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:

• 

  Its a Lemon - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By adam - October 31 - 2:26 pm

  I loved this truck when I test drove it. Thats when the love ended. From day one of driving it off the lot it has been in the shop for 50+ days for everything from brakes to electrical problems to a dangerous swirving that occurs when going from 1st to 2nd gear. The interior is cheaply made as buttons wear down after only a year. Ive applied for the lemon law. Make sure you get all problems documented. VW gave me hassle. Do not buy this vehicle! It is the worst buy Ive ever made.

• 

  VW Needed to Provide Lemon-Aid - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By VW - October 28 - 8:23 pm

  Ours is a single owner 1999 Passat. Problems started the first month and thousands of dollars later, they continue. We have had 2 major brake repairs. We have had a number of electrical problems ranging from irritating-- the trunk latch, the dashboard lights and emergency sounds, the riders side window--to completely unreliable--the ignition, the starter. The undercarriage panel fell off while we were driving. The wiper fluid reservoir has a hole in it, the oil reservoir leaks. Lots of small plastic pieces inside have broken or fallen off. The car has had to be towed more than the total of all of the cars weve owned in 25 years of marriage and it only has 55,000 miles on it.

• 

  Volkswagen Jetta Sucks - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By parker - October 22 - 10:00 am

  In one year, I have brought in my VW over 10 times to have it fixed.It is never a good sign when you know everyone by their first name in the service department. The customer service is horrible. No matter the problem, drivable or not, they could not work me into their schedule unless it was atleast a week away. My car is under warranty and they will not give me a loaner. I have currently been a week and 4 days without a car. If youre thinking of buying a VW, think again. Just go to your local service department at the vw near you and youll see how many people are waiting.

• 

  stay away!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By lori - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I owned a 10 year old car with over 100 thousand miles on it that had less problems than the jetta. In two years I have been in and out of the service department over 14 times...Air conditioning drainage leak in my roof, two dead batteries, coolant leak, all four breaks needed to be replaced, broken ash tray, broken cup holder, passanger chair motor broke, Passanger window motor broke twice, drivers side window motor broke three times, emmissions gas leak into cabin, emmissions workshop complication, etc... Need I go on? It may be a really attractive car, but it isnt worth the constant headache and time lost!! Just stay away!!

• 

  Consumes Oil - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By pnwislander - October 4 - 2:28 pm

  This is the first vehicle I have ever owned where I have to put in a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or the oil light will come on and the manufacturer considers that normal. There are other things that seemed minor, like side door catching etc. But all of the sudden after hitting 30,000 miles to have to start putting in a quart of oil every 1,000 miles (now at 45,000 miles) just seems ridiculous to be considered normal. Our other car is a VW Golf that we love ,and the Routan is just an all around disappointment. Wishing we had bought the Honda or Toyata minivan instead.

• 

  Dont Buy!!! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ssg91 - September 23 - 4:20 am

  I bought this car for the purpose of getting great MPG. Although you do get good MPG you spend so much more money in maintenance that are you farther behind. My car has 162,000 miles on it. The dealership says the dual mass flywheel is bad, Alternator pulley is bad, Axel, and a few other things. If I would fix everything that the dealership says needs to be fixed I would spend more money than the car is valued at on kelley blue book. If you have this car, sell is as quickly as possible before it turns into a boat anchor.... I am getting a ford fusion.

• 

  VW - No Longer the Peoples Car - 2006 Volkswagen Touareg
  By VeroDD - September 19 - 12:53 am

  In my opinion, its a good looking vehicle but not well thought out. To replace the battery, you must remove the drivers seat and controls. The spare tire is not inflated. It has a 12v air pump to assist you, only if you do not have a dead battery. The rear seats must have the head rests removed in order to be lowered. The rain sensing wipers have a mind of their own and run randomly. The exterior paint is VERY soft. Just the slightest brush against it and it scratches. The tires are worn out at 20,000 miles. The dealer says Im lucky. Most fail earlier. Parts fall off! A cover for the rear wiper and one of the VW emblems just fell off. This was not covered under warranty.

• 

  VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jessica80 - September 18 - 6:59 am

  I have owned a 94,96, and an 09 Jetta. Pros: *I like the body style....the front end of the car anyways. It handles better then other Jettas Ive owned. It has more room in the interior. * gears shift a lot smoother Cons: *I do not like the 2.0 engine. It is SO slow....I can floor it around corners and it goes no where!! Slowest car Ive ever owned. My 09 Jetta had a 2.5 so it was a little more fun to drive. * the interior is cheap.....Im sure it was the cheapest plastic they could find. The cloth seats are hard. No heated seats.The 09 jetta (same model) had soft cloth seats that were heated with a Soft dash that had more shape opposed to the 2012 with a flat dash...just like a 1994

• 

  Lemon - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jane Ricci - September 14 - 10:00 am

  We have been very dissatisfied with our 2000 VW Jetta. We bought the top of the line Jetta because we thought we would have it forever, but are selling it in less than two years. Broken things have included: sunroof (got stuck open and pieces began falling out), cup holder, six changer CD player, left back door wouldnt open, front grill pieces. Malfunctions include: mass air flow system, electronic power control, emmissions system, and engine problems.

• 

  German Reliability A Thing of the Past! - 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By geezer4 - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Annual maintenance costs have exceeded past cars that were 3-20 years old. The Malfunction Indicator Light is forever coming on even though mass air flow and O2 sensors have been replaced several times. The blue temperature light failed due to a short. The right side marker light fell out of the fender because the plastic clips failed. The master key with the remote control was dropped 3 feet resulting in total failure. The outside temperature indicator failed. The power window switch on the driver side has failed. The engine had significant carbon buildup requiring expensive cleaning due to other sensor failures mentioned above.