I love the Cali, but the build quality scares me. I need to decide whether to sell it at about 2.5 years old or whether to hold onto it. And I had intended keeping it for 20 years.
Some of the faults occurring within warranty on mine are appalling, plain and simple. Failing electric window motor within 6 months. Bubbling allow wheels at 8000 miles. New instrument binnacle cluster required to replace a single blown bulb. New radio. Bubbling roof. All within 18 months. This is like a 1970s fiat, not the vw I once knew.
I have owned a series of vw and Audis since 1989. Taking in mk 1, 2 and 3 golfs and jettas. Audi A3, Audi 80s and Audi s5. The build today is rubbish compared to products made in the mid 70s, 80s and up to the mid 90s. I gave benefit of the doubt on my S5. I saw the trouble my friends were having with mid to late noughties diesel a6 avant, RS4, R8, TT ... The Cali has ended my brand loyalty now.
Having also owned a 4.6l 2002 range rover p38 with the infamous air suspension I would say that the Cali is in this league in terms of reliability. If you buy one, love it for its unique character but know that it is a ticking time bomb.
The car warranty companies tell the real story of car reliability in glorious technicolor. People may say that some Cali owners have been unlucky. Well maybe I have. And maybe they think I was also unlucky with my Audi s5.
But look at the league tables on warranty direct and I have not actually been unlucky at all. I have experienced first hand the seemingly very deliberate policy of the German manufacturers to cut costs, reduce build quality, design gorgeous cars with massive showroom appeal... and hope people think they are still reliable and hope that they will buy another one even though they now offer below average to really quite bad reliability. And in the meantime make a mint out of expensive parts and labour costs.
http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer
VW is rated 22nd worst out of 39. Audi is 34th worst out of 39. Mercedes, Porsche, BMW have all done the same thing. I own a 1994 merc sl (rag top) which is recognised as being one of the best engineered and built cars ever made. It's replacement model came out in about 2002 (retractable hard top) and is listed as the 6th worst car for reliability that was covered by warranty direct. You can see this with your own eyes in terms of the quality of the materials used.
Indeed the worst ten cars covered by this survey are all Audis, Mercs, BMW, Bentley, Porsche.
http://www.reliabilityindex.com/
German cars are still seen by the public as reliable, as since the Beetle came here they progressively developed an enviable reputation for build quality. But the impartial facts, and my personal experience over 25 years, and the experience of numerous friends says they no longer are. If you want reliable nowadays, you buy Japanese. If you buy a Cali, love it, and pray. And know that you currently still get good residuals if your nerve goes as the end of the warranty period approaches.