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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  Caught on fire! - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bad jetta - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Do yourself a favor and do not even consider purchasing a Jetta. I have painstakingly taken care of my Jetta for the past 4.5 years. One day, after not driving it for hours, my car just caught on fire and was destroyed. This happened because of faulty electrical components. VW told me that this is not uncommon and that they have had many complaints about this problem. However, they are not offering anything to me to compensate for my lost car because it was out of warranty. By the way, my Jetta only had 40,000 miles on it. Hope this helps...

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  Note to self...LEMON LAW!!! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By phillyvegan - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Within the first 11 months, I had the car in for unscheduled service 9 times! First the tires were wearing prematurely and needed alignment. The mechanics (Springfield Auto Outlet in PA) told me it was my fault! I had to replace the tires after 25k miles! Then the ignition coils went...again and again and again. The window regulators have gone multiple times. The interior rattles. Arm rest broke. My signal lights are constantly burning out. My temp light goes on for no reason. The car stalls frequently after starting it up. Thank goodness there is a 50k warranty. I got VW of America to credit me one car payment for all my troubles...thanks for nothing!

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  Pretty shoddy. Lots of problems. Dealers dont care. - 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
  By kingtaco - March 1 - 11:32 pm

  So, Ive had my wagon for about 32 months and Ive given up. Ive had multiple problems with the suspension, the alloy wheels break from even the most minor potholes. Ive replaced something like 7 wheels at this point and finally started buying steel wheels. Those havent had any problems. The dealers are hideously overpriced and dont seem to care about any of the problems Ive had. They just want me to keep coming back and spending more money when something breaks. After another $600 bill for a small pothole Ive given in. Im waiting for Kia to get their 2012 models in and as soon as they do the Jettas gone. I got 120k miles out of my last car (Honda), but only 45k out of this junk heap

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  please beware - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By luigi123 - February 28 - 8:43 pm

  i purchased a 2001 jetta gls 2.0 and this has been the worst car i have purchased. do not get stuck in the vw trap. a week after buying it with 98000 miles the transmission started tweaking and is costing me roughly 2900 just to replace without the fact that its starting to get a lifter tick that was estimated $1200. it is a money sucking trap. the interior is nice but material is junk. electric problems are guaranteed lol... ive never driven a car that runs at 4000 rpms on the highway.. that is insane dumb.. i am selling as is or taking it to the junkyard and buying myself a reliable honda!

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  Eh, its ok - 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By whitney1313 - February 25 - 8:36 am

  My 1998 bug now has 72,000 miles (bought it with 5,000 miles). So far, I have replaced the timing belt, spark plugs / wires, window regulators multiple times, alternator ($$$$$$$), wheel ball bearings, taillight (twice). The list is endless. Some of the parts that have been replaced are normal wear items, but even my mechanics have said that the car shouldnt be doing this with only 75,000 miles. Also, about every interior trim piece is sitting in the back seat. If you do buy one, be prepared to take the three layer door apart often to fix the window problems- theyre notorious.

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  buyer beware!!! - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By CLenney - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Where do I start? My first problem occurred at 24,300 miles...just over the 24,000 mile warranty (how convenient). After shelling out a mere $650, I was confident that I wouldnt experience anymore problems. I was wrong. I sunk another $1300 into my lemon of a car at only 35,000 miles. A few months after purchasing my car (which had only 7000 miles on it at the time), I had my sunroof motor replaced (after driving around with a garbage bag flapping in my face). I also had the pleasure of experiencing this with my passenger side window!! Needless to say, I am looking forward to picking up my 2000 Toyota Camry XLE tomorrow.

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  Not worth the wait. - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Bughata - February 17 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has given me unbeliable electrical problems. The the whole instrument cluster is unoperational, as well as the console light is out. Our transmission slips when trying to downshift. This is a vehicle with only 50,000 miles it should not be this bad at this point, but it is. Our warranty is up and now is up to us to reapair the unreliability of such a neglecting company. Consumer beware

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  Touareg Nightmare - 2010 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Nightmare - February 17 - 9:03 am

  I drive a lot of miles each year, and I liked this car when it was under about 30,000 miles. Im guessing that most of the people who are writing these reviews dont have 54,000 miles on a car this new. This car was great when I first owned it, but once I put quite a few miles on it, it turned into a nightmare. First of all this car goes through head and taillights like crazy. Ive had 3 headlights and 1 taillight replaced, and every so often the check headlight warning goes on when there is no headlight out. Gas mileage could be much better. Brakes squeal constantly & theyve already been replaced once (Not covered under warranty). Back seats take forever to fold down. Continued Below.

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  Not Happy - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Anne Avidon - February 15 - 1:16 pm

  I made the mistake of not purchasing the extended warranty and it has cost me at least $6,000 to repair my car in the 6 years I have owned it. The mass airflow sensor has gone twice, Ive had problems with the doors, windows, pistons in the convertible roof, and I have just had to pay $1,500 for a leak detection pump, serpentine belt and starter coil. Each time the dealer has to run a diagnostic, it costs another $94. Although I really like the car, if I had known how much it would cost to repair at the time I purchased it, I would not have made the same decision.

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  UnGermanlike Engineering - 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brian - February 14 - 5:20 am

  Worst car we have had for frequent & expensive repairs. Now at 73,000 miles. Since 60,000 we have spent a ridiculous $6,000 on repairs. AC compressor and evaporator $3000,timing belt repair $1400. Brakes $800. Our air bag warning light is now on $400 to fix. VW service told us that after warranty "Its your problem." Mercedes repairs are same or less-less labor charges since better design.