written by on 26/07/2013
6y old and only 44k miles, but now facing £3k bill for timing chain, gearbox. No warning lights. VW wanted a day at £100 per hour to find the problem. This gigantic bill is not even at a Vw garage. Never buying a european car again.
written by ADIBUFI on 17/07/2013
The gear box had to be changed at 37,000 miles as when changing to second gear it made an awful noise! Guess what, 3,000 miles later and it started again! VW dealership claim ignorance and don't know why this has happened! Air-con seems to have gone. The timing belt is another one and the mirrors keep folding outwards...they are not even motorised, apparently! Every time I turn on the ignition key, one of the mirrors will just start to fold outward! All of this at only 40,000 miles!!! Well, this is my last VW EVER! ARE YOU LISTENING VW?!!!
written by on 27/03/2013
Plenty of Veroooom! What a great car when its not poorly. Latest Job is the rocker cover is leaking oil. A huge £600 quid to get sorted. has had heater matrix replaced, ingnition pack. and in general has been a costly car to own. But what it costs in repairs is worth it for preformance, just make sure you have very deep pockets!
written by Dottybiscuit on 01/03/2012
have been a great lover of vw golfs for past 25 years have had mk1 mk2 mk4 and mk5 golf 1.4 gt 170bhp 07, all in 31768euros, great looking car but from day 1 have been having problems.wvwzzz1kz7b091023/blg012983.at 34000kms altenator belt tensioner and belt 353 euro at 35000kms i had to pay 500euros for a new gear box. now at only 60 000kms the timing chain has jumped and they want over 2000euros to repair it this car has not messed around with my wife does 7 to 8 kms a day its well looked after .y should we have to put up with parts failing when we spend so much on these cars that are suppose to last us, what has happened to the volkswagen reliability of the past? my mk 2 gti has over 150 000kms on it and it just serviced every year with no big parts spend . Wouldnt it be fab if vw looked after its life long customers thanks .
written by 64miles on 12/04/2011
Bought a Golf TSI 1.2. I have been pleased up to this point. Nippy, light, a real pleasure to drive. Recently had a problem with the EPC light coming on.. and a sudden loss of power when it did. It usually came on when stopping at a junction. The fault would clear as soon as I restarted the engine. It turned out to be a faulty turbo. Being only a year old, driven carefully and done just 10,000 miles, I find this a little worrying. Anyone else had a similar problem?
written by on 26/03/2011
Big reliability problems, two turbo,s have gone, clutch switch replaced, chamshaft sensor replaced, timing chain stretched, alternator belt broken and i'v only done 44,000 miles.
I am a careful driver and I do not trash my car.
Do not take out Volkswagon Extended Warranty paid £600, it's a con! They don"t like to pay out when things go wrong! I'v spent close to £3000 on repairs.
Service at Alan Day, is the worst that I have ever encountered, not helpful, no courtesy car.
The only plus side is when the car is driving well and not in the garage, it handles really well and it looks good.
I'v owned two Golfs in 7yrs and my 1.6 FSI gave me problems as well! Maybe I am unlucky or Volkswagan need to sort out their reliability problems, lets hope the Mark 6 better.... But I want be buying one even though they do look good!
written by on 07/08/2009
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 is a nice car, good economy, nice cabin, good performance but I am very frustrated with it after 2 years
- Engine sounds like a diesel. Any time I take friends somewhere in it, they always so they are surprised I bought a diesel
- The turbo lag is terrible, it feels like there is no supercharger (or mines isnt working). No acceleration in any gear, bit more throttle, bit more than bang, full boost. You either drive everywhere like a normal 1.4 or you go everywhere full speed.
- Really heavy clutch pedal for a 1.4 It has 170PS but it feels as heavy as my old R32.
- The engine doesn't like to rev.
- The gearing is very long. To get a nice smooth pull away, you end up driving around in 2nd gear for 30mph.
I completely agree with J.C's review. I need to save cash so I am holding on to it till next spring.
My friend has a Seat Leon, 1.4tsi 125ps. Its night a day. Nice clutch, better steering, VERY smooth and quiet engine, good economy and nice perrformance. The interior isnt as nice but its not bad..I wish I had bought one of those
written by on 14/01/2009
The Volkswagen Golf 1.4 is in for major work after 1 year and 26k miles, needs new turbo, intercooler, catalyst, exhaust system and potentially engine.
Customer service entirely lacking. Unable to determine fault so ignore it. Fail to provide alternative transport despite continued requests.
written by yorkieboy on 28/04/2008
Loved this car to bits at first, it's rapid, handles like a dream, pulls admiring glances and relatively economical. The big downside is the reliability, mine has now covered 32000 miles and to date has needed, new gearbox, new aircon unit, new engine valve, new petrol tank and new suspension bushes at the back! No, the car has not been thrashed to death, I just think I have been very unlucky and it's tainted my view of VW somewhat. I would not buy this car again which is a shame.
written by gawoo1012 on 13/03/2008
Superb handling without resorting to a suspension set up that would damage your spine but this car is all about the engine. You have to continually remind yourself that your are driving a 1.4. The hum out of the engine at high revs is musical... Good specification, great A/C unit. Love the twin pipes and sharp but understated looks. Surprisingly good fuel economy. Good build quality. Nice GT badge on leather steering wheel. Great stereo and speakers. This is a lot of car for the money. I love this car. Still puts a smile on my face.
written by on 09/03/2008
I preferred driving this to the A3 equivalent, although A3 has a better finish.
written by hollep00 on 22/02/2008
Regularly returns 35+ mpg and over 40mpg is a possibility if you don't use all of the performance. A great A and B road car as the DSG and high performance make it great fun and a true hot hatch. A better all round option than the GTi as its more economical, has a comfier ride but has close to GTi levels of performance.
written by on 29/12/2007
Wanted to buy a new edition 30, but when I went to order one, my local VW dealder said he sold the last one available only a few days earlier and no more could be ordered. He then suggested I might take a look at the new 1.4 Gt TSI, Anyway I did and couldnt believe what I was seeing. I would argue the best car for me.
written by NKB on 26/03/2007
Superb engine that makes driving enjoyable again.
written by andy8758 on 06/02/2007
Jeremy Clarkson may have slagged the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 170 GT off on Top Gear, but how many of you can afford an Aston Martin? If you thought having a family meant not having a fun car any more, then this will make you think again. The small engine size (1.4 litre) may put off a lot of people, but the surprise is the 140 bhp served up by a combination of a supercharger to boost power at low revs, and a turbo charger to take over and boost power at high revs. Ever thought a 1400cc hatchback could tow a caravan? This one could - achieving and maintaining maximum torque at less than 2000 revs, you can change up to sixth gear by 2000 revs, and the power just keeps coming.
I simply love driving the thing anywhere - from sweeping country roads (the handling is precise, stable and could lose you your licence as you forget how fast you are really going) to the 10 mph crawl of an inner city traffic jam. The seats are comfortable and adjust easily between the 5'00" 8 st. form of my wife to my 6'00" 14 stone frame. We both agree this is the most comfortable car (VW or any of the 17 other cars) that we have driven. The brakes are firm and solid without being sharp, and the 6-speed gearbox is easily navigated (my wife is not the most sophisticated driver - but finds the 6 gears not too confusing to use).
The inside of the car may seem spartan at first. The dashboard is a dull plastic with bright metallic features that would never win a design award. The basic features include central locking, alarm, air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, CD/radio, 8 speakers, and a beautiful blue/red dash lighting that combined with red LED ambient lighting in the forward cabin make night-time driving a real feel of luxury. A trip computer (working our mpg, time of journey, outside temperature etc.) is useful and easy to navigate. Safety features abound with twin front airbags (passenger bag can be switched off for baby seats), side airbags and curtain air bags. The ISOFIX child seat fittings allow most standard child seats or boosters to be fitted in seconds.
The bodywork comes like that on most standard Golf's, but the Sport includes lowered suspension and beautiful 16" alloy wheels that combined with colour matched trim makes the cost of pearl or metallic paint coats well worth the extra cost. The mechanicals include ABS brakes, with ESP (a stability control system that makes sudden evasive manouvers to avoid an accident so much safer by keeping the car under electronic control) and a few other acronyms that make it much more difficult to crash (although if you must drive into a brick wall...).
Performance means sub 8 second acceleration to 60 mph, and a top speed over 130 mph - performance that enhances safety rather than encouraging "boy racer" behaviour, although make no mistake - this is a very quick car - so safer overtaking too I guess! Our driving has averaged out the fuel economy at 32 mpg (weekday journey's are just the 8 miles to work my wife does, but weekends we travel much further), and found no disadvantage to using the lower grade 95RON unleaded fuel (up to 10p/litre cheaper than the premium 98RON fuel recommended by VW).
Buying this car is (I think) expensive. Ours cost £15995, including the black pearl paint finish and fog lights (a gift from the garage). With a £1500 deposit, we are left on the VW Options payment scheme paying about £250/month, with about £8000 collateral (or a guaranteed trade-in) at the end of the credit term. I don't think that is too bad - cannot remember what interest we were charged though.
In conclusion I love this car, and so does my wife. OK, I am a bit of a petrol head, but my wife is a practical, straightforward person who sees a car purely as a means of transport. The fact this car appeals to us both says a lot for the success of it's design. I think it is true to the original concept of the Golf as a fun, practical hatchback, and I rate it much better than my Ford Focus (our other car), and a world better than the awful Vauxhall's and Peugeot's I get to drive at work! Alright, I know we all have different opinions about cars, and the very latest Vauxhall's are light years better than the old ones, but I still feel the VW is the best of all the mid-sized hatchback/family cars.
Written on: 14/02/2007
I haven't owned this model but I have experience of many Golf's, and I would vouch for them in pretty much every department. The only concerns I have with regards to a VW is the gearbox, though I would recommend the Golf no probs, great review!
Written on: 18/04/2013
I quite agree, my 1.4sport twin charger has been remapped and gets out a whopping 210 bop and still hits 40 miles per gallon in town using super unleaded.
You must have this vehicle serviced and repaired by someone who knows the engine or it will be to your cost. It's very clever but complicated, many car fitters will guess, this will be at your expense.
Roger, Watford
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Damage1's Comment
Written on: 18/04/2013
You need a diagnostic check urgently. Sounds like timing chain has stretched. This won't let the engine go into full boost due to the missalignment of the crankshaft and camshaft sensors. That is the nose too.
Roger