The only VWs that used to last were the diesel ones, because Diesel engines last forever, or at least, longer than gas.

VW is not known for reliability. Stick w Subaru, Honda, Toyota for that.

A teacher at my school bought a used one (3 yrs) and she now drives a different one. She said an electrical problem shut the car down and forced all the windows down every time she hit the brake. It has been in the shop for almost a month now.

I bought a pre-owned 2019 Atlas last year. So far so good. I've only had regular maintenance so far but my car is still new. I joined an Atlas group on Facebook before buying and sounds like there were a lot of problems with the 2018 Atlas, which was the first model year.

My Volkswagen has been the least reliable car that I've ever owned. It's a great car when it works, but there are so many issues with the electronics. The worst was when it stop recognizing my keys and immobilized itself.

Check out keya. They’re totally reliable and have upped their style quotient considerably.

I’ve owned two VWs and love the way they drive, but they are absolutely horrible for reliability. If you keep your cars for 5 years and like to swap them out they are fun cars to drive, but if you keep cars for 10 plus years this is the brand for you.

Do you ever see old VWs on the road? And by old I don't mean the occasional vintage Beetle, I mean Jetta Sportwagens or Passats or the like that are 10 years old or more?

Rarely! I used to own a 2012 and it's been ages and ages since I saw that model anywhere on the road. Once in a blue moon I see one.

Contrast that with the number of 10 year old Camrys and Civics you see every day.

Loved our VW but they do not last.

I have had multiple VW/Audi cars, and all of them have been great. Kept my 2003 VW Jetta for over ten years—zero issues aside from regular maintenance. Upgraded the Jetta to an Audi and have also had it for almost ten years at this point. Also no big issues aside from regular maintenance. Now have an Atlas because we need a people mover, but it been great so far.

Bring your car in for regular service, and don’t drive like a crazy person. The cars should last.

I had a 2002 Jetta that was pretty much a lemon. Stalled out every where and even after bringing it in several times to be fixed, no one knew how to properly fix it.

I’ve owned two Passats, but will not buy an Atlas. I had a simple, but rare issue with my last Passat that two dealers didn’t know how to fix. A backwater country mechanic fixed it in minutes. So, reliability + incompetent mechanics in this area mean no more VWs for me.

My brother has had VWs for most of the past 20yrs, including now the Atlas. He leases though, so they are swapped out every few years. I just had to replace my Pilot and considered the Atlas. I liked the look better than the Honda (or the Toyota Highlander which I also considered) but in the end all the reliability factors argued against the Atlas. Also even pre-owned it was pricier than the Pilot or Highlander. I didn't want to pay for looks and wind up with a less reliable car. YMMV obviously.

Stay with cars you know.

My 2003 Beetle was a piece of junk. All kinds of electrical issues. I got rid of it sharpish.

“Volkswagen” and “reliability” are antonyms.

We are considering a pre-owned Volkswagen Atlas. We don't really know anyone that's had a Volkswagen built in the last 5 years or so, and we are coming from a Honda and Toyota family. If you have bought a Volkswagen -- especially an Atlas -- in the last few years, how have reliability and repair costs been? I have seen some complaints about the Atlas in online car reviews (like Car and Driver), but it seems to get a lot of love here on DCUM.

Thanks!