Overview & Reviews

Volkswagen is an automaker based in Germany. Its products typically command a higher price than those of competing models, but the return is a more upscale driving and ownership experience.

In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned to build a small, inexpensive car at the request of Adolph Hitler. His answer -- a beetle-shaped sedan that was called a Volkswagen (German for "people's car") -- debuted two years later. Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt (derived from the Nazi party's motto, "Joy through Strength"), and soon decided that Porsche's creation should be named the KdF-wagen (short for the "Joy through Strength" car). This upset Porsche, who was not political.

World War II delayed production of the vehicle; the factory suffered extensive damage during combat, and was ultimately taken over by the British Army. The company was renamed Volkswagen, and the town at the factory was renamed Wolfsburg (after Werner von Schulenberg of Wolfsburg, who had been forced to surrender his land for the construction of the town and factory). By the end of the 1940s, mass production of the Volkswagen Beetle had begun. The model made its first appearance on U.S. shores in 1949.

The 1950s saw Volkswagen broadening its product range, adding the Bus (Type 2) to its lineup. The Bus, especially, proved quite popular due to its versatility. And the Beetle, which went on to become the best-selling car of all time, quickly showed signs of being an enduring favorite, with more than 1 million models produced at the Wolfsburg factory by 1955. This decade also saw the debut of the Karmann Ghia sports car, which featured a sleek, Italian-designed two-seater body atop a Beetle platform.

Volkswagen's star rose during the 1960s, its success fueled largely by the breakout success of the Beetle. The car benefited from an effective advertising campaign and from an appearance in a popular Disney movie. By the close of the decade, Volkswagen's yearly output of Beetles topped the 1 million mark.

In 1972, with more than 15 million units assembled, the Beetle topped the world production record set by Ford's Model T. Mid-decade saw the launch of a new era of Volkswagens that had front-mounted, water-cooled engines driving the front wheels. The Passat (Dasher in the U.S.) was the first of the new breed and was built using standardized components that could be used interchangeably among other models in the manufacturer's lineup. The Passat was soon joined by the Golf (Rabbit in the U.S.), which met with immediate success. By the end of the decade, the manufacturer's lineup had grown to include the Scirocco sport coupe and the performance-oriented Golf/Rabbit GTI. The Beetle, however, was discontinued for the U.S. market.

The Golf grew in popularity during the '80s, becoming Volkswagen's most popular model. When a second generation of the car was built in 1983, it was crafted in a mostly automated process using robots -- marking the first time robots had been used in vehicle manufacture. By the mid-'80s, the U.S. version traded the Rabbit name for "Golf." The higher-performance Golf GTI helped the manufacturer make waves on the rally circuit. In 1986, Volkswagen Motorsport nabbed the title of Group A World Rally Champions.

Volkswagen saw its sales in the North American market tumble during the early '90s, but by the end of the decade, refocused marketing efforts and an increased emphasis on new products had brought about a turnaround in the company's fortunes. The popular New Beetle helped put the company back on the radar in the United States (though it fared less successfully in European markets). The body style was based on the classic Beetle, and it struck a chord with consumers who still had a place in their hearts for the iconic, cheerful-looking "love bug."

The new millennium saw Volkswagen moving into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and executed, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Luckily, Volkswagen has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.

User Reviews:

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  2019 Tiguan - Quite a Lemon, Steer Clear - 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By SEM - October 21 - 4:58 pm

  Ou5 2019 Tiguan has been in for 5 major repairs in 26 months and has under 21K miles. Two oil leaks, one broken sensor, complete transmission replacement which stranded us out of state for a week waiting for the fix and an ungrounded wire that drained the electrical system and caused the car to die in traffic. We are getting rid of this car before it gets us killed. Do not recommend this vehicle

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  3 strikes and your OUT - Never again! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By dww - December 27 - 10:43 pm

  93 Passat GLX, 97 Audi A4 and 02 GLX Wagon, not one could reach 90K mileage. Wagon blew water pump, blew head gasket, bent valves $5,000 to fix. This all happened in 2 minutes on the highway not a chance to save the car and of course is outside of extended warranty. Good bye German Unreliability Hello Japanese Reliability!

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  German Lemon - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Kory - December 20 - 1:16 am

  I have to say that this is the worst car that I have ever owned. I traded my 1992 Saturn SL1 for this car. My Saturn was definitely a "no frills" car that was perfect for my needs, which at the time was reliable transportation to and from school and work. My husband wanted a larger sedan. Our VW ran great for the first 15000 miles, then it was in the shop constantly. The car stalled frequently, lost power steering, had all sorts of electrical problems. A recurring crack in the fuel line was the last straw and we traded it for a Saturn Vue. I know others who have had many electrical problems with these cars. They are pretty but not reliable. I will never buy a VW again.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By jlmurray81 - December 16 - 1:07 am

  I leased this car back in August on 2008 and have had nothing but problems with it and the dealership ever since. Four weeks after I leased the car, a transmission valve had to be replaced. I learned about his problem only after nearly being killed on the freeway because my car lost all forward momentum. To add insult to injury the dealership insisted it was my starter that caused this issue. Only after speaking to a mechanic was this issue actually addressed. The dealership had my car for over three weeks and tried to charge me for the rental car. Approximately a year later the manufacture issued a recall for this transmission value issue.

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  Run away! - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By Cheesehead in TX - December 13 - 4:33 am

  Well, this was an experiment in "Premium German Engineering" that will never be repeated in my life. This is the absolute worst of the 20 cars I have owned in my lifetime. Cannot even remember all the broken things in only 8 months- catalytic converters, brakes, oil leaks, coolant leaks, broken power seats, inferior leather seats. And scheduled maintenance! What a joke- $2k for brake work, $2300 for cats, $1500 for timing belt + getting rid of PLASTIC water pump. Run away, do not even consider one of these used. If you have to have a VW, but it new and sell it before its 4 years old. Period.

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  Is it a Lemon? - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Chel - December 8 - 7:46 am

  I bought this car used with only 20,000 miles on it. My first car was the old VW, and ever since they came out with the new models I always wanted one. In the 13,000 miles I have put on it in one year, I have taken it to the shop 10 times. The manufacturers warranty has now run out (not due to mileage, but to age) and now I have to use the extended warranty I purchased from Carmax. But they dont know how to fix VWs so I must pay extra to take it to a dealer! (I was never informed of this!) I have had electrical problems with the windows, top problems where it wouldnt go up or come down at times, overheating problems (3 times!), now I am finished! I am trading in this car tomorrow!

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  bad - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By scissors - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought a lemon that i cant lemon law. This car has 32000 miles and has been in the shop for everything but normal wear and tear. Air bags broke twice. oxygen sensor went bad twice also air pump and fuel lines. temperture sensor went once.I could go on and on. The air bags broke twice in 3 months. Do not purchase sooooooo not worth it at all.

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  Worst Experience Possible - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By michael3614 - November 28 - 6:26 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in December of 2005. It turned out to be a HORRIBLE decision. The problems that I experienced included the tire pressure monitoring system, airbag malfunction, transmission issues shifting the vehicle, Dynaudio issues where the volume goes to MAX for no reason, autohold issues where the brakes did not hold, the engine light going off and vehicle going into "limp mode" as they called it, etc. ALL of these problems happened within the first 3,000 - 4,000 miles. I ended up getting a new car from the dealership and they said I wasnt the first one to have problems with the Passat. I was informed it must have "been a bad batch" and that my new car will be "better". Time will tell...

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  Hate It - 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Dont buy a bug - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I have had more problems with this car than I had with my prior car that I had for 7 years. I have had the dashboard replaced twice, the stereo replaced 4 times, the keys replaced once. Also 2x in the last year the car didnt start, for no reason. Then when it did it, the entire dashboard was lit up, hence the 2x replacing the dashboard.

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  Driving a dumpster - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By shastanova - November 26 - 9:39 am

  I love the way this car drives but its a piece of junk. Interior must be made from recycled bottles cause everything breaks. Armrest, glove box, cigarette tray, overhead light switch, control for sideview mirrors, window motor, headliner, doorliner, speakers and more. Outside falls apart also, side markers have water in them. headlights are foggy. paint job is crap. Grille vents fall out. Antennae rusted and fell apart. Engine is only good thing. Everything else sucks. Had to put in new turbo$2500, 2 timing belts $1450, fix A/C $750, Pvc valve and intake $700, Glow plug relay $300, Window motor& regulator $750. Drive it of a cliff before you spend all this money. all this before 130,000