Volkswagen

Volkswagen recall: Faulty transmission sensor possibly affects 13,500 recent models

Volkswagen of America has announced a voluntary recall on 13,500 VW models equipped with DSG transmissions which could have faulty temperatures sensors. If problematic, a phantom warning lamp could illuminate and possibly cause the transmission to shift into neutral. Models affected include the Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI, and Eos manufactured between September 2008 and August 2009, which includes primarily 2009 MY and a small percentage of 2010 MY vehicles. Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by Volkswagen of America to schedule an appointment at a local dealer to have their vehicle inspected, and if necessary, conduct repairs. Contact the Volkswagen Loyalty Center, 1-800-444-8982. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written

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Volkswagen Routan, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

But the Routan has no easy path among 2009 minivan comparisons. The potential market share is tight, so the Routan will have to compete against segment leader Honda Odyssey as well as Chrysler’s Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, its not-so-distant cousins. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (7) Superior acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, according to VW’s estimates for the top-the-line SEL versus 10.2 for the 3.8-liter S and SE engines, all with six-speed automatic transmissions. Braking/Steering/Handling (6) Moves in-and-out of traffic well and maneuvers well particularly for its size. Steering is strong and responsive. Ditto for the brakes. Cargo Room (8) The third-row bench folds flat and with the second seats removed, total cargo

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Volkswagen Tiguan, 2009: Weidel on Wheels

As someone whose first two vehicles were Volkswagens, I remain a fan of the German automaker, and I’m not alone in my admiration. Volkswagen rose to prominence in the 1960s and continued to grow for two decades. The line began to falter in the early ‘90s, but Volkswagen has refocused and made a successful turnaround. In the past decade, Volkswagen has kept rolling out hits. The latest is the 2009 Tiguan, a compact sport utility vehicle recently driven for a week. Like many of its predecessors, the Tiguan has received high marks in many areas. It’s understandable because VW is consistently again offering vehicles with refined handling and upscale accommodations. Naming vehicles in not one of VW’s strengths. Like its

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Volkswagen CC Sport, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A guy in a back parking lot of a Chinese restaurant, speaking with a French accent, starred at the 2009 Volkswagen CC Sport and said: “I’ve never seen that car in the United States before. I’ve only seen it in Germany.” It wasn’t the first nor the last time someone asked about the new VW sedan. It’s the German manufacturer’s second attempt at a luxury sedan via a sleeker design of the Passat. This time, VW has been influenced by Mercedes and Audi and it’s offering a four-passenger luxury-style car that costs less than $30,000. It’s a much better approach than VW’s brief, unsuccessful experiment with the Phaeton. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (6) There’s a slight delay, but the

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Volkswagen Beetle, Kaiser Darrin Shine At Carmel Concours On The Avenue

While soft jazz perfectly set the mood, mellow, daylong crowds gathered along the main artery, Ocean Ave., and its accompanying side streets. It was an ideal outdoor showroom for the second-year event. Porsche and Ferrari were featured Monday and Tuesday multi-marques were presented. I didn’t attend Monday’s festivities, but there were immediate favorites on Tuesday. Tony and Pat Olmo of Monterey, California, presented two Volkswagen Beetles — a 1962 convertible and 1956 deluxe. The 1956, a beautifully hued diamond green, is restored with only German VW parts as is the Pacific Blue convertible. Both cars attracted large crowds with a lot visitors commenting in general terms: “I used to have one of those.” Despite the popularity of the two VWs,

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Toyota Prius, VW Jetta Top Only 15 Cars In U.S. Averaging At Least 30 mpg

Chevrolet (Cobalt, Aero) and Honda (Civic hybrid and Fit) each have two vehicles on the list. Six of the vehicles are hybrids and the total of 15 are the only new offerings in the United States averaging more than 30 mpg in combined driving averages. Here’s the list in deceasing order, with city, highway and combined gas mileage averages listed: Toyota Prius (hybrid, 2008, (combined 46 miles per gallon); Honda Civic (hybrid), 40/46, 42 mpg combined; Smart Fortwo, 2008, 33/41, 36 mpg combined; Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2009, 30/41, 34 mpg combined; Nissan Altima (hybrid), 35/33, 34 mpg combined; Toyota Camry (hybrid), 33/34, 34 mpg combined; Mini Cooper, 2008, 28/37 32 mpg combined; Toyota Yaris, 2008 29/36, 32 mpg combined; Ford

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Ford Mustang Tops List Of Young Drivers' Most Wanted Cars

ForbesAuto.com, in its long article written by John Adams, is quick to explain vehicles purchased by car buyers under age 21 represent only 1.2 percent of all new car sales. Nevertheless, it’s interesting]]> to examine young car buyers’ habits, particularly considering 3.2 million kids in the United States have or will graduate from high school this year. Nine of out the top-10 (and ties) favorites among young car buyers are automobiles priced under $20,000. Ford has three cars on the list, Volkswagen, Toyota and Honda are represented twice. Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet have one selection each. 10. Volkswagen Jetta; 9. Dodge Charger; 8 (tie) Jeep Wrangler, Ford F-150; 7. (tie) Ford Focus, Chevrolet Impala; 6. Toyota Corolla; 5. 2009 Toyota

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Volkswagen Touareg 2, 2008: Weidel On Wheels

Volkswagen has obviously enjoyed a longer existence than Hitler. The German manufacturer has remained successful mostly through the production of economical vehicles that appeal to the masses. Despite the reputation for building reasonably priced automobiles, Volkswagen in recent years has strayed from its original formula. Consider the Touareg. It’s a sport utility vehicle that shares a lot with the upscale Porsche Cayenne and also shares qualities with a distant cousin, the Audi Q7. The Touareg and the Cayenne were co-developed by Volkswagen and Porsche, and their shared chassis are built at the same plant. Although sometimes identified as the same SUV, the Cayenne has its own engine and is assembled in a different plant. The Cayenne also costs more, but

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Ferrari, Jaguar and VW Karmann Ghia (Really!) On London Telegraph's Top-100 car list

But the Ghia had its moments. I once drove it round-trip from Sacramento to Las Vegas and managed to maneuver through heavy rain, strong winds and followed a snow plow over a mountain pass on Interstate 50. A few years into ownership, the Ghia was heavily vandalized and I sold it cheap. Turns out my father had good taste, similar to readers of The (London) Daily Telegraph. In its recently released list of the “100 Most Beautiful Cars,” the VW Karmann Ghia was voted No. 32, finishing better than some Ferraris and eight positions shy of the unique Talbot Lago T150C SS. The London Daily Telegraph’s comment on the Talbot Lago was great, succinct commentary: “Commonly known  as the “Teardrop”

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Tata Nano, '79 MG, '82 Ram Charger, '01 VW Jetta: For $2,500, You Make The Call

But since the Tata Nano won’t be available in the U.S., what will $2,500 get a car buyer in this country? The New York Times included an interesting comparison in one of its several detailed pieces on Tata Motors, the Nano’s manufacturer. In describing the cost of the Nano, The Times’ reporter said its $2,500 price is about the same cost as an optional DVD player in a 2008 Lexus LX470. I’ve also done a little comparison shopping. Although the price of the Nano may go down (depending in the manufacturer’s reaction to a new, lower government excise tax), and it can go up with delivery charges and options, here’s what I found on a five-minute search Craig’sList, San Francisco.

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VW Beetle To Ford Model T: The Top-5 Best-Selling Cars In History

Personally, I liked to see more Model-Ts. But according to the automotive news web site, Automoportal.com, the Model T and the Corolla have a lot in common. Both are among the top-five best-selling cars in history. Here’s the list of the top-five best-selling cars in history and a comment on each vehicle: AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars 1. Toyota Corolla. It’s now more than 40 years and it’s been manufactured in nine generations and more than 35 million have sold.  It’s topped the all-time bestseller list since 1997. 2.  Ford F Series Pickup. So far, 25 million have been sold. At a rate of 1 million

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Total Recall: 2007's Surprising Most Recalled Car List

Last August, for example, Ford Motor Co., announced it was recalling 3.6 million vehicles, mostly trucks from the 1990s, to fix a speed control deactivation switch. And last spring, Volkswagen began recalling 1 million new Beetles from the model years 2001 to 2007 to repair a brake light problem. “Now almost any time you pick up a newspaper, there is a recall,” said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Mich. According to Libby, overall car quality has improved. However, since automakers are using more shared platforms and parts, the chances the sample bad component resulting in recalls for the same reason in multiple manufacturers has also increased. Conversely, the increase amount of

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Volkswagen Convertible, 2007: Weidel on Wheels

Even though the Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road. When Volkswagen came back with the Beetle after a near 20-year departure in 1997, no hype was required for the unveiling. It seemed like every woman I knew was enamored with the endearing little Beetle, which became part of a successful retro campaign that drifted through the auto industry. Even my then 7-year-old daughter made it clear this was the car she wanted. Yet when I was driving the VW convertible last month, my

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Volkswagen Passat, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The high-speed interstate to narrow city streets, there’s no place to hide a car’s faults and there are plenty of opportunities for a vehicle to showcase its best attributes. My weekly test drive on a recent visit to the Monterey Peninsula was the 2006 Volkswagen Passat. It’s available in three versions, the 4-cylinder Value Edition and 2.0T (turbocharged) model and the higher performance V6 marketed as the sports model. I drove the 2.0T, which was plenty sporty and responsive on the high-speed, often crowd open roads of Interstate 5 to the winding, more subtle state routes of approaching the peninsula. With the exception of the wheelbase, which is the same as the 1998-2005 sedans, Volkswagen redesigned its midsize car for

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Volkswagen Touareg, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Certainly, my chosen route south on Interstate 5 has long stretches where anyone who enjoys the pleasures of driving can feel “free.” But 30 miles into my journey, a sensor warning appeared on the console panel: “Defective tire on board.” The same warning had also appeared sporadically during my first two days with the vehicle in short, around-town treks. A local Volkswagen dealer representative said many Touaregs have suffered through the same “growing pains.” In short, owners noticing the same warning have brought their new vehicles to dealers with concern. But they’ve largely discovered nothing is wrong with the exception of a overly sensitive computer system. In my instance, the warning quickly changed to a danger light: “Flat Tire.” I

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Volkswagen Jetta, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Matched against the best-selling subcompact models offered by Ford, Honda and Toyota, the Jetta is Volkswagen‘s best-selling car. Combined with the nearly identical Golf, more than 40 models of the vehicle are offered, including several 20th anniversary special editions in 2004. I drove the 1.8-liter, 180-horsepower, turbocharged 4-cylinder GTI anniversary edition for my weekly test. It included nearly every standard feature and option imaginable and was true to form to its intended audience. Drivers seeking a zippy little machine get exactly that. From its bright “Tomato Red” exterior and black-and-gray interior, the Jetta is more sports car than subcompact and it couldn’t be more conspicuous scooting around town or on the open road. The vehicle featured 18-inch alloy wheels and

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