New Polo Reliability Shocker!

dxg · Post by **dxg** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:20 pm

We should pay attention to this as it will probably be mentioned on the TV (this Sunday?). What, then, of our residuals?

Anyway, what we all know about the 9N's problems have made it into as mainstream as it gets -- this year's Top Gear owner satisfication survey.

In the bottom ten cars, ranked by reliability the 9N is the 9th worst - in the whole of the UK!

Top Gear motoring survey 2004 - The 10 most unreliable cars
[05 November 2004]

142 - Renault Espace
141 - Renault Laguna
140 - Peugeot 307
139 - Mercedes M-Class
138 - Renault Megane (new)
137 - Fiat Stilo
136 - Citroen C5
135 - Citroen Xsara
134 - VW Polo (new)
133 - Citroen C3

We even get a nice picture of the Polo to remind people what it is:
http://www.topgear.com/content/features ... y_2004/06/

Time to panic.

In contrast, the same survey shows 98% of Fabia owners saying they'd buy another one.

Deek.

sylonien · Post by **sylonien** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:36 pm

Hmm well i'm not too bothered. My Polo is fine.

Nelson_Wilbury · Post by **Nelson_Wilbury** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:45 pm

Crikey! Time to sell methinks...

pukka · Post by **pukka** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:46 pm

sylonien wrote:Hmm well i'm not too bothered. My Polo is fine.

... for now.

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:47 pm

what did it fail on mostly?

pukka · Post by **pukka** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:49 pm

Surprising. Know the New Polo has many niggles like rattles and squeaks, but didn't know it had big reliability issues to get it listed so low in that part of the survey. Would like to know what these are, and why doesn't its brothers, the Ibiza and Fabia, have these problems? Or could it be these niggles have been counted under 'reliability' too.

logistix · Post by **logistix** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:23 pm

i think its a mistake to generalize the problems in the young polos (01-02) to the whole model. Many other 2004 year polo owners, including me, never had the problems early polo owners are having...

sylonien · Post by **sylonien** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:40 pm

True true. I agree with you there mate.

dxg · Post by **dxg** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:44 pm

Well, aside from all my ancillary component failures and build quality problems, my polo has left me stranded twice.

Once, with the ECU software going t*t's up and flooding the engine on trying to start it.

Then again when the clutch master cylinder seized on me in the middle of traffic.

Both times required VW assistance to come out. Both times they were able to get it going, but followed me straight back to the dealer...

Does anyone remember when I had this as my sig? It was taken when the clutch went. Ah, the memories...

Deek.

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:04 pm

logistix wrote:i think its a mistake to generalize the problems in the young polos (01-02) to the whole model. Many other 2004 year polo owners, including me, never had the problems early polo owners are having...

didnt u get the creaky suspension? that was a "must have" up until late 2004 (not inc sport models)

toXXin · Post by **toXXin** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:51 pm

Don't worry, us Ibiza owners have our fair share of problems too!

Anyone had a look at the top 10? The Fabia, the Polo and Ibizas brother, has been very well behaved

shamus · Post by **shamus** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 1:19 pm

If you look at how the survey weighting was done, it is as follows:

Reliability (20%)
Build quality (25%)
The driving experience (21%)
Ownership costs (13%)
Customer care (21%)

ie - reliability is only 20% of the story. I assume the factor which kills the Polo (and does so well for the Fabia) is the Customer Care.

It is VW who should be worried, not us. The VW image is such that surveys should really affect the residuals - people, as I did, just want to be part of the VW thing. Look at the Golf, MANY more known problems than the Polo, but still No1 for residuals.

algenon_iii · Post by **algenon_iii** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:20 pm

Sadly I ain't surprised, VW are sold as quality cars even a squeak or rattle is unacceptable in what is supposedly a quality car.

Ok I've had the VW fix fitted and my rattles have gone, but I doubt I'll buy another VW, perhaps a Seat or Skoda, more likely something japanese.