VW longevity
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Looks like Mini is one of the highest, which too isn't surprising as their residuals have recently been identified to the best in the UK.
Poor Alfa Romeo though. less than 25% of their cars from 10 years ago are still up and running. Surprised that isn't the same as cars from 5 years ago!
Poor Alfa Romeo though. less than 25% of their cars from 10 years ago are still up and running. Surprised that isn't the same as cars from 5 years ago!
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619 Posts
I had an Alfa 156 Twin Spark ten years ago and it was the WORST car I've ever owned. It's no surprise to me that they don't last.
The dealerships were appalling too. For example, I was told I could wait in the dealership while my car was serviced. I though it would take an hour at most. Eight hours later I was still waiting, without even being offered a coffee or a sandwich! Also, every repair cost a minimum of £200 - blown bulb, pay us £200, check the tracking, £200...
It does not matter how stylish they look, I will NEVER buy another Alfa (Fiat cars are, to my mind, off limits too by association).
The dealerships were appalling too. For example, I was told I could wait in the dealership while my car was serviced. I though it would take an hour at most. Eight hours later I was still waiting, without even being offered a coffee or a sandwich! Also, every repair cost a minimum of £200 - blown bulb, pay us £200, check the tracking, £200...
It does not matter how stylish they look, I will NEVER buy another Alfa (Fiat cars are, to my mind, off limits too by association).
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540 Posts
Hah. Amazing Jimmy, as my issues with Alfa were identical.
Had a mito , 3 years old, and as soon as it was out of warranty they claimed there was a gearbox leak that needed over £1k's worth of work.
Contacted an independent and they assured me nothing needed doing. In fact, the reason for the leak was that the gearbox casing hadn't been tightened properly and so residual oil was leaking out of it!!!
Insane! The guy said he'd never seen such shoddy workmanship on a vehicle before (he was literally able to rotate his wrench 3 or 4 times on several nuts before it was tight). Then the electrics started going and it was time to get rid.
Got rid for the UP...and, well...yet more (seeming) gearbox issues.
Edited by: Fidel_Castronaut
Had a mito , 3 years old, and as soon as it was out of warranty they claimed there was a gearbox leak that needed over £1k's worth of work.
Contacted an independent and they assured me nothing needed doing. In fact, the reason for the leak was that the gearbox casing hadn't been tightened properly and so residual oil was leaking out of it!!!
Insane! The guy said he'd never seen such shoddy workmanship on a vehicle before (he was literally able to rotate his wrench 3 or 4 times on several nuts before it was tight). Then the electrics started going and it was time to get rid.
Got rid for the UP...and, well...yet more (seeming) gearbox issues.
Edited by: Fidel_Castronaut
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619 Posts
Although I've had a few issues with my Up, they were insignificant compared to those I had with my Alfa. The 'final straw' for me with this car was the ~£1400 estimate I received for a service.
After feeling that I had been well and truly squeezed financially during the two years I had the car, this potential bill made me determined I was going to get rid of it. As a result, I traded it in for a Fiesta and £500 in my pocket (which went towards paying off some of the loan I took out to buy the Alfa).
I definitely lost money trading in the car early but the lower running/maintenance costs of the Fiesta were a weight off my mind. Incidentally, the Fiesta was much better built than the Alfa and, having the old 1.3 pushrod engine, I could service it myself to cut costs even further. It was still going strong at 82k miles, when I eventually bought a newer, more modern car.
Edited by: luckyjimmy
After feeling that I had been well and truly squeezed financially during the two years I had the car, this potential bill made me determined I was going to get rid of it. As a result, I traded it in for a Fiesta and £500 in my pocket (which went towards paying off some of the loan I took out to buy the Alfa).
I definitely lost money trading in the car early but the lower running/maintenance costs of the Fiesta were a weight off my mind. Incidentally, the Fiesta was much better built than the Alfa and, having the old 1.3 pushrod engine, I could service it myself to cut costs even further. It was still going strong at 82k miles, when I eventually bought a newer, more modern car.
Edited by: luckyjimmy
Having had VW's since 1978 there have been only two problems I can remember. The first was a new Jetta in 1982 which had a ticking noise coming from the engine. The dealership listened and fixed it while I watched removing the head in the process.
The other was a Polo which I had from new which developed an oil leak from the head gasket that leaked into the alternator causing it to fail. Can't remember the exact mileage but it was in excess of 130,000.
My Up! now on 11,700 has given me no problem at all.
The other was a Polo which I had from new which developed an oil leak from the head gasket that leaked into the alternator causing it to fail. Can't remember the exact mileage but it was in excess of 130,000.
My Up! now on 11,700 has given me no problem at all.
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619 Posts
reimoboy said:
110k miles - you were either very lucky or I bought a 'Monday morning car'! Incidentally, I traded my Alfa in at 72k miles. Admittedly, it never broke down but it was very poorly put together - even the paint was peeling off the sills just behind the front wheels.
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