly. Every time I get tempted by another VW I just think back to those Rabbits... and also think about ridiculous $70,000 Phaetons, and how much of a bear it is to have anything serviced on a New Beetle, and how they screwed up so badly on what could have been a new Microbus... and how their main focus is to separate you from as much of your money as they can... then the urge passes. NO THANKS.

I just don't understand why they're giving all that money to the $dealers' service departments. They pay for both warranty work and the horrible customer experience. Me buy a new VW? Fustigate me first.

The process of designing for a new VW model year is 1) rebadge an outgoing Audi design, and 2) replace as many parts as possible with inferior materials.

The Korean brands were the bottom of the barrel in reliability when they first came here. Now they're getting up there with the Japanese.

[ELF]

I was kinda excited to see the come back of the rabbit, since I am a former owner, that is till I looked at the EPA rating. 20/30/25 Huh??

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Go old school. You can drop in any 8/16V I4, or a 24V with a custom tranny mount. A two decade window for scrap yard parts, and o.k. reliability depending on vehicle type/parts. If you want wing windows, go for the bolt through type...

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Where j00 at? We see rain once in a blue moon out here... Things don't really rust.

[Lug_Nut]

Geez, should I pipe up or remain silent?
My last five cars have been VWs, and all diesels. Were it not for misfortune and an errant stop sign runner I'd probably still be driving the first one.
Yes the dealer service network $uck$, that's why I don't use them any more. My sole purpose for the dealers is for parts. I look up the items on my own copy of the dealers electronic part catalogue and order them by part number.
The window issue noted above does not pertain to my Passat, it has a gear drive.
The door wiring issue noted above hadn't affected me until my present Passat, none of my other three had any of this tendency to become brittle and fail. I lost sound from a speaker, hardly a critical item.
The rust issues I had were related to inferior fit of non-OEM windshields and poor installation practices. My present Passat still has the original glass and zero rust.
So keep complaining and dropping their market value, I appreciate that because I don't sell mine. I just buy them with the intent of driving them forever, or until yet another stop sign runner writes off yet another one (two so far, hopefully no more).