Don't they fit parts to last anymore?
The whole filler flap assembly is very flimsy at best and if you look closely at a lot of less obvious parts beyond what you immediately look at on a Golf they are quite cheaply made.
It’s not just VW though.
It’s no surprise they dropped the optional longer factory warranty.
I'm sure they weren't losing money on the extended warranty on average, but so few people keep a car beyond 3 years, they may not have felt it worth their while.I did have one claim on my Golf R at about 42 months - DAB just couldn't pick up a signal - the booster unit/coil in the boot lid had fried. It was replaced.
Sophisticated electricals are the bane of all modern cars - i'm sure there'll be plenty of perfectly roadworthy cars beyond economical repair at 8-10 years old in the near future because some little black box of tricks has fried rather than a major mechanical fault with the drivetrain.
That being said, VWs seemed to lose their "tank-like" feel when the MK7 turned up with its thinner hot pressed bodywork.