Where did all the Volkswagens go?

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by motion

LOL, California has a lot of VW's. Nobody should panic just yet.

I'm pretty sure that's somewhere in the middle east, between the srtipey curb and the road sign in Arabic.

There are tons of VWs around here. Our CC is still doing great, but it's a little troubling seeing how many early-creeping into mid 2000s ones I'm seeing at LKQ. Audis too. It's a 2010 so it was made in Germany - I'm not sure if they still come from there or somewhere else now.

[fastfredracing]

VW is so far away from what first attracted me to them 30 some years ago. Im out.

[pksystems]

Saw this on a pic hosting site the other day.

[dan79brooklyn]

The Golf and the Polo sell well here in Japan. I bought a 1999 Gti with less than 50,000 miles for the equivalent of $500. It's been pretty reliable. Depreciation on VWs is absurd in Japan. Plus cars are super well maintained and driven gentler and less distance than in the States.

It's been a nice driving family car, though slightly lacking in personality, it gets the job done as we only need the one car.

[74-911]

See a lot of VW's around here.

Guess we've been lucky? Wife's '06 Mark V Jetta has been bulletproof. It has seen the dealer exactly 2 times: a recall on an airbag and they replaced all the coil packs on a recall. Only complaint I've really had is I had to replace the headliner as it came unglued at the 7 year point. Apparently there is a big YMMV re: VW's..

[ckelly78z]

We have two VWs in the driveway right now (97 Cabrio, and a 03 Jetta) I have never been a fan of most VWs, but I do like the Siracco, and the GTI.

A new VW dealership just went into my hometown of about 50,000 people, so I went out and kicked some tires, and came away with sticker shock.

[widebody911]

They're in my back yard

[intakexhaust]

Discarded to Acapulco as taxi's. They know how to keep them in service, even if the floorboards are completely gone! No joke ~

[scottmandue]

All the old bugs/Vans in SoCal are locked up in garages... they are now classics and being horded as collectables.

[intakexhaust]

^how many millions of those POS bugs exist? Hitler had a visionary of the car collector market~ haha

For awhile there was just about everything available in the Beetle aftermarket to build one. Recall JC Whitney was a big supplier in the States.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

All the old bugs/Vans in SoCal are locked up in garages... they are now classics and being horded as collectables.

You got that right!
Many of them are on Samba.com being sold for ungodly prices.
I had a absolutely mint '67 Type 2 Kombi Transporter Dual Cab for many years...used it as my first crew truck when I first began my business.
It sat in my back yard for years thereafter...sold it in the '80s for $2,000 to a collector in Sacramento.
What did I know?
.
Here's its brother...exactly like mine w/o the top rack. $34,000????
.
TheSamba.com :: VW Classifieds - 1967 Double Cab Transporter Pick-Up Truck

[KNS]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

They've always been unreliable. But when VW dumbed them down for the American market, that's really been their downfall. Everything that was unique about their products was sanitized ala Toyota and the market has responded in kind. They gave up what made them unique in pursuit of being the biggest, and it has ironically handicapped that goal. We'll see if they can recapture the magic, unlike Toyota.

Exactly! It's frustrating but they get what they deserve. We were in Europe a couple of months ago and I found a Scirocco parked on the street. I just walked around the car for several minutes admiring it. Pisses me off that they won't sell it here.

Why would anyone buy a new Jetta? Looks like a domestic car (from ten years ago) and I think they are made in Mexico.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

^how many millions of those POS bugs exist? Hitler had a visionary of the car collector market~ haha

For awhile there was just about everything available in the Beetle aftermarket to build one. Recall JC Whitney was a big supplier in the States.

We used to joke that VW parts were so ubiquitous you could get a distributer cap for a 67 VW at 7-11!

Wife want a beetle bad... I would rather have a 996 for the price!

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by motion

I think John is talking about Bugs. I'm sure they all went to Mexico/Central & South America. Lots of them down there. Brazil is packed with them.

You do see a LOT of the old bugs in Mexico and Central America, but they didn't come from US imports (Unlike the H2 Hummer). A plant in Mexico continued to manufacture the old bug up until 2003. I think Mexico made a couple million of them after we stopped seeing them in dealers in the 70's.

[stomachmonkey]

[jcommin]

There are quite a few in Chicago. I bought my 2003 Passat with 58K miles in 2011.

I have put some money into it: (3) o2 sensors, the CCM module located on the drivers floor (it got wet when my drains were clogged), CV joint on the drivers side plus the usual maintenance items.

The cars drives nice, I'm at 80K miles and it still has the original clutch (5 sp manual), The interior is stellar. I can't speak for the newer models but the 03 has been good to me.

If I need to buy a car again, I would look at at VW diesel.

[jcommin]

BTW, there is allot of truth to the check engine light. I was in Mexico a few years ago and every VW taxi I was in had the light on.

[A930Rocket]

My wife loves her '13 Tiguan. It's small quick and nimble. No problems yet with 40K on the clock.

We bought the extended warranty just in case...

[oldE]

I sometimes wonder if my '06 Jetta TDi (Mexico built) is the only reliable one in North America.
I have about 270,000km on it and VW is in the process of repairing wheel arch rust under warranty. They already replaced the trunk lid and both front fenders.
I have had to replace brake discs, pads and callipers and I had a seat harness which caused an airbag light to come on.
On the other hand, I drove a new Subaru Impreza while the Jetta was in the shop and had a literal PITA within a half hour. Different strokes...
Best
Les

[ckissick]

I've never had any problems with any of the water-cooled VWs I've owned over the last several years. Best cars in the world!

BTW, my father's VW dealership in the Bay Area is selling VWs like hot cakes.

My second paragraph has no bearing (ie: bias) on the first paragraph. I really have had no problems with any of our VWs.

How many of you would turn down a Golf R if you could get a good deal on one?