12th Jul 2017, 22:25

Makes you wonder who is to blame for this though? I suppose many would say VW, but that still doesn't explain why one manufacturer or particular model of car has a good reputation in one country and a bad reputation in the next, especially if they are built to the same standard at the same factory.

14th Jul 2017, 20:49

Stay away from any post 2000 gas engine VW. They cost more to maintain than a Ferrari, and are notoriously unreliable and expensive to fix. My girlfriend had one; we ended up getting an older Honda Accord with higher mileage than the VW and in worse condition for less than the VW was sold for. Turns out the Honda is much more reliable and costs WAY less to own. Even my high mileage beat up 90s GM pickup is 20x more reliable and 80% less ownership cost than the VW. Why VW is still in business I don't know. They have been rated least reliable in consumer reports for years now. Heck I'd even buy a Chrysler or Kia before I touch a VW again.

15th Jul 2017, 21:21

I understand if you had a bad experience with VW or any manufacturer for that matter, you would stay away from them, but as someone already asked - if so many people are having reliability issues with VW in the USA, why do they have a good name in Europe?

Generally a manufacturer's reliability and image (good or bad) is reflected worldwide with consistency, but it seems to vary up and down for VW...

17th Jul 2017, 20:51

In the past, American cars were often saddled with automatic transmissions, aftermarket A/C units, and additional features, which taxed the engines more than the European cars were designed for.

While the level of features is now about even, there are still differing expectations of reliability; driving environments; and maintenance habits, to account for.

8th Sep 2017, 00:55

Repeated repairs of the same issues, by well reputed independent mechanics, is not money well spent.

Interesting how 137k is considered high mileage on a VW. I have a 2007 Honda, 185k, not perfect but far less troublesome. When repairs were needed, they solved the problem.

Also, Passats with detailed maintenance records and meticulous maintenance histories do not wind up on the market. Not sure if other European cars are this finicky with age. I love the driving experience, but is it a toy or transportation? Plenty of reports of Passats that had issues early and often, and newer models had different issues, but numerous and serious.

8th Sep 2017, 20:51

It's hard to say exactly, as already discussed on here, about the issues with any car after 100K and why it differs country to country, regarding general reliability. Some blame lower quality materials used, inferior parts, etc for different markets and so on, that bring down an otherwise quality car. I like cars as toys, but also see them as transportation, so reliability is a major concern of course for anyone. Also bear in mind a well serviced car might have been driven hard, so all the oil changes in the world and apparent maintenance schedule looking good and complete won't count for much, as a car driven hard will give problems faster in the long run.

Myself I am in Europe, and VW generally have a good name here, despite the recent emission scandal. I had a few Passats and Golfs, mostly in the 1990s and early 2000s, and generally had no major problems and ran them to high miles. As mentioned on some reviews here, a lot of negative comments come from the USA regarding VW, and at some point they were built in South America and not Germany, which may add to the confusion, and certainly quality control fell on some cars in the USA market.

At the end of the day you have to be realistic; any car at 10 years old or more with 100K miles is going to have some wear and tear; if your repairs aren't working, maybe you need to find more competent mechanics? Mechanics are like anything else - you get good and bad independent garages, same with dealers.