Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Since you drive a Honda, the first time you have to take your Luxury German car in for service that isn't covered under warranty, say a brake job, you are going to be absolutely floored at what it is going to cost you. Every service advisor and most mechanics are going to tell you all kinds of stories about how you MUST get this or that done OR ELSE.............
Find a capable and honest independent repair shop that specializes in your marque. Once warranty is done use them.
Do your research on the indy's. I've found two that were more then the dealer, with one being hundreds more. This was for motor mounts being replaced. Changing oil, dealer was the cheapest also. I have no problems using my dealer since my cheap labor mechanic (I supplied him with parts I get for shop pricing) went back to Egypt a year ago and hasn't returned.
Do your research on the indy's. I've found two that were more then the dealer, with one being hundreds more. This was for motor mounts being replaced. Changing oil, dealer was the cheapest also. I have no problems using my dealer since my cheap labor mechanic (I supplied him with parts I get for shop pricing) went back to Egypt a year ago and hasn't returned.
No question you need to do your homework.
I've been blessed by being a mile from a multi mechanic shop that's been in business here 20 years or more. A few drive bys show they work on everything from Land Rovers to MGs to Ferraris and all the usuals. Seldom see Japanese and American iron there. They are always busy.
Good clues to look for.
Chat with some customers if you can (ask some at a bar or supermarket who look credible, where they take their car, or even use that new thing called the Interrnet) ...and of course talk to the owner/manager. Start by getting a simple service like oil, tires, inspections etc.
We've got a 2003 Passat from the days when half the parts in the engine compartment were stamped 'Audi' with those kinds of electrical issues- fix one and then another one pops up. 91K miles and the doors don't lock, the AC won't work, the windows don't roll up or down, and the sunroof tends to intermittently open itself. Combine the need to rewire the car to deal with some basic safety issues (for about 1,000 miles, we kept a hammer in the back seat in case the car locked us inside itself ) with needing new engine mounts and repairs would be more than the car is worth at this point. Spousal Unit is supposed to get rid of it before we make another insurance payment on it.
Bought a Subaru Legacy last week to replace it- while it's not an autobahn car like the VWs are, it's suprisingly spry at interstate speeds despite its reputation for being a bit unresponsive, and has a better cabin design and space use than most of its peer class. And when Subies break, it tend to be stuff where you fix it and is good for another 50-75K rather than the *bleep* whack-a-mole electrical system issues of the VW.
You have a VW from the era that represents the nadir of VW's (and Mercedes-Benz's) quality. The 2003 Passat was an excellent car when new, but I'm nowhere near brave enough to own one! I also stay away from Audis--any car where the front end needs to come off for anything beyond an oil change is a no-go for me. The biggest problem with Subies is the old 2.5 liter flat-4 tended to eat headgaskets (and there are two of them, in very inaccessible locations). I think they corrected that around 2011, though.
Unrelated anecdote: the only car that ever left me stranded by the side of the road was a free 1991 VW Polo, in 2010. Alternator died in rural Switzerland at 1 AM in winter at -5 C.. that was fun, not.
We've got a 2003 Passat from the days when half the parts in the engine compartment were stamped 'Audi' with those kinds of electrical issues- fix one and then another one pops up. 91K miles and the doors don't lock, the AC won't work, the windows don't roll up or down, and the sunroof tends to intermittently open itself. Combine the need to rewire the car to deal with some basic safety issues (for about 1,000 miles, we kept a hammer in the back seat in case the car locked us inside itself ) with needing new engine mounts and repairs would be more than the car is worth at this point. Spousal Unit is supposed to get rid of it before we make another insurance payment on it.
I've got a 2003 Golf -- well, two of them actually, but bought one new and the other 2014. I really haven't touched the "new" one, so I'll only discuss the other. I've heard all about the problems with door locks and power windows, but I've never had those problems -- they're all original. I replaced an AC compressor once, after 400,000 miles or so, and it was expensive, but not unreasonably so. Some parts that most people replace regularly, are still original on my Golf: wheel bearings, exhaust system, injection pump, brake master cylinder. Original engine, original manual transmission, with 577,000 miles and counting.
I can count on the fingers on one hand, how many times it's been to a VW dealership for service or repairs in the last 10 years. I will never let them touch the engine or any other important system. I have experts I go to for the important stuff.
Of course German cars go 15,000 miles on those $100 oil changes, so if you get your oil changed at 3K you are money ahead and if you get it done at 5K it's about even.
Tires for everything are expensive these days, so nothing different there.
My BMW 525 just went a year now with the only unexpected expense being 1 quart of oil and tires, $600, and we only did the tires to be sure about them on a trip across the US this summer, where the car not so much as hiccuped from sea level to 9,000 feet and desert to forest.
If you buy the bleeding edge of German technology it's fair to expect some rough patches. Buy sensible and enjoy the ride.
I don't wanna jinx you but you have many failures to look forward to. If your VC gaskets haven't started leaking, they will. Ditto for oil housing gaskets. Water pump is another weak spot. The list is really long. I'd never buy another German make.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
