Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
This is an interesting topic to see on here because VW has always perplexed me as a brand.
I've always like VW/Audi's lineup. I'd gladly take a GTI, CC, Golf R/R32, A4, S4, TT, or a few different TDI models. Yet I constantly run into this same debate on other car forums. One side who says VW/Audis are nightmares, riddled with electrical gremlins and if you want one, you should lease so you never have it outside of its warranty period.
Then you have the other crowd (VW/Audi enthusiasts usually) who blame certain owners for not properly caring for their VW/Audi and then being surprised when it breaks down, and then tells the world about it to create the stigma that VW/Audi is poor quality.
On here, you have folks who generally do take care of their vehicles, yet the same two sides appear.
I will say the thing that worries me the most about VW/Audi is when I've checked their own enthusiast forums and I see the number of people there who talk about buying the extended warranties on recent models. That doesn't seem to be a vote of confidence for the quality.
In my family the only feedback I've had on VW is two people who have owned V8 Touraegs. One got rid of it after a year (I think he bought the first model year brand new) because of the constant stream of problems, and the other is contemplating ditching their 2005-6 model because of mounting repairs for things like door seals. He is a DIY guy, equipped to do just about anything, but he is getting killed by the cost of the parts.
I also find it interesting about the enthusiasts vs. the "horrible owners" debates. My sister owned a 2001 Jetta, and some of the VW boards were very interesting. Some people seem to be obsessed with their cars to a point where they believe they are THE BEST and can do no wrong. I'm a Jeep guy, but I wouldn't consider Jeeps to be better than other vehicles in every aspect. I know each brand has issues. Jeeps have wiring issues, some have transmission issues, and others have head cracking problems.
I can understand a car being problematic because of neglect. Either 50% or more of VW owners neglect their cars or there is something wrong. When all of the local mechanics hate VWs and swear they will never drive them, that means something. My buddy owns a shop and he says they are good for about 100k miles then they start getting expensive (engine, trans, etc.).
I find the cars look decent, and that is why many people are so strongly attached to them. At UConn so many college girls drive Jettas, even my own sister bought one because it was "cute". Looks only go so far though. My buddy says a guy with a GTi is always in his shop and has spent upwards of $10k on the car, and it still has electrical issues that pop up.
They are just plain unreliable. The manual trans models are supposed to be slightly better, but with a sealed Auto trans there isn't much maintenance an owner can perform. My sister's Jetta with under 100k miles burned 1 quart of oil every two weeks (5w40). That is after we fixed all the oil leaks. My cousin's 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L that has over 270k on it burns only 1/4 quart over a 5k mile OCI on the same oil. This engine has been overheated, and run with water in it (she tried to drive through a flood).
I can understand when vehicles get neglected, but I know people who are meticulous with VWs and they still break.
