Answer
Jul 12, 2018 - 03:16 AM
Hello there!
These Polos are generally mechanically quite solid, but there are some known cases of premature failure of the cam timing chain assembly, as well as premature wear of the cylinder bores. In addition, the majority of these GTIs were sold with the 7-speed DSG transmission, which has also shown some signs of less-than-perfect reliability. The minority was sold with a 6-speed manual gearbox, and if this is what you're after, you can disregard any advice pertaining to the DSG gearbox.
So should you buy one? Provided you take some precautions, yes. The first thing you should do is have the car inspected at an independent VW dealership (not the one where you'd probably buy the car), with a particular emphasis on checking for cam chain wear, cylinder bore wear (this can be checked through a leak-down test and compression test, as well as inspection of the inside of the intake manifold for any signs of oil deposits inside), and by having VW also check the DSG transmission.
If all these checks show that the car in question is mechanically sound, you may proceed to the next steps. First, take out comprehensive mechanical breakdown insurance (mechanical warranty), which MUST specify that they will cover transmission repairs and engine damage. This will be a significant outlay, but may just save you a huge expense down the line. Then, once you've bought the car, have a VW dealership service the DSG transmission (generally, this means new fluid and a filter), just for peace of mind. And once these things are sorted, you can relax and enjoy a really good little car, knowing that you're covered for unexpected issues.
Hope this helps!
The AskAutoTrader Team
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