I have had good Bosch starters with a bad solenoid. Loose positive post, as you describe.
Reman is fine! Go with Bosch.
Replacing the original 25 year old starter (!!) with a remanufactured Bosch part, which seems identical to the original. I am hoping to solve the intermittent no-start issue I’ve been having lately (single click when turning key). Overall the job was fairly straightforward with no major issues.
You'll need to replace the starter motor to repair the car, they're about $120 on [rockauto for a remanufactured Bosch unit]
The exact same starter from Bosch (original manufacturer for Volvo) which is what a shop would sell you because it’s the OE for Volvo is 216.99.
I opted for the Bosch reman for $120 from NAPA a couple years ago. Still very strong.
Replaced the ignition switch with OE VW Installed a brand new Bosch starter today due to the battery terminal on the solenoid breaking off internally Thought the new starter would be the answer, but no
greetings 72 bug with rarely used new bosch starter/solenoid(play car not daily drive) walmart battery just went out of warranty and battery tester shows about 76% health. turn the key and i get clunk from starter. after about 15 clunks it will fire up. if i top off battery with charger it will fire up every time. about hour later it is back to clunk clunk clunk, vroom. digital cig socket voltmeter shows mostly about 14v down the road depending on speed. 'smart charger' says cell fault but battery checker says recharge. new battery needed?
Definitely get that starter -- even the OEM new Bosch ones suck
Mine has done this on my '23 Arteon a couple of times. Mine has even went so far as not wanting to start with the start button! Acted like the starter was dead.
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If choosing starter motor across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare starter motor across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor Bosch were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor Bosch were overall more popular than OEM Volkswagen.
By vote balance, starter motor Bosch surpassed OEM Volkswagen:
By number of reviews, starter motor Bosch surpassed OEM Volkswagen:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, starter motor Bosch led more car-specific ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
Bosch are chosen by owners of cars such as: Volkswagen Passat, and others.
Starter motor OEM Volkswagen have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of starter motor Bosch with: Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM FORD, OEM Toyota, OEM Subaru, VALEO, AC DELCO.
Also available: comparisons of starter motor OEM Volkswagen with: Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM FORD, OEM Toyota, OEM Subaru, VALEO, AC DELCO.
You can also see who is better among other starter motor manufacturers: Denso or Bosch, Bosch or OEM Honda, Denso or OEM Honda, Bosch or Duralast, Bosch or OEM FORD.
