The light, magnesium cased MQ200 and the MQ250, sized for higher torque, are the most widespread manual gearboxes in the transverse engine VAG models. Both have the same two weak points, and both depend on use.

The corrosion starts from the inner side of the metal, behind the wheel arch liner: the mud settling there and the absorbent foam seal hold the water against the metal. From outside only blistering paint shows for a long time, while underneath it can already be rusted through. The sill and the jacking point fail the same way: that already fails the roadworthiness test, and it is dangerous when changing a wheel.

The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is. If it is faulty, the control unit thinks a warm engine is cold, and runs it rich: hard warm or cold starting, a rough idle, markedly increased fuel consumption, and a dash temperature gauge that jumps around or never reaches its usual reading. The part is cheap and can be replaced in half an hour: the trouble is that many people do not recognise it and replace an injector or a lambda sensor instead. If the fault persists, the rich mixture can destroy the catalytic converter too.

The cable of the window regulator jams or tangles, and the holding clamp (originally plastic) breaks, dropping the glass into the door. It is often preceded by a crunching noise. The repair requires removing the door trim; the refurbishment kits come with a metal clamp, precisely because the factory plastic is the weak point.

The control arm bushes wear out, the anti-roll bar links work loose, and along with them the track rod ends and the ball joints wear as well. Symptoms: knocking and rattling on uneven roads, imprecise, "floating" steering, uneven tyre wear. Rarely does only one fail. By the time all of them are done, the bill adds up, and at the roadworthiness test each one is a separate failure point.

From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster. The impeller of the pump rusts or its bearing seizes, soot clogs the combination valve (N112), and the rubber hoses crack. The control unit then stores the `P0411` code. It barely affects driving, but the engine warning light is on, and the emissions test can fail because of it, and the roadworthiness test with it.