Norseman   10 #1 Posted May 10, 2015 Hello,  I had a look at a used 1.4 Polo today at JCT600 which used to be Peter Gilders until 2011. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with them when buying a car, new or used and whilst on the subject I have 4 additional enquiries namely:  Can the footrest be removed (the one to the left of the clutch) easily as I need to straighten my leg when its not operating the clutch due to a number of surgical procedures and it sticks out quite a bit and makes my knee throb and hurt quite significantly - the plastic thing not my leg!  Also is it me or is the central door pillar further forward than on other cars of the same 5 door variety as I seemed to have difficulties trying to get out of the car due to the door pillar being so far forward. Is this common nowadays or does it just apply to design of the Polo  After the years warranty expires I understand I will be contacted by VW directly and will be offered an extended warranty however having been on the VW website the prices and length of the warranties conveniently aren't showing - are these expensive from experience and what options are available please and should I opt to use another repairer other than VW would I still be covered (I don't live anywhere near a VW repair centre)  Lastly at what time, mileage wise does the cambelt need to be replaced  The car I saw was gorgeous and was a real pleasure to test drive however due to mainly the door pillar issue and the footrest at the last minute I pulled out of the sale. When spending a large sum of money it has to be right hence the enquiries this evening  Any assistance is greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
medusa   16 #2 Posted May 10, 2015 My car is leased through them and I've never had any problems with their customer service or servicing.  I'm afraid I haven't bought through them so can't help you with anything further. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Norseman   10 #3 Posted May 23, 2015 I was a bit dubious about the warranty (the one where VW would contact me) as the last car I bought I purchased the 3 year warranty when I purchased the car. Since I enquired originally I have decided not to purchase a VW and am instead viewing other makes of cars.  Thank you for your response anyway:) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
geared   302 #4 Posted May 23, 2015 I can't speak for that exact model, but the footrest next to the clutch is often a plastic box held in by a couple of bolts and quite easy to remove.  If you've got the vehicle for a test drive you can just whip it out to make sure nothing is hidden behind it, like wiring or something.  ---------- Post added 23-05-2015 at 21:16 ----------  The 1.4 petrol engine probably has a normal belt change interval, 60-80k I'd imagine. The exact figure should be in the owners manual. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Jon26 Â Â 10 #5 Posted February 3, 2016 All bad for me. Â They were ok when they were gilders. They've got too big and lost sight of the customer. My recent experiences suggest they couldn't organise a party in a brewery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
alankearn   10 #6 Posted February 3, 2016 Hello, I had a look at a used 1.4 Polo today at JCT600 which used to be Peter Gilders until 2011. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with them when buying a car, new or used and whilst on the subject I have 4 additional enquiries namely:  Can the footrest be removed (the one to the left of the clutch) easily as I need to straighten my leg when its not operating the clutch due to a number of surgical procedures and it sticks out quite a bit and makes my knee throb and hurt quite significantly - the plastic thing not my leg!  Also is it me or is the central door pillar further forward than on other cars of the same 5 door variety as I seemed to have difficulties trying to get out of the car due to the door pillar being so far forward. Is this common nowadays or does it just apply to design of the Polo  After the years warranty expires I understand I will be contacted by VW directly and will be offered an extended warranty however having been on the VW website the prices and length of the warranties conveniently aren't showing - are these expensive from experience and what options are available please and should I opt to use another repairer other than VW would I still be covered (I don't live anywhere near a VW repair centre)  Lastly at what time, mileage wise does the cambelt need to be replaced  The car I saw was gorgeous and was a real pleasure to test drive however due to mainly the door pillar issue and the footrest at the last minute I pulled out of the sale. When spending a large sum of money it has to be right hence the enquiries this evening  Any assistance is greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your time   My Polo 1.4 tdi pd year 2002 (had it from new) and probably later models cam belt should be replaced at 40,000 miles or 4 years whichever is soonest It is advisable to have the water pump replaced at the same time. Cost at a main dealers is around £300/350. If you decide on a main dealer to do the job don't take their first price tell them you can get it done cheaper elsewhere. I have done this at both Gilders and JTC 600 the last one in 2014 cost £300 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
sgtkate   10 #7 Posted February 4, 2016 I can't advise on the car, but I bought my current car through JCT600 in Leeds and they were excellent. No hard sell on any 'extras', gave me what I felt was a good price for my part-ex car and I bought the car for less than Parkers price guide for its condition and mileage. At no point did I feel ripped off or cheated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
hyper   10 #8 Posted February 4, 2016 Can the footrest be removed (the one to the left of the clutch) easily as I need to straighten my leg when its not operating the clutch due to a number of surgical procedures and it sticks out quite a bit and makes my knee throb and hurt quite significantly - the plastic thing not my leg!  Also is it me or is the central door pillar further forward than on other cars of the same 5 door variety as I seemed to have difficulties trying to get out of the car due to the door pillar being so far forward. Is this common nowadays or does it just apply to design of the Polo  Sounds to me like its not the car for you if it doesn't fit. My advice to your thread is to think beyond VW and look at other manufacturers. Too many people are hooked into paying a premium to buy German because they think it's better quality. It's not - its damn good marketing. Even the far East manufacturers that 10 years ago were thought to be substandard have caught up Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...