Volkswagen Golf 2013 Problems

All the cars you’ve nominated would be good choices and will give you some peace of mind because they all use conventional technology. That is to say, none of them in their most affordable, basic forms uses a turbocharger and none of them have a complex, dual-clutch transmission that has been so troublesome for Volkswagen and plenty of other manufacturers, too. At least, that’s if you stay clear of the Cerato GT and the i30 diesel and N-Line, because those variants do have a dual-clutch transmission. The Corolla? A CVT transmission, no matter what variant you buy, but it’s one of the better ones out there.

Yours is not the only voice calling out for a simpler, more reliable motoring experience, Ian. But any of the three makes and models you’ve named should do the job for you with minimal hassle. Neither of them offers up too much in the way of excitement, but as solid, dependable designs, they take some beating.

If it is the water pump as the VW people have diagnosed then I doubt you would have any claim. Water pumps do wear out like any mechanical component, and yours is six years old.

It’s probably best to get out of the car rather than continue to try and rectify the problems. You could try and negotiate a better deal as a trade-in, but if you did that you would be left driving another VW and that’s probably not what you want. You could seek advice on your legal options from the Queensland consumer affairs department. But the best option might be to trade the car in on something from a rival brand.

It’s gone into “limp-home” mode because it’s detected a problem, but before you do anything else you need to find what caused the problem. Once you’ve done that you could approach VW and ask them to repair it at their expense, or pay part of the cost to repair it. If they won’t and you want to take it further you could go to the ACCC.

I wouldn’t hesitate to do the trip in the Golf, it’s generally a reliable car and I wouldn’t expect it to give him any trouble on the journey. If he’s concerned he should join an automobile club like the RACV and take out roadside assistance. Membership covers all of Australia with reciprocal rights in other states, like South Australia or the Northern Territory. The space-saver spare is good enough to get him to the next town where he would be able to get help, as long as he doesn’t drive over 80 km/h. I’m not aware of anywhere he could hire a full-sized spare for the journey, but he could buy one if he’s that concerned about it.

The GTI is a much better drive and a much better car. But if price comes first you'll will get a great fantastic deal on a Pulsar, including the ST-S that comes with the SSS engine and is still hugely overstocked.

You’re not alone, a number of people have complained of this noise. It is said to be the catalytic converter pre-heating, which is achieved with an increased idle speed and altered ignition timing. It is claimed that it is normal and harmless, as your dealer has told you. I would monitor it closely and don’t hesitate to take it back to the dealer if your concern grows.

It's disappointing when you have issues with a relatively new car like yours. I would suggest you talk to your dealer and point out your disappointment and frustration.