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VW Golf R32

124

Comments

  • bettobetto Member Posts: 3
    I have had this problem now three times. I am ready to purchase my tire number four, no problem with the rim. I have contacted VW after each problem but no help has been given to me. No spare tires available, the tires are not sold out of VW, no rental provided, no help to buy a complete tire from the dealer. I heard the spare tire of the TT works fine on the R32. I have no problem with the car but I am fed up with the tires. The glue is a joke it does not fix anything above a needle hole. The police in VA told me to contact them directly and start a claim against VW. My car is now at a dealer in VA after a flat tire coming back from my holiday weekend. Has anyone contacted VW with this issue? pressure may help us.
  • rattixrattix Member Posts: 51
    The spare issue was well documented on the VW Vortex R32 forum last year. I bought my R32 in July '04, and actually had ordered the TT space saver spare and tire before I took delivery.

    Before making a blanket recommendation for others to buy a full size spare (which I am guessing you haven't done yourself or you would know better), you should be responsible enough to research it.

    The diameter of the well is big enough to handle a wheel, but a full size wheel pushes the tire well cover up so high there is no trunk left-a very poor solution to this I think!

    The space saver only pushes the mat up about an inch, which isn't noticeable and leaves the trunk available for use.

    The only drawback to the SS spare is that it will not clear the front brake calipers(rears are fine). If a front goes flat, you either need to move the back tire up and use the SS on the rear, or keep an H&R wheel spacer in the car to offset the SS on the front and it will then clear the brakes.

    My only complaint is that VW should have set the car up this way to begin with(SS wheel/tire & spacer) instead of giving us that erector set type flat kit.
  • bettobetto Member Posts: 3
    Thank you!
  • letenieuletenieu Member Posts: 1
    Ok.....I am a new VW owner....i used to own a 95 ford ranger P.O.S. and have now bought my first new car. a manual 2005 golf tdi. This is a huge change for me...i love it....great handling...good amount of torque (for now)....awesome sound system.....its just overall awesome for me.........

    anyways, I am interested in getting a body kit for it, side skirts and such and a rear skirt or new bumper. the r32 is an amazing look. does anyone know if there are any body kits for the TDI? or will any body kit for a 4 door 2005 model GOLF will do.....i would love to have the front bumper of the R32, skirts on the side and rear skirt of whatever looks good....i know nothing about this stuff....i am just assuming that a 2 door Golf (R32, GTI) will have a different length between the front wheel and back wheel, therfore requiring a different kit.....but is that valid as well for bumpers? Thanks in advance to anyone that can help.

    Where can i pick up R32 rims?
  • r32girlr32girl Member Posts: 1
    I bought an R32 in May of '04, and have put roughly 9000 miles on it. Recently when I have started the car, it beeps and says "BRAKE FAULT" on the screen by the odometer. I brought it to a VW dealership almost a month ago, and they said nothing was wrong with the car and that the light just needed to be reset. This morning it happened again. Can anyone tell me what this means? :confuse:
  • maverick10gkmaverick10gk Member Posts: 1
    This is mainly for those in search of a deal on an R32. I just bought mine (Blue w leather) with only 8k miles for $26,700. So Look for something around that price if there are still those who are looking.

    This is for me now:

    Has anyone modded there R32? Id like to get 310-325hp out of mine withouth sacrificing too much of the gas mileage. Any suggestions? Thanks!
  • shiphroshiphro Member Posts: 62
    (r32girl) The brake fault is a common error. The dealer should be able to fix it easily. If left alone, it will cause your AWD and ESP to stop working (you'll get a light on the dash indicating ESP is off).

    (maverick10gk) Mods are very common. There are at least three companies providing forced induction solutions for the 3.2L engine. The fastest of these is a company called HPA whose modified R32 has been featured in magazines, tv shows and video games. It goes 0-30 in one second flat.
    However, anytime you increase your horsepower by 50%, you're going to take a big hit in fuel efficiency. Of the two types of FI solutions (turbo and sc) turbo should allow you to keep your mileage up as long as you keep the revs down.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    No buying or selling in the discussions - otherwise it is just a mish-mash of classifieds.
  • sharkdiversharkdiver Member Posts: 1
    Has anybody else experienced there wheel caps flying off, the tabs break after heating up ? Same thing happens on our 204 Jetta, have gone through 10 wheel caps already at 25,000 miles. R32 has 5,000, replaced 4 already. When the warranty expires this could get expensive, $25 pop.

    Anybody else ?
  • seattleguy78seattleguy78 Member Posts: 1
    I'm having the same exact problem. I've taken it to the dealership 4 times already. Last time they said the brake fluid was low, and I actually stopped having the problem for a couple of weeks, but it crept up again this afternoon. Did you get it fixed? If so, do you know what the resolution was? This is getting ridiculous with the "nothing is wrong" answers, and I"m getting ready to pursue the lemon law against the car. :lemon:
  • jbelingjbeling Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same problem in my 2002 Passat 1.8t. It started when I would make right hand turns, but it didnt always go off. Now recently since its been colder out it has been going off like crazy!!! Its really friggen annoying becasue my brakes work perfectly, and every 2 minutes I hear 3 loud beeps followed by the STOP brake fault. I'm going to check my fluid levels tonight and see if that has any factor in this problem.
  • graiggygraiggy Member Posts: 1
    I had this problem and when i took it to the dealership they told me that the passenger side seat belt buckle the female end was bad which locked out the ars system. so if i had gotten into an accident the airbags never would have gone off. :(
  • augwestaugwest Member Posts: 1
    2002 Passat 1.8T SAME PROBLEM!!!! The first time IT (the beep and the message telling you to STOP!! BRAKE FAULT!!) happened I came close to wrecking the car. The warning message to me indicated that something was terribly wrong, kind of freaked me out a little.

    Well it didn't happen again so I thought it must have been a glitch in the computer since it went away, if it was serious it would have stayed on, right?

    Then it happened again, and again, and again..... So today it goes to the Dealer. About half way through the day they call to tell me it's done, and not to worry it was just a brake light that had gone out!! I explained that I thought this wasn't the case and kindly could they check it over again. They agreed and called me back later saying that nope, it was all good, "we test drove it and everything is fine"

    Long and short of it is AS I"M TURNING out of their lot, the darn thing does IT again. I looked at the mileage and it was the same as when I dropped it off!! Heck of a test drive I"d say, not even a mile!!

    IT, is a pretty scary message to see when you're driving down the road!! The worst part is that all of these dealers are making up reasons for the problem instead of anyone figuring out what might be the real problem.

    My car will return to the dealer tomorrow, I will update if they come up with a solution.
  • dc_davedc_dave Member Posts: 52
    I have a 2000 Passat Wagon with the 1.8L Turbo; it’s been a nightmare to own. It has been in the shop for unscheduled maintenance about 9-10 times since I've owned it. Usually it’s the check engine light, followed by an emissions workshop message. I'll take it in and the dealership usually charges me between $250 - $500 to fix the various problems, they state something different each time. The service from the dealer has been terrible, I've tried another one in my area but they were only marginally better. Now since the car is 5 years old, I take it to an individual shop that works only on VW's, BMW and Volvo, the service has been much better. I also learned that when taking your car in for an error code; make sure to have the shop tell you what number the error code is reading. This way if you return the car with the same error code the shop will have to honor their parts warranty. I often think that the VW dealership screwed me out of a lot of $$. The problem is that I like my car and would love to get another VW (R32, GTI) but my wife would divorce me if I even mention another Volkswagen again.

    Dave in Northern VA
    :sick:
  • 2four02four0 Member Posts: 1
    I have also recently begun to have the BRAKE FAULT light start up. It began randomly only lighting for a second. Then it was for a minute or two. Then it would go on and off during a trip. On my morning commute, it doesn't light. Now it only goes off in the afternoon, then gives up and is replaced by the anti-slip reduction light. Perhaps it feels badly for the empty washer fluid light that's been lit for 3 years despite a full tank of washer fluid.

    I've grown rather tired of the STOP light flashing. Besides, the brakes are fine; I also would like to know what my gas mileage is. If anyone has had experience with this situation, your knowledge would be appreciated. I want to know how much of a second mortgage I should take out on my house to pay for the repair.

    A bit of background: I have a 2K VW Passat that was nothing short of a money sucking nightmare -- that is, until I started taking it to an independent mechanic. I took it in to the dealership for a check engine light probably 5 to 7 times over a 3-year period. One trip to the dealership lasted 2 weeks. They completely dismantled the engine and called an engineer from Germany to determine that the turbo was bad. Good thing it was under warranty. Other parts that died on me: Turbo – twice, myriad sensors especially the O2 and mass air flow sensors (they’re expensive buggers), fuel injectors – all 4! – a blown heater core and lots of other goodies. In all, I’ve dropped about 5 grand on unscheduled maintenance.

    Otherwise, it’s a really nice car. I dig the sunroof.

    Regardless, VW service is staffed with highly trained monkeys who barely know a wrench from a screwdriver. After my warranty expired and I began taking it to an independent, he showed me the depth of their ineptitude. That turbo problem was still a problem because of a hose with duct tape holding the ends to the engine. Before I took it to an independent, I took it to another dealership. They told me the first dealership was incompetent and that I should have taken it to them. The first dealership defended itself by saying the second dealership was overcharging me for labor. Avoid VW service like the plague.
  • kbtoys939kbtoys939 Member Posts: 2
    Hello VW Enthusiasts! My boyfriend has a red 2004 R32 hatchback that he loves more than life itself. I'd really like to get him something unique and special for Christmas that he will love. Do they make any sort of models or anything else that is an R32 "must have?" Let me know if you can help! Your advice is greatly appreciated! :P
    Thanks so much!
    -Kelly
  • shiphroshiphro Member Posts: 62
    I got Monster Mats for my R for Christmas last year. :) They're great all-weather mats and will keep mud, salt and slush off the carpets during the winter (if you live in a part of the world subjected to those elements).

    There's also an "R" kit from VW that includes caps for the tire valves and a plate frame. The plate frame is much cooler than the frame you get from the dealer. I could do without the caps, but they're sold as a kit.

    For bigger things, you could always go with new wheels... but that can definitely get pricey and people are VERY picky about their wheels.

    Good luck and let us know what you decide.
  • kbtoys939kbtoys939 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks so much for the tips! I really appreciate your input! I'll let you know what I come up with! :)
  • amillette105amillette105 Member Posts: 1
    Last night i lost control of my silver R32 and hit the curb on the left side square on. I was wondering if anyone new what 2 new rims, 2 new tires, a rear brake, and a control arm would set me back. Im not sure if the control arm is bent but i hit it pretty hard (30MPH maybe) sideways. thanks
  • shiphroshiphro Member Posts: 62
    The R32 has all wheel drive, traction control and stability control. How on earth did you get it sliding sideways at 30mph?

    Rims + Tires alone are going to cost between $2500 and $3000. Don't forget you're going to have to pay for balancing, alignment, etc.

    I'm not sure what you mean by rear brake. Did you trash the disk, the caliper, both?

    Either way, you're looking at several (4 or 5 maybe) thousand dollars in repairs.
  • jerdmengerjerdmenger Member Posts: 3
    HEY HOWS IT GOING LISTEN I HAVE A 2.SLOW GLOF (2,0) STUPIDLY SLOW I KNOW I DON'T HAVE AN R32 BUT BELIEVE ME I'M DESPERATE AT THIS POINT TO DO SOMETHING TO THIS CAR, IT'S JUST TO SLOW I MEAN I PREVIOUSLY DROVE A VOLVO S.40 T4 (200HP, 2.0 TURBO ENGINE) NOT THAT FAST EITHER BUT COMPARED TO MY PRESENT CAR IT SEEMS LIKE A FREAKING ROCKET

    ANY IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO PLEAS, TURBOS? AIR FILTERS? JUST PLEAS SOME GUIDANCE
    THANKS
    J.C.
  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    Hey J.C. well 1st off let me say this do what your heart desires. Me personally I wouldn't go that route, building a car that has very little to no power is going to take alot of this $$$$$ and alot of your time and effort.

    I'd say get the R32 :) if you can afford it? or the get the 20th AE, get something that has some Hp and torque. I'm not saying go out and buy a Corvette C6, or the Porsche GT2
  • kiamskiams Member Posts: 20
    I need help...I am yoyoing between a $29,000 2004 R32 or a $23,000 2006 GTI. Given what you guys have seen where does the most value fall.

    Also, wifey is kinda trying to talk me out of a $30K car...but it felt soooooo goooood when we test drove it. I need HELP!!!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,268
    I'd shop around a little more... There were two '04 R32 in my local paper last week for $26,900 and $27,900..

    So.. my choice would be an '04 R32 for about $25K-$26K..

    I know, I know... that wasn't one of the choices... ;)

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  • kiamskiams Member Posts: 20
    Thanks for the quick reply.

    The R32 I am looking at has 2300 miles...has all the oil changes history etc, and to make matters worse for me, it's the only one available in Atlanta.

    The dealer is asking for $29.9K, and I said 27K seems reasonable. should I take it? and all these decisioning after 3 months of salivating after a GTO!!! aarrrgggghhhhh!!
  • enzedenzed Member Posts: 2
    Naahh, the rims are about $600 or so a piece and the tires (the originals or stock) are about $240...
  • enzedenzed Member Posts: 2
    I have had my R2D2...thats what I call it..for about 30k miles and I am ready for the 3rd set of tires and i have had one bubble, two big cuts, and a blow out! I drive fairly agressively on windy country roads! I really feel uncomfortable without a spare and I have been told that its not available for the R32 with 18" rims. Has anyone put one together one to haul around with or have you just purchased another 18"er?
  • shiphroshiphro Member Posts: 62
    Like you, I was really nervous about driving around w/o a spare on low profile 18s. Especially given the dubious integrity of the stock Goodyears.

    I purchased an Audi TT spare from one of the many resellers online. It fits in the wheel well, but pushes up the cardboard liner by about 1/2" Nothing you'll notice unless you're looking for it.

    The downside is that it won't fit over the big front rotors. You'll have to swap out the rear wheel from the same side if you get a flat up front.
  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    Hey enzed

    I know of 2 place's to get the spare. one place is EIP tuning, and the other is ECS tuning. I myself need a spare. I have had 2 blow outs with those F1's, I got rid of them and I purchased NITTO 550 extreme, Great side wall, and decent wet and dry traction.
  • poncho2poncho2 Member Posts: 1
    I own a R32 and just drove a GTI 2006.I personally like the 4 motion on the R32.It gives me better handling in the winter and it retains it value better.The last time I checked the Manheim auction, a car with 20,000 miles was selling for $25,000.
    Good luck.
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    ...as VW has announced the re-introduction of the R32 in late 2007, as a 2008 model.

    The new R32 is essentially an Audi 3.2 S-line (AWD, Haldex system, etc.), but with only 3 doors, different interior trim, and (before options and the inevitable dealer markups) estimated to price at $32K.

    And as before, only 5000 per year will be imported.
  • jbgtijbgti Member Posts: 2
    Any comments on why I am finding a bucketload of r32's at the same price of just under 30k, but the prices arent reflecting mileage! Ive got a carmax r32 with 8kmiles within 10 miles of a 24kmiles identical car. What is driving prices? Demand? or the low production #'s as I see more r32's than I expected but for higher $.

    Also, anyone answer this for me PLEASE. Is 2004 the only production year and I keep hearing 5,000 total. Is that accurate? no other years, or extra production??

    Thanks
    previous 84 gti owner coming around
  • jbgtijbgti Member Posts: 2
    I answered my 2nd question and found a mound of r32 info at

    http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1285689

    Still want opinions on these resale values hovering at original cost of car regardless of mileage.
  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    I'm on the Vortex as well, great group of people on there and usefull information.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,268
    I saw one with temporary tags today, and I could swear it was a brand-new model... very cool..

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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,268
    Looks like another year until we get that...

    The one I saw must have been an '04, just re-sold..

    Still... an awesome looking machine..

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  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    Are you going to wait for the MKV R32? When the new (MKV) R32 hits our shores, the old (MKIV) R32 price will drop, probably most car enthusiasts will jump on the new MKV R32
  • lamenacelamenace Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a r32 with 20000miles, I'm in love with my new baby, I've been waiting for it anxiously. Now I'm interested in bringing it to the 1/4 mile track. I just purchased from the dealer a 5 years/100000m warranty. How could I bring more HP to the car without affecting the warranty???? please help now. thanks, patrick in Florida!
  • bettobetto Member Posts: 3
    I am getting ready to get a new set of tires for my R32. I have had so many problems with the high performance tires the car came with. I would like to get tires that work better in the city. Any suggestions? would I have problems with my warranty if I had different tires? Thanks
  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    congrats on your new ride. I have to say that no matter what you do to increase Hp, you will void your warranty. I'm the original owner of my R, and the very 1st year of ownership I purchased K&N's short ram intake system.
  • rallyfanrallyfan Member Posts: 36
    I SAT IN A NEW R32 AT A SO CAL DEALER TODAY GOT TO SIT IN IT ALSO BUT NO TEST DRIVE EVEN THOUGH I AM 47 VERY NICE 2 DOOR DARK GREY DSM 33K WITH A 5K MARKUP ONLY 5 THOUS. PER YEAR THEY ARE WORRIED BECAUSE OF THE FROMT PLATE WAS ALREADY MOUNTED THEY SAY MOST BUYERS DONT WANT IT ON VERY PICKY BUYERS
  • golfr32golfr32 Member Posts: 6
    They want 5K over the asking price? that's just absurd
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    Bought mine yesterday for $31.8K.
  • skipageskipage Member Posts: 4
    I need to order a spare for my newly acquired R 32 and will try the Audi TT as per your suggestion. What size (or is there only one?) do I need?
  • skipageskipage Member Posts: 4
    Just bought a used R 32 and would like ot buy the Monster Mats you reccommend. Where did you buy them? How much?
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    I got my salesperson to throw them in on my deal. I think they retail at VW for around $100.
  • colo9biacolo9bia Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2004 R32 I relly do not use the tires for in the snow and ice conditions
    here in Phila., Pa.. They are of no value. Anyone have any ideas how I can
    sell them. They have 50 miles on them if that.
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    Try to sell them on line. There are several R32 forums. Someone might take them off your hands. Exactly what tires are they?
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    My dealer is offering me a prepaid maintenance plan through VWoA. They offer plans ranging from 3 to 5 years and from 24 - 60K miles. Does anyone know what the dealer charges for the various factory recommended services at 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50K miles? Thanks.
  • vickivwvickivw Member Posts: 1
    Hi

    Im having the same problem with STOP, Brake Fault light. Been to garage several times and no one can find whats wrong with it ?

    Ive topped up the brake fluid, any suggestions now, really starting to bug me now !

    Thanks
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