If only everything in life was as reliable as a Golf

[Redboy]

Interesting quote below from today's Honest John column in response to a query ref 3 year old 2014 model VW EOS piston failure. No mileage was stated.VW paid 48% of the cost to replace with a new engine. HJ definitely doesn't seem to like VAG DSG boxes also due to hesitation and failure rate.

 

"Yes, it's a common problem with Faultswagons, along with other VAG vehicles. There is a long list of common problems. It took the emissions scandal for the World to start waking up to them: door locks, window winder ECUs, coil packs, melting timing belt tensioners, ABS/ESP modules, coking up of direct injected engines, timing chain failures, piston ring failures, DSG/s-tronic transmission failures, EGR failures. The NOx emission scandal is nothing in comparison because it didn't cost anyone anything - apart from VAG."

 

 

There's us Skoda owners thinking we're on to a good thing being in the VAG gang. Actually there is an element of truth in what he writes, My '07 MkII VRS suffered ESP and ABS failure and and I've read the unfortunate tales of woe ref Cam tensioner failure on the Octy FL TSI models, along with by now routine DMF & DPF problems. However I wonder if it's not just VAG though. My old 5 series straight 6 petrol engine block failed before 50000 miles due to bore lining wear which BMW was highly aware of. Luckily the previous owner had a new bottom half fitted by BMW which even 10 years ago was £4000+. Not sure which car I'll choose next. My MKIII is excellent but even with all the extra toys I haven't yet got the same fierce attachment for it which my brilliant 'underdog' MkII VRS invoked.

[octavia5]

If you dig you find that every manufacturer has a raft of problems big and small.  Modern cars are so complicated and a lot of sub modules are bought in that failures are inevitable. Add in that the technology used. both electronic and mechanical, is developing at a phenomenal rate with manufacturers falling over themselves to incorporate everything new into their cars you are bound to get  clusters of failures everywhere.

 

At least we don't have carburetors to keep clean and balanced as in the old days - which most certainly were not 'The Good ....'

[Mallettsmallett]

What O5 said. I used to do data analysis for the RAC. All the metadata from the breakdowns was of huge value to the manufacturers and we would sell it over to them at a fairly granular level of detail. Overall, over the few years that I did it (looking at historical data) generally we saw what you'd expect. French having a higher rather of failure than german etc. Occasionally you'd see trends where manufacturers would change something fundamental, like the Vauxhall engines in the 90s that had a cambelt fail safe engine where valves wouldnt impact the pistons, so they simply didnt have the expensive engine failure due to that engine design IIRC.

 

Technology is advancing as such a faster rate nowadays, nothing is not new, and it's the newness that goes through a phase of live proving in a mass market.

Edited 5 March, 2016 by Mallettsmallett

[glosrich]

Its just that VAG have a undesirable culture of not admitting its faults, making customers pay for repairs. Hopefully the emissions scandal will change this.

Also constantly launching new models and engines to leave their mistakes behind.

Japanese cars are generally more reliable and the admit their mistakes.

[vRSAnt]

Redboy know what you mean about the attachment factor of the vrsIII (petrol clearly as we both have in common).

However I think its the understatedness of it compared to a Golf, I think the key thing is to treat the car as a blank slate, like very much the Fabia 1 lot have done.

 

In comparison to most folk I've done barely anything ( to either car ) considering the amount of guys with either hybird turbos or GTBs, remaps, but personally I'm happy with most of the car but the achilles heel which dulls the excitement has always been the exhaust note and I think would transform the car into more of an eye opener!!

 

Do you feel the same, is it the fact the car doesn't shout out its enthuisiasm at how good it is ( i.e, exhaust note). I really think it is and not really even that concerned about extra power, just sounding more like what a vRS SHOULD sound like.

I want a 230 exhaust box already !!! If this option doesn't come to light I might have to go down a different route like scorpion but its a shame as I'd like to keep the car entirely Skoda if possible.

[octavianestate]

Nothing is reliable, especially German car engineering. Porsche IMS bearing problems. Nothing is reliable - some cars just break down less or have less problems

[billybskoda]

I think we should eject VW and Audi from the Skoda/Seat Group tbh...  just keep the premium parts of the group...

[TDIum]

I don't belive the myth that VW are somehow better made or more reliable than other makes.

 

Sure there are differences and to a certain extent you get what you pay for (at least, you don't get what you don't pay for). But these differences are relatively minor. All car production these days follows pretty much the same quality management processes and manufacturing technology.

[trundlenut]

HJ tends to be rather erratic in his (well it's a group effort now) advice. Compared to 20-30 years ago cars are a lot more reliable, but as the complexity of the components and technology has increased, so has the complexity and cost of repairs when things do go wrong.

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[FlyingGecko]

Its just that VAG have a undesirable culture of not admitting its faults, making customers pay for repairs. Hopefully the emissions scandal will change this.

Also constantly launching new models and engines to leave their mistakes behind.

Japanese cars are generally more reliable and the admit their mistakes.

 

 

It took Toyota a while to come clean on their problems, and Mitsubishi have serious form too.

[trundlenut]

It took Toyota a while to come clean on their problems, and Mitsubishi have serious form too.

General motors had serious problems in the US when they refused to admit they had issues which killed people.

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[glosrich]

It took Toyota a while to come clean on their problems, and Mitsubishi have serious form too.

But they did admit to the accelerator pedal problem and do a full recall.

Whereas VW have let people suffer with the tsi twincharger and tsi timing chain snapping faults.

VW were good quality in the 80's and 90's their build quality, paint and rust proofing was excellent. Engines were never very good and still aren't.

Cant beat Honda for a good engine.

VW then seemed to do a Mercedes and let the quality slip to increase profit.

Edited 6 March, 2016 by glosrich

[JKW]

Having owned numerous cars over the years, from VW Beetles (2) to BMW's (3), Fords (loads !), Mercedes (1), Audi (2) and Honda's ((2), the ONLY one that ever let me down was a Honda (Insight, Hybrid) whose CVT gearbox failed just 2 months out of warranty. Honda agreed to pay £7000 of the £10,000 repair bill (!?!), but after extensive whingeing on my part over a period of 3 months (I'd paid the bill just to keep "on the road") they coughed up all less £500 of the total. That car had a full Honda service history which saved my bacon in reality, but the whole episode is what put me onto Skoda - the day I picked the repaired car up I drove straight to the Skoda dealership & arranged a PCP deal on a new Octavia.

2 &1/2 years into Octy 3 ownership now, 24k miles, and I couldn't be happier with my VW Group car, most definitely the best car I've ever had, and the only possible replacement will be another Octavia (or maybe a Superb !).

JKW

[Redboy]

HJ tends to be rather erratic in his (well it's a group effort now) advice. Compared to 20-30 years ago cars are a lot more reliable, but as the complexity of the components and technology has increased, so has the complexity and cost of repairs when things do go wrong.

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My father ran his own car spray and engine repair business 75-85 and his quotes were " Your new (second hand) car is someone's old problem" " The more options on your car, the more there is to go wrong" obvious but true. At least you could repair stuff years ago, if computer says no, then it sometimes the case of a very expensive repair. A friend's 13 reg Kia Ceed headlights have failed with a notional cost of £1300! The handbrake has gone for the 3rd time. Not saying that a handbrake is an option though!

[Redboy]

Redboy know what you mean about the attachment factor of the vrsIII (petrol clearly as we both have in common).. ..Do you feel the same, is it the fact the car doesn't shout out its enthuisiasm at how good it is ( i.e, exhaust note). I really think it is and not really even that concerned about extra power, just sounding more like what a vRS SHOULD sound like.

I want a 230 exhaust box already !!! If this option doesn't come to light I might have to go down a different route like scorpion but its a shame as I'd like to keep the car entirely Skoda if possible.

Not really worried about the exhaust note, if it was that crucial I'd buy a Scooby. My wife says she always knew when my MkII pulled up on the drive due to the burbling exhaust (which I initially thought was blowing even though it was only 8 months old at the time). She can't hear me pull up now. My car looks good and has the bells and does everything that I want it to. The difference is that I expect it to perform really well as it cost a reasonable amount, whereas the MkII didn't cost me too much in comparison with other quickish cars at the time but its pace really surprised a few drivers. As it got older it was still solid and the engine seemed like new, still very smooth and willing. If my MkIII is still like that in 5-6 years time (if I keep it that long) then perhaps I will feel more attachment to it.

[trundlenut]

My father ran his own car spray and engine repair business 75-85 and his quotes were " Your new (second hand) car is someone's old problem" " The more options on your car, the more there is to go wrong" obvious but true. At least you could repair stuff years ago, if computer says no, then it sometimes the case of a very expensive repair. A friend's 13 reg Kia Ceed headlights have failed with a notional cost of £1300! The handbrake has gone for the 3rd time. Not saying that a handbrake is an option though!

Half the problem is that dealers don't repair, they just replace. But then that's what the manufacturers stipulate.

When I had the sticky vanes problem with the turbo on my old car the dealer said they could only replace the turbo, nothing else. Fair play to the dealer though, they suggested I went somewhere else as it would be cheaper.

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[pipsyp]

I dont think it really matters what you buy nowadays, all brands have their issues and we can all from time to time end up with a Friday afternoon car.

Ive had a number of VAG (VW, Skoda and Seat) over the years....most of them have needed warranty work at some point but I cant say any of them have dramatically failed me..certainly not mechanically. Worst thing to happen was the AC compressor failing on my Mk6 Golf GT just before its 3rd birthday and thats become a known issue with the cars of that generation....a bit annoying and ended up in a basic 1.3 CDTi Astra H estate for a short time whilst it was fixed but one of those things.

My late father had a lovely v high spec A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSi 180 SE a few years ago and sold it just before the warranty expired because it started burning a litre of oil every couple of hundred miles...not good....I considered buying it but thankfully didnt and bet its since had a top end rebuild (or has blown up!). A mate had the engine rebuild done on his and Audi tried to stiff him £5k after telling him they'd sort it out of goodwill!

As to Golf reliability...the irony is that my GTD (whilst generally fine now) has given me probably the most issues of all the VAG cars Ive had having been in the garage for build and electrical issues a couple of times already.....but I have to conceed its IMHO a better car than the Octavia in every way bar practicality....but probably because a GTD drives a ****-ton better than a standard suspended 150 TDI Elegance.