Anyone have any thoughts on these? Thinking it would be nice to park my work truck for the basic running around and kid hauling duties, basically a part time fun driver. Thanks!

RUN AWAY!!!!!!!! RUN AWAY FAST!!!!!!


Where do I start. They are a one off model, they have model specific parts like the transmission, etc. They are very expensive, if you can find them to replace. They are a VW product, that means they have a constant check engine light. It could have a problem blowing the coils. There are four of them. Could have a sludge problem, it is a 1.8T. It was either abused or babied, nothing in between. The starters tend to fail at around 100-130K. Other sensors just randomly fail, like the MAF, Speed Sensors, etc.

Don't bother, if you want something fun to drive and are stuck with wanting a German car, get a BMW of any variety. Forget anything VW Audi. If you want a cool car to drive, buy a WRX, Honda, Acura, etc. They will all be faster and all be light years more reliable. Hell I would buy a Corvette long before I buy a VW, or even a Mazda Speed 3. It is faster and more reliable than the VW.

The only unique features on a 337 are visual aside from the o2m 6spd gearbox and the brakes if I recall. The o2m is a fine transaxle and can handle well over 500hp. It can be found in other 1.8t vws such at the GLI and 20th anniversary GTI. I have a 2004 R32 that has over 75k with no problems. With proper maintenance they are just fine just like any the German car.

Rob

I'm on my second VW, and ive never experienced any major problems. I have an '04 Jetta TDI (yes, diesel) and I love it. I've had it since march of this year and have put about 10k miles on it so far. At 135k miles it has zero problems, and I average 47 mpg.

I have a 2010 VW GTI with DSG as my daily driver and I love driving it everyday. it has a lot of power when i need it and it has great handling. I have 12,000 miles on it already and no problems.
If you buy one let me know how you like it.

Ravi

Funny, I have had 2 VW passats, and put 200k on each, with no major problems. Currently I have an Audi A8 with 186K and a VW Eurovan with 150k, none of cars has ever stranded me, and all have been very cheap to drive. The key is doing the work yourself, since the dealers dont seem to know what they are doing.

I have had several customers with VWs and Audis. They are flaming piles of crap. When they are running right they are fun to drive. They have very nice driving dynamics. That is their redeeming qualities, but from a maintenance stand point, they are junk. You will need a proper scan tool, like VagCOm, Launch etc. Those little janky code readers will do nothing for you. You will need every tool in your tool box, plus a few you don't know about yet. Bring Torx, Allen, e-Torx, Anti-tamper Torx, Triple Squares, anti-tamper triple squares, in addition to the regular 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21, fasteners. They are a royal pain in the ass to work on. I have an 01 S4 in right now and it is a nightmare. I am replacing turbos, manifolds, etc. It was easier to remove the engine and tranny than to try and do it in the car. (but it drives great, when it works).

The customer complained that the car would die while driving down the road. Turns out the coolant temp sensor will kill the car when it gets flakey. Yeah it happens after he drives the car for about 2 miles. Really, VW? A coolant temp sensor should never disable a car.

Ask my customer about his 337. Yeah its pretty fast, when it runs right. I put a clutch in the car (800$ alone for the clutch), then it needed a starter, yeah the 337 is different, it was $800 new from the dealer, they were the only ones that listed it. He had already had the coils blow out of the head, replaced those himself. WTF? Another customer has a 337, it has left him stranded several times. Audi Auto Transmission fluid is 29$ a quart, similar price for manual gear oil. Pink VW/Audi coolant is 20$ a gallon, yes it will corrode the aluminum bits inside if you don't change it out. Yes it will corrode the inside of the oil cooler.

Sorry I will never recommend anyone I know buy a VW Audi product.

Yes, this is interesting. I've heard a few people with similar view points, but My experience with VW and Audi products have been GREAT! I've owned an A3 for 8 yrs now, a 1st gen GTI (over 200k), a 2nd gen Jetta (over 200k), a 4th gen GTI (1.8t, no issues), and a 4th gen Jetta wagon (no issues).

My sister has a 4th gen Jetta with 150k and he only issue was dealing with a seatbelt/airbag light issue under warranty back around 80k.

Well, I guess you will always find people who have had a bad experience (or have a different viewpoint), but I can't agree. The VW/Audi products have always been reliable AND a great car to drive (far better than my Hondas).

As for Corvette... is that really in the running?

I work on VW products every day. My neighbor works on Japanese cars right along side me. I have to say he spends way more time researching problems, looking for parts, and fixing them, per car, than I do. As for special tools, I have Vag Com, which is a dealer level tool, and a normal toolbox full of 40 years of tool purchases. Those el cheapo scan tools are great, if you have a chain parts store that offers free scans (talk about getting what you pay for!) that don't even come close to showing you the number and details of the codes you actually have. Professional technicians don't even own them.

BTW, coils don't just get "blown out" of the tubes unless you don't torque the spark plugs in place. VWs was using FI for over 20 years before it came into general use in Hondas, and it's taken that long again for Japanese car mechanics to get used to it. If you don't understand them, don't work on 'em! Stick to carbureted cast iron block GM pigs. Like NASCRAP. .......................

The Cap'n

I bought my Subaru in 2004, and got free dealer oil changes for the first year. This was at the same time as the Mk4 VWs were in their prime. When I would go in for my scheduled service, the Subaru bay way usually pretty empty. The VW bay was always packed.

Just remember - quality is not building a good thing once. Any one can do that. Quality is building a good thing time after time with the same consistant result. Some Mk3 and Mk4 VWs were built great and have lasted for hundreds of thousands of miles. But a well above average number have been total dogs. The engine might run forever, but the rest of the car is falling apart around it.

I would buy a new VW. But I would not buy one made between 1995 and 2005 - even though I lust after Corrados every time I see them on the road.

Zach

As for Corrados, none were sold in the US after 1994 so you can lust for one and meet your criteria!

I LOVED my 93 slc. Sometimes I even think of getting another.

I thought they were sold until 1996. God, how I used to want one.

Zach

Well, technically, a few (something like 460) were sold in 1995, so just avoid those ones...

I would guess that is because either he doesn't work on them on a regular basis or because the number of occurrences of that particular problem are so low, that he doesn't know the simple fixes. Compare anything from 1995 on VW to anything HOnda and Toyota and you will find the Japanese cars are light years ahead the germans as far as reliability. Look at the Consumer Reports listings of manufacture reliability ratings and who dominates the top. The Japanese and Porsche. Not VW Audi. In fact VW, Audi, and Mercedes have been hanging out at the bottom with the Americans for many years.

As for the tools. The average car owner doesn't need that stuff. If you own a Japanese car, you can for the most part take the whole thing apart with a 10,12,14,17,19,21, 32, and a phillips head screw driver. There is absolutely no need to have every type and size fastener on the planet on one automobile. It is absurd and overly complicated.



Its not an understanding of them, its they are junk. The parts are outrageously expensive for the simplest parts and the electronics are so overly complicated that they invariably come from the manufacture with a CEL. No one cares who invented FI. The Germans may have been using for 20 years before the Japanese, but they damn sure never figured out how to make it work right without setting a constant check engine light. I know you make a small fortune on those cars and their owners, but I will never recommend to one of mine that they buy one.

I also won't recommend anyone buy a Honda with an Automatic transmissions either.

I sold my G60 corrado last year, my older brother had the SLC and sold it about 2 years ago. We owned them for years and played with each other at the track a LOT (cheep track fees here).

I did upgrade the G-Ladder grenade to an Opcon Autorotor once it hit about 100k miles for dependability, but after that and all the years I'm still not sure who had the better car. Both were extremely low maintenance and fun to run. Kinda miss the little red hatch.

The G60 is what I wanted. No plowing.

Zach

I went from a '78 1.8 turbo 8v scirocco to the G60. It seemed very front heavy at first But I was dealing with Seattle traffic at the time so it was probably worth it for the comfort.

There's still a few of them around, but you gotta ditch the charger at this point, they're all out of maintenance. $300 for a new exhaust manifold, a junk yard hair drier and new downtube and you're in business though. The stock EMS will manage over 20lbs of boost

Still have nightmares over the auto raising/lowering rear spoiler.

And the 150-200$ and NLA coolant hoses. Love some VW.

Ok, I'll bite, which hose is that? Never paid more than $50 for a hose on that car and eventually replaced almost all of them.

The multipiece coolant hoses on the VR6 cars or many of the later cars. I would guess beyond the crappy G-Lader supercharger your car was as reliable as a Golf from those days. That was essentially that with a super sweet body on it. I always liked those cars, until I drove one and couldn't see anything out the back window.

Look at that, bringing up the VR6 when I wasn't talking about one, then the G-ladder(which is fine if maintained) just for effect.

Yeah, you can't see much out the back window of one, but if it's behind you, it can't hurt you much can it?

Besides, the hoses aren't a big deal on the VR, the damned coolant reservoir on the head is a problem.

Nevermind.

I had an 03 GTI VR6. It had every option available for that model year. It was an absolute blast to drive and got 30mpg on the highway.

i got it with 24k on it, certified pre owned with a 12k / 12 month warranty.

Within the first 12k the dealer replaced nearly every accessory running off the serpentine belt: power steering pump, brake booster, alternator.

Around 60k the car started to literally fall apart. I'd find fasteners on my garage floor.

The dealer wanted $75 for oil changes. I did it myself and didn't save much money -- the car took tons of oil (can't remember how much).

At 70k the AC compressor crapped out. Over 1200 to replace (parts and labor).

I sold it and bought an accord 5-speed.

I have put 60k on the accord in 3 years and have not had to replace a single thing except tires. It drives like a toaster but that's why I have the 914!

My mother in law has a 2000 accord with 250k on it. At 230k I had to replace her ignition switch. That's it except for oil changes, spark plugs, tires, and air filters.

Just my experience.

I had a 1990 accord with 260K on it. Body was rough but car was solid. Everything worked except the power antenna in the back. Gear was stripped. It had original clutch, motor, etc. I put a timing belt on it and a thermostat. That is it. Never burned a drop, got 30mpg at 80 with the AC running. Had civics with 190K, a CRX with 150, etc. All great cars. Much better than most of the VWs of that era.

Sorry I would not recommend VWs to anyone.

VWs have always required more regular maintenance than many other cars. In fact, most German cars are more complicated and cost more to operate period.

It's easy to site a cars that have gone abnormaly high miles with minimal maintenance. VW, Mercedies, Volvo, Toyota, and Subaru are just a few that have been known to do that in the past. If I recall Mercedies and Volvo still hold the "most durable and longest lasting sedan" title.

Just find what YOU enjoy driving. The only thing that matters is if you will be happy with it.

-Rob

Rohar there is one for sale locally if you want it:

http://teamtac.org/e107/e107_plugins/forum...topic.php?51853

Its a G60 Corrado, claims the rear spoiler still works. Car is ugly as hell though.

The trollin, why?

Huh?

Does 10-12 Japanese cars a day in a 3 man shop count as "a regular basis"? If not, does being a smog testing facility help? Nissans, like BMWs, seem to be complicated for complication's sake. Toyotas, while reliable, have no soul. Driving a Toyota is like driving a refrigerator, except there's no beer. Like a refrigerator with no beer, they're BORING. Besides that, Toyota trucks and SUVs get the WORST mileage, as a group, of any of the manufacturers building similar vehicles. So much for the touchy-feelie green car company, darling of the NY Times and its leftie following. Honda, on the other hand, has lost its corporate vision. They build cars with no soul, no class, no style, and no redeeming social value. They once were at the cutting edge of the industry, but they, like Toyota, got lost in the search for more profits and less car. They also, like BMW and Nissan, seem to like to do things the hard way ........

The best engineering in the passenger car industry today, hands down, is coming from VW's Audi Group, and they've got the pedal to the metal. Give it a few years, Toyota needs some time to steal it ...............

As for CELs being lit, ALL OBD 2 cars have CEL issues, because they're ALL required to light up when the CU sees a reason to light it, and the reasons are common for ALL OBD 2 cars. I get several calls a week from people who go through the phone book, looking for someone to "do a diagnostic". As in, my CEL is on, and I need someone to tell me why. Most I turn down, 'cause I don't work on Asian cars. Why? Because I don't know enough about them, and I'm smart enough to admit it.

Maybe Snap-on, MAC, Matco, Mitchell, All Data, and the specialty tool manufacturers make very few diagnostic tools and manuals for European cars, and so many for US and Asian cars because they see the greatest demand from that market segment? Could be ..............

The Cap'n

No doubt there. Toyota builds appliances now. No debating that. But for the majority of the car buying public, appliances are what they want. Toyota builds cars that sell. Hence the reason they are the largest car company in the world. Dear Honda please stop building cars that suck. Their cars are great, but they are completely souless. Compare the cars HOnda used to make to the current crop of green junk. The old Civics, Integras, CRX, NSX, S2000, etc. Now Honda makes lame ass CRZs. BORING. Honda forgot its roots. Such bummer, but their appliances are some of the most reliable cars on the market.



I would argue that. BMW does some top drawer engineering as does Porsche. Toyota doesn't engineer anything, they find the least expensive way to produce a top quality product. GM actually has some great engineers, too bad GM gets in their way. But VW/AUDI is radically over complicating the car. Time and again it can be seen when working on their cars. Its a damn shame the drive so nice.




From what I have seen in the last 15 years VW products by in large have more problems than the other Imports. I am not counting American junk, cuz I know little about it beyond my tow vehicles. Unless it is a brand new VW, most of the ones I have seen and most of the people that tell me they have a VW/Audi, mention the CEL. Its running joke in many places.



They go where the money is. I don't blame them for that. Just as you work on VW/Audi products, that is where the money is, sometimes. If the owner wants to pay for it.

But one of my biggest complaints with VW/Audi is, they are such a pain in the ass to work on. I assume you have worked on anything with a 2.7TT engine. S4, RS4, etc. Can you honestly tell me that it is anything but an overengineered POS? Drives great, but God help you if you have to work on it. Why should it pay 30 hours to do a simple engine R&R. That is absurd. 20hours to change turbos? WTF. VW could do so many cool things, but they don't know when to stop either.

One of the reasons the charge for 30 hours of work. is beacuse it is German. The Germans are meticulous about everything. This includes their repair procedures. On most repairs, it can be done in half the time, but the shops charge according to the book hours, since they make the most money that way. On my A8, it takes about 15 minutes to remove the front of the car, and have complete access to the front of the engine. Most repairs on VW and Audis are pretty easy, as long as you remember to think like a German.