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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  Do Not Buy It! - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By DO NOT BUY IT! ! ! ! - January 10 - 4:16 am

  My Touareg has been the worst vehicle that Ive had ever. It has been a constant visitor to the service department for recalls, campaigns, alignments, all sorts of warning lights coming on, over 45 days in service - engine has been removed twice to replace parts gone bad. I am going for the Lemon Law - BAD BAD BAD - especially for the price! this truck has received many terrible reviews throughout the web. It gets terrible gas mileage. I cant imagine how much this truck would cost someone who owned it after the warranty had expired. I have heard that Volkswagen is buying back a lot of Touaregs.

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  AAAHHH!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mad Jetta Owner - January 9 - 1:10 pm

  I bought my 2000 Jetta from a dealership in April. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I have had nothing but problems and Ive only had the car for 4 months! A week after I bought it, the headlights and dash board lights went out. Then about 2 weeks later my brakes starting making a horrible grinding noise. I brought it back into the dealership and they said there was nothing they could do about it because brakes were not covered under my 30 day warranty! About a month ago my brakes went out. I replaced them but my car still made the grinding noise. I brought my car back in and they told me my ABS modual went out. I plan to get rid of it as soon as I can. What a horribly built car!

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  Worse than the first - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Really Bugged - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Noisy. Slow. Unreliable. Cheap interior pieces. Grossly overpriced. Youd think I was talking about a Hyundai? Nope. Were talking about the "new" Beetle, which is a more miserable experience than the "old" Beetle. Every emissions control piece has failed. Switches break. Bottoms out in car washes. Recalls. More interior rattles than cars 1/3 the price. Of 10 cars, this is the worst Ive ever owned.

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  Not a good-buy Jetta - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By SjL - December 9 - 10:00 am

  After 24 months I recently traded my Jetta. Monsoon stereo was sub- par. Interior surfaces rock-hard and began peeling. Electronic gremlins, lost power and headlights. McDonald VW in Denver was only interested in sale and survey results, VERY POOR DEALERSHIP EXPERIENCE. Bottom Line: This car did not offer the features, value, or reliability for the price. LOOK ELSEWHERE!

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  VW Stands for Virtual Wreck - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By PenelopePeach - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Many things have been fixed or replaced on this car & only 1/3 was covered under their "warranty". Here are a few of the major things: the speed sensor 2x, throttle body & adjoining parts, the engine fan & its "computer", the battery exploded-it & took 2 hours to maneuver it out of the awkwardly mounted box, the transmission has had several repairs & the engine light has been reset a few times by the dealer when it comes on for NO reason. Ive had 2 recalls, 1 for the seatbelt & 1 for the oxygen sensor. Not to mention all of the little gadgets awaiting repair. This car is just your old- fashioned,plain and simple LEMON and I know Im not the only one!

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  Oh So Bad - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By butafly00 - December 5 - 11:33 am

  Major things broken : ABS-$500+,Throttle body $350,A/C $800,Oxygen sensor $500, ALL fuel lines and pump $750. Finally after only 3 years and no accidents I was told the car is "irrepairable" Minor things: hubcaps replaced 3x cause they just fall off, window fell into door,car stuck in park and had to be towed Annoyances: Cloth seats will NEVER look clean cause felt like material keeps all lint for life. Gas milage is poor in my opinion for a sedan. Things inside the car are always breaking, like the glove box, cup holders, cloth on ceiling.

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  Im broke - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dontbuyajetta - December 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Jetta in 2000, the day I drove it off the lot I knew something was up. Ive had several problems; muffler fell off twice, Mileage sucks, the back seats are two small to fit anyone, transmission went at 33,00, fan belt went at 55,000. The exterior (plastic rubber pieces on the side) flew off into the road as I was driving. Its been a nightmare. I drove through a puddle and the sparkplugs got wet and it took days to get it started. Now the car just overheats. I was very religious in taking proper care of this car so it would last me a long time. Please do yourself a favor and dont buy one. It will do a number to your wallet.

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  bad decision - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By bad decision - December 3 - 10:00 am

  Always drove BMW, fell in love with new Touareg design - big mistake to buy with emotion!!! 3 weeks and 528 miles later the car has been in the shop for cd player, alignment pulling to the right, gas gauge not registering correctly. I am horrified to read all these stories about the level of service. My rental car is a ford focus, with roll down windows!

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  Front-end Alignment - 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Tim - November 20 - 12:56 am

  Purchased 11/04 & have 3500 miles. It has been back to the dealer 4 times and they said they cannot fix the problem of it pulling to the right. Volkswagen will not back it up & says it is "fixed to their specifications". This is the absolutely the worst buying experience I have ever had. I would not recommend the vehicle or any Volkswagen.

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  VW - Never Again - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Millenium - November 12 - 8:16 am

  Since I purchased this car 6 years ago, it has been in for repair at least 4 to 10 times per year, every year (on top of the regular oil changes). Always some electrical problem or oil leak. In the first 3 months all four tires had to be replaced. While the people at the dealer were always friendly and cooperative, they were not forthcoming with detailed answers about any of the mechanical/electrical problems.