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Upgrading from 7.5 to 8

gavjo

New member
I've got a 2018 Golf 7.5 1.5 dsg Se Nav and looking to trade in for a used 8 style or r-line ( cant make up my mind as regards to spec)Is there anything I should be looking out for? It will be from a main dealership so I would come with warranty etc. Is there anything I should ask updates/recalls.
 

SRGTD

Autocross Newbie
The mk8 hasn’t been without its fair share of software issues (some might say more than it’s fair share); try an internet search on ‘mk8 Golf known software issues’ or similar search. VW have released fixes for most issues (I don’t think all fixes have been entirely successful), but if I was considering buying a mk8 I’d still avoid earlier cars and go for the newest car that my budget would allow; one which still has a reasonable amount of the original factory warranty remaining. I’d also want the dealer to confirm that it had the latest available software version.

Be aware that VW’s Approved Used warranty essentially limits cover to sudden electrical and mechanical failures with the usual range of exclusions found in most car warranty products. It raises the issue of whether or not future software related issues and subsequent software fixes are covered as a software problem is unlikely to be classed as either an electrical or mechanical failure. I may have missed it but I can’t see that the warranty specifically states whether software issues are covered or excluded and whether subsequent software fixes would be covered or excluded, so it would certainly be worth getting clarification from the dealer on this point.

The latest Approved Used warranty booklet is at the link below; pages 10-13 outlines the scope of cover, specific and general exclusions.

https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/idhub/...d-used-benefits/Used_Car_Warranty_Booklet.pdf
 

gavjo

New member
The mk8 hasn’t been without its fair share of software issues (some might say more than it’s fair share); try an internet search on ‘mk8 Golf known software issues’ or similar search. VW have released fixes for most issues (I don’t think all fixes have been entirely successful), but if I was considering buying a mk8 I’d still avoid earlier cars and go for the newest car that my budget would allow; one which still has a reasonable amount of the original factory warranty remaining. I’d also want the dealer to confirm that it had the latest available software version.

Be aware that VW’s Approved Used warranty essentially limits cover to sudden electrical and mechanical failures with the usual range of exclusions found in most car warranty products. It raises the issue of whether or not future software related issues and subsequent software fixes are covered as a software problem is unlikely to be classed as either an electrical or mechanical failure. I may have missed it but I can’t see that the warranty specifically states whether software issues are covered or excluded and whether subsequent software fixes would be covered or excluded, so it would certainly be worth getting clarification from the dealer on this point.

The latest Approved Used warranty booklet is at the link below; pages 10-13 outlines the scope of cover, specific and general exclusions.

https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/idhub/...d-used-benefits/Used_Car_Warranty_Booklet.pdf
Thank you
 

fade away

New member
@gavjo Nothing to look out for as such, but here's my own personal user experience of actually owning a Golf RLine Mk8 2022 version.

I own an automatic 2022 Mk8 RLine from new in May '22.
My experience with the car is that it just works.
It's updated itself over the air a few times, and is currently at the latest version of its software.

In all the time I've had it I've had no problems with software or control whatsoever. After each major OTA software update I haven't noticed any difference between the previous software and the new.

It averages 45 mpg over its current ~28,000 mile life, and I can achieve 65mpg on a steady long run.

I would happily buy another from the same period or later - I can't offer comment on anything earlier, or cars I haven't owned, apart from my previous Golf Mk6 which is still going strong, without issue (>160,000 miles and counting) now in the ownership of my son.
 
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SRGTD

Autocross Newbie
I own an automatic 2022 Mk8 RLine from new in May '22.
My experience with the car is that it just works.
It's updated itself over the air a few times, and is currently at the latest version of its software.

In all the time I've had it I've had no problems with software or control whatsoever. After each major OTA software update I haven't noticed any difference between the previous software and the new.

It averages 45mpg overall its current 28,000 life, and I can achieve 65mpg on a steady long run.

Good to hear your car’s been fine and there’ll be other owners with similar experiences to yourself. 2022 is probably when VW started to get to grips with many of the Golf’s software-related gremlins.

Unfortunately, some owners haven’t been as lucky. On the Golf R forum there’s a software gremlins discussion topic that was started in April 2021. That discussion topic is now 388 pages long - thankfully the number of new / recent posts has slowed significantly and there are relatively few new posts being added, but it was a very active discussion topic in in the earlier days.

From a personal perspective, I would still avoid the earlier mk8 Golf (probably 2020 and 2021 cars) as a potential purchase.
 
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