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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  Yeah, its great...for the first year - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By KCgirl1234 - May 6 - 6:20 am

  Like most Jetta owners I was thrilled to be driving my fire engine red Jetta at breakneck speeds down the highway, and then a year passed and the problems began. First, the coolant thermostat wasnt working and my car overheated in the middle of rush hour traffic in Atlanta...fun. Then, all of my tires began slowly leaking air.. Not sure how it happened or what caused it but so far one has gone completely flat and I had to use the spare. Then the door handle broke on the passenger side and people were forced to climb in through the window...lovely. And most recently,the clutch blew and I had to have the entire clutch replaced, costing 1300$. Dont waste your money! Get a Honda/Toyota.

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  Cute but shoddy quality - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Hollies Dad - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car new. Its cute and fun to drive, but weve had way too many problems with it. It burns at least a quart of oil every 2000 miles. The gas tank door release has been replace three times (we allways keep a screwdriver handy to pry it open when it breaks. The interior finish is pealing. The center console broke and weve had a number of other interior problems. Ill never buy another VW.

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  JUNK - CONSTANT RECALLS - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By pensfan1 - April 30 - 1:51 pm

  This is a chrysler with a VW badge, no problem there. The interior has the VW refinements, thats what attracted us. The motor is very powerful and gas mileage ok for the power ratio. Bad news- Constant recalls, transmissions, door motor caught fire. Dealershio servcie is horrible. Basically car has to die before they will fix it. Then they fight about warranty coverage.

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  Piece of Junk? - 2010 Volkswagen CC
  By monkeytoes - April 26 - 6:10 am

  I have had my CC for 7 weeks. 2 high speed balances, 2 regular, 2 new tires and the car still shakes at 55mph and beyond. Car shakes very bad going up hill. Worst part is that the dealership that sold me the car has a consumer rating of D- with the BBB and it shows because they charge me $60.00 to have a balance done on the car 1 week after the purchase date. The rear windows also leak and the blue tooth works only when it wants too! Thanks VW for selling me a LEMON and then not standing behind your product! Oh, the $150.00 you sent to try and make me happy, I will be using it tomorrow to have all 4 tires balanced for the 5th time!

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  I LOVE it... When it runs! - 2001 Volkswagen Passat
  By Mphillips - April 22 - 3:00 pm

  Wanted a VW Passat for a long time. I looked for over 2 months and finally found a car in great shape. I had the mechanics checked out and drove the car for about a day prior to making a decision. I have now paid to replace the head gasket, valve cover seals, viscous fan, electric fan, radiator, electric fan switch, front wire harness and more. I have spent an additional 2700 dollars in repars since early 2007. I run full synthetic oil as recommended by VW. I change it every 3000-4000 miles (5000 recommended). I change filters regularly and run premium fuel (for the turbo). NOBODY should work on VW but dealer or VERY experienced. Dealer will rape you for part AND labor. Buy new w/full warranty

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  Dishonest maker - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Lisa - April 20 - 10:06 pm

  This is my 2nd Touareg by default, the first one had so many electrical issues that I took it back to the dealer and refused to pay for it any longer. So being the generous automaker/dealer they decided they would let me out of that lease but only if I would resign a lease with them for the NEW AND IMPROVED 2006 Touareg. I did, I really liked the look and the way it handled. The 2006 version has been a nightmare, first the noise caused by some unknown vibration, dealer fixed by adding foam behind the dash, then when I complained of the continued vibration I was told it was my tires. I replaced my tires it improved put did not fix. Brakes bad, ridiculous cost to replace but its not just the

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  Hot smells and check engine lights - 2015 Volkswagen Passat
  By ty - April 16 - 2:32 pm

  hot anti freeze smells that they can’t diagnose. Check engine light shows electrical problems they can’t find and fix. Spending more and more time in shop. This time 3 days and no loaner and still not fixed.

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  What a Hunk of Junk - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Unhappy Customer - April 13 - 10:10 am

  I made the mistake of trading in my 1994 Honda Civic for a brand new Jetta, suckered by the "sign and drive" lease promotion. I assumed I was purchasing a new-- therefore safer and more reliable-- vehicle. My old Honda had hit 200k miles and never had problems, but I didnt want to risk it. My "new" Jetta has less than 2,000 miles on it, and I have already had to bring it in for service 3 times. Ill be making a 4th visit tomorrow. The "check engine light" keeps coming on! I keep getting faulty parts replaced, and yet the light continues to pop up, alerting me of new problems. You know you bought a lemon when even the service department admits that the old civics was a better automobile.

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  Do Not Buy! - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Annoyed consumer - April 12 - 9:50 am

  I have owned my Touareg for just over one year. At 15,000 the brakes went down to the rotors. It cost $1,000 to fix. This truck is very poorly made inside cant handle kids at all. Ive had too many problems to list. I will be trading it in very soon! Also, it gets very bad gas mileage. It has lots of squeaks and rattles inside. The wood is cracking and the rubber is peeling on drivers door. This is a very sad vehicle.

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  jetta poor reliability - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mpe - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Nice car but, rear brakes and roters needed to be replaced at 25,000 mi., trunk hinge rpl, short in dash, side marker replaced 2x, temp sensor went, air bag short, back window regulaters rpl, nut on wiper moter released in rain, front door seals leak, front brakes and roters at 33,000 rpl, front o2 sensor rpl.