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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  Beware of 2.0T Engine on 2006 till 2008.0 cars - 2007 Volkswagen Passat
  By Markus - December 18 - 3:08 am

  I have owned my 2007 VW Passat since 2008 and initially left a positive review on here on Edmunds many years ago. Yes, I have experienced many of the quality issues that you can read about in the various reviews here, but most had happened early enough to be covered under my warranty However, here is the real deal if your are considering the purchase of a 2006 -> early 2008 Passat with the 2.0T engine (engine code BPY). Now wonder the prices for those cars are so attractive now on the used market: Issue #1: This engine uses a timing belt. You really should check if it has been replaced (along with the water pump). I knew about the timing belt all along when I bought the car, but the dealership quote of $1200 to 1400 for this service was still painful. I ended up doing it myself (thank God for Youtube and Bentley Publishers), but it is quite an effort. I also had to replace the thermostat due (due to an error code .... seems to be quite common at that age / mileage). This $38 part would cost several hundred dollars to replace if done at the dealer due to the complicated mounting location. Issue#2: This is the big one. Please do your own research on applicable Web forums: The BPY Engine drives the high pressure fuel pump from one of the camshafts. The fuel pump plunger is driven by a dedicated cam lobe. Over time, a little part, called the cam follower can wear out and cause the fuel pump to start grinding on the camshaft. I immediately checked this on my vehicle when I first read about this, and yes, my cam follower had failed. I replaced the cam follower ($30 part) and am still driving the car, but now I am stuck. The damage to the camshaft is done and I cant really sell the car without disclosing this issue (would be unethical). At some time I will have to look into replacing the damaged camshaft ... estimating this to be a $2000+ repair, considering what was quoted for a timing belt replacement. This design issues on the BPY engine have been corrected from 2008.5 on, so stay aware from those older 2.0 T cars.

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  DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE. - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By carruth - December 14 - 10:00 am

  Overpriced piece of crap. My experience has been a complete nightmare. Ive owned the car for 4 months & Ive driven it for less than 3 weeks. Its been in the shop the rest of the time. Weve filed with BBB & a lawsuit. Eventually they offered to buy the piece of crap back. The offer letter states that we are to pay for not only mileage but NEGATIVE EQUITY on a car that has been in the shop for 3 months. $4000. They think this is a fair deal? How can we buy a new vehicle that actually works if we have to give them another $4000? Too many problems to even name. Do Not Buy a Volkswagen. This is my second & theyve both been bad. Absolute horrible quality.

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  Anything but VW - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By Ed J. - October 12 - 10:27 pm

  Loved the car until it hit 40K. Thank God I purchased extended warranty. two A/C compressors, one ABS module, alternator, (each of these cost at least $1200), fan motor, trunk latch, catalytic converter, part for Turbo, interior lock buttons peeled, arm rests peeled (VW would not do anything about this) No excuse for any of this. Im used to Asian cars, never had these problems with them! Had car towed twice, once for alternator and most recently for ignition part. That did it. I traded for a new 2015 Mazda6 last March. What a great car! Styling, mileage, quality, reliability. I dont understand why people make excuses for poor reliability with some brands like VW. I wont put up with it. Just read reviews. The top cars for reliability are Lexus, Mazda, Toyota, and Honda. Dont see any VWs up there do you? No excuse for poor reliability, I learned my lesson. Got rid of this car two years ago and bought a Mazda6, Very happy with Mazda, what a difference., No problems.

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  stay away very bad CAR and SERVICE also - 2004 Volkswagen Passat
  By Codi - September 28 - 10:00 am

  very unreliable car , faulty engine and very bad service from dealer. had to take it in too many times , once 6 times in a row for bad falty engine already shortly buying VW passat. stay away , also very bad service people, unfriedly and they dont keep appoitements . filing complaint with better buisness bureu. will never buy vw again. Buy VW if you want a car that breaks down all the time.

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  German garbage - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By j k - September 21 - 1:50 am

  Never buy German; stick with Japan, S Korea, USA, Subaru

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  Do not buy! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Gustopher - August 19 - 2:00 am

  When it runs, the car is great. Thats of course only on the occasional day when it isnt breaking down, the engine light coming on with sudden loss of power and stuttering acceleration, or the gas cap release falling into the abyss of the door leaving you stranded without gas. And all of this fun was in just the first 2 months we owned the car. The Ventilation system constantly whistling and doors unrelentlessly rattling and squeaking (normal by VW standards) just adds insult to injury. Nice touch, Volkswagon.

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  Worst experience ever - 2010 Volkswagen Jetta
  By awfulcar1 - August 9 - 11:59 pm

  This car was nothing but trouble starting at about 4,000 miles. Had I known the Lemon Law existed, it would have qualified and I wouldnt have wasted thousands of dollars on a car that is worthless and countless repairs. I was informed by a dealership GM when I traded in my car that VW does about 70+% of their business through lease because they are known to have so many problems. Problems included radio malfunction, faulty light sensors, sunroof malfunction, lock malfunction, keyless entry malfunction, faulty fan sensor (killing the battery), faulty fuse panel, faulty ignition (burning spark plugs and very dangerous), rough starts, faulty alternator, engine stalling, and Bluetooth lawsuit.

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  Dont buy this car - 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
  By Sharon - August 1 - 11:56 am

  Ive had to replace the exhaust system, the ignition coil, the transmission, broken glove box, the mass air flow sensor is giving me issues now, and this summer the throttle sensor needed replacement. I think the air-flow and throttle are related problems. Basically my engine light never goes off. I had to replace the transmission-5 speed at 59,000 and VW would not honor the powertrain warranty of 100,000 said it was a wear and tear item. I know there is more that Im leaving out. The car needs a journal just to keep track of repairs. My mechanics feel sorry for me. I have been stranded or broken down about 8 times with this car. Its a shame because it was my 1st new car. Bad experience..

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  Technology is not here yet - 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Mike - July 15 - 12:50 pm

  Radio looks nice but it wont connect and re-connect to iPhone 6S: connection drops if you connect it with USB cable. If you played music it will stop. Why? Dealer confirmed: you need to re-connect/connect every time youre using charging cable. Ohh... Another complaint is gas mileage: I drive to work on highways but car doesnt get 40 mpg. I am easy on gas in D-mode (not in Sport mode) and RPMs are less than 2,000 (!). (I took a picture this morning with 33.2 mpg after my trip). If you used to drive Ford F250 , this number will make you happy.

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  $11,000 rolling time bomb - 2010 Volkswagen Golf
  By jammicpia - May 20 - 4:50 am

  Welcome to my nightmare. Vehicle: 2010 Golf TDI, DSG Mileage: less than 5,000 Ownership: four months The initial symptoms: humming sound from the engine, flashing glow plug light, and reduced power. Dealer diagnosis: Destroyed fuel system due to contaminated diesel fuel. The upshot: $11,000 damage NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. Massachusetts Division of Standards show no other reports of problems from the 4 stations where I had fueled my car. Would not have bought the TDI if Id know that there was a chance, even a remote one, that during the warranty period and operating the vehicle according to instructions I might incur $11,000 damage that is not covered by the warranty.