A MOTORIST'S internet tirade about his faulty new car has become a worldwide hit.

Anthony Ashton, 29, had to take his é10,000 Volkswagen Polo back to the car dealer in Bolton eight times in just over a year.

He was so fed up, he filmed his own rant about the car and posted it on the video-sharing site YouTube under the title "VW Sucks". In just four days it has become one of the most popular videos on the site, attracting nearly 25,000 visitors.

The IT technician, from Bury, bought the VW Tdi Polo from Smith Knight Fay in June 2004 and says he was rarely out of the garage until he part-exchanged it last November.

The problems included electric windows which would open for no reason, emissions warning lights which repeatedly came on, faulty central locking, a rear boot which sometimes refused to open, a CD player that rattled, and bubbling paint work, which garage workers blamed on bird droppings. Mr Ashton toyed with the idea of taking Volkswagen to court but said: "In the end, the only recourse I had was to place a video about my experiences on YouTube outlining all the problems I had experienced, as well as the complete lack of concern that Volkswagen and Smith Knight Fay exhibited. I've been delighted that so many people have viewed the footage."

Smith Knight Fay spokesman John Wallis expressed surprise that so many people had viewed the VW Sucks video.

He said: "You can't help wondering whether the site had so many hits because it's about a Volkswagen which hasn't delivered what one would expect from such a car or whether it's because the title might possibly have salacious connotations.

"But we certainly regret that the gentleman had so many faults on his car. Our records show that it was brought into us eight times during the period he owned it. We always did our best to remedy those problems and would always have offered a lift-home service or a courtesy car.

"The experiences which this gentleman had with his car are not only untypical - as most VW drivers will testify - but they are also exceptionally rare."

Dr David Holmes, a specialist in media psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, said that Mr Ashton is part of a growing trend for individuals to harness the power of the internet to voice their frustrations. He said: "The internet is the means by which the little man can take on the giant corporations."

You can watch the video here.