The Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI, when new, was quite possibly the perfect car.

A perfect blend of performance and practicality, an understated yet sporty aesthetic, a comfortable yet purposeful interior, the GTI was (and still is) a classless and immensely enjoyable car.

But this was when the GTI was new, which it no longer is. Does it still live up to its new car reputation? Hopefully this Cheat Sheet will answer that question.

The seventh generation Golf and GTI received a mild cosmetic and equipment mid-life update in 2017 (commonly called the Mk 7.5) as well as incremental upgrades each year.

What goes wrong with a used Volkswagen Golf GTi (Mk7/7.5)?

• Turbo failures on early year models
• Water pump failures
• Thermostat failures
• Inlet tract issues
• Injector faults
• Oil pan faults
• Excessive oil consumption
• Intercooler issues
• Clutch concerns in manual versions
• DSG issues
• Subframe bolts have stretching issues
• Hood cables and release handles can fail
• Engine bay plastics fail
• Water incursion and leaking issues
• Infotainment systems known to fail
• Interior and exterior trim can age badly

Should you buy a used Volkswagen Golf GTi (Mk7/7.5)?

We’ve genuinely lost count of how many horror stories we’ve heard regarding the Mk7 Golf GTI. Interiors leaking, engines imploding, catastrophic and hugely expensive failures are becoming almost common.

If you’re ok with that level of stress and impending doom and you can find a GTI with some factory warranty remaining, that has been completely cared for, that includes a faultless service history, then yes, buy one. When they’re working, they’re quite possibly the perfect car. Just make sure you sell it before the warranty is up.

However, if you require a completely reliable and dependable hot hatch that will provide many years of trouble-free, practical and performance motoring, even when it’s out of warranty, sorry, it’s a no, you shouldn’t buy one.