Volkswagen Reviews

After talking to previous VW service managers, copious reading in the vortex forums and research in NHTSA I realized this is a well-known issue by VW that affects AWTF60SN (09G) transmissions. Unfortunately the 2009 Rabbit just recently exhibited the same symptoms which now leaves me with two soon to be undrivable cars. One is the backup of the other so I don't have to rent hand controlled cars when I service one.

I would like to give VW the opportunity to do the right thing and fix my two vehicles ASAP and at VW cost. I am sure that the reviews I found in Consumer Affairs are not an accurate representation of how VW treats its customers. Let me use this opportunity to also bring to your attention that your website shows no recalls for any of my vehicles while clearly there is one and that I was never informed despite VW having my information. I will wait week to hear from VW and I am confident of a happy resolution.

VW states this is normal operation. This is not normal and will wind up getting someone killed. I can't wait to sell this car back. I will never buy another VW and I will not recommend, anyone buy a VW. Be warned, this company overprices their cars for what you get, and service is horrendously expensive. I am buying electric for my future vehicles, and no I will not consider a VW electric, as they do not know how to build anything electronic.

My radio is in rainbow colors when the backup camera comes on, and I've had error codes, The clock is always slow, I have to keep resetting the time as it slowly goes 1, 2, 3 minutes behind. Warranty sucks on the car, the brakes failed on the car with 10k miles on it, they had to rebuild the entire front end brakes at 10k miles with rotors and all. I'm very dissatisfied with VW. It was my first and will be my last. You've been warned.

In July 2016, my Steering Column Defective message popped up yet again, so I took it in again. They replaced the Steering Control Module. A week later, the "Steering Column Lock Defective" message popped up again. I took the car back in and they replaced the Immobilizer. It's been about a week since I picked it up and today, the check engine light is on YET AGAIN. Let me just say, I don't miss oil changes, I do not "rag" my car out. I am a responsible adult who drives 16 minutes to work everyday and 16 minutes home. I do not take it across the country. I take care of my car, but this has been nothing but problems. Problems that are not "maintenance".

There have been recalls on the engine and the parts for the "steering column lock defective" issues. My VIN wasn't on that list, but yet I've had the problems. My warranty company has put $10,000 into this car in the last 2 months. I have spent $800+ in repairs out of my pocket. My car isn't even at 100,000 miles yet. This company has done NOTHING to help me with these issues. I have contacted corporate on MULTIPLE occasions about this and they won't do a thing.

This car also has the airbag recall. I tried to trade it in (AT VOLKSWAGEN) and they said because it has the recall, they can't give me but $6,000 for it. $6,000 for my car that I paid $16,000 for and that has MULTIPLE BRAND NEW MAJOR ITEMS!!! So not only is this car unsafe because of how it was put together and the parts that keep going bad, if I get in a wreck, my airbag may have metal come through and stab me in the face and kill me! But they don't seem to care about that.

Trust me, buy a Toyota or an American car. My fiance has a 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser and has had to replace the battery once. That's it. He bought it a year and a half before I bought mine. Volkswagen, I'm meeting with my attorney next week to get this fixed. It isn't right and the fact my car is constantly unsafe and you do not care, proves that you have no conscience as a company!

June 27, 2012, only three months after purchasing vehicle, paid $290.95 at Volkswagen Santa Monica (Invoice **) for: front headlamp, engine oil service, balance 4 wheels, brake fluid replace and bleed. August 29, 2012, paid $237.30 at Volkswagen Santa Monica (Invoice **) for: removed and replaced driver side HID light bulb. June 7, 2013 paid $50 (deductible) at McKenna Volkswagen for: right headlight (Invoice **). April 22, 2014, paid $382.65 at McKenna Volkswagen (Invoice (**) for : bulb (N-103-201-02), perform campaign # **. Recall Fuse (Plug-in position F 16), 40,000 mile service (non-turbo). November 21, 2014, paid $241.71 at McKenna Volkswagen (Invoice **) for : 013 campaign/recall 4515 CV burned out turning light bulb N-103-201-02 bulb, and 50,000 mile service.

September 5, 2015, paid $3,075.52 at McKenna Volkswagen (Invoice **) for Perform Intake valves De-Carb, 03511 optimizer 2 Pack, flush AC system and replace AC compressor, condenser and expansion valve, recharge AC system, replace wiper blades, replace rear brake pads, replace right brake lights, cornering lights, and bumper marker bulb (3 total bulbs replaced for this invoice). Invoice states EST: 1,069 31AUG15 13:34 SA: 1692). I believe there are major issues with design of engine that caused sludge to build up in engine at low mileage, and also poor AC design that caused compressor to come apart and cause tiny metal particles to infect the entire AC system that resulted in over $1,600 of AC repair.

June 3, 2016, paid $2,465.90 at McKenna Volkswagen (Invoice **) for replaced left outside brake light, replace leaking water pump and coolant, perform complete coolant system flush exchange, replaced leaking valve cover, vacuum pump gasket, upper timing cover and CAM sensor seal, replaced front brake pads, replaced 2 tires and balance new tires, front end align, perform oil change and filter.

Today, August 13, 2016, as I was preparing this communication, my daughter texted me to say that the car's message system is now telling her that now something is wrong with the parking brake, and that another light needs to be fixed. This never ends, and the car is a lemon that has numerous faulty issues. Therefore, in four years of purchasing this used previously owned vehicle from a Volkswagen dealer, the lemon car has cost an additional $6,744.03. My daughter has been very diligent about taking the car in for routine service, but the additional costs are totally unacceptable and she, as a part-time working single mother with a 3-year old child, cannot continue to afford what I consider design flaw costs for the 2009 Volkswagen Tigua.

After a month of trying to figure it out myself I gave up and took it back. They wanted me to go the lemon law route. I told them I thought it was damaged and that they knew about it. That would be fraud to do the lemon law. I ended up paying them a total of over $5,000.00 to get out of the lease. The Corporate VW was no better. They had nothing to say to me, even though they had me fill out a survey for their company. I sent them letters, all the information and copies of everything and nothing. I'm warning you, do not buy from Tracy Volkswagen in Hyannis Ma.

On 7/18/16 my car broke down and locked. My car had to be towed to the Donaldson dealership. I explained to technician this was an on going problems throughout the years that I owned the VW Beetle. I had to fix the car. The Donaldson Technician wrote: Found steering column locked. Mechanically faulty causing damage to ignition lock cylinder, removed and replaced ignition lock cylinder, removed and replaced steering column lock. This cost was $532.30 to repair. I asked the technician again if anything could be done with the cost of the repairs since this was an ongoing problem with the ignition lock cylinder. Technician replied, "no, your warranty has expired and the car is over 88,000 miles."

The technician gave me the VW Cares telephone number but I received the same comment from Improvement Customer Service person Martin ** as well as their team leader MaryJo ** who made the final decision. Both of them would not give me their last names. I learned two lessons from this experience. 1) I am not a value customer at VW Donaldson. 2) Check out an on going problem with your car and find out if this problem is ongoing with other VW 2004 Beetles. My husband and me were going to purchase two more VW cars but we learned our lesson from this experience.

Oh and with VW direct injection, my valves were caked in carbon at 50,000 miles. That's a 1500 dollar fix but my engine was already in pieces to fix everything else. Total absolute junk. Not even useful as a paperweight because it will spill its fluids over your paper. I would reckon the 2.0 tsi is one if the worst engines made. Too bad it's not diesel or I'd have VW buy my car back and never touch a German product again. I would sue VW but Texas has terrible lemon laws so I'm stuck with VW customer service doing something about it or notifying anyone who can fog a mirror to never touch a VW product.

If they truly meant Goodwill toward their customers they would have found everyone who owns an affected TDI by VIN and sent them the Goodwill package. I believe it was solely for publicity and to divert everyone's attention from how badly and irresponsibly they behaved. In a way I'm glad I didn't get the Goodwill package so that I can clearly see what they did and not be swayed to stick with the company for $1,000. I was on the fence about what to do with my car, but after this experience I will sell them back the car and never shop with them again. I am truly disgusted by what they did and what these cars are doing to the environment.

Normally, my car payment is due on the 4th of each month so I tried to make my payment through the automated system on July 1st. They have been performing "system maintenance" for 5 days now. I am giving 1 star but if I could give 0 I would. Never buying a VW again and it's a shame I've had 3 and like the cars but this is not worth the stress and horrendous customer service or lack thereof.

I finally got through on June 30, 2016. The response I got was "Congratulations! Your vehicle qualifies for the Goodwill Package. Unfortunately, this registration is closed". I called VW customer care, and after being on hold for over 30 minutes, the agent informed me that there was nothing he or VW could do because I had "ample time" to register my vehicle. I was told I should have called their customer care department at an earlier date (they are only open from 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday) and they could have "walked me through" registering my vehicle. I work during those hours and don't have time to sit on hold for 30 minutes!! I know how to use a computer!! They are still offering the package, just not on MY vehicle!!!

I was not allowed to speak to a supervisor and was told that VW was "very firm on not extending the program past the cut-off date". I want to know how many others had this problem? Was this just a ploy to lure us into not bad mouthing a company who purposely defrauded their customers? Are they still pulling scams on us? Should I file a suit for this $1000 package?

Not only was I upset about them overcharging the system, but when I called VW and told them what they did, I asked to speak with a manager. Service guy told me he was not available and that he would return my call. Still to this day after numerous calls, I have not heard from him. I lodged a complaint directly with VW America via their website. Still have not heard from them either. Not hearing back from anyone and taking ownership on their poor service is actually make me more upset than anything out of this whole experience. This will be my last VW I will ever own because of this horrible experience with this car and lack of taking responsibility by VW. Buyer beware. Do not buy VW. Tons of other better, great vehicles to buy out there.

I've been arguing with the dealer for days to no avail. I got in touch with Volkswagen customer care in hopes that they would help me. They do call themselves "Advocates," but they are no help at all! The case manager, Jennifer, I spoke with basically said that Corporate VW can't do a thing to help me because each dealer is independently owned and operated. What they should have done is agree to reimburse me these costs if they couldn't get the dealer to fix my car for nothing, as they should! What good are these people if they can't do anything to help?? This whole situation has been ridiculous. I am never buying a VW again and dealing with this nonsense.

My next one is about my VW Jetta Wolfsburg Radio. Yesterday my radio stop working, no sound or power. I went online to check if there is a solution to this problem like a bad fuse and to my surprise I found out that this problem with the radio is very normal. Today I call VW of America and they say that unfortunately my car warranty expired and I have to fix this radio out of pocket. I exposing that to a VW customer that is been buying cars for more than 14 years is a shame to hear such a poor customer services. I was just thinking about buying a new VW Touareg. After this experience with VW of America and my local VW dealer I will change car brand after all competition is there to pick a better experience and representation.

We also paid a "drop off charge" as we were told would be required by 2 dealers we brought the car to--DEEL motors in Miami and Esserman Volkswagen in Doral. It was a substantial amount which we paid Esserman but thought that charge should have been revealed as part of the agreement when we leased the car. Now the charge collected by the dealer appears as unpaid on our credit report. We called Volkswagen who is telling us that they did not receive this money from the dealer and a year later WE need to go to the dealer and tell them they need to pay Volkswagen credit. The reason Volkswagen tells us is that the dealer is independent so THEY can't require the dealer to pay. When Esserman pays Volkswagen the charge will be removed from our credit report. We feel that we already paid the fee and since Volkswagen requires it, it is up to them to collect it.

I began this call 1 hours 12 minutes and 30 seconds ago. No one has picked up the call yet. I am not sure why I am having these issues after the warranty ended. I plan on writing a letter. Let's see how that turns out. I would say to you, if you choose to purchase one of these vehicles to ensure that everything is covered by having the service department at your dealership check it and document it. I have no intentions of paying Napleton's $457 to repair a problem that they should fix for free. If I have to pay, I will take it to another dealership to get it repaired. I will definitely think again before I purchase another VW.

Yet days pass into weeks and you keep coming back week after week asking me if I fixed this 30k item and I do not offer anything except the same old "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen." The next month you come back and I say, "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen."

Maybe somewhere in three month after this, I sense you are getting angrier every time you come back cause I do nothing to fix it for you but just tell you again "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen." Yet now I understand I must mellow the mood so one your twentieth trip back to my store, I offer you 1000 dollars on a visa card and 1000 dollars to spend on my full array of cheap Chinese made VW garbage accessories that the dollar store would sell and tell you "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen." Snickering and rubbing my hands as I just gave you back a little of the interest you paid me in form of a gift and you were dumb enough to take it. Now I conned you twice and bought some time.

6, 7, 8 month go by and you've had it. You just spend hours on the phone calling VW being put on hold, holding and waiting until you can get some answers but all you get is idiots that don't listen to any word you have said but rather wait for pauses in your rant to say 5 words. Oh, well we do apologize other than that it's the same mundane old "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen." They say nothing else, nor stray away from a a few lines of text that they have been assigned and deemed intelligent enough to handle. "We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Volkswagen."

Meanwhile, I've collected another bonus check as CEO and have no intentions of dealing with you again and for me business is great and you - well you are just another customer. The end! My name is Robert **. I have bought two Volkswagens for my family, both affected by the recall, and trusted the company as I am from Germany and grew up with these cars. I've owned many VW over the years. At the end of the day it's not about the emissions or the problems that happened with the cars. Things happen I can understand! It's the the way you VOLKSWAGEN have handles your customers and treated us like worthless, irrelevant **. I hope you know that I will never buy one of your cars again due to your lack of respect. To think that today May 25th 2016, I just paid another 1000 bucks for my two financed. This really ticks me off. I'm just doing it to protect my credit score so I guess you got me by the balls!

And they just don't care. No reason to build brand loyalty, I guess. Every time we've had to deal with them, it has been a head ache - the Takata airbag recall for instance. My mom has a Honda. Honda gave her a rental until they could fix the problem because it is unsafe to drive at the risk of having a collision and being pumped full of shrapnel from your airbags. She got her car back, fixed, 2 weeks ago, though she was in a rental for about a month. When we called VW about it then best response that we could get was why it's safe to continue driving it around. Or how the NHTSA doesn't find it unsafe.

The funny thing is, I research EVERYTHING. And according to everything I found, the NHTSA is who demanded the recall. VW responded with a letter as to why they should be exempt from it. The recall was issued in 2014, and VW just started recalling in February 2016. Shame on this company for caring so little about its drivers & for being so reckless with consumers' lives in general. VERY disappointing. If you want reliability, you may want to go with a less expensive vehicle as they seem to have a better attitude and overall view of customer service.

After spending enormous time talking to the dealership, service center, VW area manager, district manager and all, we concluded that this is the last Volkswagen in my life. And me and my entire family has become a great anti-Volkswagen advocate. Absolutely shameless managers, irresponsible service center and liar manufacturer. We advise all the readers to avoid buying any product of Volkswagen. Buy it if you want to throw away your hard earned money in drain.

The car was repaired the following Monday afternoon. We picked it up early Tues morning and returned the rental to the Manchester Airport. Per the instructions in brochure we submitted the charges for the tow 79.00 and 221.00 for the rental. We then received 2 denials of reimbursement. The tow was denied because they said we used a tow service that was not authorized. WE did not choose the tow service, the rep at the Volkswagen Roadside Service did. The text he sent me clearly stated that. They denied the rental car charge saying their parameters are 100 miles. We appealed the denials with Customer Service and they too denied both claims. Needless to say it never crossed our minds to ask the rep of Volkswagen Road Service to use an authorized Volkswagen tow service. We asked how they calculated the distance to our home from NH, they didn't know.

We are both in our 70s and had a lease to ensure that we had dependable car backed by reliable customer service in the event of auto malfunction. Obviously this was an assumption on our part. The last agent we spoke with (Martin) at Volkswagen said he was sorry but that's the way it is. The experience of sitting along a busy highway for 2 hours was not pleasant one, but nothing compared to the deceitful business method of Volkswagen. Though we are well aware that Volkswagen could not care, but we will no longer give them our business nor will recommend them to anyone we come in contact with.

I'm getting ready to contact the dealer again and tell them that I can't pay for the diagnostics since seems that the problem is the way the programmed the key. They really need to take care of this issue. They are responsible since they programmed the Remote/key. I will update this review once I contact the dealer again and see what they are planning to do about this issue. If they take care of the issue I definitely will give them a good review.

Next, we were driving and the tire pressure light came on so we went to have it checked at the dealership and they said everything was fine. A few hours later we got a flat and had to pay for it out of pocket. I've only had the car for a few months and it's just issue after issue. I trusted the dealership. They know I have a family and their comfort is important. I didn't realize 'til recently that there are no air vents in the back seat! I'm pay $285+ a month for a lease (plus $1500 down) and there are no air vents in the backseat. It's just appalling. After 20 years with VW, this will be my last. I put in a complaint to the dealership and VW corporate and just received a call that they will not help with a trade in. ABSURD! Their customer service has gone downhill for sure. I hate this car and cannot wait for the three years to be up.

On Saturday, April 16 I called Harmony Motors, our local dealership in Asheville, NC to check the status of my car. I was directed to the voicemail of someone who would be out of town for a week. His message warned that no voicemails would be received until his return. I called Harmony Motors again on Monday, April 18. They were surprised to hear from me and said they had no record of my car being there and could not recall seeing it come in. The mechanic said he would search the lot and get back to me.

After two hours of panicking that my car was stolen and several calls to the dealership, Roadside and tow service, I finally heard back that they had found my car. Roadside Assistance gave the dealership NO information about my vehicle. The tow service they hired left my keys in the car without notifying anyone in the service department. My car sat in the lot for three nights and two whole days before anyone knew it was there.

Now it's Tuesday, April 19. The mechanic finally called me back to tell me what service needs to be done, and that it will cost over $500. I told him Roadside said they would pay for it. He followed up with Roadside, then called me back to inform me that Roadside is not going to pay. So, obviously I followed up with Roadside. I explained the situation to the representative and she said the manager would listen to the recording of the call and get back to me. I was hopeful because the representative was very clear.

The manager was Felicia ** from the St. Petersburg, FL office. She said she listened to the call and that Roadside Assistance does not cover repairs and that I misunderstood the representative. I urged her to have someone listen to the conversation for another opinion. I explained that I am confident it was not a misunderstanding, and that perhaps the representative was misinformed about the company's policy. Even so, they should adhere to any promises made by their company reps. She said that it states clearly in the manual that Roadside does not cover the cost of repairs and that this written policy overrides anything that is said in person. She would not let me speak to her supervisor and would not give me her full name (I retrieved that later from VW Customer Care). She was rude, impolite, insensitive, and crass.

I then followed up with VW Customer Care. I waited on the line for 40 minutes before my call was answered. I filed a complaint about my experience and the representative I spoke with here was very nice and understanding. I received a follow-up phone call from the VW Roadside Customer Care manager who further confirmed that Roadside will not pay for the service even if the representative claimed that they would. The written policy overrides anything else. I explained that this is an unethical way to operate a business and it's not how I operate my own. If a representative makes a claim to a customer, the company should honor that promise and then take it up with the representative.

I have gone four days without my car, hours of stress and time away from work, and am now facing a $500 bill that I could have avoided if I had the correct information from VW. It is clear that this company is well rooted in dishonesty, misinformation, extremely poor customer relations and no understanding of ethics. I hope this story shares more on the truth of how VW operates and that their words cannot be trusted. So what have we learned from this? If you want an accurate representation of Volkswagen's services, I guess you need to consult written documents. Unless you happen to be inquiring about clean diesel. Then, unfortunately, you're ** out of luck.

Strange that VW spend so much on research and make a fundamental design problem. It could be that a wrong console has been fitted and one from a left hand drive installed. This could be checked out by looking at a left hand drive car? Check out the showroom that all Golf's have the controls on the passenger side, I have now found out that the design fault is only on right hand cars. I think it was a money saving idea not to fit the switches on the driver's side which I pointed out to the VW person contacting me which he was not aware of. He also informed me if I do anything to try to make it safer it would void the guarantee of the car. Said there was no plans for this to be correct in the future and no more correspondence would be entered into.

The incident has made my wife paranoid about having a child on the front passenger seat. I could tape up the switches or try to build a box around them but it really is a dangerous design fault. We tell passengers not to touch them when they get into the passenger seat. The incident happened on a motorway at about 70 miles per hour just as I was about to overtake. Fortunately, as I was doing an overtaking maneuver, there was no one behind me.

I injured my hand on the steering wheel and twisted my neck - the pain which only lasted the rest of the day. I did contact the dealer in January who sold me the new car and reported the fault - they have contacted me and it seems that they only offer me understanding of what I experienced but said I saw what I buying in the showroom and all the VW Golf's are build like this. I did point out that was not correct and it is just the Right Hand drive models that have this arrangement. Would like to know if I am the only person that has complained or experience about this fault?

After leaving my vehicle, and going to work, I received a phone call from the manager of the service shop. He let me know that I had more issues than just replacing the hubcap. He stated that my left front tire was so worn I would not make it home and needed to purchase a tire immediately. He then said, he refused to sell me the hubcap until I left my car at the shop to replace the wheel, get a tire/wheel alignment and possibly have the bar replaced underneath the vehicle.

I left work – went to the service center immediately and let him know there was nothing wrong with the wheel. All I wanted to do was purchase the hubcap and pay for the oil change and the bulb replacement. The manager let me know that all of the above service needed to be done that day – the latest the following day and again discouraged me from just purchasing the hubcap. Literally he was letting me know that my car was unsafe to operate. I let him know I would purchase a tire if I must (as he let me know it may bust leaving the dealership) but not at VW. That night, I did purchase a tire. However, with the advice of my fiancé, I took my vehicle to get a second opinion and estimate for the service your manager assured me I needed. Which by the way - when totaled was over $300 worth of extra repair on top of the $133 I paid for an oil change and a bulb replacement.

I am writing this to let you know the following. I took my car the next day to get a second opinion and the details I found is enough to make me report this service center. The certified repair shop that I went to not only did a full inspection of my entire vehicle and parts – but let me know I did NOT need a new wheel, I did not need an alignment and that VW purposefully was trying to take advantage of me – a young woman, working professional, who does not know much about cars or service in order to make a profit or increase their sales for service that day at my expense.

Let me explain something. I worked too hard, as a 24 year old, now 26, black female to have purchased this vehicle, pay $350 a month and attempt to keep up with the maintenance – just for your service center manager and employees to have their priority be to get over on customers like me, and who are too busy lying to even realize they replaced the WRONG bulb on my vehicle. Needless to say, I am disgusted with this service. Feel completely taken advantage of. Had I not gone for a second opinion and inspection, I would have potentially paid hundreds of dollars in unnecessary repairs. This is unacceptable and disgusting behavior for a company that I thought had its customers’ best interest from day one.

Had VW conduct a diagnostics. They told me that my high pressure fuel pump HPFP had failed and contaminated my fuel system. Also the catalytic converter and particulate filter was shot. Oh yea and need to replace the water pump and fix the timing. So, the parts list was 2 pages long and the total including labor was over 8,000 dollars. Let me remind you that this car is a 2011 model, 95% highway miles and is in good condition. I have truly enjoyed driving this car and expected many more miles out of the TDI engine. I haven't had the repair completed yet. It going to cost more than the damn car is worth. I have mixed emotions about owning another Volkswagen.

Anyway, after paying on time for more than 1 year, I lost my job and fell behind with payments. I called a few times asking to refinance or lower the payments to no avail. Then fell behind 5 month and of course when I call they tell me car is in repo but they take the repo off if I pay at least 4 payments asap. I tell them I am overseas and need to have my US checks cleared through my bank which took 3-4 weeks over the Christmas holidays. So as soon as it cleared I send a money order via FedEx with 5 month worth of payments to get current. So I call 2 weeks later and they tell me I have to return the car as my account was closed. I am like, "WHAT???"

They told me on the phone if I pay 5 payments they will take off the repo and I can pay monthly via bank transfer from then on, and I call and they just canceled everything they said before and say "Pay $14.000 - right now or bring the car back". I cannot believe it. They say, "Contract says bla bla cancelled when in default", even after I agreed on the phone to pay them 5 payments and get current and DID pay them, they say, "It was TOO LATE" and now they want the total outstanding on the car within days or need the car back.

What a ** company, the WORST liars and scammers out there! I paid up, she confirmed my payment but supposedly it was "days" too late. So now I don't know what to do, lose $26000, and the car, cannot drive to work without a car, still have to pay off the rest. Instead of working with us these scammers rather take your car and still have you pay off the rest because they is how they make money. NEVER VOLKSWAGEN AGAIN. Worst car company ever. I am going back to Honda or anything that is better than this ** pile of a company. Will tell all my friends to never buy a VW!

Original Review: Feb. 2, 2016

I have a 2013 Volkswagen CC--black color. Rust/paint peeling began to appear on/near the rocker panel by the driver's door of my car. Volkswagen Canada denied the rust claim under warranty. On December 17, 2015, I took the car to the dealer to show the rust coming from underneath and eating away at the paint on the rocker panel. The dealer took pictures and submitted them to Volkswagen Canada. Yesterday (i.e. one and one half months later), I learned that Volkswagen Canada denied the claim, stating the rust and paint peeling was caused by "outside influences".

This is preposterous. The rust was bleeding through from underneath causing the paint to peel away. This damage is located on or at the rocker panel/door sills by the driver's door. The damaged spot is protected by the driver's door, so that it is not exposed to flying debris from the road. There is no evidence of "outside influences" as claimed by Volkswagen Canada. There is no lack of care, or failure to promptly repair. I did not get any third party rustproofing done, so there was no use of any inferior rustproofing agent or method. There is no evidence of environmental damage. This is Volkswagen Canada's method of denying warranty claims. Although Volkswagen Canada has a 12-year warranty against rust, this warranty appears worthless.

We got rid of it at 9,000 miles for a Toyota Prius. There has been absolutely ZERO issues with the Prius at over 45,000 miles. TOYOTA dealer experience has been excellent. Staff is professional, respective to customers, and highly knowledgeable about their own product. We also have a Toyota 4Runner with 97,000 trouble free miles. Nothing goes wrong! After 3 VW models, I will never purchase another VW product again. Some will argue the GTI is a performer so there's a fair trade-off - that's ridiculously stupid. Nobody should have to deal with the major problems with a new car- especially under the 10,000-mile mark. There are hundreds of thousands of VW experienced owners that agree on the fact that VW cars are junk!

I don't know which car they assessed but certainly not the one which we returned. I asked, why were we not informed about these "damages" nor were we supplied the "SGS-inspection report". The answer from the incredibly rude VW-Credit employee: "It's not our business to supply you with a report from the surveyor nor is it our job to inform you of the damage!!!"

I argued that the dealer should have informed us if they had independently found any damage. The answer from VW Credit "Then go and complain to them. We have nothing to do with the dealer. We recommend you pay as promptly or we will take action against you, which won't be good for you". We complained to the sales Manager at VW in Naples Florida, where we leased the car. The reply from the manager: "We have nothing to do with this. If you have complaints then address them to VW Credit!!"

Called back VW-Credit. The bottom line answer: "Report the damages to your insurance company". I replied, "NO, I am not committing insurance fraud for you to cash money because that is exactly what you are asking me to do". I repeated that the car had absolutely zero scratches nor damages. What was the reply from VW-Credit: "We have no time for people like you". Phone hung up!

We have leased the following brands in the past 10 years: Lexus, Kia, BMW. Have we EVER encountered any problems returning the cars? Never ever! Quite the contrary, we received letters thanking us for the business and inviting us to visit our dealer of trust so that he could help us choose a new vehicle. One fact is sure: NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL WE LEASE OR PURCHASE A VW!! If you have one under a lease contract, BEWARE WHEN YOU RETURN IT. We all know that VW needs to make up for the losses incurred due to the fraud committed with the emission scandal. Defrauding customers even more to get money from their pockets at the end of a lease is certainly a good way to reaffirm the company moral.

Back to VW. I found many relate their cost of repairs due to the issue of finding replacement parts available from non-dealer repair shops and also those shops not willing to touch VW. Lastly I am old enough to know the dark history of this car company, its relationship with Hitler through the founder Porche and their use of hundreds of thousands of slave laborers during the war. That family (Porche) now owns most of the stock and controls a large block of voting rights on the board. Need more reasons not to buy VW. Read the following comments by more recent owners.

Just with the fuel system alone I truly don't believe all those parts I mentioned above failed. I think the techs just kept throwing parts at it until it ran at my expense of course. I could keep going and going... Long story short do yourself a favor and buy another brand. I hope the emissions scandal puts them out of business. Every time I drive the car I now wonder am I going to arrive at my destination? Totally disgusted!!!

I went with Volkswagen because I was under the impression they were a reliable and dependable car. They are far from that. Because of this issue, I now have a car loan for the next 5 years and no car to show for it. I have researched this issue and it's not just me with the problem. Many other people have had the same issue before 100,000 miles on their VW as well. If you are considering this brand, DON'T! They are of no help and have so many loopholes in their warranty so when something catastrophic happens, you won't be covered. There are so many other car brands out there. Go with someone else. VW is a HUGE disappointment in customer service and reliability. Hopefully, with the current lawsuit they have against them, they will go out of business so no one else has this problem.

I arrived to the dealership at our scheduled time... waited 2 1/2 hrs. only to be told that there was an error. It was not approved and in fact Volkswagen credit wanted the dealer to confiscate my vehicle right there. They allowed me to leave "yeah right" gimmicks. I stepped outside and immediately called VW Credit to rectify the situation. They told me to make two payments and I would be up to date, or a least put back in the 30 mark. I agreed, I would go to Moneygram in the morning and get things squared away.

Needless to say a few hours later my car was repossessed, from a friend's "private enclosed garage" already suing which means I was followed to location "lawsuit in effect." I only owed them $1,000. I had to pay $3200 to get my car back. Explain. Devils. My credit is now ruined, the vehicle is still due back in Feb. and I am assed out!! This is the second time they have screwed me over. I have bought them so much business I got 6 other family members to get a Volkswagen. So glad all leases are coming to an end. We will never support Volkswagen again. I will shout from the Mountain top!! Hate them all. Trust me lease or buy elsewhere!! Please believe me I have so many horror stories dealing with them!!

Nothing had fallen through the roof and the glass bowed up, indicating it exploded from the inside... Clearly a defective part. The manager of the dealership called me to bear the bad news and simply brushed me off. He asked if I wanted to pay the out of pocket cost for the part and when I shared my belief that this should absolutely be covered, he said "we will cancel the order of the part and you can come get your car anytime." FAR less than helpful. This experience makes me never want to drive a VW again... What is the point of a warranty if it doesn't cover defective parts?! I would NEVER recommend Volkswagen of Santa Barbara.

When purchased, the vehicles came with a problem, but with this Tiguan I have several problems. The fuel gauge displayed when I purchase the car was broke (when the tank was full that it was full). I went twice (September 15 and September 22) and I lost both days in your dealership. Two weeks ago I left the car lights on for a few hours; upon attempting to start the vehicle the battery was dead. I cannot believe that a new battery of a new car would die after being left on for such a short amount of time and that there is no automatic system that turns off the lights after several hours.

I purchased a new vehicle, and I expected to not have car problems for several years. However this car has been the worst car I have ever had as if I had purchased a used car with several issues. In addition this car has minimum space in back seat and for cargo. I am really unhappy with the car especially because I feel the car was repair previous my ownership. I price for this car was really high I did not receive a product according with price.

Needless to say, it is two weeks later and I still don't have the part. So my cute, little Beetle that I am still paying for is sitting in my garage and I cannot get the dealer to come through. Oh, and by the way, the part was prepaid because it is VIN specific and they won't order without payment.

I asked what is causing this... neither Ashlee or #1 Cochran could give me an answer. But Ashlee did tell me I needed to go back to my dealership to learn how to properly lower and raise the back seat. Really! That is their answer. No financial help at all but they will tell me how to use a car I have driven since 2011. Ridiculous and since we know how honest VW has been, I have no confidence in this company.

My husband and I have purchased several vehicles from VW over the years and I am very disappointed and angry at the treatment I received when I was in need of "HELP". I did not think VW Roadside Service is only for consumers with warranties on their vehicle. I will not use or recommend this service to anyone else. There are other Roadside Services that are much nicer than this one!

VW covered the transmission issue because the car was under warranty but since then I've had several more issues. Headlight and taillight (twice), intake valves needed to be cleaned, all 4 tires have needed to be replaced, and the latest has been a timing belt issue that has caused major engine damage at 70,000 miles. The car's warranty expired 3 months ago. VW HQ has offered to cover the cost of parts but not labor ($3,100).

I am a student who works part time and has an inoperable vehicle with 70k miles on it and $9,000 left to pay on it. No idea what I'm going to. This is obviously a flaw on the car maker but I am most likely going to be one that suffers from it. I highly discourage anyone from buying a Volkswagen. I cannot recommend them in good faith to anyone and I hope that I can wash my hands clean of this vehicle without too big of a loss.

Edit - After going back and forth with VW Customer Care and the dealership several times, I was able to talk them down to $2400. I told them that all I could afford is $1000. They say they will do the repairs for $1595 and that is their lowest offer. The repair estimate they sent me is amazing to look at. The total cost for labor and repair was $7,856.45. How could all of these parts have broken 3 months after the warranty expired?

She kept telling me that her information was accurate and I owed about a grand, when really they owed me. I told her to add what she gave me, and she told me she did not have time to add 33 payments. I asked to speak to someone else who was going to be proactive and helpful. She told me there was no one else. I have to file a complaint with the BBB and call in a favor from a lawyer to get this issue resolved. These people are thieves and are genuinely cavalier to the fact that they do not know basic math.

I have contacted VW Customer Care before the car was stalling - when the driver door was about to fall off - mind you I am 4'11 tall and weigh 100 lbs. I later contacted VW USA Customer Care again when I started having brake failures and they did nothing whatsoever except waiting for them to "get back to me" (in a week or so) and then saying that "they can't do anything". So when my car started having stalling episodes (2 of them on major streets in Los Angeles), I did not bother contacting VW USA Customer Care but went to the dealership that said "they do not see a problem" and that "they run the car computer system" something of that sort and "everything looks good".

I also like to say that every time I went to the dealership, I had to make sure the right description of what has happened is put down on the work order and not what might look better on paper. Not having a loaner car when I pay almost $400 a month for my car that keeps breaking down is a terrible business practice. The Sun Visor hitting my eye could put me out of work. Fire coming out of the charger while I was driving traumatize both - my very young children and I - Please note that since then, none of the car chargers has been working so I have to rely on a portable charger I have purchased. I truly appreciate your willingness to help but I have lost faith that anything will be resolved because if VW Customer Care did not care that my children's life and my life are in danger driving a Volkswagen, then why would they care now that my lease is almost ending? True. VW still does not care.

I drive a 2012 VW Golf R and I am a long term VW fan who feels very slighted. I am experienced with most forms of legal action largely due to my employment and I seriously considered legal action as I could easily take this to small claims court, but in the end I didn't feel it was worth the bother or the issues VW Canada would create. Anyway the same VW Touareg now has rust coming from beneath again on the right rear door in the same place as it occurred in the left rear door. I'm guessing VW Canada will pull the same nonsense and fail to honor the warranty. I have filed a BBB complaint to which VW Canada has denied all liability. I responded with this.

"I do not accept the premise of this response on the grounds that: a) VW Canada cannot upon my many requests provide any supporting documentation or scientific evidence as to how this is as they call it 'corrosion perforation resulting from outside influences, failure to promptly repair paint damage, damaged undercoating, or surface corrosion'; b) A third body panel (passenger rear door) is currently showing signs of rust from beneath the surface, but it takes many months to even get a check up to see if it is covered due to a backlog at VW. I believe that this is a deliberate attempt to present the damage as failure to promptly repair and circumnavigate VW Canada’s responsibility to honor their warranty.

"c) VW Canada’s response to the BBB complaint does not make effort to address the rear driver’s side door that was replaced due to rust from beneath and provided no explanation as to how it rusted nor any coverage; d) The license plate was not in contact with the tailgate until the day before inspection when I removed the plate and cover to better see the damage. I did not put the cover back on to take in into the dealership because it broke upon removal. VW Canada has made no effort to provide any evidence that this was a long-term situation." In summary I believe based on online posting investigations, that VW Canada is following a mandate issued by management to cut costs by lowering the amount of rust corrosion claims paid out.

Amazing right? Now the not so amazing part. They require strict adherence to Volkswagen's maintenance schedule. Volkswagen tends to use a lot of proprietary parts and special tools, $$ to do even routine maintenance. ANY direct injection engine with eventually build up carbon. You can prolong this by using only top tier fuel, only premium octane and throw in a can of Techron now and then. But they will need cleaning eventually (and that ain't cheap). I have not had issues with the DSG transmissions in my last 2 VW's. I find it shifts very smoothly, very quickly and in manual shift mode, fun to drive. BUT, they need to be serviced every 30K and that can range from $300 to $500, depending on where you have it done.

I love the super bright xenon lights, especially in the CC, which track the motion of the car and follow the road. BUT, those bulbs ain't cheap, they run hot, and they do wear out quicker than regular halogen bulbs. So, if you choose to buy a Volkswagen, you are getting a superior, driver's car. A vehicle that is sophisticated, very well built and will perform the job as daily driver with no complaint. Also understand this car needs regular maintenance, quality parts and needs to be looked after. If you're on this site researching a particular car, understand that Volkswagen sells hundreds of thousands of cars that work just fine. Also, from what I've read, a lot of these issues could have been avoided by good solid maintenance. Yeah, pay the dealership or VW specialist, these cars are NOT for backyard mechanics.

The Tiguan started and I could drive forward and back but the steering wheel did not move at all, as if it was locked but it was not and the power steering failure light came on in the dashboard. The Tiguan is almost 4 yrs old and about 73 thousand miles on it. But I do not think age is the issue with this problem, it's just a design flaw from VW. This problem has me very concern because what if I was driving on the freeway and the power steering failed then? I could only imagine what could have happen. What if my children were with me? This problem is unacceptable, inexcusable and life threatening. This is a very serious safety issue with the Tiguan.

My Tiguan was towed to a VW dealership's car shop and they told me there that they never heard of such problem with the Tiguan models. I search on the web and it turns out there are several hundredth 2009-2011 VW Tiguans owners that have had that same problem, and to fix the Tiguan it would be $2,045 dollars. The service rep suggested I call VW customer service. I did call and they were very nice and told me that they were going to see if they could help me with the repair.

Next day I get a call from them and told me that they were not going to do anything about it because my Tiguan had more than 70,000 miles and was way out of warranty. This power steering problem has nothing to do with the Tiguan's age. Other people that have had this exact same experience and only had their Tiguan for 2 months with 1,800 miles on and the problem keeps reoccurring! Warranty or no warranty this is a design flaw and should be covered by VW. Also in my opinion this is an issue worth a major recall but so far VW seems to be waiting for the first deaths to occur before they will react. There is always possibility that in traffic, the power steering really could go any moment.

Something should be done about it!!! Before an innocent family dies!!! Help!!! In the meantime I will tell my story in the social media, to people, in the news if I can, in the radio if I can, report it to BBB, and make consumer reports anywhere I can etc., etc. I am now very scared to be driving the Tiguan. It's not safe and I don't feel safe! In other people's Tiguan that have had the same problem it just keeps reoccurring after being "fixed". VW has lost a loyal customer forever!

The witness took pictures immediately showing the right front tire still at an angle to the car, the right front bumper was not touching the curb due to the angle of the impact with the concrete divider. There was no visible sign of damage to the right front portion of the car, other than the obvious tire that remained tilted outward from the car. All damage to the car resulting from the impact with the concrete divider was on the left side of the car.

On Wednesday June 15, 2015 the VW Product Engineer came to Missouri to evaluate the probable cause of the crash of my 2013 Passat. Since I believed that I was not getting all of the truth about why my car crashed I also went to where my car was available for inspection and arrived 10 minutes after he was finished with my car. The car was on a rack and I asked the mechanic to identify the right tie rod for me. The right tie rod looked intact as was the left side. I asked him to identify the piece that appeared broken. He said it was the ball joint. This piece was sheared off and each side was in the holder. The ball joint on the left side was in one piece with a top and bottom piece covering it. I asked about the brakes. The right front steel drum was loose and I could wiggle it from side to side. The left side would not move at all.

I was called the next day by a person filling in for the representative that had discussed the possible warranty problem with me. I was told that I could not get a copy of the report, could not speak with the Engineer and that his conclusion was NO warranty defects! When I asked how determined how pieces were broken I was told that I must have hit a rock or other object and the parts were broken at impact with the divider. When I asked how the tire fell out while going straight on the road, there was no answer. When I asked how the ball joint was sheared off and I was told that a force from outside the car caused the rod to snap. Not a reasonable answer. I was then told my case would be closed and that I could not discuss this any further. I asked if that meant I should sue them in court to get the answers I was told YES.

I do not think you have to be an Engineer to know that the conclusions were made with total disregard to the order of event and the photos of the crash site. If the ball joints are made of metal, steel perhaps?, then it would be impossible to create enough force from the outer side of the tire to cause the ball joint to shear off. There was no damage to the outside of the tire until AFTER the car was drag off off the scene by a tow truck. I suspect that the Engineer decided what caused the wreck before he got to my car and used the scenario of me crashing the car and causing the mechanics to fail. Since the tire chanting out from car happened right before the car veered left and then crashed I do not believe the Product Engineer has this clearly figured out.

AVOID VW. I AM MAKING TRIPLE PAYMENTS ON THE GOLF TO HOPEFULLY SELL IT without too much of a loss AFTER 1 YEAR. (SAD) Volkswagen SHAME ON YOU FOR BEING LIARS, UNETHICAL, STUPID, AND BELIEVE ME; THEIR PROBLEMS START CLEAR AT THE TOP. I gave them so many chances to make things right. They completely abandon customers after the sale. Bad cars, bad company.

To be fair, Volkswagen had reduced the cost of the replacement crankshaft, however Inchcape have refused to refund the high repair bill. In my opinion they are responsible for the purchase of the faulty crankshaft and hence should take responsibility for this. I am very disappointed that a reliable brand has let me down in this way. I have loved my VW Golf but have lost confidence in it. I invested in a reliable name and feel disappointed in the quality of the engine that I have been supplied with. Any comments or similar experiences would be appreciated. Thank you.

When I called VW they gave me the runaround basically telling me that even though the car is not due for an oil change for another 2000 mile or months their hands are tied. Because The vehicle has too many mileage (94000) and to old (2011). But they would be happy to forward my complaint to the dealer that did my oil change. They didn't even offer to have my car inspected by one of their shop. Thought I was saving when I got that offer in the mail half off my oil change. Which now is going to cost me a new engine!

I went to a body shop, I explained to him what was going on and he was in shock. He told me there was nothing he could do because there was nothing to repair, I should hire an attorney. The day of the car return I explained to the person that received the car all this. He start looking at the car and he didn't understand why I was being charged. I got the final bill a month later and I have been charged in full without any credit.

Our car is currently at a VW dealer who is stating negligence on our part after ONE missed oil transmission change. We were quoted $5,500 to replace transmission on a car that will be three years old to us May 27, 2015. What options exist? Smells like a lemon.

VW PR gave us a two week song and dance (** so sweet and has your back) and ** the decision maker who won't even provide his full name for some accountability. They stroked us really well telling us that they were covering every base and they understood how unjustified these types of repairs are at this early age of a car. Two weeks later... after we supposedly cooled down from spending a couple of grand on the "inside of the engine" repair they told us they would not take the car back. They would not offer any financial assistance. We were left with nothing. At least I can warn others. Do not believe that VW can produce a fuel injection car. Their design is faulty and their parts break easily and one problem creates others. The EOS looks great, but that is only skin deep.

Our independent shop admittedly doesn't know that much about VW's but all we've needed them to do up until this point is oil changes. They called VW of A and were encouraged to change the sensor for the oil warning light because the pumps "never fail". They changed the sensor ($600) and that did nothing. At this point they suggested we try the dealer as being someone that works on these all the time. I've never trusted Lithia and hated to go there, but arranged to have my vehicle towed over to their service department.

I called and told them it was coming and they took all the information (this was on a Tuesday) and said they were swamped but had me scheduled for service on Friday and said they'd call Friday evening. They didn't. I called Friday morning and the service adviser told me he had no record of ever receiving my car, but said "they'd look around". A couple hours later they call and say it's sitting in the lot and tried to somehow blame it on the tow company even though I had a signed receipt from the service manager for receiving the car. They apologized for his stupidity (the tow truck drivers) and said they'd bump me to the top of the list and could have me in by Friday.

Remember, I'd been scheduled for the previous Friday. I hate to piss off a guy working on my car in the same way I hate to piss off someone that's cooking my food, so basically I just reminded him that I'd been scheduled for last week and asked him to do what he could to get the car in. I didn't hear back for two weeks and I had called and left several messages asking them to call. When they did call, the adviser is joking around about the stupidity of the tow company again and and how that guy had really screwed me and then slips in that I need a new oil pump and they'll have to pull the engine and it's going to cost $4,200.00 They have to pull the engine to change the oil pump.

My past experience with them being what it was, I told him to hold on and said I was going to call around for other options. The next nearest dealer is 2 1/2 hours away and no one else locally wanted to work on it. I called VW of A to ask if I could speak with some sort of tech adviser but was told they didn't have anything like that only a case manager for complaints. I did say that I would like to speak with the case manager and she promised to have someone call within 24 hours. I got a call three days later. I mentioned my previous experiences with this dealership and lack of confidence in their honesty firstly but also their competence and wanted it on record before anything started because I knew I didn't have any reasonable options. It was noted.

I called Lithia and asked if there was any way of knowing if any damage had been done to the motor and was assured they would not proceed if that were the case and said there was practically no chance anything had happened to it anyway because of the robust construction of the engine and the car has safeguards to protect itself. I reluctantly gave them the okay to proceed. A month later they called and told me the car was done but that they wanted to have one of their techs drive it home (an hour away) to just make sure everything was okay. They must have driven it around the parking lot and determined they couldn't do that because they called back a half hour later and said the check engine light had come on and they wanted to look at the codes and would call me back. This was on a Friday and they called me Monday and said they were going to have to pull the engine again.

This was my service adviser again and he promised me it wouldn't cost me a penny more, and they just wanted to check everything out. I contacted VW of A again and noted what was going on. They again promised me that my case manager would follow up within 24 hours. And again it was two or three days before she called. They're all trained to commiserate with you and tell you how bad they feel that this is happening and assure you that this is not typical for Volkswagen service and they're doing everything they possibly can to help resolve this issue. Uh huh... Lithia had the car for another month claiming that a gasket or seal had failed and it wasn't their fault but that they needed to change the cam chains now and there weren't any in the country but they were being air freighted from Germany and again assured me "it wouldn't cost a penny more than the original quote of $4200 and the car would be perfect".

Back together and another check engine light. The engine comes out again. Now it needs cam adjusters and there aren't any in the country. After 3 months we got the car back. The bill was $4,900 but he finally relented and stood by his original guarantee of not being a penny more than the $4,200.00 He said it should have cost us $15,000.00. I called again to speak with my case manager and again was promised she'd call me within 24 hours. Someone did call me within 24 hours this time but it wasn't her. They were calling me to tell me she was out of the office and would call me when she got back in. She did, two days later. I told her again about the 3 months, the multiple engine pullings, the lack of communication from the dealership, etc etc and said I wanted an official complaint about the service and wanted them to know I had zero confidence in my "repair".

We drove it for a week and the check engine light came on. We took it back in to have them check it out and were told two days later that multiple codes had gone off and they had an engineer coming in the next day to help them diagnose the problems. Now, (over a week later) someone I've never spoken with before called and said the engineer still hadn't been in (not their fault) but they suspected I needed a new engine. That call was this morning. This is Lithia Volkswagen in Des Moines Iowa.

I just got off the phone with VW of A and was again assured of how much they cared about my situation and reiterated that this is not how VW does business and that they were doing everything within their power to make sure this situation is being resolved and that that resolution will be my renewed confidence in VW, blah blah, blah... and my case manager will call me within 24 hours.

I've owned six and I've talked others into buying them. People ask me maybe monthly how I like my Volkswagen. For the last couple of years I've still encouraged the car while saying I hadn't had good experiences with the dealership. I've always conceded though that those could have just been bad luck and they shouldn't go by my opinions but should check into them themselves. I won't say that anymore, not about Lithia, and not about Volkswagen.

The reason I ask is, the driver side headlamp assembly (Produced by Hella) in my 2008 VW City Jetta stopped working. The part number for the head lamp assembly is 1JM-941-015-D. My best estimation is that there were approximately 4,400 - 4600 2008 VW City Jetta manufactured for the Canadian market.

*Assumed 50/50 Split between City Jetta and City Golf in 2009

Note that the 2008 City Jetta was only sold in Canada. Therefore the units that have required similar repairs to this point may not indicate that there is an issues and could theoretically could be viewed as statistically insignificant. A few things to consider, this is the only car that the headlamp assembly was manufactured for. It is not a common part that can be found on either the 2007 or the 2009 VW City Jetta, nor on the regular Jetta that was sold anywhere else around the world. Thus limiting the amount of data on the headlight assembly itself.

The car in question has approximately 80,000 Kms on it. This indicates there was not an above average amount of use. Additionally, it has not been in a car accident and all parts are original equipment, including the bulb which was installed by VW of Windsor. The connecting wires between the head lamp and the socket melted, as stated by the VW of Windsor technician. I do not believe that this should occur under normal wear and tear on a car. The two VWs that I owned previously did not have this issue, nor was it encountered on any other vehicle that I have owned.

Lastly, this part is not readily available to the public, because it was not used in any other vehicle. This makes the repair approximately $900. I have tried to find the part through other means and other repair facilities and was unsuccessful, because the part is so rare. If someone could please give me a call back to discuss my concerns it would be greatly appreciated.

When I returned to pick up my Jetta, the Service Associate said she had really bad news. She said she had spoken to their Sales Associate and this definitely was not a body style and in fact there was significant damage to my vehicle. A VW salesman quickly joined the conversation and claimed the indentations were caused from a hoist. I told them the only hoist my car was on was their hoist in August 2, 2014 when it was in for the first free 15,000 km oil change. I was presented an invoice for over $250.00 at the time. They had rotated my tires, and performed the 6-month service check on their own accord. I refused to pay the invoice as I specifically asked only for the oil change - nothing more.

The salesman said "you can't prove we did the damage; it's way too late for that!" He began aggressively arguing while the Service Associate said this is not the policy of Volkswagen and they would go good for any damage caused as their service department. She checked the service records and confirmed my vehicle had been in their service shop and asked me to get 2 quotes and they would do the same. She confirmed the auto body shop that I would go to was a customer of theirs and agreed they would be good to go to. She said they would call me the following day as they would want to have this addressed ASAP. They never called me back. In fact I called them the following day and found she was dismissive and didn't engage in a conversation of how they would approach this matter.

Both body shops gave a quote of over $4,000 had said the damage was very serious and confirmed that it was sustained by a hoist. They both suggested I go to ICBC as soon as possible. ICBC confirmed hoist damage and proceeded to process my claim as they would go after the dealership. I asked ICBC about the trade-in value of my car since I now own a vehicle purchased at top dollar; with depreciation and $4,000+ damages, the trade-in value of my car is seriously compromised. ICBC only said I would have my deductible returned after they go after the dealership.

Annoyed, I called back and suggested I drop off my car and take a loaner. Nope.... Customer service is terrible so far, at least at my dealership. On top of this, a car wash knocked off the driver's side back of my side view mirror, and a plastic runner on the seat already broke off. I'm completely disappointed, despite the quick handling and nice interior. I just needed to vent.

It's shame on your assembly employees, quality control engineers. Are they sleeping? Or you are not paying them well? Please take all the money that you make from the repairs caused by these breaking parts and give them as bonus. Motivate them to at least build something so that at least you can call yourself as car company. I was always recommending friends about this company... Now I realized big mistake. Sorry VW. Not any more. I changed my advice. None of my friends/colleagues are no more going to buy VW if they get my feedback. To all the folks who are planning to buy - I would suggest instead of buying a vw, just drop $100 into the toilet daily and flush it. That will at least save time from going back and forth between the repairs.

By enlarge, my VW's have been reliable, practical and most of all fun to drive and own. I appreciate the thoughtful design and top quality engineering that goes into all VW products. They are worth every penny of their asking price!

With replacement bulb in hand, my husband examined the car's headlight assembly and swiftly threw his hands up in the air, as did two local service mechanics. Thus, I was forced to send her to our local dealership in West Nyack, NY - Palisades Volkswagen, where I was charged for Volkswagen's inane engineering the staggering sum of... wait for it... drum roll please... ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS AND SIXTY EIGHT CENTS ($164.68)!!! You heard right.

How on earth can Volkswagen expect its loyal consumer to happily absorb the cost of what is obviously a serious design flaw and expect that customer to ever purchase one of their poorly designed cars ever again? Frankly, I'm insulted and angry. The loyal VW consumer should not be penalized for the company's flawed design. Shame on you.

I wanted them to stand behind their product and replace the seat belts. I asked to speak to a supervisor and got the runaround, until she finally agreed to talk to her supervisor. Instead of a supervisor coming on the line after I sat waiting to dead air for 5 minutes or so, Jenny came back on and said SHE spoke to the supervisor and the supervisor agreed with her position. I told her I wanted to speak to the supervisor and I wanted the name of the person she spoke to. She kept trying to avoid the issue and then finally said she spoke to "Sharonda". I asked to speak to her and was told she could only put my request in the system and someone else would contact me by Monday.

Prestige Imports of Pleasantville, NY opened the engine and immediately called to tell me I needed a new engine. All I had to do was show oil change receipts for the life of the car and I'd receive a new engine free of charge. However, living in the real world and being a member of the US Marines, I've lived all over the US and had my oil serviced by the lowest bidder (often times myself). I was not going to be able to prove my oil changes (they were current though). At this point I called VW USA to open the lines of communication. I was told by VW USA not to worry, they’d look into the problem and get a better answer to the extent of the damage. After they talk to the dealer they will call back and explain the extent of the damage.

A few days later the dealership called to say the car is finished. Finished? Please define finished because the last word I received was that I needed a new engine. VW USA was supposed to call you (the dealer), get a better idea of the problem & call me back so I can choose a course of action. The dealer informed me they replaced the timing belt, timing belt tensioner, and water pump. I'm responsible for those repairs for about 1100 dollars. The repairs they did under warranty were a camshaft, cam follower, and high-pressure fuel pump. Ignore for minute that they have to remove the timing belt anyway to replace the camshaft. There should have been almost zero labor involved in that repair.

Here's the issue. 1. I involved VW USA early and clarify the exact extent of the damage. They did not. They failed to add clarity and in fact, made matters more confusing. 2. Repairing an engine with metal shaving in the oil is a waste of money at a minimum. To be blunt it is closer to unethical and fraudulent. 3. Repairing a timing belt on an interference engine with cylinder head damage is unethical and fraudulent. 4. Calling a customer to say you need a new engine and then reversing course and completing 1100 dollars after I advise I cannot provide oil records is unethical and fraudulent. 5. VW USA taking a month to try to untangle and investigate the problem only to finally state that they are not helping is fraudulent and unethical.

This issue could have not been handled worse. 1100 dollars of repairs were administered to a vehicle that is damaged. VW knows the 2.0-liter engine is an interference engine and timing is critical. VW acknowledged camshaft issues in Technical Bulletin ** but somehow wants to blame cam collateral wear on oil changes. There are metal particles in the engine oil system from acknowledged cam problems, which act like sandpaper when they circulate. Finally, there was zero productive communication with VW USA. The only communication was nightly calls from customer service agents who know nothing of automobiles or engines stating they're still working on it or so and so wasn't there because of the holidays etc. Horrible, horrible experience. Criminal, negligent, fraudulent and to boot, to a service member and veteran.

Fast forward to a few days ago, exactly the same symptoms as before, no start. Towed to the dealership an entire day wasted waiting. The car gets to the dealership and the mechanic goes to look at it and it starts.... Car is at dealership for several days again and the service manager eventually tells me they can't duplicate the problem and can't do anything more.

By this point I'm furious and call VW USA Customer Care, several phone calls later they essentially tell me the same thing, sorry can't help. So I have a car in the garage I'm afraid to drive because of the likelihood of being stranded yet again. I will NEVER buy another VW product; Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Ducati, etc.

Here's the totally unacceptable response I received after posting to VW USA Facebook page: "We're very sorry to hear about your experience, and we apologize that we were unable to meet your expectations. Should you experience any further concerns with your Golf and visit your local VW dealer for inspection, please don't hesitate to reach out to us again."

The latest issue was an "engine trouble light". They charged me $99.99 just to read the problem, then tell me "the problem is your "glow plug" is bad". Diesel engine will not start without an active "glow plug". I feel I am being ripped off. And when I total all the charges, I realize I would have been better off financially driving another vehicle with half the fuel economy. Today I got an answer back from corporate that they took my complaint and passed it on to the dealer -- what's wrong with this picture??? Before you invest in any Volkswagen product, consider their poor, and very expensive service work, and no help from the manufacturer. Customer Service Counts!!!

A department "Assistant" called me back, said they would send their field service manager for the region out to look at the car and get back to me. They would not give me any names of anyone that was looking at my car besides the dealership mechanics. They called back and would not help me with fixing the car. Essentially I was leasing a $20,000 car that had $10,000 of damage that I didn't cause and VW said, "Oh well, can't help you." This was 4 months ago. I've talked to several current and former VW mechanics and they all said that VW is the only shop that can fix the car. They did however share with me a tech-tip that shows a manufacturer's issue with a grommet in the left side of the convertible top that can pop loose, causing the exact damage that I'm experiencing with my convertible top. That was posted in April of 2013, and the dealership did not mention this or to my knowledge investigate it.

I loved this car. I've barely driven it over the last 8 months. I'm so disappointed in VW for not only NOT rectifying such a strange mechanical problem, but expecting anyone to fix a car for the ridiculous amount of $10,000. The dealership was great and very helpful but I can't help but wonder if the hinge wasn't damaged by the dealership after the fact. The top still doesn't work and I have no resolution. BAD REPUTATION for VW. Every mechanic I spoke with said that VW are the toughest and most expensive cars to work on and they recommend to everyone not to be them. This is my first negative rating of anything, ever! I am so angry and truly disappointed that VW has chosen to not deal with this. Not that VW cares but I will never buy another VW and I will advise anyone I know to stay away from them as well.

Two months later, the light comes again, we bring it to the dealer and hear the same story...yet this time they told us that they switched something off (!!!!), so that the "false" engine light alert won't come on again! Couple of months go by (just FYI - I commute on highways every day to and from work), and when I'm in the middle of my way home, the engine light goes on again... 20 minutes later, after the light had came on, the car just stalls/the engine shuts off!! Luckily the traffic was heavy and I was going about 10-15 miles/hour...I had to come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway and restart the car. I can't even imagine what would've happened if I was going the full speed...We brought the car to the dealer, and were informed a day later, that there is a sensor problem, and that they will be replacing it. When we took back the car we asked the dealer multiple times whether this problem will be happening again - they assured us that it will not!

Yet, a couple of days ago (the car is one year and 2 months old at this point) I start my regular commute from work to home, and...here we go, the engine light comes back on!!! And, as in the old scenario 20 minutes later (luckily I was still downtown - so the speed was about 5 miles/hour. I was giving a way for another car to go on the stop sign) the car engine just suddenly shuts off! I then decided to go to the dealer right away, and on my way to the dealer the car stalled (engine shut down) for the second time!!! LUCKILY AGAIN I was going on low speed due bad weather condition (first snow) and bad traffic!!! It just terrifies me to think about what would've happened if I was going 55-60 miles?? This time the dealer told us that there is a wiring problem (the wires that lead to the sensor are all messed up). I understand that they would fix this, but I am now extremely skeptical about the quality of this vehicle. I can't trust to use it anymore...I am now wondering if I should give up the idea of being a VW owner at all...

Given that there was a recent recall on Tiguan models (some manufacturer's mistake with the engine programming - which we supposedly took care of!! ), I was wondering if some of you have faced the same problem with the engine suddenly shutting off (Remember the GM manufacturer's mistake and engines shutting off, when people died due to this?). If so, I urge everyone who experienced this to please respond, we need to take action - as it might be some manufacturer mistake, which might have terrible consequences in the future!!

At what point does a timeline for correcting a defect "expire" and who decides this? This is a major safety hazard for me and very inconvenient. With the sensor going off, the airbag is currently disabled. I cannot allow any passengers to ride with me. I do not feel that I should have to cover the cost of a faulty part out of my control, especially when there are many many other cases with the same issue. I am very disappointed in the way my request was handled.

When I first purchased the car I had 2 front wheel bearings to go out under 36k miles. The dealership told me that it was not the wheel bearings. At 40k they check it out and told me that it was bad wheel bearing. This was after the warranty ran out. The wheel bearings were $250 each and labor was $250 each. I finally got them to cover the parts but I was responsible for the labor. If they would have fixed the problem when I told them it would have all been covered. It seems every time I get a call or get the oil changed a light comes on. I have always wondered if they have a way to turn lights on. I also had to change out the wiring harness for the trunk at 50k and it was over $500.

I contacted VW and they outright REFUSED to give me anything towards this repair. They claim my car is too old. SEVEN years is TOO OLD?!? So they expect their customers to replace their cars every 5 years or something? That's absurd. I've taken good care of my car this entire time. I planned on it lasting another 3 years and they won't cover a $600 repair? Nope. They would rather lose the 25K purchase they would have gotten from me for my next car. Good riddance VW.

The technician informed me that one matter in need of attention was the crack somewhere in the structural frame of the front of my car that could get progressively worse OR may just continue to exist but never cause a problem. How does a car that hasn't ever been in an accident suddenly crack? I never realized the internal frame of my VW was made of eggshell...

My advice? Steer clear of VWs. Even my friend's CC tells him "Service Now!" every time he starts his car, and it has less than 10,000 miles on it. You'll know quickly you've made a mistake when you received the letter about the engine coils that are bound to malfunction or whatever other part of your recently purchased vehicle will screw you over next... On a separate note... Anyone wanna buy a project? If you like restoring dead cars, the VW dealership in Cary said they'd give me $150 for it... top that and it's sold! :)

But what has got me furious is the fact that on the morning of Friday July 25 2014. As I was leaving my parents' house from dropping my kids and getting ready to go to work I started my car but the Power steering was gone completely. The Tiguan started and I could drive forward and back but the steering wheel did not move at all as if it was locked but it was not and the power steering failure light came on in the dashboard. The Tiguan is almost 4 yrs old and about 73 thousand miles on it. But I do not think age is the issue with this problem, it's just a design flaw from VW.

This problem has me very concern because what if I was driving on the freeway and the power steering failed then? I could only imagine what could have happen. What if my children were with me? This problem is unacceptable, inexcusable and life threatening. This is a very serious safety issue with the Tiguan.

My Tiguan was towed to a VW dealership's car shop and they told me there that they never heard of such problem with the Tiguan models. I search on the web and it turns out there are several hundreds 2009-2011 VW Tiguans owners that have had that same problem, and to fix the Tiguan would be $2,045 dollars. The service rep suggested I call VW customer service. I did call and they were very nice and told me that they were going to see if they could help me with the repair. Next day I get a call from them and told me that they were not going to do anything about it because my Tiguan had more than 70,000 miles and was way out of warranty.

This power steering problem has nothing to do with the Tiguans age. Other people that have had this exact same experience and only had their Tiguan for 2 months with 1,800 miles on and the problem keeps reoccurring! Warranty or no warranty this is a design flaw and should be covered by VW. Also in my opinion this is an issue worth a major recall but so far VW seems to be waiting for the first deaths to occur before they will react. There is always possibility that in traffic, the power steering really could go any moment.

Something should be done about it before an innocent family dies!!! Help!!!! In the meantime I will tell my story in the social media to people in the news if I can, in the radio if I can, report it to BBB, and make consumer reports anywhere I can!! etc. I am now very scared to be driving the Tiguan. It's not safe and I don't feel safe! Other people with the same problem have had the problem reoccurring after being "fixed". VW has lost a loyal customer forever!!

Service techs blame VW's Mexico plant for being in production start-up mode. That's an unacceptable excuse. I don't recall Honda, Toyota or Nissan selling junk because of production transfer. Regardless of all the cheap and stupid excuses VW created, the Golf is long gone; thanks to a lease we broke early. I feel terribly bad for the next owner. Based on numerous reviews and data from reliable agencies, VW seems to continue in producing hit-or-miss cars. Two Golfs were enough to deter my wife in ever touching another VW product. Too bad for her because she loved Golfs. She has since bought a new Rav4, against my recommendation, and loves it. She has put 45,000 miles with absolutely NO ISSUES. Not a single problem.

In April 2014, I decided to upgrade my car with Volkswagen so I leased a new Tiguan. In May, I signed on to my account and made a payment and received a confirmation. 10 days later, I received a statement from Volkswagen saying payment has been made, Thank You. Several days after that, Volkswagen started calling stating they have not received a payment. They tried calling twice. By the third phone call I received, they have already reported me to the credit bureau. 10 days before my house closing, my loan officer called and stated that because of Volkswagen, my credit score dropped 100 points! This made me ineligible to get approved for a house loan.

Frustrated, as anyone would be, I called Volkswagen. Of course, they made this out to be my mistake. They are not responsible for the payment confirmations that are sent out and they have very strict rules about reporting to the credit companies. According to them, they were unable to reach my bank to receive a payment and even though I received a confirmation from them, it's not a guaranteed payment. My payment, according to them, was 35 days late, even though they sent statements stating I have paid! They refused to call the credit bureau and explain the situation.

I checked my account information online and there was nothing on there about late payments. They even posted the statement they mailed to my house saying May payments has been received. So because I relied on their online communication, I was burned by this company. Their communication is very unclear and frustrating as are their employees. I will never do business with this company again! The cars are great, but their internal way of running the business is very unorganized. This company cannot be trusted!

This condition can be directly attributed to the manufacturing/servicing defect by Volkswagen and I hereby demand Volkswagen to give me a written explanation on why such incidence occurred and compensate for my losses in total. Failing to do so will be a direct indication of total disregard towards an officer of the armed forces and armed forces in such.