Volkswagon SucksTrue Stories of the Upset Consumer2008: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2007: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2005: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2004: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Received January 2005 Yes everybody volkswagons do indeed SUCK! I bought an old mk2 golf gti 16v and now I think I've had just about every problem it could possibly get. It all started with a misfire which then led to a new clutch, onboard computer trouble, electric window faults, a temporary misfire yet again, a noisy wheel bearing, ongoing exhaust trouble, a new distributor and now I've got a water leak which blew the cooling system to pieces, but that's not all. Although its an old car its still really popular here in the UK, so you wouldn't of thought it would be so hard or so expensive to get replacement parts, I mean who in there right mind wants to pay £95 + vat(17.5%) for some ht leads. Anyway I've had my bitch about volkwagon and I must go p.s. the drivers side electric window still doesn't work and the onboard computer permanently reads 1:04. I just read a few remarks on this website and one struck me as kind of funny. It was someone defending VW and their quality. He said he didn't understand why other owners weren't receiving recall notices, yet he has received a half-dozen on three VW's none older than a 2000. Maybe they were just being sarcastic if not he's a moron. In my world a half-dozen is six and six recalls on 3 cars newer than a 2000 is probably bad. I bought a 1998 New Beetle, most of the problems listed on this site, I've experienced. I have never been so disappointed in a vehicle, and to think I gave up my Jeep for this piece of crap. Windows, falling into doors, the window motor failing costing $1,000 to repair, only to fail again before the 1 year warranty is up? Only by a day or two, can you imagine, $2,000 in one year to keep a window up? both window clips have given way and my windows fell into doors AGAIN fuel pump went headlights went 2x in one year rear lights keep failing and I could go on and on and on, but bottom line if you're thinking of buying a VW product save yourself a lot of stress and a lot of money. Tonight I went out and the heater fan suddenly stopped! Plastic pieces fall apart regularly - the car is literally falling apart Seat release leaver, came off in my hand, again I could go on and on and on Lights come on for no reason, I have to pay the dealership to 'turn' them off even if nothing is wrong, this car belongs on the dealership lot full time, maybe VW needs 'drivers', but once we get their product we don't get to drive anyway, well maybe short jaunts, and those are just back and forth to the service department, I have now officially spent more on repairs in a scant 3 years than what I paid for the car, I WILL NEVER EVER BUY ANOTHER VW PRODUCT, please you've been warned by HOW MANY PEOPLE. I wish I had done more research and read these sites before I got sucked in to 'such a cute little car' I rarely drive it anymore I'm afraid to go anywhere, also afraid to sell it to someone else, in case they come back and kill me for selling it to them. Volkswagon deserves to get their asses sued off. VW sucks - 99 VW Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted a VW Bug- imagine my delight when I finally got one of June of 2003. My joy was very short lived, however. I bought it used from a Chrysler Dealership (big mistake, I know now) who said they would fix whatever the check engine light was coming on for. After three trips there and a month at a foreign specialists, it still wasn't fixed! For $120 and a half hour at Volkswagen, that problem went away for a while. Then my window motor broke which they replaced for free because there was a recall- thank god I had good weather before it got fixed, I never got a notice. I've spent about $5,000 or more in repairs from two accidents which were my fault, granted, but their prices for parts and labor are outrageous! Three weeks ago, I spent two hours and $200 for them to replace my hazard light relay because my blinkers quit working properly. Finally, two days ago my check engine light is back on which means I have to make the 40 mile trip to the Volkswagen dealer once again and spend god knows what! I have HAD IT! I traded a 1993 Honda Civic (which was payed off too, by the way) for that piece of shit which I never- and I mean never- had problems with aside from normal maintenance and two or three mufflers. A three year old Volkswagen Beatle should not have more problems than my 10 year old Honda! Volkswagen does suck and I want to know how to tell them. Who can I write to? I bought a brand new 2001 Jetta and I fell in love with the car at first sight. Now is nothing but a worse nightmare. Everything is going wrong beginning the first year I had the car. The transmission and the clutch went on me the first two years. Shortly after the check engine light came on and the power windows failed to work properly. I am trying to fix the problem with the check engine light that is on now but, I am so sick and tired of this car. I wish I never picked VW. Never again I will buy another VW. They SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok guys... You ready for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a 2002 VW Cabrio that I am LEASING FOR 48 months. Would you believe if I told you it has been in the shop 65 time and I am only into 36 months!!!!! Do yourself all a favor. Higher a Lawyer. I got the best Lemon Lawyer I could find.. and he took my case so fast I couldn't even blink. :) :) What are you all waiting for???????????????? You don't necessarily need the same thing to go wrong three times. If you have a Million things.. they add up and make the value of the car go down considerably. I just happen to have the same things breaking like 10 times each. Volkswagen's suck!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are all true LEMONS! My 99 Jetta rear window defroster burned up. Bought a new push button switch which did not fix the problem. $45. Took it to the dealer and he said it would be around $200 to find the problem and fix it because the wiring is embedded in the trim. Classic VW Mentor Ohio AM radio quit and the dealer said it would be very expensive to replace the antenna and troubleshoot. Not worth it. 100's Classic VW Mentor Ohio Ignition Coil failed, one of three, I believe $135 +labor. Classic VW Mentor Ohio ABS sensor failed. Cost more than $150 Catalytic convertor needs to be replaced. $1100 I did not replace it. The transmission will not stay in gear now. It is going to the dealer tomorrow. I will not put over 1000 in it for this repair. I will buy a rebuilt for 750 and replace it. Then I will sell the car never to buy a VW again. There is other stuff I just can't remember. I found this site looking for cheap VW parts. I won't sell someone something I know is broke. I may never be able to sell my VW. I must say the engine compartment is very clean but the other day the lower spoiler fell off plus some other parts and I priced it but did not replace it. My daughters Cabrio is in the driveway broke. It needs a radiator suport and two oxygen sensors and an ABS sensor. She can't afford to fix it and it is not worth anything in its present condition. It is her last VW also. My 1990 chev 4X4 truck runs great and has taken up the slack for VW down time. Yes it does break but I can fix it and I can afford the parts. Not true with the VW's. I love vw's (well the older ones), first I will start off by saying I use to work at an auto scrap yard, if only half of you non vw lovers could see how bad some of these domestic and Japanese cars rust out from the ground up,(by a long shot ford and Honda are the worst) you would wish you never sold that vw, vw uses a very good sheet metal with proper protection. Now I work at a auto shop, and I will tell you everyday we get people who come in and say how much they hate there car, and I think I have heard it from just about every kind of owner regardless of what there driving. My honest opinion is that Toyota is probably the most reliable. From what I read on this website is that most you are upset with the dealership/customer service well I suggest putting in a complaint with vw America or Canada and find a new dealership. If you are doing work not under warranty search around and find a private shop, you will get the work done alot cheaper. And another thing is that all you people act like ever other type of car never has problems which I find very funny, because we don't get much vw's in at my shop, and when we do it's for a tune up or some where I don't get to tear something apart which I like doing. DO A SEACH I BET YOU WILL FIND A WEBSITE LIKE THIS Cars-That-Suck> Of course there are many websites out there that have complaints people have with their cars. Putting in complaints with VW of America does no good - they are a typical corporation that does not listen. This website does more than just give complaints - these are consumer stories intended for other consumers to help in their buying decisions. VW needs to stand by their product better and train the VW dealers and service people to provide better service (including after the sale), and consumers need to know how bad they suck. I dont know what these people are talking about. I own an 01 golf with 45k and have only had to replace tires. I love my car it's great. We have a 1998 Jetta which is our least used car, that is to say that our other cars get much more mileage put on them but have much fewer problems. In the last year and a half alone, it has been towed four times. The radiator has had to be replaced, along with two ignition coils, and a starter motor. Overall, there are many other problems which have not been fixed only because they are too numerous. Interesting stuff. I've been blaming our '99 Jettas problems on my husbands bad driving and generally rough treatment of it. It looks like, however, we've got all the same problems...broken cup holders, that damn check engine light that turns off and on, O2 sensors, oil guzzling, console lights broken, stereo working intermittently, etc, etc, etc. I owe him an apology, I guess! I want to turn the thing in for a new car, but I'm frightened that it won't be accepted after reading all these comments. I had no idea how really badly VW's suck! Thanks for the enlightenment! Yes, I too have a Passat 4 Motion, etc. that the window on the driver 's seat just shattered! I was freezing cold and of course it happened on the weekend. I am staying out of VW forever. I was a proud owner of a 1996 VW Jetta GL. It was a great car for all 140,000 miles that I put on it in the 5 years that I drove it. My only issue, really, was the rubber strips on the side of the car would peel off annually. When I saw the new design I thought "how could I go wrong?" I purchased the 2001 Jetta GLS. To VW's credit it drives very similar to my 1996. Tight suspension and very good handling. The problems that I have experienced have been integrity issues:
So, for me, the people's car isn't as awesome an experience the second time around. ok so vw totally sucks... I bought a 2004 bug convertable and never had a problem with it till 1-24-05. My car started shaking really bad so I took to a local shop here in town and they said my tire has a plug ... but the problem is i never had a flat tire or a whole in my tire. So i called the dealer and he told me basically oh well your car is 10 months old there is nothing i can do for you... i also called vw customer service and the said oh well... what the hell so i can spend 26 grand on a car but i can get used tires what a bunch of bull i will never any one i know by a vw I posted in December how my daughter's 2002 Jetta would sputter and stall and how after 23+ visits to the dealer it couldn't be fixed. After a lot of red tape the VW Tech Rep for the area finally looked at the car and determined the PCV hose had delaminated and collapsed causing the carbonizing in the trottle box. Earlier I told the dealer to change the PCV valve and he told me the car didn't have one! So how come the PCV hose is the culprit? I'm glad it's fixed and I wanted to share this with everyone who might be having a similar problem. Stalling, sputtering, no power and throttle box carbonization among other power symptoms. I hope that my experience will assist you so that some good comes out of this cluster f--- named Volkswagen. people!!!! get it together!!!! i have had 16 vw's in my 17 years of driving experience. now, you should all know better. first of all you never buy a brand new car... you only lose money. A used volkswagen is thousands less and you should never take a car under any circustance to a dealer service department. i live near the omaha metro area and have the most god sent vw mechanics in the world and they always care more about the client and the vw. i love my 1999 jetta and when ever i have a problem the always fix it and i go about my business. i have been in 10 auto collisions and totalled 10 vw's. i always walked away from the accident without a scratch on me. i owe my life to vw and know that they are built and designed for the life of a human being. peace be with you all and i hope that when you total your honda's and lexus's that you can walk away with you life as i did driving the ultimate driving machine's. Cars-That-Suck> How many complaints of safety problem with VW on this site: 0. The fact that you had 16 VW's within only 17 years: amazing. The fact that you have had 10 accidents in 10 VWs: you should be banned from driving. Don't rip on Honda and Lexus safety ... they have excellent safety and unlike VW have affordable parts that only require to be replaced once. Received February 2005 After a 5yr love/hate relationship with my '99.5 Jetta vr6, suffering all of the problems(radio, windows, sunroof, glove box, check engine lite,maf sensor, and much more) I sold it at a significant loss. But I began to miss my pocket rocket and found I could pick up a new leftover or low mileage '04 GTI VR6 for around $20k, and seriously considered coming back. Thought maybe being made in Brazil, not Mexico, might make a difference. Thought maybe by '04, VWoA might have cleaned up it's act. (it might be too soon to tell because alot of V-Dub troubles begin around 60k) Thought maybe there really is a Santa Claus. But your chatsite has kept my memory green. I'd have to be out of my mind to buy another VW. It breaks my heart, because I haven't been able to find a comparable ride except possibly BMRs which even if I could afford one, maintenance and upkeep are beyond my budget. And Jap stuff like the Acuras just don't cut it...I've test driven them too. They're mushy, lack the punch of the VR6s. Therefore, unless anyone can tell me an '04 GTI VR6 is different from a Jetta VR6 and won't give me the same troubles, or that VW has fixed the problems discussed above, I'll have to stay away from VW. Readers, your thoughts on whether or not I should come back will be welcomed !!! Cars-That-Suck> Try a Lexus IS300, its got even more punch and better style. You can find deals on these used and/or certified pre-owned. Of course, with any car, do your homework and test drive one to see if it fits you. After pouring my heart out in my last ramble, I began to think about Harley Davidson. My other car is a Harley. HD suffered quality problems and declining sales for years during the 80s and much of the 90s. Then the company was taken over by new management and qc began in earnest. It took a few years, but today, Harleys are coveted, dependable machines-- totally able to shed their formerly poor reputations. Just take a look at their financial earnings. Or ask your stock broker. I think it will take the same thing for VW. They would need to re-tool and return their product to it's original quality and dependability. Then they would have to release them in limited quantity to create a market demand. Could you imagine paying $1 or $2k over MSRP for a VW? But the fact is, if Harley could do it, so could VW !!! I'd love to see it happen. Cars-That-Suck> Part of HD success now is the baby boomers buying them in an attempt to stay young and free, so the demand went up and HD jumped at the opportunity. As much as VW could improve I don't think they will. One of their biggest problems is the people they employ at their dealerships and service departments. There is much more to it than improving the product. I bought a new 2000 VW Golf GLS TDI and the car gave me trouble from the very beginning:
VW refuses to replace the engine under the 10 year/100K powertrain warranty. I had an independent mechanic look at it, too. VW just comes up with all kinds of reasons why this is not covered. I am talking to a lawyer now. My advice: NEVER BUY A VW AGAIN!!!! Someone else mentioned: Not entirely true. A few things I found out. If (when) the windows breaks because these cheap plastic parts fail, VW will not cover the cost of the window. Not even on the models they do cover under this "Silent Recall" Also... even though VW was well aware of the problem before, they will not replace them for free on any car built before 1999... even though they admit the same exact part was used. Hell, they won't even give you the new metal clips to put in yourself !! Not only that, they make you buy the entire assembly, just to get the clips! You get to pay $160.00+ each time to fix their problem One other thing to note.. if you are stuck with one of these things and can't find anyone you dislike enough to sell/give it too, be sure to carry extra head-lamp bulbs... this thing eats them like it eats the windows... 1998 Passat ... my first and last VW To the guy that said: Try driving in the mountains during a snowstorm and have your driver's side window fall inside the door and shatter. You think that's not a safety issue? What about a car that burns out its head lights every few months. Even my dealer says they know it's a problem, but there's nothing they can do. ...not a safety issue? What about a car that has such a problem with its ABS units that you can buy them on eBay under the advertisment "Fix that annoying ABS light problem with your VW/Audi" ....not a safety issue? I could go on (and on) but I'd just be reminding people about other problems that they would rather forget (myself included). Cars-That-Suck> So true. I stand corrected. The saga continues! I laid out 250 dollars to fix my front passenger side door window that fell into the door just prior to a major rainstorm. I took it to a repair shop not knowing that VW had the pants sued of off them for the repairs to these windows. A month later bang the other window falls into the door. I then find out this may be covered by VW. It was and I sent a letter off to VW of America asking to be reimbursed for my first repair. After they mixed up my Passat with the jetta they said I would be reimbursed. They then called the repair shop and found out that junkyard parts where used. Guess what I'm back to being taken by VW they won't reimburse me even though the dealer said the new parts where used. I own 2 Volkwagens how stupid does that make me? I hate to drive them and just for GP will unload them the first chance I get. I even thought of smashing the 99 jetta with my own 2 hands it sure would make me feel better. These cars suck and the world needs to know! The day they go out of business I'm going to get drunk on my a.. Drivers beware! Volkswagen dealership was not much help and they suck too. Youngs Volkswagen in Easton PA if you need to know. My girlfriend purchased a 1999 Jetta as soon as the new body style came off the line and was introduced to the dealers and public. She was put on a 2 week waiting list for delivery, but she was so excited that she didn't care. To make a long story short, the car has given us nothing but problems since. Within 5 years, she has had numerous parts replaced(#1) Mass air flow sensor replaced three times (#2) oxygen sensors replaced twice (#3) catalytic converter replaced once (#4) shifter bracket replaced twice (#5) window clips replaced ??? times (#6) keyless remote sensor in the drivers side door replaced once (#6) seat belt thingy etc..... Not to mention that the bumper fell off twice, one of the seat belts is permanently locked, glove box hinge is broken, trunk leaks, the trunk hatch paint is either rusted or bubbling (rejected by the warranty dept. three times), corner of the drivers side door steel is all bent due to poor design (because ice builds up in that spot) etc.... Were looking to dump this car, but how? The car was $32k new, now with 115,000 km (69,000 miles), we would be lucky to get $9500 Cdn. for it. To make matters worse, we still owe another years payments! We own two other cars, 1999 civic & 1994 celica, we have sunk more money into repairs on the jetta than the other two put together. Is any one out there looking for a used car? I can get you a good deal on a slightly used VW jetta.... Buyer beware - VW are garbage Tons to say but one main point: I needed the cover for my cup holder put back on my 2001 Jetta. This job required two pins to be put in place, and I was quoted $168 dollars by OWASCO dealership. For 2 fucking pins! I put it in myself with 2 hairclips. Thanks OWASCO for trying to rip off another valuable customer I was ill for the year 2003. When I got well I decided to treat myself to a new car in 2004. I wanted a reliable car with good gas mileage, so I made a huge mistake and bought a 2004 Beetle convertible. This small car gets between 21-22 MPG, and I have had it into the shop for at least 4 different problems. The problems have all had to have the "computer reset". Does this qualify as a "lemon? I only have 7500 miles on it. The first problem I only had 800 miles on my car. I have contacted VW of America and they said they would continue to honor the original warranty (I didn't buy the extended warranty). The first problem was the airbag light stayed on. Then I put the top down and it wouldn't come back up. I've had a problem with the side windows going up, then down before staying up. The last time it was in the shop the check engine light came on and the car had a very rough idle. All of these problems were explained that the computer was reset and the problem was resolved. I love my car but I told VWOA I bought a new car so I would have a dependable car, but I can't take my car out of town and be sure that I would be able to make it back. Cars-That-Suck> VW needs to change their catch phrase to "We'll take you for a ride". Don't wait - check your states lemon laws. Volkswagen Lemon Law Problems - investigation into VW airbags deploying, Touareg throttle hesitation and other Volkswagen problems. Information on a possible class action suit. Hey Everyone. I just bought a 2001.5 Volkswagen Passat V6 on 2-3-05. I bought it used from the dealer that we previously bought my 97 Honda Accord that has never had any minor problems. Just about a week ago, I noticed that my CV Joint boots on the front of the vehicle were torn. I didn't think that was going to be much of a problem since they were basically just rubber pieces. So I go down to the local VW dealership and pay $105 for the 2 boots. A little expensive but I there wasn't much I could do. So I have my local mechanic fix it and the labor alone was $220 + 105 for parts. We're talking $325 total for the stupid CV Boots. Oh well though that is not the main problem. My main problem is the same problem that another gentleman on this forum is experiencing with his 2001.5 Passat. I am noticing that oil is leaking from my car. I also notice white smoke billowing out from under the hood, every time I park my car. I take it to the same mechanic telling him that I believe I have an oil leak. He checks it out and tells me that a valve gasket is busted and that I need to get like an entire valve gasket kit. God forbid that you only get one. So that's going to be about $200 to fix. I also need new break pads, but that is not as major as the other problem. I go in tomorrow 2-26-05 to get the gasket fixed. I will keep you posted on what happens next. Ok to take the confusion out of where your VW was made, I talked to my local mechanic and he told me about how you can tell. First if your VIN # starts with a 1 then it is made in the USA If your VIN starts with a 3 then it is made in Mexico If your VIN starts with a W then it is made in Germany. I hope this helps alot of people. Thanks 40,000 miles and in warranty, my 2003 Passat starts getting the Check Oil Pressure light. Sludge problem. I'm traveling 900 miles from home and VW DOESN'T CARE ONE BIT. They demand I somehow produce the original receipts for ALL oil changes before they will fix the car. Anything over 5,000 miles before a change, you void the warranty. I'm working with my lawyer, looking at a class action lawsuit against VW on this issue. Other car makers have lost similar suits so I'm sure they will lose also. I WILL NEVER OWN A PIECE OF CRAP VW AGAIN. It's the worst car I've ever owned and I've owned many, many cars. Please help: my 2000 VW beetle (69,000 miles) timing belt broke and the engine is destroyed. I am the 2nd owner. I received no recall info; I changed oil every 5,000 miles. Has anyone out there been successful in getting VW to replace the engine? What arguments are the most effective? I need help in getting action from the dealer. What should I say to them? Thanks for listening. Received March 2005 Oh my. These vehicles do suck...I have a 2001.5 Passat and it causes me nothing but grief. When the car was still under warranty 2 headlights were replaced, the glove box, and the infamous check engine light came on and it was a hose. As soon as the warranty expired 2 more headlights were replaced at $70 each. Then as I went in for my 5th headlight they told me that it is now the wiring harness in both headlights that do not work. Each harness is $107 plus service. $92 an hour. I guess they couldn't figure it was the harness 3 headlights ago. Then the check engine came on and it was the same hose. $3 hose $92 and hour, 1 hour minimum = $95 for a three dollar hose. Now my current problems is I refuse to get the headlights fixed, my blinkers don't work and the check engine light is still on. Its such a great thing to not have headlights or blinkers. I can't wait to turn in this vehicle when my lease is up. NEVER GET A VW EVER!!!!! I fell in love with an old body style 99 VW Golf Wolfsburg edition in November (the day aft. Thanks.) 1998. It drove like a dream and was the original "pocket rocket". Two weeks after I bought it, my dash went out. It took a week to get it fixed, but at least it didn't cost anything. I had my car two years (did all of the required maintenance) and then my passenger side window fell into the door, VW dealer wanted $700 to fix it, couldn't afford it when the car was still on lease, then both back windows fell in in the space of the next six months. Finally I called VW of America and the said that the 99 had a recall for the windows but not the old body style 99???? I argued, they paid. Six months later my driver window fell and they wouldn't cover that, it is now fixed though because I fought with them and threatened to sue since the other three had been fixed under the recall for the same problem. Then my darned cd player worked whenever it felt like it, so I bought another to the tune of $300 and now the new one is singing the same tune. During all of this, my check engine light would come on and go off, now it comes on whenever I accelerate onto the freeway and my car acts like it has no power and I have been run off the road by a semi-truck because I lost power. I am afraid to go back to VW because I know it's going to cost a bundle to fix whatever phantom problem this is. But now my alarm never turns off. I have to push my keyless entry unlock at the same time I turn my key to get my car to start and nothing on my driver door works because of this problem (window, heated mirror...so on, it has even affected my sunroof) and once the car starts, it locks down all of the doors and the alarm arms itself again. I have tried to take down the alarm, but to no avail. VW quoted me $400 for a new door latch? The last time I took my car to the dealer for free window work, they left my driver's side window open in a rainstorm and the inside of my car mildewed and they didn't re-connect my wire for the little flashy light that says my alarm is on. Won't ask them for anymore help. I will never recommend VW's again and will never buy another...I miss the little Hyundai that I had before this one. I've been reading quite a bit of these and sorry to say it but I love V-Dubs. This reply may not be very popular on this site (considering the name) but I figured we all needed to hear it for the sake of our German friends: It sounds to me like you guys don't have a problem with V-Dubs, you have a problem with either an abused car by a previous owner who BSed you into buying it, a Lemon that was made on a Friday night with a football game on at 5 where the factory workers were just throwin bolts anywhere, or going to piece of crap dealerships where the could give a rats ass about customers. And maybe most VW dealerships are crap? but that's why you go right to the top, writing VW directly with your problems and seeing what you get out of it. Sorry to say it but i love VWs, maybe some are lemons and are costly in repairs, but it's better than driving around a Civic with a huge metal wing and a 4" fart-can on it, isn't it? One more thing, have we ever thought of doing repairs on our own? Take a couple classes! I'm sick of people taking their cars to the dealship because they're out of wiper fluid! you can save money and hassle and you don't have to worry about trusting BS mechanics if you do repairs yourself, unless you don't trust yourself...but that's another story. Cars-That-Suck> I don't see how anyone that buys a car should be required to waste their time and money to dispute problems at "the top". VW dealers are pushing a crappy product and they know it and don't care. They still get paid by "the top". What VW dealership do you work for? I worked for VW when the MK4 series was released in 99, they had their teething problems, but in all are good cars, my GTI has carried me 130K trouble free miles with a fair amount of hard driving and track use. I would rather put up with a few niggling German quirks and drive a solid, safe, fun car, rather than a piece of cheaply made American junk, or a boring Japanese car made out of recycled refrigerators that folds like a paper bag in an accident. VW has a history of making excellent cars and standing behind their products, the major factor has been poor field support of the product (i.e. the dealership) that has been occurring in the last 10 years. Poorly trained management and cheap dealers that don't want to invest in proper personnel or tools, poor business ethics and the like. Whenever VW themselves step in, the customer always gets taken care of and the problem is fixed. Remember, a car is a man made mechanical device and things WILL go wrong with a certain percentage, for every web board that has one complaining owner, there are 30 that drive their VW everyday with no problems. Cars-That-Suck> niggling: (adj.) I hardly find the customer complaints here to be "niggling". Japanese cars fold like a paper bag? The VW Jetta I had did have a poor crash report on front impact. I believe I read the chances of loosing my legs in such an accident were high. Even VWs are not as "safe" as many believe. "VW themselves step in … customer always get taken care of and the problem is fixed" - BULLSHIT! Even if the problem is fixed, the consumer is out time and many times money as well. Also, the same problem will probably happen again within the next year or two. I lost count the number of times my power windows stopped working (can you say "cheaply made VW"). I should have known better to post this when you started with "I worked for VW". I thought I made a good decision of purchasing a new VW 2001 Passat. I used to protest when my friends would say negative about my VW but not any more once I started facing problems. I think it was one of the most stupid decisions I have made in my life and there is no way I am gonna recommend this to anyone else. I think Japanese cars are best in all aspects. Following are the problems I can recall:
I am fedup with the junk and have been thinking of trading with a Japanese reliable car by paying some $$ from my pocket. I just rolled over 90,000 miles on my 2003 Golf TDI. I drive it HARD and have an overall average of 40 mpg. I had a couple bad MAF sensors, which were replaced under warranty. And I had to replace the timing belt a little early because one of the rollers was starting to go. (I did NOT get the TB replaced at the dealership.) Oh, and an alternator pulley, which was not that big a deal. But other than that, it's just been oil and filters. Got over 50,000 miles on the original Goodyear tires. Still have the original shocks/struts, but am looking to upgrade to something better than OEM. Original brakes are still good. I've never been stranded, I've never had reason to curse the mechanics at my dealership, because I've only been back once since the warranty expired. My advice is, find a good independent mechanic and stay away from the dealerships. Some of them have good people, many of them don't. Learn everything you can about your VW, so you're not forced to rely on the "expertise" of dealership mechanics. And learn to do routine maintenance yourself -- change your own oil, using the best synthetic motor oil you can find, in the proper weight for your engine. I love my Golf TDI, and if something should happen to it, I'd buy another one just as soon as I got my hands on the insurance money. WOW!! And I thought I was the only one!! I also have a 99 Jetta Wolfsbrg (old style) and I am so fed up with fixing it. I have so much in common with all of you. I am having crazy electrical problems, first my turn signals, now my windows. I have replaced my exhaust from the Cat. Converter back three times since 'O2. I Replaced my exhaust manifold. I still have to replace the wiring harness so I have power to my windows. My moon roof broke. The buttons in my dash (for the radio, defrost, etc.) keep falling out. I have cleaned out my vents every spring because I can't get rid of the MOLD smell coming out of them if the air is on. The list goes on and on... LONG LIVE GENERAL MOTORS!!! I AM NEVER BUYING ANOTHER VW!!! This is more of a VW dealership that SUCKS message. I noticed that there are other complaints about the Joe Heidt VW dealership in NJ. I wanted to add my own two cents about why I agree that Joe Heidt SUCKS. I would not advise anyone to deal with the service dept. at Joe Heidt VW in Bergen County NJ. Not only are they totally overpriced (my last OIL CHANGE cost me over $60.00 and all they did was change my oil!!) they also are unpleasant to deal with and do not do everything they state they are going to do or that they charge you for. A quick example, on my lovely $60.00+ oil change, I was charged a few bucks for washer fluid, which I made sure I reminded them to add since my refill washer fluid light was on, yet no washer fluid was added. I PAID for washer fluid, yet none was added. Hmm, on an oil change that cost me THAT much money you would like that if I PAID for a service, I would have received it. Call me crazy, but I expect to GET what I pay for. Also, their prices change like the wind. One day and oil change is about $35.00 to $40.00 bucks and the next it's over $60.00. Needless to say I will NOT be bringing my VW into the service dept. at Joe Heidt ever again. I would advise anyone who is bringing their VW to Joe Heidt for service to call around and get estimates from other places BEFORE you bring your car to Joe Heidt. I now need to have my front rotors resurfaced so I called Joe Heidt to see how much it would cost, just for fun, and they told me it would cost me a minimum of $200.00, plus tax, but it COULD be more than that and they couldn't say exactly but it would be AT LEAST $200.00. I had already called several other places first and had my car to my own, trusted mechanic, and was given prices (including tax) of anywhere from $92.00 - $150.00. When I told the guy from Joe Heidt I had gotten much lower prices from several other places and would opt for one of those places he didn't seem to care. When I first got my car (a 2003 Passat which I am, amazing enough, really happy with) my check engine light came on a few times and I had a issue with the brakes smoking a little so I called the service dept. at Joe Heidt to ask them some questions. I was spoken to in a very rude, condescending manner and told it was all normal and made to feel like an idiot. Maybe because I'm a woman and women OBVIOUSLY don't know anything about cars?? Who knows, either way, it was rude. I would suggest to anyone looking to buy a VW or get service for their VW to try another dealership. Although my purchasing experience was not terrible, I'd rather NOT give any more business to a dealership that treats it's customers like crap once they finalize their purchase. JOE HEIDT SUCKS!!!! Great website! I have a 99 jetta that has had all of its window regulators replaced. Since I didn't receive any news about the recall, I didn't know it existed. I would even ask the vw mechanics if there were any recalls. They always said no but would comment that the parts would need replaced. But I was reading your site and you mentioned you had the glove box replaced twice. 3 years ago my lock broke and I bought a new lock thinking someone I knew could easily repair if for free. My step-dad looked at it and said the dash needed to come off. I had the verified with a mechanic and they quoted me maybe $150-200 of labor to take off the dash and replace it. I thought that was pretty ridiculous and declined. It is still broken and I am able to use my broken handle to get in. Where did you get yours repaired, and did they have to take the dash off? How long and how much? I am a woman and don't know or care too much about cars, so I need advice on what I should do. Have you heard others with problems about their glove box? I really hope you can answer my questions. Thank you for your time! Cars-That-Suck> I had the VW dealer service department replace it. At that time it was under warranty. I'm not sure if they removed the dash to replace it, but that would not surprise me. I've heard a few cases of problems with the glove boxes breaking. My best advice would be to get rid of the POS. Even if you got it repaired the chances are high that the same thing will break again. Received April 2005 VW sucks and the dealerships are even worse. Brake lights refuse to work. Cars computers break more often than they work. Bought Full warranty and still have to pay every time it goes to Nemer VW in latham ny. One time they gave it to "fixed" without reverse working. The engine light is on almost constantly on my wife's 2000 Passat. We have replaced numerous sensors of one sort or another since buying this car new. I had to replace major suspension components in the right front on a car with 75k miles. The Volkswagen maintenance people asked me if we traveled on rough roads. We do not. We travel on residential roads. And for the record the car has never been involved in any accident. I had received a warning light telling me that the ABS system had failed and not to drive the car. Because the brakes seemed fine, I drove the car to our local dealer. I have been informed that the ABS control module needs to be replaced at a cost of $1,395. What makes this so interesting is that I also own an Audi TT. In less than 20,000 miles, the fuel pump failed and left me stranded. I have had to replace the command module that controls most of the dash functions - twice. And most recently, I have had to replace the ABS control module for the second time. Fortunately the repairs to the TT are on warranty. But as noted in other stories on this site the replacement parts are no better than the parts they replaced and I too have experienced failure of the same components. These cars are a mess. They look good. They feel good. The materials appear to be high quality. But in reality these cars do not hold up. I might also add that my daughter had purchased a Volkswagen Jetta approximately five years ago and she too had multiple problems with hers as well. I am planning to cut my losses and get rid of both of these cars. I have been a car enthusiast all my life and have loved almost all the cars I have owned. But I would not recommend a Volkswagen product to anyone. This is definitely a troubled company producing an inferior product. Wow! I wish I would have read this BEFORE I bought this piece!!! Please, please, please do not buy a VW, I have been in the shop over 25 times in one year with my Beetle. I don't have enough time or space to tell you all of the details but if you read everyone else's complaints mine are the same also. Isn't there something we can do? Class action law suit?? I have contacted VW America three times, they're a joke. I have filed a complaint with the better business bureau because my car dealership is as bad as the car. The car is in the shop now, I can't get any relief!!! I wish that I knew about your web site 5 years ago, when I bought my 1999 Golf GL. As I read the stories here I feel so bad for everyone, because I thought that my car being 5 years old, was the reason my car was falling apart. But everyone has VW that are more expensive cars then mine. I am so dumb I thought mine was the only one, that I had shitty luck. I bought my 99 GTI (new body) almost a year ago. I have encountered more problems with this car than I have had with my 87 Nissan Pathfinder that I bought for $450. Compared to the VW at 10K, I'm half tempted to just dump the VW! Heres everything so far, all of this started within the first month of owning it:
The car is fun to drive sure, and it looks damn good, but all these problems (at only 64k miles on a 2.0) make me want to dump it and dump it fast, before something really hits the fan. I lost my key to my VW Golf and they tell me the only option is to have it towed to the dealer, get reprogrammed and THEN they can order a key! What if I had locked my kids in the car? There has to be a way to at least get in the car?! Where can i start 2001 jetta Wolfsburg. Had the engine coil replaced three times - But under recall. Next right after my warranty was done. Ignition coil went bad($250), Temp regulator ($300), Real wheel Baring ($700) Alternator ($700), Washer fluid pump ($100). This being my first car and its not even paid off yet PRICELESS!!!!!!!! Unfortunately I only now know of this website since I've had problems with my 2004 Touareg - I would not have purchased one after reading everyone's disappointments. Most of my problems were fixed within a proper amount of time and with little to no argument. However, my keys are a different story. I cannot get into my vehicle using the push of the button. When that occurs, I use the key and insert into my door only to have the alarm sound. I am not receiving any help from customer service. I have never dealt with any company that has this bad customer service (I'm talking about their 800-822-8987). I wish we had never purchased this vehicle. I can't believe with this bad of a back-end that they remain in business. You are treated like a criminal -"no you can't speak to them" and "no you can't know who is handling your file" and "no you can't speak to anyone with authority". I have heard NO every time I request anything. I thought customer service was suppose to listen, help you and try to understand your problem not make you angry and feel disappointed and totally unsatisfied. Their "cloak and dagger" routine is unimaginable. I will never purchase another VW again because of their Customer Service! I hope the President and VP read some of this and fire all of them! Then revamp their entire attitude and customer service representatives. Where do I even start? My brother and I each own a 2000 Golf. I bought mine a couple of months after he bought his cuz it looked so cool. The problems started shortly after this:
The annoying thing is that my brother had almost all of the same problems happen on his car but our dealership claims they are isolated incidents. When we pointed out this website and others like it, they said "that's probably Honda dealers writing stuff to sell more of their cars". We have since changed dealerships THREE times but they are all the same. Limited success with Greenbelt VW in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Finally, a word of advice: VW's have a neat little "convenience" feature where you can put your key in the door lock and turn it left or right to put the windows up or down. This is great if you forget to put up all your windows or sunroof. IT IS ALSO GREAT FOR CAR THIEVES! My Golf was broken into when a thief used a drill to break the cylinder causing all the windows to go down. He then reached in and opened the door and no alarm went off. Before getting it fixed, you could use anything flat (house keys, coffee stirrers, a flattened pen) to re-break into the car. I would strongly recommend that you have your dealerships disable this "convenience" feature. Cars-That-Suck> No, I'm not a Honda dealership trying to sell cars. I don't even work in the car industry. Yes, my wife does drive a Honda Odyssey (and she loves it). And I no longer have a 99 VW Jetta. Shortly after the bundle of costly problems happened with my Jetta I walked into a Lexus dealership. I now own a certified pre-owned Lexus, and am very pleased with the vehicle and extremely pleased with the service. This website is still in existence because VW the company and the VW service departments I dealt with pissed me off. Consumers need to know the truth about VW products and the crappy service that goes with it. I love when people assume that just because they have a problem, that every single other person has the same problems. I'd hate to see what the people on this site think about minorities. Back on point though, 90% of the post on this site cite problems with the dealer, not the car. Secondly the window issue and coilpack issue are well known and publicized, so just because you failed to do your homework before buying the car its the companies fault? Haha ok then. If you take a little time to learn about your car, and perform the proper maintenance to prevent the issues, you'll be better off in the end. Alas though some people can't be troubled to do anything more than put gas in their car. Keep your bitching going, its nothing new. Cars-That-Suck> This site exists to help people do their homework when considering a VW. The window "issue" took years before VW admitted they even had a problem. Even then the VW services departments still gave customers grief about the thing - not to mention having to take your car in numerous times to address the same issue. I came across this site and have to agree that VW's do suck - at least mine does. I leased a 2002 VW Jetta GLS and within 1 week I started having problems. It is now 2005 and I have had: 3 sets of brakes, 3 oil pans, my drivers side window fell into my door and broke, my sunroof fell into my car as I was driving. I also have had 2 new front seats, and new heating coils in both seats. The stereo/cd player had to be replaced twice. The door handle consoles on the inside started peeling and had to be replaced. The paint on my hood is peeling off for no reason. Just to add to the list, I have had 2 new starters installed because it just stops running. I have had it in the shop more time than I have driven it and can't wait to turn it back in. I will never recommend a VW to anyone and will never get another one. Plus it sucks in the snow and I live in Syracuse, NY where we get buried in it!! I am now in the market for a Toyota Rav4!! Good luck for anyone still driving a VW - Your going to need it!! Man am I so glad to come across this web site. In 2002 I purchased a brand new 2002 VW Jetta 1.8t. Within 1 year of the purchase date I had the car in the shop literally twice a month (on average). First they said it was the Oxygen sensor then this then that I was sick of it! I was so mad I started filing complaints to get it fixed. Of course nothing came of it and about a 1 1/2 year into owning the piece of shit I got a post card advising a recall for engine coils. I got them all 4 replaced (3 TIMES) to get this issue fixed. There were many other issues with the car and the dealership and VW America customer service were the biggest F#$%# I have ever met. I used to believe companies (at least) tried to make the best quality product. I think the sold the fact they do not believe in that. Oh yeah, my car... totaled it! Some guy did me a favor and tried running a red light while I was passing. I truly believe I consider myself lucky... because my insurance paid me the full value of the car. To get to the point I was seriously considering another VW. A 2003 VW 2.0 Golf. The dealer I bought my last car sells mainly Volvo Saab and on occasion VW. He kept telling me the VW Golf is different and more reliable than the Jetta I once purchased. But after reading everything from 2001 to date made me realize how much I HATE VW!!! What the hell was I thinking of considering to buy another. VW... YOU CAN KISS MY ASS! I'll never own another! ok here goes, first of all, half you japanese crackers can't even spell volkswagen, yes that, v-o-l-k-s-w-a-g-e-n. spell it with me now, second of all, this is random shit that happenes to all cars, my 96 dub has no problems whatso ever, excpet that the hood is bent from a fault of MINE, not the dealers, when you open a glove box, do it cautiosly, don't just let it drop. so go jump back in your fat canned civics and drive away, oh and if you happen to come up to a gti, race it, see what happens. fuckers Cars-That-Suck> Random? Random repeat problems. Performance of a VW has not been discussed. And yes, the correct spelling does have an "en" and not an "on" at the end. I know this. If you knew the first thing about Internet search engines and how people commonly spell things incorrectly you would understand why I don't correct spelling for most of the posts to this website. Be sure to *cautiously* open that glove box - you wouldn't want to break a nail. My daughter has a 2001 Passat 1.8L. Yesterday she was driving it when the oil light came on and she stopped immediately. Highway Patrol stopped and checked her oil and said there was virtually no oil left. They added a quart and found that it was mixing with her antifreeze. It was towed to a garage and we were told that the head gasket "gave way" because it had overheated. She never had the overheat light come on. He now wants to replace the head, radiator, etc for $1981.00. He said this is not a result of oil sludge, but a result because the car overheated. What I want to know is could this be an oil sludge problem? I called the VW dealer and he said even if it was an oil sludge problem, it would not be covered because she has not been using synthetic oil which was is in her owners manual. The 2001 owners manual does not advise to use synthetic oil. Are these mechanics advised to say this? What should we do? Cars-That-Suck> It doesn't sound like a sludge problem. I wish I had some advice on what to do with the problem. If the car overheated and no light came on I would think that would be a faulty product. Of course, service lights come on all the time in VW for no reason. When you would expect one to it doesn't. This is the first I've heard of the synthetic oil argument. i'm not sure if we have a lemon yet! we bought my daughter a 1998 bug with about 60,000 miles. It was so cute! i have owned vw's ever since i have driven. they have always been the best cars. untill..... the stories i have just read make me mad! our car has had the check engine light on for the last year since we owned the car. we have to smog it so it has to in for repair. I'm afraid............very afraid! I have bet my husband that it's the 0'2 sensor. what do you bet? the drivers side door is also in peeling on the inside. The tail light is out and the mech needs the car for 1 day just to get into the area to change it. it also gets stuck in park every once in awhile. does any one else have this! problem? anyway, good luck to all I bought this 2002 VW Beetle Sport during Sep 2003 and within a few months, it was in the shop because the engine misfiring...I was informed I was using poor octane gas-I always use premium gas. A few months later the same problem and the same result...could not duplicate the problem. After the 5th appointment and a threat to invoke the lemon law, they repaired the Turbo. I did submit a complaint to VW of America-what a joke. I also complained to the Hawaii Consumer folks...no help. That was near the end of 2004. Shortly thereafter, a road hazard caused a tire failure. I could not remove the tire with the POS tool provided with the car and had to have it towed to a shop to remove the lug nuts...they had to drill out one of the lug nuts. Last week the trunk release stopped working and yesterday the passenger side window regulator broke so now more time away from work to repair this POS. Other minor problems: The gas cap retainer fell off, seatbelt bolt cover fell off, plastic latch on glove box broke, computer warning light activated. The VW maintenance guys damaged my car with their lift, but I did not notice it until I drove off-they refused to acknowledge the damage. That was my bad; now I make them walk around my car before/after each service/repair. I also have a 95 Honda Accord and the only maintenance it requires: oil changes. Would I buy another VW? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Hawaii VW maintenance is horrible, VW Cust Serv is a joke, and their products (at least the Beetle) lack any semblance of the quality you'd expect in a German automobile. I do plan to sell this car ASAP. Thanks for allowing me to vent! yes took a look at your site its kinda funny and sad all at same time. you can't spell Volkswagen haha. But you are right about volkswagen service dept, me being only 21 , they dont really look at me, or help me out with questions. You on the other hand should know that 1999 was the jetta's first year of production for the MKIV and that newer models get a lot of things rong with them. The fuel pump and all Volkswagen problems are Bosh's fault they supply Volks with all electronics pumps lights etc. and bosh replaced all the pumps and Volkswagen did replace them. Volkswagen can be a pain in the ass sometimes but I own one and never changed any thing on it exept oil for 350,000KM and I live in canada , I get the winters and chit climate here. my point being with volkswagen NEVER buy the newer models in there new production year. Cars-That-Suck> The 99 VW Jetta I had was the Wolfsburg and was the old "boxy" body style, not the new one. Received May 2005 Volkswagen is not known for their customer service...I just want to say that Dave Walter VW in Akron, OH has the shittiest customer service ever! I recommend that you do not shop there or take your VW there for service. They are not nice people...they suck. Purchased a 1.8t Jetta IV new in 2001. Driver's door panel had a tear, tooks months to get the part. Both from windows fell into the doors several times. Electric Window switch went bad. MAF replaced four times. Timing tensioner failed. Cold start problems since day 1. Oil pick-up got gunked-up. Dealer said the oil light was because I needed a new gauge cluster. I checked into the oil pump myslef and found the oil pick-up gunked-up. Word to the wise - use synthetic oil. I should have sold the car, but I could not dump this pile of crap on another person. To make matters worse, VW Customer Relations are the biggest bunch of, well,you get my point. There is hope. VW sales worldwide are falling, maybe they will learm you can't sell crap and expect people to take it. My prediction, Toyota will buy VW, just because they can. The new Jetta looks like a corolla. On 5-03-05 my wife with child and my 13 month old daughter were involved in a high speed collision that ended with my wife's 2004 Passat wraped around a tree. I purchashed this vehicle because of all the great safety features, the major selling point was the fact that this vehicle had drivers side, passengerside, and curten airbags. Well when my 'pregnant' wife and child crashed, the only airbag that went off was the passenger side airbag, and there wasn't even anyone in there. Thank God everyone is okay, but to imagine how much worse it could have been without the protection of airbags is just devistating. What HASN'T gone wrong with this car? After repeated trips to the dealership for a continuous loud creaking from the body of the car upon breaking, accelerating, and turning, they revealed to me that I was sold a car with an irreparable body flaw. After taking my complaint to the highest level in Canada, I was dismissed without so much as an apology, and informed that there was absolutely nothing they would do for me. More recently, when I tried to fix the back window of my car that was broken by vandals, the (unaffiliated) glass repairman told me that I was sold the car with twice the legal limit of tint on my window. He wouldn't break the law to fix it so it matched the other windows. So, I took it back to the dealership, inquiring why I was sold a car that didn't meet legal specifications, and what they would do to remedy the problem - absolutely nothing, was again the response. Not only wouldn't they tint my windows to the legal limit, they refused to pay the $40 bill to re-tint the one window. So, I have now got a new bumper sticker custom made, it says, "never buy a:", and I have placed it just to the left of my vw logo. Good luck to those thinking about buying a vw...my advice is GO ELSEWHERE! What can I say...a typical story about a bad VW dealer selling a bad VW product. I was stranded by the side of the road TWICE because of a known
ignition coil problem. I asked that they replace ALL of the faulty ignition coils the first time it happened...dealer said VW has not authorized them to do that. So I said, "I am going to be stranded on the side of the road again soon, you know that, right?" The answer. "Yes, we know that." 'nuff said. I have a 2001 VW and have had several problems with it. Whats even more a problem, I'll never buy another VW again they are ass wholes when you need warrent work, and the dealers are the same. I currently have a 97 GL Jetta, aka 'The Diesel Demon'(in the infamous 'Peeling Suede' colour). Aside from normal W&T, touch wood, nothing too horrible has happened except for little annoying things like the glove box handle breaking ($40 for the part, I did the work myself), moldings flying off, the inability to open the trunk using the key from the outside and creaky doors (thank God for Deep Lube). However, I had a leased 98 Golf that was demonically possessed-there could be no other reason for its behaviour: it locked me out(it had the electronic key fob), locked me IN, locked the MECHANIC who thought I was nuts INTO THE CAR FOR TWO HOURS until his wife came home and rescued him, self-opened the hatch on the highway, spit audio tapes into the back seat, and poured smoke from the radio, among other things. It went back before the lease was up, and DD was the next car. The first VW was a 95 Jetta that, aside from an initial issue with a replaced transmission (before 5000k) never gave me a moment's trouble. Now, DD is peeling along the bumper, the cruise control works once in a blue moon (the mechanic at VW was straight up and said, look, unless you've GOT to have it, it's not worth the money to get another sending unit), and it's getting a little tired, but I have found that tweaking it with things like synthetic oil and a little extra TLC, it has not been a bad car. However, the lower edge of the body panels are rusting (first time ever I had this happen), but I think that's because I am forced to live in Quebec where the concept of road clearance in the winter is to 'apply as much salt as possible and hope for spring'. Also, I agree with whoever was saying find a private mechanic: I have one who takes care of all this weird and wonderful maintenance for about 30% of the cost of 'real' VW mechanics. I have to admit, the dealerships (St. Catharines and Hagarsville, ON) have been very good: but then again, I am a *girl* know quite a bit about cars, which apparently scares the crap out of the service guys, so the bull&*#$ factor is really low. I have a volkswagen 1999 passat v6. Went for routine maintenance at 55k miles, and the dealer gave me a bill for $2600. First off, cv/book kits (or whatever that was) were torn and needed to be replaced. These are covered under power train warranty (10year-100k miles) but since i am the second owner, I am not supposed to be eligible for this warranty. friggin lowlifes. Battery supposedly needed to be replaced. front brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. front tie rods needed to be replaced. finally decided never to buy a VW again. i curse thee all the volkswgens of this world. I own a '99 VW Beetle, 60,000 miles, in the first year I owned the car, the passenger window motor broke, the rotors had to be replaced, the battery kept dying, the brakes lights would have to be replaced every time the battery went out. So six years later, I have had the temperature light on for four years and the dealership has no idea why and "can't" find the problem. I talked to a friend of mine that works there and said that it was a bad sensor, it was never replaced. I brought it in so many times and they never fix it. I live in a cool climate and have never used the air conditioning, but yet had to have the entire unit replaced because it mysteriously had a hole. The odometer doesn't work, as soon as I get the check engine light turned off it comes right back on. Now my car makes a scary rattling sound, and the trunk no longer opens. The speaker on the driver's side only works if I go over a bump, but even though it seems obvious that this is a wiring problem and the dealership "supposedly" rewired it and replaced the speaker multiple times, it still works intermittently. I have had the whole brake system and rotors replaced 3 times even though I own a stick!!!! (And know how to use it)(Never had to have the clutch replaced though and I abuse it to hell). SO as my car is turning 6 this next weekend, here is the list of problems that have not been fixed that I keep trying to resolve... Hello my brothas and sisters in VW HELL!!! I am just blown away by all of these postings! I have had all of the same problems...just had the engine on my 2000 Jetta rebuilt at 62K miles. At first the dealership said they would install a brand new engine later citing VW corporation's financial policy, they changed their tune and I got the rebuilt. Now I am fighting with them regarding reimbursement for my two week car rental...yep they will not provide even another shoddily made vw for you to get around town in. 2000 VW Passat I bought it new in 2000. At 45000 the torque converter went out. Lucky me it was under warrenty. 88000 miles the ABS Module went $1450 to replace. I will never buy another European car. It just costs to much to keep them. I'll probably buy a Hundi next, 100000 mile warrenty? I'm sick a tired of feeding the rich. If it isnt the Government with all there back door taxes, it's the Automakers with their warning lights that say feed me, feed me$$$ . . . Received June 2005 Bought a 2000 Passat wagon brand new, figured the 10 yr / 100K miles warranty would protect me. In 5 years (45000 miles only), I had to replace the emission air pump THREE times (emission system NOT covered by warranty), air flow sensor, power door lock and a power window motor. But when it had to be towed the second time within four months, I went straight to the Toyota dealer and walked away ith a new Camry. I have also had an awful experience with VW lately. I leased a 2002 1.8 T Jetta. The past year I have had nothing but problems with it. Since I travel so much for work, I ended up switching cars with my mother to save mileage so she's been dealing with the problems but she finally got tired of it, so now it's my problem again. The car has been in the shop about 5 or 6 times in the last 6 months or so. Right now it has been at Boston VW for over 3 weeks! Apparently there is some electrical problem, and they had to get some code from Germany in order to fix it. Last week, I got a call saying it was fixed, so I drove an hour to the dealership only to find that when I entered the car, I immediately noticed the odometer was unreadable, the power windows and sunroof didn't work. My husband has made several calls over the past week, getting absolutely nowhere. Finally today they have agreed to give me a loaner car, but this is after several days of arguing over the phone. Boston VW has terrible customer service. We have had a couple people swear up and down they would call us back, and we never heard from them. Not until my husband told them he's contacted the attorney general's website did we get any help whatsoever, and it took them over a week, and us giving them a deadline to do so!!!!!!!!! VW IS THE WORST!!!!! Greetings from Germany. Your website ist great. It feels good to know not only many people in europe have found out that VW sucks, no- you also know it. It is true. My family once owned a Golf III. we only owned it for half a year and then we sold it because it never drove a week without problems and lost a lot of money. VW builds ugly, expensive, slow, useless and most of all: unreliable cars. A lot of germans also hate VW. (they have to deal with those cars and their drivers every day - theyre just too many!) If you are eager to find more anti-VW information on the web, theres one trick: Ask for informations on websites that are about a car company that’s called "Opel" - another german car factory, VWs hardest competition on the market here. For this (and other, slightly complicated) reason, opel drivers hate VW drivers. Thats been going like this for a long time and there’s plenty of stuff that opel drivers have found out about VW and their useless cars. Have fun and keep that homepage going!!!!!!!! I Am going crazy.... Here it is a 1999 VR6 Jetta. IT runs perfectly, eccept it dies on me!!!!! When I slow to stop it just dies, at a high R.P.M it runs great, but let it idle and its over. Its an Automatic, I have taken it to VW Three times and of course it never Dies on them, they look at me like i'm crazy, and tell me there is nothing they can do because NO Check engine light is on, and their Diagnostic shows no problems!!!!! I have spent about a thousand Taking this car to other V.W dealers and trying to get this car fixed. I got a new throdel body, new mass air sensor, new fuel filter, checked the points I am at the end of the line HELP, I just want it fixed? Where is there an experienced V.W mechanic in Riverside, California?????? Or are there any Recalls on this car??? dude, your site is exactly what i would have made about the shitty 2 VWs we own. thanks for all the info on how bad vws suck. I finally paid off my 2000 Volkswagen Passat GLS after 5 years of payments and wouldn't you know that same month the ABS light comes on (I won't even go into the two times I needed to bring my car into the shop within the first month I owned it due to a faulty or missing part connected to the power steering in some way that caused a frightening grating sound while driving). Anyway back to the ABS, lights are flashing all over the dash, "STOP" "CHECK ENGINE" etc. and the thing beeps like crazy to annoy you into paying $1,400.00 to fix it as well as the fear of skidding out of control if you have to stop. I decide to wait who need ABS anyway and the dealer says I won't damage the car but the ABS will not work if the ABS light is on so be careful. Within a couple of months I'm forced to take the car in because a fuse was blown due to the sunroof motor cover being broken, the pieces go into the interior light switch and short out the whole car so it won't start. The car needs to be towed to the dealer for repairs. Then the dealer tells me the last person who changed my oil over filled the oil and they say this can damage the car the whole thing needs to be drained and a new oil change needs to be done. They also find that the coolant tank has a crack and this needs to be replaced and drained as well. I never noticed that the coolant was leaking prior to this incident but tell them to fix everything hoping this will be the end of it ABS and all. So a week and $2,236.06 later I get my car back hoping I won't have anymore problems. About 2 and a half weeks later the check engine light, the emission control work shop warning light are coming on and coolant is leaking all over my garage floor. I schedule an appointment to bring the car in and now they are telling me it does not have anything to do with the work they did but it is a problem with the catalytic converter and the coolant is leaking from the radiator and it will take about 13 hours of labor to fix a $250 dollar part. They want to charge me another $2,100.00 and at least 3 to 4 days in the shop to fix this. The only good thing was the EMC was still under warranty so they fixed that.
The car is only worth about $10,000.00 and they want me to spend nearly $4,500.00 in a 1 month time frame to fix something that is only 5 years old, has less than 80,000.00 miles and has been well taken care of. I am so disappointed in this car I will never by a Volkswagen again. I can't believe that a car that gets such great ratings in Consumer Reports has caused me so much grief! The poor gas mileage and high cost of the premium gas have not been helping either. I also had problems with the CV boots and have had to replace the headlights on numerous occasions as well as other problems that now seem minor to what I have been through in the past few weeks. I called the customer complaint line: 1(800)822-8987, the lady was very nice but could not do anything for me and says she has not heard about any of these problems before. I also plan to write to Volkswagen at: If I were to compile all of my service receipts for my 1999 Passat it would be impressive. Start with the electrical problems. The window motor that would not work and repeatedly shorted-out. The electrical harness under the front seat with multiple shortages and considerable work to repair numerous times. No AM radio! The third front end rebuild (they asked if I drove over bumpy roads), and now total leakage of my oil only 72 hours after an oil change. I was told that "this is not an uncommon problem; you need and entire new engine." My Passat is in the dealer's shop. I was fortunate enough to have purchased the extended warranty which expires in 17 days on 7-15-05. However they gave me trouble when I had my last front-end rebuild and threatened not to pay because there were so many warranty claims against my vehicle. I've really babied my Passat. My service technicians have been polite. The dealership has gone to bat for me to get problems covered. Its the vehicle. The design is good looking but there is something fundamentally wrong with the car in multiple areas. This was confirmed by my service writer this evening when I begged him to be honest and he said.. "It’s the car." Its a shame. I love my Passat but I feel I've had my heart broken. I'm stuck with a flawless, ebony black Passat with nary a scratch that I thought would last a few more years so I could afford to re-do my kitchen. Guess not. Never again VW. Hello used Lexus! I made the horrible mistake of leasing a 2002 VW Jetta. Boy, did I learn my lesson and a very expensive lesson at that. I have had pretty much all of the parts on my car recalled. I have my check engine light come on about every 3 months for no reason. The dealer keeps telling me that it's a problem with the electrical work and they can't really fix it, they will just need to keep resetting it. I don't know if the VW service people are qualified or trained really to work on these cars??? The last big thing was that I brought my car in for it's regular oil change, which I do every 5000 miles, and the dealership did the oil change and gave me my car back. Well on my way home with my child in the car with me, the car just stalled. I called VW to come and tow the car back to look at it and wouldn't you know the VW dealership did not put oil back in the car. Which I believe is a big part of having the car run properly. So they had to do some work on the engine and had to replace the turbo and then charged ME $3000 for all the work. After they flushed out the car, left it sitting outside in the very old Chicago winter weather and didn't put any oil back in the car. Not only did they jeopardize my own live, but the live of my child. I will NEVER buy a car from VW ever again. I have made it very clear to VW many, many times. I have ever made my comments about VW's to customers looking at buying a new VW while I was waiting for past oil changes, because you know it takes the dealership over 3 hours to just simply change the oil in the car. What a joke of a car these are. People need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into. Now my lease is up in just a month and I can not wait to get rid of it and be done with it forever!! First of all, I would like to thank the creator of this site for making a site where i can see that other people are experiencing the same problems I am having with my volkswagon. Here is my story... Received July 2005 Girl-friend's Volkswagen 2001 Cabrio 2.0l. Check engine light came on. Oxygen sensor replaced for about $200. Check engine light comes back on after 3/4miles. Research on the internet revealed that the error codes have been seen in connection with a broken Mass Airflow Sensor. Dealer still insists that throttle body is bad and replaces it $800. Check engine light comes back on after about 15miles. Finally dealer replaces Mass Airflow Sensor $200, but only piad $100 due to discount of 50% after calling Volkswagen America. Wondering: How high are the chances that all three parts break at the same time? Why would the dealer not replace the cheaper part first? Dealer insists that error codes are only vague and do not usually let them identify a part. True? Dealer was University Volkswagen Seattle. I bought a brand new golf 5 in November 2004. On receiving this vehicle i was very impressed only to realize that I bought troubles all the way, to this very day no dealer can tell me what the real problem is as this car cuts out suddenly at any given time. the vehicle has been in and out of the workshop at least 5 times, and the problem is still not solved. As my job demands a lot of traveling I don’t really have the time to run to and fro to these incompetent dealers. To let the world know out there this car has only done 8500 km. My advice don’t touch this vehicle with your mother in laws hands. From a HIGHLY FRUSTRATED VW owner. I am the owner of a 1995 Jetta III GL. I bought it when it was a couple of years old, and the original owner knew what he was doing by dumping it. I have replaced numerous things expected from everyday maintenance, such as plugs, shocks, struts, brakes, etc., but too many of the repairs are from faulty workmanship of Volkswagen. My car has had numerous electrical problems. I have also had to replace: After reading some of these stories I myself own a 1996 Jetta which my engine light came on like a month after I bought it off a private owner and take it to the mechanic and they tell me i need a secondary air pump which from the dealer will cost me 700 bucks which I dont have! Also I work at a port where they ship in Volkwagons and Audi's and let me tell you off the problems with these new 2006 Jetta'a and Passats, its unreal so if anyone out there looking for a brand new Volkswagon.. Please dont buy one ...you will regret it!! I totally agree with you when you say vw sucks because they do. I have a 2000 Passat and I have had nothing but trouble out of my car. I have owned this car for a year and a half and 8 times it has been in the shop costing more than 700 dollars. Why do they keep letting them get away with building such a bad car. I could have got a real piece of shit from the go and had better luck. Received August 2005 I have you all beat. One cold morning, my 2000 Beetle Turbo would not start. I had it towed to the dealership to ascertain the problem. The dealership changed the oil??, swap out the turbo, mass flow sensor, computer, and numerous other parts. Unable to correct problem, VWOA suggested that the car may have a bad ground wire. Dealership changed 11 of the 12 ground wires and still no resolve, waited for delivery of the 12th ground wire ( should have started with that wire). Still no correction of problem. Finally someone had the bright idea to check the vacuum hoses. Problem corrected after $4500 repair bill and 6 weeks at the dealership (no loaner!!!!) --luckily for me it was under warranty and I only had to pay $400 ( for broken driver's seatbelt wire and oil change). Within six months of this episode, I was tooling down the highway at approximately 60 mph and stepped on gas to pass slower traffic—car stalled -- broken timing belt idler. Recently while leaving parking lot driver's side door swung open -- door latch malfunction --$160 for part and $200 for labor. When you call VWOA, they listen to your complaint but do not hear you. They usually say they are sorry for your dissatisfaction but never offer to send you a check for your expenses. I can deal with problem with cars / trucks but when safety issues arise, any manufacturer should jump when informed of problems I could have been rear ended on highway, could have fallen out of vehicle when door swung open, could have bought a YUGO instead. My 2003 Passat is peeling! The interior, that is. Everywhere. I am going into my second warranty repair. This time they have to replace the ENTIRE DASH! My car will be at the dealer for about a week. Since I didn't buy it from my local dealer, I don't get a replacement car, of course, despite that fact that their interior material is obviously very defective! I guess I'll sell after I get the dash replaced. Absurd! My car was peeling after less than a year. I have to say, I never thought about a car peeling....that was one thing I didn't think of. Also, the car had an oil leak after 500 miles...and a problem with the truck...and whatelse have I forgotten? Let's just say Jenny ain't gonna be buyin any more VWs! I'm going back to the Japanese.... To all my brothers and sisters, yes VW's Suck. I’ve never talked to anyone who’s enjoyed their volkswagen other than the 80's and earlier cars. I have a 96 jetta that has been a total p.o.s since I bought it and it was 2 years old. Here’s my list, outside trim don’t stay on, inside trim falls apart, radio fell apart, wipers don’t turn off (screw vw, I wired in my own switch to turn them off) Throttle position sensor went, cant buy it separately , need to get a new throttle body(wtf!) Both door lock broke within 2 months of each other, Has always pissed oil all over, plastic pipe attached to engine broke, (they say it’s a very common occurrence (ya because its made of 39 cent a pound cheap poly pro, sorry i work in plastics) relay problems, Car is now sputtering all over the place, don’t start half the time, bucks like one of those riding bulls. And there’s much more but i really cant go on Im depressed now lol. I took care of this car, now i refuse, Im on a mission to kill it dead now, then i have an excuse to get VW outta my life forever. Screw their cars, their service, their part prices. (they only good thing in my car is the damn 10 year old battery that’s taken everything that’s been thrown at it, there Ill give VW that one.) Other than that, Don’t ever buy a vw, oh how i wish I never got rid of my 87 Honda accord (greatest car ever made), only thing i ever needed to fix on that car was a ignition switch, and obviously the normal stuff, brakes, oil plugs wires. 280,000 miles, sat in my driveway for 18 months and started up first shot when i sold it, all the while I was dealing with my 96 VW CRAPPA GL Really like the site. During the almost 15 years that I service manager for VW, I had quite a few incidences similar to some of these. However, they were still making VWs back then and the water cooled were just beginning to surface in Europe. I have had dozens of both and raced both. I also had problems with both. At the behest of many of my customers, I opened my own shop. Due to poorly trained mechanics, I did the majority of the work myself. The reason I wrote this was to tell this story about a 62 year old lady who had been a customer of mine for years. She sent me so many customers, I never needed to advertise. She had a '76 Rabbit with Fuel Injection and A/C that was continually having problems. She was old school until I suggested that she force them into satisfying her. As luck would have it, the car was a yellow 4 door. We came up with a good scheme. I got her some of the large "Real Lemon" signs from the local A&P grocery store. One for the hood, one for the back and one for each side. A friend of mine did some excellent lettering. He named the dealership and stated that they and VW should repair or replace the car. Every contact was referred to her lawyer....who also owned 2 VWs. She averaged 3 hours a day driving around town and would conveniently make 6-8 passes by the dealership. The spark came from a competing dealership in the neighboring town. Seems it had been effecting his sales as well. He had a factory rep come down and meet with he and the owner. She called me at home just doubling over with laughter. VW gave her the book value on her car, let her choose the car she wanted, doubled the time and mileage on her warranty and signed an agreement that she would have all of her repairs free, for a full ten years from the time she took delivery. My husband owned a 2000 Golf Diesel. He checked this vehicle out thoroughly through consumer reports etc. and found it to be the safest vehicle on the road. In September of 2000 he got into a car accident. The air bags did not deploy, he changed the tires before one year of driving, there was a recall on that make and model of vehicle. To make a long story short he was killed in this accident. Due to no fault insurance in Saskatchewan, Canada I can not sue. According to Police Reports if the airbags would have deployed as they should have he would still be here with us today. My wife has a 99 Jetta & I have an 02 Golf TDI. We love the cars, the way they drive and feel. But the quality issues I have read about at your site seem all too familiar. Passenger window just fell. $1350 cat. converter (found on internet for $300) Interior poor quality, broken glovebox, etc. etc. Many of the complaints I have read about with dealerships though can in most cases be taken care of easily.....Small claims court. I am sure a local judge would love to teach these dealerships a lesson. Fast talking sales people or service managers just don't get away with it in court. And this way they have to take a day off also. Very easily done, very cheap, and you will almost always win. you can do it over & over again. Keep good records. You'll humiliate the dealership when people see the court record listing in the paper. It works!!! 1992 Passat 2.0 L. 16V: In 30,000 miles the following maladies have befallen me: I have a 2002 volkswagen GTI. The engine coils had to be replaced twice. The radio was finally replaced after it quit working three times. The latch on the center console broke(luckily while still under warranty). Recently while driving to work my air conditioner stopped working and my car started to over heat. Luckily, I made it to the dealership where I was told they would try to fit me in(it has been three days)and that the fan that had broken would cost over a 1,000.00. Just happens my warranty is expired by 320 miles. My husband talked to customer service rep and we were told volkswagen would pay for the repairs. Maybe they are realizing how much they suck and want to make ammends? I am sure this is just the beginning of my journey with volkswagon. I will never purchase another. Got rid of my vw last year. Worst POS in the world. Went straight to a Japanese import. My wife's Accord (bought in 99) has never been to the dealer as yet. My 3 year old VW - 16 times. Guess what I bought? Anyone considering a WV - Don't do it. 2002 VW Golf TDI: My VW is unreliable and want to ensure no one else buys this crap. Problems include carbon up problems, Door seals, temperature sensor, driver door switch for 'lights left on' buzzer, premature failure of front wheel bearings, glow plug / glow plug wiring harness, oil pan heater failure. I am in a colder climate and the car carboned up twice now. The fuel mileage has never recovered beyond 53 mpg. I purchased a winter front to keep the diesel running hotter in the winter and believe this should be standard equipment for climates with a winter season. This car is the most unreliable peice of junk I have ever owned. Since buying a used 99 Golf from a VW 1 1/2 years ago, (thank god it came with 2 year warranty) I've been in the shop 4 times. First when I got it home the first day, the passenger door handle wouldnt open. Brought it in, they broke some part trying to fix it and it took 8 days to finally get part. Finally after day 6 they got me a rental since they had no loaners avail. Then I had a sound from my wheel that another friend mechanic said was wheel bearings, but VW couldn't find anything...still have the clunk. Then all my Power Steering Fluid leaked out and needed a Steering Rack. A few days later got it back, but for some reason was still leaking steering fluid. Brought it in a month later ( which is now) and needs a P. Steering Line, which I have now been waiting for for 5 days, the part was supposed to be over-nighted!!! Again, I can't get a loaner, they never have any parts on hand, and delivery of the parts takes forever! I love VW's when they work...but I'm finding with mine thats not very often. I have a 99 wolfsberg Jetta NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS!!
I've had 8 windows/clips replaced Received September 2005 Hi, I have my own sad story at www.BadNissanInfinitiCars.com we own a 2000 jetta. this thing has been a lemon from day one. piece o shit. Oh, boy. What did I get myself into? I bought 2001 golf, brand new. Had trouble with airbag light and sort but it was flawless until nightmare began... I had a 02 Jetta. I experienced many problems with my car and just before reading all the comments on your web site almost bought another one. My car held up good for the crap I put it through. Cookies in the snow and off roading in the mountains and san dunes. Prior to getting the thing repoed.. Both windows fell in and I had to prop them up with a chair leg by taking the door panel off before I could take it in.. because it rains around here. Also the little light in the side door would fall out and I would be driving down the road and people would point. I lost my key and had to have one made.. By the way only Volkswagen can make them so I had to have my car towed 200 miles to the nearest dealership and then paid over 300.00 for a new key. What a bunch of crap. Plastic pieces would fall off all over the place and I didn't even know where they went. The other people were right the car was falling apart as I drove it... I have a 05 Chevy Silverado and Love IT! The jetta looks nice on the outside..beware!! We bought my 2001 VW New Beelte Turbo from a Honda dealership in Muncie Indiana the first week in January 2005! She ran perfectly for the first month! Then the check engine light came on. We called the dealership only to find out we had to contact the VW people b/c it was under manufacturers warranty. We called and it said it wasnt covered under thier warranty. OK. So we finally found somoene to work on it and it cost us 413.00!! Thinking all the problems were over we continued to drive her everywhere! Two weeks later, the check engine light came on AGAIN!! And the OIL light. Keep in mind, she gets all regular maintainence on time if not a little early. Everytime we stop, the engine light flashes NONSTOP! We use the best gas possible! We just replaced the oxygen sensor and so far it is working. In january we are trading her in and taking the LOSS!!! NEVER again will I contemplate a VW!!! I have a 2002 Jetta TDI. Car isn't so bad but I have to admit that the customer service is pretty bad. One thing I don't understand is why they can't find the problems with the car. I've had a flat spot in the turbo after the car has gone over a 100km trip. You'll be driving when all of a sudden the car loses power. The car is out of warranty and the turbo still does the same thing. Got the seat heater problem replaced and found out when I got the car back that the spring came off underneath the seat. Phoned VW Canada and they couldn't give a shit. "Oh I'm sorry the car is out of warranty." Great Customer Service VW. You guys suck!!!! Beware sell the car when its out of warranty. The dealership in RENO nv, LITHIA MOTORS, is the worst dealership, I have ever DEALT. with, They have put the screws to me and about EVERYOTHER vw owner in RENO AREA. LEAST TO SAY IT'S the only place to take your new vw's. I bought the life oil change program and When I make a appointment I have to wait about a week to get it done. It cost me 1600.00 dollars and Im about ready to go back to jiffy lube. and there is no way to get my money back, my car has been in the shop for many things, vw knows how to make money I HAD A 2003 VW Beetle and it was the worst mistake that I had ever done to purchased a VW. I had oil consumption problem, paint, CD Player malfunctioning, dash board pealing....and so on...VW from Somerville, NJ keep telling me the same shit that these other VW Dealers keep saying...NO F at !# Problem with you car. Finally I had it and traded the car in on May 2005. I would like to be part of the Class Action lawsuit, so that we can all get reimbursed for the pain and suffering we all have been put through. I see that the new PissAt has a new pedestrian crash front. They are advertising this on national TV. So now you can run people over and it won't dent your VW. What kinda of crap is that. Not to mention that they use two black guys to advertise the commercial. I thought racism was a thing of the past. Who knows? What is this world coming to? Isn't this a great way to vent about our VW's? Sad to say, but I feel better knowing that I'm not the only one who's had serious issues with their car. For months, heck years, I've been ready to sell my
2001 Jetta, but I don't think I'll have enough $ to add to another car purchase. Then again, after reading all these horror stories, I should re-think it over. I have a story so similiar to all of these. I purchased my Volkswagen brand new in 2002, shortly there after I was driving down the road and my freakin' window randomly popped and fell down inside of my door due to the defective window regulator. The certified Volkwagen technicians had my car for a week to fix a window regulator. Since i was only anticipating them to have my car for a few days, I had to go halfway through the week to get some items out of it, when I went inside of the garage and was receiving items from my trunk I noticed that the trunk wouldn't latch, nor would my doors lock or unlock. Sounds like these certified technicians really know what they're doing, right? I'm sorry, I forgot to mention the peeling off of the interior ( was considered normal wear) and the same black/yellow goop dripping out of door! Received October 2005 I only wish I had done the research before buying my 01 Beetle. I bought it used in 04. Same story. The check engine light comes on and goes back off. The seatbelt light never goes off. At times the car won't go out of park. I have to sit and wait awhile and try again, repeatedly. The seats have water marks all over them. The button that opens the trunk is now somewhere inside the door. Now a new problem, nearly everyday, it will not start until I try many times. When it finally does, there are very strong fumes in the car. It smells like contact cement. It is getting worse daily. I am so mad about this car. I always get comments on my cute little car. I always tell people to NEVER buy a VW. I own a 2001 New VW Beetle. I am wondering if you or anyone else has a problem with the odor associated with the car. The air inside the car always feels eavy and it smells like some sort of chemical or something. No matter how long I keep the windows open or air it out or fill it with air fresheners, the smell remains. This horrible smell also attaches itself to clothes and hair so that every time I use the car, I have to take a shower to remove the odor. Please help me figure out how to rid myself of this problem. The Germans came back empty on VWs being driven here in America and we have been given a raw deal and they continue to do so with impunity. Yet, as the name suggests, a volkswagen is supposed to be a people's car. Unfortunately, it is not, starting with the price tag. Given the money one pays for a VW, one would expect excellent engineering from the manufactures who would make sure that the car does not just break down anyhow. Also, VW dealerships would not be demanding an arm and a leg for the shoddy work they do to fix repairs. And just in case somebody did not notice, other repair shops have caught wind of what we, the people who are supposed to be proud owners of VWs, experience and won't help us. Jiffy Lube and Walmart told me they stopped changing oil on VWs. Another repair shop told me they would not want a lawsuit on their hands from a customer claiming they had ruined his or her vehicle when it already had pre-existing conditions. At this particular shop, their management, having heard of the problems owners of VW cars experience and aware of the crappy service they get at VW dealerships, made a decision to stay away from VWs, hoping to avoid a frustrated owner who may just be looking for an opportunity to get "reimbursed". A few of my nightmares: a) failure of/delay of gears to shift properly (VW's excuse: Every car adapts to how one drives. My take: So everytime somebody else drives the car, you must reset the computer? And you demand payment for that too? This really is a stupid car.) b) wipers won't work. (VW's excuse: water got into the motor? My take: Really?) c) Rubber trimming coming off (VW's excuse: Sometimes that happens when water gets in. My take: I see a lot of Jettas, not Toyotas or Hondas, with loose or without the trimming, and you blame it on water not the engineering?) d) Radio not working (VW's excuse: Sometimes you need to re-enter the code several times. My take: Just drove the car to the dealership and the greatest irony--they could not use/enter their own code!) People, VWs are, simply put, rotten. Anyway real way VW makers can feel our pain? VW Petition for oil sludge problems with 1.8T engines. http://www.petitiononline.com/VWSludge/petition.html
I also am a strong believer in the fact that vw SUCKS! I have been the not so proud owner of a 1998 beetle for about 4 years. I'll make this short because I would hate to type for hours. Let me just say a few words. SEALED TRANSMISSIONS, FLORIDA, FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! Oh no that’s not all. Again I live in Florida my AC died and that was over two thousand dollars not to mention all the little things and the 89 dollar diagnostic fees!! I would have to guess and say somewhere around 8 thousand total. But do I get a free T-shirt or something? NO!!!! Thanks I feel better, I will never purchase or recommend any type of Volkswagon. Not even to my worst enemy. Worst car company ever! My 2000 Jetta has had random crazy crap happen to it. It has leaked oil ever since I bought it. I would go to check it and there would be none. Almost at 3,000 miles on the dot. The dealership repair guys (which I don't even want to get into!!!) said it's NORMAL to consume oil, but no car I've ever had did that before! I hit a rock and busted the oil pan one day, and my friend welded it for me. Amazingly enough it has not leaked oil since...hmmmm......My favorite is the closed transmission system. GENIOUS :( You cannot even check the fluid, and if it gets a leak or something minor...guess what? YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SYSTEM! CHA-CHING! Since VW parts cost about 3x as much as domestic veh. parts..guess how much that will cost you! I don't even want to think about it. They told me they would charge $95 just to tell me what's wrong with it. They keep my car for days just to fix a recall, and I live an hour away from the dealership...think they give me a rental? HAHA FAT CHANCE. They treat me like an idiot, try to rip me off at every turn. The Monkey asked me what recalls needed to be fixed. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Don't you know? You do this every day, you tell me what needs to be fixed! I lost track after the third recall!! It's supposed to be done free of charge, but if you aren't careful they will try to charge you labor! I saw your web-site and totally agree...Volkswagons SUCK! Oh, did I mention parts just randomly fall off my car? I have a whole shoebox full of random pieces...guess they aren't essential b/c the car still runs, sometimes. I bought a new 04 jetta tdi in march of 04. I loved the car, excellent milage, great seat, everything as advertised. Then on day on my way home it starts spitting and sputtering. It has 7500 miles on it. So VW tows it to my dealer (Team VW in Johnstown PA). I call in next day and Jeff Ott (service MGR) says "yea we checked it and haven't fixed yet, but It WILL be covered by warranty, we will call you." Well a week later I call back. "yea not fixed but will be covered, no,no loaner" 2 days later they call "you had bad fuel, NOT covered by warranty." I suspect that in the last 2 days is first they looked at it. Well to make a long story short it ended up that I needed either to have the injectors cleaned or replaced. They would work on it. They did for 42 days total before I went ballistic on my salesman. I think 4 customers in the dealership left while I was in my best form. They ended up trading me for a subaru they had. To top this all off the salesman calls me 2 weeks later and asks me to talk to the guy looking at my old car and "oh, it's fixed now!" I told the guy to find the nearest exit and run for it. Service at Team VW sucks and no one should buy from them. Received November 2005 I am a Master VW Technician and yes the VW product line has many problems. Quality control is almost non existant as is the quality control of VWs suppliers. VW lost sight of the future under ceo Peich. Volkswagen of America is in total disaray as far as policy and doing the right thing for the customer. Also service information that can be put to use in the field is layered through the company ie Techline, Product Support, QTM,s FOM,s and people in engineering both mechanical and electrical. One has to work through the corporate pecking order in order to repair a problem. There is no free lunch at VOA. I own a piece os Sh*%t Jetta 1999 1/2. Tranny doesn't shit right and I burn almost as much oil as gas but VW considers this with in factory limits. I guess the limit is CRAP! Now I have to go and change $200.00 worht of O2 sensors! Never again - F VW FARFRAMOVIN CRAP! I would like everyone to know that I was looking online for a goddamn VW manual, as my car has once again, decided to act "abnormally". Then I came across this site. I have been sitting here literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD. I have a 1998 VW Jetta GLS. I have been joking about this car being a piece of shit for years. I had NO idea everyone has the same problems I do. The thing that is hilarious is that they all have the same problems. Why the HELL is VW not addressing this? Most people *they drive Hondas, Fords, and anything other than Volkswagens* say their car broke down, and something NORMAL *read: alternator* has gone out. With a VW, the fucking windows fall out of their goddamn sockets. Or better, how's this for a new one: My ALARM likes to go off whenever it is cold outside and I can't get out of my car without disarming it. So when we VW owners say my car broke down, the damn thing is in pieces. To date, I have no cruise control, two windows that have fallen down (HOW THE HELL DOES A WINDOW FALL DOWN!?!), no adapter, engine light (all in all, my dashboard is lit up like a damn Christmas tree), an entire transmission that was replaces, an ignition switch (VW told me maybe my keys were too heavy and WORE IT OUT), a broken truck latch, and I shit you NOT, pieces are FLYING off my car! Everyday, it's some new, unheard of thing. I WISH I could have a normal problem, like oh, it's just the damn alternator. The cost of repairs is unheard of. If I thought it would fix it, I'd pay. But when you have the same BLOODY window fall apart twice, you are a lot less likely to actually fix it for $300 TWICE. So, what do I do? I stick a vice grip in the window to keep the damn thing up. DO YOU KNOW? And I know you DO! HOW EMBARRASSING IT IS to have your window being held together by PLIERS!!?? When my driver's side one went out, I had to get out of my car to use the ATM. VW, I hate you. You have done nothing right AT ALL, and I am obviously not the only one you have SCREWED. I will never buy a VW again, and will go straight to the Honda dealership as soon as I am able. Well I was thinking about buying a new (2006)vw bug. In fact I put a thousand dollar deposit on one, should be in next week. Then I read your site. Talking about letting the air out of my ballon! I did notice that most of ya'll's complaints are on a Jetta. Does that help me any? Does my chances of a lemon go down any? Also you had one letter from a Patrick that talks about if the vin # is 1 it comes from USA, #3=Mexico and if the vin # is W it is from Germany. Does this help your chances for a better car if it comes from USA or Germany than from Mexico? Don't know but is there sites like this one on every car? So HELP me everyone if you want a small car that is convertible what do I get? Please reply quick next week now is coming fast. i have/had a 99 jetta that i bought brand new. it caught on fire yesterday when i tried to start it. has this happend to anyone else? it is at the shop right now hopefully to be pronounced totaled b/c i am no longer happy with my car. there have been several major problems with it, but i want to know if anyone's car caught on fire or maybe why? Cars-That-Suck> There have been cases of fuel pumps in Jetta's causing the car to catch fire - even when the engine is off. 3 months old!!!! 2006 VW JETTA TDI. (1st month 1/2) after driving on the highway for over an hour i was going to downshift coming into construction when i realized that the clutch was stuck to the floor. Dealer fixed under warrenty. They had it for over a month waiting on parts. finally got my car back and a week later was coming home from work and was going to down shift coming into the toll booth and the clutch was stuck to the floor again. This time dealer says its my fault and warrenty will not cover this. Customer suck up line hasnt helped, cant seem to reach the rep that visited the dealer and the service manager is the one who came to this conclusion. They say that both times the clutch fell apart. Has anyone else had this problem? I don’t want to mention all the problems that this little junk car (VW Jetta 2001) has create in my life The car was fine,,, after so many repairs and lots of $$$$$$$$$, anyway, today the battery went bad, the car only will start if I jump the battery, I replace the battery, I start driving to work and then lights start flashing, took the car to service and (very nice), the little car from Hell, give me another surprise, I ask my self,Did I did somthing wrong in my other life???? Now the transmission will not shift correctly, if I use the trans. Manually, it seems fine, when I go back to auto, The gears will not shift and then they will shift normal and then they will not, please help, I only change the Battery, and the dealer is going to take my Christmas savings, they already took my vacation savings twice. Are there some tips that may help? Maybe this car needs to have reloaded some of the codes? Help me please, is there some tips to follow????. And also, I will never never will buy a VW again I have always been a VW lover. I have 2 1969 vans and a 1970 bug. I have also had a 1999 and a 2003 beetle. Both of the new cars have been totaled. The 1999 warranty paid over $14,000 in repairs. I lost control of it and it flipped 3 times end over end, in which I am now on total disability for brain damage to my memory section. The 2003 model, I have found through lots of research, that there is a problem with the steering box, in which I had no control over the steering wheel, needless to say it lost control, went airborne (while flipping). The car has since been sold, to be redone and sold again. I don't wish my daily headaches on my worst enemy and I can not get VW Corp. to respond to any of my calls. If anyone else has had this problem, please e-mail me. I no longer have a productive life, I can't finish my one year left for my 2 BA degrees, and I no longer have a career. New buyers please beware. I am the owner of a 1995 Jetta III GLS. In March of 2004, I began to have problems with my automatic transmission. The gear panel on the dash totally lit up and distinguishing what gear you were in was not possible. Then it started to skip from drive to third (especially when it rained). And the final straw....it finally became stuck in limp mode. Had it replaced with a brand new transmission. Well sad to say in April of 2005....the same transmission problems again. When I returned the car to the repair shop that did the work, they would not repair the problem stating the Volkswagen dealership where the transmission was purchased only gave them a 12 month-12,000 mile warranty. The new transmission was only 12 months and two weeks old and had only gone 9,000 miles. I was not informed of the warranty on the transmission when the work was done and on my receipt it did not have a warranty stated, just that it was a new transmission ($3000.00). The excuse I keep hearing is that the transmissions from that year had a lot of problems. Well the first one lasted 10 years, how could a brand new one only last 12 months? Any suggestions. Reading all the horror stories I am scared pretty bad! I have three VWs. A 2002 Beetle, 2003 Jetta and 2005 Passat, all TDIs. The only problems I've had have been with the Beetle that the dealer fixed under warrenty with no fuss. Granted all mine have low milage. The Jetta with 42K has the most miles and no problems so far. The $60 oil changes are hard to swallow but the 40-50 miles a gallon is great! I have used 4 different dealers for service 1 bad, 1 fair and 2 that I could not ask for more !! I have to wonder from all the post if I should bail out now while they are still running!!! Received December 2005 I have a 1997 VW Jetta III which was my dream when I got into the working world after college. The car had its basic problems up to 100K in mileage except the rubber trim strips on the doors which I redid myself with some heavy duty 3M double sided tape. There is no point to take it to VW or their service department since they are flat out idiots. I found a local VW guy to do my clutch and transmission with labor for $875 after I hit 100K. VW quoted me $1060 for the clutch/labor alone. Do they think I'm freakin retarded or something? I love the way my Jetta drives and handles, but it's unfortunate I will never buy a VW again and I have passed that word on. So all you kids out there with these souped up VW's, be prepared for problems unless mommy and daddy can bail you out with repair cost. Find somebody local if possible, but never and I say NEVER go to a VW dealer for service because they have no clue of what SERVICE means. I addition, the electrical system speaks for itself. I have had the plugs, wires, coil replaced several times from wires arcing and pistons misfiring and the check engine light coming on all of the time. This morning coming to work in the dark my headlights went on and off after using the high beams, probably another shortage in the switch after using the high beams. What the heck is that all about? Offcourse another electrical problem. If anybody out there likes to do their own repair like myself, check out this website for disconted VW and German parts. www.gprparts.com I always call VW first to see what they plan raping me with price wise and I usually call them back with GPR price just to rub it in. This gives me satisfaction. After model or not, these parts have yet to fail me. One last thing, DO NOT BUY A VOLKSWAGON!!! We help consumers resolve their lemon car, truck, SUV, jet ski, boat(and other consumer product) problems in 10 states. We have been assisting consumers for 10 years. www.yourlemonlawrights.comI purchased a VW Passat TDI wagon in July of 2005. My problems began in September of 2005. The vehicle exhibits a lurching or jerking sensation at 50MPH. I took the vehicle in for service and was informed that I must have gotten bad diesel and they replaced the fuel filter and suggested that I purchase fuel from another fuel station in the future. The fuel filter did not resolve my problem and I returned to the dealership. My car has been in for this problem several times and is now waiting for the 3rd "quess" part to be installed to attempt to resolve the issue. The kicker is that all the diagnostic tests that are run on the car indicate that there is no problem. In addition the lurching/jerking sensation is now exibited at 30, 40, and 60MPH. I was informed today that my vehicle will be repaired within warranty but that they are refusing my request to have the vehicle replaced or bought back. Suck doesn't even begin to describe this peice of crap I own. 2002 Cabrio Brand new off the lot and from day one TROUBLE>You name it it has gone wrong: window motor, cruise control, seat heaters, streering arm, gas tank, fuel fill assembly, front grill, roof hinges, and small interior pieces that keep falling off. rear cup holder, bracket for rear seat belt, c.d. player 12 pack they installed, and yes the list goes on. Yes I still own it because it is worthless to sell. Friday car?? Monday car? No just a shit car. I found your web site looking for information on the Gen 5 GTI, and I must say, I have to laugh. I bought a 2001.5 Passat GLS for my wife after someone totaled her Nissan Sentra. We have 67,770 miles on it and have not had a single problem (knock on wood). As a car guy, I can do most things myself, but for the sake of simplicity, I let her take it to Valley VW in Fayetteville, NC for service. She has the oil changed every 5000 miles per the service schedule, tires rotated every other oil change, major services done at the proper intervals, and the car runs as good as new (maybe even a bit faster). I agree that some of the service is a bit over priced but Valley has a great service department. Every time they change the oil, they wash and vaccum her car. Never have a problem getting an appointment for service. Had the fender well recall to protect the gas tank done. Based on the reliability and experience with her car, I am going to buy a 2006 GTI for myself. I find a fewcommon threads on this site: Most of the cars listed with problems are Golfs, Beetles, or Jettas which are all assembled in Mexico. The few Passats listed were bought used or are older than 2000 and mostly are "sludge" problems. Speaking of, since most Passat's are sold with the turbo motor, we must keep one thing in mind, any time you drive a turbo in stop and go traffic, you have to "idle down" the turbo other wise you will cook the oil within the turbo housing. When you start the car back up, this oil will be pumped back thru the system eventually fouling up the oil pump and will also kill your turbo. I can say that I have had way more problems with my chevy than the VW. Take it for what it's worth, not every care is built the same way, but the VW's built in Germany are stellar. Most Jetta owners should have just spent 2000 more and bought the Passat. I have a 2002 golf with 40,000 miles on it. It has been babied from day one. The brakes have recently begun to have problems. VW dealer looked at it and charged me $50.00. A brake specialist looked at it and did not charge me for it but now the brake light is on all the time. When the brakes get warm after driving in traffic the car seems to bog down. It loses power and seems to take a lot more effort to get going. The brakes have even locked on me and did not want to release. I drive every cautiously and consideratly. I never PUSH the engine faster than it wants to go. Therefore I can tell when trouble starts because the vehicle sort of speaks to you through the wheels. I have a feel for cars because I have had VW's for several years and can TELL when something is not quite right. Anyway, An impossible amount was given to me by the VW dealer and it was verified by the brake shop. I inspected the brakes myself and there is no excessive wear or anything indicating a problem. I feel there is something wrong with a major safety area of the vehicle and VW does not want to do anything to fix that problem. I am still at a loss. I have a message to all. I will NEVER buy another VW again, and I have only had mine for 2 months. I totaled my Acura in Sept 2005 and I have only owned Hondas and Acuras. So I thought why not try a 2001 Volkswagen Golf GLS. So far my brake light has gone out, my tail light is out now, it uses over a quart of oil between 3,000 mile oil changes. My back seat is stuck and will not fold down. But the biggest problem of all is the yellow foam at the top of my oil cap. I took it to the vw dealership and they said I needed new pistons and a head gasket. I asked why would this happen at 50,000 miles and they said someone did not change the oil. So they want $1950. to fix it but I am getting a second opinion. I am seriously thinking of trading it in and taking a loss and buying a Honda, at least I know what I am in for with them. First of all- if you read most of the messages they are NOT about the dealer, but about the shitty way VW makes their cars. Yes, some additional problems were had with the dealers, but only because the cars were made so poorly! Most people commented that if they went to VW of America, they were not better. 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