After being stranded yesterday by my radiator failure (broken top hose outlet) I'd like to put the idea out there (unless it already exists and I can't find it) of a thread for issues that have actually stranded you out on the road. I can live with the niggling window failures and central locking glitches, but actually being stuck in a broken down car is unacceptable to me and will eventually be the end of my 15 year run with my car, which I actually quite like, but can't afford to be unreliable.
Would suggest a thread that stays at the top of the page where people can post info on breakdowns like cause, km, model, useage (easy/medium/thrashed), what to look out for, and the fix.
Might help to keep a few of these cars out of the wreckers.
What does everyone think?
KSD

I've had my TS for 15 years and it broke down a week after I bought it.
Took the family a run and when we went to go home the car wouldn't start, called the road breakdown and he worked on it for over an hour before giving up.
He had no idea why it wouldn't start as everything worked so arranged a tow back to the dealer I bought it from as it was under warranty.
Dealer had it 2 days and also had no idea what was wrong then they rang me to say it suddenly started working again and 15 years later it has never done it again.
The only other problem I've had was the coil died, reversed out the car park at work and it just died.
Prior to the TS I had a Scorpion and twice the ignition module left me stranded

Had 2 TSs, never let me down on the road in the 7 total years I owned them.
The TS 2.6L though, did fail to start in the driveway twice, both times due to the ignition coil failing. First time I replaced the coil with a new one, second time that new coil failed (rather quickly), I replaced both the coil and power transistor with bits from the wreckers. No problems after that.

If you really think a roadside breakdown is a good reason to give up on a car, don't buy a DSG equipped VW. lol

Given that we needed a trailer to bring home the bits that fell-off wife's Golf cabrio, I think it unlikely I'll be buying another VW.
If I'd known that the radiator in a easy-life Verada would fail at 250K (and the core is looking a little shabby, buy runs cool, so why change it?) I'd have grabbed the good on at the wreckers recently (of course it was crushed-up next week when I went to get it).
You can't push start an auto. Anyone offer what life a V6 starter motor has? Overhauled the alternator at the last cam belt / head reco 200,000 km because I could see it and remove it easily. Anyone else got anything that might stop me on the road?

I'll add my latest "stranded on the side of the road" adventure to my own old thread.
Alternator diodes died at 265,000 km (in the 3 year old recon. alternator). Home on a tilt tray, much to the neighbors' amusement.
to
Cracked radiator top pipe 250,000 km
numerous dead batteries (4 years on average)
split heater hose at about 170,000 km.
I guess not too bad for 200,000 km of motoring.
Anyone add any other things to look out for?

KSD

Mine's about to roll over to the 250,000 mark. Next coolant flush is at 255,000. I have a couple of recently reconditioned radiators with new top tanks here, thinking I should probably inspect it then and swap it over if necessary.

Mine cracked off under the edge of the clamp. Fortunately left enough stub on the radiator to push the hose onto to limp home.
Well worth a check.
Rad swap was pretty easy; made sure I flushed the trans cooler on the secondhand replacement just in case, and fitted the best top mount rubbers I had.