Volkswagen Golf Mk.7 (2013-2017)

In sep 24 I paid nearly $900 to solitaire mile end to fix mechatronic leak. In June 26, they detected mechatronic leak again and they want to rip me off again. My friends had warned me the mechatronic issues with VW cars. This is testament to VW reputation, and the credibility of solitaire service mile end is also questionable

This is worst machine that still exists on this planet....notorious for its transmission, Machatronics , Oil leak, Engine failures and water pump etc issues.. Even after issues are rectified and fixed these may reappear anytime, repair costs is in thousands and above all VW post service is pathetic Show details

Problem – I use this car on a very limited basis (7000 kms a year). I've got an issue with the rear left side door lock, it's totally packed up after 33,000kms. I've tried to get the issue resolved on a good will basis, but because the vehicle is six years old VW don't want to know about. I did do research about this vehicle before I acquired it and this… Read more

wasn't one of the issues that was mentioned. The parts on these vehicles just haven't got the longevity that a Japanese got. Beware!

Major fault in German engineering – I am a careful driver and bought this car brand new 8 years ago. Car has been garaged for past 7 years. I have worked from home for past 7 years. I have never thrashed the car and it's got zero scratches on its black body even after all these years. It was my pride and joy until recently when the car just broke down and I was told that the… Read more

Mechatronics and gearbox had failed. Now I know what you're thinking - it's 8 years old and yes why should I complain but at 110k kms, I would have thought that this German engineered car one under the GTI model would have lasted at least until 150k kms before I needed to pay for something this big to be fixed. I wrote to VW Australia to ask if they would consider an out of warranty claim - to date - four months later and many follow up emails I have been ignored. No response. Nothing. They have clearly refused to help with the costs or even pay a portion of the labour fees. Not even given me the courtesy of a reply. I should mention now that I also asked the dealer for help and guess what - no. They did nothing either. So I sat and waited and thought about what I should do. I would have thought that this would have been a car that drove well for longer than its 110k kms. I would have thought that VW Australia would have cared at least to write back. All no. So now I'm saying no myself. No to ever buying a VW car of any kind ever again. I could afford a toureg tiguan golf whatever VW I want but unfortunately I'm burnt with the brand. The failure of the engineering to even last 110k Kms. The failure of a company to recognise a loyal customer. I am writing this to ensure that everyone buys this brand with with caution.

Good city car with some minor issues – Bought Golf 7 Highline with safety package and luxurious package in 2015 for my wife. Good city car and only done 30,000 km. Overall happy with it. I am six feet tall and fit in comfortably, more spacious than other small cars like Corolla, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, etc. Fast, solid. Like it's cornering light and adaptive cruise control. Some minor… Read more

issues need to mention before buying VW:

1. Don't like the start stop system, slow start when stop in red traffic light. I have to disable it every time before driving. 2. Battery dead just after three years warranty, expensive to replace it. 3. Navigation system slow start. 4. Update maps on the navigation system costs $187. I try to update map from VW website and noticed only VW SD card can be used. Third party SD cards not working. 5. Capped pricing service costs more than most Japanese cars.

I was considering to buy a Tiguan but due to above concerns I bought a CR-V instead, very happy with my Honda.

Golf VII 1.2 TSI 110CV – I purchased this 110CV revision of the 1.2 TSI petrol engine with a special summer promotion in Sweden offering ACC, the multifunctional steering wheel, carplay, etc. No extras except metal paint. The car has turned out very good in many regards. First, it drives fantastically well on city drive and on highways. On motorways with ACC i can get… Read more

very low consumption figures like 4.8L/100km. I made a long distance autobahn trip over 1000km on one day, with maintained fast speeds in the Autobahn and the average consumption was 5.4l/100km which is just awesome. Not so good is the consumption in city drive with start stop, easily reaching the 10l/100km in shorter trips. On average 7.5l/100km with a LOT of city traffic. Space is awesome, comfortable, best boot in the category (compared to the Volvo V40 it is huge). Build quality is great out of the shop, but it gets old fast. I had a series of small problems. The biggest one was seriously warped disk brakes after only 3000km, They replaced them under warranty. They are warped again, and no, i am not driving like a madman. I guess it has something to do with the cold winters in sweden, and maybe cold water splashing on them or something. Another issue was a broken power window mechanism. And two times the ACC radar sensor got misaligned. Also I feel all the rubber seals in the doors tend to loose its noise cancelling effect and the satisfying door closing noise tends to disappear after a while. The engine is great, although sometimes it will struggle while reversing on a back or stuff like that and your clutch might suffer. Compared to the 1.0 three cylinder it feels more underpowerd, less torque, but nicer and softer in start and stop. Pretty good, practical, solid and nice looking car... just wonder about the long term reliability of components. Would buy again in a blink.

Rubbish don’t bother – Bought the car brand new with 3 yrs warranty, a couple months after warranty finished with only 20,000km on the clock error msg pops up on dash which a a recognised known problem with VW company. No offer of goodwill to fix at all. Would expect almost brand new car wouldnt start having these issues. May opt out and sell while still early but won’t be going for VW next Show details

Don't buy one!!!!!, users oil and I have had to replace the gearbox at 43000kms @ $3500 factory service people useless – usage second car Daily usage seviced as per log book not happy Jan, what a shame it is an expensive flop with poor warranty and back up service. this is my 4th vw , no more :( Show details

Great small car – Bought it in 2015 from vw kloster newcastle.tuns smooth as a whistle . Never had any trouble so far.done more than 100k . Worth every cent . Pickup is excellent along with fuel efficiency. Maneuverability is a class of it's own Show details

Don't do it, don't buy VW – I've owned VW for a good many years and have some wonderful road trips in North America and Europe but that all ended. I bought a new VW golf in 2013 and it will be the last time I own a VW, the car was a lemon. Dealing with VW Australia was a nightmare as was the dealership and service centre.

Unreliable. Extremely expensive. Had 2 new gearboxes and 2 new clutches. Transmission extremely unsatisfactory – Commuting, used everyday. Have only ever had this car serviced by VW, has never been late for a service. Always something wrong with it. Extremely expensive to maintain. Only one owner. Show details

VW 'lemon ' golf – my golf tsi turbo was initially a satisfying purchase , even over the warranty period i had multiple repairs recalls issues clutch gearbox blue motion high oil usage etc , hopefully things have improved in the last year or so Show details

Expensive maintenance issues – I bought my VW Golf in 2015 brand new from the dealership with 3 years warranty, thinking it is a brand new car , 3 years warranty should be enough. I got it serviced regularly at their authorized dealership. I drive the car mainly in the city. Just after my warrant expired, 2 months after, the odometer reading was only around 60,000 km at… Read more

that time, I had problem with my Gearbox. needed to get replaced. John hughes quoted $3600 to replace the gearbox , I claimed under goodwill warranty, Thank God it was approved. 1 year down the track, another problem occurred with the micro switch inside the selector, which costed $1100 t o fox it. then the last problem before I sold it, I had problem with the aircon evaporator that costs $3000. These all happened in less than 5 years since I bought the car and less than 100,000 km. I would never buy VW again . it is very disappointing to find this car is so unreliable and expensive to maintain. On top of that, the times and energy we spent to keep going back to fix it. Not worth it at all

This car is simply perfect – Great car all round. Handling, performance, styling (inside and out) and liveability are all the facets that make this car a great daily driver, and a little 'fun' when you want to. Driving in Race mode, and sports shift is where its at, but will hit your fuel economy. IF you drop back to Comfort mode or Eco, you can get economy down to 6-7L per… Read more

100km on the open road. The only downside is that i cant hook up a towball due to the AWD and exhaust system at the back end, but i have a second car that tows anyway. Will def buy again!

Cheap Budget Parts - Warning! – 2015 MK7 GTI 6Speed Manual Battery died in no time due to a start/stop recall - this was covered a while ago. (1-2 years ago) Then Plastic handle piece of the seat adjustment came off? Passengers side mirror fell out? Leather gear stick cover worn already? And now the back wiper decides it wants to come out intermittently and say hi to… Read more

the car behind?? Blocking my full view...

Around 80km on the clock. Ive done 50km in the past 3.5 years so not much. I have no kids? I barely ever have passengers. Spent 50k on the car and I would expect better quality items.

Nothing mechanical as yet, which is why I gave it 2 stars. I wanted to give 2.5 stars though.

Fantastic car all around – I have owned my car for 2 years now and done 40,000km and it hasn't missed a beat. The fuel economy is excellent, usually around 6.5l/100km in town and 5.5l/100km highway driving. I also use it to tow my boat (500kg) and it does it with ease. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants an affordable yet comfortable hatch that is brilliant to drive. Show details

Exceptional customer service from VW Australia – We purchased a used 2013 VW Golf Highline in January 2019. It had 65,000klm on the clock and had been regularly serviced. Lovely car to drive, great handling, economical, and typically well finished German interior which is elegant and practical. After 4 months of ownership the car developed a shudder when taking off from the lights. This was… Read more

diagnosed as the clutch packs being on the way out. Being well out of warranty we were quoted $2,800 for repairs. We had heard much bad press about VW and their customer service however I have nothing but praise. The dealership applied to VW Australia for a good will claim. After three days we received the news that VW Australia would replace the clutch packs at their cost. For a car that was three years out of warranty this is great customer service. For all of you who read the bad reports about owning a VW this is a good news story.

Fantastic – My wife and I bought a used mk7 Golf GTI with 134,000 km on it! (manual). It still looks, feels and drives like a new car. Our family with 2 kids are very tall and we find this a fantastic, and fun, primary car. It tows well too. With the addition of a roof pod there is lots of luggage space for holidays. The only problem we've had is a flat battery. Show details

Best car i have owned yet! – Bought this car while ive been renovating a house for more transport capacity. Has been amazing and never missed a beat. I'm up to 200k kms and still going strong! Will be buying another soon. Show details

Sporty quick and fun – Bought brand new, I have modified it freely and I truly love the performance of this car, added features leather seats sun roof premium sounds system all worth the extra I paid. Bought in black is my only downfall it is hard to keep clean but otherwise this car has been a great investment tbh  Show details

A quality car in almost every way – I purchased my Golf 7 (a 103TSI Highline) second hand in a private sale. It was still under warranty at the time, although had done a fair few kilometers. It did need new clutch packs for the DSG, which were replaced under warranty, and now over 2 years later it still drives absolutely brilliantly. I have now covered 90000kms, and everything still… Read more

works perfectly, it rides and drives lovely, nothing squeaks or rattles, basically it still looks almost brand new. Compared to other small cars the Golf really does feel premium; and the way it drives supports that. It's also great on fuel (as low as 4.5l/100km on highway trips), it's quiet, comfortable, and has lots of handy gadgets and driving aids (such as Adaptive Cruise Control and self parking). It would have rated a 5 if only the servicing costs were a bit more competitive, as they can be a but pricey compared to a Corolla or Astra.

Wish i bought a Toyota – I use my gti mk7 as a everyday car with modifications and iv been having issues not with my sport modifications but with simple yet expensive standard features such as corner light sensors and cruise control systems. The car just doesn't feel like a high end car after 1 yr. Feels like a old abused car although i take care of it and get it serviced. Wish i had bought a Toyota.  Show details

Great car but needs better QC – MK7 GTI owner, best hatchrocket ever driven, slick design and beautiful interior. However, continuously rattling keep bothers me so now I'm switch to a higher level brand than VW, the engine mount needed strengthen, it vibrates in an abnormal way under hard acceleration which is what this car designed for.  Show details

Repairs, Repairs and then more repairs – My Golf was fantastic to drive right up to 4years old and 100,000 kms THEN it all started. Radiator, Timing Chain, Horn, Brake Master Cylinder, Clutch Master Cylinder and the list goes on and on. Its just gone in for a new clutch today. Always serviced on time, driven by 40+ yo parent adult. Complained to VW but they wont answer any questions (5+ emails over several months).  Show details

Very nice car – Commuter vehicle 12000k per year. Very comfortable. Surprisingly good acceleration. Nippy. Big inside, the back is excellent for the size. Economical. Lots of headroom. Big boot Reliable, not like the Mark6 118 I had before that was dreadful. So bad I got an I30, very happy to return to VW though I did pay for an extended warranty. PROBLEMS -… Read more

not too bad.

Feeble reversing lights, they are the tiny frosted strips in the cluster. Therefore the reversing camera is hopeless at night, when it might be useful.

Has some stupid software with the camera interfering with normal use.

Jumpy from start with the stop/start function.

Not the most reliable car – This car has been disappointing - within the first 6 months of purchase the DSG gearbox decided to make some weird noises like a squealing noise - complained to the service department and a fault was lodge only to find that the clutch packs were damaged and required replacement. The replacement took 2 days thank goodness I was provided a loan… Read more

vehicle.

Fast forward to 2 years - I would randomly drive and an error message would pop up on my dashboard which was so fast that I wasn't able to read it - took it in to get the error message scanned - it picked up that my gear selector was faulty and throwing an electrical fault to the on board computer thinking that my car was in P whilst it was in motion. Had to get the entire unit replaced - thankfully under warranty otherwise it would have cost over $2K

I would not recommend this car if you are planning to buy and keep the car for a long period of time such as over 6-10 years - if you are salary packaging or leasing it then why not - the car does drive well and comfortable - it has plenty of power and is very fuel efficient it is also a very refined car in it's category and feels very solid even at high speeds and in heavy wind and rain. You will also feel very secure to know that it is a very safe car and even safer if you bundle it with the safety pack.

Overall - only purchase this car if you are willing to fork out money for repairs or if you are planning to lease it or have it for a short term. Not a good choice if you are looking for a long term durable vehicle.

Great car - not perfect but I love it – I really like this car. It feels sporty and has heaps of features that add to the comfort levels. I particularly like the heated leather seats, the steering wheel with lots of buttons that work the audio/entertainment/information system, the reversing camera and parking assistance system, as well as the overall look of the car. It is really… Read more

economical.

One thing I don't like is how hesitant it feels when entering roundabouts or when I want to quickly turn across traffic. I assume the hesitation is a consequence of a fuel efficiency measure but it almost feels like a fault. I have learnt to drive around this issue but when my husband drives the car he hates this characteristic and he feels that it is dangerous. I have heard that it may be possible to have this fuel-saving feature removed by an auto-electrician after the warranty has expired. If it was more responsive off the mark, it would be the perfect car.

Biggest mistake of my life – After getting promoted, I celebrated by buying a new Golf R, I spared no expense and was bowled over by the many test drives I completed. Everything was going well until the first service, keep in mind I’m a trained mechanic and pilot, but had to use them for warranty reasons - for the next year it was in and out, new turbos, new parts, leaks,… Read more

electronics that would freeze and stutter and then it flat out wouldn’t start. Fair to say they don’t like the Aussie heat much, even so, rubbish car for the price.

Great car, drives well and is good on fuel – The performance of this car is amazing, for a 4 cylinder 1.4L turbo car it is very zippy, the only downside I have found performance wise is the car is a bit slow to respond when you put your foot on the accelerator. The interior of the car looks and feels streamline and has easily accessible features whilst driving. The value for money in regards to fuel is good, roughly 800km out of a tank on premium fuel.  Show details

good build but disappointing drive at low speed – The Golf is a bit overrated. It's build quality is good and strong acceleration in mid-range, but at low-speed, the DSG and turbo lag often caused delay of up to 1 second from the time I step on the gas to the time that the car started to speed up. When the power comes, it is a rough surge and a jerky ride. On many occasions, entering… Read more

round-about was scary because of this delay. The auto-hold is also annoying because it holds not only up-hill, but in all situations when the car stops. It means that in heavy traffic, just releasing the brake won't edge the car forward, but I have to step on the gas and then a hard brake just to move the car forward a short distance. In the end, I decided not to use it at all. On the other hand, I really like the cornering light because it is really useful at night. I would have kept the car if not for the disappointing low-speed handling. Now I am trading it for another brand.

Love my golf – I own a 2015 golf. Purchased it brand new from the dealer and have never had a better car. Was my first time downsizing since the kids moved out and very happy to have such a reliable and quality small car. Much easier to get around than the big station wagon I used to own.  Show details

2015 tsi. Unacceptable turbo lag and bizarre reverse camera screen – Amazed at the glowing reviews for what it just another small car. The positives: Golf continues to have great handling, fit and finish generally good and attractive looks. Apple CarPlay is awesome. The not so positive : controls are not as intuitive as older models (had an early 2000's 2 litre Golf and control layout was obvious and easy to… Read more

use). It's a personal thing but I can't stand the engine management system and hate that it operates by default. IE if you don't like it you have to turn it off every time you start the car. Def a city car only - too uncomfortable for long trips

The really annoying: horrible turbo lag you would expect in a first gen 1980's 4 cylinder. Lessened somewhat if you engage the sports mode.

The incredibly annoying: when you engage reverse the left half of the screen is blacked out with a picture of a car and a warning asking whether the coast is clear. To get rid of it you have to touch the screen in exactly the right spot otherwise it remains. So in effect something that Volkswagen probably intended as a safety feature is actually quite dangerous and is a distraction. Have asked the dealer if this if something that can be turned off and have been told no.

This is the last VW we will buy. Not happy Jan.