Everyone that I know who has had a VM has had a number of problems with it and never bought VW again.

OP try Subaru. These are fantastic cars and not very expensive.

DH and I Loved loved loved our Volkswagens. I drove a Scirocco all through college. (ANyone else remember those?) Then a Passat.

We make a bit more now, and drive Audi/BMW. Love our German Engineeering.

I was in Europe and had one as a hire car. I have to say it was great - amazing gas mileage, a pleasure to drive.

But the expensive of running one would put me off buying one.

Anonymous wrote:I don't dislike them but I've never considered driving them because everyone I know who has a VW or Audi says that service in the DC area is a real problem. (I've heard there just aren't enough dealerships or places that service them for the number of VW/Audi cars here.) My ex has a Jetta and seems to like it.

The first car I bought myself in my 20's was Japanese and now I'm hooked on Japanese engineering. They really do drive differently. So when I traded in my Mazda, I got an Acura. (which is basically a Honda.)

I drive a VW. It gets serviced at the dealer. My SIL is on her second jetta. They're like dogs - live 12 to 14 years. Tuaregs are wonderful- no wind shear or sway, solid in all weather conditions without changing gears, etc.

I love driving my Beetle - but the electrical system blows. And everytime something electrical messes up in the car, it costs AT LEAST $500. I'm sure it is getting the same way with other vehicles with everything being computerized these days, but it is maddening.

My car is a 2002.

I don't dislike them but I've never considered driving them because everyone I know who has a VW or Audi says that service in the DC area is a real problem. (I've heard there just aren't enough dealerships or places that service them for the number of VW/Audi cars here.) My ex has a Jetta and seems to like it.

The first car I bought myself in my 20's was Japanese and now I'm hooked on Japanese engineering. They really do drive differently. So when I traded in my Mazda, I got an Acura. (which is basically a Honda.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very expensive to get them fixed as you have to go to the dealership.They are great cars though, but aimed at a different price point here than in many other places.

Do people really think this? All dealerships are expensive. As with any car, if you have a competent mechanic with the right tools there is no need to waste your money at the dealership. I've also heard the vw's coming out of the Mexico factory have many issues. Still wouldn't mind owning a TDI for the mpg's.

I don't go to a dealer to get my Jetta fixed. Was too expensive. Even if you go elsewhere they are more expensive to fix. Parts are more and was told my several mechanics that they are just harder to work on so you get charged more labor.

Still love my car but considering a different one next time just because of the repair costs.

OP here, thanks for the responses.

We manufacture the parts and asseble the cars there so maybe that's why they're more popular and cheaper there. Every mechanic down the street knows how to work on them and they rarely give trouble. The mileage is great too and our roads are much worse than the nice smooth pavement in DC area

I guess I'm not getting a VW here any time soon...

I sold mine when it began to cost $30 and I had to make an appointment to get a lightbulb changed.

We are from Northern California and had a 2000 Cabrio. From day one it was nothing but problems with that car. The tie-rods would need to be replaced every year or two, the breaks lasted about 6 months at a time (no, not a crazy driver), and the knobs on the radio melted and used to leave this sticky black stuff all over your hands. Eventually the windows stopped going up and down and you had to open the door to pay at toll booths. My independent mechanic said this was a common problem for VWs though the dealer said he could never replicate the problem. Hmm... And the last night we owned the car, DH went to open the door and the door handle came completely off. (We should have kept it as a trophy.) For awhile I thought I just had a lemon, but my friend who had a Jetta had similar issues.

Holy cow! And I almost forgot about the night we spent in the middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania because the car started shaking uncontrollably on the drive back from upstate NY. Spent $1000 on that little repair and the mechanics still couldn't stop the shaking. (Best guess was the transmission. We got rid of the car shortly after.) We were totally broke from almost 6 months of unemployment at that point, and spent the last cash reserves we had getting the car fixed so we could get back to DC. That was a happy Thanksgiving!

Never, never, never....

I compared VW with Toyota and Honda in 2001 when I was in the market for a new sedan. Granted, this info is now dated... they were very similiar as far as quality and reliability, and base price... but once you started adding options, VW cost a lot more.

I am long time lover and we've owned VW's in the past. Last time we had to buy a new car we couldn't justify a VW -- their stats don't stack up compared to other cars. Sadly a VW is not what it used to be. They need to work at getting back to being an awesome car company vs. being a hip car.

When thinking about VW in the states, you need to distinguish between pre-2009 and after. Pre-2009, you needed a real specialty mechanic or dealer, the cars were expensive, and they were finicky. Post 2009 (moving headquarters, absorbing more Audi engineering, etc.), VW is much more equivalent to an upgraded Honda or Toyota. They are still more expensive than the Japanese companies, but make better cars.

Also, for those of us in DC, it's tough to get over the crappy Martin's dealership.

But ask any VW owner past or present and they LOVE their cars.

Love our 2001 Pasaat and it's still going strong.

Agree about the California thing. We were in Northern CA last year and were amazed by the number of VWs we saw there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very expensive to get them fixed as you have to go to the dealership.They are great cars though, but aimed at a different price point here than in many other places.

Do people really think this? All dealerships are expensive. As with any car, if you have a competent mechanic with the right tools there is no need to waste your money at the dealership. I've also heard the vw's coming out of the Mexico factory have many issues. Still wouldn't mind owning a TDI for the mpg's.

I do - well, I do think VWs are expensive to maintain at least. American cars are the cheapest and quickest to fix, followed by Japanese, followed by European. It's not just the dealer -- the parts are much more expensive. And your car is often out of commission longer while they order the parts. Which is fine if you love your car. I haven't met a VW owner who hasn't had electrical problems, though. That's what turns me off the most.