vs
Turbocharger OEM Volkswagen or APR
Reviews
Well, as long as you take care of your turbo chargers,you can drive it for years without having a problem, but if you just abuse it again and again just because you bought it for the power outputs, then ofc it will wear out in couple of years and you have to change the whole turbo which will cost around 1-2.5 lakhs.
Pros: drive for years
Cons: wear out in couple years
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Currently at 97K, went APR 87 IS20 at 81K about this time last year. Was 87 stg 1 IS12 at 64K spring 2021. So far only issues was wastegate related from my used turbo, and oil consumption.
Cons: wastegate issues, oil consumption
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Mileage: 97000 km
About a year ago, I installed the DTR6054, HPFP and LPFP, APR's Intercooler, intake, and of course the necessary tune and TCU tune to run the car on 93. I have quite enjoyed it over the last year, but it did lose some of the punch at low RPM that it had with the IS38 turbo and Stage 1 tune.
Pros: enjoyed it over the year
Cons: lost punch at low RPM
Mileage: 30000 km
After the past year and 11k miles, I remain convinced we bought the right powertrain combination. Our situation is a bit uncommon in that we live at about 6000 feet elevation (Rocky Mountains). We cross higher mountain passes on a regular basis. This definitely amplifies the advantages of turbocharging. At high altitude, the 2.0T is substantially faster than the 3.6 VR6.
Pros: faster than 3.6 VR6
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Mileage: 17702 km
In my case no early sign of upcoming failure. It would throw an EPC light and lose power. Stopping, shutting the car off and restarting clears the EPC light and returns normal function of the car. Same situation will repeat randomly.
Pros: clears EPC light, returns function
Cons: EPC light, lose power
I had the ECP light issue in late June on my 2018 R with around 21k miles. The dealer diagnosed it as the wastegate, requiring a turbocharger replacement.
Pros: warranty covered replacement
Cons: wastegate failure
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
Mileage: 33796 km
Similar here. EPC light on intermittently. Diagnosed as a failed wastegate. The fix was a replacement turbocharger.
Cons: failed wastegate
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
RIKNE TURBINA
Cons: rikne turbina
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Sharan
Turbo 2 of them oem. Water pump 2 of them oem. Can't say I was happy about being forced to switching to toyota corolla hatch.
Cons: multiple turbo failures
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
Mileage: 96560 km
VW has replaced 2 internal turbos on my wife’s 2018 manual Golf. One at 46k and another at 103k.
Cons: failed twice
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
Mileage: 165762 km
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Which turbocharger to choose — OEM Volkswagen or APR?
If choosing turbocharger across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare turbocharger across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which turbocharger are better — APR or OEM Volkswagen?
In March 2026 on PartReview, turbocharger APR were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.
- OEM Volkswagen received a PR Score of 55 out of 100, and APR scored 75 points.
- OEM Volkswagen ranked 4 in the overall ranking, and APR ranked 3.
- The average rating is higher for APR (3.7) than for OEM Volkswagen (3.2).
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Turbocharger APR have better feature ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
- Power - owners believe, that this property for APR is better than OEM Volkswagen.
Which turbocharger are more popular — OEM Volkswagen or APR?
Turbocharger OEM Volkswagen and APR were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, turbocharger APR surpassed OEM Volkswagen:
- For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (30) to negative (24) votes is 6 votes.
- For APR, the ratio of positive (27) to negative (9) votes is 18 votes.
By number of reviews, turbocharger OEM Volkswagen surpassed APR:
- For turbocharger OEM Volkswagen there are 17 reviews: 8 positive, 3 neutral, 6 negative.
- For turbocharger APR there are 11 reviews: 7 positive, 3 neutral, 1 negative.
Which turbocharger do car owners prefer — OEM Volkswagen or APR?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, turbocharger OEM Volkswagen and APR have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of turbocharger
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of turbocharger OEM Volkswagen with: Garrett, BorgWarner.
Also available: comparisons of turbocharger APR with: Garrett, BorgWarner.
You can also see who is better among other turbocharger manufacturers: BorgWarner or Garrett, OEM Volkswagen or Garrett, Garrett or APR, OEM Volkswagen or BorgWarner, BorgWarner or APR.