AC is killer in my R, no issues keeping up with temps close to 100F here in Denver...
AC is killer in my R, no issues keeping up with temps close to 100F here in Denver...
Not to be Billy Buzkill, but my 2011 GTI -purchased new - was really flawless until the 50k mile point. Maintenance was all by the book or better, meaning more frequent oil changes vs. "required as one example. Then, the following transpired over the next 40k miles ... intake manifold failed, intake valves required decarboning - twice, cam chain tensioner was proactively replaced ($1100 for that service) due to known bad design, the headliner material fell off, and the rocker panels started rusting where they meet the tail end of the fenders, and both inner cv joints failed. Car was washed frequently to remove salt, and kept in my garage. I sure hope you folks have better long term experiences than I did, but ftom my perspective the total ownership cost outweighed the rest of the experience by a sizable margin.
With the exception of the cam chain and intake manifold, everything else is pretty normal. DI motors coke the intake valves, you live in a salt state, inner cv's are wear items. Headliner, yeah, that sucks but it does happen...
Except our 2014 Accord, also a DI engine, has so far run 144k completely problem free miles with the exception of requiring one cleaning of the throttle body. And it is completely rust free.
In reply to einy (Forum Supporter) :
Not unusual for DI engines to need carbon cleaning. BMW's need it, Audi's need it, VW's need it. Glad your Honda doesn't need it, but that's an exception, not the rule.
I think I'm around 40k miles on it now, and honestly nothing new to say. It hasn't had any problems, any issues to speak of, or any real change in my previous opinion of it in general. A couple small things:
1. At almost 40k, my BFG Comp 2 A/S's are probably down around 25% tread. They still drive great, but are starting to get a minor howl/road noise to them and don't feel nearly as surefooted in the rain at this point. Still...40k with probably another 10k to the wear bars for a performance A/S is pretty good. I never EVER got over 25k out of any of the tires I had on my WRX (like 6-7 different sets).
2. I have noticed recently that the ride sometimes gives me a bit of a nauseous feeling. I wonder if the shocks are getting worn out. My wife actually rode with me and said the same thing (unprompted). I don't recall that being an issue before. Since I still have 32k left on my warranty, wonder if VW will give me new ones :)
Slightly amused that I got my Volvo a year before you got your GTI, had roughly a year of downtime due to having to pull the trans three times and replace the engine three or four times (but the FOURTH ONE... STAYED UP) and I have put almost twice as many miles on it.
(but how much have you driven your other cars?)
....shut up 
Pete. (l33t FS) said:Slightly amused that I got my Volvo a year before you got your GTI, had roughly a year of downtime due to having to pull the trans three times and replace the engine three or four times (but the FOURTH ONE... STAYED UP) and I have put almost twice as many miles on it.
(but how much have you driven your other cars?)
....shut up
The warranty on the GTI is 6 year/72k bumper to bumper. So I've made damn sure to average 12,000 mi a year and get the full worth out of it. But really I only commute in it. For weekends or road trips I much prefer the Porsche or the Raider or the Sequoia. Plus over the year of covid I was working from home half the time so less commuting miles.
If it makes you feel better I've owned the Sequoia for 2 months and I've already put 4000 miles on it, half of that towing. And it will get another 500 or so this weekend.
Based on my personal experience, I don't think VW used the best quality struts so it wouldn't surprise me if an upgrade was needed after a couple of years. Especially if driven on DC roads.
The 2011 CC I used to have needed intake port cleaning and manifold replacement around 70k miles, all handled under warranty. Excellent handling and driving car until I got rid of it at around 85k miles, I'd definitely get another one, but a manual to avoid the DSG service.
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Shocks are wear items, you're on your own there. I recommend Bilsteins. Have 20k miles on my R, no issues other than having the front passenger grab handle replaced under warranty. Then tires due to screws/nails and glass because some loser keyed it.
docwyte said:In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Shocks are wear items, you're on your own there. I recommend Bilsteins. Have 20k miles on my R, no issues other than having the front passenger grab handle replaced under warranty. Then tires due to screws/nails and glass because some loser keyed it.
They are wear items, but check your paperwork. A few weeks after I bought my Alltrack VW announced the 2018s would have 6yr/72,000 warranty. They offered the VW Driveeasy warranty for $600 to match the 6/72k warranty on the 2018s. My warranty excludes brake pads, rotors, adn clutch...but DOES include shocks and shock mounts (I had a shock mount replaced a few months ago and an axle replaced last year). Bilsteins for MK7s were a lot less expensive than I was expecting last time I checked, so maybe it's good time for an upgrade if you can get a break on the labor.
JesseWolfe said:The 2011 CC I used to have needed intake port cleaning and manifold replacement around 70k miles, all handled under warranty.
How the heck did you pull off a de-carbon at 70k miles under warranty? The intake manifold I get, as I think they extended the warranty on those until 100k miles, but port cleaning?
Hoondavan said:docwyte said:In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Shocks are wear items, you're on your own there. I recommend Bilsteins. Have 20k miles on my R, no issues other than having the front passenger grab handle replaced under warranty. Then tires due to screws/nails and glass because some loser keyed it.
They are wear items, but check your paperwork. A few weeks after I bought my Alltrack VW announced the 2018s would have 6yr/72,000 warranty. They offered the VW Driveeasy warranty for $600 to match the 6/72k warranty on the 2018s. My warranty excludes brake pads, rotors, adn clutch...but DOES include shocks and shock mounts (I had a shock mount replaced a few months ago and an axle replaced last year). Bilsteins for MK7s were a lot less expensive than I was expecting last time I checked, so maybe it's good time for an upgrade if you can get a break on the labor.
Yeah, mine is an '18 with the big warranty. I'll have to look. Honestly, I'd probably be inclined to get Bilsteins even if shocks are covered, just because they're better.
Not concerned with labor, shocks/struts are easy enough to DIY.
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
The fronts are a bit of a PITA. See my build thread, I recently installed Bilstein DCC coilovers. Hokey as it sounds, a piece of wood is a great help in removing the front struts
Figure I'd do a quick update as the car turned 40k miles today. It's a short update: Nothing to report. Nothing broken, nothing replaced. Just oil and filter changes.
Incidentally, my BFG Sport Comp A/S tires are also now at 40k miles (well, 39,500 maybe) and are probably down to 25% tread at this point (yeah, haven't been driving it on the snow days this winter). So that's pretty impressive to me, seeing as I never got more than 25k out of any of the 6-7 different sets of tires I had on my WRX. This car is less powerful and FWD, so that's one reason of course, but still....I'll probably get 50k out of these tires all-told, which is pretty great for an excellent-performing all-season that performs like a pure summer tire. BFG has a 45,000 mile treadwear warranty on them, so looks like their estimate is pretty good. And I certainly "use" the tread on these tires.
Also, stock brake pads still have a lot of meat left, which is surprising since they dust like crazy and really bite well.
I've had two issues with our 2018 -- a dead LED strip on the driver's door. And more worrisomely, a replacement of the turbo at 48km . . . an issue with the internal waste gate, or so I was told. They wouldn't let me keep the Turbo.
We are going to run out of time on the warranty, and not mileage. In Canada it was 4 years, 80k bumper to bumper.
Ah, that's a bummer. I'm on track to run out of time and mileage at almost exactly the same time (which is how I planned it). I'm sure something catastrophic will happen a few weeks after that lol....
In reply to ZOO (Forum Supporter) :
My 2016 also had a problem with the turbo wastegate actuator around ~80k (IIRC), except it was just out of warranty and I ended up DIYing it (not a fun job). VWs diagnosis was replace whole turbo - no thanks. It was also starting to do erratic things related to the keyless entry/start/stop system along with a couple other "quirks" that seemed like they would cost me a lot of money in short order.
Ultimately sold it to CarMax as I knew the intake manifold cleaning and a bunch of other stuff was around the corner in addition to the other odd things that were already going on and I just didn't want to deal with it all.
Car was great to drive, good on gas, and very practical, but were I to do it again I would buy a Civic or 3 hatch instead.
By the time mine reaches warranty, I'll have a few choices:
1. My daughter turns 16 right around then, but not so sure I want to give her a quick car, nor that she will want a manual (much to my chagrin)
2. I have almost no need for a back seat, and have almost never had anyone in this one (and have multiple other vehicles) so I may want to go find a BRZ or Nissan Z or something like that, IDK.
3. Frankly, as this car is mostly just my commuter (25 miles round trip) in another couple years it may just be time to find an EV to commute in and stop paying for gas. We'll see what's out there at the time.
Car will be paid off basically 6 months before warranty ends, so we'll see what's out there when the time comes. I never planned to get a VW but the huge post-dieselgate warranty convinced me. With the "regular" warranty not sure it would make another VW worth it for me, honestly. I like this car and it's really good in pretty much every way, and perfectly suited to my needs. But I still don't love it...it still just doesn't excite me to drive it like the WRX did.
My 19 R has basically been perfect. I won't be keeping it long enough to see though, as I'm trading it in 2 weeks for a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser.
While most of the time the R is the right size for me, I do need a larger suv at home. The R is kinda too small to carry both my son and my dog in the back seat, which I do several times a week. My son and I also completely fill it when we go skiing, let alone when I need to carry something large.
docwyte said:My 19 R has beasically been perfect. I won't be keeping it long enough to see though, as I'm trading it in 2 weeks for a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser.
While most of the time the R is the right size for me, I do need a larger suv at home. The R is kinda too small to carry both my son and my dog in the back seat, which I do several times a week. My son and I also completely fill it when we go skiing, let alone when I need to carry something large.
Yeah, I have a 2010 Sequoia and my wife has a CX-9 so I'm covered if I need to actually carry anything :)
I love the Sequoia, and occasionally commute in it during winter weather or if I have to pick something big up, but it gets horrible MPGs (though maybe better than an LC since they are full-time AWD) and SUVs in general are too cumbersome for the kind of commuting I have to do around here where avoiding dumb people is the name of the game lol.
I'd commute on a motorcycle, but wife would kill me (and see above about dumb people).
I'm sure it's been said, but treat the timing chain like it's a wear item. When VW says "life of the car" they mean about 130k miles, give or take 10k or so depending on how often you change the oil. Some poor guy on the mk6 forum hadn't gotten that memo and he was gifted a free valve "adjustment" courtesy of VAG at 140k miles.
I just hit 150k miles on mine, and while it's given me some issues to work through lately it's still really nice to drive.
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Oh I fully expect to get abysmal gas mileage from the Land Cruiser. Like 13-14mpg I'm sure, especially since my commute is short and 50/50 highway and city. That said it's really only going to be my main DD in the winter. On the other nice 3 season days I'll either drive the 911, the corrado (until I sell it) or ride my motorcycle.
I also needed another vehicle in the garage that had an automatic transmission. While my wife has the Cayenne and my daughter the XTerra, I couldn't borrow either of those without stranding one of them, as all the other cars have manual transmissions, which neither my wife or daughter know how to drive.
It just makes more sense given the rest of my fleet to replace the R with a good sized SUV.
MrFancypants said:I'm sure it's been said, but treat the timing chain like it's a wear item. When VW says "life of the car" they mean about 130k miles, give or take 10k or so depending on how often you change the oil. Some poor guy on the mk6 forum hadn't gotten that memo and he was gifted a free valve "adjustment" courtesy of VAG at 140k miles.
I just hit 150k miles on mine, and while it's given me some issues to work through lately it's still really nice to drive.
I've heard timing chain tensioner failure was a known problem w/MK6 engines (& tiguan of the same era)...but I wasn't aware that's been an issue w/MK7 cars.
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