2010 Volkswagen GTI: Wonked.

Just detach the string on the right side and you won't have a "wonked" cargo cover.

The 2010 Mazda3's hatch cover uses something similar with a little piece of plastic affixing to the car's hatch on each side. It's just as shoddy. Further the mazda cover has an infuriating design which locks in the cover to the posts inside the car...

I won't even get into the insane stupidity of the Mazda trunk release...

This is the part where I say that if the forward edge of the cover had been seated properly, it wouldn't have broken in the first place. It's still not, based on that photo.

But thanks for the sarcasm anyway. Great post!

I don't see why it's that bad. The cover still does its' job, just doesn't lift up on one side. You could always try to DIY a hook or tape the string to where the hook used to be.

The world is ending! Every man for themselves!

Thanks for refraining Josh. If you didn't, several Mazda owners would be here saying things to support your claim.

Good call!

This is the part where I refrain from asking you to stop typing, go to the nearest VW stealership, and purchase the lift gate upper trim clip, replace it, and end comments related to the GTI's broken cargo cover clip.

ha ha josh knew he would get under some folks skin.

to second blueguy, yes, the mazdas cargo cover is just as 'crappy' if you can even bother to think about something for that long to assign it such a title.

you guys could just let the other side hang off too and it would rest perfectly on the cargo holder.

problem solved.

lest we forget that even insideline drivers are responsible for common sense.

This is the part where you check to see how many burnt bulbs you have on your GTI.
Or how many broken window regulators.
Or, wait, is that a burnt coil with a missfire on #3?
What about checking the oil, since you last checked it last week and, you know, 1qt every 1k miles is normal, you know?
Wait, is that part of the door trim I see getting unglued?

Wait - I thought this is the part where we start a dialogue on the perceived wisdom of putting 42lbs of stuffed animals on the rear parcel shelf.

Lol I was about to mention all the burnt out bulbs (including HIDs) The fact that the door locks stop working and .. oh yeah.. Rough shifting (DSG) all within the first 11 thousand miles.

"This is the part where you check to see how many burnt bulbs you have on your GTI.
Or how many broken window regulators.
Or, wait, is that a burnt coil with a missfire on #3?
What about checking the oil, since you last checked it last week and, you know, 1qt every 1k miles is normal, you know?
Wait, is that part of the door trim I see getting unglued?"

I had my 2007 Jetta GLI #138 out of 1200
It had DSG and was a limit run.

I was literally at the dealer every other month. After I sold the car the guy who bought it went back to the VW dealership four times for further problems with the electronic components.

I don't care how nice the interior was. I don't care how all the torque came in at 1500 RPM. Volkwagens are the most unreliable cars I have ever owned.

I only wish I learned the first time. I owned a 1999 VW BUG (also in yellow) and I had nothing but electrical problems.

Same thing happened to my MkV GTI (well, IIRC it was the other side) but a jaunt to the dealer got it fixed pronto under warranty.

But yeah, I do wish the hooks were metal or something. I wouldn't fault the design so much as the implementation of it.

I'm going to mention what has been mentioned before in the last post about this:

YOU DON'T HAVE THE COVER ON RIGHT. IT'S OFF THE TRACK ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

As you can see, the cover is out of it's channel on the right side. That's why it's so wonked. Otherwise the effect wouldn't be so bad. German engineers DID figure out a redundancy for this failure mode IF the owners would put the covers back on properly.

I broke one of the strings attaching the cargo cover to the hook. Mine still worked perfectly fine with just one string. A little wobbly when going up, but it held up.

Put it back in properly and it will improve until you can get it fixed.

I don't really care. I'd still take the Golf. The GTI has heritage. It has also way better styling than the Speed 3. And the interior is top-notch. While the Mazda performs slightly better in every area, I'd still make the sacrifice, and get the Volkswagen. It's what the people want.

hecho en mexico!

seriously though, I know a lot of people ask "what's the big deal?" but if VW can't make a durable cargo cover hook, then I'd be concerned about the rest of the car.

@takemorepills - It's made in Germany.

I wasn't going to comment but as I unloaded my gear today I looked carefully at the hook. The design looks absolutely appropriate to its task. Namely supporting a light cargo cover. For sure, it looks like it, being plastic, will break if abused (and forcing the hatch up when it's jammed is abuse) but I expect that mine will operate normally for as long as I have the car.

Ok... for all the slow people:

only the beetle and jetta are made in mexico, this comes from the main plant in wolfsburg. this probably only matters for those of you who are convinced that most VW's are garbage.

when used correctly the hatch cover hooks work perfectly fine. just because IL staff can't understand an EXTREMELY simple design doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it.

maybe just get it fixed and stop with these idiotic posts? or is that too logical?

"one severely wonked rear cargo cover"

Seriously, are most of the IL staff special needs hires?

They must be if they can't even tell when a rear cargo cover is not properly attached at the front edge and think that something that trivial warrants the label "severely."

Plus, they actually spend time to photo document for all time their Lameness with a capital L.

You can't make this stuff up. Un-freaking-believable.

Josh is an embarrassment to auto journalists.

The cargo cover broke because someone there broke it by acting like an idiot, yet its the VW's fault?

Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. Totally ashamed to comment like this.

Yes I have a VW and I like it, but this has nothing to do with that. It would be like driving down the street in the MS3 with the door open and complaining about wind noise (then complaining that the door wasn't well made when it bashed into cars parked along the side).

Really Josh, grow up. Yes this is just a blog, but a modicum of professionalism would be nice. Apparently you like being a professional troll more than you like being half decent at your job.

Must be a great car to drive. If it were the Outlander or the Camaro you all would be tearing it to pieces instead of making excuses or blaming people you don't even know.

OK I see now that the GTi is made in Germany. But, it is common knowledge that VW's are more known for their driving feel, apparent quality and German heritage. VW's aren't "known" for being a reliable, quality car. That being said, I would still be open to owning one someday, if it was made in Germany. Even if it wasn't as reliable as my 300K mile Maxima I drive now, which for the record doesn't ever have parts breaking despite it's 13 years of being exposed to the elements....

@firstwagon - this isn't a transmission or air conditioning failing - its a single little plastic peg that broke off because someone got the rear cover all screwed up and then forced the trunk open when it snagged.

i have done the same thing, but i didn't FORCE it open. I felt the snag, looked, corrected, and there were no issues. This is operator error and to fault the vehicle for it because you have some grudge is childish.

Frankly, to have a grudge at all if you have made it far enough in your career to be writing for Edmunds is absolutely insane.

Imagine how the new "Mexican made, designed on a budget and for Americans" Jetta will score on reliability!

wonk..wonk..wonk..wonked!

This is the part where I point out that, being a 2010 model year vehicle, this type of thing is probably under warranty.

Stop being a whiny crybaby, get over it, and take the car to the dealer to have it taken care of! How hard is that?!?

um...i took that thing out of my car first day i got it...dont remember where it is

just saying

oh, and ITS JUST A CARGO COVER

How did this dumb filthy troll got a job to begin with.

It must get tough at times having a job where you are required to write something, even if there's really not much to say.

"Sometimes the words don't come! They just don't come!"

Yes, a completely unfortunate and serious mishap........... but how did the cargo cover handle? What was the cargo cover's acceleration time for opening and closing? What about it's slalom times and how does the cargo cover compare with its prime competiton..........

Jeesh ........Next you will be asking your audience how to tie your own shoe laces. Man up......

deathtollwrx: sorry about your troubles, but dont preach your cars problems like if all mkV's suffer from them.

after 43k, my 09 gti's dsg still shifts butter smooth.
and the hid's are still bright
and the door locks still work.

for all the 'hecho en mexico' haters, the mkV jetta that was exclusively built in mexico got the consumer reports stamp of approval. the mexican built vw being a 'better' vw is just as much garbage as all the jdm fanboys proclaiming that made in japan hondas are 'better'.

but knowing this would involve not being an arrogant, ignorant prick, which unfortunately is hard to come by on these website.

You may want to double check your info. Quite a few GTI are also built in Brazil too.

On my super unreliable 2001 Beetle 1.8T, it has been a nightmare for some of you guys! I had to replace 0 headlights, 1 taillight bulb, and i changed my timing belt & waterpump.

I've yet to see all the huge issues many people have been complaining about.... And thats over a year of ownership with 96k miles.