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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  Engine Oil Failure - 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan
  By 2001 Eurovan - March 21 - 11:40 pm

  The oil housings on these vans are made of plastic and are broken easily during oil changes. We lost all the oil and it ruined our engine. Each time we get oil changes we have to ensure the housing is not cracked. We asked Volkswagen to recall these vans but they refused. We absolutely hate the van because of this issue!

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  I so wanted to love it... - 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By ekdot9@gmail.com - March 1 - 8:57 pm

  This car drives like a dream. It is the peppiest little car in its class; however, at 88,000 miles it is a money pit. I am so sad to get rid of this car. It is stylish and performs, but I have poured more than $4k into in in 3 years and I am now facing needing to replace the engine because there is no compression. There were no warnings- just kabam. I will NEVER buy another VW.

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  Terrible. Youd be better off riding a bike! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Izabella - January 20 - 7:50 am

  If you intend to buy this car, you need to reconsider. I purchased my 2000 Jetta 1.8 in March of 2013. This is the breakdown of the repairs Ive made since March of 2013 -Engine blew $2400 -Front control arms $300 -Upper and Lower radiator hoses $300 -4 Ball Joints $450 -Bushings, Stab Links $300 -Starter $250 -Front Axle $200 -Power Steering Pump $250 Ive done regular maintenance such as Tires, Brakes, Flushes e.tc. $500. Ive put more into the vehicle, but after all of the repairs Ive had, its hard to remember every single thing thats been done. Currently, the Heater Core is out. This will cost upwards of $1200. (Im unwilling to put this much into it). By this point, I would have been able to invest a good sum into a new car. It seems like every 3 months, something goes out that costs a minimum of $250 to fix. This past winter, I went to roll down the window and the crank broke off. The vehicle is cheaply made. Its become a money pit. If you want to spend as much into a used, terrible car as youd like to spend into a new car, then a 2000 Jetta is for you. I wish I had known how awful the vehicle is before I had purchased it. Its very disappointing because the transmission has been running strong, even with 184k miles. At this time, Id have thought Ive put so much into the car that itd be running smooth. Unfortunately, about $5,000 later and an initial cost of $2,700, this thing runs like junk. Its so terrible, its become known as the "money pit" in my family. If you look at this car, you may as well just start walking because thats all youll be doing when you own this vehicle.

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  LEMON!!! STAY AWAY! - 2011 Volkswagen CC
  By wolf_3 - January 15 - 1:02 pm

  I have owned the car since November of 2010. My 2011 CC Lux Plus is a lemon, plain and simple! I did a years worth of research on this car and was confident in my decision. All the experts, consumers and the magazines said it was a great car. The day I drove it off the lot was the BIGGEST mistake of my life. The electronics never worked from the start. Bluetooth does not work with my iPhone, nav system thinks Im in Florida when I live in New York, transmission lurches the car backwards and forwards so much so that I cant parallel park it. Nav system and Bluetooth modules have each been replaced twice, they are JUNK. Car has been in for service 5 times and VW customer service is horrible

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  VW Money Pit - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ghostrider8 - November 29 - 1:34 pm

  VW was the vehicle that Hilter Commissioned to the designer of Posche to build. The original bugs were great reliable cars. VW has lost its way in quality & dealer service.If you buy one,get ready to open your wallet & let the money fly at the service dept. The Corporate attitude is the same as the dealer of where customer service is beyond poor.All the VWs today are build in MEXICO & the lack of quality shows it.Yes,it will last as long as you keep replacing parts.The turn-over rate of the service dept. is high compared to other dealers,Ford & GM service & quality has went through the roof in improvement & GM now has Dodge/Chrysler where quality has improved.This will be my last VW.

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  DO NOT BUY/CHEAPLY BUILT - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By VW Hater - October 27 - 2:23 am

  I have had nothing but problems with this car. Front bumper falls off, inside door panel falls off, pully for window snapped, replaced motor, the power steering pump gone twice, and now I am stuck with this huge piece of crap and no dealership will even take it as a trade :( *** Forget needing a simple part either because they will rape you in price! Fred Flinstone Car!!

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  MOST UNRELIABLE CAR IN THE WORLD! - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Karla E. - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Ever since I got it at 0 milage, I have had mechanical problems. At 500 miles, cruise control went out. At 22000 miles, started getting valves replaced, hoses replaced, and many other parts replaced. Not to mention that every 2000-3000 miles, Ive had to take it to the dealership to get all of this fixed because its always a new malfunction in the engin. At 25000 I got stranded out of town in the middle of now where. My car would just not turn on.

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  AWFUL - 2009 Volkswagen CC
  By Jason - October 5 - 12:35 pm

  In the time I have had my CC, two new intake manifolds, new engine. YES I SAID A NEW ENGINE AFTER 80K MILES. VW did nothing. I asked if they could help discount or anything they said no since it was out of warranty even though the car was only 3 years old at the time. Needs new tires every year, cannot keep them aligned. Have replaced every taillight and headlight at least a couple of times. To top it off this week, the headliner just fell down in it. Yeah you know like when you see a 82 caprice and the headliner is sagging driving down the road...thats my car now. Called VW est. $1000-$1200 to replace it. I curse the day I bought this car.

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  New VW has a 3 hour lifespan - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KK - July 19 - 1:27 am

  I leased a new VW Jetta at the Santan VW in Phoenix AZ, in April this year. It was a brand new 2.0T SEL and I was very excited for my first ever new car that my parents had got for me as I graduated high school. The nightmares were just an hour away. As we drove back to Tucson, first the engine light went on about 70 miles into our return. It was about 9 pm but the dealership sales person who had sold me the car answered right away and told me that perhaps there was nothing wrong and I should not worry about it. Then the electronic malfunction light went on and about 2 miles from home the car started to shake and shudder like one of the cylinders was missing or misfiring. By this time it was 10pm and no one to turn to for what to do. After a sleepless night, I was able to speak with the dealership in Phoenix the next day and they told me to have the care transported to the nearest dealer in Tucson. Imagine the sight of my first brand new car being lifted on to a flat bed to be taken to the dealership 16 hours after I had gotten it. After a few hours of baited breath I was told that the fuel injectors in two cylinders were blocked and would have to be replaced. I was quite upset to hear this and after multiple back and forth phone calls with the dealer who would not initially believe this, my father was able to speak with someone senior at the dealership. They kept saying that the problem was easy to fix and it was only a minor issue but eventually gave in and said they would exchange the car for a new one. I had to accept whatever they had available in the same trim and I did. Every time I get into this car, I wonder what is going to go wrong next. You all can take away whatever you think from this experience, but certainly not what one would expect from a brand new car, no matter what make or model!

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  Dont Buy 2018 Keep Your 2016 Tiguan! - 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By Deep Dee - July 6 - 12:18 pm

  Bought a 2018 Tiguan SE August 2017. Today is my 3rd trip to the VW Union City, GA dealership for the same problems, plus more. I got know support! Asst. Svc Mgr. Kept saying, oh, thats normal. .....we didnt see any problems as if I was lying about 5 issues I never had with my 2016 Tiguan or any other car I ever owned. Cell phone Bluetooth malfunctioning; passenger side seat belt sensor comes on even with a tennis shoe on that seat and no human body; headlights are very dim and not projecting properly at night; rear of drivers seat automatI call folds forward closing in on me if I sit on the left edge of the seat with one foot outside the car and one inside; the windsheild washer fluid sensor gows off every 8 or so minutes even after I watched a different dealership add gallons to my car....where did it go??? No leaks on the ground! Asst. Svc Mgrso response is, normal, normal, normal, we found nothing wrong, or my 2018 does the samething (passenger seat belt sensor problem). He was worthless! Was Sending me on my way until I insisted he contact the manufacturer, VW!!! They made their sale, and now dont want to do the work to stand behind their product!