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:

• 

  Piece of CRAP - Lemon Law SAVE ME!! - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dscar - December 7 - 10:00 am

  I just pray the Better Business Bureau will help me out of this one. Car has had numerous problems since purchased 2 months ago. Bad sensor in the steering column, heated seats not working, dash incorrectly installed, Monsoon system malfunctioning, gears grinding, brakes whistling, Car revving itself. It is in the shop for the NINTH time (16th day). The service center is horrible and VW corporate needs to care about their product. Have already filed complaint w/ BBB. I just want this car out of my life forever. Buyer Beware.

• 

  2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T - 2006 Volkswagen Passat
  By motorjim - December 5 - 10:43 pm

  My 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T is a great driving car. It gets good gas mileage for such a comfortable car (25 - 30 mpg). However, mine has 6,000 miles on it and has been in the shop for four different problems, a broken winshield wiper motor and three check engine lights. The dealer has been helpful and always offers a loaner but it is still frustrating. I am afraid I will not be able to afford this car when the warranty expires! The dealer explained that they have experienced a high number of problems with the new Passats, a high incidence of similar problems. I wish VW would address the problem with these repeat problems before my check engine goes off again instead of after. Also, repair parts are not always readily available.

• 

  Preventative maintnance from dealership does NOT prevent big problems - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By anatomix - November 25 - 10:11 am

  The 2006 Jetta is certainly fun and comfortable to drive, but is just a big plastic peice of junk. Lets first start with the plastic bottom plate (covering the entire undercarrige of the engine). The only function I can see for this part is to deter you from changing you own oil (containing about 16 star screws).. This car has had all oil changes and inspections by dealer ON TIME.. At 63,000 miles, check engine light came on and a visit to the dealership came back with a $2000+ engine coolant system repair. $1030 for the fans and an additional $1000 for all wires, connectors, and sensors, $340 for CV boot (reportedly cracked and leaking) on front axil.

• 

  Buy A Warranty and have fun - 2001 Volkswagen Golf
  By Look Out - November 20 - 7:16 am

  In two years the car has been towed four times due to "electrical failure"...like a brake light goes out. AC failed twice, car looses power and stalls at 60 miles an hour. BUY THE WARRANTY....Have another car available to drive when they have to order parts...could be days for repair.Between repairs it is fun to drive....Electrical and fuel issues are many at 50k miles

• 

  Unreliable - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By DonM04 - November 13 - 2:00 am

  The electrical system in the Passat is terrible. The ignition coils took it out of service for a week. The radio (monsoon) died. Both headlights, one at a time died. Handling is heavy with pronouced understeer. Turbo lag is ever present below 3000 rpms. This is my 3rd, and final, VW product.

• 

  Great driving car - shoddy construction - 2001 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jack - November 10 - 6:30 pm

  I bought this car new in 2001. I bought it because it looked great and was a lot of fun to drive. It did not take any time, however, for the interior to develop a symphony of rattles, squeaks, and creaks. This became indicative of the overall quality of the car. Many of the interior surfaces have a thin rubber material applied to hard plastic - it looks and feels great until it starts pealing off. The paint seems very thin to me, as well. I take good care of my cars and this one has a lot of scratches and dings. Mechanical problems seem to arise every time it goes into the shop.

• 

  electical nightmare - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By eabrennan - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I always wanted a Jetta,and I still think they are the slickest looking vehicles. Unfortunately,I have had countless problems with it. Most ofthe problems are electrical in nature.The cruise control went two years ago,and no one seems to be able to fix it. The volume goes up when I try to turn it down. The power windows are always in need of fixing. The inside door handles dont work in lower temperatures.Many are the days I have had to crawl to the backseat to get out. Once,on my commute home, the hazards came on and the horn started beeping for no apparent reason. Recently,my horn started beeping if I took a left hand turn in temps above 80.

• 

  V6 Passats Eat Oil! - 2000 Volkswagen Passat
  By whatevehs - November 3 - 9:30 am

  This car has consumed oil since I first bought it. VW says "its normal" to add 1 qt. every 2,000 miles. I have never owned a car that went through oil like that. It does not smoke or leak oil. What kind of engineer would design a car to use oil like that? I had a Honda Prelude with 185,000 miles on it and it never used any oil between changes. I will never own another VW.

• 

  Steering Wheel Shake - 2013 Volkswagen Touareg
  By shakytouareg - November 2 - 10:20 pm

  I bought a 2013 Touareg TDI Lux a month ago and it has been in the shop for 17 days with an irreparable steering wheel oscillation. It is still in the shop. So far VWoA has advised the local dealer to try the following: road force balance all wheels, swap wheels from another car, change all four tire to Michelin Latitudes, replaced front drive shafts and replace steering rack. None have remedied the problem. Other owners have reported the exact same issue and have had difficulty getting satisfactory resolution. Search for "Touareg steering problem" to find more. Or go to ww.touaregsteeringshake.com. I dont any more hassle, I just want a new car.

• 

  Poor Poor Jetta - 1999 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jeff - October 31 - 9:30 pm

  We have spent over $4,000 on various sensors on this car in the past 8 months. It runs rough and doesnt start 30% of the time. The drivers side heated seat never worked after 3 attempts we quit asking. The drivers window dropped. The sunroof doesnt work at times. The check engine lite is on all the time. We will NEVER purchase another VW again.