The wear-prone follower between the camshaft and the high-pressure fuel pump is the single most repeated mechanical theme across the corpus. Commenters treat documented follower checks or replacement as a precondition for buying, and worst cases back it up: one former owner reported total engine failure from the worn camshaft issue on his 2006. …
Cam follower vigilance is the FSI purchase test
Volkswagen GTI (Mk5) · mechanical