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Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Lemon Odds and Nada Odds

Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Lemon Odds and Nada Odds:

Other sources of Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI reliability information provide only averages, which can conceal as much as they reveal. So we also report the percentage of Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTIs with no repairs at all in the past year and the percentage of Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTIs that are lemons (required three or more repair trips in the past year). These figures might surprise you.

These stats are promptly updated four times a year, to closely track Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI lemon odds as the cars age. Others can be over a year behind. Only TrueDelta tells you how reliable the Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI has been recently.

See what our members say about Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI lemon odds and brand reputation.

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Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI

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Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Lemon Odds and Nada Odds through December 31, 2012

General NotesNote the sample sizes in the right column. For a precise Nada Odds, it'd be best to have 50+ cars. For Lemon Odds, 100+. In most cases the sample sizes are between 25 and 35, and differences of less than six points are probably not meaningful. This is especially a factor with the "Lemon Odds," where nearly all scores are low.

That said, the Lemon Odds figures are probably much lower than many people suspected, so we've posted them. Similarly, the Nada Odds are probably higher than many people suspected. Even with the least reliable cars in this results set your odds of no repairs would be better than one in three. Surprised? MethodologyThe samples include cars for which we have at least nine months of data in the past year. The "Nada-odds" are adjusted based on the average number of months of data per car. These stats are very close to what they'd be if we included only cars with a full year of data.

Only successfully completed repairs are currently included in the analysis. Recalls and problems fixed with just a reflash or warning light reset are not included.
Year Make/Model Nada Odds per 100 Cars Lemon Odds per 100 Cars
38 vehicles, 10.7 months per vehicle, 12000 miles driven2012 Volkswagen GTI 59 < 1
25 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 27400 miles driven2011 Volkswagen Golf diesel Join or sign in to view
48 vehicles, 11.8 months per vehicle, 23800 miles driven2011 Volkswagen GTI 64 < 1
63 vehicles, 11.9 months per vehicle, 44400 miles driven2010 Volkswagen Golf diesel 70 3
71 vehicles, 11.5 months per vehicle, 32900 miles driven2010 Volkswagen GTI 68 < 1
26 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 48200 miles driven2009 Volkswagen GTI Join or sign in to view
28 vehicles, 11.9 months per vehicle, 51400 miles driven2008 Volkswagen GTI Join or sign in to view
28 vehicles, 11.5 months per vehicle, 56600 miles driven2008 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 Join or sign in to view
28 vehicles, 11.4 months per vehicle, 78800 miles driven2007 Volkswagen GTI Join or sign in to view
29 vehicles, 11.4 months per vehicle, 75300 miles driven2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 Join or sign in to view

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Competing Car Model Lemon Odds and Nada Odds Results through December 31, 2012

Year Make/Model Nada Odds per 100 Cars Lemon Odds per 100 Cars
25 vehicles, 11.9 months per vehicle, 71200 miles driven2007 Audi A3 Join or sign in to view
38 vehicles, 11.8 months per vehicle, 73600 miles driven2006 Audi A3 44 8
77 vehicles, 11.1 months per vehicle, 16100 miles driven2012 Ford Focus 69 < 1
29 vehicles, 11.7 months per vehicle, 78600 miles driven2007 Ford Focus Join or sign in to view
41 vehicles, 11.1 months per vehicle, 16000 miles driven2012 Honda Civic 95 2
28 vehicles, 11.8 months per vehicle, 30200 miles driven2010 Honda Civic Join or sign in to view
45 vehicles, 11.7 months per vehicle, 40300 miles driven2009 Honda Civic 79 < 1
59 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 55600 miles driven2008 Honda Civic 81 < 1
44 vehicles, 11.5 months per vehicle, 74500 miles driven2007 Honda Civic 81 < 1
46 vehicles, 11.7 months per vehicle, 86100 miles driven2006 Honda Civic 73 < 1
28 vehicles, 11.5 months per vehicle, 135900 miles driven2002 Honda Civic Join or sign in to view
27 vehicles, 11.7 months per vehicle, 19200 miles driven2011 Mazda Mazda3 Join or sign in to view
87 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 39400 miles driven2010 Mazda Mazda3 87 < 1
35 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 49800 miles driven2009 Mazda Mazda3 82 < 1
43 vehicles, 11.7 months per vehicle, 58200 miles driven2008 Mazda Mazda3 78 < 1
55 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 71700 miles driven2007 Mazda Mazda3 57 2
37 vehicles, 11.5 months per vehicle, 83400 miles driven2006 Mazda Mazda3 58 8
29 vehicles, 11.8 months per vehicle, 84300 miles driven2005 Mazda Mazda3 Join or sign in to view
27 vehicles, 11.3 months per vehicle, 19000 miles driven2011 MINI Cooper Join or sign in to view
35 vehicles, 11.8 months per vehicle, 38300 miles driven2009 MINI Cooper 62 3

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What Our Members Are Saying about Brand Reputation and the Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI

Brand Reputation of the Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2009 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD		 I always see Volkswagens as great, reliable cars. The GTI is special because of its utility and performance.
2008 2dr Hatch 250-horsepower 3.2L V6
6-speed automated manual AWD		 Like the 2004 R32, the 2008 R32 had a limited production run of 5000, most of which are now sold. The R32 is really a well balanced "mini grand touring" car; without the stigma of being a "rice racer" like the Evo or STi. A great car for road and track!
2008 2dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L I5
6-speed shiftable automatic FWD		 german built, soild car
2005 2dr Hatch 200-horsepower 2.8L V6
6-speed manual FWD		 VW builds a quality car, besides their electrical issues, which I have not had in either of my last two GTIs.
2004 4dr Hatch turbocharged 100hp 1.9L I4 Diesel
5-speed manual FWD		 VW, to me, means smart and sophisticated; while, at the same time, being practical and understated. Owning one shows you know automobiles without having to shout about it. VWs are not appliances.
Brand Reputation of the Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2013 4dr Hatch turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel
6-speed manual FWD		 VW does not have that great a reputation in the U.S. This is a shame because the Golf really seems to be a well-made vehicle. Time will tell whether it holds up, but there are many horror stories of poor service, poor dealers, and the factory not standing behind their warranties. I'm hoping that VW has improved their ways, but this remains a major sticking point.
2009 4dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD		 VW dealerships have one of the worst reps. for fair service prices. The dealer I saw was great on the test drive front, but I feared the service desk a few years down the line.
2007 2dr Hatch turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD		 Too many people, VW are still seen as nice cars that break often

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