Thinking of buying a GTI

[sfitzy]

Hello all you VW people out there. I am currenty looking at getting a polo GTi, however after some extensive research I have read that many people have had problems with earlier polos (2002 & earlier) see links below:

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=9624&vf=7
http://www.carsurvey.org/review_45151.html

Some of these reviews have got me worried as they are not overly positive. Many appear to have troubles with the electrics of the car, does anyones' cars exhibit these problems?

Understandably the current polo is different to those referred to in these reviews, I just wanted to get your opinions about the problems you have had, total kms travelled, yr of car etc. or friends cars even.

Also since this is a polo forum so there may be a little bias, so can all posters please try to be neutral about your comments. Because we all know that they go like stink and look great!

Also GTI's are made in spain right? not South Africa like the others, correct?

Thanks heaps guys and girls....

[Glide_GTI]

Uhm, I would not be worried about the problems of last generation polos :)

I have been driving mine for 8 months, its never been back to the dealer.
21k on the clock '06 model. Yes they are made in spain.

[phaeton]

Hello all you VW people out there. I am currenty looking at getting a polo GTi, however after some extensive research I have read that many people have had problems with earlier polos (2002 & earlier).

Also GTI's are made in spain right? not South Africa like the others, correct?

Thanks heaps guys and girls....

Welcome sfitzy :D

VW in Europe did have alot of reliability problems in late 1990s-2002 but since Bernd Pischetrieder and Wolfgang Bernhard controlled VW, the quality and reliability of Euro dubs have risen.
As most people know there is going to the odd vehicle that slips through the line with problems. (VW isn't the only that has problems ;))

All that said I haven't heard a bad thing about the latest Polo 2002-Present :)

Your right Polo GTI is built in Spain and rest of the range in South Africa ;)

Uitenhage Factory Info http://www.mobility-and-sustainability.com/_content/standorte_391.asp

Pamplona Factory Info http://www.mobility-and-sustainability.com/_content/standorte_422.asp

[h100vw]

The only bad things on dubs of that era is the coil packs, MAFs and windows that I can think of.

Some of the suspension bushes wear out but stuff like cambelt failures are pretty rare.

On the whole given the number of cars built I'd say they were pretty reliable.

Any VW is a safe bet to run even going back as far as MK1 Golfs.

Gavin