Is DSG reliability that bad??

[lankfert]

Hey Everyone,

I am looking to buy a MKV Golf GTI w/ DSG but after reading online about all the issues and failing Mechatronic units etc, i am now starting to worry about buying one with 95,000kms on it.

Is there anything i should be looking for when buying? Are these really that bad? Or do you only hear about the ones that fail and there are plenty of OK DSG cars with decent KM's?

I was after a VW for a daily because of the build quality but am now having second thoughts..

Cheers...

[Paul_OH]

Welcome Scott

Are these really that bad?

No, the vast majority of peoply out there have no issues at all

Or do you only hear about the ones that fail and there are plenty of OK DSG cars with decent KM's?

Exactly!

As is typical of forums, people will post about the issues they're having and not to let everyone know that everything is fine - otherwise the forums would no doubt be much larger than they are and the dullest of dull!

However, it's not that unusual for the mechatronic units to have issues (mine was replaced under warranty) and even out of warranty I've heard of exchange units being done for less than $2K or so?
It's also something that doesn't normally suffer a catastrophic failure but results in a rough driving experience with a jerky action. If you suspect something isn't right, the most common driving trait to show up any jerkiness is to reverse up a hill slowly eg backing out of an uphill driveway.
Another thing to bear in mind is that a DSG will never operate as smoothly as a normal automatic and can have some quirks. In saying that, I and a lot of others on here love it found it the best compromise between manual and a traditional auto to the point that future cars will be DSG only!

However if you're concerned that much about it then grab a manual, simple as that

[clutch85]

Strong response Paul. Hit the nail on the head. I have one and I love it! If you want to have a little more certainty in the reliability try purchasing a MY08+ (late 07 more or newer) where the DSG was revised by VW. Also look to find one with some lower K's and owned by someone that didn't thrash the living daylights outta their gearbox.
Most people's experiences would be good with the DSG and I particularly like it on my commutes home from work in traffic where I don't really wanna drive manual but on the weekend I can drive like a wannabe F1 star :P
Hope that helps!

[Jsof]

I have a 06 gti.. 115,000ks and I'm still on my original gearbox/mechatronic's.
(and I have been at stage 2 for about 25,000ks)
Like everyone else said, when something goes wrong with their car.. First thing people do is share it with everyone on the forum. Not a bad thing but thats just the way it is.

[lankfert]

OK Cool, thanks guys. The car is an MY08 so hopefully that is a bonus.

I might get the DSG Serviced for peace of mind. I have had a look in the book and it has had full VW service history but no mention of the DSG service. Does the 60,000km include DSG service or is it usually an option?

[Andrew7]

DSG is usually serviced at 60,000km as I understand; you will find threads on here and watercooled on this under "service costs"

[dev17a]

i believe 60,000kms OR 4 yrs.

whichever comes first.

[clutch85]

see Dedy from Top One Automotive for that service, best value guaranteed in Sydney if you're from here

[aplayboy2nv]

Like some have said, when people have a problem, they go online and try to find what's wrong or try and find the solution. Most people don't suddenly go on a forum and say, oh my car is running perfectly. Unless you are an enthusiatist or post on forums regularly anyway.

[Gigitt]

I'd be more inclined to service it 50k intervals... like oil changes, your driving style and conditions can effect the oil's longevity.