Are Volkswagen Sales Woes Due To The Brand Not Being German Enough?

'Are Volkswagen Sales Woes Due To The Brand Is Not Being German Enough?"

No, their product line is a bore, the reliability is dismal, and the dealership are dishonest and high pressure scum pits.

Reliability is only part of the equation. Only those that want a safe bet worry about that these days. I would equate them to those that have locked themselves in their homes worrying about the Ebola patient down here.

Are they being safe? Yes, Needlessly? Yes

But in this case it most likely comes into play in some fashion. However owning a Japanese brand is becoming more of an issue due to the shear amount of safety recalls. It seems when put under scrutiny, the Japanese are about as bad as the Americans in assembling cars with defects.

That's why I mentioned reliability second, I don't know what the national dealer networks is like but our local dealers a dishonest and will sell a car at any cost. The reputation is in the toilet, and top this off with a lackluster product, no one is walking into those dealerships.

Local dealers are always a gamble.

I actually sold the CC because the dealership changed hands to a mass market volume seller from a premium brand group.

The first thing they did was cut staff, threw out washing the car when serviced, and raised prices. That speaks volumes about only being concerned about profits.

"Farfegnugen". Remember that nonsense? VW was trying hard to remind everyone that it was German back then and it didn't work.

'Are Volkswagen Sales Woes Due To The Brand Is Not Being German Enough?"

What? Dude, your writing skills suck.

Woo Hoo! I got a proofreader! I’m glad you accepted the job.

Thanks for the heads up, it has been corrected. (too many title revisions make you go nuts)

I'll gladly be your proofreader.

Their sales woes are due to it getting out about VW having shoddy build quality (Germany, Chattanooga, Mexico). The squeaks and rattles are a warranty nightmare. It's getting out about sub-par reliability. It's getting out about excessive warranty trips. It's getting out that after warranty, repairs are astronomically expensive. It's getting out that the 2.0T and the DSG have a propensity to self-destruct. VW's current lineup would be brilliant is model year 2000, but this is 2014 and they are 14 years outdated.

I gotta go with scenic. Their entire line is one big fat bore. The Golf/GTI still looks barely different than the cars from 30 years ago. The Jetta and Passat are so generic they should just badge they "Equate brand" (for anyone familiar with Walmart). Gone are the days when those two cars had character. The CC is ok, but the interior is a snooze fest. The Tiguan is just...ugh. And the Touareg is priced way out of its league and shouldn't be in the VW lineup. The EOS...gag. The Beetle...kill it.

I want to know how VW maintains such strong global sales.

I think it is more product driven then reliability. Why does the Golf do so well in Germany and the rest of Europe and do so poorly here. One reason is that the product needs in Europe are very different than in North America. Maybe Euro reliability is crap for most brands in Europe so that is an acceptable with the consumer there. Hatchbacks are very plentiful in Europe. Small sedans are not. Cars are generally smaller. Small SUV's/CUV's are the rage in Europe where in America we have the "everything must be bigger in Texas" philosophy. Also in Europe diesels still are the dominant engines being bought. Therefore there is not as much of an issue about the 2.0 T reliability over there. Point is that it is a very different culture in Europe then here in the US. VW has still not grasped the difference.

In the market they sit in, VW think they are above Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford etc.. thus they charge a premium above the rest. People are wise to that fact.

And no relief at sight. So far only an embarrassing mid-year facelift for the Jetta.