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Peter:
I have a 2003 Jetta, not the same as a Polo, that has a remote release at the driver's seat. If the Polo has a similar arrangement, can you (or someone else) push and hold the release and will that allow you to open the flap?
BTW, we have 116K happy miles on the Jetta & 349K happy miles on a 1986 Golf, both diesels. And, yes, we have an independent garage who does first class work.
I've had about 80,000 troouble-free miles on my '99 Golf which my wife gave me for putting up the down on her new Prius. It had 120K at the time.... I take the VW elk hunting and have kind of beaten up the floor and rocker panels. It has a roof rack!
jn
Jon,
Maybe it's the later Vee-Dub's that are having more troubles. (Don't they make the 'new beetle' in Mexico or someplace?)
Dealership gouging is not unique to VW these days either.
As I said, I 'flogged' my Rabbit all the way through college. The first GTI came out a year after I bought my Rabbit, if that gives this a time frame.
It was paid off when I got out of college, with little trade in value, so after college I bought a new BMW 320-S (sport edition), and kept my Rabbit for a 'beater' and I also took it to the woods hunting, etc for years. (It would go more places than you'd think!) Lots of room in the back, and a roof rack! ;)
I finally gave it away to a 'friend in need' who was down on his luck and needed a car so he could work.
Of course, this is all just like 'Ford vs Chevy' to begin with. ;)
We all have good and bad experiences.
I agree that I also have had some great VW's, a 62 beetle that was bullet proof, a 68 variant (the chicken war car that never made it to the US) also bullet proof, a 74 Super Beetle Convertible, fun but not as good as the previous ones and also a Rabbit (forget the year) that probably was the best one they ever built! HOWEVER the newer cars just don't have the reliability of the old ones. They have had a unbelievable amount of little things that constantly go wrong such as the clips on the side windows of 90's Golfs that always break allowing your window to fall down. They never changed the design for years and yet everyone complained. The "spark boxes" that failed, every one of them over time yet they would only replace them as they failed which always caused a disruption of regular use 'till they ordered one in. Would I buy a new one, not a chance, just too over-engineered and expensive to service/repair. My daughter wanted to buy one once, I quickly talked her out of that. Her husband wanted to buy a new diesel two weeks ago, talked him out of that and told him to buy a Nissan Versa for around town. I think all of us "old guys" remember the VW's of past that literally were the most simple, reliable cars on the road. Those days are long gone.
Peter, I am sure thousands are waiting ( I know I am) to hear if you got it fixed or opted for the det. cord???