Is Volkswagen Reliability a Problem, or Just Perception? ~ Podcast Episode 16

All cars have their issues. But are the problems just with the car, or are their other factors that make it seem cars are worse than they are? This is touchy subject for many folks. I do think that it is worth having the conversion about fact vs hype when it comes to Volkswagen problems. As I say in the video, you can take VW out of the conversation and insert any car company.
Today on the Automotive Podcast we discuss:
Why this topic came back up
VW ranks 5 from the bottom on J.D. Power
Why I "promote" VW as a brand? I DON'T!
My affinity for the brand
VW are not the right car for everyone
What fuels the problems car manufacturers have
Buy what you like, and expect problems
The story about my CR-V
A salesman wants you to by their brand
We can substitute VW for any other car brand
Humble Mechanic Podcasts
• The Humble Mechanic Po...
Failed VW parts videos
• How VW Parts Fail
Tool Reviews
• Tool and Product Reviews
How To videos
• How To Fix Your Car
MK1 VR6 Swap Videos
• VR6 Engine Swap MK1 Ca...
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[@scdevon]

Volkswagen..........Turning owners into mechanics since 1959.

[@HumbleMechanic]

scdevon LOL!

[@pvultureb8341]

+scdevon Recently had a misfire on my Golf. Only has 30000 miles and already changed the ignition coil pack. Dealer charged too much to even touch the car so did it all by myself. My first car, and this has definitely proven all the gossips and myths about VW. I still love my baby.

[@niksatan]

+scdevon "First he was my mechanic, now he is my best friend - all thanks to VW". Your VW creates new friends on and off the road all the time for you!

[@AgentOffice]

wow dead on

[@scdevon]

Your A4 will stay reliable as long as you keep wrenching on it yourself and keep it out of the hands of dealer hacks. The guy who runs this channel is one of the good guys I'm sure, but most dealer VW shops are full of total hacks. The key to happy VW ownership is buying a good scan tool and basic tools and a service manual and most importantly, reading about the vehicle and getting to know it inside and out. Many problems with VWs are actually caused by incompetent VW dealer service departments.

[@gureno19]

Where does this perception come from? "REVVVVV UP YOUR ENGINES!"

[@HumbleMechanic]

LOL

[@jamesdean8242]

Beam me up Scotty oh wait shift gears

[@Sammie551]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TassieLorenzo]

I'd be surprised (shocked even) if a '94 Corrado costs as little to maintain and repair as a '94 Celica. 😂 (All of those 1990's Toyotas are pretty much the most reliable cars of all time!) Even the fire-breathing Celica GT-Four is probably not too bad on maintenance compared to a VR6 Corrado. So why didn't VW put the effort in to match that? Who knows... 🤔

[@MrRoyalblunts]

German cars are just on another level. I drove tons of domestics and a few Asian cars but nothing compares to the stiffness, finish, power and comfort of the German.

[@kenjkbs]

yeah but reliability is on another level too in a bad sense

[@great_deception]

@@kenjkbs I've had BMWs, VWs, and Audis. All were significantly more reliable and leaps and bounds better quality than the American cars in our household (Cadillac and Jeep)

[@flyonbyya]

I personally have huuuuge respect and admiration for all the ppl like you who make the world go around Mechanics, engineers, techs, etc etc

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you

[@chingching664]

The HM has found a great way to communicate. He's a great teacher and I've learned a lot from him and even been entertained. Now, if I could just trim his beard every now and then. LOL

[@HumbleMechanic]

😂😂😂 thank you

[@celsorod]

My first and second cars were Jettas, My mom Had an A6. Dad owned a couple old Mercs and a Porsche...We now only drive Japanese. I will admit that the Germans make cars i want to drive..The Japanese make cars i want to own..But to each his own.

[@celsorod]

+Homer Simpson I still want A GTI

[@heyitschinoable]

Yes true to that, japanese vehicles we dont tend to see alot here at work, its ussually always the "American " cars

[@hickok1096]

+Homer Simpson I have to agree.

[@Bigchuck678]

+Homer Simpson I couldn't agree more! German cars are fun to drive, but the Japanese make cars that last forever!

[@avlisk]

+Homer Simpson If you've ever owned a VW from the 21st Century, it's a major concern. One year is even pushing it. I'd love to give this car a try, but my experience is that a VW will spend more time in the shop than with me, and frequently for the same thing, over and over again. It was a 2002 Golf and a Passat of similar age. Electrical and fluid leaks were the problems. I'm 30 years past owning a pair of Dodges, and still, I won't give them any more of my money after the junk that those cars turned out to be. VW has earned a similar fate in my world. (One man's opinion through experience. My first car was a '67 Bug.)

[@robertwilliams6218]

I love your honesty on VW and I agree with pretty much everything you have said. I've went from GM to Honda (2006 cr-v lex fwd so I totally agree with your review of that car!) then to a 2008 4Runner which I got talked into buying by my dad and wasn't what I needed. I traded that 2008 4Runner for a '14 Tiguan se 4 motion and my only regret is not going up a class or two and getting the panoramic sunroof. I was a bit cautious about buying the Tiguan at first because of all those stories about VW , but having had a 1999 regal with transmission issues that the dealer told me were common across all GMs I now realized every manufacturer has their issues. I had a coworker on her 2nd new beetle. I asked her why would she buy another since hers was 11 years old and always in the shop. She said to me if her son hadn't totaled it shed drive that car till the wheels fell off. Driving my Tiguan I feel the same way. It's like a shoe that fits right and no matter how much someone doesn't like your shoes at the end of the day it's on your feet and it's what you like

[@EveryDayTrucker]

In all honesty, these Engineers, master machinists tool and die employees are under constant pressure, stress and scrutiny to push out 'new or new and improved' models annually. As much testing that is done, you will never get a full real world test until they are actually produced and in the real world. Even then, it depends on so many elements like weather, altitude, the way they are driven, as he said the routine scheduled maintenance and so many other factors. In the end, all auto manufacturers end up having their own run of issues for each model. I totally agree, drive what you like!

[@veedubden8710]

I’ve owned German (BMW, VW) vehicles, Japanese (Toyota & Honda) and American (Ford, Chevy, Buick). My current daily driver is a ‘13 Beelte Convertilbe w/2.5L/Auto. Maintenance is the key to reliability and of all the vehicles I have owned, the German vehicles were always the most enticing to own and drive. Just remeber, they’re machines and need to be maintained no matter the brand or country of origin.

[@erixgarcia5166]

Need to be maintained . My man. That's the idea I do look like aye bruh u whip..it's Mando to get chain timing. Idgaf what shoes you want. .or c.a.i

[@grevensher594]

Most people I see complaining about car problems think oil only needs to be changed every 20,000 miles, transmission fluid is permanent and the check engine light is a suggestion to go to a mechanic.

[@ArtStamos]

dealers make sure the $100 repair becomes $1500

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Art S some may. But the good ones don't

[@glasser2819]

enginered failure are created to provide opportunities. High maintenance rapidly become stupid money-pits.

[@jamesmedina2062]

HumbleMechanic A Denver VW dealer told me my B5 Passat needed new coolant hoses at around 3-4 year mark 75-90k miles. I got to 330k miles, 14 years with original coolant hoses!! Tynans VW advisor told me after my 2/24 warranty was done that I needed a new VW but I was in the hole 5k so stuck with the B5!! Regards

[@armandsauciuc]

@@jamesmedina2062 my 92 passat is still on original coolant hoses I had to replace two of the plastic flanges but not the hoses

[@JagsNoles28]

Been a Car Tech for over 15 years and worked on all types of brands, mostly GM. All car manufactures have there problems there issues. It's made by man it is going to break.

[@charleschenhua]

Haha, Toyota must not made by men.

[@suzumr2754]

@Nichen Fauster German vehicles are known for this (Reliability

[@suzumr2754]

@Nichen Fauster what do you mean by overrated?

[@myvenusinuranus]

I have a 2002 BMW 325ci. I'm tired of people telling me how shitty my car is. just buy what you like. I don't care how reliable a Toyota Corolla is......it's boring as hell sure, BMW's are expensive to fix but I like them.

[@jacobcamarillo4946]

There is a good reason why Toyota came to BMW to build (yes entirely) their new 2020 supra. BMW does SOME things the best hands down. And everyone who gets into inline turbo charged luxury race cars can back that up.

[@abovethelaw4417]

Toyota Corolla is fun and a great car to drive! 2002 Big Money Wasted is ugly as fuck

[@abovethelaw4417]

Jacob Camarillo Nope the new supra is shit! 1990 supra is better

[@abovethelaw4417]

BMW is a garbage company and even worse than VW

[@JackMilde]

@@abovethelaw4417 I'm not sure what corolla you've been driving, but from the 3 I've owned (a '92, a' 93, and a '16), I can confidently say that Corollas are beyond boring to drive. The steering feel is numb, they're the embodiment of understeer, the brakes are adequate at best, the seats aren't as comfortable as they should be, and sound insulation is subpar. They're probably top of the class for reliability though. That I can personally attest, given that I got all mine to 177k miles with barely any issue (with the exception of the 2016,that's only at 58k miles) A fun compact to drive that's japanese would be a Mazda3, or a civic si or type r. A fun corolla to drive would be the AE86 up to year 87. After that, they basically became appliances. I'd take another Mazda or Volkswagen any day over another corolla.

[@truckinbobb]

Great video, I have put around 440K miles on two mark 4s, while they have their quirks I have never considered them unreliable.

[@stevendavis1267]

After owning a mk4 Wolfsburg edition for damn near 3 years now with 0 issues, I would like to point out that they certainly are hit or miss depending on generation. My wife bought an 02 Jetta GLS recently to replace her 03 Cooper S that has been nothing but a problem since she bought it. And with 176,XXX miles it drives insanely well, no lights on, and 0 stored codes.

[@nobatteriesincluded3968]

There are 2 kinds of cars in the world Volkswagen cars and the rest ,14 vws in and a bunch of headaches but I still will not drive anything else 💯 good show great info👍

[@randrozguidroz6485]

I would rather push a Volkswagen then drive a Honda or Toyota

[@nicholaswells4915]

Volkswagens drive fantastically. But if you must own one, lease one, or buy one and accept that their long-term reliability is a gamble. I've owned MANY Volkswagens, and they are hit and miss at best. I maintained them all, and was religious about it. If you subject a VW and a Toyota to the same amount of abuse, or the same amount of neglect - and the VW is the first one to break - then the VW isn't built as well. It doesn't matter if they're built in Mexico, Germany, or Brazil, or the US - the parts and design are all the same by now - I actually had better luck with my Mexican built Jetta than i did my GTI. If VW can make cars that are consistently reliable at the 4/5/6 year mark - I'd be the first to buy one again. But in the long run, these cars break more than Japanese cars, and to some - those repair costs aren't worth it. I jumped ship and went to Subaru. I miss my GTI daily. But I like having money more.

[@j0hnnykn0xv1lle]

agree with most of what you say but i def think in the mk4 generation the German built cars were def better The fit and finish on my Golf MK4 GL (germany) was better than my GTI MK 4 GTi. You could hear and feel the difference in the door closing, the directional stalk, etc.

[@jeffk464]

VW Mk7 GTI's drive fantastic.

[@ripperx444]

They do. I own one. The problem is they are too new and no one really knows how reliable or unreliable they will be. So far lots of talk about turbo failures for the is20 turbocharger.

[@MikeJones-in3uk]

Well said.

[@MikeJones-in3uk]

It definitely is a gamble and unfortunately I loss.

[@kennypaisley8040]

5 yrs ago I hated working on a VW. Now I work for a dealership. Got a 99 Beetle 2.0 w 256k miles on it. Very few shops know how to fix these cars.

[@killahcavalry]

Great podcast man, honest and informative. I agree about the quirkiness of German cars, as I drove an old Audi A6 for years before recently buying a Jetta last week. I can definitely see where you're coming from about not every mechanic knowing how to properly service them, as I ran into that issue with my Audi a lot. But at the end of the day there is just something to the enjoyment of driving which sets many German cars apart, at least in my opinion. Loved the analogy about Japanese cars and appliances by the way, I found that apt.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you fo the nice words. I have always really liked the A6.

[@jeepmanxj]

I am not going to knock any particular brand, they all have their issues. It just is what it is. My mk5 was not particularly a good vehicle, however I still see plenty around. I can speak to the general German engineering methods as I work with them for a german company. They are big fans of very complex solutions for simple problems often adding more failure points. They also "create" solutions for problems that don't really exist.

[@potatopotahto1198]

Zee Germans ? yes, like having a 1.4T, 1.8T and 2.0T in the new Jetta when the difference is not even all that significant. They could have just adopted the 2.0T, charge everyone a bit more and be done with it.

[@marinkojezabek2555]

Spot on with your comment - complex solutions for simple problems and creating solutions to problems that don't really exist. And adding more failure points. Must be a German characteristic as Mercedes and BMW perform well in this department too. Then again, it may be all orchestrated this way of adding more failure points as this has long term economic benefits. The trick is not to have your product reach that threshold of failure where a majority of people think its a total dud and run away from it at first sight.

[@jessicah3450]

Sometimes a cable needs to be wiggled or some dust needs to be knocked off. My Mk5 has been good to me so far.

[@scubbarookie]

One of my aunts have a 1981 VW Scirocco, and that car had over 700,000 miles on it! She would drive it almost daily, (Mon-Fri) from Thousands Oaks to Palm Springs! I used to maintain it for her, so I know this to be true. It had a 5 speed manual trans and a 1600cc motor. I would put Castrol GTX conventional, but it got regular oil changes every 2000 to 2500 miles, with a Wix oil filter! It never broke down on her, but it got regular interval parts rebuilt or replaced like the starter, the alternator, CV Axels, and fuel pump. The parts that got replaced regularly were spark plugs, plug wires, cap & rotor, wiper blades, etc... The only major thing that took me a while to figure out one time, was the distributor module! She still has it in one of her garages, but now she drives a Lexus! Lol.

[@alanholmes2366]

I'm a veteran Volkswagen driver. I'm on my 5th VW (Fox, Jetta, Quantum, Rabbit & my new 17 Passat R line). My first new car was my Fox. I put right at 50k miles on it before I was in an accident and the car was totaled. I walked away with a sore shoulder from the seat belt. My Jetta was great. I modded it and that was my biggest cost with the car. My Quantum went just over 300k before the clutch went out, having it repaired was going to be more than the value of the car. I've never had a major catastrophic failure (fingers crossed) in any of my VW's. I spent awhile actually working in Chattanooga for Volkswagen. I saw the internal struggles to make a quality car first hand. I also saw the obsession with working hard every day to get the car to a world class quality level. I'm expecting a quality experience but I know that I didn't buy a Honda or a Lexus both of which I've owned before. I know the quality ratings but I was still willing to take the chance to prove the ratings wrong. Still a loyal VW owner.

[@349tim]

Alan Holmes m

[@bradleypollack5658]

I just bought a New Volkswagen Atlas. I like the quality so far. I had previously a Jetta and had no issues with it.

[@michaelt.4806]

Thanks once again for this great topic. At last someone I fully understand and totally agree with. Living in Belgium (Europe) my dad bought his first VW Passat second hand in the late 80's after al the trouble he used to have with his Mercs. We used to have the 300D a 5 cylinder 4 gear diesel sapping snake like car. I still remember my dad's amazement when he drove of in the VW just 1.6 liter non turbo diesel...not exactly whiplash but compared to the 3 liter Merc. it was a bomb of a car, and used very little fuel indeed. We had the car for 8 years it did 785.000Km (not miles), the gearbox gave up, the engine was still good. The trend was set, my first VW was a polo 1.4 petrol, fun car 371.000Km then my sister in law smashed it up. Next came the passat 1.6 Turbo diesel intercooler, it took me from Kopenhagen to Turnhout Belgium in under 6 hours back in the 90's incl. the one hour ferry...hardly any speed control in those days. Then came the Next Passat and the next...and then one day Skoda came pup with there complete new czech factory producing VW based well build cars. I had to have the Fabia RS 1.9 TDI, it got tuned producing 410Nm and 180HP does not sound as much but my wife got me to sell the car after overtaking a Porsche and getting the kids to wave to the angry lady behind the wheel...we were doing 252Km/h...it did not feel that fast honest, the car had to go...I cried. Then came the Octavia 1.9 TDI...280.000Km two problems, 1 starter motor and one alternator, with just 3 liters of diesel you could drive 100Km. Then the problem came....only 6 month back I bought a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer, 300 meters (=yards) I knew I made a big mistake. The only good thing about the car was getting out of it. Plastic al round, noisy, slow, funny steering...does not self center. And if that was not bad, the gearbox went crunchy after just 7500Km...took it back to the dealer 4 times, but forget the 5 year warranty sticker on the back. Thats a joke. Good news is I went and bought a brand new 1.8 TSI Skoda Octavia last saturday. And to be honest i don't care if it will or will break nor how many times....this is a car worth driving and caring for. Is Mitsubishi a bad car ? For me it is, to others it's the best. Do Japanese cars fail ? Yes they do. Do German cars fail ? Yes they do. It's like your own body, it fails from time to time but with some TLC all will be well in the end. Only one word of advice to all VW owners in The USA, use the proper oils, Mobil one or Castrol Edge and don't go using that cheap petrol full of Methanol and water, use the best treat the car with respect and it will take you round the world many times with no problem.

[@potatopotahto1198]

You are using Mitsubishi as the benchmark for a Japanese manufacturer? How about a Honda, Toyota, or Subaru? Mitsubishi ceased to be a real car company a long time ago. Here in the US they will be lucky if they don't drop out of the market altogether.

[@T11LMG]

Mitsubishi is the BMW of Japanese cars, and FYI T6 Rotella is what's used in many vw cars otherwise the engine gunks up w sludge even at 80k miles (experience).

[@unassailable6138]

Age with you 100%, except on the oils. Try Penzoil full synthetic.

[@Efesios--lz7xn]

vw owner For the last 10 years No problems I do preventive maintenance That’s is the key

[@paroffice]

I think if people understood more about motors they wouldn't be in such bad pickles when something does go wrong. If they just knew how an engine worked and what this, that, or the other meant, they wouldn't go to a mechanic awaiting to be taken advantage of

[@tuningbrain]

I own 3, 2013 mk6 with 100k miles, 1999 Passat wagon with 146k miles and 2003 GTI with 300k miles .... none of them have single issue at all... I'm happy with them

[@FoxyChariot]

paroffice Not everyone is mechanically inclined, friend. You can learn but there is an inherent level of ability I think one must possess to completely maintain a car by themselves.

[@josephstusse4055]

Laser Beam Care and love because Volkswagen people love their cars unlike someone’s throw away Toyota like Humble Mechanic said. You just want to put the key in the ignition and go I want a short throw shifter new engine and tranny mounts a air intake relocation and some interior mods. Obviously I’m gonna make everything super pretty and shiny while I’m at it. Oh I also of course gotta get the exhaust. With a tune

[@georgesantos-jt6me]

my passat is the worst car i have had ,my best friend works is a mechanic for a vw dealer ,8 in 10 gives problems ,dont tell me bullshit

[@justind5742]

Owned my 2005 Mk4 golf 2.0 5spd MT for almost 15 years now. Bought my car new and have been doing all the service myself. No major issues since purchase and I've gotten my money's worth and some!!! Ran up 470,000km last month and still going strong. #RoadToAMillion

[@marcuscook5145]

You did yourself a favor in terms of reliability with the manual transmission.

[@isackhernandez3691]

Your mechanical solutions have given me confidence to buy another 2.0tsi vehicle. I've seen other repairs that stress me out. Like a serpentine belt on an LR2

[@SonictheBedHog]

My story with VW… My dad was a suspect in the Ted Bundy killings because they both drove VW bugs with dents in the door, in the same city. Only difference is that our dent was rusted, Teds was clean.

[@knocksensor3203]

Back in the 90s had an 84 vw rabbit . Loved the sporty feel of it . Had MacPherson struts all around and a rack & pinion with no power steering and a stick- shift 5 speed trans.

[@2secondslater]

Was a VW tech for a few years in Australia in the 90's, the brand brought technology that people in Oz were scared to work on and understand compared to other vehicles, it was different to work on, after a while it became easy and the issues Vee Dub had were no different to the issues locally produced cars had with the exception of longevity and suitability to the environment they operate in, in Australia. They just didn't last and were horrendously expensive to repair.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

You repeatedly say: You can put in any brand, not only VW in what I am telling. Well, not all makes are fifth from last in reliability statistics. But I get what you are saying. If VW suits you, buy it and be prepared for some problems. The feel of owning and driving VW will for you outweigh the problems. If it does not suit your (life)style, buy something else that suits you better. You strike a deep psychological point here. Most people indeed put style over functionality (that includes reliability), wether it be cars, or refrigerators, or wrist watches. They see it as self expression. Thus, attacking the brand is a personal(ity) attack. Hence the emotions. To me, after 53 years of wondering why, this very point is still incomprehensible. It is probably my mistake, but I simply cannot imagine thinking like that. Maybe that is why I drive a Mitsubishi Mirage and have a 15 dollar Casio digital watch? Both do their work perfectly and reliably. But that is not what it is about for most people, apparently.

[@spinnetti]

Its not the brand per-se, its how it feels, how it drives, how it functions, how it fits your lifestyle etc. Its the same in the Mac vs. PC argument. If low price is how you define satisfaction, than anything but the cheapest minimally functional "thing" is a waste of money - its a "Utilitarian Lifestyle", but that's what makes you feel good; no more or less valid than others perspectives.. Joseph Dunningner said (which applies here): "For those that understand, no explanation is needed. For those who don't, no explanation is possible". I love the way VeeDubs/Audi look, and drive, and deliver power, the interior, how they feel, how easy they are to mod for big power etc... Totally get that others have different needs, but I'd never again buy an appliance car at any price. Also quality is more than the absence of defects; Clearly VW has more defects than many other brands but all those other factors are "quality" also and why I keep buying them (have had at least 11 Toyotas, 2 Lexus, 3 Hondas, 2 Subarus, 1 Ford, 1 Chevy, 2 Saab 5 VW, 4 Audi and worked on all of them myself but like German cars best with my last 6 all being VAG cars). That said, I can't understand why their coil packs still fail after 20 years of design revisions... I carry a spare in the trunk!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Thanks! I think the core of your message is "quality is more than the absence of defects". That's what separates us. I too can enjoy the ride in a Mercedes Benz, and I concede that in that respect it is better. But the primary function of any car is transportation. Don't forget that. How good it drives when broken down is irrelevant.

[@stevewilson7857]

Doesn’t matter what brand you drive, if you don’t do maintenance it will not last. Period!!

[@joshuagarden7304]

With the same maintenance most Toyotas will last almost twice than VW's.

[@mertz313]

I always heard of German cars being unreliable money pits.. But then I bought a 2004 Volkswagen Passat. No 4motion, just a simple gas powered 1.8L turbocharged engine. Well, that car is currently at 170k miles. It's never let me down. Now I'm a VW fan and although my next car will probably be a Hyundai Veloster Turbo, I know damn well I'm going to buy a brand new VW Passat in the future because that is the car I want to settle with. Also, I noticed after being with my VW for so long that I make fun of Asian cars.. A lot. Tons of my friends drive Civics, and I always find myself complaining about how horrible their car is because it doesn't ride or sound as nice as mine. I also find myself saying their car is soo bare bones. It does the job, but it doesn't put a smile on my face.

[@jonathanhiener2463]

We have a 2000 1.8T Passat 5 speed, still going strong, still fun to drive!

[@dannymartinez8522]

u make it sound 170 k is lot miles lol my last civic had 160 k when I sold it because i wanted an Audi a4 cause the engine light turned on all the time! my civic was sold to my cousin and had 245k miles when he sold it . last time I asked about the civic he says the new owner is still driving it lol u say they are plain but fixed right they look very clean!

[@OpisCossack]

my last civic i bought at 170k and crashed at 220k (the airbags didnt go off)

[@knightridder2002]

you make it sound like 245 K is a lot of mile, I work as a oil change and tire change person and there is a guy that come about every 5000 to 7000 mile for an oil change and he has 1,000,000 mile on his 07 Chevy pickup and he bought it new.

[@bobbydixon4484]

hyundai"s are asian cars silly. Korean company.

[@jessicah3450]

My first car was a Honda Accord. My recent cars have been Volkswagens (a Beetle and now a GTI). There's a perception that you just have to put gas in Hondas, and that's not true. My Accord had ongoing electrical problems. It needed repairs and maintenance. My Beetle seemed to go through batteries quickly which was not fun (they always seemed to go out in the worst frigid rainy weather). The GTI was my Dad's beloved car, and I know he took care of it. It's reliable, it's 11 years old and has never left me stranded (knock on wood). I'd say it's higher maintenance, but it's also seems more complicated because it's a turbo, there's more parts. So far it's only major repairs have been recalls and warranty extensions so Volkswagen's paid the bill. I don't consider things like fluid/filter changes, spark plugs, wiper blades, brakes etc repairs because those things need to be replaced on all cars (thinking of someone who calls my GTI a lemon because it needs its oil changed 😑). I do find that a lot of mechanics don't know how to work on them properly. They're used to seeing American and Asian cars. Now that I'm learning how to work on my own car, I'm finding so many stripped screws etc from mechanics not using the correct tool. Trying to shove a torx or allen wrench into a triple square grrr. I think preventative maintenance on these is very important, and also some GTI owners seem to go overboard with the mods, but I'm a purist, I don't even like stickers on my car. The Volkswagens seem easier to work on than my Honda. I think they're meant to be tinkered with on the weekends, if the thought of looking under the hood makes you queasy, get a Honda. This to me seems to go along with German culture, we generally like to work and fix things. They are quirky, but take care of it and it will take care of you. I think there's also a matter of who is fixing the car. My mom is now a Honda person, if you have to do more than put gas in it, the car's a lemon! But her favorite car was her Fiat Spider that my dad spent every weekend fixing. She liked it as long as she had him around to fix it. I think helping Dad fix that car as a kid is what made me like cars. People might say that car's unreliable (Fix it again Tony!), but my family sold it when it was 26 years old to a guy who likes classic cars, and it is probably still on the road today. Not many cars survive that long. I like all of this guy's points. Find a mechanic that isn't trying to rip you off (read reviews, ask people who also drive VW's where they take their car). Some of these places that charge a "premium" price because the car is European, avoid those guys, they'll strip your screws (not all of them, of course). I am a single female and I've always felt very safe in my Volkswagens.

[@invig2]

I bought my first VW 6 months ago. Done 50 things to fix it, learnt heaps and love driving it. 2007 TDI Jetta.

[@shadowwolf74]

Definitely understand the VW quirkyness. My MKV Jetta has its oddities, but it quickly became what I loved about it. Sure reverse can be tricky, yea it grumbles on a really cold start, but when your driving down a curvy mountain road it's all worth it...

[@HumbleMechanic]

Totally agree all the wierdness goes away on the drive. :)

[@robcig]

In Australia, we take reliability for granted. The Japanese cars we drive are bulletproof. It's interesting to hear the mechanics view on the German brands...

[@dieselmutt8865]

Very good points. When you are a mechanic you definitely see all the "bad" that is there and that can shadow the "good". Every brand has their bad and good. VW's are solid. You can feel it when you drive them and recently when checking oil on my 2 cars I noticed how the VW hood was heavier vs the Ford my son drives for a college car. I think that "solidness" reflects in the whole vehicle. I used to be a stout GM person but between the gov't bailouts and the styling they seem to be going to they do not reflect me anymore very much.

[@MsSashbar]

I have to say I admire your ability to beat around the bush for such a long time and talking non stop while managing to say nothing at all. The first five minutes are really a piece or art in that respect. :) And then you say "Now lets kind of go... to the sort of a... sort of a meat of what we are going to talk about today"... And you keep repeating yourself firmly sticking to the task of saying NOTHING !! Believe it or not, I started laughing at that point. I kept listening just to check for how long could you talk and say nothing at all... But finally I surrendered when I heard that you did not know where you put the picture of your grandmother, that was the 7th minute. Pure genius! You won!!! Congratulatons. Thanks for wasting my time mate.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks glad to at least give ya a laugh?

[@Rift45]

Have had two VWs in recent years and I love them! They drive so much better than other affordable cars. They do require more maintenance than some. They aren't for everyone.

[@HumbleMechanic]

I totally agree they are not for everyone!

[@harshilsharmaharshilsharma7285]

Yeah they are for Rick people

[@great_deception]

I got my mom a 2020 Jetta after she wanted an affordable yet safe and robust car (did not consider Kia or Mitsubishi or Hyundai for this reason). In the 2 years of ownership it has been absolutely perfect! Only went to dealer once at the 1 year mark because of low oil message which is normal for any turbo engine which does burn some level of oil. Car drives like a 40,000$ car, not like a 20,000$ car. Good braking, very good comfort, low road noise, and the fit and finish of the interior is great. I am so happy I ended up getting the Jetta and not a Corolla nor a Kia, those cars drive simply awful.

[@unassailable6138]

Corolla is a friggin dwarves car. I'm 6'3 and can't fit in , even adjusting the seats. My heads bangs on the roof and I cannot see the traffic lights when I stop behind the pederstrian line. Jetta 1000 times over toyota's junk.

[@great_deception]

@@unassailable6138Love it! A Corolla feels like a disposable tin can, and wait till you get a Corolla past 85mph on the highway, interesting things start happening.

[@blackwingnut16]

Well put. I have owned 15-20 different VW's, I am partial to early water-cooled. I've owned several post-96 vw's, not a fan...2015 Gti was fun, but I want something I can fix (within a reasonable amount of time without VAGCOM etc). IMO Vw lost me when they started to try and compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes, things become extraordinarily complex. But then again most brands lost me when they went with( or regulated to go with) airbags, emissions, etc. I like simple, and I know those times are gone.... so I'll nurse my early watercooled cars until the parts supply dries up.

[@nc2988]

my new VW GTI broke down with electrical problems on my first trip out of town. Both doors had lock problems. Paint started flaking off in dozens of places. I was SO glad it got stolen; I got my entire purchase price back, plus expenses. Got a Honda Fit and it runs like brand new after 120k miles and counting.

[@krispysweekendgarage6892]

Had an ae86 and a couple 240's prior to my first German car. After my first bmw I don't think I would go back to Japanese cars entirely. Love bmw and my new GTI.

[@HatsuneM1ku01]

I’ve had a few vws and now a mk4 wagon. But I can’t ever leave my nissans or Toyota’s. My other cars are a 240sx, 350z, and a is300 wagon . I want to get 3 more Jetta wagons, 1 1.8, 1 tdi, and one vr6 😂

[@R9Z6001]

I've owned volkswagens all my life and never had any issues with them, maybe there is a difference between the american produced cars and the ones made in germany... i always wonder how people call them unreliable while here they are very reliable and require almost no maintenance, and they are certainly no money pits, at least in my case

[@austin_love89]

They are made differently, as for one example American made GTI's only have direct injection while in Germany they have dual injection. That alone can cause SOOOOOOO many problems in the engine area. Ridiculous they never brought the new engine design to the west. Direct injection was a product of 90s sports cars like the Mazdaspeed.

[@etusch]

If you didn't have problem you are lucky. But it is true that they are doing different in america and europe. You can buy with automatic gb while in turkey it is only with dsg which makes a lot of problem which makes a lot of money gor vw and it's dealers and makes poor a lot of users

[@nickbranum5705]

First car was a 06 jetta 0 mechanical issues just basic maintenance brakes tires oil honesty beat the shit out of it never once broke anything 25k miles of abuse and no issues

[@glasser2819]

in the US, German cars fall apart around 60kMiles... interestingly enough 60kMi translates as 100Km 👍🏻 Right on schedule

[@cameronr7223]

They make them in mexico and south Africa as well, with the latter having the worst quality

[@FR35H96]

Ive had my 01 jetta for 10 months and its been thru 7 engines but I still love and have a passion for vws because they teach you a lot about the car itself when you work on them and tho some are known to be money pits (like mine) if you can take care of it and maintain it with proper and scheduled maintenance then it shouldn't give you any major problems in the future with that being said fuel pumps, coil packs, spark plugs, or anything that surrounds ANY engine is gonna go out its man made its not built to last forever so to answer the question if its reliable or not it really just depends on if you wanna put the time money and effort in maintenance and minor repairs to keep it reliable.

[@jamesdean8242]

Got my learners permit at 14yrs of age my Dad would let me drive our 78 beetle now and again but most of the time I was on my Kawasaki 125. Then he got a VW Rabbit and I fell in love with that car. Graduated H.S. and joined the Army went to Germany spent 2 tours there 6yrs and change and loved the country. After 20+ yrs in service I finally came full circle and bought a used 2001 VW Golf TDI in 2004. I went to work as a Govt contractor and was sent all over the U.S. From FT Stewart GA to FT Lewis WA. I drove every time because I wanted to see the country that I spent my life defending not to mention like the ad says DRIVERS WANTED. I got myself a set of bentley manuals and VAG COM and do my own maintenance with everything I feel confident with. Thus far have had the misfortune of a hydrolock from a cold air intake that the filter was basically by the fan control box and just sucked that water like a thirsty camel. Tore the engine down #3 rod bent, Got a new engine from Cascade German installed it fired and timed it also put a .622 5th gear in. Drove it 600 miles hwy and the fuel gage was a couple of needle widths under half tank. Ive gauged it before and to be fair I'll say a good solid 55 MPG. In my adult life I've owned 2007 Golf GTI, 2009 Jetta SW TDI 6spd man and 2010 Golf TDI 6spd man . I'm satisfied with the brand and understand that it doesn't work for everyone but it works for me. I appreciate your view and enjoy watching your casts.

[@scottiwonakatrina]

just purchased a 2015 golf tsi so far so go feeling good about vw brand, i was and still am toyota guy,

[@risinglight4555]

Still a VW guy? 😂

[@22chachalaca]

How's it been

[@ronalddivine2705]

Neighbor has a 1984 vw rabbit with a five speed and 1,300,000 miles lol He said the only issue is that the heater doesn't work

[@HumbleMechanic]

That’s awesome

[@tammys8711]

in 2017, I hit a deer with my 2006 Granite Green / Cornsilk Beige interior Turbo Passat. I loved the car and had very no problems with it after 1 major problem that was under warranty. It was beautiful, fun to drive and I called it my little tank. But since it was paid for, I took full-coverage off, the deer was huge and I was worried if I paid for it outright it would be worth more than the car. A year later I found a 2007 in Florida and bought another one, the same color and love it. I plan to get 200K+ easily. Again, it's paid for, so no full-coverage, I'm taking my chances and still love every mile I put on it. The only thing I haven't liked, is that no local mechanic likes to change the headlight!

[@DJR5280]

I've heard good and bad about VW. All depends on how you take care of a car. German brands tend to require more maintenance where as Japanese cars don't require maintenance as often. My brother had a 2003 A4 1.8T and many mechanics said that was a terrible car but he loved it and it drove like a dream. The only annoying part about Audi /VW is the older models that have the paint on buttons in the interior fade and chip off.

[@zoticus1]

it does not matter the maintenance, they have actual engineering deficits that means they are built inferior to Japanese cars, simple as stone.

[@DripExplains]

6 mins in and you still havent given your reason..Blah blah blah

[@elusivellama]

When you have to make a nearly 24 min video to dance around the issue and not really answer the question because you want to sound honest, I think you can infer that VWs are pieces of shit.

[@therealderjett]

elusivellama what do you drive and when was the last video you made about it?

[@JulioLopez-xz5kx]

He wants to make the video longer to monetize it more

[@nicktune1219]

If you are thinking about buying a Jetta, spend the extra money and get a Golf. Much higher quality and more reliable than a Jetta.

[@demonkiller3418]

N/A jettas are extremely reliable

[@glasser2819]

just buy non German and you'll be 👍🏻

[@leapfrog4561]

nicktune1219 I thought they were the same car with a different name. No?

[@FoxyChariot]

Jetta is just a sedan Golf. It's the German Civic/Corolla. I feel like I see more of those two around (from 2004-05) than I do Jettas. That could be a sales thing but I drive a MK5 Jetta and I love it.

[@auxmike]

The 2.0L 8 valve Jetta is a nice, simple design. You can even do your own timing belt at home. 2015 Jetta S owner....

[@mkrchowdari9901]

This Gentleman told me everything I need to know about the company in the first 5 mins. Thank you sir

[@mrgg8117]

I owned a 2001 1.6 Golf. I had it for 4 years, drove it like a madman! Only issues, transmission bearing (time intensive job), gear selector lever worn and popped off (easy diy job), replaced the clutch... Given this was purchased at 117000kms and sold with 185000 kms and I drove it wrecklessly and rarely serviced it. I loved the car! Sad sad day when I sold it, but had to for a family 4WD. Now I'm looking at the Touareg 1st gen. It all comes down to servicing I have learnt and preventative maintenance.

[@mds2465]

I can honestly say in my time as an automobile enthusiast I've seen and heard plenty of VW horror stories. However I will say that from the driving experience they are very comfortable and nice riding vehicles. I actually learned to drive stick on my cousins Jetta. Oddly enough I am currently leasing a 2014 CR-V right now and I can say that it probably wouldn't be my first choice for a long road trip. It drives good enough for me gets me from A to B but for long trips I often use my Honda Pilot. And if you get the impression that I'm a Honda guy you're absolutely right. My first car was a Saab. Loved the car and the way it drove but man it was a terrible money pit. I have recently started watching your channel though and am learning a lot more about VWs so it's nice to know that I have somewhere to go if I have VW/Audi questions and I can always tell my VW my friends where to go if they have any VW related questions. Thanks for posting this video

[@greasegun4966]

Yea! Good machines. Especially the older ones like my Rabbit. The "L" jet system worked fine and was easy to work on. Lately, they are a bit overdone, but still good reliable machines.

[@gagaodin2919]

I was stupid enough to watch the entire video. So after watching the entire video is it a problem or a perception? You just went around like a merry go round but never really answered the question on the title.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks for watching. It's really up to you to form your own opinion. I just presented things as I see them on this video.

[@gagaodin2919]

HumbleMechanic Srsly though is it a problem? Because I want to buy a VW Beetle with the classic trim but Im afraid of the reliability.

[@HumbleMechanic]

gaga odin VW does have a few issues here and there. But I think they make a pretty good car. They are very picky about maintenance being done, so be sure you are doing what you need to in that sense. Now that the window issues are sorted, the Beetle has been great. For what it is worth, insulting a video I worked hard on is not the best way to get my help. If you don't like the video, that is cool. They are not for everyone. I try to help as many people as I can, with these videos. I also try to reply to every comment on every video. I am sorry you feel like you didn't get any value out of the video. But telling me how stupid you were for watching (implying my video was stupid) is not the best way to get my help on something. Not trying to be a jerk here. But many people would have deleted your comment and moved on.

[@toyota420xp]

have you seen any common failures/complaints on mk7 golfs

[@mikesievers1482]

As a fellow mechanic, I've been working on mainly European cars since the mid eighties. Yes it's a bit of a shame the perception people have about VW being unreliable. That being said, I did notice the quality of Vw start to decline with the introduction of the mk4 golf and pretty much anything else based on that platform, ie, the new beetle, Audi A3, Skoda superb etc. The same goes for Mercedes from the same era of which we have a number of in our shop at any given time. Now its interesting to note that a certain company called Valeo also started to aggressively rear it's ugly head in the European automotive world around this time. Now if you haven't heard of Valeo, its pretty much the French equivalent of the British Lucas brand, and we all no how that turned out. These clowns manufacture everything from starter motors to headlights, relays,thermostats,water pumps, clutch kits, even wiper blades and everything in between and about 80% of the stuff they produce is A grade garbage. And unfortunately most current European brands are full of this junk. I think I've lost count of the amount of faulty Valeo radiators we have replaced in late model Mercedes along with cooling fans etc. In fact I've actually had three Valeo fuel pump relays in a row faulty straight out of the box, with dry solder joints. There was once a time when Valeo products weren't too bad, but sadly the quality of their newer offerings is extremely poor. Due to some of the country's their parts are produced in, I suspect quality control is probably not at the top of their list. Valeo seems to be sweeping through the automotive world like a God damn plague at the moment and I'm over it. I actually almost had a heart attack the other day, working on a customer's Mazda with a faulty MAP sensor, when I saw Valeo printed on it. If Valeo is making it's way into Japanese vehicles, then we can kiss Japanese reliability goodbye ! Do I hate Valeo ? ...Yes ,..yes I do. Company's like Volkswagen and other European brand's don't purposefully design crappy cars. For all intents and purposes their design concepts are generally pretty solid and well thought out, it's just the outsourced garbage that goes into them.

[@shawnhickey715]

Thanks for an honest viewpoint in your video. I have been struggling (for over 40,000 miles) with oil consumption of 1 quart every 2000 miles with 5W40; that went to 1 quart every 900 miles when I grabbed 5W20 off the shelf by mistake (I buy in bulk). I changed the PCV unit in my 2013 Q5 today because it was easy and inexpensive. I can't count on the Audi dealer since the service manager said two of the check engine codes were "weird" and unknown to them; and in the same period charged $300 for an oil consumption test that concluded with the statement that the 1 quart every 4000 miles they measured was normal oil consumption. Forget those guys! Keep making your quality video.

[@magicman9992]

I owned a honda accord, and an acura before, but now I have a vw jetta, and I love it, it's like drug, highly addictive.

[@vivauruguay]

I own a 68 beetle and a 2010 transporter, honestly the transporter comes with warning lights and sounds very often and I panic every time this happens. For the transporter it is always a good idea to have between 8 and 10 thousand dollars in the bank just in case. The amount of crap they have introduced in todays cars are making them impossible to keep.

[@largol33t1]

+Gervacio Artigas There's so much truth to your last statement regarding a lot of brands, not just VW. That's what really irritates me. The cars these days are loaded to the gills with excess "tech" stuff and when they crap out, it costs a fortune to get them fixed. I've had my car's computer go haywire and the dealer fixed it under warranty but I still dread the day I have to fix it with money from my own pocket. They had so much trouble stabilizing the computer that it took a day and a half. That does NOT make me feel better about today's cars. I seriously wish I could just drive a 1970s Land Rover rather than deal with this.

[@79vid]

Have a 2011 VW CC lux, love the style & drive, but it has had issues, had an issue with the AC once, was told by the dealer the ac system is old, I was like dude the car is 5 years old!!! I had a 95 Ford mustang at the time too AC ice cold

[@desporterizer]

This vid expresses my sentiment exactly. There is very little difference in reliability from one manufacturer to another, they are mediocre at best across the board. Drive what you like and accept that things will go wrong.

[@paulvachier]

You do a pretty bad job of defending VW, most of your post is about apologizing for recommending VW's and conceding that they just might be bad cars to buy. I've had great experiences with VWs. Currently I own a 2012 TDI that has had absolutely ZERO problems after 55K miles. The only thing I've done is routine maintenance. It's been as reliable as my Toyota RAV4 and more reliable than Subarus, Mitsubishis or other cars that I have owned. In fact it's the BEST car I've ever owned.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Not trying to defend or apologize for anything VW does. I don't build them or design. I just ry and fix them when they break and keep them on the road with good maintenance. I have owned a lot of VWs and they have all been great. Some people have not had that experience. That may be due to poor maintenance or a poor build/design or even misguided expectations. I love thay you have had such great VWs. That makes me really happy!!!

[@vwbora26]

back in 2005 Volkwagen was mass marketing, direct injection, electric steering assist, dual clutch transmission, well it took 10 years for the japaneese to catch up, so of course its easy to wait, copy and learn from pioneers mistakes and desing flaws. Toyota are boring cars, but very reliable, and they are getting now to direct injection in 2016-2017...

[@HumbleMechanic]

:)

[@JoelinoPT]

This. VW puts a lot of innovation in their cars. Back to 2005, The Golf mk5 was incredible advanced for their time. Even today isn't feel like a old car. Peak any hatchback from that date and they feel very old. But innovation comes with a price: more risk. VW had some design problems and that cost confidence. In my opinion, VW cars are mostly for passionnantes. "The car of the people" is no more a real perception, because it needs very attention from is owner. More than making all the maintenance, the owner needs to understand (some of) the mechanics of is car, learning to hear it and catch all the details. Not always, but the signs of potencial future problems can be heard in noises, in random electronic error, etc. If the owner of a VW is a mostly a "reacting owner" than a "preventive owner", he may have serious trouble one day. Metaphorically, most of VW cars are "experiment cars" with a lot of innovation and new stuff (normally in details) and needs a lot of attention of his owner. If the owner can be a "mechanic", better. I've a 2008 Golf GTI.

[@vwbora26]

Bro a car that is 11 years old will not be reliable unless its a Toyota Corolla.

[@radman999]

I agree 100%. Cutting edge tech comes at a price. If you want boring transporation, buy Japanese.

[@SK-lt1so]

Yup, random problems make for "exciting" transportation. "VW- How can so many Germans be so wrong?"

[@mrich7363]

I've grown up on Volkswagen my first car I drove was a Volkswagen bus.My dad had a beetle and I just love them. My first car was a mk1, mk2 mk3 mk4 and now Mk7. Had a few others in between. But in all, all cars have issues. VW 4 life. As you say you like what you like. Take care of your car, and I carry you for years. I give my son the Vr6 mk4 and it's still going. Just sold 1995 mk3 Vr6 synchro. Love me my VW.

[@fredygump5578]

My VW Golf TDI went 190K with no major repairs. I replaced an 02 sensor, cleaned the throttle body (1x), replaced boost pressure sensor, and brake pads. Then VW bought it back for more than it's worth! I replaced it with a GTI, and no problems after 20k miles.

[@kws1957]

Being a poor man I buy cars for which I find parts in quantities at the junk yard. I happen to live in Ingolstadt here is one of the Audi factories...So you guess which car I drive ?? Of course an Audi in my case Audi A3 1.9tdi from 1997, I bought in 2012 with only 319,000 kilometers on board for a price of 1,900 Euro. Now the car has on board 658,000 kilometers on board and I'm very pleased, I had no problems with the engine clutch or transmission... If the good Lord allows I might reach one million kilometers.... At least for now I can find any spare part in large numbers at the junk yard which keeps my repair costs low...I repair on my own.

[@goldenretriever6261]

Best thig about VW's is learning to fix them.

[@craigweems]

VW's poor reliability is not just a US phenomenon. If you look an European car magazines you'll find VW towards the top in driveability but towards the bottom of reliability. I do think that the quality of independent service centers are much better in Europe. In Germany there are authorized service centers that don't sell cars. For the longest time German cars didn't have cupholders. The answer was simple: German engineers couldn't imagine drivers drinking in the car much less eating in it! As such I expect that it is far cheaper to maintain cars in Europe than in the US. They are much closer to manufacturer and component suppliers than Americans. As such their problems are much more likely to receive a competent response.

[@christoffdeclerk9448]

Hi just baught an Amarok 2 litre Tsi. Is it true thay this is the same engine as the Golf GTI?

[@baloneyjusticecheezedog]

Just found this video.. I really find it weird people call Volkswagen to be a unreliability brand.. my parents Volkswagen 2006 Jetta TDI has been a real gem and not need much of anything besides a issue with the key locking up up somewhere around the 100k Mark. I would definitely love to have a VW after seeing how well they do through my family. We also had VW bugs and Bus...they look great... but I would never wish one of those on anyone as there daily driver.

[@bbkmm1]

The problem with VW/Audi or any other European cars is uninformed buyers. I personally know of three people that purchased 10 year old VW/Audi's and expect the reliability of 10 year old Corolla. Like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. They just don't see the water bill.

[@jendel42750]

After owning a series of second-hand cars--a '64 Plymouth Valiant, 69 Chevy Nova, '69 Pontiac Le Mans, and '74 Volvo 144--my parents bought a new Golf in early 1985. They enjoyed the car very much, and experienced no trouble with it ...that is, once they got to know it. The gas-powered 1.8-liter 4, which proved to be more finicky than Morris The Cat, rarely complained after my parents discovered how good Mobil Special (89 Octane) "tasted" to it. My parents, brother, and I went on road trips for vacations, and even driving above posted speed limits at times, the automatic-backed engine returned a consistent 30 mpg with the four of us, plus luggage, in tow. What discouraged my parents from buying another VW, however, was not the car itself, but the dealer's service department. You could show up first in line, yet be tended to last if you failed to slip the service manager a "little extra something" for his "trouble." Yeah, "trouble." That asshole was doin' his fuckin' job, earning more than both my parents combined, and he wanted more? Well, after waiting almost all day for the privilege of having a factory-trained, ASE-certified professional automotive technician give them a $53-in-1985 oil change, and the oil wasn't even a brand-name oil--and the service manager STILL did his best to pad the bill, to boot--they found a good shop a mere 5 minutes away from home, rather than the 40 minutes it took to go to the dealer. But they made it a point to spread the word after the complaints they registered with VWoA fell on deaf ears. The sales at this dealership, located in Brooklyn, New York, have declined to the extent that they've been reduced to splitting expenses with a Ford dealership just to make rent.

[@mikeminderlein297]

I own a 2015 Golf TDI summer of 2018 and then this past December a salesman convinced me to take a Jetta for a drive as it is what I was originally looking for but did not have any at the time. (Settled for the Golf as I was more interested in the 2.0 tdi than model) regardless, after the test drive I was so happy that I went with the Golf. Has to explain to them that I was not buying the Jetta because they sold me the right car for me the first time.

[@ANGELKERMA]

HumbleMechanic in mexico we get the amarok its a vw pickup with a tdi on it! Really cool car great mpg and a pretty good off road also.

[@HumbleMechanic]

LUIS NAJERA I am super jealous of that.

[@ANGELKERMA]

HumbleMechanic​ www.vwcomerciales.com.mx/es/models/amarok.html you can take a look at it on this link!

[@PistonShack]

Greeting from 2019!

[@andraslibal]

also 2020 :)

[@vincento1067]

My wife and I bought our first VW in 2016. A Jetta SEL with the 1.8T. We chose this car because of the way it drove and its larger interior. The car just has a quiet, solid ride. I had read about questionable VW reliability. I am now at 28,000 and not one problem. I hope to go to 128,000. I keep impeccable maintenance.

[@GeorgiGeorgiev-ne9ps]

Great video. Even if I am huge Audi/VW fan I know they are full of problems. I have to say that in Europe almost all of the VW are completely different and are one of the most reliable vehicles on the road but the build quality as well as the engines and transmissions sometimes are completely different than the ones for US market. So when you are saying "Vw reliability" you should say "Vw reliability in US marker" In UK or for example those cars are completely different. For ex. the base engine is not the enourmous 2.5 liter for VW passat and therefore the same car can make whole a lot of difference

[@jthj]

I think a big part here might be on the service side. Like Charles said over here a lot of mechanics simply don't really know how to work on VW's. Whereas in Europe they all do because they're so common. It would be like a mechanic here not understanding how to work on a Ford or Chevy....

[@cameronr7223]

Jd power literally means nothing, I just test drove a new tiguan and it will probably be the first new car I ever buy because I loved the ride quality and the overall quality of the vehicle

[@NPC_OLC]

This guy needs to learn how to get to the point. Video did not need to be 23 minutes long.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Sir Oliver this was about the 20th video I posted. We are somewhere near 500 ;)

[@neil3858]

You can skip without watching for the whole 23min. Content wasn't directed by Spielberg bro, give the guy a break. I for one enjoyed this video.

[@DaSurfr]

I just finished installing new rear shock absorbers as well as rotos and break pads on my 2007 Jetta. I spent $89.00 in parts, ordered from Amazon, and another vendor from Canada. Last year, I replaced the vacuum pump - thanks to this guy who showed me how to do it (HumbleMechanic). It has a CV boot that needs to be replaced, that's my next project (part is about $56.00 - axle) and a few days ago I noticed a coolant leak which I will research today. My car has 130,000 miles and it's never, NEVER, let me down; not broken down, not failed, no nothing. I maintain it religiously (oil/filter changes, transmission, etc.). I don't know why someone would say they are not reliable. I've owned it for 9 years now and it still runs like a champ. Parts wear off, things break down, that's a fact of life - even with human beings - but from that, which is normal, to saying they are not reliable....

[@frankhoward7645]

I'm thankful for the low ratings that VW receives. Those low ratings make it possible to purchase used VWs at bargain basement prices. For example, in 2010, my daughter bought a 2000 Jetta with 100K miles for $4K. In 2015, my other daughter bought a 2000 Jetta with 124K miles for $1,550. In 2016, my wife bought a 2003 Jetta with 108K miles for $2K. All GLS models with sunroofs, CD players, power windows, power locks, heated seats, manual transmissions, and the base 2.0 litre engine. One of them even has a leather interior. I keep all of them going using plenty of parts from junk yard cars that were disposed of way too early, usually because of automatic transmission failure. My only complaints? Way too much plastic under the hood. Eventually, the wiring to the trunk lid breaks due to the constant bending every time the lid is opened or closed. This is an engineering mistake as the wires should have been routed differently. The back seat is way too small. Needs another 6 inches (which could have been taken from the enormous trunk). As a bonus, show me an economy car (including the newer Jettas) built since 2000 that is better looking.

[@alexanderrosales7675]

The only thing I hate about German cars is the fact that you need specialized tools for things that shouldn't be overly complex.German engineering is great in terms of performance ,but in practicality its completely asinine.

[@LuisMaldunadus]

Alexander Rosales The Germans have not learned from their mistakes from World War 2...A good example would be their overly complex tanks like Tiger 1, Tiger 2, and other tanks. They carry that mentality of over complicating complexity over reliability...A car can be reliable and still be priced high! Learn that germans

[@manbearkremer]

Not a mechanic, but I have owned, driven, fixed and maintained many different vehicles from many different brands. Every car has its quirks and problems, the newer the car the more that can go wrong with it. I have seen Toyotas, Hondas and Fords that have blow head gaskets, Fords and Hondas with transmission problems, Suzukis with electrical and carburetor problems, a Toyota that goes through O2 sensors, another Toyota that goes through belts, a Honda that magically loses power and becomes unusable because of a some sensor, a Kia with a bunch of sensor issues, a Chevy that goes through oil almost as fast as gas. So basically there is no such thing as a 100% reliable car, every brand has its faults and lemons, deal with the fact that no car is perfect and just get what appeals to you personally. I find most newer Japanese cars to be boring to drive and styling to be even more boring, except Subaru and Scion.

[@HumbleMechanic]

YES!!! 100% yes!

[@abovethelaw4417]

Subaru is the absolute worst and unreliable junk

[@cdalbo66]

I own a 2008 jetta and love the car. I have always been an American car guy with a passion for older muscles cars especially Mopars. We bought our daughter an older '94 C class Mercedes and fell in love with the car. I keep trying to get my daughter to let me drive it when she is home from college. As for the Jetta, so far so good. No real problems yet. It is a blast to drive as ours has the Tiptronic trans. Many of the older German sport sedans give you such great driving experiences for a lot less than a classic muscle car if you van find one. I am sold.

[@samlynx4908]

We've had a horrible experience with a 2009 VW Jetta that my GF owned. She bought it used in 2012 with 25K miles on it, it was fine for the first year but after that it started falling apart. First the radiator went out, then the locks started failing, then the headlights, then it started rusting like crazy, then one of the front shocks broke, then the transmission started jumping then the AC stopped working then the passenger side rear view mirror fell off. all of this happened while the car was less than 5 years old with less than 50K miles on it. Don't tell me that's normal. That's when she decided to sell.

[@CeeJayDee94]

VW is now 20th out of 31 brands on the list. I wonder if anyone knows if VW are actively trying to improve reliability?

[@HumbleMechanic]

Working towards that, yes. Succeeding may be a different story.

[@justinluttrell8990]

One thing I've noticed, so many big companies are only concerned with profit. They actually design their cars to break every so often so owners will have to buy a new one. Any manufacturer could build a car that would last 50 years easy, but it wouldn't be cheap enough, and if by some miracle it could be made cheap, the manufacturer wouldn't make any profit on it, so they'd rather build so-so reliable cars instead. It's that age-old profit vs quality balance.

[@adamlesandrini312]

+Justin Luttrell that's not entirely fair. people would never buy a car that lasts 50 years without major maintenance or rust. the body would have to be titanium (car buyers often perceive plastic or fiberglass panels as inferior) or with careful marketing maybe fiberglass, and the whole thing would be so expensive, a focus would probably cost $80k. things like seats, steering wheels, ect... are always going to wear out, and custom upholstery is expensive (good luck buying oem cover after a few years post production)

[@nermket4849]

iirc a lot of German cars are leased so everything is covered in the warranty.

[@ITAutos]

Yes. They start decreasing their engine's power which means more reliability

[@jbirzer]

Have a 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI that has 225k on it. Until recently, it has been extremely reliable. Most of what has come up recently has been mostly wear and tear. Thinking about replacing it with a Golf SportsWagen.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Jason Birzer DO NOT trade your wagon in. Sell it, people still are paying top dollar for that gen car.

[@jbirzer]

+HumbleMechanic Believe me, I'd rather put my baby into the hands of someone who will take care of it. I'll probably put it up for sale on TDIClub.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you for that!

[@scottferris6309]

I have owned Volkswagens for the past 13 years. I have found them to be wonderful cars. They are quiet, comfortable, roomy, and practical. They also handle well and get fabulous fuel economy. My dealer's service department is outstanding, so that makes staying on top of scheduled maintenance really easy.

[@sev3n386]

First of your videos ive seen and I love this video, insight from a man with actual life wisdom applied to life itself. Certainly followed your channel.

[@headcas620]

You said it. It's down to that individual car. But it shouldn't be. It's ok to have bad models and good models in a brand. But with VW, every car is a gamble. My brother had a 01 Beetle TDI and he had no trouble except for something with the exhaust but then it was fine. My sister had a 05 beetle convertible and it had nothing but trouble. She was putting tons of money in it even before it was paid off. Unnacceptable. Traded it in on a 08 Mazda 3 and it's been great.

[@niksatan]

Well let me also say something about vw. I speak from experience and i think i know enough. Lets say that cars have few categories. 1.the looks (for you), design etc your ego. 2.the status (for others to show them). 3.driving quality(performance, noises, ride..) 4.price 5.quality. If you go for just driving from A to B, then DONT buy VW. Bad quality for price-there are exeptions but small. You choose VW for points 1,2,3 and willing to sacrifice 4 and 5. Thats it!

[@niksatan]

+niksatan a let me say this, Mercedes in king in planned obsolescence ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence ), it is said that if you buy mercedes it is to enjoy it in parking lot, it is built to take your money. VW went to planned obsolescence in 1997 and golf4. I see lot of people say "my vw golf 2 never left me down, it was quality...)- that was the 80s! Different times! Now if you are planing to buy vw i strongly advise you to lease it and run from it after 2 years!

[@PURPLETOPZ]

4 has been a problem just recently but as far as quality vw goes the distance. I work and delt with so many euro cars as a mechanic. I love euro cars vw, Audi, and BMW the most. But to each is own.

[@demonkiller3418]

@@PURPLETOPZ yea I'm not sure why people are bashing VW about quality. My friend just picked up a 2018 focus ST and personally I think my 150k mile interior looks and feels better than his! But again to each their own

[@ProfessorDIY]

I love your channel, keep up the great work. I just bought a 2010 CC based on my previous experience with VW and I hope it will prove to be a good car

[@diemman70]

So I have a 97 Honda Prelude and have had zero issues with and it has never been to a mechanic. Is there a comparable VW? I also have an 00 Xterra that had only one issue where the exhaust manifold began to disintegrate. A 60 dollar part to replace which I did myself. Is it really just the particular car on Japanese quality in general? Note that the Xterra was made in the US.

[@bryanramey2438]

I like VWs because of their soft dash interiors, simple designs and resale values. After 6 years, my interior still looks brand new. If I was a poor college kid, I would stick with Honda, Toyota or Hyundai. VW's require you to maintain them which can zap your wallet at times. My next car is going to be a 4 Door GTI.

[@saabreplay7553]

I’ve worked at auto repair shops and loved European cars growing up. 29 years later. Now my family is all Toyota. That’s it. I never worry about reliability. Ever.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Lol fair enough

[@KennyCastellon]

Haven't had too many issues with my vdubs except this last one, 2012 gli..clutch and flywheel replacement at 75k miles, intake manifold and water pump replacement @85 miles...got a small oil leak... I still stand by the brand it's been mostly positive it's not just VW, but seems like most companies are going cheap with parts, a lot more plastic.

[@Carstuff111]

Here is the thing, most brands do have their issues. Thing is, I worked for a VW dealership, and the things I saw while I worked there were complete and utter BS. Not to mention, not only did I see issues that should not have been issues (like cars, both diesel and gas powered, with oil soaking the intercooler piping on cars with around 50,000 miles)but the parts are ungodly expensive (over $100.00 for a PCV valve? REALLY?) and the cars were still junk even when "fixed". Another thing I take issue with, and this applies to all modern cars at this point, software updates..... Stop making the computers do all the work, go back to older style, more reliable systems, and you have less lines of code to screw with other things in the vehicle!! VW cars and SUVs are some of the worst vehicles I have ever had the misfortune of working on. The only good things I can say, their cars drove well, and the modern diesel engines had great power and torque and insanely good mileage, but that is not enough to make a car worth buying. VW has lied about more than just their diesel emissions, and I have no idea why VW insists on building crap.

[@christopherstorch6842]

I don't know what you are Americans are complaining about. Inn Europe VW is the best or 2. best selling brand. known to be extremely reliable over severel years. it is nothing special over here to own a 10-15 year old passat or golf.

[@zoticus1]

they must give us the shit then because they are very unreliable here, and I have owned 3 myself.

[@RolexWatchmaker]

Christopher Storch

[@RolexWatchmaker]

Christopher Storch It really comes down to distance traveled overtime. Americans on average drive much more distance per year then in Europe. When I traveled to Germany I was amazed at how small everything was. It blew me away how quickly you could drive from one country to the next in such a short distance. Where alot of Americans drive a hour or more a day to get to work. What problems take years to show for most Euopians takes mounths to show for Americans. I think there is a philosophical difference of what a car means to Eroupeans as well. You have to be in good financial shape to afford a car in Eroupe. Were in America almost everyone has one. That makes a difference in mind set on how they maintained. In short. For most of Eroupe a car is a luxury. In most of America its a necessity. I dont know if that helps you or not. Best wishes and love from America.

[@amishdinkledork]

nothing trumps the reliability of Toyotas

[@amishdinkledork]

***** therefor your comment is completely unnecessary

[@AndroidProUser]

David Soule - for reliability you are correct. Toyota is king.

[@spinnetti]

True, thankfully. But that's only one factor in "quality"... Certainly the best appliances you can buy, but if you want something that is a joy to drive, you gotta shop elsewhere.

[@rob060]

It's the most important factor, but not the only factor. That's the point. Most Toyotas seem to sacrifice styling/personality/soul for that reliability. Camry, Prius, Corolla have all had millions and millions sold and are crazy reliable, but they're boring cars that are just made to go from point A to point B. For some people, like my girlfriend, that's all that matters. They're not very interesting on the inside or outside, not fun to drive, etc. Another Japanese brand like Subaru, though, shares that reputation for reliability, but also has a huge following for every model they make because they offer more in other areas than just reliability.

[@user-hs6wt2fk9e]

I general it might be true, but I bought a new Toyota that arrived with a leaky shock absorber and a few other failures. I only found out about the suspension issue when I had an emergency breaking on the highway and the car was totally out of balance, sliding in an S like a skater. Not what I expected from Toyota. The leaky shock was replaced for free under warranty. After that, the front parking sensors stopped working, also replaced. At the same time, I had a french car that had zero major issues, although on average this model fails a lot more. Every case is a case, although averages do help.

[@quiksr20]

Hey just wanted to stop by and first say awesome channel & great videos.. We have a VW in the family but currently I drive a BMW... After many VW's MK2 VR swapped jetta, MKIV VR6, I moved on to a G35 it was a great car but you know what... It had no soul, It seemed to do nothing wrong but yet I just didn't love it like I did my MKIV.. After picking up an E30 BMW I knew I wanted to be back in a german car.. Sold the E30 ( worst mistake ever ) and purchased an E90 BMW.. The wife had a honda accord and we just sold it and picked up a 2012 Passat and we love it.. You hit the nail on the head yes it seems some cars are more reliable than VW or German cars for that matter. I tell people... Yes buy a Honda or Toyota and just change the oil and do no maintenance and for the most part it will run fine until one thing breaks. Fix that one thing and be back on your feet. If a German car says do xyx at 30k or 50k you better do it but if you do it will prob be just as reliable. You just cant ignore all maintenance like you can on some Japanese cars ( appliance ).. But maintain it and in return you will enjoy driving a drivers car... Happy motoring we love our German cars with all their quirkiness, We know we need to pay more attention to the maintenance but the reward is worth it when we get some an enjoyable ride.. PS... what goes better with cars than beer? Just had some KBS on tap and had a friend from CA bring me my first Pliny the Elder.. Rock on brotha!

[@HumbleMechanic]

quiksr20 Thanks for the note! MMM KBS and Pliny.. I have a KBS from last year just waiting. Maybe I will sip it on the next Q&A show...Cheers :)

[@FastRedPonyCar]

Hey man I just bought myself a 2016 Golf R with the manual transmission. Having a blast so far but the fact that we had to have VW rebuild the motor in my wife's 2010 Audi A4 keeps me reminded that VW are not infallible. Are there any quirks or things I should be aware of with the MK7 R? How durable is that manual transmission? I've read about a lot of guys with the DSG having slipping, overheating and limp mode issues with even just stage 1 tunes on the car. Surely VW put a bit more effort into the power handling capabilities of these transmissions? I'd like to think that the manual could hold more power/torque than the DSG? Thanks for all these videos. As someone who is constantly wrenching away on an old 90's turbo volvo, it helps put a lot of it into perspective.

[@MacManChomp]

manual transmissions will always handle more power. just research what your stock clutch and pressure plate can handle and if you have one replace your dual mass flywheel with a single mass flywheel. if you work on your own vehicle just spend the 400 bucks on the new wireless vagcom model from rosstech but don't mess with settings unless you really know what you're doing. also make sure to get your timing belt done on time!

[@dmcnamara9859]

+FastRedPonyCar VWs are garbage.............there was a book called "Getting the bugs out".......outlines VWs DELIBERATE epic durability-reliability woes over the decades...spearheaded by VWs Corporate Management in Germany.VW had grand plans (back in 2008) of selling 1,000,000+units here in the USA/Canada. A pipe-dream which will never happen...because too many Americans and Canadians have been burned by horrible VW Management Philosophy when it comes to reliability,durability and warranty repairs...............the customer end-up paying for 99% of the time. Buy a Toyota/Honda Product; if years down the road it should encounter a issue resulting from its Maker (Toyota/Honda); has got your back-covered...FREE OF CHARGE. Why do we Americans/Canadians buy Millions each year of Corolla/Camry,Accord/Civic Platform-Mates? They build a solid product (if some what boring) that you the consumer can depend on for decades if need be.

[@mpower9881]

+D McNamara Disagree, when corolla or civic runs out of warranty, you are as SOL as you are with VW. They both have a 5 year powertrain. Civic is garbage, they become rust buckets after 2 years in the snow-belt! But yes, VW is mostly garbage.

[@dmcnamara9859]

+M Power Last time I recall......every car manufacturer (in its owners manual) advises/demands YOU THE OWNER to regularly cleanse the under-body of any road-salt accumulations and other minerals that are not so kind to paint,mastic sealer, sheet steel/cast-forged steel;not excluding aluminum bits and plastic.Relative has a (now) 10 year-old Avalon (grandma car for one approaching granny age).....anyway, Toyota dealership that sold her the car new including a Sequoia..just recently replaced the tires for free.....because it had some unexplained premature wear on bushings,tie rod ends,ball joints which created tire-wear issues. Toyota picked-up the tab.......relative paid zero $. The Sequoia......having its random issues over the years;Toyota keeps fixing that thing for free to.

[@mpower9881]

VW uses better metal alloys for it's cars as well as undercarriage paints on the parts. My 12 year old VW still has barely any rust, my Infiniti needed a roof replacement. Subarus have horrible exhaust piping that isn't even stainless. I call BS on the 10 year old out of warranty car being given 2 shits by any dealer to fix anything for free, let alone suspension issues resulting from old age. It will never happen. She probably has some extended warranty. Someone is footing the bill!