Volkswagen Reviews 

I received a recall for a faulty part that could result in serious injury if not replaced urgently. This was stated as needing an hour to do. When contacting the Retailer I was told they’d need the car for 2 days and that no courtesy car was available leaving me with no means to get home or return the next day to my home some distance away. The general attitude was extremely unaccommodating and negative.I then phoned volksvagen customer service to make a complaint and was answered by a person who despite saying numerous times that I couldn’t hear her as she talked far too fast and the line was bad, took no heed . The whole call became very stressful and unfulfilling . I remain horrified that her attitude was so combatative and accusatory towards me.When extraordinarily she accused me of insulting her numerous times I asked for the call to be terminated and that a manager listen to the call just made and to phone me. I await their call. I have been a Volkswagen driver for 40 years and thought I might use my visit to investigate purchasing a new volkwagen . After this experience of their customer service I will now look elsewhere.

We bought our VW Tiguan R line BTDI brand new, factory ordered with most extras in 2020.

Since then, in order, it has had :-

New electric boot strut. Old one shorted due to water ingres then boot wouldn't open.

New boot lock mechanism. Boot wouldnt open.

New radiator fan. This car has two and one stopped working causing warning light in warm weather on dash.

New Injector seals and rocker cover gasket due to Oil leak. Took a year to find. Coming from Injector seals on top of engine and then running down side of engine to bottom.

New oil sump seal. Oil was leaking from here so oil sump had to be removed and resealed.

New Mechatronics control unit. Gearbox kept going into emergency mode when driving for over 1 hr.

Dare i say VW is unreliable.

Luckily everything has been done under warranty but the time and hassle it causes is not worth it.

Same spec car on VW configuration is now £61000. I'm sorry but no way I would pay that for this kind of quality.

We are extremely disappointed with our experience purchasing a used ID.4 from a VW approved dealership, Jonsons Cars in Birmingham.
Before the car was handed over, the dealership changed the wheels and charged us for front two wheels without our approval. This was never properly discussed or authorised, which is unacceptable.
On the same day we drove the car back from Birmingham to London, we noticed a serious windscreen distortion issue that affects visibility while driving. In addition, the wheels cause noticeable vibration when driving over 60 mph, raising further concerns about the work carried out on the vehicle.
We reported all of these issues immediately on the day of purchase, but the dealership has refused to take responsibility.
We also contacted VW customer service expecting support, especially since we chose an approved dealership for peace of mind. Unfortunately, they have been equally unhelpful.
We even requested that the issue be assessed at our local VW approved dealership in London, but Jonsons insists we bring the car all the way back to Birmingham, which is highly inconvenient.
This situation has been particularly stressful for our family, especially as my husband suffers from depression and my son has been trying to manage this issue on our behalf.
We chose a VW approved dealership expecting higher standards of service and support. Sadly, this experience has shown the opposite. Very disappointed with both Jonsons Cars and VW’s lack of customer care.

Hi to vw group I would must say again and again what a worst engines you make after 50k or hundred thousand miles injectors DPF blockage fuel pump suspension fuel consumption miles start making problems over and over expensive parts and it’s come all model Skoda golf Passat seat what ever more same issues just ripping off people just looks good but zero performance and make totally crap material the produce I must say if they like or not no one can beat Toyota Japanese cars what reliable cars they make cheap in parts but engine gear box well solid trustable make all of Japanese I wasted soo much money on vw group cars loss after loss sorry if you mind please learn something from Japanese

After my last review I hoped that I’d got to the bottom of the problems with them constantly sending me pointless emails - BUT NO, I got yet another one today!
I know it’s a minor issue but it clearly shows how useless they are……….

I've had an ID Buzz for less than a year (Bought it from Marshall Group in Reading UK), and it's developed a rattle in the driver's side door. They want to charge me £165 just to look at it... There would be additional costs on top to repair the rattle.

Avoid VW North Wales, Poorly prepared vehicles. VW used warranty useless
Within approx 1000 miles of purchase, my VW approved vehicle required rear brake pads. I naively assumed that when VW North Wales were made aware of the fact they had failed to identify the brake pads were low, when the vehicle was prepared for sale, they would apologize and offer to replace the pads. But this was not the case, they tried to fob me off by saying the warning from the car came on early and the pads were fine. Only after many emails and resorting to social media platforms did they reluctantly agree to pay for new pads. Unfortunately at about the same time the radar ADAS systems had stopped working. Silly me, I naturally assumed my VW approved warranty would cover this, but no it doesn't as the radar required calibration and the VW approved warranty excludes this. North Wales did not want to know, it was only after what felt like a fight with both VW North Wales and VW UK customer services that they both reluctantly agreed to split the cost of the calibration. This is a car that should have had a multi point check in their workshops prior to sale. How does a franchised dealer not notice rear brakes that are worn out? The work was carried out by my local VW dealer in Southend-On-Sea, who have been very supportive and helpful.
On the 4/02/26 the car went to VW Southend for a service and mot, They informed me the wiring harness from the ECU to the radar had a known fault and should have been replaced. This issue was identified in late 2019 under VW TPI bulletin 2064858/6 and, if I am not mistaken, should have been rectified under a Service Campaign. The whole reason for purchasing an approved VW from a franchised dealer was the reassurance provided by the quality of the warranty and the expectation that the car would be prepared to a high standard. I could have purchased a similar Touareg from a non-franchised dealer for less money, but instead chose to place my faith in what should have been a quality product and service. It appears, vehicles are being retailed to customers with known faults that should be rectified prior to sale, while being accompanied by a warranty that is full of small print and get out clauses. When VW Southend informed me that my vehicle has a fault that VW UK has been aware of for over five years, the VW warranty was utterly useless as it does not cover wiring faults. I fully expected VW UK or the supplying dealer, to take responsibility and do the right thing by fitting the modified wiring harness, rather than relying on warranty small print to decline the repair and fob me off.
I believe that under the VW Approved Used programme I have been sold a vehicle with a known fault that renders it not fit for purpose, not of satisfactory quality, in certain circumstances unsafe.
At the very least, I expect VW North Wales to rectify this known fault.

Brand new VW Golf rented for 3 days from Pisa airport. I had one in the 1990's, same reassuing build quality feel but a few things that would stop me buying it again. 1. Annoying (dangerous) interventions; a) slams on the brakes because it's tiny brain detected a collision (there was no risk other than a rear end shunt it might have caused). b) covers my navigation (in a city) with its camera view for some reason, I don't need this, I didn’t ask for it, I can see. I really need my map because I'm in a city, not a picture of the kerb that I didn't ask for. c) it bleats when it (incorrectly) imagines I'm breaking the speed limit. d) car scares the s... out of me grabbing the steering wheel when I'm trying to avoid a pothole (it is upset that I've used my enormous inteligence, experience and official government backed endorsment to have the right to legally drive), to take an action it doesn't understand (because it's a dumb car). I don't care what you think (car), it's me who has the driving license, not a stupid "AI" (artificial interference). In the same way I'll vote for ANY party committed to reversing the Brexit self distruct, I'll buy my next car from ANY car maker who let's me entirely switch off 100% of the annoying --> dangerous artificial interference.

2. No USB ports. VW will no doubt argue that USB-C to USB-C is reversible, high speed, high capacity and the future. Deciding to ignore the fact that everyone and everything still has a USB-A socket. So VW, take yourself down to "Flying Tiger", a shop famous for selling low cost cables and accessories, and ask for a cable for your car like I did in Bologna today. They DO have a 1960's 12V cigarette lighter socket to USB-A adaptor but not a C to C. So yeah well done. You win the "but C is best" and do quite well at "we support legacy" arguments with your funky old 12V tampon holder, but do a survey of one or a million normal people, what do they need? That thing that's still on every bus, plane, train, laptop and in every home? Yup, USB-A socket for charging. The "speed" is a fake argument, my phone was quite happy connecting to the car with Bluetooth.

Oh and the auto slam on the brakes feature is also found on your mates at Skoda (pronounced like "s" plus "code"plus "ah" in english), same bug nearly killed me in Norway last year on a similar dumb artificial interference disaster. VAG, drop the AI, it's crap. VAG cars are on my naughty list for this (I've also had multiple Audi's in the past, not again if the have the same broken software). Oh, and get charge sockets people actually want.

I had a very disappointing experience at this Volkswagen company. The receptionist, Dawn, was extremely disrespectful and spoke in a very unwilling and unprofessional manner. It felt like she had no interest in helping at all.

For a company like Volkswagen, I expected much better customer service, but unfortunately, they do not deliver a good experience. Based on my visit, I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Tried to get through to service on numerous occasions put through to reception who is extremely rude cuts you off as you speak, acts like she’s the busiest lady on planet and nobody else has anything important to do, was not willing to listen, constantly spoke over me and then told me she could not help and disconnected.

I have a new vw polo GTI.
Sad to say but its the last VW ill ever have.
It is by far the worst car I have ever owned.
Where to start. It's been back to VW four times as none of the emergency assists have ever worked unless your in reverse!! VW answer.... they do work just computer never deemed the need to activate!!!
I use 1 litre of oil a month. VW ANSWER..... the 2 litre engine does use a lot of oil!!!!
It's been returned 4 times as all the plastic vibrates and you need to blast the stereo to drown it.
So uncomfortable to drive!!
The GTI is meant to be the flag ship of the Polo range.......
No wireless phone charger!!!
No voice!!!!!
No rear camera!!!!

VW answer..... THEYRE EXTRA!!!!

What a pile of bolts!!
My son has a 1.2 polo 2014. It's smooth to drive, no creaks and no fault. This is the reason I chose one.

Ive had a better drive. More tech, better build quality in a mid range KIA.

All I can say, or rather SHOUT is....... DON'T BUY A VW.

You'd be better off with a bus pass and an electric bike. You definitely get more tech on one

At a time where VW is being challenged by new car manafactures on price, equipment level and service, they should be doing better.
I have an ID5 on PCP with Citygate VW near Chiswick. The car went in for a recall service which required a software update. The Software update crashed which meant a weeks worth of delays getting it sorted. To their credit I was kept informed all the way through and allowed to keep the courtesy car at no extra cost. Now the recall was for a rare issue that might occur at normal driving speeds in certain conditions the doors might open. The reason the update crashed is because of a SF module which needs to be replaced in order for the recall to be completed. The car is now out of warranty and the module would cost £3450 which they will not cover. They also want £30 for a puncture repair (£10 locally) and £135 for a brake fluid change (£55 at Halfords). They've turned around and said we've got your car working again and we are happy for to collect the car in its current state. I'm baffled at why they wouldn't cover the cost to get the module repaired in order to complete a safety recall. I'm essentially left with a potentially unsafe car.
To make matters worse the renewals team regularly get in touch as the car is due to be returned this year to talk about upgrading knowing fully the car is in negative equity. When I reply...... radio silence until the next renewals email. I'm sorry VW but the IDx cars are nowhere near the required standard, your dealer service is poor. You have lost a loyal customer who has purchased several cars from you over the years. Time to look elsewhere.

Actually called into there showroom twice to see someone about buying a car and it is imposible. Phoned them today to speak to someone, person isn't available, is there anyone I can speak to. Yes but he's busy right now.

What a shambolic company, I might unststand if I were trying to get money from VW, but I'm not, I want make a purchase I want to pay their wages, put food on their families table - The public me included should walk away from companies this bad.

Thinking back to the emissions scandel says it all realy.

Continually misdiagnosed faults by VW technicians. I will never buy a VW again! The steering wheel doesn't stop pinging travel assist, this company are a joke! Do not buy anything from this car manufacturer.

My in-laws have a id-4 that has spent more time in the mechanics than on the road. What a bunch of fools!

I am writing this review following an extremely disappointing experience with both Volkswagen UK Customer Services and a franchised Volkswagen retailer operating under the Volkswagen Approved Used scheme.

I purchased a Volkswagen vehicle which was sold as a Volkswagen Approved Used car. Vehicles sold under this scheme are marketed as having undergone a comprehensive inspection and preparation process designed to ensure that they meet Volkswagen’s quality and compliance standards before sale.

Unfortunately, my experience suggests that these standards were not met.

After purchasing the vehicle it became apparent, based on the service history documentation provided with the car, that there was outstanding service work due within a short timeframe of the purchase date. This raises serious concerns about whether the vehicle actually met the eligibility criteria required to be sold under the Volkswagen Approved Used programme.

Despite repeatedly requesting documentation relating to the vehicle’s pre-sale preparation and inspection – including the multi-point check (MPC) sheet – this documentation has still not been provided.

The absence of this documentation is particularly concerning because one of the key checks within the Approved Used inspection relates to whether all service work due within a specified period has been completed prior to sale.

If this work was not completed, then the vehicle should not have been sold under the Approved Used scheme. If it was certified as compliant despite outstanding service work, then serious questions arise about the integrity of the inspection process.

Equally disappointing has been the handling of the complaint by Volkswagen UK Customer Services.

Over the course of several weeks I experienced:

• Missed scheduled call-backs from Volkswagen Customer Services
• Repeated lack of responses to calls and emails
• Minimal proactive engagement with the retailer
• Requests from Volkswagen asking me for updates on the situation with the dealership — something that should clearly be managed by Volkswagen when they are handling a formal complaint

Information obtained through a Subject Access Request suggests that Volkswagen UK's involvement with the retailer has been extremely limited, despite the seriousness of the complaint and the fact that the vehicle was sold under a programme that carries the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen promotes the Approved Used scheme as providing reassurance and quality control for customers purchasing used vehicles through franchised retailers. However, when a customer raises concerns that a vehicle may not meet the scheme’s own criteria, it is reasonable to expect Volkswagen to take an active role in ensuring that the standards associated with its brand are upheld.

Unfortunately this has not been my experience.

At the time of writing the situation remains unresolved and the vehicle remains unused while a significant amount of money remains tied up in a car that may not comply with the standards it was sold under.

I hope Volkswagen UK reviews how complaints involving vehicles sold under the Approved Used scheme are handled in future, and ensures that customers who rely on the credibility of the programme receive the support and oversight that the Volkswagen brand implies.

Further to this, Volkswagen UK Customer Services have indicated that a franchised Volkswagen dealership selling a non-compliant vehicle under the Volkswagen Approved Used scheme is effectively a matter solely between the customer and the dealership.

A consumer would reasonably assume that where a vehicle is sold under a branded manufacturer scheme, Volkswagen UK would have some degree of responsibility in ensuring that franchised retailers comply with the standards required by that scheme.

A consumer would also reasonably expect that concerns regarding potential non-compliance with the Approved Used programme would receive meaningful oversight and engagement from Volkswagen UK, rather than being dismissed as solely a matter between the customer and the dealership.

Finally, a complainant would also expect that updates provided by Volkswagen UK during a complaint investigation would be accurate and reflect the current situation, rather than information that appears to be significantly out of date.

Absolutely useless woman answered thr phone and said I would have to take my tiguan into vw main dealer to get it diagnosed by them but as I work in the trade as she was told it had properly had a diag done and it was a faulty start button but she wants me to shell out for a diag which is over 100 pounds first then them fit the part to bill me even more which for a 10 minute job seems a bit stupid as I work in the trade so I brought a start button now it works fine 77.04pounds !!! Vw are ridiculous I work on behalf of aa ,rac and green flag so if I csrnt diag and find the fault why do they send us out to do there job form them !!!!! The woman i spoke to needs to get her facts straight !!!!! And stop reading of a script

Volkswagen UK: My 5-Month Nightmare – No Response, No Accountability

I have now spent 5 months trying to resolve a serious issue with my Volkswagen Golf Style TSI eHybrid (2023), PCP Agreement 440154921378, Formal Complaint Reference RET-1223437, customer service reference 06600215. I did not want to make this public, but after repeated failures to engage, this is my last resort. Everything shared is 100% truthful, accurate, and documented.

Timeline – The Beginning
8 November 2025 – First Fault
While driving, my dashboard lit warnings: the high-voltage battery coolant was completely empty. The RAC technician, with 25 years’ experience, said he had never seen a battery coolant completely empty. The battery was at risk of overheating. Volkswagen locks this system, so I could not have caused this.

14 November 2025 – Technician Investigation (Alex, JCT600 Wakefield)
Alex could not find a fault and hypothesized an airlock in the high-voltage coolant system due to incomplete factory filling. No leak was found, Volkswagen confirmed no leak, but the system clearly failed without explanation.

8 December 2025 – Electric System Failure
The car broke down again with an “electric system failure” warning, forcing another visit to JCT600 Wakefield. I had informed them on 8 December of planned travel to France from

14 December. The courtesy car provided had only third-party insurance, so I could not take it to Europe.
This is the start of 5 months of repeated failures, prolonged repair, and zero accountability from Volkswagen

What Frustrates Me Most
I am paying £503/month for a vehicle I cannot safely use.
Multiple formal complaints since 30 December 2025 have been ignored or inadequately addressed.
Volkswagen Customer Resolutions led initially by
Shaqeelah Assure and then by Customer relations manager
Anela Tshwela claims I was “kept mobile” — being mobile is not the only obligation under a PCP or consumer rights.

I will continue this story over 4 posts, documenting every failure, ignored complaint, and financial loss.
⚠️ Next Post in 2 days: detailing repeated repair failures, courtesy car issues, and European holiday disruption.

I am beyond frustrated with Volkswagen’s handling of my case (0004283466).

It has now been nearly a week since I reported a serious fault, and there has been no meaningful resolution or urgency shown. My plug-in hybrid is currently unsafe to drive, with every warning light illuminated on the dashboard. It cannot be charged or driven as a hybrid due to the fault.

In effect, I have a £45,000, 2.5-ton vehicle sitting on my driveway that is completely unusable.

What’s most disappointing is not just the fault itself — issues can happen — but the lack of proactive communication, urgency, and ownership from Volkswagen. When a vehicle at this price point becomes unsafe and inoperable, customers expect immediate support and a clear plan to resolve the problem.

So far, that simply hasn’t happened.

I would strongly urge Volkswagen to review how cases like this are handled. Customers deserve far better support when dealing with serious vehicle faults

Almost all of the experienced technicians have left Bristol Mon Motors and there’s now only one skilled person remaining. The rest are apprentices or staff with very limited experience, so nothing seems to get properly fixed unless the computer tells them what to do.

Inchcape/Group1 Volkswagen, Swindon

I bought a new Polo in March 2024 from Inchcape Volkswagen, Swindon. Inchcape have since become Group 1 Volkswagen. I have owned VW Polos for over 12yrs.

I was sold an Extended Warranty, Service Plan and Gardx Paint & Interior Protection Plan.

I recently scraped the rear panel and bumper and contacted Gardx to effect a repair. They sent out someone from DWV who did an excellent job. When the DWV repairer was showing me the completed work he commented that it had been previously touched up. I said I was not aware of that as I had bought the car brand new. The assumption, therefore, is that it was done by the dealer prior to my handover. This was not mentioned by the dealer.

During the handover the connection to my mobile phone was demonstrated but as there was no wi-fi and it didn't work on my phone. I was subsequently advised that someone would contact me to arrange a demonstration. This did not happen. This has never worked properly. Neither my wife or myself have been able to play music from our phones when we are both in the car together.
I saw this comment on Google reviews.
' While booking they had also told me they will do the app connection to my mobile phone free of charge and refused saying their team is busy.'

This is frustrating.

I was sold an Extended Warranty that included breakdown cover. However, I do not recall being told that it only covered the first 12 months. I had to arrange my own breakdown cover after that and the breakdown cover included with the Extended Warranty would activate in Year 4 (I think!), after the standard VW 3 year warranty expires as this does not include breakdown cover. I'm still not clear when it is activated.

I was also sold a Service Plan. I arranged the 1st Service and for the car to be collected from my home at a cost of £20. This did not happen. After waiting all morning I phoned VW Swindon to be told that my booking had 'not transferred' to the new system. A new appointment was arranged and the collection fee was waived. This was annoying as it meant having to rearrange transport for two separate days and wasting a morning waiting for the collection that didn’t happen.

I understood that I would be provided with the Gardx Paint & Interior Protection Aftercare Pack. I have never received this after many enquiries.

This is a part of a transcript from their chat bot:
'Lily (04/01/25 12:15:32 pm): I can certainly have my team confirm how to get the Gardx Paint & Interior Protection Aftercare Pack that was supposed to be provided at the time of purchase as those details are not listed'. I was never contacted after this.

The windscreen wipers have never worked properly. They make an awful grating noise. I mentioned this to the dealership and they told me that they would need to have the car for a day to check the wiper mechanism. The mechanism is fine, it works. The problem is with the blades. I have been told by an independent garage that the wipers need replacing. It’s a car just over a year old. How can the wipers need replacing? I notice that the guarantee does not include wiper blades. I bought new wiper blades from Halfords and they work a treat. If the dealer had bothered to just see the wipers working they would have realised the same thing. There was no need to spend a day checking the wiper mechanism. They were duff wipers. The rear wiper also needs changing as it’s worn. After 1yr? I feel that the dealer was just fobbing me off and couldn’t be bothered to check the blades.

It is difficult to actually talk to anyone.
A Google reviewer was advised to contact the address tellusmoreinchcape I emailed that address but got a bounceback from. I then emailed tellusmoregroup1auto.co.uk on the 16th July 2025 but had no response.

I've been left with the impression that VW are only interested in the sale, plus upselling any extras and not interested in providing after sales customer service.