56 Good and bad VW years? Impressions?
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This article is from the Watercooled VWs General FAQ, by Jan Vandenbrande with numerous contributions by others.
56 Good and bad VW years? Impressions?
A: >>>Need help with this one!!!
General:
(From M.Sirota) US [made] VWs, unfortunately, suck after lots of mileage.
Most notably, they rattle like the dickens. (??-'88 Rabbit, Golf, GTI, base
Jetta). Jetta GL's and GLI's and Carats and the like were made in Germany
during this period.
[From Jan:] Do not mistake bad service with the quality of the car. In the
US, most VW service is at best second class. Older VWs (A1) are also more
prone to rust, esp. around the wheel arches due to the absence of the
plastic protectors. Newer VWs are much better protected, up to the point of
using galvanized sheet metal on some panels in Corrados.
[From Dan Simoes:] as far as quality goes, it seems to follow the pattern:
(best-->worst) German-built, Mexican-built, US-built although there are
certainly enough exceptions to this rule. VW recognizes the quality
problems with the Mexican cars, and feels that they will be fixed by the
time we get the A3 cars.
81 Scirocco: Made by Karmann, European Market! Major Problems: 2B5 Zenith
Carb, electrical problems (easy to fix, hard to find), motor mount, 2nd
gear wears out after 100-some k miles.
Impressions: Noisy. With modified suspension a fantastic handler. A car
with an incredible portion of fun, though engine a bit underpowered (86
HP).
79.5 (?) - 84 Rabbit Diesel (US-built models):
(tgpt_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu)
Major problems: For some reason extremely hard on starters and alternators.
Heavy vibration when cold reduces life of some parts. Even more prone to
engine mount woes than gas models.
Impressions: The car that wouldn't die. Consistently run 300,000+ miles.
Anywhere from 30 - 55 mpg. Horribly underpowered (52 HP). Emissions exempt
in some states, which is a good thing. Regular oil filter & fuel filter
changes even more important than most. You either love them or you hate
them. At 300,000 miles things that were supposed to last "the life of the
car" start to break.
84 US Rabbit: another car that won't die. Mechanically excellent--I have
177k miles and it runs like new, though I've had to make one major repair
(cylinder head). Interior doesn't hold up as well--I've replaced the carpet
and the headliner fell off the ceiling. Outside body/paint still excellent.
I want something fancier but I can't justify it since it's worthless as a
used car. All rattles disappeared when I replaced the infamous right hand
engine mount. You do need to stick on anti-sway bars for decent handling.
[eldred@csi.jpl.nasa.gov]
85-87 8V GTI-US: US made, US market. Major problems: Rough Idle, switches,
seat bolsters ripping, some (85-86) been released with mismatched
wristpins. Engines usually seem to last long. Cat converter usually dies
between 80-120k miles. Some batches have paint problems. Older cars
develop alot of little leaks (oil, gas pump housing along the seam).
Impressions: Lots of low end torque, good handler, great around-the-town-
car, and good low speed (<80 mph) cruiser. Good mileage (~30 mpg or better).
High end lacking. Very practical.
88->90 GTI/Golf: Mexican made, US market. Major problems: Same as above.
Quality of cars varies a lot between batches.
Impressions: Reduced low end torque, higher seats.
90-> Passat: Made in Germany. Major problems: Early production had many
quality problems all over. Later models seem to fare better.
Common problems: See the recall list, rear window regulator,
rear stub axles causing uneven tire wear.
Impressions: 4 cyl version underpowered especially in automatic version.
VR6 equipped car is quieter and more powerful. Lots of room. Good handling.
90-92 Corrado G60: Made by Karmann, US market.
Major problems: Generally fairly reliable.
First cold start sometimes fails. Second start usually ok. Notchy
transmission/Linkage/Reverse binding, many had their 2nd gear syncro die,
most G60s do not have the clutch with Cd or Ni plated splines
exasterbating shifting problems.
Common problems: exhaust hangers go bad (it's a heavy exhaust),
auto belts malfunctioning (really, starter switch),
windshield wipers miss a few areas, vibration damper gets loose
on driver's side axle, supercharger dies between 50-?k miles (no corrolation
found with those using AST or Neuspeeds smaller pulleys), sunroof dies
after a couple of years, foglights don not crack as easily as the SLCs.
Impressions: Low end lacking, notchy shifter, but otherwise a nice, sturdy,
and practical car. Good handling, bad rear visibility. The usual rattles
but better then other A2s or A1s.
Lots of aftermarket parts available to improve power and handling.
92-> Corrado VR6/SLC: Made by Karmann, US market.
Major problems: Transmission Linkage binding, increasing notchiness.
Several had their ABS system go bad, many had their 2nd gear syncro die
older VR6s (92) do not have the clutch with Cd or Ni plated splines
exasterbating shifting problems.
Common problems: Windshield wipers miss a few areas, sunroof dies
after a couple of years, foglights crack due to heat.
Impressions: Great car, better than the G60 version in virtually all
respects. Quiet.
[Tom H]
From what the service people at my dealer (whom I have a lot of confidence
in) say, a partial quality/reliability ranking might be something like:
Corrado > Golf/Jetta A3 > Golf/Jetta A2 > old Passat
(Karmann) (Puebla) (Westmoreland) (Emden)
The Mexican-built A2s appear to have had very uneven build quality, with
some highly trouble-free (like mine) and others complete disasters.
[From Jens]:
Worst case on European market: VWs built 1984. VW used sheetmetal from the
GDR and it was so bad (state and metal :-) ... ) that you cannot paint
as quickly as new rust arises! These cars rust on the hood and on the
roof, not only in critical areas.
About VW's batteries: They last roughly 2 years or 50k miles, almost
to the nose. If they die, they die very suddenly, one start works perfectly,
next start, nothing, and really *nothing*. Speculated failure
mode due to internal shorting. Get a replacement when you are near that
limit.
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