2008 GT Sport TDI, 2nd hand

I'm giving serious thought to procuring a Golf GT Sport with the 125kw TDI motor. My friend (auto electrician) has strongly advised against it based on his opinion of common rail diesels and all the associated on costs, injectors, DPF, turbo etc. He also finds it difficulty as an independent to access information regarding faults with ECU's and so has to send them to dealers to fix.

Are all of these things really still big problems with these cars? I have done a bit of reading about them and for the most part the opinions seem to be fairly positive regarding these cars apart from dealer servicing costs. I am very much torn as it did seem to tick most of the boxes for what I am chasing but I find it hard to disregard his opinion.

So I have come here seeking advice/opinions on them as most of the reviews I've found are a few years old now and so I would greatly appreciate an up to date opinion of what they are like and what I can expect.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jabit

Hey Jabit,

A good mate of mine had one for years and loved it. No real major issues with it either. It is roughly equivalent to the Mk V version of the GTD. Plenty of independent mechanics have VCDS to diagnose fault codes. It's not an expensive capability either, just takes a bit of knowledge and experience with VAG cars. There's a whole section on this forum dedicated to assisting with that analysis.

They handle quite nicely and basically have GTI suspension and bars on them so they corner a bit flatter. The DSG is nice for working the sweet spot on the diesel too, it feels nice and quick around town. The DSG might be a source of reliability concern. The seat side bolsters on the drivers side get worn out so check for that.

If you wanted to make it feel a bit more modern you could even get the RCD330+ stereo fitted with a 6.5" touch screen and Apple CarPlay and find yourself a Mk VI flat bottom steering wheel.

Thanks for the info, the information that I could find suggested some problems with the DSG if you're unlucky but that they can be bulletproof if looked after well. it did seem to tick most of the boxes I was after, a small auto diesel without sacrificing all the fun (drive an 86 currently) and within a budget or I'd go for the newer GTD straight up. I primarily want a city car as I'm planning a move to Brisbane or Sydney sometime soon and after 3.5 years the impracticality of the 86 is starting to get in the way.

Really I was hoping for some reassurances that the doomsday scenario presented to me wasn't quite as bad as it seemed. I have been pondering logical replacement cars for months now and I had finally settled on the GT sport as close to a match as possible and I'd hate to have to start from scratch.

Modern doesn't concern me so much, just that its not a terrible idea to pursue it.

These aren't common rail.

They did have injector and injector harness issues back in the day, but I'd be surprised if this one didn't get the revised injectors and harness. I lost count of the amount cars we did.

'08-onwards Mk5s were pretty good. A lot of the niggling issues that plagued the earlier ones with electrics were pretty much sorted. As long as the car has been looked after, I can't think of any common issues that will give you any grief.

DSGs were also pretty well sorted in the later cars. See how it drives though. If it shudders on take-off, and jolts into first gear as you pull up, maybe walk away.

I think these had a DPF on them (I'm sure someone else can confirm either way), and again, providing it's been looked after with the right engine oil, and driven appropriately, the DPF itself should be ok. The wrong oil, bad diesel, stop-start traffic, and short trips is what hurts them.

Thanks Umai,
I wasn't aware they weren't common rail. Its a pity that stop start traffic and short trips is what kills them, as that is primarily why I was looking to get an auto since my friends in Brisbane and Sydney have both said manual is a nightmare in either city. would be fine where I am now but if I move as planned that might become an issue. Do you think it might be worth looking to a Mk VI?

just get a Golf GTI petrol if all the city running / diesel stuff concerns you. The difference in overall fuel costs will be minimal unless you are doing 30,000km+ per year.

It's a 9yo vehicle, so service history and overall condition are the main things to consider. Some of them will be well past their use by date, others worth buying.

Thanks Brad,

I had more or less come to the same conclusion. I'll keep looking for now until I find one or the other that really grabs me.

Hey mate,
Here's my take on the Mk5 tdi from the 5 I've had so far..

Engine : generally unbreakable (BKD model is the one to get) - clean the intake regularly - use synthetic 5w\30 and service on time, Diesel purge every second service is a must, use Mooreys Stop Smoke in every second tank
Electronics : lots of fails - window motors,dash,air bag connectors under seat fail, sensors etc etc
Gearbox : 6sp dry clutch - MUST have oil and filter replaced with the correct oil and EXACTLY the right amount of oil.
Suspension : the main subframe bolts will need changing at some stage - use AUDI bolts
Interior : roof lining WILL fail, window switches peel, drivers seat bolster tears, dome lights melt,
DPF : fine if you take it out on the freeway regularly so it can re-generate and clean itself - generally best of you delete it physically and via ecu but can get costly.

Conclusion: buy the car and buy a VCDS cable ($200 to $300) and also learn to do your own oil changes. You will really enjoy this car!

GL

I've had a GT Sport TDI for 3 years now and done over 55,000km. Hasn't missed a beat. Do be careful with the DSG and l do suggest you look at service history, and timing belt/water pump especially. That should be done at 105,000 km.
Other than that it's a quick little hatch, would definitely suggest freeway runs as the DPF can get clogged if you do a lot of stop-start (city) driving.
Be sure to check out my thread for mods/fixes

Just bought one, manual but a great little car!
I had to do a forced DPF regen using VCDS, apart from that it's been great so far