NEVER AGAIN! Why are all Volkswagen's just TROUBLE!!

First it was a Passat with Dual Mass, then a Caddy with Limp Mode, then a Golf Convertible hood and now this! You never get this with Kia, Suzuki, Nissan and Hyundai!
Volkswagens are just the worst flip cars ever!
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[@ChopsGarage]

Website - www.cgcarsales.co.uk Tiktok - chopsgarage8 Facebook - facebook.com/CGSmallCarSales Instagram - chops.garage email - [e-mail]

[@ColonelJGHyde]

Hi James love your channel. Looking for a bit of advice on pre-owned cars. Something reliable hassle free if there is such a thing 😁. Thinking cars like Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki etc. Any advice would be much appreciated. Every success with the business and channel.

[@ChopsGarage]

@@ColonelJGHyde Nissan, Nissan and Nissan bud lol! Petrol, not diesel, small petrol 1.2, 1.4. 1.6. Go for good service history and a manual gearbox.

[@ColonelJGHyde]

@@ChopsGarage Thanks very much mate. Appreciate it 😁👍

[@sang3Eta]

Did it have a service history? I think any make of car (not justVW) with 150k miles and no service history would be a money pit.

[@gingernutpreacher]

The whole engine worn but there is a know issue with the valve guides not being sufficient and damageing the valves and value seat's

[@limpet7r63]

The VW / Audi reliability and quality thing is a reputation from the 80s and 90s that really hasn't been deserved since. The modern stuff is a masterclass in hiding cost cutting and flawed, badly executed engineering behind expensive looking trim and interior "mood lighting". What you see and touch gives a perception of quality, but what's under the skin is junk. They are nothing but trouble once out of warranty.

[@jonobaywindow]

From my experience I couldn't agree more. Most German cars are similar too. Planned obsolescence.

[@nicpye248]

I’ve have a VW Caddy. Had it since new, never has a van spent so much time back at the dealers to have faults rectified. They’ve even tried blaming me for one of them. I’ll never have another.

[@darrenwilson8042]

I agree - German cars built up a reputation when they were up against some ropey old junk from Austin etc - thing is the Japanese then the Koreans have come into the fray and just build a better more reliable car - ALL German makers rely on a reputation that has long since expired

[@giogio4833]

100% fact

[@giogio4833]

@Integrale DMY jtd engine is great

[@heartytrucker]

I've been a life long German car fan and even lived there some years ago and understand the German mentality of things not breaking. Sadly lost now. The old merc and vag were tested to destruction then re engineered if they did. Sadly just over 20 years ago they went mass market and have been trading on old rep since. Still screwed together well, which makes them awkward to fix, but sadly now using poor cheap components. Farmfoods ingredients at waitrose prices

[@reececollison5101]

Our VWs have been great, always looked after and serviced on time😁 unreliable - I wouldn’t agree. Not resistant to neglect - definitely.

[@heartytrucker]

@@reececollison5101 I've had German cars years and they have steadily got worse on me. My 80s and 90s vws and audis were great but my mk6 golf, with perfect service history and known ownership from new was a fragile expensive thing to keep. Now gone to honda

[@Jooeffoh]

You are absolutely right. I had a work-mate with a 90's Golf back in the day and he was always banging on about VW quality. Then the PLASTIC pulley tensioner wheel on his timing belt broke and destroyed his engine. The clown then went and bought himself another golf after moaning about it. When I heard the pulley was made out of plastic I couldn't believe that they were cutting corners like that. Now they have plastic sumps and all kinds of money saving nonsense. I wouldn't touch a german car.

[@superseven220]

Merc, VW, Audio, BMW all living on past reputations for reliability.

[@Gazzxy]

@@superseven220 lets be fair.. a lot of if not all manufacturers are cheeping out arnt fussed about how long the car lasts as long as it survives the warranty

[@Colin623]

If it's using that much oil then it's not only the valve stem seals that have gone in my opinion, I would say a combination of valve stems seals and worn piston rings, so basically a rebuild required.

[@malachy1847]

Cylinder Compression Test both 'Dry' and 'Wet' would help to point to the Health of the Engine that and the use of a Air 'Leak Down TESTER' could nail it to see whether it's Valves or Rings ...Great Upload...kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGKlnZ-toJ6fo7c

[@mehrzahl2219]

Oil rings are clogged up, known issue.

[@Colin623]

@@adeburton4885 That's what I said, but also the valve stem seals will also need replacing 100% no way would it be just the rings that have worn out after so many miles, hence me saying both items will need replacing, probably a general recon needs to be done including the big ends no doubt. But if a garage wanted to save money they could try one of those additives as a temporary fix lol, but Chop's won't do that as he's plastered the problem on the internet 😄😄

[@davidellis279]

After buying and selling cars from BCA for over 40 years I can’t believe Chops Garage is foolish enough to by high mileage small engined vehicles without seeing them,all BCA site’s are now closed for live auctions so it’s impossible to evaluate the condition of the vehicles before bidding on them,vehicles of that age and mileage are sent to Auction from main dealers and others only because of one thing and that is they are generally unfit for retail sale either bodily or mechanically. If he could have been at the side of the vehicle when it was started up he would have seen the oil smoke and then bid accordingly, he’s not on his own I’ve bought some disastrous vehicles lately and bitterly regretted the price I’ve paid for them because of the cost of putting them right or fit for sale. For him to offer a Warranty on these tired old vehicles he must be of his tiny mind,thing’s are very difficult at the moment and likely to get a lot worse before it gets better and every dealer is looking at cutting costs to survive anyway they can and this is a classic example of a dealer bailing out by sending it to auction making it someone else’s problem and Chops Garage have ended up with that problem and either he stands the cost of repairs or looses money on it,he can’t win no matter what he does now.

[@Colin623]

@@davidellis279 Agree 100%, he is learning the hard way, but hopefully he will leave these older cars alone and move onto something a bit younger.

[@uniformedhunk]

best thing for an owner is to treat it as a 2-stroke engine! run it on a really thick oil like a cheap 20/50 and drive it gently but then recoup most of the cost by never changing the oil again as its constantly getting fresh oil. oh and overfill the oil by about half a litre or so to give a good safety margin. this was standard banger motoring practice back in the day!

[@fulwell1]

Refund and get it back to auction - if that is burning oil at that rate, the catalytic converter could very well be buggered as a result so you'd be on the hook for an engine or an engine rebuild, possibly a cat and then as you rightly said what about the clutch and flywheel? Don't walk away from this one - run.

[@andymacpherson7424]

Hi James .. Start Up smoke was far to high ( its Blue ) so burning oil ... I'd say a replacement engine would be a better buy.. but the car has covered 150,000 .. I'd say refund the money before it takes the shirt of your back and Auction it with known oil burning fault to recover some money from it .. Keep up the good work .. Andy

[@TheMentalblockrock]

I agree.

[@MiracleMitch]

150k? Valve stem seals get hard by then, a shi..t of a job on some models, not so bad on others but special tools recommended on most, TDIs especially.

[@joem8213]

Totally agree. You win some, you lose some. That's the game you play in the motor trade

[@tardeliesmagic]

I concur.

[@mentalmechanic]

You can hear the piston slap on that straight away. Worn engine not just stem seals

[@hugobloemers4425]

I agree, the engine does not sound healthy.

[@steve0680657]

The 1.2 3 cylinder gets piston slap on the middle cylinder due to a bad design

[@gwl78]

Thats why I drive Japenese cars, my honda diesel currently on 230,000 and still smooth as silk with plenty of power, the only thing I've changed is injector seals and front shocks since I've owned it.

[@vwgolffancarreviews7111]

I agree that I like honda

[@pentagrammotorsport]

The older VW engines would use oil horribly when the crankcase breather got blocked. Not familiar with the 3-cyl engines but worth a look before messing about changing engines or rebuilding.

[@matthewsmith2787]

All VW engines seem to like drinking oil

[@davejones4804]

Imagine if the customer hasn't checked the oil, it would have probably seized up within a few weeks, although that may have made it easier to resolve!

[@Karl_Burton]

"At this point you may want to fast forward if you trust I'm going to do this honestly". It's Friday night, and watching you pour oil is still better than anything on tv. Thank you by the way

[@ChopsGarage]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@Karl_Burton]

@@ChopsGarage Yes sir. Though I must give you the heads up - The Boys. Even better than your channel

[@thistimeimhere]

I don't see the fascination with VW. Everyone I know who has one has nothing but issues and is always a list of repairs needing done. Overrated imo. Although most cars are overrated now. Emissions killed reliability in a lot of brands.

[@geebee6737]

Had my 1.6 for 7 years now and returns 80mpg on longer runs with no issues , brilliant motors and great build quality......neglect on the other hand will kill any car.

[@thistimeimhere]

@@geebee6737 I would say the build quality is strong. Sensors are trash and a lot of cheap bits where you can't see. Yeah most cars are reliable if looked after and they all have weakness too. My experience with pre 2015 VW products including Skoda and Audi is that when they get to a certain mileage all suspension and all sensors will need done. Engines will run and run. To my surprise my current vauxhall astra j which I expected nothing from has been far more reliable than my last Skoda and vw where. 150k and it's still on every original suspension component, only had one set of brakes, due another now. Honestly surprised how solid it's been appart from dpf issues which every car made in last ten years has because they are trash cheat devices that just ruin your car and make it worse on fuel. That's another story though. Absolutely hate them. Even the police and councils are getting them chopped out they are that useless. I used to swear by Skoda Octavia. Mk1 was so reliable and would run and run although had many faults but they wouldn't stop the car. MK2 was decent although ECU was flawed and they used suspension components like oil filters. From what I hear the VW Passat after 2015 are excellent and do big miles. Ones before than not so good. Toyota avensis was the best by far in our line of work but they are weak now since they started putting crappy BMW engines in them. Lots of factors involved though making each car good or bad. My mum has a VW up that's 9 years old now and hasn't went wrong once. I find the bigger and more complex car you buy the less reliable they are now. Sorry for the long rant. Lol

[@MiracleMitch]

@@thistimeimhere I have the worst Passat ever made, the 3C2 (B6 2007) and it a) has 230,000+ UK miles b) a DPF still fitted c) blows 0.38 on the MOT smoke test, well under the VIN plate figure of a ridiculously low 0.50 for a Euro 4 Tdi d) has plenty of grunt for a 170 e) reasonable fuel economy still over 45 mpg and is fully maintained by me (and occasionally my father). And that is the WORST car they made. All brands have problems most due to poor maintenance.

[@thistimeimhere]

@@MiracleMitch I agree and most people don't maintain properly and that's the biggest issue buying second hand for me. I've also noticed Arnold Clark where I bought this latest car have not done service work they said they did a few times now. If I didn't check they would have got away with it. Tbh most garages are terrible from and will mess up your car. The longest I've had without a breakdown was when I had the time to maintain my car myself. Also in my job is no point buying new as after 5 years the cars have 200k+ miles on them and are basically worthless, so your just pissing away 20 grand in depreciation. But then second hand cars are a rip off right now also. What I pay 15 grand for I used to be able to get done for 5. So my costs have trippled with newer cars. That's if they don't break. If they do it's thousands normally for these over complex parts to meet emissions. Since emissions replaced quality they have went down hill in terms of quality of part. Although build quality is good, are a lot of cheap plastic shit now that used to be metal. My main issue is how complex and expensive to fix they are. My 20 year old BMW which was top of the range is cheaper in parts than my astra, also far better to drive still. The BMW was a money pit for the first 4 years I had it. Not had anything wrong in last 5 years though. When modern cars break they cost a fortune to fix. Timing belt is now a 700 quid job. Not a 150 one like they used to be for example. Overall my newer cars are pretty reliable but they cost me about twice as much over 5 years as they used to.

[@andrewstones2921]

If you drive a VW and compare to other cars in their size and price range you may understand.. they have a quality feel with nice interiors and a feeling of solidity and security.

[@Beetlefan]

You don’t need to take the head off to do the valve stem oil seals, there are two ways you can do this, Moores will have the equipment to put compressed air into the cylinders to stop the valves dropping whilst the oil seals are replaced , the other way which is old school is to lower one piston at a time lower rope through the spark plug hole the rope will sit on the crown of the piston , bring the piston up so that the rope is pressed against the valves which will stop them dropping replace the oil seals one piston at a time.

[@Toby_the_Glen]

But it's done 150k, it's a grenade with the pin out? It's only a matter of time before the next issue?

[@jonathandeeley6276]

Waist of time doing the seals at 150k, the valve guides will be worn badly as well. Replacing the seals may cure it for a few hundred miles and then the problem will reappear. Wet and dry compression test should confirm where the problem lies or though it's going to have general wear and tear at that mileage. Check breathing system first.👍

[@Beetlefan]

@@jonathandeeley6276 I’ve done loads on cars that have done that mileage, the seals have hardened with age.

[@steve0680657]

Feed rope into the cylinders through the plug hole.

[@bordersw1239]

Gave up with golfs almost 20 years ago - it was on it’s third gearbox at 26k miles. Not helped by VW replacing the 1st gearbox and forgetting to tighten the sump plug on the 2nd one - which lasted a total of 50 miles.

[@bordersw1239]

@Lookup2Wakeup . Happened to my dad almost 50 years ago - Ford main dealer forgot to tighten the engine sump plug, engine went bang. The MD called my dad into his office and sacked the guy who serviced it and the service manager in front of my dad. - dad was actually mortified that they lost their jobs.

[@WestYorkshireGuy1]

Personally I would not flush an engine with such high mileage. It can cause all sorts of issues, many mechanics advise against it too. That engine is shot though. Imagine how much it would cost topping up all the time? You would make more money stripping it for parts than fixing it.

[@martin1125]

I agree totally about VW, they are living off past reputation from 80s and 90s when they were good. I steer clear of them if possible, they have squeezed their suppliers so much that they have cut corners and therefore parts are poor quality

[@borisbus4917]

Agree totally. I break cars and if have dismantled quite a few "new" Beetles - the mk1 cars - they are terrible, everything is brittle plastic, interiors worn out even at relatively low miles

[@matthewsmith2787]

VW are reliable on the whole. All car manufacturers have cut corners

[@westonstaufenberg7278]

I'll never own a VW again. I bought a 09 GTI w/ the TSI Engine privately a couple years ago and after 125K miles, I've had problem after problem. Rear main seal, Timing Tensioner, Electrical Issues (Limp Mode currently), Intake Manifold, PCV, even the damn headliner started falling apart. Not only are modern cars complete junk after 100K miles, they especially don't want you working on them, my GTI doesn't even have the fuse diagram on the box's cover. Their some info in the manual, but most of it pretty much says go to the stealership.

[@GadgetGazza12]

What I've been told the reason you find the Auctions are full of 10 Year old and over Audi's Volkswagen's and BMW'S ect Is because you usually find that It costs more to buy part's and fix them than there worth when you go to sell It on again . Even If you weren't handy to fix yourself and have to take to the Main Dealer they charge something like £100 a hour plus vat just In Labour

[@ianpluves]

My local VW dealer Lookers is now at £115 PLUS VAT per hour so £138 hourly rate!

[@modmod392]

Local MB Dealer is £165 plus vat per hour.

[@kevinbarry71]

Thicker oil is going to do nothing. You have to find out where it's going. Since no German car manufacturer seems to know how to make a crank case ventilation system properly, it very well may be being sucked into the intake. Of course it is a Volkswagen, so the engine is probably also worn out meaning it's going through the rings. With the valve guide seals as an extra bonus

[@barbaraneville5036]

Have you checked the PCV valve on the Polo ? Also you can take the spark plug out and fill it with waxed sting string or maybe t then turn engine over by hand till its tight. then you need to compres the spring .Or there may be a tool that fits through the spark plug hole that locks the valve in the closed position No head removal required to change the valve stem oil seals

[@Vik_Singh]

Pull the dip stick out next time you top up the oil as it helps release the air 😉

[@BS-wx9zi]

Love these longer videos! actually get excited when you pop up in my recommended

[@ChopsGarage]

Cheers buddy!

[@sitcorocket]

As a complete opposite, my 2.0 golf gti has done 205,000 miles from new, had it 22 years, same engine, gearbox and exhaust! Had two clutches and various suspension items etc and electrics but been a steady Eddie.. Oil n filters every year... ❤️

[@vegvisirphotography5632]

1.5dci Nissan note bought at 118k miles for £800. Now on 310k miles, oroginal clutch and everything. £30 road tax. Never broken down or needed a part changed. I'm often told about German build quality as I drive by shagged German cars littering the sides of roads with hazards on. Adolph can keep telling himself his beetles are fantastic.

[@hoggmotorsport]

Mr Chops... I had an astra do the exact same thing, couldn't see any smoke with normal driving.... But take it for a drive down a steep hill, keep your foot OFF the throttle for as long as possible, then when you do accelerate look in the mirror for the James Bond smoke screen!! Vacuum with no throttle will draw oil up into the bore with worn rings, then it'll burn under acceleration 🚗💨 Good luck dude 👍

[@markwills145]

I prefer foxes glacia mints to polo's

[@geebee6737]

I prefer Trebor mints....virgin polo's

[@richardhaywoodh]

You would have thought burning that much oil would have shown up on the MOT test as an emmisions failure?

[@kiphakes]

22:20 "Wipe it off a second.. use the T-Shirt" - Mrs Chops must love that!! 🤣

[@mickthompson584]

Apart from a worn engine it could be the pcv valve diaphram is split.

[@tfairley1187]

James I love the channel and the work you put in but lately the “clickbait” titles have been putting me off… I’ve run 4 Skoda taxis, 1.6 and 2.0 diesels well over 200k each with nothing but routine maintenance and wear and tear

[@ChopsGarage]

I'm not sure it classes as click bait, if you follow the channel you will see I have been burned by every VW I bought so its entirely accurate on my experience. I sell hundreds of cars of around the same age and without exception VW cause most issue.

[@tonycalow708]

Their diesels are one of the best there are. VW petrols are shite at best! They`re not as good as they were and don`t deserve the good reputation they still have.

[@CS-oo6hs]

@@ChopsGarage As a long time VAG owner I can understand why there is a difference in perception between owners of VAG cars and dealers/mechanics. For owners who keep them long term and don’t mind dealing with a few occasional repairs, they’re great as they tend to be very reliable day to day and they’re nice, economical and well built cars. However, they seem to reach points where there will be numerous sudden, random problems, and it’s at these points that people either neglect them, sell them or both, hence why seem to be a pain in the arse for dealers. After a bit of TLC though they tend to be reliable again for a good while. One thing I will concede is that VAG has a piss poor attitude to acknowledging problems. The best evidence of this I can give is that my Rapid had a leaky door seal, a common issue. Upon getting it into the dealer they claimed they’d never seen that problem before. I found that hard to believe as there was a service bulletin for it (VW tries to dodge recalls by using discreet ‘service bulletins’ instead). In fact, I’ve even heard of someone who was having an engine noise issue with their car, (in the warranty period) and they were told it was normal. Shortly afterwards, it sustained engine damage, and they were told it wouldn’t be repaired under warranty and they shouldn’t have ignored the noise!

[@spainter1985]

I'd have to agree that the diesels are pretty solid, however the VAG range of petrol engines around this era are not - I think the title is quite justified!

[@brianbickle7395]

I think Skoda put their touch into what are essentially VW engines. But too many people today don’t have a clue about weekly checks, they think it’s ok from annual service to service.

[@andrewstones2921]

I have a kind of love/hate relationship with VWs. I have owned over 50 cars in the last 40 years, and I only bought my first VW, a 10 year old (2007) VW Polo 5 years ago for my wife.. well bugger me if it wasn't the most reliable car we have ever had, 5 years of passing the test every year with nothing but a couple of light bulbs.. changing the oil and filters every year was the ONLY maintenance it got.. however, it had annoyances. The central locking would make up it's own mind about working and often one of the back doors would just stay locked for a month or so no matter what.. can't open from outside or inside.. the rear wiper stopped working also. Worst annoyance was the creaking and rattles from the dash particularly when its cold.. sold it just before Christmas and got almost the same price with we paid almost 5 years earlier, and it sold instantly when advertised.

[@CS-oo6hs]

You just perfectly summed up VAG ownership. You can mostly rely on them, but they also like to throw up weird issues.

[@robertpowell7672]

How does a car burning that much oil, pass the MOT emissions?

[@adamdavies163]

Cars like that should be taken off the road. I do not relish breathing in someone else's burnt oil fumes. Topping it up should NOT be an option!

[@ChopsGarage]

I assume it might be a stuck ring that occurred after

[@andreivalentinpantazi9358]

A bought private a seat Ibiza 1.2 3 cilinders petrol 2010 , after about 3 weeks engine light on , because of codes I changed cam axe sensor , lambda sensor 1 , catalityc convertor , oil change , lambda sensor 2 , chain kit in total 1000£ with 3 different mechanics , after all this the car still had the management light on nut the car drove lovely, until then only drove the car around city , and then I did 120 miles on motorway a had to top up 1,5 liters on oil and I did not think of it after few weeks I did about 400 miles on motorway and got oil light on on dual carriageway and I had to top up 3 liters of oil because the dip stick was bone dry the car had 98k miles and I scrapped it at 104k miles , went and bought a Kia ceed 1.4 petrol 4 cilinders 2009 and did not use one single drop of oil , drove it from UK to France at maxim speed allowed and it never missed a beat , since then I haven't touched another Vag group car these cars are presented as nice cars but there are just junk cars , in they're owners manual on the new cars is stated that 1 liter of oil use is far for every 600miles how can you say that and people are still buy them . Sorry for the rant but this Polo just hit home for me 🤣

[@chrishull4174]

Hi buddy, I don’t have any experience with that particular engine but with the amount of time it took you to fill the oil there is a issue with the crankcase ventilation system. Pulling out the dipstick should make it quicker to fill . I’m thinking, It’s either going to be a blockage in a hose or separation valve . It’s possible with the mileage and poor maintenance that the engine is worn and oil is passing valve guides , but I’d be looking at the ventilation system first before making a decision to whip the engine apart. The crankcase could be pressurising or not allowing the oil to return to the sump . 👍🏻

[@grahamherbert3612]

150k on a 1.2 Polo . . . I'm amazed the things not clattering like a bag of spanners . . . The top end's clearly shot.

[@Toby_the_Glen]

To be fair it doesn't sound that good when he was revving it?

[@glennpowell3444]

I agree.Sounds all wrong.That is the reason so many cars end up in auction.Cut your losses and pass it on.Trouble is they often reappear at retail with loads of old hacks.

[@davesy6969]

Wouldn't it fail an emissions test if it's burning oil?

[@ianpluves]

These are great little cars - when things are going well. Unfortunately like any car they have issues and from personal experience watch out for the following: 1. Timing suddenly goes wrong - requires a special VW electronic tool (cost last time my Indy looked was over £1500 plus VAT) - repaired by dealer at a reduced rate as car was only 4 years old approx £300 but dealer had never seen this before so used the car as training for techs! Cost would have been in excess of £600 based on number of hours spent on car. 2. Air con won't blow cool but condenser and refrigerant all good - matrix behind the dash requires replacement cost over £600 plus VAT and the same in labour so around £1400 in total as the dash has to come out. 3. Coolant loss but not from a hose etc. Water pump is a common issue even on cars less than 4 years old with less than 50K(cost over £600 at VW dealer but under warranty). 4. Noise from engine left hand side (whirring sound) which disappears when clutch depressed - input thrust bearing. Cost in excess of £600 as requires gearbox off with 6 hours labour. Again we were covered under an extended warranty. The lesson to learn is that if the car is a £9k polo or a £4k polo the cost of the above is still the same!! This is over ownership of 3 different Polos 1 TDI and 2 TSI's. I now see why Hyundai's, Honda's and Kia's are popular!!

[@chrispop99]

For the Polo, set the GoPro up to look at the tail pipe when you go for a long drive to check for smoke.

[@colinbaldwin3833]

Really admire your methodical approach to problems. I really don’t think there’s many more honourable.

[@ChopsGarage]

I appreciate that!

[@michaeldemetriou1399]

This guy is honest and reasonable.

[@worldhello1234]

That says nothing about him. 😉

[@kjbunnyboiler]

The coolant is usually a reddish colour but looks very dark in the bottle. Could there be head or head gasket issues?

[@ChopsGarage]

No coolant is good bud

[@bennevis21]

I drive a VW golf 1.4 tsi from nearly new that has 82,000. Change my oil every 13,000 miles or so and changed the spark plugs at 60,000 and they look fine. I get mid 50's miles to a gallon. Get car for me.

[@BigDave1965]

I worked for a engine plant carrying out durability tests and investigating warranty returns. In my opinion these modern small capacity turbo engines that produce high BHP and Torque figures and low emissions and good fuel economy are amazing. But for all these gains comes lack of durability. So to get to 168k is amazing, the car looks worthy of a replacement engine and that would be the most economic repair.

[@davidpriestley3268]

I had vw’s for 25 years, petrol and diesel and never had a single problem after hundreds of thousands of miles. These were new or nearly new though. My wife’s 3 cylinder Up she’s had from new has 80k on it and has never missed a beat.

[@pentagrammotorsport]

The Mk6 Golf deadlocks warning is something they all do from the factory when you switch them off. It isn’t a fault, it’s basically just warning you not to lock your keys (or a dog) in the car.

[@jontallon73]

Yep every modern volkswagen does that

[@Robw516]

Same for Audi's so assumung same thing for all VAG cars

[@danielrussell446]

Yes it’s called safelock for it to be working correctly the red LED in the drivers door has to be blinking when locked and fast blinks when open or closed

[@danielrussell446]

@@Robw516 yes for many years now I’ve had 5 Volkswagen in a row and it’s the same and my brothers Skoda is

[@goonermick7786]

Yep spot on golfs 6 7 in general have this message and it’s all good, 3 cylinder engines in general suffer with burning oil on very high mileage, and it’s prob been thrashed to within its an inch of its life I recon, get rid in the auction with known fault James

[@samuesoeilyoriy6581]

problem here is gummed up oil control rings / drain holes on pistons . this is caused by lack of oil changes or using poor quality or wrong oil type , one solution worth trying is engine oil flush once the oil drain holes are free problem should stop

[@stephenrichards5386]

Interestingly it didn't smoke immediately on start. When you accelerated then the smoke started. But you are doing all the right analysis

[@HantsLeo]

My Passat showed all sorts of weird faults such as rear parking sensors failed when in fact the battery was on the way out. The voltage can dip and some modules get false errors. The reversing sensors and all electronic modules were OK.

[@realliveradio447]

That's a lot of miles for a 3cyl engine.😮

[@TheBadger1957]

About 40 years ago I did a course with a piston ring manufacturer. They showed that if your piston let through enough oil to fit on the head of a pin, you would use around 1 pint a mile.

[@ChopsGarage]

Wow!

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

I've had 2 x VWs and they were both nothing but trouble.

[@182britania]

had a vw once and never again,nothing but trouble and expensive,i could never understand vw and audi lovers ,the amount i see broken down on the side of the road,i drive regularly up and down the motorway and id say both are up there with the worst. As you say you rarely see an hyundai,kia or nissan on the side.

[@01matthewc]

Or Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Mazda

[@182britania]

@@01matthewc agree , id stay away from anything german over engineered and were never upto the understanding of electonics.

[@matthewsmith2787]

Or a Ford either, despite their infamous reputation

[@01matthewc]

Being a delivery driver, I was 45 minutes late back from my rounds yesterday because I got stuck in traffic on a 2 lane each way A road either no hard shoulder. The cause, a 22 reg BMW had broken down and the Highways Agency had put a cordon around it.

[@richfixescars]

The Polo is 12 years old, 150k miles, not that surprising the engine is Donald ducked. They aren't designed to last for ever. Give him his money back, and best not to retail old stuff like that.

[@royale4318]

I wonder if acquiring a lower mileage, 2nd- hand engine from a breaker might be your most cost-effective solution to this Polo?

[@michaelleyland761]

hi James the golf convertible may be broken wire in the drivers door . I have the a3 convertible had same issue. the rear window wouldn't come down prevents the roof operating worth try

[@Cayres9]

Its hilarious my neighbours old 1998 VW Polo 1.4 auto is still working perfect but my friends 2015 Polo 1.2 is already having issues and only has 45 thousand on the clock , VW gone downhill the last few years

[@ChopsGarage]

Agreed!

[@Cayres9]

@@ChopsGarage Thanks mate , I used to own a 2003 TDI golf that thing got to 200 thousand miles before the gearbox bearings went and that was only cause i never serviced it or it would still be here today lol old VWs were quality

[@matthewsmith2787]

I was sitting getting my car MOT at the VW garage, the amount of customers who came in and reported faults was ridiculous. Many were serious faults and the cars could not be driven

[@Cayres9]

@@matthewsmith2787 Yeah crap they are nowadays

[@markhannan4712]

Over the last seven years I’ve had two Passat 1.6 blue motion estates and they have been great nice to drive cheap to run just about to buy my third one . Maintenance is key in any car whatever make or model

[@mazdaman1286]

The mid to late 90's saw the end of German reliability. The badge became everything so the main thing was a new car every 3 to 5 years. At BMW we did not really want to see a six year old car in a workshop or on the approved used car pitch five year old cars were the max and they had to be high spec. Everything was geared to trade, in new car send the old to auction. TFSI engines known for oil consumption and chain issues. We stopped even looking at jumped chains. Little Hondas are bullet proof .

[@mickfaragher7897]

I worked for VAG from 85-88. The valve stem issue was a problem back then so it's always been a weak point.

[@matthewsmith2787]

I used to drive a 2.0 TDI Passat which oil pump failed causing catastrophic engine damage. The Golf I drive now, hopefully has been a lot more reliable

[@giogio4833]

Look on the bright side at least you won't need to do oil changes.just keep topping it up

[@Mohammedu87]

Get a 205litre barrel and sorted for a year

[@davidcoyle7125]

James check the pcv valve, a compression test wet and dry would show up if the bottom end is worn, if the rings/pistons and bore are worn then even at idle if you removed the oil filler cap you would see lots of gasses rush out but really think its a cheap pvc valve required?

[@andrewbaines8760]

Try cleaning the crankcase breather, excess pressure will soon force that much oil out. If not maybe oil thickener

[@allanwoodham9484]

I know someone with the same car but it’s done 197.000 miles original engine gearbox it also smokes a little on start up. Hopefully yours will be all good

[@bikeman123]

210k miles on my 2000 golf gti 1.8T, never uses a drop of oil, original clutch. Serviced annually.

[@kiphakes]

Mrs Hakes had a Petrol Beetle (54 Plate - I think) and she had to top that up with an obscene amount of oil near the end of its life.. I couldn't believe quite how much - but it seems very similar to the usage on that Polo!

[@neilmartin5341]

Most probably was a 1.6 engine in the Beetle, horrible engine compared to the diesel version

[@terrycousins3015]

My last two golf gtd’s bought from new did well over 100k each with no issues at all. Just servicing,tyres,brakes. My latest golf gte advance had from new is just 4 years old and the same,just servicing not even needed pads or discs having driven 47k. All my cars maintenance is done by Expert VW,in Hertfordshire,my wife’s polo’s and now Seat also excellent and servicing by Expert VW.

[@Paul-ue8tn]

I had an older 1.2 that consumed a litre every 1000 miles. I ran it on 10w 40, even added stop smoke to it and although it improved it never really cured the issue. I had the head rebuilt with new guides and valves but it still used oil so concluded it was gummed or worn oil rings. Compression was around 100psi.

[@Paul-ue8tn]

Also it used to knock the cat out after a year as it sooted up over time

[@ChopsGarage]

Yep the oil change is an experiment more than solution

[@Ben-jq5oo]

Did you try running it at the lowest dipstick level, ie not topping it up? Maybe it’s burning more oil when topped all the way ??

[@FatHead1979]

WOW, that oil consumption is insane, especially given you can't see any smoke when it's actually being driven!

[@Jay-B1750]

I'm gobsmacked!!

[@franklove9897]

Bear in mind though when he did the start up test at the beginning on the video he said he couldn't see any blue smoke then either but it was plainly seen by the camera. And that was when the car was standing still, when it's doing 70mph the smoke will dissipate more quickly.

[@davidirons1856]

Never thought I would say this but being van dealers we are far happier selling Fench ie Citroën, Renault resulting in far fewer problems than any German, Mercedes, VW. Yes I actually said that! As previously mentioned the aforementioned German marques are living off the fantastic build quality of many years ago, unfortunately not today!

[@MrGrumbles69]

Hi James, Re-Polo. I would refund the buyer and sell the car on as 'spares '. It's the only ethical thing to do. I wouldn't be happy selling the car as a car to potter around locally as the owner of it may still end up , having to do some distance in an emergency and end up getting stranded. At the end of the day, you mention about about having to take responsibility and this is something you must do. Take the hit and either sell the car as spares or take it to a breakers yard and get £100 for it. That way you haven't compromised anybody and you have done the right thing. That car with that mileage is junk. Don't pass it on, you're the seller, take the hit and learn from it. Any other way of disposal of the car is unethical, trust me.

[@davidellis279]

I’ve been reconditioning all types of engines all my life and anyone who expects a 1-2 engine after 150,000 miles not to have some wear on it is being unrealistic,in the 1960/70s small engines of this capacity from Ford,Vauxhall and many others were knackered at 50,000 miles so 150,000 from this Polo isn’t bad going,looking at the smoke after a cold start it is more than likely oil stem seals but once that engine is stripped most likely other wear will be found,buying blind from BCA is a Nightmare and it’s like playing RUSSIAN ROULETTE with your money,had you been able to see the car start up and see the smoke Before bidding and buy accordingly,you could off course try a heavier oil to see if it makes any difference.

[@plumbc007]

PSA engines easily do over 300k and when you rip them apart they still look new , best engine ever 2.0 cdti imo

[@156dave]

I’ve got a 1.6TDI A3 done 137K with EGR fault tried squirting cleaner in the intake Still get coil light flashing told will cost 900 to replace at local Audi specialist car only worth 1600 any suggestions??

[@haleroe9398]

tbh a 10 year old car with 150,000 isn't worth doing anything with I'd refund and personally put it through auction

[@chrishart8548]

Actually a surprising amount of money now to buy a 10 year old car with 150k on it. People are not realising how old all these cars are now. Paying £4k for a 16 year old car and they expect everything to be perfect.

[@ancientbriton8262]

I had one of very early polo’s, it’s was the worst car I have ever owned at 2 years old, the oil pump failed, the drive flats where the oil pump engaged on the crank wore circular, luckily I stopped when the oil light came on and checked the oil levels also being close to home had a pressure gauge, so did not damage the engine, in addition their were other problems, like the door latches breaking, being made of pot metal, door window winders stripping and failing, fuel blockage problems, electrical faults, never owned a VW since

[@gavTFSi]

Not the same engine or even related family, but my VAG EA113 engine was using a litre every 300 miles when I first got it (at 108k miles). Serviced, new breather and using 10/40 oil not 5/30, coupled with me driving like I stole it, the oil consumption is now about 4000 miles per litre (nearly a full year between top ups). Guess it was gummed up rings from being driven like a granny. 130k miles now and runs lovely. Ignore the lock message - standard on all VAG cars of that era.

[@oojimmyflip]

your pouring oil into a cold engine, usually to change the oil you warm the engine up, so its going to be slow filling it up when cold. is there any point refurbing that engine? Id bet you could get a replacement on a pallet guaranteed for at least 3 months and fitted cheaper than replacing the valve stem seals. The oil rings could also be stuck allowing oil to pass by the pistons. Never use any kind of engine flush, you might as well put half a gallon of paraffin in the engine, ive seen so many engines destroyed that way and it will definitely destroy hydraulic tappets in Vauxhalls, better off giving it 2 changes of clean oil with a 20 mile journey in between. just a thought , is the oil breather pipe from the engine blocked?

[@markmoore2625]

VAG cars are over rated money pits. But will people stop buying them? No. Badge snobbery and perceived prestige keeps these crates popular on the second hand market. Remember the old adage, 'a fool and his money are easily parted'.

[@cliffparker69]

I've got a 20 year old golf with 190,000 miles on it it's never had valve seals only belts and service items.....I'd get the compression tested for a 60 plate that is bad smoke Has it been maintained properly it sounded rattly

[@joemalone9380]

it makes no difference anymore . previous owners dictate reliability . if they don't bother servicing the next owner suffers . i drive a 1 female owner from new who NEVER serviced the car. she started blowing coil packs at 70k for lack of changing spark plugs and needed to rebuild the engine at 75k miles. this was the only reason I bought the car

[@robclinton5237]

i have a 23 year old vw t4 transporter done 284k no smoke drives great more than i can say for the t5 t6 and newer vw with half the milage

[@dockerandy]

Had my golf 9 yrs and from 32,000 miles, now done 130,000 miles and been good as gold, been a fantastic car, still going strong, so i disagree, the cars are well built, it can only be owners who neglect them that cause the issues, thats not the cars fault. Oh and mines a 2.0 tdi. So look after them and they are great.

[@zubeystinzen540]

When you topped it up with the thick oil & took the reading did allow for oil sitting in the new filter?

[@cme2cau]

I'd rather drive a Volkswagen. I'd rather OWN a Toyota. This is a lesson I learned by experience.

[@charris939]

I had a Daihatsu charade 3 cylinder 1 litre motor bought it with 250,000 kilometres odometer burned about 1 litre of oil every fuel tank refill, traded it at 350,000 kilometres oil consumption remained the same. That golf motor is cooked.

[@andrewstones2921]

Daihatsu make the best 3 cylinder engines In the world in my opinion.

[@robrobster9148]

No, it should not smoke. My 1997 VW Polo 1.4 8V 60 HP has 497.000+ km and did 1 liter of oil to 800-1000 km. It smoked on start up and idle. I replaced the valve stem seals and after that no smoke and it does not burn any oil still after 3000-4000 km. I can't believe how strong this engine is. Also the head has never been off.

[@ChopsGarage]

Very different engine that though

[@robrobster9148]

@@ChopsGarage yes. It's somewhat unfortunate it is the TSI engine. That model VW Polo you have were also available with the 4 cylinder 1.4 16V. These are the last dependable engines in the long run to have.

[@IAWAF]

My son used to have a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta. Nice enough little car, but fragile. While he was studying abroad, I drove the car on occasion to keep the fluids circulating. One winter morning, I start to take it to work and I back out of the driveway, wipers running. Suddenly, a large chunk of snow falls down from the roof onto the windshield, stopping the wipers. I turned the wipers off and cleared the snow, but the wipers wouldn’t work. Turns out the wiper motor was stripped and had to be replaced - hundreds of dollars. That and other issues led me to conclude, “VW’s are fragile”. It always seemed that someone was failing and needed work. I would not buy a VW - not when other brands have much less frequency of problems.

[@nigelbryant5932]

I used to have a Rover 25. It used 4litres of oil over a 200 mile drive from Derby back home. It never smoked. It was valve stem oil seals. Loved the car but was uneconomical to repair. What do people expect after 150,000 miles. Warranty, no chance.

[@01matthewc]

I'm on my 2nd Kia Rio (2012 and now a 66 reg). Both were (and are) super reliable, never let me down and I'm not exactly an ultra low mileage driver. Both times when I bought my Kia's I compared them to VW Polo's amongst other cars in that class and in terms of quality, manufactuers warranty, purchase price, value for money, looks, equipment and bolt on goodies I've got to say for me between the Kia Rio and VW Polo, the Kia's came out on top in all those areas both times. VW (and some other manufactuers out there) need to buy some Kia and Hyundai vehicles, strip them down and really study and examine them hard and learn some vital lessons from doing so.

[@69Phuket]

I put 5w30 synthetic in my 97K Mazda 2... Still sweet engine but do you think thicker might help?

[@johnclarke6542]

Wife's Corsa 1.3 cdti (fiat engine) 154,000 miles has used no oil in the 12 years she has own it, if the piston s and rings have gone I would expect blow by, should be positive crank case pressure when you pull the dipstick out or lift the oil cap when running, VW group had a reputation of bad pistons and rings, timing chains and tensioners I believe they re-engineered the issues

[@ChopsGarage]

Th e1.3 derv is a great engine

[@alexhood7091]

On those 3 cylinders is better to use 10W-40 After it gets over 100K i find the run a bit smoother and burn a lot less oil

[@adamnyman7009]

We had a Polo. I had to keep spare coils as were always failing. Get rid of it and the problems.

[@ChopsGarage]

They do love a coil!

[@rickybrown4619]

Pull the dipstick out while topping up creates a vent pipe oil goes in quicker

[@Danny-204]

I run a 2001 mk4 golf V6 4 motion. She is a brilliant car. But newer ones like my wife drives, are very nice cars, and drive beautifully. However I really don’t see the quality in them anymore. Everything is made so much cheaper, and really not built to last

[@cabottaxi]

Interesting take on VWs James. Had 2 of them ( 2007 Polo 1.2 , 2012 Touran 1.6tdi ) Never kept them above 40000 miles. No engine problems but Touran had to have brand new light control unit. Told by mechanic 156 wires going into it. Had to wait 6 weeks for the part from Germany. Looking to replace my BMW diesel ( never had any problems in years) and these problems have put me off buying a Skoda Karoq dsg 1.5tsi due to reviews. Good luck with the Polo.

[@danielrussell446]

My brother has a Karoq and I have a t roc and not had a problem at all

[@jeffsmith2144]

2012 Touran 2.0tdi dsg. 90k, not even a screw loose. Always go for biggest engine.

[@doloresmyatt9737]

hi, if you do a compression test and check the readings

[@ianfrost3529]

Check the breather isn’t blocked. But a 150 k 1.2 3cyl smoky vw engine I would say new engine. It’s a combination of valve guides and oil control rings. My step mum had a old smoky 1.2 polo 3 cylinder on a run it would drink more oil than fuel particularly over 65/70mph. But it went really well and sounded sweet but it’s an issue with fsi tsi and tfsi vw engines Its one of those things if you kept it top up with oil it would go on and on. Also pop the dip stick makes it go down quicker

[@ItsAllJustBollox]

Just had the same problem on my wife's astra 1.6 turned out to be the PCV engine breather had failed it was using a litre of oil in about 80 miles now uses next to nothing.

[@Nypartcannon]

Had many vws myself I buy them because I like them. Some never needed a thing some have caused me grief. Ps leave the dipstick out it will fill quicker and I thicker oil would be only beneficial for helping to raise oil pressure.

[@rickysihtractorfan9304]

You could go a bit thicker than 5W30 on an engine with that sort of mileage Edit: Wow, that's a lot of oil gone, I was sure they were just misreading the level. Mind you, 150k is a lot of miles for a little 3 pot. I'm worried about all the new cars (often up to small SUV size) that are using turbocharged 1 ltr petrol 3 pots, they're just not going to last. What were the emision results like when it was MOT'd?