MK5 Golf GTI
All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: barelyrelevant on October 05, 2017, 10:01:07 pm
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Having owned one for a while and reading about/experiencing some of the many faults I am wondering if they are actually any good or not. I know all cars have their issues but the mk5 seems to have more than any car I have experienced before.
Obviously opinion on here is going to be biased, but I thought it was an interesting topic for discussion.
Common issues:
- Rust pretty much everywhere
- Failing DV, PCV
- Cam follower wear (huge bill if not changed)
- Rust/seizing bonnet catch release
- Cam chain/tensioner failure
- Oil pick up blockages/low oil pressure warning light
- A/C compressor failure
- Coked up intake valves
- Thermostat(s) failure
- Mechatronic issues on DSG
- Rear wheel bearings
- Whiteworm on Monza wheels
- ABS sender
- Tumble flaps?
- Door lock module
- Charcoal canister
Not sure if I've missed anything?
*zips up flame suit*
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Interesting post. I think any 10-year-old car+ is going to have a significant number of potential issues. The trouble with the internet and forums is you only hear about issues and problems people are having, people don't come on here and start a post saying everything is working on their car. It can make the problems sound worse than they are. Yes all those things can happen to a car, your likely come across 3 or 4 of them. On your list I've got the rust and had to change my thermostat. If I wanted trouble free motoring I'd lease a 1.0 Skoda Fabia for £180 a month, for some thats perfect, but for me I'd find that dull as anything.
Cars are complicated things with lots that can and will go wrong and wear out at some point. My house is the same, it needs constant maintence too keep it up together.
I expect in our lifetime (I'm in my early 30's) we'll see the end of car ownership, we'll be moved about by self driving pods taxi things. Enjoy it while it lasts.
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I wouldn't say your points mentioned relate solely to the GTI, but also throughout the MK5 range and I can vouch for that. Check over the service history for my 10 year old GT TDI and you will find that in the past it's had some of the same things replaced - wheel bearings, springs, ABS, cruise control and more.
Since I took ownership of it two months ago - I've so far had to replace the bonnet catch, passenger side wing, springs again (slightly lowered though) & one door lock module. I agree though, Rust on these in general is a major concern as mine has tiny specs along the sills and the driver's side wing will need replacing in the near future due to the common corrosion. I reckon it will be the test of time to see how much MK5's really go through the rust ordeal as the years go by.
The one car I've owned out of all the rest that was totally trouble & rust free was my 04 plate 2.0 petrol Accord that I sold on not long ago. There again it was really looked after before I took ownership of it and I do believe that cars taken care of / properly maintained more than others generally do last longer as a whole.
The thing with Golf's in general as well and especially the likes of the GT / GTI models is that it can be tough to find one that has been properly looked and cared after because they are a sought after car & always will be as the generations go on.
Liam.
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Picked my mk5 GTI up at the weekend after having a Mk4 1.8t for 5 years and first impressions are great. I know it’s kind of what you expect but it does everything the Mk4 did just so much better.
Although in this first week I’ve started getting error codes relating to the DV and the thermostat is acting up. Getting the follower done aswell so touch wood that should be all it needs for a while.
Bought it with bubbling on one front arch but hoping the warranty will sort that.
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A car's reliability and condition is directly proportional to the financial and time investment put into it.
Things like rust and component failure are unavoidable and we just deal with it. It's not different to owning a house. They don't last forever either, and the bills from neglect are considerably larger than the proactive maintenance costs.
The MK5 GTI is far from rubbish. I've driven a few of the MK7 and 7.5 variants and they don't have anything like the same huge leap forward in handling and performance as demonstrated by the leap from MK4 to MK5. That says a lot about the 5's core underpinnings.
Also bear in mind car makers deliberately don't make their products last forever, in the same way Apple don't want you to have an iPhone 4 forever.
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In 4 years of ownership, other than services I've had to replace 1 DV, 1 door lock, rear calipers, rear springs, CV boots and had to grease the bonnet release that's not too bad for a car that will be 13 years old in 2 months but like any other old car i expect issues to pop up here and there but are their equivalents from Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, Renault, Jag etc any better? I can tell you they are not, all modern cars are complicated and have certain issues that affect that make/model.
They are generally reliable as long as they have been looked after well but tbf I can say that about any car! And of course anyone can be unlucky and have a critical failure sometimes its just a roll of the dice.
Molesy :happy2:
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In 4 years of ownership, other than services I've had to replace 1 DV, 1 door lock, rear calipers, rear springs, CV boots and had to grease the bonnet release that's not too bad for a car that will be 13 years old in 2 months but like any other old car i expect issues to pop up here and there but are their equivalents from Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, Renault, Jag etc any better? I can tell you they are not, all modern cars are complicated and have certain issues that affect that make/model.
They are generally reliable as long as they have been looked after well but tbf I can say that about any car! And of course anyone can be unlucky and have a critical failure sometimes its just a roll of the dice.
Molesy :happy2:
Same with mine, apart from the door lock and bonnet release. It's just standard wear and tear stuff and doesn't bother me. All part of car ownership.
In spite of the common issues, these cars don't leave you stranded, they soldier on regardless. It's only when you tune the hell out of them that engines and gearboxes fail......but that's of your own doing and not the car's fault :smiley: It's very rare that well maintained standard spec cars snap or blow something major.
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I run 4 cars atm.
Tiguan, new 17 & Fiat 500, from new, now 6 yrs old. Both of the above are experiencing issues, of one kind or another, which arguably should have been resolved by manufacturers!
Ed30, its all on here....as OP.
20 year old golf Cabby, which runs on fresh air, and last year's MOT +4 new tyres cost me <£200!
To me the greatest difference between these cars is that with a fantastic, free resource like this forum, I can quickly iron out most of the issues with my Eddy, based on probably millions of miles of experience by fellow enthusiasts.
As a reasonably high performance car, my modded eddy costs me buttons to run, in comparison to a similar BMW/Jag etc.
However, if push really came to shove, I'd keep the mk 3 cabby. A real cockroach car!
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I think the Mk5 is one of those cars if you've looked after it, it will look after you and it'll show. Personally never had any problems and Its coming up nearly 2 years I would of had her and I've always made sure it's maintained mechanically and everything is fine. A lot of these cars don't get looked after unfortunately and it does show as alot of people will buy one then come on here with loads of issues.
For me it isn't rubbish but it is a car that needs to be kept on top of maintenance wise and looked after or stuff can easily go wrong that's expensive to fix.
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I'm with the op a little bit on this, i know when you buy a ten year old car you expect things to be wearing out and need replacing but there are a lot of things that mk5 gti's suffer with. I've probably changed more parts on my mk5 gti as preventative maintenance than my mk4, not great when you consider it's supposed to be a new improved version and my civic type r ep3 was so well behaved it was unreal - yes the ride wasn't as nice and it felt a bit cheaper but it just worked, never had to worry about changing this and that because it might break.
Don't get me wrong i prefer German cars but it disappoints me they cant match Japanese reliability at times.
I think this is my bank account talking typing this because i love my mk5, i think it's my bank account that doesn't :signLOL:
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I get how important it is to look after cars but I think a lot of the problems on the mk5 are not related to how well it has been looked after. I think if they were I would have been more understanding.
I'm sure "modern" cars made by other manufactures are the same, I would hate to think of the maintenance bills coming in 10+ years time for the cars which have been sold in the last ~4 years with all the electronics and emmission systems. Biggest problem for us enthusiasts is that they're almost impossible to work on without expensive diagnostic equipment.
Although by comparison we've had a 05 Honda Civic EP3 with 95k on it and an 03 Toyota Yaris 1.4d with 160k on it which didn't need any money spending on them apart from brakes and tyres.
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Being realistic, no one is ever going to get all of that list happening at the same time, unless super unlucky!
DI engine coking is not unique to the GTI - Ford, BMW, GM et al all suffer the same problem. It's a flaw of the design, not the car maker.
DSG faults are not unique to the GTI - Take the Evo X for example, which has a comical design flaw that prevents you from selecting any gears. Box has to be stripped down to glue a sensor positioning magnet back on! Doesn't happen on VWs.
Chain wear - It's a chain. They wear out. Again, not unique to VW. They don't last forever on bikes either.
Rust is not unique to the GTI - It's steel and wants to return to it's natural iron oxide state. No escaping that. No steel body shell lasts forever. It affects all cars, even Japanese ones. If you live by the sea in a cold climate, you're on borrowed time. If you live in Florida, not so much of a problem.
Failed PCV / DVs - Again, other cars use the same design and plastic and rubber is certainly not going to last forever. GFB DV+ is a simple solution for that.
Cam follower - A bit of an internet folklore problem and not an issue on standard cars with a good oil changed in a timely fashion.
Tumble flaps - BMW 320ds used to consume them and bend intake valves. That never happens on the GTI.
Blocked oil pickup - I'll concede that is an annoying one, but it appears to be an issue with oil service intervals and/or oil quality and people spreading silicon on the sump like butter.
A/C compressor failure - never had that one but many cars suffer the same. It's dependant on the brand of pump. VW don't make those.
Wheel bearings - Ditto the chain. It's a wear item and not a design flaw.
Whiteworm on the wheels - Comes under wear and tear. Any polished aluminum surface with lacquer is vulnerable to stone chips and then corrosion. Seen on that on many other cars with that type of wheel surface. It also comes under keeping on top of the maintenance if you want show room condition forever.
Thermostat failure - Again, not a unique problem to the GTI. At least with this car it seizes open. Try an E39 BMW with it's electrically controlled thermostat that jams shut, plus the part is 5x the cost of the GTI part.
ABS sender - <Stuck record> but cheap and easy to replace.
Charcoal canister - Really? A plastic box has been listed as a flaw/problem??
Door lock module - They were a problem more on MK4s, and MK4s also used to lose their windows into the door frame all of a sudden :grin: So long as the replacement part is an improved version (which it is), it's not a big deal and it's not like they fail every 6 months.
You didn't mention:-
Oil pump sprockets shearing off - pretty rare
Heavy oil consumption - doesn't affect all engines
Injector failure - Not really an issue until ~80K
Boost pipe bayonet rings leaking - General wear and tear
HPFP sensors cracking - Clumsy owners
Console bushes splitting - General wear and tear
Nothing on the GTI is unsolvable. Plenty of improved parts, mods and advice online covering everything. Where there's a will, there's inclination, but if the GTI is so bad, the solution is ebay, Autotrader or WBAC :happy2:
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GTI's are the type of cars that people buy and beat the hell out of it. And it's supposed to be like this right? And if you abuse the car but keep everything in order you shouldn't worry much or you didn't do your homework properly. Taking a 2005 car, trashing it everywhere, neglect services + other maintenance and expect the car to be reliable in 2017 it's a bit of dream. It's the same with any performance car. You cannot compare a GTI to a Toyota Yaris, a Tiguan or anything that is not in the same category because most of them were not abused as performance cars usually are.
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GTI's are the type of cars that people buy and beat the hell out of it. And it's supposed to be like this right? And if you abuse the car but keep everything in order you shouldn't worry much or you didn't do your homework properly. Taking a 2005 car, trashing it everywhere, neglect services + other maintenance and expect the car to be reliable in 2017 it's a bit of dream. It's the same with any performance car. You cannot compare a GTI to a Toyota Yaris, a Tiguan or anything that is not in the same category because most of them were not abused as performance cars usually are.
Yep. In 10 years time people will be saying exactly the same thing about Golf Rs. Beaten on for 2/3 years in lease deals and then flooded into the market with abuse related wear and tear, which will prompt the new owners to ask the same question. "Is the MK7 R actually pretty rubbish?"
A potential talking point for manual MK7 Rs is Miss-shifting a gear causing a blown engine. It's happened to several people across the globe. Is that VW's fault, or the owner's for trying to grab 2nd gear at 80mph?
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I have owned my mk5 for nearly three years, the only problems I have had was sticky rear calipers (which I serviced £25), 1 cv boot, valve connected with carbon canister and the seals on the boost pipes.
Preventative maintenance, oil pick up pipe, cam follower, diverter valve, pcv valve. All in pretty good for a 11 year old car and no sign of rust !
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GTI's are the type of cars that people buy and beat the hell out of it. And it's supposed to be like this right? And if you abuse the car but keep everything in order you shouldn't worry much or you didn't do your homework properly. Taking a 2005 car, trashing it everywhere, neglect services + other maintenance and expect the car to be reliable in 2017 it's a bit of dream. It's the same with any performance car. You cannot compare a GTI to a Toyota Yaris, a Tiguan or anything that is not in the same category because most of them were not abused as performance cars usually are.
Yep. In 10 years time people will be saying exactly the same thing about Golf Rs. Beaten on for 2/3 years in lease deals and then flooded into the market with abuse related wear and tear, which will prompt the new owners to ask the same question. "Is the MK7 R actually pretty rubbish?"
A potential talking point for manual MK7 Rs is Miss-shifting a gear causing a blown engine. It's happened to several people across the globe. Is that VW's fault, or the owner's for trying to grab 2nd gear at 80mph?
There is a video on Youtube explaining the miss-shifting on the MK7 platform. They call it "money shift" and you can guess why it's called like this.
My GTI was probably abused and neglected by the previous 5 owners :scared: I had a few problems, some of them are still there, clunky noises, etc. I am sure the car had a hard life. Did I make a bad deal buying it? Yes I did but that's because I didn't do my homework properly and bought the first one that I drove without knowing anything about GTI's. Would I buy it again? Yes, not the one that I have but another example of the same car.
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GTI's are the type of cars that people buy and beat the hell out of it. And it's supposed to be like this right? And if you abuse the car but keep everything in order you shouldn't worry much or you didn't do your homework properly. Taking a 2005 car, trashing it everywhere, neglect services + other maintenance and expect the car to be reliable in 2017 it's a bit of dream. It's the same with any performance car. You cannot compare a GTI to a Toyota Yaris, a Tiguan or anything that is not in the same category because most of them were not abused as performance cars usually are.
Yep. In 10 years time people will be saying exactly the same thing about Golf Rs. Beaten on for 2/3 years in lease deals and then flooded into the market with abuse related wear and tear, which will prompt the new owners to ask the same question. "Is the MK7 R actually pretty rubbish?"
A potential talking point for manual MK7 Rs is Miss-shifting a gear causing a blown engine. It's happened to several people across the globe. Is that VW's fault, or the owner's for trying to grab 2nd gear at 80mph?
There is a video on Youtube explaining the miss-shifting on the MK7 platform. They call it "money shift" and you can guess why it's called like this.
My GTI was probably abused and neglected by the previous 5 owners :scared: I had a few problems, some of them are still there, clunky noises, etc. I am sure the car had a hard life. Did I make a bad deal buying it? Yes I did but that's because I didn't do my homework properly and bought the first one that I drove without knowing anything about GTI's. Would I buy it again? Yes, not the one that I have but another example of the same car.
Yeah I saw that as I'm subscribed to the Deutsche Autoparts channel :smiley: I wish we had companies like that here! There's also a thread on Pistonheads about it from a guy in the UK who's done the same thing, although he's pleading ignorance and trying to get a new engine out of VW.
Same situation with mine mate. I was actually in the market for a MK1 TT 240 Sport but didn't like it after the test drive, then saw a black Eddy parked up in the corner. Asked if it was for sale, it was, test drove it, bought it. My first MK5 GTI. I knew very little about them also. As the weeks went by, I started noticing more and more iffy things and righted many previous owner wrongs, and it's a very decent car now :smiley:
In all honesty, my next car is going to be brand new. I just don't trust people to look after things to my standards anymore.
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Yes, it was on the Deutsche Autoparts channel :smiley:
My next one will be brand new too when funds allow in the future, same reason as yours. Apart of buying the first one that I drove, I didn't know much about cars in general and I am not a DYI person at all. That's why my GTI still has some problems to be fixed but not enough funds at the moment. And so many things that I want to do but I want the car to be perfect before adding mods.
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Wish I had the money for a new car but really don't think that's going to happen but I've always liked older cars tbh
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I'm with the op a little bit on this, i know when you buy a ten year old car you expect things to be wearing out and need replacing but there are a lot of things that mk5 gti's suffer with. I've probably changed more parts on my mk5 gti as preventative maintenance than my mk4, not great when you consider it's supposed to be a new improved version and my civic type r ep3 was so well behaved it was unreal - yes the ride wasn't as nice and it felt a bit cheaper but it just worked, never had to worry about changing this and that because it might break.
Don't get me wrong i prefer German cars but it disappoints me they cant match Japanese reliability at times.
I think this is my bank account talking typing this because i love my mk5, i think it's my bank account that doesn't :signLOL:
Funny see I had a civic type R couple years back and soooo so much went wrong it.
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Was it an EP3? They liked chewing through electric steering racks and 2nd/3rd gear syncros.
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I also run a s2000 and these are thought of as bulletproof.... but as with any car they have issues . Seized bushing can set you back £1500 if they need to be cut out ... they rust from the inside out on the rear wheel arches, which is a £2500 job if it's bad ! As said all cars suffer with issues but buying a good example is generally the key ,along with preventive maintenance ect
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I love S2000s, such a great all round package. This is my dream one day :smiley:
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I personally view a few 'faults' as wear and tear items, certainly the DV, cam follower, that sort of thing.
There was a period a year or so ago when I had injector problems amoungst other things, and the car was getting on my t*ts a bit. But stepping back and being objective it's actually been a dependable car in the 2 and a half years I've owned it.
As enthusiasts, we really should be enthusiastic about giving these cars the best care we can (some of us are happily spending 4 figures on exhausts, turbo upgrades and BBKs at the same time). My stance is that if the car needs it, it gets it. And if we can take preventative measures against certain parts failing in the future, we should.
The problems mount up when the boring bits of extra maintenance are ignored in favour of tuning parts, or you're unlucky enough to buy a car that's been treated that way in the past - even if you intend to treat it properly, in some cases the damage might have been done.
It's not perfect. But no car is (unless you're loaded and just throw it at a dealer/specialist without a worry if and when things go wrong).
I think if I was forced to live with some of my old cars for a while I'd soon miss my GTI. It's all relative.
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I love S2000s, such a great all round package. This is my dream one day :smiley:
Love watching the 'LHT' videos .... some very good craftsmanship goes on there .
I'd put a few pics of mine up if I could figure out how to :ashamed:
Absolutely love mine ...and that the reason I bought the mk5 , as I didn't want to drive it through the winter . So it's tucked up for those sunny days ! Although saying that I'm very much enjoying the mk5 .... the previous owner ( on here ) has done a brilliant job of making it a fun car ! Not a patch on the s2k though .... gets his flame suit on :fighting:
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I love S2000s, such a great all round package. This is my dream one day :smiley:
Love watching the 'LHT' videos .... some very good craftsmanship goes on there .
I'd put a few pics of mine up if I could figure out how to :ashamed:
Absolutely love mine ...and that the reason I bought the mk5 , as I didn't want to drive it through the winter . So it's tucked up for those sunny days ! Although saying that I'm very much enjoying the mk5 .... the previous owner ( on here ) has done a brilliant job of making it a fun car ! Not a patch on the s2k though .... gets his flame suit on :fighting:
Asbestos suit not required, we don't wear rose tinted specs on here :happy2:
Do you happen to know where John from LHT is from? He's got a strange accent :grin: As you say, amazing craftsmanship and customer service, he's a man after my own heart. The Civic Turbo they built is outstanding. They really pay attention to details most other shops overlook or don't care about.
Would love to see pics of yours sitting on it's Ohlins. Got a Flickr account or something? Dead easy to post pics.
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Asbestos suit not required, we don't wear rose tinted specs on here :happy2:
Do you happen to know where John from LHT is from? He's got a strange accent :grin: As you say, amazing craftsmanship and customer service, he's a man after my own heart. The Civic Turbo they built is outstanding. They really pay attention to details most other shops overlook or don't care about.
Would love to see pics of yours sitting on it's Ohlins. Got a Flickr account or something? Dead easy to post pics.
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Yes that turbo civic build was really nice .... so many beautifully made parts for it .
Think they are based in Florida
Send me your mob number and I'll whatsapp some over . Can never figure out how to put pics up ... I climb trees for a living so proper thick :laugh:
Also check out ' speed academy' on YouTube..... not the same as LHT standard but some great little builds and come across as proper good guys
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https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland-s2000-community-25/joshs-s2k-build-thread-1170995/
Not sure if that will work ... but a few pics there :happy2:
Sorry folks , going off topic :ashamed:
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Was it an EP3? They liked chewing through electric steering racks and 2nd/3rd gear syncros.
Yes was an EP3 but to be honest I don't think previous owners had looked after it too well. Suspension need completely refreshing as the shocks were shot, multiple bushes had gone and went, chewed through a set of front drop links, air con pump tried to escape on the motorway one day, constant knocking/grinding from the front I could not trace, drunk oil and I mean drunk oil, engine mounts, I'm sure there is more but I can't remember now. If you had it in the right gear at the right time it went ok but normal everyday driving it was pretty slow to be honest. Ohh and the thing rattled everywhere.
I have a friend that swears by Japanese car but my experience has always been the interior feel cheap.
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Yes that turbo civic build was really nice .... so many beautifully made parts for it .
Think they are based in Florida
Send me your mob number and I'll whatsapp some over . Can never figure out how to put pics up ... I climb trees for a living so proper thick :laugh:
Also check out ' speed academy' on YouTube..... not the same as LHT standard but some great little builds and come across as proper good guys
Thick you say?
Anyone who chooses these, I beg to differ :happy2:
(https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2ki.com-vbulletin/1334x750/80-img_2798_a0602a88ad2d648bc990ebcdc8310034ddb4c3f2.png)
Yeah I'm a big fan of Speed Academy, and 1320 Video and dozens of others! Lovely colour your S2000. And yeah, I should apologise for going off topic as well :grin:
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Was it an EP3? They liked chewing through electric steering racks and 2nd/3rd gear syncros.
Yes was an EP3 but to be honest I don't think previous owners had looked after it too well. Suspension need completely refreshing as the shocks were shot, multiple bushes had gone and went, chewed through a set of front drop links, air con pump tried to escape on the motorway one day, constant knocking/grinding from the front I could not trace, drunk oil and I mean drunk oil, engine mounts, I'm sure there is more but I can't remember now. If you had it in the right gear at the right time it went ok but normal everyday driving it was pretty slow to be honest. Ohh and the thing rattled everywhere.
I have a friend that swears by Japanese car but my experience has always been the interior feel cheap.
I had an EP3 not long after they first came to the UK for about 6 months. It had a persistent pull to the left. 2 racks and alignments later, still did it. Not even Honda knew what was up with it. The gearbox wasn't too happy either, as mentioned above. Maybe it was an early car with teething troubles but I couldn't live with that pull to the left and got rid of it. Otherwise it was a good car, if a bit droney in the cabin and crashy over bumps. The FN2 drove a bit better day-to-day imo, in spite of the fixed rear beam axle, but it was boring and even harsher.....and let's not forget the 1hp power increase :grin:
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Also bear in mind car makers deliberately don't make their products last forever, in the same way Apple don't want you to have an iPhone 4 forever.
Exactly! I remember when I said a similar thing to this on this forum a year or two ago and had people gunning me down from all angles telling me how stupid I was.
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https://www.s2ki.com/forums/uk-ireland-s2000-community-25/joshs-s2k-build-thread-1170995/
Not sure if that will work ... but a few pics there :happy2:
Sorry folks , going off topic :ashamed:
Nice motor BodyBorder, S2K has always been on my list but nowadays i need a Golf size car, but if I ever buy a house with a garage and driveway it would be a hard choice between the GTI and S2K for the garage spot!
AJP hit the nail on head with this, alot have been modded but not maintained. For me maintenance comes first, generally as bits need replacing they get upgraded, good fuel and regular good quality oil changes often get overlooked but are very important esp on a performance car, imo its the little details that matter.
However sometimes you're unlucky and get a dog, it was a dog before you got it and will be a dog until it goes to the scrapyard in the sky, some cars are built that way, its just some makes you get it more often than others.
Molesy :happy2:
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DSG faults are not unique to the GTI - Take the Evo X for example, which has a comical design flaw that prevents you from selecting any gears. Box has to be stripped down to glue a sensor positioning magnet back on! Doesn't happen on VWs.
Chain wear - It's a chain. They wear out. Again, not unique to VW. They don't last forever on bikes either.
Rust is not unique to the GTI - It's steel and wants to return to it's natural iron oxide state. No escaping that. No steel body shell lasts forever. It affects all cars, even Japanese ones. If you live by the sea in a cold climate, you're on borrowed time. If you live in Florida, not so much of a problem.
Failed PCV / DVs - Again, other cars use the same design and plastic and rubber is certainly not going to last forever. GFB DV+ is a simple solution for that.
Cam follower - A bit of an internet folklore problem and not an issue on standard cars with a good oil changed in a timely fashion.
Wheel bearings - Ditto the chain. It's a wear item and not a design flaw.
Thermostat failure - Again, not a unique problem to the GTI. At least with this car it seizes open. Try an E39 BMW with it's electrically controlled thermostat that jams shut, plus the part is 5x the cost of the GTI part.
Charcoal canister - Really? A plastic box has been listed as a flaw/problem??
Saying that other marques have worse DSG issues is not very reassuring lol.
The chain *should* be a life time of the engine item, if not it should be in the service schedule, and isn't it normally the tensioner which fails, meaning the chain can slap around, rather then the chain itself stretching?
Rust - i'm sorry but VW messed up on this, I know all cars rust, but very few modern cars seem to be going as badly as the mk5. What are the known areas - wings, cills, rear arches, boot, that's basically every panel lol? I see 20 year old Peugeot 306s with less rust than that, if a cheap French hatchback can last that long then IMO it's a poor show that a premium brand (with the price tag to match) cannot do it.
DV/PCV failures - yes fair enough not a difficult or expensive fix, but still another maintenance item.
Cam follower I think is a poor design - should at least be on a visual inspection as part of the service.
Rear wheel bearings are wear and tear, but the GTI does seem to go through them more than other cars, whether that's due to the geometry/axle design?
Thermostats are a common point of failure across many cars, but again it just seems like between the main and inline ones, many owners have had to replace them.
I thought there was an issue with the charcoal canister where a valve failed and then if you brimmed the tank it ruined the canister and had to be replaced - could just be inaccurate info I read online though?
I understand quite a few of the issues would technically come under wear and tear, but then there aren't many parts on a car you could argue are not wear and tear. This is probably just me, but I consider standard wear and tear parts to be brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes/clutches/cambelts, things like that, once you start getting much beyond that you start to wonder if it could have been engineered better.
I suppose at the end of the day much of the complexity required in modern engines comes from the demands of emissions/power/economy.
Interesting thread so far!
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The MK5 was a revolutionary machine that has now set a precedent for the Mk6, Mk7 models to follow. Aside from the problems you mention this is a tough machine, performs amazingly well and hands the road and corners imensely. It won several awards two years running. It is the most revolutionary car of its generation of all its predecessors. Hands down dude. You betcha! :congrats:
Having owned one for a while and reading about/experiencing some of the many faults I am wondering if they are actually any good or not. I know all cars have their issues but the mk5 seems to have more than any car I have experienced before.
Obviously opinion on here is going to be biased, but I thought it was an interesting topic for discussion.
Common issues:
- Rust pretty much everywhere
- Failing DV, PCV
- Cam follower wear (huge bill if not changed)
- Rust/seizing bonnet catch release
- Cam chain/tensioner failure
- Oil pick up blockages/low oil pressure warning light
- A/C compressor failure
- Coked up intake valves
- Thermostat(s) failure
- Mechatronic issues on DSG
- Rear wheel bearings
- Whiteworm on Monza wheels
- ABS sender
- Tumble flaps?
- Door lock module
- Charcoal canister
Not sure if I've missed anything?
*zips up flame suit*
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I've had my ED30 for almost 10 years and covered 100K miles. So here's my faults according to your list.
- Rust pretty much everywhere
Nope. I've had a bit over the left wing which only started at year 8 and was done under warranty. Nil elsewhere.
- Failing DV, PCV
PCV has been fine. I replaced DV from C to D because there was an issue. I switch to G as prophylaxis.
- Cam follower wear (huge bill if not changed)
Car was on T&D servicing using LL3 oil for first four years. At around 40K, Alex at AKS did an inspection - it was worn.
Car was then on 10W40 Millers performance oil, six monthly oil changes. Cam inspected at I think 90K. Looked mint.
- Rust/seizing bonnet catch release
No problems so far but I've periodically greased it.
- Cam chain/tensioner failure
*fingers crossed* no issues so far
- Oil pick up blockages/low oil pressure warning light
*fingers crossed* no issues so far
- A/C compressor failure
Nope.
- Coked up intake valves
Had the inlet valves cleaned at around 90K. Chris at AKS said they weren't in too bad condition.
- Thermostat(s) failure
Nope.
- Mechatronic issues on DSG
Manual so doesn't apply.
- Rear wheel bearings
I think I had these replaced around 70 or 80K.
- Whiteworm on Monza wheels
I bought my Monzas off Greeners who used A1 wheels to refurbish them. They use a different lacquer and it's been fine. I've seen non-VAG cars with whiteworming on diamond cut wheels.
- ABS sender
No, though I did have an ABS sensor go at around 30K, replaced under warranty.
- Tumble flaps?
Nope.
- Door lock module
Two had problems and two replaced as a precaution. This was around 60-70K.
- Charcoal canister
Nope.
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Saying that other marques have worse DSG issues is not very reassuring lol.
The chain *should* be a life time of the engine item, if not it should be in the service schedule, and isn't it normally the tensioner which fails, meaning the chain can slap around, rather then the chain itself stretching?
Rust - i'm sorry but VW messed up on this, I know all cars rust, but very few modern cars seem to be going as badly as the mk5. What are the known areas - wings, cills, rear arches, boot, that's basically every panel lol? I see 20 year old Peugeot 306s with less rust than that, if a cheap French hatchback can last that long then IMO it's a poor show that a premium brand (with the price tag to match) cannot do it.
DV/PCV failures - yes fair enough not a difficult or expensive fix, but still another maintenance item.
Cam follower I think is a poor design - should at least be on a visual inspection as part of the service.
Rear wheel bearings are wear and tear, but the GTI does seem to go through them more than other cars, whether that's due to the geometry/axle design?
Thermostats are a common point of failure across many cars, but again it just seems like between the main and inline ones, many owners have had to replace them.
I thought there was an issue with the charcoal canister where a valve failed and then if you brimmed the tank it ruined the canister and had to be replaced - could just be inaccurate info I read online though?
I understand quite a few of the issues would technically come under wear and tear, but then there aren't many parts on a car you could argue are not wear and tear. This is probably just me, but I consider standard wear and tear parts to be brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes/clutches/cambelts, things like that, once you start getting much beyond that you start to wonder if it could have been engineered better.
I suppose at the end of the day much of the complexity required in modern engines comes from the demands of emissions/power/economy.
Interesting thread so far!
Yeah, check out MRT performance on YouTube. The Mitsubishi DSG issue is well covered on there. A sensor position magnet 'falls off' (because it's glued on) and then the DSG ECU has no idea what gear it's in. It really is quite amusing for 'Japanese reliability'. It should have been clipped or bolted on.
No the chain wears out allowing the tensioner to run out of travel. It happens to everything that uses a chain. Bikes, motorbikes, chainsaws, car engines.
I agree if it needs changing, it should be noted on the service schedule......but everyone knows car makers play the game to get your business. They try their damnedest to not mention expensive maintenance. Think yourself lucky you don't have an early R32!!!
I've had 1 wing replaced in it's 10 year, 115K life so far. The rest of the car is corrosion free. You make it sound like every MK5 on the road is a rotting pig. I would say that any MK5 that has rot on every panel is either a rare 2004 Friday afternoon job with a billion miles on it, and lives by the sea, or has been smacked and badly repaired. More likely the latter.
Agreed on the Cam follower. Not the best design as it's not as robust against neglect, hence why VW switched to a roller follower on the MK6/MK7 engine, which can handle more abuse.
Again, only done 1 bearing in 10 years / 115K miles, so I doubt it's an issue with the chassis design. It's hard to say without any context. Who's to say the wheel hasn't been whacked onto a kerb? Or someone is using 25mm spacers and slammed on air ride?
Thermostats......well, it's a cheap plastic part easy enough to replace. More frequent changes of G13 might help as it has rust inhibitors and lubricants in it.
No the carbon inside the canister just gets saturated and loses it's ability to absorb Hydrocarbons. Again, I've replaced one in 10 years. That's about 60p a month over 10 years.
No offense, but I think you are a little ignorant about mechanical engineering, materials and their properties and the marketing strategies of car makers. I also get the feeling you have an axe to grind with VW, or you've lost the love and trying to support that feeling by running the car down......either way, you won't be convinced. But good luck with your next car. I guarantee it will be worse than the MK5 for faults if you get a post 2010 car :smiley: