The Car Wizard Was Wrong About These Volkswagens

[@mattalki]

Yeah, his video on 'buy this not that' with the VWs was waaaay off. It drove me kinda nuts, tbh. He seems to be someone who dabbles in VWs but doesn't really know them inside and out.

[@mikealicious3848]

I have a 2.5L mk5 Jetta. In my experience, it’s a money pit, but it does not leave me stranded, and it always starts up. It gets me where I need to go even when it clearly has needed work. Notes of repairs between 116k-137k miles: 2019: ABS module, VCG, & serpentine belt 2020: Alternator 2021: PCV diaphragm, oil cap gasket 2022: vacuum pump delete kit, MAP sensor 2023: belt tensioner 2024: valve cover kit, fuel injector O-rings, auto trans replacement, rear main seal, gas cap, wheel bearing, OFHG, intake gaskets, knock sensors Upcoming repairs 2024: 3 door actuators, 2 Sun visors (due to short in wiring) I did not sell the car due to not wanting a car payment and not being able to afford a new car.

[@francescomaimone8865]

I have a 2.5 golf MK6. Mine has been solid except for oil filter housing assembly leaking- twice. Vacuum pump seal, belt tensioner and PCV valve are ‘normal’ for these cars, that most owners eat as routine maintenance. Still on original clutch, alternator, and control arms with 157k miles.

[@initialyeet3951]

Honestly, I’ve never had fix anything on my Mk6 2.5 Jetta except basic maintenance + o2 sensor, ac recharge, 2 door locks, rattles+other pet peeves, and a speaker that I am replacing next week. I have only owned it for 2 years, so take that with a grain of salt, but those were mostly issues present upon purchase and the carfax didn’t have too many big ticket items. Also it’s pretty nice to drive ever since I got the IE s1 tune to fix the 5-speed’s rev hang.

[@sol-hb8zg]

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s his American bias. Vw group in Europe is solid. His price markup for repairs is crazy like 1200 for a timing belt service 😂

[@CARTUNE.]

Hey bud, I’ve watched a ton of your videos. I’m a huge VW/Audi guy. I currently own a MK5 GTI and a MK8 GTI. I’ve been considering picking up an 06 - 09 Rabbit or (possibly a 2010+ 2.5 Golf/Jetta). However, when looking at used cars, I always check out the engine and transmission costs. JUST incase something major goes wrong, can I still afford to keep it on the road. With that said, I’ve noticed that the 06 - 09 Rabbits transmission seem to cost a good amount more than the newer 2010+ stuff. Specifically the automatics, not the manuals, (those both seem great and still cheap). I’m only using eBay however, not local marketplace prices. Is there any reason for this? Or is there no difference? For instance when looking at 06 - 09 Rabbit automatics, most sit around $1100 - $1200. And 2011 - 13 Golf/Jetta are routinely $450 - $650. I’m assuming it may just be the number of units available and not the transmission itself. It’s not a big deal, I’m just curious.

[@eurodriven2507]

Thank you for the kind words! I'm not sure what the difference would be. As long as they're 09G's they should work. Alternatively, what most 2.5 owners do when their auto goes out is put in a manual. A 6spd swap from a GTI or TDI is very common.

[@CARTUNE.]

@@eurodriven2507 I appreciate the information! Ok well that makes me feel much better. Not that the price difference was even that much, it was just something I noticed. With that said I won’t let the auto scare me away from one of these gems. They seem to hold up pretty well. I love driving stick too so I’ll be on the hunt for either. After I find a decent one (most up here in southern Michigan/Northern Indiana are pretty beat up) I can go back to giving my MK5 GTI some love.

[@Outsider7473]

He himself loves land rovers and he admits they are money pits, but he owns a shop so he can make the repairs without labor and diagnostic times. I own a shop and admit my golf mark 4 will act up but I have a shop to fix it but I also maintain my vehicle more often to keep from acting up

[@Spawn_187]

Bro your thoughts on the cc with 200k. What to look for?

[@eurodriven2507]

You'll want to find a CC group on Facebook. I'm totally unfamiliar with them personally, sorry.

[@Spawn_187]

@@eurodriven2507 thx for the quick reply bro🙏🏾

[@jameswaite5603]

This video still doesn’t cover the big one CarWizzard left out: the fact that the 2.5 is the most reliable in ALL of these models. The guy briefly mentions it in the MK5 Rabbit but just calls it “motor.” Doesn’t even mention what it is. Why no love for the 2.5???

[@eurodriven2507]

It's also crazy to overlook that it was in the Jetta, Passat, Beetle, Mk6 Golf too. It was around for almost a decade and he acts like it's a side note.

[@initialyeet3951]

@@eurodriven2507yeah, I would say that it’s the most common VW engine in the US from ‘05 to ‘13. The TDI, EA888, 1.8, VR6, and 2.slow are common but not quite as much and the 1.4 wasn’t a thing yet.

[@mipmixchannel]

hi ! nice ideas ! i had a 2001 vw golf, 2.0 L gas, 115 HP, Made in Brasil ... "drank" a lot of oil, and I had always a check engine light on ! no one able to find out the real problem ... not even at dealership ! so, when I saw that decided to stay always away from their products ! later on, 2011, I changed for Hyundai Elantra Touring, no more check engine lights on ... have some relatives in Germany ... they where for years with VW ... but only troubles; especially electronics, but even an engine swap @20.000 km on a tdi ... they choose to go&stay with Volvo after that ! in the last 20 years, I saw a continuous degradation of long term quality/reliability regarding German cars in parallel with a continuous growing prices; so, even if they are so nice to drive, fit&finish, etc-etc ... they are not for me anymore ... "car wizard" has it's own opinions ... generally agree with him, but in the Europeans cars subject, prefer to avoid a very tough position (pro / against) ... appreciate those who are having the courage to buy European cars ! good roads to have, I wish you !

[@eurodriven2507]

Like I said, knowing to buy is part of it. The early 2.0 MK4's are known to drink oil. Oil consumption isn't something that really bothers me personally. But that model year is definitely one I would recommend avoiding to the typical driver, with no mechanical experience or know-how. As far as the check engine light, a dealership is only as good as the technician. I can't imagine it was an unsolvable problem. I'm sorry to say, but it sounds like you got unlucky with your choice in dealership. Which is rough, because they're supposed to be the experts. Regardless, your story is not the only one like that I've heard. And I do hear those complaints, but like I said, knowing what to buy is half the battle. Same goes for the Hyundai/Kia. Some of those cars are RIDICULOUSLY problematic, others are totally fine.

[@JaPaNeSe_MxD_707]

​@@eurodriven2507how do you feel about the 2000 vw gti 1.8t?

[@eurodriven2507]

@@JaPaNeSe_MxD_707 Assuming it's been well maintained, they're good cars. Expect to replace every plastic piece under the hood and a lot of vacuum lines if it hasn't gotten a refresh already. Use good oil, (LiquiMoly is my favorite), make sure the timing belt is in good shape, and replace the PCV + Valve cover gasket before they fail.

[@JaPaNeSe_MxD_707]

@@eurodriven2507 oh shoot ok, I had experience with the 2.0 in the similar year and didn't have any issues other than it being slow lol but I heard a lot about the 1.8t and you definitely gave me a lot to look into on this car I was going to check out. It has some aftermarket performance parts on the engine. I can ask and check to see if any of those things that you mentioned have been replaced

[@eurodriven2507]

@zamoragiloz Easy option you can try out, I've noticed a fair bit less oil consumption on my Girlfriend's 2.5l Rabbit after switching to LiquiMoly Leichtlauf 5w40.

[@Ben-uy3qe]

The 1.6 TDI is garbage . Injector issues and all sorts, However the 2.0 TDI is bulletproof. The 2011 does have a dpf however no adblue . As long as you stick castrol long life in and change out no more than 10k miles they are good to go.

[@styopaa.z]

can confirm my mechanic says the same

[@styopaa.z]

nice video

[@savielflores678]

Any reliable gli years?

[@eurodriven2507]

Pretty much any GLI will come down to maintenance. The Mk4 GLI (00-05) VR6 (12v or 24v) will go for a very long time if oil changes are done, the coolant "crack pipe" is replaced, and vacuum lines are replaced. Basically the same story for the 1.8T, but timing belt will need replacement every 80k on that. The Mk5 GLI should probably be avoided. They're reliable, but maintenance heavy, you have to really love the interior and exterior styling to justify one. The 2013+ GLI's are all pretty good. Expect the water pump to go out at some point and for it to need carbon cleaning, but they're pretty damn reliable.

[@savielflores678]

@eurodriven2507 gotcha. So if I'm looking to get a second car just to cruise for the summer (not a daily) then I'd choose 2014 and up or 00-05?

[@eurodriven2507]

@@savielflores678 if it's just a cruiser, I'd actually recommend a Mk3 Jetta GLX. They don't have modern amenities, but they're driver's cars. Basically the same 12v VR6 as the Mk4 GLI.

[@savielflores678]

@eurodriven2507 pretty much what I'm looking to do is have a show car(potentially modify it) while keeping my daily driver I currently own.