I'm going to view one this weekend. 3 door, manual, Lapiz Blue, DCC, Dynaudio, leather, winter pack, keyless, rear camera. 65 plate with 10 VW stamps just under 30k miles. Clutch replaced at 13k. The private seller is asking a strong price IMO but I guess that's what I've gotta pay these days. Thanks for another great video, will be checking for a few of these!
10. App Connect compatibility (Apple Carplay, Android Auto) 9. 2017 upgrades (heated seats) 8. Check the tires! 7. Beware damaged Pretoria wheels! Examine them before purchase and take wheels off after. 6. Stolen & Recovered? Check theft history via HPI footprint. 5. Check for prior remaps. Get dealer to state in writing that it hasn't been remapped. 4. Paintwork. Paint chips easily, may have factory defects. Check bonnet and behind wheels. 3. Service history. Check to see if Haldex oil has been changed. 2. Clutch (manual). Check for clutch slip. Quality waning. 1. Coolant module leaks. Very common and expensive. "Spicy" smell after a spirited drive.
I bought a 65 Plate Golf R, I bought it from a independent dealer unseen as they were over 300 miles away (I did get a family member to look on my behalf he said it looked very clean) but he didn’t really look close enough. Chose is as it had Pano Roof, Vienna Leather, Pretoria’s, Lapiz Blue. Full VW Service history and One Owner (who was 85!). Car was delivered with an ACC fault, Bad wheel Bearing and the washer fluid (headlight jet) was leaking. A few weeks later there was an oil leak from the engine. Fortunately the garage held their hands up and paid out about £1200 in repairs! I then realised even though it was full VW service history it had never had a haldex oil change on 66000 miles! Now there’s a knocking sound when the clutch pedal is released, and I’ve noticed the rear quarter panel had been resprayed at some point. I now pay £40 a month for a VW Extended warranty, just buy carefully!
I’m looking at getting a VW extended warranty on a 2017 golf r. Just curious to know have you ever had to use them? Mine had the haldex serviced 3 half years ago so I’ve booked the Haldex to be done. If my haldex system breaks is it likely to be covered as the service is over due?
Great review for anyone looking at MK7 golf R. My 2015 DSG R is going strong after 107,000kms (62,000 miles) did have the water pump replaced other than that it hasn’t missed a beat. If you are considering one of these performance cars you must be prepared to put the correct synthetic oil I use Liqui Moly engine oil 5-40w and change the DSG and haldex fluid every couple of years according to the schedule. Find a great euro mechanic and enjoy the drive.
Great to hear from a high mileage owner Adam! My VW tech said they are pretty good apart from the common relatively minor issues. As you say good servicing is key and sometimes the owners are to blame for this not happening not VW. 👍
I agree, most service items should be done about half the time/distance VW recommend as they know wear and tear will occur but they don't think the person buying new will be too bothered as any issues will occur further down the line. First owners just want relatively affordable service intervals.
Absolutely. I do mine at the same time as the oil change. First did it at 14k (10k after I bought the car) and the filter was awful. Not too bad at 24k
A very eye opening review. We perceive certain brands have a reputation for quality build & engineering based on their products from some years back which is not justified in their current products. Porsche with their water cooled M96 & 97 engines being a classic example. The advent of the PCP while good for retailers casts a shadow over buying any performance car second hand even an "Approved Used" from a franchise dealer. I suppose I am from a generation who bought a car with their own money/personal loan. It was "my car" which I intended to keep for some time & so looked after it both in driving style & maintenance. These days, people who in the past could never afford a new performance BMW, VW/Audi, can for some £400 pm get themselves cars worth over £30k for 2 years motoring. In the knowledge it is not & never will be "their car" they are not going to keep to a running in period, let the engine oil warm up before giving it higher revs, drive up kerbs, carrying out remaps without telling the lease company etc. RUclips is full of channels fronted by young men in M140i's, 240i's & Golf R's that are basically abused for 2 years. You wouldn't want to go anywhere near a former PCP vehicle.
Absolutely spot on my friend , i had this car on my short list of my new secondhand cars , and just like you i buy cars outright and look -after them well , so glad i watched this video ?🙄
As someone who has to do work on these as lease cars, most were leased as part of salary packages so no care needed as the repair cost picked up by the company,the driver won't care his new toy is already on order. Often sevices missed/ well passed due date. DSG and Haldex oil changes often missed as a cost cutting measure ( the next owner after being sold can have that done...). DSG oil changed when problems, usually black, when new oil put in problems magnified the garage blamed for f*******g the box, very few garages will change the oil,.Spark plug changes missed. Lots of Haldex units not working correctly, do not get fobbed off " its a wheel speed sensor " it isnt. Cheapest tyres possible. Most wheels buckled / distorted. Front shocks weeping. Rear calipers seize with monotonous regularity ( Euro Car Parts ) keep plenty in stock. Check front bumper for fibre glass repair,look underneath to see attatchment and fit, pattern parts are crap for lining up. The cars get stuffed so often as the driver runs out of talent. Paint is poor. The engine manifold flaps go wrong, the timing chain hydraulic tensioner goes weak, tensioner guides break, the chain jumps.....valves meet pistons. The water pump fails The media/navigation goes wrong although sometimes this can be fixed by disconnecting the unit for 10 mins and it self resets, but it will go wrong again software problems. I feel sorry for some young kids who come in and have saved like mad taken a loan out bought a car then problems appear they may have warranty but £500 goes nowhere, we diagnose then tell them the cost. Without exception they say I bought it because VW's are reliable... VW reliability vanished around 2007/8.
That's the issue with buying ex lease vehicles most will have been driven hard with the owner knowing they are going back in 3 years time.The market was flooded with cheap attractive finance deals. When the time comes for it to go back it will end up at auction and most go down hill from there. When it comes to servicing its the same approach cheap parts inc servicing and tyres missed service actions etc etc. Anyone with a laptop seems to be into "tuning" and remaps now and who really knows what map is on a car your buying
That's true although leather is pretty rare too. VW are good like that, there are very few VWs in past 20 years that didn't have heated seats when they had leather (even part leather). The only I can recall is VW Corrado with Recaro seats. Many Audis, even convertibles don't have heated leather unless you pay extra for it!
I just sold a Saab 9-3 Turbo X, which I think was the first car to have a Haldex unit. The service intervals on those was reduced too, no more than 30k miles or every three years at most. I'm in the market for a mk7 R at the moment, luckily here in Australia they don't get stolen too much; WRXs and Ford/Holden V8s on the other hand....
Seems like a good set of tips. I've owned a 2014 manual since new. It's got just shy of 14000 miles on it (I live in London and, well, public transport). The clutch has just started to slip, and yes, it's low revs / high gears that show it up the most. The water's also started to go down. I've topped it up but it's going down again. Pretoria wheels were a bad choice. You on;y need to look at a pot hole and they will buckle. Real PITA. If the standard ones weren't so ugly I would have gone for them. I don't have Android auto or anything and I've not been too bothered TBH. The standard Sat Nav is fine, although I only ever really use it to show the ETA. I usually know where I'm going. Overall I've been pretty happy. Yes, I'm probably about to spend a grand and a half on it getting it fixed up, but on the whole it's been a cheap car to run. I added most extras when I bought it, apart from the sunroof (I had a TT convertible at the time too), rear camera (not really necessary) and the uprated sat nav. Paid £30k. Thinking of replacing it, as it's a bit small for a family of 4 (had 1st baby on the way when I bought it). But I'm struggling to find a suitable replacement especially as most cars are bloody autos now. Yawn.
@@volkswizard bought our twins a Golf R each for their 21st. Lots of quality issues including most thing mentioned in the video. Luckily, they're both 3rd year apprentice service techs with Jaguar Land Rover so have the means to get stuff sorted. One going into the body shop tomorrow to have rust spots fixed on the bonnet (result of stone chips). Car has only covered 22k miles.
I have a mk7.5 golf r and it had a coolant leak at 2 years old and 14k miles. Very good advice mate! Still love the car. I also keep all modification paper work for when I intend to sell it in 10 years 😋
Between the weak clutch and crank walk issues, I would not recommend a manual version of this car. A lot of folks were worried about reliability of the DSG long term with all the added complexity, but oddly enough the DSG cars tend to be far more reliable.
Really good advice . I sold my 2015 Mk7 Gti this year . I religiously keep all bills etc. VW dealer told me they would shred the lot . I think it really bad as all useful to new owner. I was happy to sign a disclaimer to stop it but not acceptable to VW. Anyway I sold it to a Seat dealer in exchange for a Leon ST Cupra. He has kept all the paperwork for next owner as I gave permission
Hey Rob, glad you enjoyed it. The receipts thing since GDPR is a pain. I always pass them on because the very fact I've been given them would suggest the owner wants them to be passed on but I do need to formalise this to avoid breaking the law. How the Cupra ST going?
volkswizard It’s bloody fast ! I thought the Golf was but the Leon with 300bhp is another league up. It’s well screwed together as well. Some of the knobs on the dash are a little cheaper in feel than the Golf . But hey ho, I can live with that. Altogether, I am quite happy with the car .They are a little under the radar and I like that, Quite funny , I get looks from young petrol heads who know what it is and equally from the boys in blue , who equally know what it is . I like that as well .
I purchased a mountune stage 1 kit for my mk7 manual golf r and immediately had clutch slip on acceleration between 4/5 gears. I then mapped back to standard and no clutch slip. Would like to fit a sach clutch but would probably need a new flywheel and am looking at another £1500.
The manual R clutch is very weak mine started to slip at 18k was looking at the sachs clutch but they can have a on off feel so i went for a helix clutch and sachs flywheel and feels amazing and only a little heavier and very quiet, they say it can take stage 3 around 1100 pound and 450 to fit. All this and id only had the car a month. Good luck
@@garyfrancis8157 yes mate its organic and from aks tuning.. Clutch with flywheel and braided clutch line £1,059.00 i just gave them a call to make sure the correct kit came as they have so many 01234 822324
Good informative video. I purchased my Golf R in June 2014 (ordered Jan 2014). I ticked a few boxes in the options list, sunroof, DSG, leather, reversing camera etc.. overall I am really pleased with the car and I like the ‘Q’ car aspect as it’s not so in your face as a Honda Type R for example. Only issue I have had with the car was with the rear disc brake. After parking the car I noticed a heat haze coming from the rear nearside wheel. On inspection I could see the friction material from the rear pad had separated from the metal backing plate and was firmly wedged between the calliper and the rear disk. The car was only six months old so still under warranty. I spoke with the dealership and asked them to collect the car for repair as I did not want to drive the car with the rear brake pad wedged where it was. Their answer was they don’t collect cars and I must drive it there! I did drive there, very steadily I must add, and I gave the service reception guy some major grief in asking me drive the car in. VW replaced the pads and rear disk (both sides) as the nearside disk was very badly scored by the pad material. Overall I would give the R 9 out of 10.
Thanks Andrew, great video, clutches in the MK 7 are I feel built down to a price, just about okay if treated gently, however they wont tolerate hard driving, and on a 300ps car that is pointless.
I read online that the early 2014 R is suffering from turbo problems. Would you say it's worse than it looks or is this a real problem? Also someone mentioned that the fuel line from the rail to the HPFP can also wear on the inside?
The coolant pump and coolant regulator both failed on my R in September last year. Another problem I had was a fault with the gear shifter mechanism, I kept getting a warning message saying error workshop only leave vehicle in p position. It was all done under warranty which was lucky in a way, as I only had a month left before the warranty ran out!
Good video very informative was thinking of getting a 2017-18 golf GTI or GTD but think I’ll just stick with my Fiesta ST used to work for Volkswagen in the late 90’s & there cars where bulletproof back times must have changed. I have heard over the years of people buying used cars with the DSG gearbox & it failing not long after buying it & it costing £5000
I am currently thinking about whether to get a R. Following this blog and the remarks about the haldex and coolent, I may just pass and consider the gti or GTD instead..
I have a golf mk7, 2014. The memory for the automatic window on the driver side keeps getting lost. How can I set this? Also when I put the car in reverse the side mirrors on both sides does net tilt down. I've confirmed on the settings this function is on. Please advise. Thanks
Hello I have a golf 7 gti with this stop start thing thinking of getting the 7 r does it have the stop start because it is a pain by the way great vid thanks
I had a mk 4 tdi 190k miles no clutch issues...then bought 2nd hand mk5 tdi and dual mass flywheel disintegrated. Apparently common and often happens when people tow. I had to replace clutch with third party reinforced flywheel and got reconditioned gearbox. So weak clutch in R might scare me off!
Why are these cars so popular for theft in the UK? I have one and in the US no one looks twice at it. Most likely to get carjacked in some over $100k Range Rover, Benz, Porsche etc.
@@jmahtab in the U.K. we have a different road layout to the US. In the US, most of your roads are in a grid layout. In the U.K. we have a lot of twisting country roads and twisting roads in towns and cities. So in the real world here, a golf r will be a lot faster than a M3 as it can handle a lot easier. So these get knicked a lot for joy rides and getaway vehicles for other crimes.
The bad or lack of servicing is down to the garage who carried out the work. If the garage is no longer in business then the manufacturer has to pay as they dictate you use the approved garages to maintain warranty. I have had very poor service from several Hyundai, Nissan, Chevrolet and Vauxhall dealerships making basic servicing mistakes. Luckily I'm an engineer and check everything is done or I involve the manufacturer directly and remind them of social media etc. Also I have witnessed several technicians taking high spec / hot hatches for a "test drive" launching them 0-60 which will kill a clutch. Manufacturers do not seem to visit or inspect approved garages to check the work being done. Mercedes, Audi and VW dealerships have been known to drive customers cars "with enthusiasm". One garage recently had a Focus RS in and it was ragged down the road past me so I now have a tracker fitted on my car and make sure the garage is aware when its serviced. Garages also disconnect your dash cam on "test drives" with the excuse they had to check some software and didn't want to damage the camera even though it is only wired to the 12V socket or piggyback fused so they are talking absolute rubbish.
Good review video, the car has a few common issues but generally a great all rounder. Guys on the forums always say check the water pump as it always goes and do a launch to check the haldex is working or needs a service. If you pick up one with Cadiz alloys then you can get Pretoria replicas for half the price and stronger than oem Had mine 2 years and had 0 issues
It’s usually the DSG versions that gets looked at the most by thieves cause the last thing you want to do in a police chase, is fiddling with the Manuel gears, no matter how good you are at changing gears, nothing beats an DSG gearbox whilst being chased or in a quick getaway. Manuel versions are usually ignored, and if you’re really paranoid, add a steering wheel lock. My mates has a Manuel mk7 R and he lives in a rough estate, has a steering lock and no one has touched it or even looked at it for the past 4 years he’s owned it.
Excellent advice and content Andrew. When you scratch below the surface, it would appear that VW need to up their game somewhat in terms of components and quality control. Trading on heritage is all well and good to a point, but consumers aren't stupid. Hope you and yours are keeping well and safe in these testing times. Thanks again and take care.
Thanks for commenting Darren as ever! It's a pity as 7R is actually pretty robust but a bit of penny pinching on 2 key components and it ruins the rest of the car. The paint I can live with but the leak and clutch make being a dealer in these a bit like russian roulette but with 5 bullets not 1 :) Thanks for your concern and best wishes to you and yours too, stay safe.
My water pump was replaced under warranty last year in january, not even 6 months later I noticed coolant was dropping again, theres staining around the pump but I have no warranty, they should have done a recall on this
I have the Mk6 R. I love it, never seen another one on the road. I really don’t like the 7 at all. Not a enthusiast car anymore. Everyone has the 7 and maps them. New Ford Focus.
Mk6 is good but not cheap and getting old now. Mk7 is nicer in some ways, worse in others (like quality). I think the answer is to try something else, I've said it before but a nice spec Cupra is a great car and if you want AWD you can get it now too.
My son has the mk6 in blue,a totally unmolested standard in manual with low mileage 38k.Prices are strong for a good one,unlike the 7,s that being leased have had dogs abuse.
I own a golf 7R manual gearbox and confirm that the original clutch does not hold more than 80,000km. I didn't do anything in particular, he just skated for no reason and I think he's undersized
Ceramic coating means I can lean on it carefully (I'm not actually sitting on it) and not damage the paint. And in the unlikely event it did get damaged I can correct it, I've had enough practice...
I have a 7.5 a 2018 as you can see on my photo, I have those same wheels. The paint is amazing, I don’t winter drive it, bought it May 2018 and has 8,000 miles as of today.zero issues, and remapping does not void warranty. You may want to double check that. If there is a power train issue and there is a remap it’s true that may not cover the issue depending on the problem. As for everything else on the car remapping doesn’t void that’s aspect.
Hi good informative video i have also encountered another issue on these and that is cold engine misfires due to carbon build up on the intake valves and ports.This will ideally require walnut blasting to keep the engine performing at its best.
If a car like this as cheap rubber on the wheels I wouldn’t even bother viewing it,as that just shows the kind of owner as had it.save the time and travel,wow these dealers really don’t give a pee about costumers,5 grand because of a tec,that must of hurt really bad
It was VW UK, not the dealer that threw out my claim, didn't even offer goodwill. I wrote a detailed letter to the top man at Milton Keynes HQ and while they did call back they offered zero help. They must know full well these cars don't fail like that and only one person touched that gearbox, someone with a VW badge on their overalls. But there we go. As I said car was under a VW warranty, the original proper one that had been extended when ordering the car new and which is transferable to new owners with no quibbles, the car had FVWSH and had been serviced as advised by the dealer. Unfortunately nobody has learned from this and dealers still think owners should know what should be done when, which is ridiculous, you don't even get a service book listing what work is due now. Luckily that dealer has gone out of business but I wouldn't say this was a one off.
I just went to look at one of these today. Pretoria wheels refurbished (worrying), no sevice history as imported from Japan without it, advertised as a fresh import but being used by more than one person since as a 'run-around' and gaining 5k miles since imported 6 months ago so not so fresh, AND the coolant level was topped up above the max line and when I went to check the boot for a proper spare wheel, guess what... a pack of several bottles of water in the boot! I think I'll be backing out of this one!!
Some scary truth. Cars can be very flawed. My 2008 mk 5 has only 75,000 kms. The check engine light is on again after two months ago for the charcoal filter and N80 valve went.$900. The engine shuddered and on it came. The idle speed goes up and down by itself. Gutted, on my birthday as well. Cheers. Stay well.
@@volkswizard Thank you for the feed back. Yes it is the PCV valve on my GTI 2.0 TFSI engine. Error codes and oil cap removal -vacuum, proved this as per your video. Part, plus hoses and gaskets and taxes $370.00 at VW without my local garage labour. Thanks from Philip.
Do you know anything about the quality of the is38 turbos that was in the early MK7's to the newer later MK7.5 regarding the play in the turbo shaft? Meaning the newer the car the less chance there will be this turbo issue?
One or two of these don't apply for USA cars but NM still giving you a thumbs up , for the remarks about paint or quality of 7 and I forgot what else towards the earlier points
Great upload I'm in a position to get one,I'm turn between the golf m6 r or the mk7 both in dsg,,both same price what would you prefer and honest opinion Thanks
Also have the coolant problem in my 2014 gti performance.. I had fluid under the car and they fixed a sealing but it's loosing anyway.. Don't know what's wrong cause there's no coolant under the car and they checked the whole engine. No oil in the coolant or something.. But the car doesn't give a notification that it's low.. Don't know what to do
Probably needs a new coolant module if they haven't changed that already, look carefully up at the pipes towards the electronic plug and I am sure you'll see staining and drips. It's easy for a technician to mess this up and it still leak BTW.
Tricky! GTI has DSG which is a risky at that age, R has AWD which is a risk at that age (noisy diffs and haldex issues are common). I'd lean to GTI DSG because if you buy a good one and don't abuse it, they generally stay good but it's a close one so I'd choose whichever one you can find a good example of, I'd say GTI will be easier anyway as more common. No bad choice though👍
@@volkswizard thanks for the reply. Both seem like good examples. Both 1 owner from new both on 52,000 miles both full dealership history both unmodified
I think these make amazing rentals or hire purchase. I would be wary of one a few years old to own privately though, unless it was low miles, well kept one.
Hi would be really interested in a Mk7 write up on GTD , is it worth buying a later 7.5? Would you recommend Dsg box compared to manual ? I am a real VW enthusiasts, I have had Mk1,2,3,5,6 golfs as well as other VWs, currently had a mk 6 gt tdi for last 6 years & a self converted Kombi / camper late T5, however thinking of replacing my mk6 work horse with a mk 7 gtd hence me asking your opinions. Love your channel and find the vids really good and very well done so any advice on gtd would be appreciated Thanks again
Find it interesting you decide to go with a club sport GTI instead of the mk8 R I understand. Listening to the “why” in the latest video. Did you text drive that mk8?
Yes and no. Depends if you need more grip as 235 tyre on 19 obviously offers more than 225 on 18 and looks better not least because it fills arches better. What you really need is a 235 40 18 on a wheel same width as 19s. Difficult for VW to upsell wider wheels so you don’t get that option. RS3 has a wider wheel option on its 19s.
Clutch is still chocolate but paint is massively superior. Still leaks coolant, they all do with that EA888 engine, up to around 2017, so S1, S3, Q3, A4, A6, Octavia, Leon, Passat, etc etc
Thanks, Andrew. I suppose some of those things may crop up in the S3 too? (Hope not!) Are we going to get a video about the nice S1 in the background??
Scary the quality that the Mk7 has. I have a mk5 r32 makes me worry about going for a 7r. Would you say cupra is the way to go then much difference in 280,290,300 models. I wanted to have as a daily and the R32 weekend car, would you say cupra, golf mk6/7 or an audi rs3 8p version. Keep up the content much appreciate it 👍
Glad you enjoy the content and thanks for commenting 👍Not not much differene between those Cupras TBH, all good. A number of the R issues will apply to Cupra too especially coolant leak but I think paint is better and they are so much cheaper you can allow for issues. Clutch is less of an issue being 2 wheel drive but it won't be great so get DSG. I'm not a fan of 8P RS3, of all the cars mention, to drive a Cupra is better than all of them as it's like a civilised GTI Clubsport S especially with DCC dampers which are common on Cupra, not available or hens teeth options on others. HTH
Make sure you get a pre WLTP 7.5 R, the post WLTP have done away with the port injectors so it is only direct injection now, this means you will have significant carbon build up on the inlet valves and inlet manifold as early as 30k. You also get 10hp more and don't have an exhaust particulate filter to worry about on the exhaust with 7.5 pre WLTP.
Most yes though paint is the same as far as I can tell. Car Play is standard, coolant leaks less common, wheels are same, less likely to get cheap skate owners as no lease deals. You can get a manual R 7.5 but hard to tell if clutch stronger as so few around, sold one with 20k miles and it didn't slip which was a nice change so maybe ! 7.5 is generally more satisfying all together I find so worth stretching to.
Great video, very informative. How do you find oil usage? Could it be point 11? I currently have a 2016 octavia vrs petrol 220 which i would say was a little thirsty with oil (no blue smoke) and am looking to get into a Golf R estate come car change time. I know its basically the same engine (ea888).
Possible but it will take some looking, manual got deleted less than halfway through 7.5 build so very few and they didn't sell so many as they didn't do the crazy deals (mind you if they had they'd have all been boggo basic!)
Very interesting and informative vid. Ive got a 2017 Scirocco R lease that seems to consume quite a bit of oil ( around 1L every 3.5k miles) . believe it or not its improved since new. I dont drive it hard and am considering buying it from VWFS, but is this a sign of potential expensve issues in future? Thanks
Love these kind of videos, realy informative. I love vw group. For me 7.5 is better looking then the new golf 8. That thing that you sad ,,that's why I drive a Seat" how the time passes by I am looking more to buy a Seat Leon in FR equipment (some 2017.) because you geting more for the money. What's your opinion, is better to buy 2.0 tdi or some TSI?
Well i bought a TDI for my own use so there's a clue ;) The petrol engines may be similar HP and MPG but for motorways miles, a torquey low revving diesel can't be beaten and they are way better for reliability, whether low mileage or high. if you do more mixed driving, TSI might be OK but I never believe the mpg figures.
For the European market the car was fitted with 4 extra injectors for emissions reasons that have the happy effect of washing the intake ports thereby massively minimising carbon fouling. Not all territories got this engine (eg North America) so fouling is still an issue with those.
Interesting video, think I'll go for a GTI if I'm ever looking to buy a MK7. Did the fact a lot of R's were available on cheap lease deals mean they were driven hard and not serviced on time?
I don't know the T&Cs of the leases but having seen cars at auction that have been returned to VWFS, a lot weren't serviced to spec. As for being driven hard, the affordability meant the car was available to a demographic that had previously never been able to get into a new £30k car so I'd expect there to be a greater number of that type of driver than usual. Also the lease doesn't say don't drive it hard so owners will feel they are getting even better value by spanking it and any wear and tear is the next owner's problem who gets it at 2 years old. Many will have limped on with a slipping clutch until it was handed back to VW at end of lease as it wasn't warranty (in most cases) and £1000 to fix would be beyond what a lot of owners would stomach.
Good video with good advice👌, There have been several revisions of the thermostat housing, the latest P/N is 06L-121-111-M, the number can be seen from above with a torch and inspection mirror by looking through the intake manifold on the UK drivers side, the last letter (M in this case) is hard to see as it is marked differently than the rest of the P/N, it is NOT the water pump that leaks, it is the thermostat housing that fails at a plastic welded seam just below the thermostat itself, most will only ever have a minor leak that doesn’t ever get worse and just needs topping up over time, and most will never drop any visible water as it evaporates first, the way to tell for sure is to remove the under tray and look up at the housing for signs of scum that looks like limescale around immediate vicinity of the leak, most will pass a pressure test as the leak is so small and the dealer doesn’t leave it pressurised for long enough! Also the position of the thermostat (open or closed) at the time of test seems to play a part in the result. Huge knowledge base for MK7 here - golfmk7.com/forums/index.php
Thanks CarlosFandango, great info. I know the pump and stat are separate parts but the INA aftermarket part is one unit and cheaper than VW, I paid under £200 recently. On that leaking one, there seemed to be a pressure relief hole that it was leaking through near the thermostat wiring plug, looked like an internal seal had failed though I didn't spend too much time investigating but someone on a forum had leak from there and put it down to that.
Great video mate. Really informative. Just bought a 6C Polo GTI 25k miles. Clutch slips in 6th with a racechip installed, removed it and all is good. It’s probably going to slip stock soon. Thinking of a Sachs clutch, do you know if these feel stock. I’m told organic is the one to go for. Love your vids. Stay safe.
Thanks Sam! Not sure I've ever driven an R etc with the Sachs clutch but I do think they will feel pretty normal so don't worry about it feeling tricky. Funnily enough 6C GTI has the EA888 with all the same issues as R mechanically. I do know of one that had a clutch early on. TBH it's not such an issue on 2WD so you might be OK if it's stock and you don't slip the clutch too much but if you want it mapped then you know what to do 👍
hi mate, do you have much experience in the "new new" beetle. Don't know much about them but always saw them as an even more quirky alternative to a scirocco?
Hi, they are OK but a bit odd to drive and only the top model has independent rear suspension so its not a drivers car, far less so than Scirocco. Made in Mexico so build is a bit iffy. There is a nice 2.0 Turbo and the cabriolets are good open cars if you want that sort of thing but TBH I'd get a Scirocco 2.0 TSI 210 PS and be happy :)
In Florida, almost no one recognizes the high performance capabilities of this car - it looks like a generic Golf with few visual cues that indicate otherwise. Once in a long while, a fellow enthusiast will recognize it and ask about it. That's why I don't worry much about it being stolen (and I've had my MK7 over 5 years). Finally, my best theft-deterrent is the manual transmission - most (younger) car thieves can't drive a manual.
Very different situation here in the UK, specifically London, this car gets stolen on a daily. The ones here are high powered and often remapped and modded
I had a manual nice spec manual GTD for 4 years and said I’d never sell it. A few months ago I moved to a 7R DSG and never looked back. Its immense in comparison. You won’t regret it I promise you that!
Great video. Hopefully the next gen comes with a front diff. Which would transform it into the pinnacle of hot hatches. Standard in early 90’s jdm cars but still considered a special option in Europe.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm going to view one this weekend. 3 door, manual, Lapiz Blue, DCC, Dynaudio, leather, winter pack, keyless, rear camera. 65 plate with 10 VW stamps just under 30k miles. Clutch replaced at 13k. The private seller is asking a strong price IMO but I guess that's what I've gotta pay these days. Thanks for another great video, will be checking for a few of these!
How much did you pay for that? Or how much was he asking if you didn’t buy it? I’m curious to see how much the market has moved in 6 months
@@ctv4646 I paid £18.5K. He had it up for £19.5K. I think I'd get similar to what I paid if I put it up for sale and was patient.
10. App Connect compatibility (Apple Carplay, Android Auto)
9. 2017 upgrades (heated seats)
8. Check the tires!
7. Beware damaged Pretoria wheels! Examine them before purchase and take wheels off after.
6. Stolen & Recovered? Check theft history via HPI footprint.
5. Check for prior remaps. Get dealer to state in writing that it hasn't been remapped.
4. Paintwork. Paint chips easily, may have factory defects. Check bonnet and behind wheels.
3. Service history. Check to see if Haldex oil has been changed.
2. Clutch (manual). Check for clutch slip. Quality waning.
1. Coolant module leaks. Very common and expensive. "Spicy" smell after a spirited drive.
I can't be the only one watching this after buying a Mk7 R 😂
lol
This is me 😝😆
And me 😂
@@jordiEspin42 Careful, mine got stolen :(
I am tryna be like you my boy
I bought a 65 Plate Golf R, I bought it from a independent dealer unseen as they were over 300 miles away (I did get a family member to look on my behalf he said it looked very clean) but he didn’t really look close enough.
Chose is as it had Pano Roof, Vienna Leather, Pretoria’s, Lapiz Blue. Full VW Service history and One Owner (who was 85!). Car was delivered with an ACC fault, Bad wheel Bearing and the washer fluid (headlight jet) was leaking. A few weeks later there was an oil leak from the engine. Fortunately the garage held their hands up and paid out about £1200 in repairs! I then realised even though it was full VW service history it had never had a haldex oil change on 66000 miles!
Now there’s a knocking sound when the clutch pedal is released, and I’ve noticed the rear quarter panel had been resprayed at some point.
I now pay £40 a month for a VW Extended warranty, just buy carefully!
I’m looking at getting a VW extended warranty on a 2017 golf r. Just curious to know have you ever had to use them? Mine had the haldex serviced 3 half years ago so I’ve booked the Haldex to be done. If my haldex system breaks is it likely to be covered as the service is over due?
Great review for anyone looking at MK7 golf R. My 2015 DSG R is going strong after 107,000kms (62,000 miles) did have the water pump replaced other than that it hasn’t missed a beat. If you are considering one of these performance cars you must be prepared to put the correct synthetic oil I use Liqui Moly engine oil 5-40w and change the DSG and haldex fluid every couple of years according to the schedule. Find a great euro mechanic and enjoy the drive.
Great to hear from a high mileage owner Adam! My VW tech said they are pretty good apart from the common relatively minor issues. As you say good servicing is key and sometimes the owners are to blame for this not happening not VW. 👍
Hey mate if you want to triple your views put “used” in the title. Your reviews are really good and should be easy to find.
@@adamgurnett9144mines had 5w30 in it. You think I should change it to 5w40?
You should change haldex oil and clean the filter every 10-12k. Don’t follow vw’s recommendation. The amount of dirt at this mileage is shocking
I agree, most service items should be done about half the time/distance VW recommend as they know wear and tear will occur but they don't think the person buying new will be too bothered as any issues will occur further down the line. First owners just want relatively affordable service intervals.
Absolutely. I do mine at the same time as the oil change. First did it at 14k (10k after I bought the car) and the filter was awful. Not too bad at 24k
Is the DSG filter even on the service list anymore, I was told it isn't to get these repairs up
@@chubbybrown4real the haldex filter is a permanent one, and therefore I think is not considered a serviceable item.
I've struggled to find a garage that does a haldex filter clean in Watford :(
A very eye opening review. We perceive certain brands have a reputation for quality build & engineering based on their products from some years back which is not justified in their current products. Porsche with their water cooled M96 & 97 engines being a classic example.
The advent of the PCP while good for retailers casts a shadow over buying any performance car second hand even an "Approved Used" from a franchise dealer. I suppose I am from a generation who bought a car with their own money/personal loan. It was "my car" which I intended to keep for some time & so looked after it both in driving style & maintenance. These days, people who in the past could never afford a new performance BMW, VW/Audi, can for some £400 pm get themselves cars worth over £30k for 2 years motoring. In the knowledge it is not & never will be "their car" they are not going to keep to a running in period, let the engine oil warm up before giving it higher revs, drive up kerbs, carrying out remaps without telling the lease company etc. RUclips is full of channels fronted by young men in M140i's, 240i's & Golf R's that are basically abused for 2 years. You wouldn't want to go anywhere near a former PCP vehicle.
Absolutely spot on my friend , i had this car on my short list of my new secondhand cars , and just like you i buy cars outright and look -after them well , so glad i watched this video ?🙄
As someone who has to do work on these as lease cars, most were leased as part of salary packages so no care needed as the repair cost picked up by the company,the driver won't care his new toy is already on order. Often sevices missed/ well passed due date. DSG and Haldex oil changes often missed as a cost cutting measure ( the next owner after being sold can have that done...). DSG oil changed when problems, usually black, when new oil put in problems magnified the garage blamed for f*******g the box, very few garages will change the oil,.Spark plug changes missed. Lots of Haldex units not working correctly, do not get fobbed off " its a wheel speed sensor " it isnt. Cheapest tyres possible. Most wheels buckled / distorted. Front shocks weeping. Rear calipers seize with monotonous regularity ( Euro Car Parts ) keep plenty in stock. Check front bumper for fibre glass repair,look underneath to see attatchment and fit, pattern parts are crap for lining up. The cars get stuffed so often as the driver runs out of talent. Paint is poor. The engine manifold flaps go wrong, the timing chain hydraulic tensioner goes weak, tensioner guides break, the chain jumps.....valves meet pistons. The water pump fails The media/navigation goes wrong although sometimes this can be fixed by disconnecting the unit for 10 mins and it self resets, but it will go wrong again software problems. I feel sorry for some young kids who come in and have saved like mad taken a loan out bought a car then problems appear they may have warranty but £500 goes nowhere, we diagnose then tell them the cost. Without exception they say I bought it because VW's are reliable... VW reliability vanished around 2007/8.
That's the issue with buying ex lease vehicles most will have been driven hard with the owner knowing they are going back in 3 years time.The market was flooded with cheap attractive finance deals.
When the time comes for it to go back it will end up at auction and most go down hill from there.
When it comes to servicing its the same approach cheap parts inc servicing and tyres missed service actions etc etc.
Anyone with a laptop seems to be into "tuning" and remaps now and who really knows what map is on a car your buying
Also, any R with leather will have heated seats by default! 👍
That's true although leather is pretty rare too. VW are good like that, there are very few VWs in past 20 years that didn't have heated seats when they had leather (even part leather). The only I can recall is VW Corrado with Recaro seats. Many Audis, even convertibles don't have heated leather unless you pay extra for it!
I just sold a Saab 9-3 Turbo X, which I think was the first car to have a Haldex unit. The service intervals on those was reduced too, no more than 30k miles or every three years at most. I'm in the market for a mk7 R at the moment, luckily here in Australia they don't get stolen too much; WRXs and Ford/Holden V8s on the other hand....
never mentioned the plastic sumps, have loads come into work that are leaking from the pan seal.
Seems like a good set of tips. I've owned a 2014 manual since new. It's got just shy of 14000 miles on it (I live in London and, well, public transport).
The clutch has just started to slip, and yes, it's low revs / high gears that show it up the most.
The water's also started to go down. I've topped it up but it's going down again.
Pretoria wheels were a bad choice. You on;y need to look at a pot hole and they will buckle. Real PITA. If the standard ones weren't so ugly I would have gone for them.
I don't have Android auto or anything and I've not been too bothered TBH. The standard Sat Nav is fine, although I only ever really use it to show the ETA. I usually know where I'm going.
Overall I've been pretty happy. Yes, I'm probably about to spend a grand and a half on it getting it fixed up, but on the whole it's been a cheap car to run. I added most extras when I bought it, apart from the sunroof (I had a TT convertible at the time too), rear camera (not really necessary) and the uprated sat nav. Paid £30k.
Thinking of replacing it, as it's a bit small for a family of 4 (had 1st baby on the way when I bought it). But I'm struggling to find a suitable replacement especially as most cars are bloody autos now. Yawn.
Great video. You forgot the water leaks in the boot and wing mirror glass falling off
Yeah, heard about these only recently. Haldex is a pile of s&&t too
@@volkswizard bought our twins a Golf R each for their 21st. Lots of quality issues including most thing mentioned in the video. Luckily, they're both 3rd year apprentice service techs with Jaguar Land Rover so have the means to get stuff sorted. One going into the body shop tomorrow to have rust spots fixed on the bonnet (result of stone chips). Car has only covered 22k miles.
I have a mk7.5 golf r and it had a coolant leak at 2 years old and 14k miles. Very good advice mate! Still love the car. I also keep all modification paper work for when I intend to sell it in 10 years 😋
Between the weak clutch and crank walk issues, I would not recommend a manual version of this car. A lot of folks were worried about reliability of the DSG long term with all the added complexity, but oddly enough the DSG cars tend to be far more reliable.
I’m planning on buying a golf are in the next 12 months, and I’ve just discovered this video nicely presented very informative thank you
Really good advice . I sold my 2015 Mk7 Gti this year . I religiously keep all bills etc. VW dealer told me they would shred the lot . I think it really bad as all useful to new owner. I was happy to sign a disclaimer to stop it but not acceptable to VW. Anyway I sold it to a Seat dealer in exchange for a Leon ST Cupra. He has kept all the paperwork for next owner as I gave permission
Hey Rob, glad you enjoyed it. The receipts thing since GDPR is a pain. I always pass them on because the very fact I've been given them would suggest the owner wants them to be passed on but I do need to formalise this to avoid breaking the law. How the Cupra ST going?
volkswizard It’s bloody fast ! I thought the Golf was but the Leon with 300bhp is another league up. It’s well screwed together as well. Some of the knobs on the dash are a little cheaper in feel than the Golf . But hey ho, I can live with that. Altogether, I am quite happy with the car .They are a little under the radar and I like that, Quite funny , I get looks from young petrol heads who know what it is and equally from the boys in blue , who equally know what it is . I like that as well .
I purchased a mountune stage 1 kit for my mk7 manual golf r and immediately had clutch slip on acceleration between 4/5 gears. I then mapped back to standard and no clutch slip. Would like to fit a sach clutch but would probably need a new flywheel and am looking at another £1500.
The manual R clutch is very weak mine started to slip at 18k was looking at the sachs clutch but they can have a on off feel so i went for a helix clutch and sachs flywheel and feels amazing and only a little heavier and very quiet, they say it can take stage 3 around 1100 pound and 450 to fit. All this and id only had the car a month. Good luck
Jamster Smith
Can you tell me was the helix an organic version and where did you get the clutch and flywheel from.
Thanks for ur help
@@garyfrancis8157 yes mate its organic and from aks tuning.. Clutch with flywheel and braided clutch line £1,059.00 i just gave them a call to make sure the correct kit came as they have so many 01234 822324
Good informative video. I purchased my Golf R in June 2014 (ordered Jan 2014). I ticked a few boxes in the options list, sunroof, DSG, leather, reversing camera etc.. overall I am really pleased with the car and I like the ‘Q’ car aspect as it’s not so in your face as a Honda Type R for example. Only issue I have had with the car was with the rear disc brake. After parking the car I noticed a heat haze coming from the rear nearside wheel. On inspection I could see the friction material from the rear pad had separated from the metal backing plate and was firmly wedged between the calliper and the rear disk. The car was only six months old so still under warranty. I spoke with the dealership and asked them to collect the car for repair as I did not want to drive the car with the rear brake pad wedged where it was. Their answer was they don’t collect cars and I must drive it there! I did drive there, very steadily I must add, and I gave the service reception guy some major grief in asking me drive the car in. VW replaced the pads and rear disk (both sides) as the nearside disk was very badly scored by the pad material. Overall I would give the R 9 out of 10.
Thanks Andrew, great video, clutches in the MK 7 are I feel built down to a price, just about okay if treated gently, however they wont tolerate hard driving, and on a 300ps car that is pointless.
Appreciate you sharing experience and wisdom with this platform. Might give a future buyer negotiating power too.
I read online that the early 2014 R is suffering from turbo problems. Would you say it's worse than it looks or is this a real problem? Also someone mentioned that the fuel line from the rail to the HPFP can also wear on the inside?
The coolant pump and coolant regulator both failed on my R in September last year. Another problem I had was a fault with the gear shifter mechanism, I kept getting a warning message saying error workshop
only leave vehicle in p position. It was all done under warranty which was lucky in a way, as I only had a month left before the warranty ran out!
So glad I found this BEFORE going Golf-shopping! Really helpful video, thanks!
Good video very informative was thinking of getting a 2017-18 golf GTI or GTD but think I’ll just stick with my Fiesta ST used to work for Volkswagen in the late 90’s & there cars where bulletproof back times must have changed. I have heard over the years of people buying used cars with the DSG gearbox & it failing not long after buying it & it costing £5000
I am currently thinking about whether to get a R. Following this blog and the remarks about the haldex and coolent, I may just pass and consider the gti or GTD instead..
I’m here late but can You help me out on Golf 6R and 6 GTI. How reliable they are after 200,000km or 120,000 miles? And what to look for? Thanks
I have a golf mk7, 2014. The memory for the automatic window on the driver side keeps getting lost. How can I set this?
Also when I put the car in reverse the side mirrors on both sides does net tilt down. I've confirmed on the settings this function is on.
Please advise. Thanks
Hello I have a golf 7 gti with this stop start thing thinking of getting the 7 r does it have the stop start because it is a pain by the way great vid thanks
I think it has something to do with the motor mounts maybe a GTA gerbil Porsche
I had a mk 4 tdi 190k miles no clutch issues...then bought 2nd hand mk5 tdi and dual mass flywheel disintegrated. Apparently common and often happens when people tow. I had to replace clutch with third party reinforced flywheel and got reconditioned gearbox. So weak clutch in R might scare me off!
4:50 what the hell is this angle lmfao
calamity I know his left ball in his sake was showing
It was difficult to explain that I’m watching a car video when my wife walked in on the crotch shot
@@UnshakableResolve 😂
Lol
This is how I want mine; black paint, silver mirrors and the silver Pretoria wheels😍
Amazing car! Although mine was car jacked from me in Kings Heath, Birminghan. Be careful if you get one.
Frank Nutt, agreed South Bham is a hot bed for car jackings, it’s really not worth the hassle of owning one of these.
Why are these cars so popular for theft in the UK? I have one and in the US no one looks twice at it. Most likely to get carjacked in some over $100k Range Rover, Benz, Porsche etc.
@@jmahtab in the U.K. we have a different road layout to the US. In the US, most of your roads are in a grid layout.
In the U.K. we have a lot of twisting country roads and twisting roads in towns and cities.
So in the real world here, a golf r will be a lot faster than a M3 as it can handle a lot easier.
So these get knicked a lot for joy rides and getaway vehicles for other crimes.
The bad or lack of servicing is down to the garage who carried out the work. If the garage is no longer in business then the manufacturer has to pay as they dictate you use the approved garages to maintain warranty. I have had very poor service from several Hyundai, Nissan, Chevrolet and Vauxhall dealerships making basic servicing mistakes. Luckily I'm an engineer and check everything is done or I involve the manufacturer directly and remind them of social media etc. Also I have witnessed several technicians taking high spec / hot hatches for a "test drive" launching them 0-60 which will kill a clutch. Manufacturers do not seem to visit or inspect approved garages to check the work being done.
Mercedes, Audi and VW dealerships have been known to drive customers cars "with enthusiasm". One garage recently had a Focus RS in and it was ragged down the road past me so I now have a tracker fitted on my car and make sure the garage is aware when its serviced. Garages also disconnect your dash cam on "test drives" with the excuse they had to check some software and didn't want to damage the camera even though it is only wired to the 12V socket or piggyback fused so they are talking absolute rubbish.
DCC and adaptive cruise are important features.
Good review video, the car has a few common issues but generally a great all rounder. Guys on the forums always say check the water pump as it always goes and do a launch to check the haldex is working or needs a service. If you pick up one with Cadiz alloys then you can get Pretoria replicas for half the price and stronger than oem
Had mine 2 years and had 0 issues
nice that you're trying to help, but the Pretoria wheels and stolen + recovered info makes me think that....nah...i'll buy something else
It’s usually the DSG versions that gets looked at the most by thieves cause the last thing you want to do in a police chase, is fiddling with the Manuel gears, no matter how good you are at changing gears, nothing beats an DSG gearbox whilst being chased or in a quick getaway. Manuel versions are usually ignored, and if you’re really paranoid, add a steering wheel lock. My mates has a Manuel mk7 R and he lives in a rough estate, has a steering lock and no one has touched it or even looked at it for the past 4 years he’s owned it.
Excellent advice and content Andrew. When you scratch below the surface, it would appear that VW need to up their game somewhat in terms of components and quality control. Trading on heritage is all well and good to a point, but consumers aren't stupid. Hope you and yours are keeping well and safe in these testing times. Thanks again and take care.
Thanks for commenting Darren as ever! It's a pity as 7R is actually pretty robust but a bit of penny pinching on 2 key components and it ruins the rest of the car. The paint I can live with but the leak and clutch make being a dealer in these a bit like russian roulette but with 5 bullets not 1 :) Thanks for your concern and best wishes to you and yours too, stay safe.
How do you spell stupid? BMW
My water pump was replaced under warranty last year in january, not even 6 months later I noticed coolant was dropping again, theres staining around the pump but I have no warranty, they should have done a recall on this
I have the Mk6 R. I love it, never seen another one on the road.
I really don’t like the 7 at all. Not a enthusiast car anymore. Everyone has the 7 and maps them. New Ford Focus.
Mk6 is good but not cheap and getting old now. Mk7 is nicer in some ways, worse in others (like quality). I think the answer is to try something else, I've said it before but a nice spec Cupra is a great car and if you want AWD you can get it now too.
volkswizard I went for the cupra 300 manual in January over the golf r, I really love the cupra
My son has the mk6 in blue,a totally unmolested standard in manual with low mileage 38k.Prices are strong for a good one,unlike the 7,s that being leased have had dogs abuse.
I have purchased a golf r facelift one in grey with dsg been looking for a while
I own a golf 7R manual gearbox and confirm that the original clutch does not hold more than 80,000km. I didn't do anything in particular, he just skated for no reason and I think he's undersized
Good advice on this video!
I’ve had 2 x 7.5’s but I think buying a decent Leon cupra is easier safer option. Dcc standard and Less to go wrong.
Im in the market for a 2017 R (not 7.5) or 2017 leon, which one do you recommend and why? I plan to go stage 2 for fast road use
Jay Ali cupra. You’ll surprise more people in it
Is the paint quality the same, worse or better when compared to an Audi, such as the S3?
As this car has delicate paint should you be sitting on it especially as your trying to sell it and it’s ceramic coated so likely paint corrected?
Ceramic coating means I can lean on it carefully (I'm not actually sitting on it) and not damage the paint. And in the unlikely event it did get damaged I can correct it, I've had enough practice...
I have a 7.5 a 2018 as you can see on my photo, I have those same wheels. The paint is amazing, I don’t winter drive it, bought it May 2018 and has 8,000 miles as of today.zero issues, and remapping does not void warranty. You may want to double check that. If there is a power train issue and there is a remap it’s true that may not cover the issue depending on the problem. As for everything else on the car remapping doesn’t void that’s aspect.
Great video. Paranoid now about getting a coolant leak. Early 2016 model with 14k on clock.
If it's not going down do not worry, might have already been done. If it does leak, it's very slow at first and may not get worse. Enjoy a great car 👍
I am thinking about buying a 2019 model what do you think.
Can you do one of these guides for the mk7.5 R...??
do you think if you de badged the R logos off the car it would make a difference ?
Excellent review, thanks. I have a MK7 and the diamond cut alloys are starting to corrode at the center. Any advice as to how to deal with this?
still same issues as with the mk6 then? I had to replace the waterpump on my mk6 with hardly any mileage on due to it leaking
How much did it cost you on the mk6?
@@zaheerhussain6321 best part of £500 if I remember right
My mk5 is quite happy with wifi so no problem with ents.
Hi good informative video i have also encountered another issue on these and that is cold engine misfires due to carbon build up on the intake valves and ports.This will ideally require walnut blasting to keep the engine performing at its best.
Hi, thanks for commenting. Which country are you in as different territories have different engines with affects the issue you mention?
@@volkswizard The UK
Superb video / content - what got fixed in the 7.5 bar the thermostat problem ?
If a car like this as cheap rubber on the wheels I wouldn’t even bother viewing it,as that just shows the kind of owner as had it.save the time and travel,wow these dealers really don’t give a pee about costumers,5 grand because of a tec,that must of hurt really bad
It was VW UK, not the dealer that threw out my claim, didn't even offer goodwill. I wrote a detailed letter to the top man at Milton Keynes HQ and while they did call back they offered zero help. They must know full well these cars don't fail like that and only one person touched that gearbox, someone with a VW badge on their overalls. But there we go. As I said car was under a VW warranty, the original proper one that had been extended when ordering the car new and which is transferable to new owners with no quibbles, the car had FVWSH and had been serviced as advised by the dealer. Unfortunately nobody has learned from this and dealers still think owners should know what should be done when, which is ridiculous, you don't even get a service book listing what work is due now. Luckily that dealer has gone out of business but I wouldn't say this was a one off.
volkswizard that’s crazy,thanks for the in-depth information,this is crazy in this day and age
I just went to look at one of these today. Pretoria wheels refurbished (worrying), no sevice history as imported from Japan without it, advertised as a fresh import but being used by more than one person since as a 'run-around' and gaining 5k miles since imported 6 months ago so not so fresh, AND the coolant level was topped up above the max line and when I went to check the boot for a proper spare wheel, guess what... a pack of several bottles of water in the boot! I think I'll be backing out of this one!!
Some scary truth. Cars can be very flawed. My 2008 mk 5 has only 75,000 kms. The check engine light is on again after two months ago for the charcoal filter and N80 valve went.$900. The engine shuddered and on it came. The idle speed goes up and down by itself. Gutted, on my birthday as well. Cheers. Stay well.
Thanks Philip, was engine is that in your Mk5? If it's a 2.0 TFSI, see my Mk5 buying guide and the PCV section in particular
@@volkswizard Thank you for the feed back. Yes it is the PCV valve on my GTI 2.0 TFSI engine. Error codes and oil cap removal -vacuum, proved this as per your video. Part, plus hoses and gaskets and taxes $370.00 at VW without my local garage labour. Thanks from Philip.
Do you know anything about the quality of the is38 turbos that was in the early MK7's to the newer later MK7.5 regarding the play in the turbo shaft? Meaning the newer the car the less chance there will be this turbo issue?
One or two of these don't apply for USA cars but NM still giving you a thumbs up , for the remarks about paint or quality of 7 and I forgot what else towards the earlier points
Great upload I'm in a position to get one,I'm turn between the golf m6 r or the mk7 both in dsg,,both same price what would you prefer and honest opinion
Thanks
Right now it's Mk7 as 6 is getting old and costly and not much cheaper
@@volkswizard yes your right,they are the same price give or take £800,I think I will.take your advice lol,,thanks
I was going to buy a manual Golf R with Pretorias... thanks for the warning !! I'll keep my 2.5T Focus ST a bit longer and look for a Cupra.
Also have the coolant problem in my 2014 gti performance.. I had fluid under the car and they fixed a sealing but it's loosing anyway.. Don't know what's wrong cause there's no coolant under the car and they checked the whole engine. No oil in the coolant or something.. But the car doesn't give a notification that it's low.. Don't know what to do
Probably needs a new coolant module if they haven't changed that already, look carefully up at the pipes towards the electronic plug and I am sure you'll see staining and drips. It's easy for a technician to mess this up and it still leak BTW.
volkswizard wow thanks! Really appreciate that! Great videos 💪💪
Would you go ed35 dsg or golf R manual 2012? I'm stuck on which i should buy so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Tricky! GTI has DSG which is a risky at that age, R has AWD which is a risk at that age (noisy diffs and haldex issues are common). I'd lean to GTI DSG because if you buy a good one and don't abuse it, they generally stay good but it's a close one so I'd choose whichever one you can find a good example of, I'd say GTI will be easier anyway as more common. No bad choice though👍
@@volkswizard thanks for the reply. Both seem like good examples. Both 1 owner from new both on 52,000 miles both full dealership history both unmodified
I think these make amazing rentals or hire purchase. I would be wary of one a few years old to own privately though, unless it was low miles, well kept one.
Hi would be really interested in a Mk7 write up on GTD , is it worth buying a later 7.5? Would you recommend Dsg box compared to manual ?
I am a real VW enthusiasts, I have had Mk1,2,3,5,6 golfs as well as other VWs, currently had a mk 6 gt tdi for last 6 years & a self converted Kombi / camper late T5, however thinking of replacing my mk6 work horse with a mk 7 gtd hence me asking your opinions.
Love your channel and find the vids really good and very well done so any advice on gtd would be appreciated Thanks again
GTI or R as a fun daily? Will be having either remapped at a minimum.
Find it interesting you decide to go with a club sport GTI instead of the mk8 R
I understand. Listening to the “why” in the latest video. Did you text drive that mk8?
smaller wheels are lighter and cheaper so is it better to have 18" wheels ?
Yes and no. Depends if you need more grip as 235 tyre on 19 obviously offers more than 225 on 18 and looks better not least because it fills arches better. What you really need is a 235 40 18 on a wheel same width as 19s. Difficult for VW to upsell wider wheels so you don’t get that option. RS3 has a wider wheel option on its 19s.
Is dcc on a 2016 golf r crucial?
Why have there gone up so much in price! 2015 DSG looking at 19k
Crazy isn't it. I brought a 1.4 TSI Golf with 26k miles on it in 2020 for £10,500. Same car now costing around £13,000.
Great video. Would an Audi s3 manual suffer the same issues or would the Audi be better?
Clutch is still chocolate but paint is massively superior. Still leaks coolant, they all do with that EA888 engine, up to around 2017, so S1, S3, Q3, A4, A6, Octavia, Leon, Passat, etc etc
you did not mention the turbos that break systematically between 2014 and 2016 :)
Could you please do a review on a golf GTD
I'll do what I can Don, already done the Estate if that's any good? ruclips.net/video/4EVEEAPNuhs/видео.html
Andrew you got any advice for GTI Performance Package MK7.5? Price range/miles/ thinks to notice before buying?
Wow what are the chances, just recently been looking at golf r’s to hopefully get one in a few months, this is super helpful thanks!
My experience is as the mk7,s were leased unlike the mk6,they tend to have been abused like a brick yard donkey.
Thanks, Andrew. I suppose some of those things may crop up in the S3 too? (Hope not!) Are we going to get a video about the nice S1 in the background??
S3 is similar but paint is better at least! Yes S1 vid one day but can't drive it due to lockdown so who knows when?
Scary the quality that the Mk7 has. I have a mk5 r32 makes me worry about going for a 7r.
Would you say cupra is the way to go then much difference in 280,290,300 models.
I wanted to have as a daily and the R32 weekend car, would you say cupra, golf mk6/7 or an audi rs3 8p version.
Keep up the content much appreciate it 👍
Glad you enjoy the content and thanks for commenting 👍Not not much differene between those Cupras TBH, all good. A number of the R issues will apply to Cupra too especially coolant leak but I think paint is better and they are so much cheaper you can allow for issues. Clutch is less of an issue being 2 wheel drive but it won't be great so get DSG. I'm not a fan of 8P RS3, of all the cars mention, to drive a Cupra is better than all of them as it's like a civilised GTI Clubsport S especially with DCC dampers which are common on Cupra, not available or hens teeth options on others. HTH
Looking to get a low mileage 7.5 this year so good video!
Make sure you get a pre WLTP 7.5 R, the post WLTP have done away with the port injectors so it is only direct injection now, this means you will have significant carbon build up on the inlet valves and inlet manifold as early as 30k. You also get 10hp more and don't have an exhaust particulate filter to worry about on the exhaust with 7.5 pre WLTP.
Are most of these problems fixed on the mk 7.5 models??
Most yes though paint is the same as far as I can tell. Car Play is standard, coolant leaks less common, wheels are same, less likely to get cheap skate owners as no lease deals. You can get a manual R 7.5 but hard to tell if clutch stronger as so few around, sold one with 20k miles and it didn't slip which was a nice change so maybe ! 7.5 is generally more satisfying all together I find so worth stretching to.
Great video, very informative.
How do you find oil usage?
Could it be point 11?
I currently have a 2016 octavia vrs petrol 220 which i would say was a little thirsty with oil (no blue smoke) and am looking to get into a Golf R estate come car change time.
I know its basically the same engine (ea888).
Great car - do you see many manual Rs with DCC? My ideal spec is a manual 7.5 with leather and DCC - unicorn or possible, any thoughts? Cheers
Possible but it will take some looking, manual got deleted less than halfway through 7.5 build so very few and they didn't sell so many as they didn't do the crazy deals (mind you if they had they'd have all been boggo basic!)
@@volkswizard Thanks very much for the reply - once we are out of lockdown I will be seeking one out!
Very interesting and informative vid. Ive got a 2017 Scirocco R lease that seems to consume quite a bit of oil ( around 1L every 3.5k miles) . believe it or not its improved since new. I dont drive it hard and am considering buying it from VWFS, but is this a sign of potential expensve issues in future? Thanks
Excessive oil consumption can be normal during engine brake in. If it got worse instead of better then I'd worry
Love these kind of videos, realy informative. I love vw group. For me 7.5 is better looking then the new golf 8. That thing that you sad ,,that's why I drive a Seat" how the time passes by I am looking more to buy a Seat Leon in FR equipment (some 2017.) because you geting more for the money. What's your opinion, is better to buy 2.0 tdi or some TSI?
Well i bought a TDI for my own use so there's a clue ;) The petrol engines may be similar HP and MPG but for motorways miles, a torquey low revving diesel can't be beaten and they are way better for reliability, whether low mileage or high. if you do more mixed driving, TSI might be OK but I never believe the mpg figures.
Does the engine suffer from Carbon build up issues?
For the European market the car was fitted with 4 extra injectors for emissions reasons that have the happy effect of washing the intake ports thereby massively minimising carbon fouling. Not all territories got this engine (eg North America) so fouling is still an issue with those.
volkswizard thanks!
Interesting video, think I'll go for a GTI if I'm ever looking to buy a MK7. Did the fact a lot of R's were available on cheap lease deals mean they were driven hard and not serviced on time?
I don't know the T&Cs of the leases but having seen cars at auction that have been returned to VWFS, a lot weren't serviced to spec. As for being driven hard, the affordability meant the car was available to a demographic that had previously never been able to get into a new £30k car so I'd expect there to be a greater number of that type of driver than usual. Also the lease doesn't say don't drive it hard so owners will feel they are getting even better value by spanking it and any wear and tear is the next owner's problem who gets it at 2 years old. Many will have limped on with a slipping clutch until it was handed back to VW at end of lease as it wasn't warranty (in most cases) and £1000 to fix would be beyond what a lot of owners would stomach.
@@volkswizard Thanks Andrew, appreciated.
Good video with good advice👌, There have been several revisions of the thermostat housing, the latest P/N is 06L-121-111-M, the number can be seen from above with a torch and inspection mirror by looking through the intake manifold on the UK drivers side, the last letter (M in this case) is hard to see as it is marked differently than the rest of the P/N, it is NOT the water pump that leaks, it is the thermostat housing that fails at a plastic welded seam just below the thermostat itself, most will only ever have a minor leak that doesn’t ever get worse and just needs topping up over time, and most will never drop any visible water as it evaporates first, the way to tell for sure is to remove the under tray and look up at the housing for signs of scum that looks like limescale around immediate vicinity of the leak, most will pass a pressure test as the leak is so small and the dealer doesn’t leave it pressurised for long enough! Also the position of the thermostat (open or closed) at the time of test seems to play a part in the result.
Huge knowledge base for MK7 here - golfmk7.com/forums/index.php
Thanks CarlosFandango, great info. I know the pump and stat are separate parts but the INA aftermarket part is one unit and cheaper than VW, I paid under £200 recently. On that leaking one, there seemed to be a pressure relief hole that it was leaking through near the thermostat wiring plug, looked like an internal seal had failed though I didn't spend too much time investigating but someone on a forum had leak from there and put it down to that.
Can I ask, why do drive a Seat? and which one?
[relieved mk 6r owner sounds]
Great video mate. Really informative. Just bought a 6C Polo GTI 25k miles. Clutch slips in 6th with a racechip installed, removed it and all is good. It’s probably going to slip stock soon. Thinking of a Sachs clutch, do you know if these feel stock. I’m told organic is the one to go for.
Love your vids. Stay safe.
Thanks Sam! Not sure I've ever driven an R etc with the Sachs clutch but I do think they will feel pretty normal so don't worry about it feeling tricky. Funnily enough 6C GTI has the EA888 with all the same issues as R mechanically. I do know of one that had a clutch early on. TBH it's not such an issue on 2WD so you might be OK if it's stock and you don't slip the clutch too much but if you want it mapped then you know what to do 👍
Is the insurance high on these due to the fact the work shy have a tendency to want to drive them after dark.
Great review … I’m dreaming of buying one soon, a 7.5 R. But you kinda turned me off ? Should I go for it? ? It’s my dream car
hi mate, do you have much experience in the "new new" beetle. Don't know much about them but always saw them as an even more quirky alternative to a scirocco?
Hi, they are OK but a bit odd to drive and only the top model has independent rear suspension so its not a drivers car, far less so than Scirocco. Made in Mexico so build is a bit iffy. There is a nice 2.0 Turbo and the cabriolets are good open cars if you want that sort of thing but TBH I'd get a Scirocco 2.0 TSI 210 PS and be happy :)
@@volkswizard okay thats cool, interesting food for thought. Cheers!
In Florida, almost no one recognizes the high performance capabilities of this car - it looks like a generic Golf with few visual cues that indicate otherwise. Once in a long while, a fellow enthusiast will recognize it and ask about it. That's why I don't worry much about it being stolen (and I've had my MK7 over 5 years). Finally, my best theft-deterrent is the manual transmission - most (younger) car thieves can't drive a manual.
Very different situation here in the UK, specifically London, this car gets stolen on a daily. The ones here are high powered and often remapped and modded
Oil at 10k? Bollocks. 5k miles is what's now considered standard for 2 liter turbos. Do that and you'll have an engine last a very very long time.
I was contemplating getting an R, currently have a nice spec manual mk7 GTD. Do these same issues apply to the 8V Pre facelift s3?
I had a manual nice spec manual GTD for 4 years and said I’d never sell it. A few months ago I moved to a 7R DSG and never looked back. Its immense in comparison. You won’t regret it I promise you that!
Great video.
Hopefully the next gen comes with a front diff.
Which would transform it into the pinnacle of hot hatches.
Standard in early 90’s jdm cars but still considered a special option in Europe.
Great Video , My Husband is a huge fan of the Channel also. He is Czech Engine.(Lee).