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Do Golf R/GTI's "fall apart" as they get older?

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
2019 Golf R - 21k

Not many miles yet, but here are the things I've had to deal with.

- Thermo housing and water pump replaced under warranty. Could smell coolant. I can still smell it after as well, just not as bad

- Steering wheel deformation. I think this happened when the car was aligned - tears on the bottom side of wheel. Replaced under warranty

- Both front wheel bearings / hubs replaced. Vibration issues, could have been due to pot holes. Replaced under warranty

- Seatbelt light came on for drivers side. Module replaced under warranty

- Defect in the factory head unit display. Replaced under warranty

As you can tell, VW's recent warranty is pretty solid. They fix anything at the drop of a hat, long as there isn't any tuning / foul play involved. If you are going to buy used, try a CPO car with an extended warranty. Gives you a bit of insurance in case something does happen. If nothing happens during that timeframe, it's pretty uncommon for something to happen after so long as you are maintaining the car properly.

Last word of advice. The Autobahn / MK7.5s have the front lane assist & crash camera. Getting a windshield replaced is a serious pain in the ass. I've had to do it 4 times now (Arizona highways are a rock dodging competition). Front glass replacement requires a recalibration of the system to include a front end alignment. It's seriously a nightmare. Make sure you have glass coverage through your insurance company because you are going to need it. The whole process usually takes me about a week. Make all of the appointments, change the glass, take the car to VW, get the calibration, hope they haven't butchered the alignment, take the car back if the steering wheel isn't straight... you get the picture.
 
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launchd

Drag Racing Champion
Location
New York
Car(s)
2023 M3LR, 2021 A7
Diesel gate TDI returns where owners were able to return their cars in that shape for full price?

Yaaaaaas!

On a more serious note - my GTI is currently sitting at 54,000 miles, it's been tuned for 44,000 of those miles and I have had no major issues with my car. I really do believe that if you take good care of this platform, the probability of it lasting you a good while is very high.
 

Jumpy

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Car(s)
'18 GTI Autobahn
Idk because mine is only 3 years old. So far so good 🤷‍♂️
 

KevinC

Autocross Champion
Location
The land of Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday
Car(s)
'19 Golf R, '21 M2c
e ass. I've had to do it 4 times now (Arizona highways are a rock dodging competition). Front glass replacement requires a recalibration of the system to include a front end alignment. It's seriously a nightmare.
2 windshield replacements on my original '16 R, no recalibration of anything either time (2nd replacement done through my dealership's service department with their subcontracted glass company - dealer did not try to sell me on an expensive recalibration). Zero problems with any of the assist systems after each replacement.

Are there times when something gets knocked out of whack and actually does require a recalibration? I don't doubt it. But to assume it's always necessary is absolutely not true. Plenty of others have had the same experience as me with replacements.
 

HalfGerman

Go Kart Newbie
Location
NH
Car(s)
2018 Golf R
Problem with those internet stories is when someone buys a 60 to 80k mile deferred maintenance car. Then , in the next 5k miles, the brakes are due, suspension, transmission( if manual). That owner now complains about the POS that he bought.
 

Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA
I've gotten rid of both of my GTIs when they were around 10 years old. It might not be as big of a problem in northern states, but these interiors do not hold up to the heat very well. All the plastics get super brittle and the soft touch starts to melt. I've had plenty of things break on me from trying to fix something else when it needs to be taken apart. They both had headliner issues too. One of the first things I got for my R was a covercraft sunscreen, but I still need to replace the crappy tint the previous owner had installed with ceramic tint. I'm hoping that'll be enough to help protect it a bit.

The engine bay and everything in there held up fairly well though, but the interiors are a different story.
I had Llumar ceramic tinting done on my R about 5 years back. I had it done in mid summer by a shop that was about 15 miles away. On the way down to the shop, it was sunny, about 90 degrees, and my AC was running pretty much full blast on and off. On the way home, a couple of hours later, I noticed that the AC was barely running with very little blowing out the vents. Ceramics really work!
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
they're not MK3 ABA bulletproof, but with early, proper and routine preventative work, they should last for a very long time.
imho

as a 27 year old who got into VWs via my first car, an 08 MK5 Jetta, I know relatively little about the MK3 and earlier models. Barely know anything about MK4s. Are MK3's the most reliable platform? I've literally never read, or learned a single thing about MK3 Golfs.
 

vwlotech

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Lexington, KY
as a 27 year old who got into VWs via my first car, an 08 MK5 Jetta, I know relatively little about the MK3 and earlier models. Barely know anything about MK4s. Are MK3's the most reliable platform? I've literally never read, or learned a single thing about MK3 Golfs.
I've got a 99 MK3 Jetta with the ABA (2.0l) with over 400k, starts and drives.... your not getting there or anywhere fast... but it's beet super reliable over the years. It has been a lot of fun over the years.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
I've got a 99 MK3 Jetta with the ABA (2.0l) with over 400k, starts and drives.... your not getting there or anywhere fast... but it's beet super reliable over the years. It has been a lot of fun over the years.
If that's with the original motor that's impressive.
 

AceHammer

Go Kart Champion
Location
NY USA
Car(s)
2015 A3
If you live up north rust will eventually become a factor as well. Though these cars have far better rust protection than other brands.
IMO if you are in a place where they salt having the aluminum front subframe and aluminum front control arms are a godsend.

70K miles of New England salt and the front suspension looks brand new. The rear is structurally fine, but it definitely shows on the rear lower control arms and subframe
 
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