Volkswagen Golf Mk.7 (2013-2017) Questions & Answers

I believe it has a timing belt, but I can't be 100% certain.

I have never had a Golf with manual transmission. I should imagine it would depend greatly on the way the car has been driven.

No problem with my mk7 and it doesn’t ever use oil it’s done 132k must of got a good one and just had a major service done

Anthony, absolutely incredible your VW Golf oil consumption continues minimal activity! Mine 2013 MK7 consumes average 1lt/1000klms in suburban conditions, common fault in Europe. I continue researching mechanical controls and services within the operation to resolve the problem. If successful I’ll release on multiple forums for other owners. Welcome your advice.

I’ve just paid $17999 with 81,000 km

I can only answer from my own experience of my Golf, purchased new in Sept 2015. It's done 107,000km and been serviced regularly (7 times). Has been a fantastic little car, fun to drive, economical yet nimble. That being said, much comes down to how it's looked after (clean oil, quality fuel, fresh air) all goes a long way to having the car serve a long, useful life - but my experience is a thumbs up and enjoy these cars!

Good luck John. In my experience, VW are not helpful and are very expensive. My golf does not have a remote key but you would think they would have a battery that could be replaced as other remote devices do. Maybe that’s just another way VW makes more money.

Thanks Meredith but I have changed the battery and it still doesn't work. Looks like it needs a new internal PCB. Thanks anyway, regards John.

I was told at the car yard to bring my car in as they have a locksmith comes regularly and makes copies for around $200, i haven't had to yet but worth a try

Thanks Peter. As it turned out, I took the battery out of my wife's key and put it in mine ( I checked that hers worked first) and still my key didn't work. Clearly she had enough battery power for hers to work so it should have made mine work too I thought. Not so. When I put a brand new battery in my key, it then worked. Until then, I assumed mine was dead and very nearly went down the key replacement path. I dodged a bullet. Thanks for your response, John.

Logically check your manual or sales doco first

Hi Sandra. I have just needed to find an answer to the same question. I've been through all the documentation including service book, sales dockets etc. and came up blank. A good Google search provided the answer. The easy answer is ... if you have rounded tail lights, it's Mk 6, if they are sharp edged design, Mk 7. Mark 7 also has the sophisticated "Infotainment System" with GPS and lots of other choices (radio, car, menu etc.) in the middle of the dash. Regards, John.

Soft limiters I think, enviro emissions and all that jazz

It is under warranty

Looks a reasonable price

I am just worried as a have recently read negative reports, high repair and service costs on vw.

Surprised me as after reading reviews for a month most car reviews gave it 8.5/10 but actual drivers on this site seem to sat vw are too much trouble?

The motoring press is in love with VW products because they drive them but don't own them. They are nicely conceived products but as far as I can ascertain not robustly engineered in the same way as a Toyota. They seem to be variable in build quality with some owners having a great run and others having nothing but nightmares. I am on my second one (Golf R) and to be honest have no real faith in the product reliability long-term, but fortunately can afford an expensive repair bill if I get one.

I don’t know, talk to them - Or buy something better...

VW offer capped price servicing, which was part of the appeal of me buying this car - I knew my future costs. The servicing costs are too high in my opinion (because the car is CERTAINLY NOT worth the $70k price tag I paid.) I am about to get my 50k service next week. Here's a link to their servicing plans: external link 

Personally, I will never buy another VW. The parent company has many other appealing brands, such as Porsche and Audi so I am going to avoid them too. I had a very negative experience with my local VW dealer when I took my car in for its complementary service...they gave it back to me in worse condition; then took no responsibility to correct their ballsup! I had to take additional time off work and the company didn't care, and there was a cascading effect of errors that surrounded this; so I filed a complaint with my lawyer, involved the Ombudsman, the local MP and also their head office in Germany - to reimburse me for my lost wages and other damages. I shortly after filed under the "Lemon Law" provision once I discovered the car was sold to me with major faults (had I known this was the true state of the vehicle I would not have purchased it). So as you can imagine, they promptly started smoothing things over with me. Its a shame I had to go to this length, but I felt they really just expected me to "lay there and take it."

In my experience, VW is the worst vehicle company I have ever encountered; and after their deception with misleading diesel emissions was the icing on the cake for me, and here I thought they could sink no lower! My thoughts, a pushbike...in the rain...with a flat tyre...and no seat is better than a VW! Stay clear...

I've owned 3 GTI's and one MY16 R Wolf Wagon, a MY2000 Subaru Liberty, and first car was a '79 Mazda 323... In my experience finding a trusted mechanic who has a long history of specialist vehicle (think VAG for audi/VW/Skoda, or Japanese made cars etc) knowledge, and you'll have a far better experience owning whichever car you pick. I loved my Sube, and am now about to purchase a second-hand Forester with confidence that it will last the distance. Subaru and VW both are known to have high servicing costs. I'd never go back to a dealership service place ever again unless I absolutely had to. They ARE both relatively expensive, but usually (unless you copped a lemon which potentially happens with ANY car) you end up with a car lasting far longer than others with cheaper running-costs. Mazda 3's are great cars for example, but the shine (in all senses) seems to fade around the five year mark. Commodores/Falcons can be pretty damn sturdy mechanically, but wear and tear/ageing/fading VERY quickly.

YMMV, but I've never had significant problems with any of my cars! Lol even my learner's Mazda was a great car 20yrs on in 1999 - although a mechanic had to install an ignition starter button because the regular ignition wouldn't work, and I loved it! I now have a starter button again in my current Wolf Wagon lol.

But seriously, find a specialist mechanic with a passion for the car you decide on, and stick with them.

Bobby, My advice would be to find a Japanese car. The golf is beautiful to drive, beautifully finished, looks great.... But honestly, you need to be prepared to spend $1000 - $3000 on repairs every year if not under warranty. Just to get the brakes changed is min $400 per wheel. They still have timing belts $1200 to replace. These prices are not dealership but independent VW specialist. Dealership is more.

If you are buying second hand these are the issues common to VW.

Air conditioner $1260 to replace

Gear box $3000 - $5000

Computer $ridiculous

Engine mounts

If you ask RAA they will tell you to stay away from small European cars.

My advice would be to think about Toyota Nissan or Mazda. Good luck

The Golf GTI does not exhibit torque steer, and has traction control so you won't get wheel spin on take off. It is the hot hatch standard bearer by which all other performance hot hatches are judged and is consistently the winner in comparison tests. In terms of manual vs auto, I have the 6 speed manual, and love it. It was a head decision as my daughter is learning to drive and I wanted her to have a manual to practise in. My heart would have loved the DSG box as I'm a bit lazy, but I have no complaints about the manual and I saved $2500. As for service costs, they are capped for the first 5 years and are typically between $250 - $350 depending on the service. They're only required once per year so the cost is very reasonable. You will need to replace the timing belt at 120,000 kms and the cost for that is $900 at my local VW dealer, an independent would be cheaper (timing belt replacement is a fact for all engines). As for the Japanese vs European argument, these are performance cars and so many things such as brakes are going to cost more than the base versions because the cars are driven harder and the parts are more specialised. I don't think a Toyota Corolla Levin or Mazda 3 MPS is really in the same class as the Golf so I doubt they would be viable alternatives. The real competitors are the Audi S3, Merc A45 and BMW 135, which all cost way more so the Golf is definitely the best option.

I have had torque steer in my Golf Highline DSG but only very minimal. This usually happens at an intersection where the road is uneven and you take off too quickly from a standstill - TURBO. I do not recall having any wheel spin in this situation. The reason I really liked this car is that I wanted to replace my Ford(with RWD) because as it was on dedicated gas it had no traction control. When it rained I had to drive so slowly especially if I was trying to turn and accelerate at a hill. I have just had my last free service from VW and am out of warranty now but my son has a 2009 Golf and has never had to spend the amount of money as stated by Mummy999. There is a very reasonable Golf mechanic called Volkservice in Braeside in SE Melbourne that he goes to. My friend has a 3 yr old Nissan and she paid $1200 for her last service and she has had to service her car every 6-9 mths. Every car has pros and cons but I enjoy driving the Golf, my daughter has the Manual and that is also a joy to drive, my husband wanted the auto as he gets over 'changing gears' and for re-sale.

Hi Bryce, Have you bought yet? I've owned 2 GTI's and 4 Golfs. You'll be looking at a Mk 7.5 GTI. There is little torque steer in this model. Wheel spin off the line is symptomatic of all front wheel drive cars, you need to accommodate this in your driving habits. The current GTI isn't as sharp in handling as the Mk 6, it would seem they toned it down to sell more of the pricier GTI performance edition. I have had both transmissions. The manuals in my 2 GTI's were sweet shifting and reliable units. My current Mk 7.5 Golf R has DSG auto which syncs better with the tech (eg: Traffic jam assist and the awesome launch control) but exhibits typical DSG trait of being occasionally a little jerky at take off. Personally, I would save $2600 and buy a manual. If you want an auto GTI, can I suggest you save a little more and wait a little more for the GTI performance edition 2, which has more performance and better handling with the trick differential. Or source a Golf R Grid Edition (limited build - very few left) which is a big step up in perforrmance for a little extra $. I've found all my Golfs to be reliable, well built and refined devices. Unfortunately, the company's reputation has been slatted by those unfortunate enough to have the older model's drivetrain glitches, as you will read on this site. Do some research, you'll find the current model to be a quality machine.

Congratulations, am sure you will love it. Modern motors (especially yours) do not usually require a 'run in' like they used to. However, that said, I don't suggest you take it to a race track just yet.

What I do suggest, is that you use it in regular Auto, then run it for awhile in "Sports" and then when you have the energy, use the gear shift DSG feature. Wait... you said it is a Manual?, then forget all that, just drive it through the gears and keep the Revs below screaming.....

Love mine too, a MY15 90TSI manual - yes, it drives fine off-the-blocks, but I did like to vary the driving conditions of a new motor, which means highway at 100 it was sitting on ~2175rpm in 6th, so I squeezed the accelerator and made the engine pull from that rpm to 3k (160km/h), and then foot off the accelerator and compression brake back down to 100. do this about 10 times during a decent trip, and you'll appreciate the mid range pull for the lifetime of the vehicle. Also, only rev higher than 4k rpm once the OIL temp is 75-80+ degrees. Don't confuse water temp with oil temp, oil temp is available by pressing the UP arrow once when in Driving Stats display.

Other than that, enjoy, one of the best vehicles I've ever had the pleasure to drive - wasn't even thinking VW until a dealer called me, and purchased same day!

I am taking action against my local dealer due to 6+ months of driving around with a faulty interior command centre, so no, I wouldn't recommend a vw to anyone...........

And yes the DSG does have a hesitation/delay.

Yes, the transmission isn't very smooth though this is common in most vehicles. Tyre noise is higher than most other vehicles on highways. You can get tires that are quieter which I have done. Playing music negates most of the road noise.

I highly recommend buying a VW Golf though I do caution that you should pick your dealer wisely.

So the 2013 as you already know have issues but with the new current models (2015) are much more smoother and Volks had worked on improvements to negate issues like what you have at the moment. Mine being a Golf R, turbo, there is a little delay at the start when you excelerate (turbo lag) but once the car goes, it goes...... go and have a test drive in the newer models and feel it for yourself. The DSG has improved from my experience, and the changing of the gears are pretty much none existent. Feels like one gear all the way.

I'm not to sure with the lower model golfs but with the R's the tyres are good quality sports but then again I drive with music on so I can't tell the difference. I'll try driving tomorrow without music and let you know if the cabin is quiet or not.

A good place I would go to is Camberwell Volkswagen and go see the sales guy that took care of me, Seyhan Isen. He took care of me and even after 3 months, I call, he helps, and have a casual chat after. Very good dealership, have a look at the ratings. I hope that helps .

Cabin noise isn't as good but with the exhaust sound and the music playing in the background, I'm good with it.

Hi Shane, with every DSG box there is always going to be a small hesitation, the fact that it is a DSG it is mimicking a manual gear box, if you have driven a manual gear box you would understand that there would be a delay in shifting to first gear, that's exactly the same as a DSG while it is in gear. But overall it responds well, faster than normal auto and manuals put together. You will not get a premium car like this compared to other manufacturers for the same price. I do agree they might have small issues here and there but every car does, but once the minor issue is fixed all is good.

Hi, I've just submitted a review on the Golf Mk 7 DSG and your comments on the box are very valid - my advice buy a manual, the DSG linked to stop start is nigh on dangerous at junctions, too much of a delay in starting and pulling away.

I have a FY14 Golf 2.0TDI, with DSG and it works beautifully. No lag, except that the engine has to start if in stop/start mode, but even that is quick. At dual lane traffic lights, I am at least as fast as any car stopped alongside me.

Doubtful it's the fuel. However if it's under warranty,make it in and see what this issue is. VW mechanics, friends, recommend BP or Shell 98. I wouldn't mention anything about the petrol used other than saying you've always used the correct octane, so they can't pin it on you. It could be just a loose spark plug lead or even a faulty spark plug itself. It happens, we have a MY15 90TSI and nothing major other than typical German niggles, which is to be expected of most European cars. Honestly one tank wouldn't have that much of an effect unless it was extremely dodgy fuel. More than likely as I said precious or even a potential software issue. Ours had a small issue with the auto stop, where when we were moving again the a/c wouldn't click on unless we restarted the car, was a software glitch. Just take it to VW and as it seems to be under warranty, ask them what's going on. And be cautious and search forums for a good VW dealer. Had a MY 13 Polo whose clutch was slipping at 20k km, and brought it to three VW dealers who we later found out weren't the most honest, and they wanted $4k for a new clutch, or $900 just to take it apart to see if it might be under warranty. Insane, but in Sydney took it to Bill Buckle, and they were great, took it apart no issue, and was a leaking gasket, which caused oil to contaminate the clutch plate, therefore VW picked up the tab to replace and paid for the loaner VW as well. So do your research first and if the dealer you may have bought it from has many negative comments, avoid it and find one that has good comments and actually takes care of its customers. Hope it's just something simple like. Loose lead or plug, simple fix, nothing major and warranty will pick up the tab. Good luck mate!

Hi Shane,

We have a Mk6 Gti. Absolutely faultless car inc the DSG. I'm told that Gti's are built in Germany and dont have the problems of cars bulit in other countries.

Hi Shane,

We have the 110TSi. Taking off from standstill is ok. Likewise at at the lights, no hesitation there as well, need to get used of start-stop (the car revs around 800rpm during idle). I have not use sports mode.

Thanks for your replies. Shane

We have the recent top golf wagon highline(I think, not car person) I have issues with acceleration on take off and we both frequently run it on sport to ensure the oncoming truck doesn't run us down because we just aren't moving away from the stop sign!!!. We wish we had purchased the skoda as it was half the price and we have had other issues and no help available from vw and the dealer.

Hello, I have owned several vehicles with DSG gearboxes and have experienced the same. It is a characteristic and nothing to be concerned about. Smooth running once mobile and great fuel economy are the advantages. These are manual transmissions operated by a series of computer controlled dual clutch systems. Hope this information is of assistance.

I always get 98 if available, 95 no e10 if not. I have put 95e10 in before though. Worth checking with VW, I reckon.

Great, thanks for your comment Dennis!

E10 is 94 Octane. We use it in our Mk6 Gti and there is no performance drop, just cheaper to fill up.

I use 98RON as a preferred, and if I go far from city there may only be Unleaded (91) and Diesel available. I did my sums and if I fill up on no less than 5/8 of a tank with 91, the average RON would still be above 95 which is what VW recommend. To answer about the 94RON e10, ethanol is not recommended for use, but if you have had some 98 in there beforehand, can still put quite a bit of 94 in there whilst still achieving a greater than 95 RON PULP.

VW specifies 98 octane unless emergency dictates otherwise. It's a very easy way for them to deny any warranty claim if the wrong fuel is used. Again VW dealer mates. The manual dictates 98, and that's what it's designed to run on. Although it map at have little to no effect on performance, it's a simple out for your VW dealer to deny a warranty claim, which happens a lot. Then you'd be having to deal with the ombudsman and a lot of work to get something covered if they attribute it to improper fuel usage. If the fuel flap states 98 as does the owners manual, use 98. The car will record of a lower octane is used and the knock sensor kicks in to prevent knock. So it's simple to know what fuel you've been using. A bit more at the pump could save you thousands later down the line.also you can't mi px fuels and get an "average" octane, it just doesn't work that way. Say half a tank of 98 and half of 91 does not come out to 94.5 octane, just an FYI.

Thanks everyone. Saphir bleu the difference between 95 and 98 where I am is about 5 cents, I went for a trip over Xmas and got about 5.6ltr/100km so it's not really a big deal the extra $2.50 a tank! So far so good with Warranty Claims, the ex owner of my golf didn't really worry about too many things so I've managed to get them to fix various stuff under warranty without any questions asked. Merry Xmas to you all!

No worries mate. Just was letting you know as I've fought a few car manufacturers, with their reason for denying a warranty issue was fuel type, which is crap. So I've now stuck to what they ask, if it cost me an extra 2-3 hundred a year in petrol, that's all good, better than 2-3 thousand on something that is warranty related but denied on the fuel basis! I've in fact fought not in it a few Euro makers, BMW, VW but also Lexus and Acura (Honda here, but back living in North America, Acura was to Honda as Lexus IS to Toyota, and now here Infiniti is to Nissan) hope you don't have any issues!

Cheers