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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  what will fall off next... - 1997 Volkswagen Jetta
  By last VW? - January 27 - 10:00 am

  71,000 miles... 4 exhausts, starter (@26k miles, dealer said was not surprised.. and wouldnt cover a new one), altenator (@45k miles, not covered), power steering pump, radiator, 3rd set of tires (alignment does not hold), body molding falls off, trunk leaks, randomly stalls in the rain (plugs, wires, dist. cap, solenoid, etc.. replaced 3 times), AC unit died, interior lights behind dash died (~$500 to rip out dash to replace $3 bulb). This thing is less reliable then the old land rover I have, and maintance costs are about the same.

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  Like to Worry About What Will Break Next - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Not happy - January 20 - 7:53 pm

  My VW Beetles air bag sensors keep breaking, making them inoperable. I have had this problem repaired twice, the automatic top repaired three times, window regulators, clamps and motor repaired for a total of four times, and seat release replaced twice. The radio hisses, never fixed as it is a "design flaw." All of the windows rattle so badly the car sounds like it is falling apart at times, never fixed "design flaw."

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  Never Again - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By douglas23 - January 15 - 11:56 pm

  Just bought a 2005 2.5 liter with 68k miles and suffered a catastrophic engine failure. What a piece of junk! And no help from Volkwagen America. What a crappy company.........

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  get out the raid - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By raid - January 15 - 2:00 am

  This is the car for you....if you dont mind interior pieces coming of in your hands. Im on a first name basis with the service manager at my dealership.... Center console has been replaced 3 times.Back seat electrical outlet has been replaced 5 times. Hood latch.....4 times. CD changer 2 times. Air bag sensor failed....took 4 months to get the part from Germany.

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  This car is awful! Beware! - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By amyinbuffalo - January 13 - 6:50 am

  Long story short: I leased my Volkswagen EOS April1, 2009. Today is August 3, 2009 and its been in the shop 3 times (STILL THERE mind you) for the convertable top malfunctioning OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. It stopped mid-air in a parking lot and wouldnt open all the way OR close all the way! I had to get a Flat Bed to take it to the dealership! Now VW wants to replace the ENTIRE roof! Its 3 MONTHS OLD! And, this is the best part, they are telling me that I MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS. Its $8,000 alone just for the top! I am PETRIFIED to drive this car anymore and I dont want it anymore. The aggravation I have been through is appalling. Its STILL in the shop for the rest of summer!!!

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  Bugged OUT - 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle
  By Donna Tedjeske - January 10 - 10:00 am

  VW replaced my 2003 Beatle because of PA state Lemon Law (it was in the shop 13 times in the first year!). The 2004 they replaced it with is NO better. If you want to spend time in the shop and drive a rental car....buy the New Beatle Convertible. This girl is bugged out!!

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  2012 Tiguan Transmission Defect - 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
  By autogal1 - January 3 - 12:24 pm

  I bought a new 2012 VW Tiguan SE 4 Motion Automatic and in Drive (D) traveling about 25-34 mph the transmission stays in a high gear (5th) and makes a vibrating hum and shake.The transmission will not drop back to 2nd, 3rd or 4th at this speed and is overloaded in 5th.When I give it some gas it hums, lags and shakes more. After applying extra gas it abruptly downshifts lunging the car forward in a jerky fashion.I notified the dealer twice about this issue. The service rep told me the car is in itÂ’s Adaptive Learning phase and will work this problem out after I drive it for awhile. After 3000 miles the Tiguan transmission has not adjusted as the dealer indicated.

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  On the CR used car to avoid list - Great! - 2006 Volkswagen Jetta
  By ppetrie - January 1 - 3:02 pm

  This car has so many engineering deficiencies, that result in so many expensive repairs just to keep it running, that CR in April 2011, put it on the used car to avoid list. The four areas with 3 to 5 times the incidence of repair for an average vehicle were: Cooling system - Engine cooling fan cassette & related wiring goes out at around 60K to 80K miles $800 to $1,200; A/C system, compressor seizes; Body Hardware failures - window regulators, door latches, trunk latches; and I think, major Fuel System issues. On my car, it wouldnt hold an on center track - cant be fixed, design flaw, making extended highway travel fatiguing; stalls without warning at idle - problem cant be identified.

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  NOT A RELIABLE CAR! - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta
  By saint13 - January 1 - 1:11 am

  I have a 2005 Volkswagen jetta GLI. At 65,000 miles, my timing belt snapped and it left me on the side of the highway. Had major costly engine damage. Since then the fabric has been coming off all over the interior of the car. It constantly needs to be in the shop. It worked great but its not reliable due to the fact at 60,000 plus miles its a mechanical nightmare!

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  Please contact VW 1-800-822-8987 about your Routan porblems - 2009 Volkswagen Routan
  By walnutcreekvw - December 22 - 6:01 pm

  Your Routan is not a lemon. I used to think the same thing until mine shut down while driving...again! VW replaced our control module a couple of years ago, but the van loses power while driving. Its really scary! We had our rotors replaced as well. They still shake. They told us it was from the weight of the vehicle. This van is not safe. I called VW today to start a case. Does a family have to get injured/killed before they resolve this issue? Call VW and start a case so we can have these issues addressed before someone gets hurt.1-800-822-8987