German engin-erring

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

German engin-erring

I would appreciate any advice re private purchase of a 2001X 5-door VW Golf 1.6 16v SE in metallic reflex silver. It is a one owner from new car registered 01/01/2001 - petrol engine, full VW service history and a genuine 43K on the clock. Is there anything I should be wary of? What would be a reasonable offer?

Asked on 24 October 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

This is the engine famous for timing belt failure, not because the belt
fails but because the plastic pulleys it runs on fails. So you want belt,
tensioner and all pulleys replaced. Otherwise, the long list of problems afflicting Mk IV Golfs as listed in car by car breakdown at www.honestjohn.co.uk It's certainly no way to buy real "quality and reliability", but resale values are propped up by this myth and that's a fact of life. Retail value is a comparatively high £3,000.

Tags: buying small family cars cam belts used cars

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

Similar questions

Soul rate?

At present my wife and I are sharing a 53 Honda Stream 2.0 auto (super gearbox) and a 04 FIAT panda Dualogic. We wish to reduce to one vehicle and are considering the new KIA Soul. The auto is a 4 speed...

Short haul

We are looking to change our ageing 1.6 Mk4 Golf for a new/nearly new car. The car is used for short commutes of about 2 miles and has to be able to accommodate bulky objects in the back. Hatchback is...

Votes wagen

I know your evaluation of Golf Mark IVs is based on reader feedback, but may I put in a good word for this car? I've had my 2002 Golf 1.9 PD TDI since new and, apart from the odd light bulb, etc. obviously,...