Volkswagen Execs Have Lost the Plot

Considering that its a Volkswagen, it's likely to be a future of expensive repairs... At least that's what owning an out-of-warranty VW was like for me!

@Luke42 Oh for crying out loud, Luke. You had ONE VW which you bought used, and it wasn't very reliable. That car was manufactured 15 years ago and yet you continue to repeat the same old tired meme about Volkswagens blowing up out of warranty. I've pointed out several times to you that aggregate statistics from True Delta, Consumer Reports, and even J.D. Powers show VW reliability to have risen to industry average levels. In Consmer Reports alone, long term reliability for VW is now 12 out 28. Give it a rest, why don't you?

@LeeK VWs may be just as reliable as Chryslers say, but also consider the cost of repairs, which are up there with BMW/Mercedes/Audi and sometimes Porsche. Why take the gamble for a non-luxury, no prestige car? Then add 'diesel' into the equation????

@DenverMike A Touareg IS a Cayenne/Audi Q7 except it has a VW badge on it. It's made on the same exact manufacturing line in Slovakia as the more prestigious brand variants. I think of Touareg owners as savvy car buyers, getting luxury brand performance and convenience for tens of thousands less. Reliability is equivalent.

@DenverMike That's fine when Touareg owners get to enjoy hidden luxury and prestige along with Audi/Porsche maintenance and expensive repairs, but what's in it for Jetta/Passat/Beetle/etc owners, getting saddled with the same high maintenance and high repair bills of luxury/prestige German cars, without the benefit of luxury/prestige?

@DenverMike Well, I didn't ask the question about the other cars. Just the Touareg. Reason why I ask is because there is so little talk about the 6cyl TDI. I've now owned 5 VW dating all the way back to 1995 (my parents had the original rabbit in the best green and brown combo ever) and while our 2002 golf tdi was a miserable failure(used, from a honda dealer... duh), all the rest have been absolutely perfect. My wife's unitronic chipped GTi has had some funky stuff happen at inconvenient times, but fouled sensors are expected on such german OCD vehicles. You'd think if something was going to be expensive and break a lot, it would be the chipped gti. Nope. I've also yet to have an expensive run-in with the shop. Most I've ever spent was on one of the big scheduled maintenances and 4 new tires all at once. However, a dealer experience I had about 2 years ago where THEY broke my truck had soiled me on VW before the whole emissions debacle. The thing is, I didn't buy it for the environment. I got it because I wanted a black treg and I wanted a tow vehicle. That's not VW's fault, just a local f&^* with no soul.

@DenverMike Astro, you'll probably get a software flash and you'll be on your way. You'll also get the VW $1000 Good Will package as well. As for resale value, it's unclear what will happen in the near term or the long term. If you keep your Treg for a few more years, the effects will most likely be difficult to solely attribute to the fact that you have a diesel VW. These are still pretty highly regarded vehicles amongst enthusiasts. DM, you're asking a bigger question about the worth of German vehicles over domestic or Japanese manufacturers. That I can't answer that for you because it's been debated endlessly in this and other automotive forums without any conclusion. People buy what they like and what fits their perceived needs. It may be hard to believe, but there is a small percentage of US buyers who think VWs match their needs the best. I've owned two dozen vehicles over the past three decades -- from domestics to Japanese to German makes. Other than an E90 BMW I had for a while, I haven't found repair bills to be all that different when done through independent garages. The parts for German cars are a little more expensive, but not outrageously so. I've also owned a number of VWs and Hondas in that mix and having laid out $4000 in the past year for repairs to an Element, I can safely say the three Hondas I currently own have cost me way more than any VW I've ever owned.

@LeeK I can't see how they could lower the emissions without having noticeable effects to the performance. Diesel is diesel and air is air, right? Messing with that chemistry is going to change performance, isn't it? Luckily I bought this vehicle knowing it was going to be driven into the ground, so value isn't really an issue for me right now. If they do somehow destroy everything I love about the Touareg with a software fix, surely unitronic or other tuning companies will just reverse it. I hope.