VW's - General info -any NEW model- diesels

As per a couple of my other threads...in 18 months or so i will getting some sort of 4x4 or something to do some driving around Oz towing my boat.
I've looked at a few utes,driven a few but still tossing up a VW Transporter T5 4Motion as an option.
As i'm pushing it in years things get slightly more 'uncomfortable' to do. A ute would have a 'slide on camper' on the tray which has lots of limitations and involves climbing up to get the cramped bed.
A decent van makes life easy...pull up,put out an awning and crack a beer.
After driving the VW Amarok i was suitable impressed and as far as vans go the Transported is in another world compared to the next best option, the Toyota Hiace.
Lets say....safer,better susupension, 4Motion,diff lock available,off road factory suspension available,better range of seats,MUCH better cabin,nice to drive,2.5 twin turbo diesel..approx 135kilowatts and 400 torques, 6 speed manual or 6 speed DSG auto and the list goes on.
The Hiace is a dinosauar compared to the Transporter. Toyota...PAY MORE,GET LESS!!
The 4 motion is different to the Amarok ( theree are 3 versions of 4 Motion) and so is the gearbox in the auto. Amarok does not have a DSG.
So .... my question is this...i have something in the back of my brain that says 'watch out for Vw's'....think this is from years ago.
I am aware that the earlier versions of the DSG box caused some problems but understand this has been sorted now.
I'd like to follow this thread with anyone that knows someone that has ANY sort of newish VW...let's say no older than 3 years...be it a Golf,Amarok etc. I'm pretty much only interested in diesel VWs,DSGs etc and their overall view of their cars and would they buy anotherone?
Any info would be good.

Gidday Silver

A friend with a relatively new VW Golf (?) got a recall letter, even though it doesn't have any of the advertised stuff (DSG etc ... ).

Electrics/electronics have always been a weak spot with VW, and have been since before I started driving. I am amazed that they are still having problems with this nearly 50 years later (and for all the time in between ... )! Another friend's son in law has a VW, and has had continual problems with the electrics since new a few years ago.

BTW, I agree about the ability to "rough it". Mine has declined seriously in the last 10 years! Not an option for me any more.

Thanks..do you think you could get some more detailed info for me?
I 've got to be careful of idle gossip if you know what i mean...of course i'm not suggesting anything here...just trying to get a picture in my head based on fact.
In reality...recalls in my opinion are not really a problem...lets face it...the myth about Totota being 'unbreakable', is hype, and well done hype at that...they have had heaps of recalls in the last few years...my mates Hilux 05 model had 3 plus 2 clutches and trouble with an injector.
I know they checked some models with DSGs a while back because of the publicity about them stalling or something but that was only Passats i think.
My nephew has an Eos or whatever they call it and they LOVE it and i don't think they have had any problem at all.

^ Hard to do, Silver.

The two events I mentioned specifically are from very old friends. The DSG and injector recalls seem to affect all models. The injector problem is not linked to the DSG auto problem, and is very widespread, AFAIK.

Perhaps Google both?

The rest of what I said is from a long history of talking to VW owners.
One of the reasons I originally bought my first Subaru is that I had only ever come across one person who had problems that would stop them buying another Subaru. Also the occasional person who needed something different from what Subaru could offer. This doesn't mean that Subarus never give any problems, just that it has a bit of rarity value. SWMBO's car got a recall notice about the puddle lights a few months ago, but it doesn't have puddle lights ...

The good thing about the DSG problems is ..get a manual.. although i would prefer an auto. I've not heard anything about injectors so i will google stuff.

Try this article, mate:

https://www.choice.com.au/blog/2013/june/volkswagen-recall.aspx

Choice is hardly the last word on cars, but this article contains some very serious assertions/allegations ...

Also here:

https://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/death-prompts-vw-owners-to-speak-out-20130530-2nexi.html

NOT a good look! Sort of goes to their integrity, doesn't it.

Well maybe my nagging thoughts were valid!!! That's certainly not good and the worst part for me is that it is so recent.
Not good at all. Oh well...the new Hilux will be out next year and the competition might heat up.

Gidday Silver

I saw that article when I was doing some hunting for you.

Didn't read the VW response though. Interesting that the Coroner did eventually find exactly that (IIRC). Which merely extends the problem/s to VW's non-diesel, non-DSG cars as well.

As I wrote before - not so much that the fault occurred, but that VW Australia had allowed it to continue and escalate to that point without doing anything about it (even charging some customers heaps of dough to fix a known problem ... ), while recalling hundreds of thousands of their vehicles in the rest of the world for precisely these problems ... NOT a good look ... .

It appears they have fixed the problem and to eliminate any risk i would get a manual.
What concerns me is the comments about VW head office. Recall cars in other countries but try and screw Ozzie customers!!
The other thing is that, no matter how hard i try to convince myself otherwise, this just reinforces my niggling worry.
I just could not take a risk like that considering where i MIGHT be.
I think i am over VW which is a shame as i relly liked the Amarok and as i said the Transporter is light years ahead of any rivals and the only AWD option in this sort of vehicle.
It's a shame Subaru don't make a van!! or Hyundai a ute to really stir up the ute market.

As far as my needs are concerned it's a campervan or a ute. If i wanted another car i would just get another Subie. Don't have to think about that.
a ute is the winner i reckon but i have lots of time to consider things.

Silver, I understand your disappointment, thinking that you were on a good track (for you).

In a far smaller way, I have done that with all the time, effort and money I have put into rebuilding and modifying my trailer. I now realise that I do not have the luxury of spending another year getting it where I want it to be. By then, I will be getting seriously close to an age when I will not have many years left during which I can actually do any camper-trailering ...

So I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I should sell it now for whatever I can get for it, and hope to re-coup my costs thus far. When this has been done, I will buy myself an off the rack camper trailer immediately. One that I can use immediately, and that suits my needs immediately.

A LOT more expensive than what I have been planning, but I cannot use the money to buy more years!

Lucky for me i have options. I many ways i'm looking forward to getting a ute. It will give me the ability to go and have a look around. The sleeping arrangements might not be as good as a campervan but there are other compensating factors. No worries really.
I agree with you though..get some GOOD stuff...enjoy it.
If you shop around you can always get a good deal...i always try to get brand name stuff at the best price i can.
Plenty of options for new/secondhand stuff eg Gumtree and places. Sometimes people get the wrong thing and sell it as new. go for it.