Does anyone here drive a Volkswagen?

[frostedpink]

I'm considering getting a Volkswagen as my next vehicle. For those that have one, do you have trouble finding a repair place that can work on them? Or are they pretty common now and easy to find parts, etc?

Any other pros/cons? Thank you!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

As a brand, they have one of the lowest dependability rates once they get some miles on them. I personally would never own one out of warranty. But, there are those who put high miles on theirs with relatively little trouble.

 

[Stinkerbe11]

DH has a 2009 Jetta TDI and we have had no issues with it at all. It is an excellent commuter car as he can get up to 50+ mpg on the freeway
We have only taken it to the shop for scheduled maintenance, but you should have no problem finding a VW dealership for service.

 

[Ceila]

My husband has only driven them since he graduated college, and he's racked up the miles. We only had a problem with one, and it was one that was purchased used and was a hybrid manual/auto. Other than that they've all been manual and extremely reliable.

As for service, we've always used the local VW dealer and have been very happy with them.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

you should have no problem finding a VW dealership for service.

Depends where you live. I have GM, Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota nearby. No other brands have a dealer within 50 miles of my house. So outside the "big 4" I'd need a non-dealer option for service. I'm wondering if OP is in a similar situation & that's why the question came up???

 

[tvguy]

Depends where you live. I have GM, Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota nearby. No other brands have a dealer within 50 miles of my house. So outside the "big 4" I'd need a non-dealer option for service. I'm wondering if OP is in a similar situation & that's why the question came up???

That can be an issue if there are no dealers in your area., but VW has been importing cars to the U.S for 65 years, so besides the dealers there are a ton of independent VW repair shops here. One just celebrated it's 50th birthday here.
A good question since VW's are about the least reliable car on the road. My mechanic is a few doors down from the 50 year old VW mechanic, and they say their business has picked up a lot since VW did away with their air cooled cars.

 

[jsmith]

I used to have a 2006 TDI beetle-loved driving it and it got fantastic mileage 50+mpg highway. I also spend more in maintenance monthly the last year that i had it than the payments on my 2013 Acura RDX are. It had terrible electrical issues-i think the first time it went to the shop for issues was when i had it about 4 months-we were having a very cold winter and i had all kinds of problems with my glo plugs. the fuse box on top of the engine melted and had to be replaced 3 times in the 7 years i had it. Glo plugs had to be replaced twice. 85K service cost 1500 and it was back in the shop, for a week, with a vaccuum leak in the turbo the next day. I will never ever ever own another VW America product again-including Audi.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Here's what Consumer Reports says about VW:

Volkswagen
A specialist in small and midsized cars, Volkswagen can be counted on for excellent fit and finish, crisp handling and good ride composure. Reliability has been spotty--good one year, poor the next. That's a shame, because otherwise the cars score high in our tests and are fun to drive.

 

[frostedpink]

Great information, thank you everyone!!

I think I will steer clear of the VW. A shame their reliability is so bad, as the Jetta that I test drove was fun to drive. But I'd rather stay out of the repair shops, that is much more important to me.

 

[SkaGoat]

Great information, thank you everyone!!

I think I will steer clear of the VW. A shame their reliability is so bad, as the Jetta that I test drove was fun to drive. But I'd rather stay out of the repair shops, that is much more important to me.

Reliability has been improved drastically 2008 and onward. They were known for electrical issues since the early 90 up until late 2000's.

I think they are about as reliable as any other brand.

 

[Buckalew11]

We had one just a few years ago. No trouble getting it worked on and boy did we get to know that guy...ugh! Plus, I thought the repair costs were high (parts, etc.)

We sold it rather quickly and within the year it had major damage from something within the engine. It was 2 or 3 years old, I think, when we bought it and I'll never have another one.

 

[princesspiglet]

I had a 2009 Passat Komfort Sedan. Just traded it in two weeks ago for a 2014 Dodge Dart. The warranty was out on the Passat, so I decided to get rid of it. I didn't have any major problems with it, but I had a heck of time finding someone (other than the dealer) to do any repairs. My last repair was in March and I had to have the brakes/pads replaced. Walked out the door $450 poorer It was that day I decided it wasn't worth it anymore. I did love it while I had it. Very roomy, great pick up.

 

[spacemountainmom]

Around here, an oil change on a VW goes for nearly double the regular price.

 

[Ceila]

Around here, an oil change on a VW goes for nearly double the regular price.

Really? What area do you live in? We've never had someone charge extra for the oil changes on the VW. And we've done it all - the dealer, a local oil change shop, a local mechanic, and Jiffy-Lube.

 

[charabby]

I just got rid of a 2005 Passat and I would NEVER own another VW. It was not reliable, repairs were expensive, AND maintenance was expensive. The damn thing even took premium fuel, so I paid more for fuel the whole time I owned it (although it DID get great gas mileage). I had problems with it the first six months I owned it, and I never went more than six months without fixing something.

Meanwhile, the maintenance. The oil change is double the cost of other vehicles because the VW takes synthetic oil. It's not the labor - it's the oil. The ONLY wiper blades that fit are $50 a pair. The wheels are not a standard size, so you can only buy certain rims is you should hit a pothole. Most of the lights are designed so you can't replace a bulb, you have to replace the whole unit, which costs hundreds. There is a standard 100,000 mile maintenance - changing the timing chain - $1000 and up to do that. I could go on and on.

Also, I live just outside the Detroit metro area, so no shortage of car repair options. But only the dealer ever seemed to know what they were doing. Which just going there ups the cost of repairs.
It was sporty and fun to drive, but it sucked me dry. I would never recommend one to anyone.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I have a 2011 Jetta closing in on 50,000 miles. Outside of the VW warranty ending at 36,000 miles, I've had to do a maintenance at 40,000 that was about $550. I was kind of bummed that it was so much and to be honest, I don't know how that is compared to other vehicles. And just before the 36,000 mark I had to get something looked at and repair that would have cost me $380, I think, had I not had that warranty.

Luckily for me, I have a handful of dealers within reasonable driving distance to get service and repairs done. I think this is because we have a VW credit call center in the area and a lot of their employees have VWs.

For the 40,000 mile one, I actually called around for estimates which varied between the $550 and $800.

At least they said the next ones won't be too much, the next big one is the 85,000 I think.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I have a 2011 Jetta closing in on 50,000 miles. Outside of the VW warranty ending at 36,000 miles, I've had to do a maintenance at 40,000 that was about $550. I was kind of bummed that it was so much and to be honest, I don't know how that is compared to other vehicles. And just before the 36,000 mark I had to get something looked at and repair that would have cost me $380, I think, had I not had that warranty.

Luckily for me, I have a handful of dealers within reasonable driving distance to get service and repairs done. I think this is because we have a VW credit call center in the area and a lot of their employees have VWs.

For the 40,000 mile one, I actually called around for estimates which varied between the $550 and $800.

At least they said the next ones won't be too much, the next big one is the 85,000 I think.

Maybe you should do a little googling. It sounds like this is scheduled maintenance type stuff. I'd look up what they want to do and find out if its necessary at the mileage they want to do it it.

If you are out of warranty, I'd look for a good ,trustworthy independent mechanic too.