How Reliable Are Volkswagens?

Dec 20

Volkswagen makes some of the most beloved - and best-selling - cars on the planet and boasts a long history of well-built vehicles. With models often blurring the line between luxury and utility, not to mention the assumed added expense of imports, folks love VW, but have some reservations about buying used.

Are Volkswagens Good Used Cars?

We’ll start by saying that well-maintained, regularly serviced Volkswagens are good high-mileage cars. Several of its top-selling models, including the Jetta, GTI, Tiguan, and Golf, have long histories of reliability, though no brand is without its duds (we’ll get into those later).

Pros and Cons of Buying a Used VW

Premium (for less): Volkswagen offers a more luxurious build quality compared to many rivals, with premium materials and tech in the cabin.
Durability: Most VWs models offer long-term performance an reliability - buy a Jetta, for example, and you can expect to hit 200,000 easily if you keep up with the basics.
Driving Quality: VWs are always fun to drive and offer a comfortable ride.

Cons of Buying a Used VW

Average scores: While Volkswagen cars and SUVs aren’t unreliable, their average ratings are mid-pack at best.
Higher maintenance costs: While on-par with most US brands and other German manufacturers, Volkswagens are slightly more expensive to repair on average compared to most Japanese imports, including Subaru, Honda, and Toyota.

Are Volkswagens More Expensive to Repair?

The cost of owning a VW is roughly average compared to most popular makes and models, according to a recent Consumer Reports study. The data includes the average repair costs across a brand’s total model line up over a a 10-year period.

Average repairs costs for VW models for the first 5 years was $1,650, with another $5,895 over the second 5 years. Over 10 years, that’s about $7,545, middle of the pack - and notably cheaper than VW’s primary rivals.

VW: $7,545 (10-year repair cost)
BMW: $11,000
Audi: $11,350

BMW vs. Volkswagen Reliability

VW is generally more reliable and delivers more value than BMW across most models, but not all. If you’re looking at a specific Volkswagen or BMW model, take the time to see which years and trims are the most reliable. You might find that certain years of Golfs compare favorably with the BMW 3 Series, or that the Atlas is a better fit for your needs than an X1.

The Best Volkswagen Models to Buy Used

There are a few tried-and-true VW models with storied histories of reliability, including the beloved Jetta, Passat, and Golf. Some of its more recent SUV models don’t have the pedigree of the brand’s hatchbacks, wagons, and sedans, but earn high marks.

These are a few of the best-used Volkswagen models to buy:

Hatchback: The 2012-2023 7th-generation Golf earned high reliability scores at launch and remains a go-to for many drivers.

Sedan: Passats rock, and the 2018-2023 era has been especially durable, offering plenty of space, high safety scores, and nice handling characteristics.

SUV: The Tiguan is a hot seller across markets, but the AWD models are favorites among Northern Michigan drivers.

No matter what you’re looking at, bring it in for a pre-purchase inspection so you know what you’re buying and what to expect once you get it on the road!

Keep Your VW on the Road with Garfield Auto

We love VWs, and we have some of the most experienced VW technicians in Northern Michigan. For quality service and honest prices, choose Garfield Auto, where five-star service lives on. Call (231) 929-3862 or schedule an appointment online today!

Cody Sovis