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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  Fun to Drive/Dog to Own - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By SPS - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I love to drive this car. Unfortunately, I cannot relax in this car due to the problems that I have experienced. When I picked up the car, the sunroof did not work. The brake light on the spoiler shorted out in less than 1 year. With premium gas, still had a bad fuel injector at 22,000 miles. Went for my first post-service warranty oil change to find out that I was short over 2 quarts of oil in less than 5,000 miles and required an engine flush. Mechanic thought car had 100,000 miles, not 30,000. I have taken excellent care of this car - I now check my oil at nearly every gas fill - and I get the feeling that the engine could go at any time.

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  No where to go - 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Slugbug flu - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Problems from the start. The gas cap will not release. Battery died just after 2 years old. Dont ever jump start! A/C fan is dead. Starter dead. Brake cover fell off as did the mirrow button. Now the car has been in the shop 5 times for a over heating problem that they cant even seem to fix. The car has been a problem from the start. I have so many other things just no more room. VW hirer better engineers.

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  Cant keep it on the road. Money Pit - 2006 Volkswagen Golf
  By jimmyd16 - November 9 - 4:18 pm

  I bought this car used in 2010 from a vw dealer and I have been disappointed since. I save a lot on fuel but I make up for that with the thousands of dollars Ive sunk into it for repairs. Im probably up to over $10,000 in repairs and that is from thoroughly shopping around and getting the best deal. Dealership sold me a "bumper to bumper" warranty which was voided the moment we took it for an oil change at a non VW dealership.

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  Just dont do it - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Laura - November 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for the same reason many people buy Volkswagens: They look nice and are fun to drive. Well, they are fun until they start breaking down!! My car has had an array of problems. I would NEVER buy a Volkswagen again. I know lots of friends with Passats and Jettas, they have issues with theirs to. Volkswagens are good up until about 60,000, and then theyre junk. Oh, they do not hold their value well at all either. I will say that this car was fun and roomy in the front. I did feel safe in it, as it is a heavier car. There are other cars out there - do not settle on a Volkswagen.

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  Worst car ever - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW mistake - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I lease my passat..I have had it for 3 years....In & out of the shop too many times...problems w/emmissions & many other where car had to be towed 5 times. Think twice, 3 times before buying or leasing this car.

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  Disappointing - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Opie - November 4 - 2:00 am

  It is a typical VW, it is a wanna-be Audi or Porshe. It has some great features, but is short on design and quality. The metal dents really easily, and the paint is poor. The car has had two recalls already. I love to drive, and this car makes me want to drive less. If you are smaller in stature, it probably will work for you, but forget the tall people.

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  Big Mistake - 2013 Volkswagen Passat
  By navyraptor - October 31 - 2:25 pm

  My wife @ I were in the market of purchasing a family sedan and ended up choosing the Passat SE. At first, it was a toss up who loved the car more-my wife or kids. The stereo system is awesome-the sunroof w/ its variable selections is right on, the way it handles a curve in the road or tight turns is very impressive and the leather seats are extremely comfy. At 29,000 miles the brakes started making that squeaking sound(rotors/pads required replacement) headlights are on recall from VW, the paint chips very easily and random computer messages keep popping up on the dash for no apparent reason. Just today the battery went dead and needs replacing. Trading it in on 2014 Ford Fusion SE!!!

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  Lots of problems with this one - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By airclowns - October 28 - 6:30 pm

  Driving this car is exciting and fun. However, maintenance and reliability are a great disappointment. Replacing the transmission at approx. 75,000 miles was not cheap. Servicing is difficult, replacing a thermostat sits way in the back of the engine, requiring lots of dis-assembly. There is an oil leak that has been there for years, it will cost me several thousand $ in labor to fix. 2 power windows just fell into the doors at approx 150,000 miles. It cost me $450 to fix them outside of dealership- parts are expensive and you have to be a technician to get the door panel off. Typical German car, you need special tools to do anything, including removing tires.

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  Poor choice - 2005 Volkswagen Passat
  By jlub - October 24 - 5:23 pm

  Enjoyed the car when first purchased, Great performance and fun to drive. Then the problems started at about 12,500 miles and haven;t stopped. Have spent more than 8,000 in maintenance and repairs with no help in correcting poor reliability. Biggest problems have been replacing 8 coils (even 2 after recall). Engine light has been on for over a year and they can not find the problem. Just spent 500 on electrical issues which are not repaired. Some of the problems: 1) 8 coils replaced. 2) Triptronic transmission doesnt work in manual. Never fixed as it is over $2000 by VW dealer. 3) AC went out, not getting power. 4) Oil light comes on regularly...waiting for the sludge problem. Bad Choice!

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  Touareg is a lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By foxtrot - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The first week I had the SUV the electronic instruments went out. It took VW a week to get the new computer in. Since then they had to replace the stepper motor to control the 4 wheel drive. The stepper motor had to be ordered and that took a week. All tires had to be replace because of alignment problems. Door handles had to be replaced. The horn had to be replaces. The rear window wipers did not work.