Volkswagen Caddy consumer car reviews and road tests

Volkswagen Caddy Sportline 140 2008

Bought this van at three years old with 23500miles on and was really impressed with the comfort, power and effortless driving. The six cog manual box is vey good too. Noise was a bit excessive from the mesh bulkhead, but that was quickly solved by some soundproofing and carpeting of the bulkhead, which much improved the heat in the cab and lowered noise to car levels. However, just a few weeks ago it put a conrod out through the block! At 56160 miles it has a fsh always used Castrol edge as recommended by VW! Serviced every 10k regardless and then this happened. I’m not the only one either. It seems to be a problem across the range of 1.9/2.0 tdi engines. Vw refusing to cover, at least that’s what I can gather from a lack of response from VW Ireland. This was the BMM engine used in A3 Skodas and seats so beware. It didn’t give any warning, didn’t seize and the oil pump didn’t fail. Worst of all I had the timing belt, water pump and service done at 51k. Impossible to find a second hand or recon engine as I can quote "that’s a common fault, very bad engine and like hens teeth" VW are having some serious problems of late, which is a shame as I’ve had a few that were very good, but newer ones don’t seem to have the quality. Lack of funding for R+D perhaps? Das auto?? More like that’s rubbish!

Volkswagen Caddy C20 tdi 2006

It has been a good van, other than battery goes flat if parked for 2 days. The garage can’t find the fault. If used daily it’s fine. This alone is annoying and may steer me away from VWs. My old shape Caddy was brilliant.

Volkswagen Caddy C20 1.9tdi 104 ps 2005

Hi there I own a 2005 top of the range caddy and I love it, I have never seen another like it and I have looked. Mine is in metallic urban gray and has tailgate with heated window and wash wipe, twin side doors, electric windows, heated electric mirrors, air con, heated seats front fogs, headlight washers, CD player, power steering, iPod docking, garmin satnav, Bluetooth connectivity, rake adjustable steering, dash computer, cruise contol, abs, asr, traction control, vw alloy wheels, vw tow bar, rake adjustable seats, extra storage box in dash and front of seats. Love the van and it looks great. It drives like new and has done 127,480 miles. I service every 10K, vw parts no problems, 45 mpg all day long. Look after your van and it will look after you! VW all the way everyday! Looks cool too and feels even better driving. BUY ONE!!!

Volkswagen Caddy tdi 1.6 dsg 2010

This is my 4th new caddy and 3rd dsg. Just one note; if you like the pulling power of the old 1.9 tdi you need the new 2.0 lt tdi 140 bhp as the 1.6 104bhp is no match for 0-60. I have found out this year that 16" wheels on 55/205 give a good balanced ride on A roads and control much better on the motorway. The engine turning over at 2400 rev at 70 mph makes the engine noise lower. The 7speed dsg is 8- 10 mpg better than the old 1.9 tdi. The new averages 53mpg with the best 58mpg at 60mph over 800 miles. One tank ave is 720 miles on 64 lt of fuel. At 80 mph drop to 46 mpg {1.9 will do 39 mpg}. London city centre with a lot of stopping gets you 33 mpg. The 6speed dsg gearbox 1.9 tdi need a 40 k oil change, but this is not needed on the 7speed dry gearbox only on the 1.6 tdi - it’s a wet one on the 2.0lt, you save £160.00 each 40 k. Tyre wear is also much better. I recommend the upgraded radio with dab, leather steering wheel with control for radio and cellphone, auto lights and auto wiper are also of great use and makes driving easy. Have your air/oil change at 15k will give you great ave mpg and will also help the life of pdf filter. You should change the pollon filter/front wiper blades at 15k for safe driving. Brake pad wear is very good and the  cam belt is now 120k or 4 year if you have a replacement; ask to have the water pump change at the same time est cost £60. I hope you find this information useful.

Volkswagen Caddy TDi 2008

Parts may be expensive, but you have to pay for quality. The best small van bar none.

Volkswagen Caddy 1.6 Maxi 2011

The 2011 facelift looks great, the cabin is much like a Golf/Touran. Unfortunately that’s where the positives stop. The new engine is noisy and some what unreliable. At 16k oil escaped and filled the engine bay. 19k now and something has let go and there is a metallic screaming noise from under the bonnet. The best bit is the bonnet release has snapped meaning you can’t even open the bonnet! If I could return it I would. VW’s reliability isn’t what it used to be!

Volkswagen Caddy 2012

This is the worst van I have ever had, it may be Bluemotion, but I’m only geting 37-40 MPG and driving it on journeys longer than 70 miles is painful; why is the seat so narrow? It’s only any good for some spotty faced youth delivering pizzas, it’s no good for an engineer with all his tools and PPE. It’s just a low powered lump of rubbish! 5th gear? You are having a laugh!

Responses to this review

Absolutely uncomfortable seats and leaning to the left. I was told by a VW Service Manager that’s because couriers wear out the right-side getting in and out of the van frequently, so its built up that way... rubbish! My current theory is that the seats aren’t for right-hand driven vehicles. I’m waiting for VW Australia to come up with a solution. The local VW dealer already tried replacing the seat base (without changing the seat padding and damaging a few plastic panels to my disgust). Don’t want to get started on my other disappointments... rust on the engine, creaking sliding doors, weak park brake, etc. It’s only done 5,500km!!! Lee from Australia

Volkswagen Caddy 104 2008

Just awful, I hate every bit of it. Noisy, uncomfortable, and the ride is ridiculously harsh. The steering is far too quick and any sort of poor road surface has you slowing down as you are literally being thrown around the cabin. The battery goes flat in ten days, which I’ve been to VW about loads of times, but they are useless. It has poor economy if you drive it hard; you should expect only low thirties with it empty and back damage.. You can’t get more than 40 no matter how careful you are. It should be a great van but I honestly think my grandfather’s maestro 1.3l was a better sorted, nicer vehicle to drive. On the plus side the bonnet opens to nearly vertical, which makes access to the engine very easy... Did I mention how uncomfortable it is?

Volkswagen Caddy 104 tdi 2005

I’ve had my van from new and have now done 69000 miles. An excellent van that is still on its first set of pads and exhaust; I have only needed to replace tyres, cambelt and oil etc.

Volkswagen Caddy Tdi 2011

My 2011 Caddy Tdi perfoms very well. MPG wise I am currently getting 750 miles from a full tank to red light. Refuelling it takes 55Litres. My maximum speed is 65m/hr. I am a courier doing 400 miles a day and I made a decision to reduce my speed and it has paid off for me very well, try it.

Volkswagen Caddy SDi 1.9 2007

Though I’d spend a little more and buy something renowned for it’s build quality and value for money, so I bought an ’07 1.9 SDI around 18 months ago with 42k on the clock. Big mistake! The radio has to be on nearly full blast to drown out the sound of the engine. In the basic model all the sound proofing has been left out so wear ear plugs if your radio packs in! Around twelve months ago a warning light came on telling me there was a problem with the coolant system, but the problem turned out to be the sensor not the coolant system and I was told the whole C/S would have to be replaced for silly money so I’ve had to put up with the beep, beep, beep and continual flashing warning light. Today though the van has surpassed itself; the coolant bottle is full of black gloopy engine oil, so it’s either the head gasket or the oil pump. Magic! Do not buy one.

Volkswagen Caddy 2008

What has happened to the German reliability and quality? My Caddy TDI is just over 3 years old. I "nurse" it, but it continues to give problems. The battery packed up under warranty, the air con packed up under warranty, the radiator packed up under warranty and new one was fitted, but it’s lasted 10 months and has packed up again (no more warranty). Also the back brakes had to be replaced at 90k. Toyota next time!

Volkswagen Caddy maxi 2.0 tdi 140 ps 2009

I love this van, but I have had some serious mechanical issues and its only 2.5 years old. The sliding doors wouldn’t lock as they didn’t fit correctly. The dual mass flywheel went at 50k, but also shook the engine to pieces. Both the engine and flywheel were replaced under warranty. Now at 88k, I parked up today after it had driven fine, but when I later pulled out of the parking space the van started pulling to the left and continues to do so??? So much so you have to steer right constantly with the wheel at 45 degrees. It’s going back to the dealer on Monday! Also the turbo has started to squeak when it spins up. What worrries me now is that I’ve got to keep it for another 18 months. It’s such a shame as it started out as a brilliant and comfy van, but it just hasn’t seemed to last.

Volkswagen Caddy 2007

I bought a second hand Caddy with 57,000 miles on the clock in February 2011. I’ve now done 63,000 miles and has it has cost another £1700 just to keep it on the road; a new gearbox, new clutch and new exhaust. This is the fourth VW Caddy I have had and is by far the worst. Lovely to drive when all is well, but what has happened to VW reliability?

Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 SDI 2007

I use mine for multi drop parcel delivery in a rural area. I started off with a LDV 200 (sherpa), but I simply do not have the time to list the problems I had. Transit R reg next, good van, reliable but shame about the rust. Next I had a Sprinter, which was again very reliable, but thirsty, and rusted even quicker than the Transit. Next I has a 51 reg Transporter, which was very comfy and a good van but it had niggly problems like door handles, wheel bearings and suspension (mind you, I do open and shut doors more in one day than most folk do in two months, and spend a lot of time on farm tracks I then bought a 2003 Toyota Hiace D4D, which has already done 68k before I took it to 204k in the space of 4 years. It needed 2 sets of front brake pads, 4 front tyres, 2 rear tyres, bulbs and wipers and that is it! A fantastic van! Unfortunately, the company that I deliver for lost a couple of big contracts so the Hiace was much too big, so to save diesel, I decided to get a smaller van and having liked the previous Transporter, went for a VW Caddy as Toyota do not do a smaller van. The Caddy is cheap to run, and nice to drive, but I will stop there. On the first day it broke down due to a fuel pump fuse, a week later the rear caliper seized up, and in the next village the back exhaust box broke off. 2 days later my wipers only work if the van is moving?? Today there is a loud knock coming from the rear suspension. Not very good for 3 weeks of ownership is it? The above may be teething problems, but you cannot run a reliable business without having a vehicle that you can depend upon and I simply do not have the time or patience for this, so I have already decided to trade the thing in against another Toyota. I will honestly be glad to see the back of it.

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9Tdi 2007

Very comfortable, very economical, lovely to drive...however, I have had a lot of trouble with mine. Even now has only 90k on the clock Cruise control broke, Air-Con broke, Gearbox replaced, Rear shocks replaced, Exhaust replaced , Front discs and Pads replaced (Shocks, Exhaust and Brakes) only after 20k. On top of all that, the Turbo has now broken and have been quoted more that £1200 to fix. Lovely van but bitterly disappointed in reliability, wouldn’t spend so much on a van again considering it was more than £18,000 new.

Volkswagen Caddy 104ps 2007

Bought 104ps, 20k on the clock, now on 85k, regular service with private garage £150, good on tyres, get about 43mpg, drives like a car. I previously had a Transit Connect, found it heavy on fuel but a good van. Would definetly buy another Caddy although expensive to buy new. P.S. Halfords sell replacement mirror glass £10, £50 with VW!

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9 TDi 2006

I bought this van 3 years ago with 41K in the clock. Now it has 60K on it. New toothed belt just been fitted. Never had any problem, it goes through on MOT`s without any problem. The dual mass flywheel just became a bit noisy. It`s gonna cost around £700-£800.

Volkswagen Caddy Life 2006

While they perform well, are economical and sized just right they are unreliable and extremely expensive to fix. Mine needed a new clutch at 120,000Km and that cost $2,500 to fix (and that was the cheaper single plate clutch). When I traded it I was quoted $4,000.00 to fix the airconditioning (for the second time), rear brakes, shock absorbers and CV joints. Paint coming off radio buttons window switches and both side arm rests. Reading stories from other Australian Caddy owners show that mine has been no worse than many others out there.

Volkswagen Caddy Maxi life 2009

Fantastic car, 2ltr, 6 speed, 50mpg easy, well made, loads of room even with 7 adults, very impressed!

Volkswagen Caddy DSG 2009

Best deilvery van I’ve had in 20 years.

Volkswagen Caddy 2L SDI 2008

My 2008 2L SDI Caddy is noisy, has poor performance and poor fuel consumption compared with other vans I have owned. Having said that it it a well built workhorse that holds its value well.

Volkswagen Caddy C20 TDI 2007

Bought the van from a local VW van center at six months old, it had 7,000 miles on the clock. In three years I clocked the van up to 94,500. The van was serviced every 10,000 by a local garage not VW and i have never had any trouble with it. I have never had any issues with the turbo or any pumps this van was fantastic. Very very nippy and looked stunning with my 17" alloys and powerflow exhaust system. I also fitted a K&N air filter when I purchased the van. The only reason I have not bought another one is that I needed something bigger and I don’t like the look of those stretched ones. Just sold the van on e-bay and the new owner was very impressed. Do not be put off buying one of these vans they are as good as they look.

Volkswagen Caddy New shape 2004

Bad points: have the van for 4 years and have put 2 new turbos in it. Van was serviced every 10k, VW are rubbish, use to be good but not anymore. Always a warning light on the dash for something or other.

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9 TDI 2007

Coming up to three years old now and still drives like a dream. Just hit 40k and have only just needed new rear tyres! Fronts I’ve only replaced just replaced for a second time. It’s a very quick van even when fully loaded and still gives me 400 - 450 miles each tank. Very comfy to drive on long journeys, quite quiet, everything works well and the load space is good - it seems small but I can stuff loads in! The only issue I’ve had was the sliding door lock broke and took VW 3 times to fix it. Front and rear lights on the near side had water ingress but has all been sorted under warranty. Overall a good van and will buy another. It’s solid, well built and I personally think it’s the best looking small van around. Expensive if you want all the gadgets, but they do hold their value!

Volkswagen Caddy sdi 2005

Dissapointed, tandem pump playing up, common fault, not happy.

Responses to this review

It is terrible when you purchase something not fit for purpose, isn’t it? - Polly Jedrzejak from London

Volkswagen Caddy 2010

Just want to write a review on the volkswagen caddy. It is an excellent van and very car like to drive and volkswagen have once again made a strong and sturdy vechile, was considering a transit connect and a citroen dispatch but after driving the caddy there is no comparison, a little more expensive to buy but in the long term works out better. A really excellent van.

Volkswagen Caddy tdi 1.9 2004

Just bought my caddy this week! 2004 new shape 119.000 miles on it. Timing belt just done. I was very, very impressed and suprised at how comfortable it is to drive. I previously had a Mercedes A Class and the caddy is far better, even though it’s a van. I have never driven a van before, but this feels so much like a car, it’s great. Too early to tell if it has any problems, but I am so far delighted with it. It’s quiet, comfortable, and fairly nippy as she goes. Plus the headlights actually work, something I didnt have on the Merc. It also feels so solid and well built when driving. I was going to buy a Mercedes Vito, but I’m glad I went for this. P.S. anyone thinking of buying a Vito either first generation or new generation, DON’T! for the love of God. Just read the reviews on them. I really, really, really wanted one, but just don’t do it.

Volkswagen Caddy tdi dsg gearbox 2008

Air con, heated seats, cruise control, multi -function steering wheel, auto wiper and dsg gearbox all work well. Mpg on ave is about 4 to 5 mpg down on 5 speed manual gearbox also dsg comes with dpf filter which does not help mpg. I also have all weather tyres, my ave 44mpg a good mix of driving/motorway work 80 mph drop to 39 - 41 town work 37 mpg. VW service oil change £150.00 at about 15000 miles, the dsg gearbox oil needs to be change at 40000 miles at a cost of £160.00. The front tyres will get 20-22 k wear, whilst rear 50 -55 k. Top up oil is about 1lt per 12000 miles.

Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 sdi 2009

Got the van for dog handling purposes and to and from from work, long journeys are very comfortable and performance is incredibly good. The van is as basic as can be as that’s what I asked for and I have to say I am well impressed. I used to work security and got the opportunity to have a pop at driving Vauxhalls, Transits and others as well, gotta say they didn’t even come upto the same standard. Im sure there’s gonna be something down the line I’m not pleased about, but then no one likes paying for parts or fixer work as it always costs once outside warranty, hence why I only gave it 4 stars. The van on its own merit, I’m glad i went with the VW as I had a few choices and spent a long time making the decision. As for the parts and fixings if you want a job done right you may as well go to the people that know the van better than anyone else.

Volkswagen Caddy 104 TDI swb 6 doors 2004

Bad Bits: VW labour costs very high, new pads fitted, bonnet release plastic lever broke, central locking problems, altenator replaced, pullys replaced, bulbs keep blowing, driver’s seat not good, fly wheel starting to go, small cargo area, let me down once, VW not as good as they used to be. Good Bits: Fast!!!! Good Mpg, easy to park.        

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9 TDI 104 2005

After searching for a suitable van for my auto locksmith business I stumbled across the Caddy by chance. I was impressed with the build quality and especially the comfortable seats having just given up my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The performance is more than adequate although I don’t thrash it. Its done 121K and feels just as tight as a new one. I’ve done just over 10K in a year and apart from one oil change nothing else has gone wrong. Came with aircon and CD player. Bags of storage space and pockets in the cabin. Consumption is regular around the 37-41 MPG. Well pleased especially as I was seriously looking at the Connect. Would recommend to anyone with a bit more of a budget. Quality comes at a price. Just read that British Gas have ordered 5,000 Caddy’s due to reliabilty and running costs.

Volkswagen Caddy 2006

This is by far the best van I have ever owned and driven and that’s saying something. I have driven and owned various vans over the years - Ford, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Mercedes-Benz (Vito) - for my roofing business and found many unreliable or juicy. These may not be the fastest vans, unless you get the sport line or turbo version but it’s the quality, build and reliability that counts. I would certainly recommend theses vans to any one.

Responses to this review

You got that right, 5 stars - Charlie Donnelly from Ireland

Volkswagen Caddy 2007

Its the noisiest van I’ve ever driven out 02 Ford Transit is quieter. The Caddy Over revs all the time so the engine can always be heard, the Doors don’t shut properly so there is a nasty draft which adds to the already loud wind noise created by the van. Load space isn’t the greatest of a small van compared to others.

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9 tdi 104ps 2004

Very reliable vehicle. My caddy has 170k on the clock now and is as tight and lively as it was when new. Acceleration is superb through all the gears helped by a fantastic little turbo unit, even when fully loaded. Fuel economy is good, Motorway travel averages 49mpg whilst around town it will do 39 - 41mpg. Cabin is spacious, well laid out and very comfortable. Road noise is low and if you did not have the slightly restricted view out the back you would believe that you were in an MPV. Parts, when they do need replacing can be pricey but then again it is a Volkswagen and the parts do last. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who was looking for a reliable load-lugger. Only 4 stars because nothing is perfect!

Volkswagen Caddy 2005

I am from China, my 7 seats Caddy Life bought in 2006; I drove it for over 40,000Km till now, nothing is wrong on this van....

Volkswagen Caddy 1.9 TDI PD 2007

Great little van, a real workhorse. Very comfortable cabin and good and clear arrangement of instruments. Very easy to drive, alhough the steering can sometimes feel a little over assisted. Excellent fuel economy and of course, as all Volkswagon, very reliable.