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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  Never Again - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Socedu - July 24 - 7:23 am

  I was so excited when I first bought my 1999 Volkswagen Passat. My joy disappeared after the frist few months. So many things have gone wrong with it, the hood release broke after only a few years, the ABS control unit is shot, the heated side mirrors worked for less than a year, the stereo system stopped functioning properly after less than three years (sometimes I can change stations, sometimes I cant and speakers go in and out)...I could really go on and on. The outside looks great. People are always surprised when I tell them how old it is. They say it looks brand new and my reply is, "yeah, but its a piece of junk!" This car as been the biggest frustration of my life to date--enough to swear off VWs for life!

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  Nice car, but clutch failure at 22,280 miles?!? - 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jeremycarguy - July 23 - 6:52 pm

  I purchased the 2011 VW Jetta TDI with the manual 6-speed transmission in January 2011. The car had significant problems at first with stalling. After a couple of tries, the dealership replaced the air mass meter which improved it significantly. At 22,280 miles, the clutch disk disintegrated. VW claims that his was normal wear and tear. However, on a previous car (87 Volvo 740T) I got 210,000 miles on the clutch. I know how to drive a clutch. I am a former licensed master auto mechanic, this is clearly a materials failure, and VW will not stand behind their product. They have lost a good customer and somebody who had been a good advocate for VW in the past.

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  Money pit - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By YOYDIDIBUYAVW - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Personally, I will never purchase another VW product as long as I live. I bought this vehicle as a long term investment of at least 6-7 yrs, Ive had it for only 3 yrs now and Im dreading the what Im going to have to repair next. The littany of issues I have/had with my car are as follows: A/C unit broke; AM radio does not work; Motor to gas cap latch broke; light for alarm on driver door lock dropped into the door; Battery died, Mass Air Flow sensor; O2 sensor (still waiting on VW of America for re-imbursement for recall); interior trim peeling on doors; yellow green lubricant leaks from doors in hot weather; and turn signals occasionally stop blinking.

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  nice lookin, but dont be fooled - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By patrick - July 22 - 2:00 am

  this car looks and drives great...when it drives. the car has 24,500 miles on it and the problems are starting. at 21K the paint started peeling off the front end, the finish on the interior door handles is disinegrating, and now, 500 outside of warranty the car wont start and none of the rocket scientists at the dealerships can figure out why. one says its an alternator and wanted $900, another said it was just a computer glitch and that was $100 to fix, now 3 weeks later same problem. wont start again. im getting this POS running and selling it as fast as i can. dont be fooled...they are awesome looking cars, but do not own one after the measly 24K mile warranty runs out

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  Peppy car with lots of repairs - 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By twincitiesvwdriver - July 21 - 2:06 am

  I bought this car in 2002 used and at first the car was fun to drive. It has a lot of pep, gets a lot of looks, exterior styling is good. I have put on 50,000 miles since I got it and have had nothing but problems since about the first 6 months. This car has had electrical problem after electrical problem. Left me stranded on the side of the road and without a car time after time. The check engine light has not been off in 2 years even after countless very expensive trips to the dealer repair shop. Unfortunately, I think this car is so fun but I have been so burned by it I would not recommend even buying a VW to anyone.

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  Dont be fooled by its look, its bad! - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Collin - July 12 - 12:30 pm

  I love convertibles and thought that the Cabrio would be perfect for me. This is my second one and this one is still nothing but problems. I have owned this car for about 2.5 years, and have been stranded about 7 times. Everything in the car is going and I cannot handle it anymore. I have spent more fixing this car than what its worth today (around $4,000) However, the car does does get about 35 MPG on the highway, and I love the options it comes with. DO NOT BUY IT!

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  Underwhelmed - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Frakleahustalasta - July 7 - 10:00 am

  Have owned this car for 14 months now and still not pleased with it. Turbo is overly touchy, handling is poor, lacks extra power at highway speeds and transmission is not overly smooth. Have had minor problems - drivers side window fell off track, mirror adjustment knob broke-off and seal around headlight took on moisture (all 3 items were covered under waranty). Monsoon Sound System is not spectacular (but probably better than a No his, no lows must be Bose system). The car can take a good hit though. Recently was T-boned on the passenger side (11k worth of damage) and the car protected me well.

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  Fun to drive, defective parts - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By gtidriver301 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Love to drive this car. But has one recall for brake wires that catch on fire. Window motors are defective, but vw will not replace them till they dont work (hope it does not rain), and the ignition coils are defective.

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  something smells - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By t shirt man - July 4 - 2:00 am

  ive had this car over 2 1/2 years and the only major problem i have is the a/c smells horrible. they tell me for $300 they have to flush the a/c vents. this is a normal thing that happens to this car. also outside light bulbs are a little hard to c

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  Thinking of Buying a Passat, DONT - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By lhand - June 25 - 11:23 pm

  The car was purchased as a certified unit from a local dealer. It is the first VW that I have ever owned. My first complaint was liquid appearing in my driveway. No oil leak was found but the dealer replaced hose none the less. Next the dash lights went out. This was fixed under warranty. Since the 24,000 mile / 24 month warranty went out I have replaced both tie rod ends, the ign control module, side mirror switch and a leaking transmission output shaft seal. My dealer states that the leak was different from the one earlier when the car was under warranty. My car has 69,000 miles on it. The books that come with the car state to take it to the dealer for air filter, plugs, wires or anything else. Never again will I buy a German car. this is my first and last VW.