3 Star Reviews for Volkswagen

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.30/5 Average
13,910 Total Reviews
Make Overview:

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:

Showing 91 through 100 of 13,910.00
  • More trouble then its worth - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
    By -

    Since I have had the car we have had to replace the water pump, put a new turbo in, thermostat, replace the timing belt (but that is standard maintenance), put 4 new coils in, replace one brake bec it was sparking, and this is all in a year and a half and around 80,000 miles. I have been in and out of VW so much they know me by my first name. Not to mention the money we have had to shell out for. I have had my car towed three times this year to VW. When its not in the shop, its a blast to drive but its not worth the money.

  • Problems since Day 1 - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
    By -

    I bought my VW jetta 2.5 in September of 2006, it only had 85 miles on it from one dealership to mine. The second day driving I heard the brakes squeaking. So I told the dealership and they checked the breaks saying nothing was wrong. The noise continued and progressively became worse to the point where my brakes were grinding, so they replaced the brakes as a one time good will replacement. Since then the problem has continued and Ive had my brakes replaced 4 times, the last time I had to pay 400 dollars later. My brakes still squeak and grind. The car is great except for the constant brake change and gas mileage which goes down once you go over 70 mph.

  • Costly - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
    By -

    I purchased the car with 13,000 miles. In March 05 At the 50,000 guess what changed the water pump,temp gauge and did the timing belt. Very costly. April 08at 75,000 miles the check engine light came on. The dealership found 2 faulty spark plug wires and the coils were gone.October 08 at 80,000 miles another timing belt, the water pump wasnt working and had two leaks. November 18, 2008 the EPC light came on. The dealership found 3 codes that could of triggered the EPC. The dealership reset the codes cost $97.00. Now November 19, 2008 the EPC light came back on!. Since I had the car this list is totals about $2,500.00 My wife has a 02 passat same problems. Her EPC light at 85,000 miles.

  • All great, except, reliability is terible - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
    By -

    I have own the car from new 2006, still owning today in 2016. Reason? I need the space of a station wagon and the driving pleasure of a sedan. Today you cannot find something like this in the artificially driving feel of SUVs world. Maintanance was about $1,500 per year for the first 3-4 years. Then it jumped to $2,500 for years 4 to 7. Then get ready. Are you ready? Ok. Here it is: over $5,000 for years 8 and 9. This year the 10th one, it is July and I have spent already $2,400. I have to mention that I like the car a lot, I have a company and I can deduct a part of maintenance/repairs costs. All service I did at authorized vw dealer, kept all invoices, records. So now I am wondering why some cars are reliable and others not? At the end it is a matter of respect for the customer who paid a lot of money to buy a brand new car. Sorry, but in the future, I will go with lexus, infinity, acura or even honda. To change the car every 4-6 years is too costly. Keeping a car 10-12 years is realiable. Think about the waste we are doing on this planet with all kind of goods we are buying because is fancy. People should be happy with little. Keeping the car 10-12 years will not save the world but it will send a strong message to who needs to listen. Wishing all love and happiness to everyone.

  • DISAPPOINTMENT. - 2010 Volkswagen Routan
    By -

    Big disappointment about reliability of the mini van that was relied heavily as family vehicle especially in transporting our grandkids to and from school. The van was purchased in 2010 (new) and the first safety concerned was a vibration of the body when the brake was applied. Problem was fixed as a factory defect and later we have to take it back to dealership for a number of alarms in the instrumentation panel. Lately, we noticed a white smoke coming from the engine, and had it towed back to the dealership to replaced a part of the cooling system that caused the coolant to leak. Unfortunately, this repair is not covered by the extended warranty and we have to pay over $600. Question is....do we have a lemon on our investment? I would not recommend buying this model to anyone.

  • WV STILL HAS WORK TO DO - 2011 Volkswagen JETTA SPORTWAGEN
    By -

    Overall, its a decent car that gets great fuel mileage, but weve had multiple problems where the 3 year old car has left us stranded. Radio was replaced twice, paint is peeling near the drivers side door, flapper valve failed (warranty was extended on this part), and now we get the Immobilizer Active error where the instrument cluster has failed. Its not a car I would buy again. Not so sure I would buy any VW product again as my sister has had nothing but problems with her two VWs.

  • its the small stuff ... - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
    By -

    Thoughts after 4500 miles: great initial impression, but as I drove the vehicle daily I found it was the small stuff that bugged me. Wipers chatter & wont effectively interval; in-dash CD occassionally wont eject disk; stereo sounds very poor; always "beeping" to alert you of something; rear entry requires remote electronic release; harsh acceleration; etc ... Traded in a Land Cruiser for this vehicle & it was a mistake.

  • REPAIRS-REPAIRS-REPAIRS!!!! - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
    By -

    The car is in the shop as I am writing this- Havent had the car 6 months yet! This car is not reliable. Its been in the shop 6 days now and I am up to $4800 in repairs, including new starter and major electric malfunctioning and transmission. If you do not have the extra cash for these pricey repairs BEWARE!! And if you have your heart set on it, then make sure to purchase an extended warranty because you can count on breaking down. Car left me stranded with a horn that would not shut off- had to be towed. Brakes squeaks have a mind of their own. Guzzles gas like crazy. I would never purchase another VW again.

  • Poor service - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
    By -

    The radio doesnt turn on six weeks after I get the car. The dealer promised to get me a new one; it has been another six weeks and now I am still waiting for the new radio to come in. My car only has three thousand miles and it wouldnt start twice last week.I had to call road assistance to jump start the car. Now the car is in the shop and the dealer is still trying to figure out whats going wrong. I am very dissapointed with the car and the dealter.

  • Call it a VW Lemon Instead - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
    By -

    Ill like my Jetta but heres why Im selling it: Month 3: the rear brake lights blew out (look around at Jettas others are driving, youll notice the same in most). Month 4: O2 sensor blew out. Month 6: O2 sensor I replaced blew out. Month 10: engine wouldn’t start (something about some fuse?). Month 16: left back brake worn out, grinded the rotator Month 23: front right signal and left front head lamp blew out at the same time -- Folks, the repairmen gave me the parts that blew out and they were BURNED TO A CRISP Month 24: I’m selling the car

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