Yup, VW's are still taking some lumps. At least VW appears to be admitting to the problems and is fixing them. One of VW's largest issues to my knowledge has been their abhorrent power window design. They've recently announced a redesigned assembly and are warranting all previous units to like some 60 or 70K miles. Personally, I looked at VW the same way as I do the domestic automakers. If yer gonna buy one, buy the simpleton model without all of the gizomos. It seems to me that the lion share of the complaints is coming from the GLS trim cars, where the power stuff is all standard. IMO, this is why the New Beetle is taking such a deep beating. To get ANYTHING beyond the base 2.0L four and get cruise (a necessity with me), you have to move to the GLS trim.

My friend has a 2000 Golf GL TDI. He has no power gadgets, no automatic tranny. Cruse control is standard with the TDI, and A/C is standard period. His car has been the model of solidity. His first replacement on this car has been the battery, which he blames himself for leaving the dome light on a few times, draining it each time. He heard about a relay that was giving trouble with the TDI, and replaced his with the new design relay as soon as it came out, before the one on his car had a chance to fail. That one to me qualifies as maintenance. He has some 40K on the odometer last time I was in that car.