Why are VW clutches so crap?

[Guest Simon*]

I have a girlfriend who's interested in a manual Golf - prob a Mk4 GTi

Just at first glance through the TM hordes it seems like 2 out of 3 have had clutch rebuilds before about 140k! Why????

I see after a quick look that there are possibly issues with the dual mass flywheel, and the rebuilds are not limited to just the turbo variant either. Anyone have any useful knowledge on this?

Chur

[westy 614]

Dosen't seem that odd.

I think BMW dual mass are the same story.

The clutch in the E46 had done 160k and although still adequate, it was getting a bit soft. I think it was the exception to the rule.

Reeeaaally expensive to replace.

[*Glenn* 855]

Common around 100k. They also break clutch levers inside the rear gearbox housing. Weve done heaps and you normaly have to do the flywheel. Quite a crazy set up really, the crankshaft spins the clutch cover.

[Guest Simon*]

How would you rate them having serviced them Glenn?

I'm keen to get her into an E46 myself but she likes VAGs

[westy 614]

You like Vaag too.

[*Glenn* 855]

Theyre not bad cars. Similar cooling problems that BMW's have. Clutches are expensive and cambelts must be done every 5 yrs or 120k whichever comes first.

BTW: "but she likes VAGs ".....made me laugh as well

Edited July 26, 2009 by *Glenn*

[Guest Simon*]

I love the Vaag Tony and she's a good girl like that too

She drove a Mk4 VR6 Auto and liked that too, but is a "stick" girl and wants a manual

[CamB 48]

Theyre not bad cars. Similar cooling problems that BMW's have. Clutches are expensive and cambelts must be done every 5 yrs or 120k whichever comes first.

BTW: "but she likes VAGs ".....made me laugh as well

90k?

Probably depends how its driven. My wife had one - was my father's before that - clutch felt the same at 110k km as 50k km.

She now has a Skoda - same gearbox. She blew that up, LOL (not her fault, and Skoda have been good about it on cost sharing despite being just out of warranty).

[Guest Simon*]

Hmmm it has given me pause for thought

In my (completely unqualified) opinion a very late '90's early '00's Euro car that turns clutches to butter and shits gearboxes in less than 100kms doesn't sound like a great feat of engineering. That's only 60,000 miles and while cambelt, waterpump I'd expect the rest just screams "buy me and $uffer fool$!"

Maybe I'll just chuck her in a nice late E36 manual coupe (gahhhhh!!!!) and she can stick to the other kind of VAG

[elmarco 56]

Hmm - interesting information. The Mk4 was off our list on aesthetics, not mechanicals!

I have owned 2x Mk3 Golfs and the only issues I ever had was a clutch leaking slave cyl on the VR6, and an A/C compressor on the TDi. They were both pretty reliable apart from that. As for the Mk4 - I guess the Germans don't always get it 100% right (the Mini CVT would be a great example). They can't be that bad - I've never heard the horror stories about them like I have about the Audi's or Mini's....

[CamB 48]

I am pretty sure based on a few conversations and a look around the internet that the Skoda gearbox failure was very uncommon, and more a case of "if you make 1 million cars stuff fails".

[elmarco 56]

I am pretty sure based on a few conversations and a look around the internet that the Skoda gearbox failure was very uncommon, and more a case of "if you make 1 million cars stuff fails".

1 ppm failure rate is not bad.... They threaten to delist you as a supplier if you get to 50 ppm! To put that in context, you may supply 300,000 items over 3 years, and get a total of 15 rejects at the factory...

Sorry, bit off topic.

[CamB 48]

Fair enough too.

I've got no idea what the failure rate is - I just googled etc and found it wasn't common (unlike the Jatco jerk, or E36 headliners falling down, or Vanos problems).

[HaNs 226]

Well a lot golf's have women drivers and women seem to like riding the clutch.

Look at my polo. 107k and AFAIK the clutch was done at 90k, lady driver also wore high heels and left some nice holes in the carpet.

Just build a new clutch into the budget, maybe get a vr6 clutch when you do it.

When people chip mk4 gti's they eat the clutch up quite fast.

[OLLIE 26]

I love the Vaag Tony and she's a good girl like that too

She drove a Mk4 VR6 Auto and liked that too, but is a "stick" girl and wants a manual

a stick girl aye?? like loves the stick or ... is really thin?

[Guest Simon*]

All of the above and Stick-vid? Loves the VAG, etc etc

Will this innuendo never end????

Probably not lol

[CamB 48]

The Golf that was my old man's was chipped from new - 190hp - and the clutch is still fine.

The clutch in the Skoda, with at least 220hp (downpipe, injectors, REVO chip, and its the bigger K03S) feels more like it may struggle in time. That's not the clutch's fault.

[HaNs 226]

If your girl doesnt like a bit of stick find a new one.

[Guest Simon*]

She likes the stick, she's a keeper

[CamB 48]

Hmmm, since our baby came along, my wife has been talking about an auto - should I be worried?

[HaNs 226]

Hmmm, since our baby came along, my wife has been talking about an auto - should I be worried?

Baby + auto = your stuffed

[Guest Ari Gold]

I have a girlfriend

wat

[kiwi535 538]

afaik arent skoda=vw

[HaNs 226]

afaik arent skoda=vw

yep

[*Glenn* 855]

afaik arent skoda=vw

No... Audi, just to be accurate. VW ceased being VW when it started using Audi drive components