ConsumerReports: VW Still Among the Least Reliable
November 14, 2006 – 1:42 pm by Matt Radel
Filed under Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Touareg
ConsumerReports has just released their list of the most/least reliable cars in ‘06. Sorry VW - it ain’t pretty.
Apparently you have to be a subscriber (which I’m not willing to pay for) to see all the gory details, but the kind folks over at CarPhotoSite have generously published the list.
So what’s the skinny? The Jetta is the least reliable small car, the Passat is the least reliable family car and the Touareg is the least reliable Midsized SUV. Ouch.
What’s it all add up to? One crappy kick to the gut for VW quality. Their standards have been under fire for quite some time now, and they’ve claimed to have made significant improvements in the Mk V platform, but it seems to have done them no good. So is VW still that bad, or is everyone else that good?
At any rate, the quality issue will continue to rear it’s ugly head and threaten to undercut VW’s recent growth if they don’t address these issues - fast. And frankly, I’m getting really tired of doing these write ups.
ConsumerReports: VW Still Among the Least Reliable
November 14, 2006 – 1:42 pm by Matt Radel
I’ve always seen people really slam on models such as the Jetta/Golf and Passat, but most of the criticism I have seen is directed towards electrical.
I’ve never had a single problem with my 02 Golf TDI, nor have I ever had a problem with my 86 Golf Diesel, electrical or otherwise. Maybe there is more lemons with these German cars or maybe the diesels are just more reliable (engine-wise, they are), but it’s going to take a lot more than bad reviews to convert me to a boring Japanese car.
German cars have great resell value, personality, built solidly and very fun to drive. My experience with American and Japanese cars has always been the opposite.
Yeah, my experiences have been contrary to the review front as well. It just sucks cause folks riding the fence will most likely shy away from the VW brand as a result of reviews like this.
Oh well. It can really only get better.
Yeah, and I agree that the Touareg should be on that list, because the initial models had some pretty widespread problems. I think the newest ones are better, but I can’t confirm that.
As for the MkV Jetta and B6 Passats, it’s really way too early to tell concretely whether VW has truly improved on them or not. I’m sure there were problems out the gate, as any new model from any manufacturer will have, but I’m willing to bet these new guys are way ahead of the ol’ Dub tubs.
I’m kinda on the fence on v-dub quality. my 02 golf ate wheel bearing for breakfast (6 replaced in the 3 years I had it). 1 year into my lease on an 04 passat, I thought it had wheel bearings problems too. turns out it was a bad transmission!
other than the hassle of bringing my car in for service, I’m happy with vw as they covered all the above mentioned problems under warranty (including the 10 car rental during the transmission swap).
I’ve owned two VWs. One was an 89 Passat GLX and the other was a 01 Jetta GLX. Both of the cars ran flawlessly. I loved my Jetta and the Passat and I think I’m going to get a new Passat next year. The only complaint that I would have had was that on my Jetta the center caps were plastic and the VW emblem kept pealing every 6 months to a year. However, each time I would say something about it to the dealer, they replaced them for free, even when it was out of warranty. I believe one of the reasons car manufactures get a bad rap is because of the experience with the dealers. Especially with the American carmakers, the dealers experience can make or break what you feel about the car..
I have an 05 Jetta and it has run without incident for 2 years, so not sure where they got that information! Like Jason says above, other than the damn service costs there isn’t much I’d change about my v-dub ownership. I got it for mileage and reliability and I’ve been nothing but happy.
Service costs…..*grumble grumble*….I hear ya. Good to know ownership has gone well.
Wish I found this discussion in the Spring. My brand new 07 Wagon with less than 3,000 miles developed a ‘computer’ problem in the steering column. After 2 weeks in the shop, the technicians are not close to getting us back on the road. Their work consists of emailing the latest diagnostic test results to Volkswagon, waiting for the next diagnostic, etc etc. The car seems like an over-computerized lemon to me. After 5 VW’s. Never again.
Wow. That sucks Peter. Well, at least they should be taking care of it under warranty. And do they hook ya with a loaner? They better - or I’ll rough ‘em up…
See, the thing of it is, If you go to ANY car company, wether it be your
“trusty toyota . . . . haha” or your DVD Player Mitsubishi, you will find pro’s and cons on them. The way they bash the VW trend is annoying. Maybe the people writting the comments on how bad they are, are just mad because they invested in a KIA or a Hyundai. The VW offers alot of good qualitys to the car, and having a 06′ Jetta 2.5, with the package 1, and have 8 airbags in it, I believe in quality. Really, the car world is all about personal referance, as you can see with my comments on Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi. Im sure plenty of people who real this will go, “Oh, well my 06′ Rio is great, i love it, what is that person thinking?”
In the end, If you like the Company, you will stand by it. My mother had a Golf for 6 years, not one problem. She got a Jeep Cherokie ( however you spell it ) because of a growing family, had it for 2 years. Guess what, she now has a 05 Passat Wagwen, Thats how bad her experiance was. So, is my cocky atitude because of being raised around VW’s, or is it because I own one, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you own a VW, you’d understand, If you don’t, you wont.
Hmmm…well said Alex. The fact is, there are still a great deal of brand loyalists out there. People will find and adhere to a brand that suits the image and style that suits them. Reliablity is only a minor factor for some.
And of course, experiences vary.
I have an 03 Passat that I leased brand new and have had nothing but trouble since the day that I got it. I leased this one because it was a higher end car and I wanted something “reliable”.
Nothing could be farther from that. My car has been in the shop for a total of over 5 months throughout the 44 months that I have had it. My Oil System has had to be replaced, my Fuel Pump, Had to replace 3 Ignition Coils, Had a problem with my Electrical System, the Brakes replaced twice (I have less than 50,000 miles on this car and yes I do regular maintenance). And those were only my major problems…….
With every trip to my local dealership I am given a hard time, have to fight to get a loaner car and am given the run around. The wonderful representatives at “Customer Care” are among my favorite people. Not one person has ever helped me. I feel like we are talking about different things.
As far as the KIA or Hyundai, at this point I think that I would of been better off to get one of those! And I never thought that I would be saying that. At least I wouldn’t of went it to it thinking that I got a top-rate automobile, paying top dollar. Well, It’s back to Acura for me. People in my family had VW’s for years before this. I just don’t know what happened.
Anyway- I agree with Consumer Reports!!
I wish all of you the best of luck with your VW’s and truly hope that none of you have the trouble that I had. Take care.
Just bought an 07 Jetta pkg 1. Love it so far.
What product do you recommend to clean/polish jetta’s chrome grill?
You could always give the Klasse Wax products a whirl:
http://bettercarcare.com/klasse.html
I haven’t used it myself, but I hear good things.
The only problems my ‘05 Passat has had were a couple of electronic modules malfunctioned and had to be replaced - one for the Electronic Stability Program; the other for the car alarm and door-lock system. Both were replaced under warranty, and my VW dealer even paid for the rental car while my Passat was in the shop. Aside from that, the car’s been running just fine. In fact, I just recently turned over 12,000 miles in her.
my wife drives a leased 2006 jetta and loves it, she did have a 99 before that but after constant tranny problems, the vw took it back and just erased what she owed on it. She still insisted on gettin the newer model and its been great. I recently came across a chap thats selling his touareg for an obscene (low) price. i found this touareg in mexico (is the american and mexican model the same?). its a 2004 v8 4.3. the only thing wrong with it is a cylinder..(piston?) i need to know where i can get one… ive looked online and no dice. i dont want to have to buy an entire engine if i can help it, wich is what the customer care rep at vw suggested (or i would if it was trashed and i could get it for a reasonable price and just extract the piston). . CAN ANYONE HELP ME? maybe my question is out of place here but if anyone could shoot me an email i would apreciate it. galaz77@hotmail.com
We checked our sources, with no luck either. We’ll keep our ears open though - best of luck to ya!
I have to say my experience with VW is pretty bad so far. Some seal broke betweem the transmission fluid reservoir and the transmission of my 02′ Golf TDI and I’ve had to replace my transmission at 122,000 km. I bought the car used and purchased the extended warranty which passed by around 113,000km and apparently the grace period on the power train runs out at 120,000 so the repair costs have come from my own shallow pockets. I can’t say i’m happy about the situation and figured VW would meet me part way on the cost of repairs since the car was dealer maintained from birth but they didn’t. I have always loved to drive my VW and the styling is great but I have to agree with the Consumer Reports review of VW products.
Yeah, from what I’ve gathered the early 2000’s where pretty rough around the edges. Many folks have had complaints.
It’s sad, because quality issues are what scared me away from other brands (I’m looking at you, Ford).
I have owned a WV Passat, Sciroco and Corrado. Each car had its positives and its pitfalls. The Passat had many electrical intermitent gremlins and began to rattle & shake after it passed the 15K mile mark, the Sciroco was a fun car to drive although its interior trim pieces were of poor quality leading to many rattles, otherwise I had no mechanical or safety issues with the car - it was as reliable as my other car - a Toyota SR5. The Corrado was by far the most fun, quick, repsonsive (at the time) at it looked great (still does), however, poor overall quality & electrical problems made me give up the marquee for good. The Corrado had the driver’s door stop snap 4 months after I purchased the car. I was told by my dealer that this part was not covered under warranty - eventually they paid for the service. Engine mounts had to be replaced after 20K miles. The muffler gave up the ghost at 40K and while driving home from work one evening the car died as a result of a fried wire harness inside the driver’s door. Shortly after this the steering wheel dropped while driving - the height adjusting pin broke. I fared better than my friend who purchased the same model within a week of mine - his engine had to be rebuilt at 70K miles!
Wow. That’s all I can say.
Although I haven’t read the piece published in Consumer Reports, I owned three Volkswagen Cabriolets in 1993 through 2002 and made the mistake of purchasing a Jetta GL in 2003. In March - December, 2006 I replaced the car’s catylitic converter, water pump, timing belt, tensioner, thermostat , oxygen sensor, exhaust bracket, and manifold. Even the dealer quipped that he had never seen a manifold separate at the seams! Their cars are poorly made and the internal departments created to field complaints are a joke.
Of course, Volkswagen of America refused to help…so I took it to the next level and contacted Volkswagen CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder via email. After two messages, I received a response telling me that Volkswagen of America will address my concerns. They actually called me today and refused (once again) to help in any way.
I think it’s time Dr. Pischetsrieder and his senior team understand how unhappy many of us are with their products, customer service, and unwillingness to assist repeat customers. That said, listed below is the good CEO’s email address. I hope any/all of you with similiar challenges will drop him a message.
Regards.
Name: Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder
Email Address: Bernd.Pischetsrieder@volkswagen.de
Sadly, this is a common story among MkIII and MkIV generation owners. VW started off great, hit a major slump in the middle, and now seem to have taken a major leap forward in quality assurance with the new MkV generations.
Now, as of yet we haven’t had enough time with the MkV’s for long-term tests, but I can attest firsthand of the improvements from riding with Timmau in his new GTI compared with mine. It’s a dream.
I own an ‘03 GTI and an ‘05 Jetta, both the MkIV generation, and, knock on wood, *knock knock* have only had very minimal problems with the Jetta. Nothing at all… yet… with the GTI.
Articles such as these usually cause a major influx of problems and experiences that exaggerate the manufacturer’s perceived quality. True, VW is notorious for quite an array of problems, but all the manufacturers have them. Just do a google search for “insert-manufacturer-name-here” and “lemon” and you’ll pull up results for every one.
I for one love my Veedub; oil-sludging, electrical gremlins, broken window regulators and all. ;)
Taking it to the big man himself! I love it. If things creep up with my Golf, that’s who I’m talkin’ to.
Considering a new 2006 Passat I like everthing about the car but the reliabilty horror stories are making my feet really ccccold .
Hey John, thankfully these consumer reports are from the MkIV generation of Golf, Jetta, and New Beetle, and the B5-B5.5 Passat. The new 2006 Passat (if it’s the new body design, not the old) would be the B6 platform, which is infinitely better built, so far, than the older generations.
I’m not up on all the new VWs, but from the old school perspective, a lot of the quality issues stem from inept mechanics. Even at the dealerships. I’ve owned 6 VWs, 02 Jetta the newest. It had some issues. My previous Jetta’s issues all were born at the dealership’s service dept. Never had a problem until they tinkered on it. Not just anybody touches my VW. I have to know them. I currently own a German built 1987 Cabriolet, perfect stock, 90k miles, garage kept and no rain. Wonderful car - a gas burner. I drove a 72 super for 20 yrs.
It’s funny - I was looking at Consumer Reports last night. They seem to rank the Passat very highly in alot of areas, but don’t recommend it so quickly in the overall quality department.
It seems that VW like any other car maker (save for Toyota or Honda) still has it’s share of issues.
bought my touareg 2.8 in jan 2005 ,12 month in to owning it i had a problem with exsessive wearing on the outer rime of all 4 tyres vw put this right under warrent as it was the trans box but they made me pay £350 for the tracking as they say this is not covered by warrent .i have exactley the same thing happening again and it has only done just over 9000 mls since it happened the first time but now vw are refussing to except that any thing is wrong and wont look at the car unless i pay in fact all this was told to me over the phone they say iv probebly knocked the tracking out and that it is easely done even by going over a stone or large bomp in the rd or tapping the curb ,what! in a so called off roader tha has never been used off rd i have only ever used it as a family car .i have had no help or joy from the local dealer(colbournes of guilford surrey uk) and just the same appathetic attitude from the cust-care ctr took them two weeks to lease with the dealer ship but at least they are going to look at it in aprol they didnt say if i have to pay or not it is still under warrenty till jan 08 so i dont think i should pay . any one with a bit of help or advice i would be very greatful.
I have a 03 Jetta. Bought Dec 06 Pre-love and certified with 55K miles. Very Bad Buy!!!
Reading the VW website. Their 112 point inspection is supposed to cover everything.
Trusting VW, I did not do my own check. Tires were barely made their minimum standard. (Discover this when the tires slipped when I was pulling out of the drive way. I did not floor it.). Brakes will not pass the next yearly inspection.
Had it for 4 months and I have been in the repair shop 3 times and it is in the shop again.
1) Dash Board light went out.
2) Slight Jerking during pickup and braking.
3) Dash Board light went out again.
Currently ) Check Engine light Came on. Jerking got worst.
Not what I am expecting from a VW car.
I’ve heard from a few folks that the ‘01-’03 Jettas where sub par in a lot of ways, so I can’t say that I’m entirely surprised by your situation. I hope the jerking you’ve mentioned isn’t an indication of deeper problems with your tranny.
i have a 2003 vw passat and i just turned to 80,000 and i have not had any out of the ordinary problems at all…i had to change the cv boots in bothsides but that was normal wear and tear…other then that nothing….i use synthetic oil which should be recomended for the car because the turbo gets so hot and just fries the oil…so i use synthetic…im going to take my car in for a transmission service this week..hopefulley everything is good…but im over all happy with it
My best to you all! I bought a used ‘96 VW Passat VR6 in 2004. Previous to the Passat I’ve owned an ‘85 Quantum GL5, 87 Golf G/T and an ‘89 Golf. The Quantum and Passat are fine vehicles, the Golfs were lots of fun. The Passat came with a sludge problem. One dealer wanted to flush the engine, another flat out refused and rebuked the flushing of engines. He claimed kereosene and/or other solvents deteriorate the engine’s seals. I began changing the oil/filter every other month. After eight months I began 3 month oil/filter changes. It’s March of ‘07 and I just replaced the oil pump as the left over sludge started restricting oil flow; causing low oil pressure. I could have cleaned and re-installed the oil pump; however ‘get new’ is most times best. So I did. This 1996 Passat VR6 is a fine and fun vehicle to drive, own and care for. I like the newer Passat, but what would I do with this one? It’s in great shape mechanical wise and looks about 3 years old. If a stylus breaks ona turntable get another. If it ain’t broke, take care of it. Enjoying the v-dubs since 1986.
My 2002 Passat Wagon V6 has 31K and runs great I did have to have the CV boots and arms replaced at 27K which I wasn’t happy about and wasn’t covered. Recently had to have my steering box tightened which my mechanic says is an inherent problem. I too will only use someone I trust to work on my car, and with the dealer 200 miles from me thats has to be someone local. Synthetic every 5-6K and regular maintenance. I guess Ive been lucky hearing the horror stories. Having said that, the drive of a German Engineered car makes it worthwhile. I hear that the new TDI will be out soon with much better mileage than the current TDI any truth ??
My 02 Jetta ran for 56k miles not one problem. 06 rabbit again no problems. love the vw’s had boring toyotas and somewhat better hondas. would buy a rabbit again, the 5yr warantee does give me confidence.
1.Has C.R.only addresed Reability problems in U.S.only?I would like a reliabilty report on TDI new for 08 Passat,Jetta,wagen2.Last yr.VWag. had a big union problem and negative attuides likely went rapid.What % of production comes from Mexico plant?3.I searched for articles on the net for Quality Control programs at vw,no findings?4.The end user needs to feel value gained.5.Would i benifit better by receiving a shipment from Wolfsburg with top quality tdi wagen?6.Please list all electrical options that i may eliminate to avoid!
Have an 06 Passat with 24,000 miles…left stranded roadside just the other day. The thing just wouldn’t respond when the accelorator was depressed. Some “computer module” to the fuel pump was deranged. Customer service with VW has always been less than adequate. We also had the compass just quit working one day. It took them over 24 hours to find where in the car the damn thing was mounted so they could change it out. In case you ever need to know, it’s somewhere around the rear bumper as I recall. Family has had VW in the past and the things wouldn’t die. What happened? I think I agree with the over-computerization. Back to Acura for us as well.
Yeah, the labor issues seem to be at the heart of alot of VW’s problems. They’re struggling to make significant profit margins, hence the possible move “upscale”.
anyone know how to replace the brake lights on a 2002 passat?
Dax did a write up on how to replace one for the GTI, Golf and Jetta. I’m betting that the Passat isn’t that much different.
I have a 2001 Passat B5 Wagon with over 80,000 miles on it and not a single problem other than needing to replace a light bulb or two in the dash. Most people out on the roads these days are too lazy or dumb to keep their car in regular service schedules… If you maintain a car right it will last for a very long time before needing any serious work. I can’t stand japanese cars and american cars these days… Every part of them is made of plastic… even something as simple and important as the door handles. German cars are ment to be drivin fast and for roadtrips… Not everyday, stop and go, traffic… These cars are ment for highspeed crusing and twisting canyon roads… If you want a crappy handling, fuel sippping car that looks like every other car out on the road, go get a honda.
With the VDubs its usually a love/hate relationship… The people that love them are the ones that take care of them… The people that hate them are the ones that don’t take care of the car properly.
Just wondering if anyone has any reliability recommendations/preferences/advice on 07 Rabbit vs. 07 Wolfsburg JEtta?
I have a 2006 Jetta and I’ve Noticed that when I turn the car off the key is hot does anybody know why? I’ve searched the web and still no answer if its nothing I don’t want to call the dealer…Just Looking for any answers here.
I have a 2005 V8 (with the off road stuff that I have never used)Touraeg that thank goodness is leased for 39 months with 11 to go. When I got it the alignment was out and the dealership spent 10 hrs trying to align it and thought they might not be able to but finally did. I put a new set of Pirellie tires on it (it came with Pirelli’s) at 7000 miles. I put a new set if Michelin’s on 2 days ago at 27000 miles. They noticed this time that one wheel is not round and it came on the car that way. Of course they say my 3 sets of tires before 28000 miles has nothing to do with that. In addition there have been numerous “advisements” as they call them instead of recalls, one of which required a belt to be replaced which required them to remove the motor.
I love driving this car but am just trying to get thru 11 months with at least an 1/8 inch of tread at turn in. They need to do some serious improvements and work the problems out of this car. So many people stop and tell me they love my car and want to know about it but I see very few of them on the road.
Basically I am wondering if anyone else had such major tire problems and if Volkswagon actually paid for any tire replacement. I have had my tires rotated as recommended and aligned also. It is just frustrating and costly.
Thanks for listening.
Cheryl Hubbard
I’ve heard about folks having a number of issues with the Touraeg, though this is the first time I’ve heard about alignment problems. I guess it is a good thing that you give it back in 11 months. Just make sure that you keep the any documentation that shows that these where existing problems with the car. Ya don’t want them to hang that on you!
I have a VW Golf 1.6 Petrol engine model 1999. I use it in Dubai, and imagine what is the climate in Dubai (Temp reaches more than 50 C in the heaight of summer). My car is 210,000 Kilometers now!!…I use it daily for more than 120 Kilometers!!…fortunately still reliable and saving its name among other cars!! It is the magic of the German Cars, please don’t compare it with any Japanease or Korean car. I adore the VW brand as it gives me the trust and the confidence everywhere I go. I am planning to buy the Passat 2.0 Turbo model 2008 very soon! I got the test drive on that model, and now i am in LOVE.
I purchased a 2006 (2.0) Passt in Nov. 06′ I had it 4 days and it had to go back to the shop for airbag sensor lights. Three months later they bought the lease out and gave me another ‘06. I was told that the Lojac guy messed up the wire harness. True? Not sure.
Well the new car has spent a total of almost 8 weeks in the shop in the last 18 months. At 19K the front wheel bearing went. I have had numerous air bad failure lights, engine warning lights come on and of course the most recent recalls. Then on Memorial Day my gas signal went on. No more than 1 mile later the car died on a highway with all lights going on on the dash. I managed to get off the road safely. We put gas in the car to no avail. I should have had near 40 miles when the sensor came on, but to be sure we tried to give it gas. It has been in the shop since then (going into the 3ed week). They said I ran it dry and it fried the fuel pump! Not the case. The check engine light was on also. They have since replaced the sensor on the cam (after the first replacement was faulty) and are still getting the check engine light. Back to the drawing board. Needless to say it is a very sad commentary on the quality of these cars. There are an electronic nightmare which is a shame as I love the design and functionality of the car. Unfortunately I am stuck in a lease and beyong the Lemon Law mileage in NJ, plus the problem they consider repairable. Thankfully I got a loaner, but I am an on the road sallesperson and my car is my other office. All my stuff is in it. I pulled out the most improtant stuff, but still I am inconvenineced greatly by this.
Word to the wise - STAY AWAY! This was my first non-US vehicle and quite honestly I have NEVER had a car in the last 33 years with even a freaction of these problems and one even had over 193K miles on it and still ran well (’85 Monte Carlo).
Shame on Volkswagen!!!!
Man, that sucks. Passats have had a real bad run lately. Reports like this seem to be cropping up more and more. They’re starting to get as bad a wrap as Ford did through the 80’s. Hopefully VW is honoring your warranty and not trying to stick ya.
Today I started my 2007 VW Jetta and the “airbag light” indicator on the dashboard was lit. I went to my local VW dealer in SF and he told me that I needed to bring the car in for a diagnostic service and blah, blah, blah…. This car is 8 months old and only has 4,000 miles. I basically told the VW dealership I am not paying regardless of the problem. I hope this is not the start of major problems for the 2007 Jetta. Has there been electical/sensor or computer problems reported with the 2007 2.5 Jetta?
Just wondering……
Bought my doughtier a new 2006 jetta 2.5 the car is in at the dealer being serviced for the 5th time. Each time the check engine light comes. Each time the code points to the NOx sensor. The car seems to lose significant power intermittently when this happens (CEL) self corrects in about 20 to 30 seconds power come back up. I really think there is another underlying reason for the NOx code the technician replaces and resets the fault code. Last trip to the shop was 4 weeks ago. They currently have the car so don’t what the problem is but I can only guess. I’m very disappointed for the lack of reliability. She graduated from College in a new job and needs reliable transportation. Mind you she drove a Accord 170,000 miles High School and College with a H2O pump replacement so this is really frustrating her and she only thinks about what would happen if it were NOT in Warranty. Any suggestions what is happening??
You all made the same mistake. Never buy a car new. Buy a two year off lease car. All the bugs are worked out.Why throw money away in depreciation. I have always owned a VW at least 5 of them and never had a problem with any of them. All cars break down it has nothing to do with the badge on the hood. If you think you are going to drive any car for 100,000 miles and have to do nothing to it keep dreaming. If you people would educate yourselves on how a car even works then you will save yourselves in the long run. Also never take your car to the dealer. They will just throw parts at your car like any other mechanic will do at a much higher price.
@ John: I’m not exactly a gear head, so I’ll refer to Tekmassa - he might have somthin’ for ya.
@ VW Lover: See, I could just as easily offer the flip side of that argument - I’ve test driven 2 and 3 year old cars that have been beaten to hell. I think alot of folks that are in the 2 year lease cycle will tend to be lax on the maintenance, since it’s going back to the dealer soon anyway.
Personally, I don’t really trust cars that have been taken care of by someone else.
just bought a 2007 jetta.. has 200 miles on it– the speedometer/tach panel and cd/radio not working because of a “short” somewhere in the electrical system.. what a piece of crap !! ….. i should have bought a honda
Purchased an ‘07 Rabbit three months ago. It’s been back to the dealership’s service center three times (tomorrow will make it four) for an unresolved battery draw. Service claimed it was the driver-side power window relay; it took them *21 DAYS* to get the part and repair it. Seemed like a solid car, but I feel I’ve been suckered into some iffy “German engineering.” As soon as it hits the 31-day mark for repair time (it’s spent 24 days total in the shop to date) I’m invoking my rights to a refund under California’s Lemon Law. Also, the CD player will randomly malfunction (usually if a disc is in the factory player when you start the car), emitting all sorts of distortion until you shut the car off and restart it.
The last time I went to pick it up from service, there happened to be a woman complaining of a reoccurring dead battery issue with her ‘07 Rabbit. Coincidence?
Ugh. I hope that’s not a preview of things to come. They mean for the Rabbit to be a penetration car. If more reports like this continue to surface, it’ll continue to damage VW’s iffy reliability reputation.
I just bought a 2003 VW Jetta 1.8T, now has 69,000 miles………….no problems yet, but I have noticed that the oil pressure will not look normal at times. One minute it looks like it has pressure then it doesn’t. What is this caused from ?
Thank you,
Tony
Hey Tony, if the oil pressure is fluctuating it could either be a bad sensor or there could be serious engine problems. In either case I would take it in as soon as possible.
Dax,
I apologize, it is not my oil pressure gage. It is actually my water temp gage that shows normal then it does not register at all. Basically shows the temperature at 0, like the car is off. Then it may or may not register to the right temp. Happens when I am driving, even during long a stretch of driving.
Thanks,
Ahh, ok, no probs. In that case, it does sound like a bad sensor that feeds the gauge the information it needs. Definitely run it by the shop to have that checked out, because you want to know if your car is overheating or not. :]
hi, i’m thinking about buying a 2008 jetta sle. i test drove it, and i loved the interior, i loved the way it drove, and for what you get from the car, the price isn’t bad either. My only concern is reliability.. Whatever car i get i plan on keeping it for atleast 10 years.. This is going to be my very first car (and i don’t want to end up having a bad experience, b/c it breaks down all the time). So , i just need some advice. Should i go for the jetta? I also wouldn’t want it, if im having to take it into the dealer every month or even two months. I just need some advice, as to what i should do..
Hey newbuyer, although we’re only just now beginning to see long-term reports of reliability for the latest generation of Volkswagens, I say from firsthand experience that they’re lightyears ahead of the previous generation in build quality and fit & finish.
The Jetta is a very good option, but I would also give a nicely trimmed Rabbit a try. The versatility of a hatchback has been noted quite a few times here on Volksbloggin as well as elsewhere. :]
Bottom line though, buy what will make you happy!
Dax,
Thanks for the response. I am hearing alot about the problems with VW having a oil sludge buildup and then causing the engine to blow ? Mine is 2003 VW Jetta 1.8T, how do I prevent it and what oil should I be using ?The manual sais to use 5w30, not synthetic. I was told if a car needs synthetic then the car manufacturer is suppose to pay for any special required oil.
Thanks,
Tony Prudent
Tony,
Most of the talk regarding sludging is more of the typical scare tactics to get folks to purchase “new and improved” products. There’s no oil sludge epidemic sweeping our nations modern engines.
That being said, it DOES happen, but prevention is simple. Oil sludging is caused by overstressed oil, breaking down and leaving residue behind that clogs up your motor. How do you prevent this from happening?
Simple answer is maintenance. Keep your car properly maintained, and oil sludge will be of no concern. Directly affecting oil sludging are two things: oil “life” and engine temperatures. Replace your oil as recommended every 3k for dino and every 5k for synthetic. Keep your engine cooling properly by having your coolant system flushed at least every two years, annually if you live in the extreme heat.
Regarding what oil to use: VW does not say that synthetic is required, but it is most definitely recommended. I could write pages on why synthetic is a better choice, but that’s been covered by much more knowledgeable folks all over the web. Suffice it to say, synthetics won’t sludge up your engine like dino will. VW’s recommended oil for your engine must have a VW 502.00 rating. You can use 5w30, 5w40, or even 0w40 weights of synthetic oil with no issue. The following oils are all VW 502.00 approved:
- Castrol Syntec 5w40
- Chevron Supreme Synthetic 5w40
- Elf Excellium LDX 5W-40
- Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 5W-40
- Mobil 1 0W-40
- Motul 8100 E-tech 0W-40
- Quaker State Full Synthetic European Formula 5W-40
- Quaker State Full synthetic European Formula Ultra 5W-30
- Texaco Havoline Ultra SAE 5W-40
- Valvoline SynPower 5W-30
- Valvoline SynPower 0W-40
Remember, as the owner you’re responsible for maintaining your car properly. Simple due diligence will lead to stress-free ownership.
Being a farmer i love diesel engines. So i bought a used 2006 jetta. I have read the owners manual from cover to cover and no where does it tell me where and how to check the auto transmission fluid level. The car has a auto trannie/direct shift gearbox with a tiptronic feature in it. when i went to the dealer to buy some 50501 oil and also asked if i could order a shop manual for the car the parts guy got real smart and told me they never sold shop manuals to the public.
So here is my question to you vw experts. who also makes and sells 50510 oil? The dealer charges $7.98 per qt. which i think is outrageous. where can i get a shop manual for a 2006 jetta TDI.
I like doing as much of my own maintenance as possible, so any help will be much appreciated.
Love the car but have a different opion of the service dept.
I think the biggest problems, as far as the Jetta/Golf go, is that young people own them. They get raced out, and as fun as they are to drive, (and yes, they are quick) the only thing that is going to keep them on the road is proper maintenence. If you are driving a 5 speed, and you rap the rpms out constantly, a sensor is going to fail. Your thermostat will go out, temp gauge, clutch, ect.
You have to drive the car as if you want it to last, instead of driving it like it’s a formula 1 made in europe that can handle driving on the autobon.
True, but I think just about as many young people own Honda Civics - and do legitimately race them. I’m not too familiar with Honda taking any hits on the reliability front (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!) as a result.
Should I rely on consumer reports. For starters I’ll love to know who owns this magazine and if the person writing the report has any bias to the brand, We currently own four Vw’s, we can report that we’re having a blast with our cars, yes there are issues just like with any other brand but soo insignificant not worth mentioning. I do not intent to defend the brand just for say. I do not work for VW nor I benefit from this story. However I do believe that it’s unfair to target the brand just because someone does not like it or had a bad experience with a car he/she purchased as used and most likely abused, or chances are that he/she abuses the car. Our car models range from 2004/2004/2005/2006 none has developed any problems weather be it power train electrical or any other area. However I do not allow my kids to modify the mechanical or electrical areas of the car or to participate on street racing, they know if the car brakes down and if I learn that it happened because they mess with it they’ll lose the previlage to drive the car. Yes we’ll continue to drive VW’s, if you enjoy driving. German it’s the only way to go.
I own a Jetta with 44000 miles on it. I bought it used from Bob Baker Volkswagen in Carlsbad CA. It is sitting at the dealership currently and needs an entire new engine. I’m told the cost will be $8,000. The car somehow lost the entire contents of its cooling system and the engine fried. The dealer & VW USA have decided its my fault that the engine fried claiming my daughter ignored the warning lights. But, interestingly she didn’t drive the car far at all trying to get home late at night.The car had to be towed in to the dealer twice last year. Its just been a problem from the start.
I don’t want to spend 8 grand to repair a car that is probably not worth more than 10 or 11 grand. Fortunately its just an extra car for our family and I don’t have to count on the vehicle.
How can I unload this problem? I’m willing to consider donating the car to some automotive repair school. Maybe VW will buy it back from me?
Also, what suggestions do you have for me to “motivate” the dealer? Bob Baker VW service has been consistently horrible to do business with.
Calling them out by name on a pro VW site is a good place to start. :)
But with 44K on it? That should be covered under factory warranty, no? I was under the impression that 4 years or 50K meant exactly that, regardless of how many owners it has.
I would nag Volkswagen of America. Constantly. Keep calling, writing and emailing until you get your point across. And I would take every opportunity to mention how badly your dealer has handled this.
Best of luck!
I just wrote the CEO of Volkswagon a letter and this is what I wrote….
Mr. Pischetsrieder:
This past Monday I was on the Turnpike here in Florida and my Volkswagon Passat 1.8 Turbo Timing Belt exploded at 87,000 miles. I was trapped for 2 hours until a tow truck came and towed my car to Stuart Volkswagon. When I arrived the Service Representative opened my hood and told me my engine was toast!!! He said as well as another Representative that a used engine is $3500.00 and a new engine is $7000.00 dollars. My Passat is a 2001 model. I had a maintenance check at 82,000 miles with my local Foreign car mechanic. He checked the timing belt and put on the paperwork that the belt was fine. I had him fax a copy to the dealership. The manager told me that the warranty rep will have to look at the car and let me know this thursday whether or not they will fix my car under warranty.
I guess the dealership management can’t make those decisions? I love my Passat and Volkswagon!!! I can’t afford to buy a new car at the present time nor do I have $7000.00 to fix a engine. I have read your manual and you recommend the belt be replaced at 105,000 miles. I have been on the internet and several thousand people have had the same problem as myself with the timing belt all around 57,000.00 to 80,0000 miles. I think the manual should be changed to replace the belt every 50,000 miles not 105,000 miles. I can only hope that you can help me. The belt should be covered under the 100,000 mile warranty event htough I took it to a foreign mechanic. The reason I bought my Volswagon is because in the year 2000 it was rated the #1 Sedan in Consumer Report. Please honor what you publish in your manual and fix my car.
I will keep you posted on whether or not my car is fixed under warranty…Good Luck to you all I have learned a valuable lesson from all of this!
martin.winterkorn@volkswagen.de New CEO of Volswagen email address…
UPDATE!!!!!! YESTRERDAY 10/24/07 THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AT 5:00 PM (STUART VOLKSWAGON) AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE REPLACING MY ENGINE. ALL EXPENSES PAID UNDER THE WARRANTY!!!! I ASKED ABOUT THE WARRANTY REP THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO LOOK AT IT TODAY AND MAKE A DECISION AND THEY SAID DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. HMMMM I WONDER IF THAT WAS JUST A PLOY AND IF THEY WERE GOING TO CALL ME TODAY AND TELL ME I AM NOT COVERED. I EMAILED MR. WINTERKORN ALL THE BLOGS FROM THIS SITE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHERS REGARDING THIS MATTER. MAYBE SOMEONE MADE A PHONE CALL FROM THE CORPORATE OFFICE. MY FOREIGN LOCAL MECHANIC TOLD ME IF THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THE ENGINE APART THEN ALSO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, SPARK PLUGS, CHECK THE CLUTCH AND THERMOSTAT. THERE IS NO COST TO ME AS FAR AS LABOR BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE WATER PUMP $138 AND SPARK PLUGS AT $12 A PIECE. I HOPE ALL YOU VOLKSWAGON LOVERS DO THE SAME AS I DID AND GO TO THE TOP!!! PERSISTANCE PREVAILS!!! I NOW WILL HAVE A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL BE WARRANTEED UP TO ANOTHER 15,000 MILES (HINCE 105,000) AS IN THERE MANUAL. SO DON’T WORRY IF YOU DIDN’T TAKE IT TO A VOLKSWAGON DEALER OR DON’T HAVE ALL THE OIL RECEPITS…CONTACT THE CEO!!! HE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW THERE PROBLEMS WITH MANUFACTURING HAVE CAUSED ALL OF US GRIEF. GOOD LUCK TO ALL
Wow Anita, thank you for your story and the information you posted and sent over to the CWO. :D And congratulations!! So good to hear a success story in one of these instances.
I came upon this website looking for some way to find out how to take my head light covers off easily without breaking something on my 2005 Jetta 2.5 and I must say that these are some horror stories. This is my second VW and I must say that I loved both of my cars. My first was a 2002 Jetta GLS. Sure I did have a few problems with the car, such as after having it for 3 weeks with only 1K miles on the car I had to take it back to the dealership because the trans was dropping way too hard back into first gear. But they told me it was just a computer problem and they fixed it within 1 hour and I was off. The only other problems I had with the car was that it went through oil like crazy. I did my own oil changes but it just burned oil pretty quickly, no biggie, I was just about a 1/2 quart low every 3K miles. My only real gripe with the car was that the monsoon stero system in the car sucked….and that’s not VW’s fault, it Monsoon’s fault. The driver’s side speaker was blown out when I got the car and I had it replaced shortly afterwards, but everytime I brought it back to the dealership that I purchased it, they said it was fine. I finally took it to another dealership and they changed the whole sound system and it was perfect. So that was the dealership’s fault. All in all I would say that my 2002 Jetta GLS wasn’t perfect but it was still very reliable. Now I have a 2005 Jetta 2.5 and it’s the best car in the world. It has 30K miles on it now and I’ve never had a problem with it. The interior just rattles a little but not bad enough to cry about. All in all, I would say that anyone car can have such problems as those listed above. You can go to any one of these blogs and read about all the problems that all other people have with their cars. See the reason why VW has a bad rapore is because everyone just likes to complain about the bad things but never say anything good about it because it’s a “German” car and should be held to higher standards than a “Japanese” or “American” car. People please remember that it’s a machine and machines break. Machines that were made by people, who make mistakes. It really seems to me that it was the dealerships that were the main problems or foreign car mechanics. If you have an issue like the timing belt or what not, it’s probably because you never looked under your own hood of the car and looked at for yourself and only trusted what a person told you. That’s your fault. If you had a problem like anything listed above, go to another dealership or talk to someone how has a VW and find out what dealership that they liked and received good service from.
Mr. Sirota:
Thank you for your response to my blog. However, I am not a mechanic and depend on them to tell me the truth. My VW has been to over 6 different VW Dealerships in the past 6 yrs. I have just recently taken it to a Foreign Mechanic who worked for VW in Germany. Also, the timing belt is a recall item and a manufacturing defect in the Passat. Yes, I too love Volkswagon and would like to keep my car running properly. I can’t speak for others on this site. I learned some valuable information to help other VW owners resolve there problems. (Hince Mistake…..Manufacturer) They will get it right one day)
Respectfully
A VW PASSAT OWNER
I have purchased this car in ‘04 as the original owner, 1.5miles. This car is not up to par. (i should’ve bought another Acura)
The day following the 1st rain of the season (approx 2nd wk of ownership), I got in the car (it was sunny out), I started the engine & water dropped from under steering wheel column. What the hell?!? I thought nothing of it. I figured maybe I imagined it & my feet got wet from the door when I got in the car. Surprise, Surprise, 5 days later I was driving and the car just cuts off. No warning lights, no slowing down… just shuts off. um, okay. *scratches head* I immediately took it back to VW, they kept it 2days and told me nothing was wrong. They changed some recalled parts, but said those shouldn’t have been a factor in what happened to the car.
I can say, no major problems for the next two years. GREAT! except, all of the metal trim strips sarted coming off (or came off) on their own. Even the dealer laughed, because they obviously weren’t put on prooerly and they cost $100 each for the dealer to repalce. I went 2 a local shop with the part numbers & had all 4 replaced for $100. Then the plastic clip that opens my ceter console just broke off one day (springs flew everywhere.) Also, I just notice a plastic piece on my windshield is coming apart.
However the major issues started occurring in January or February when my car hit 47k. My car started sounding like a lawnmower when I started it & calming down slightly after shifted into gear. (still embarrassing that my somewhat new car sounds like an old car) Then came the squeeking brakes. Took it to the dealership and the told me my brakes were @ 3/4 & still in really good shape & that slight squeeking was “normal” BS. oh, and they replaced some more minor factory recalled parts. oh & the rough sound was a cracked muffler. That sound is coming from the engine!! so,yeah right. I took it to another VW dealership & got the same info, its normal for Jetta’s. HA, OK. Then one morning I listened to my neighbors ‘02 Jetta 1.8t & it sounded exactly the same, we looked @ each other and laughed, maybe it is ‘normal.’
So here we are in November and guess what, my car is overheating, or @ least going into the red. I shut it off to keep it from overheating. Why? because apparently my PLASTIC factory installed H2O pump has failed. Sounds like an individual problem right? Then why are there tons of forums dedicated to this exact same issue? Apparently at 47k the water pump starts “eating itself” or the engine starts to burn it (i don’t know) but that’s the loud sound that’s heard at start up. Once its created a hole in the pump, the coolant stops flowing to the engine and the car overheats. Nice! Luckily the car is still under warranty and VW will replace it. But, you must request it be replaced with the new metal version or in 47k you’ll be back to the same problem. isn’t that nice?
So other than the cheap defective plastic parts and squeaky brakes, which I’m sure I’ll find out the truth about later, this is a pretty good car. I still wish I would’ve bought another Acura though. “The cheap always comes out expensive” and a higher initial price tag would have been worth it to prevent the in between hassels. (plus I’d have automatic seats, not avail on the 04 Jetta even w/sport package)
oh i 4got to mention. my front tweekers and a back speaker blew during the 2nd yr. Not certain if i can blame VW, but since it was their choice to use Monsoon, I guess i will. =)
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I have a 2006 VW GTi, everything was going great with the car. I was in love with it, until after the first oil change. For some reason it seems to use up more oil than any other previous cars I owned, new or used. The WV manual says to change the oil every 5k miles, but just before 4k, it seems to be 2-3 quarts low!!! I thought maybe, they didn’t put enough oil the first time I went to the dealership to get it done. But it also happened the secoind time I had to take it for an oil change. Just recently, I just drove 3.5k miles, needed another 1.5 more before the next oil change, and I checked the oil just to be safe, and it was down 2 qts. Does VW burn oil so fast? I asked the service department, and the guy on the phone said this was normal. I never had oil consumption like this in any other car I owned before. And sometimes the car wont start on the first try, and after it does, black smoke comes out the tail pipe. Does anyone have an answer for me???
Hey Ivan, losing oil is never normal in a car, unless it’s a diesel and even then, not that much. I haven’t heard about this problem in the 06 GTI’s, and I recommend going to a different dealer cause it sounds like that one you’ve gone to isn’t worth a piece. I hope you get things sorted out. Have you noticed any leaks on the ground where you park, or when looking at the undercarriage can you see oil spray all over the components anywhere?