Even though fuel prices have precipitously dropped in recent months, no one wants to waste their gas because of a fuel leak. For that reason, and because a fuel leak could lead to a vehicle fire, Volkswagen is recalling nearly 26,000 sedans and SUVS in the U.S. and 80,000 worldwide. [More]
volkswagen
Volkswagen Unveils Smartphone-On-Wheels Concept, Integration of Apple And Android App Systems
By 1.5.15
Volkswagen’s first ever appearance at CES press day culminated in the unveiling of the Golf R Touch, a highly intuitive, infotainment vehicle that sounds more like a smartphone-on-wheels than an actual car. [More]
Volkswagen Recalls More Than 441,000 Beetles, Jettas To Inspect Rear Suspension Issue
By 10.17.14
Did you ever play the road trip game where you got to punch your sibling if you saw a Volkswagen Beetle? No? Okay, well then, neither did I. For those thinking of playing “slug bug” (or punch buggy, punch bug, punch dub, piggy punch, beetle bug) on the next long drive, there may be fewer cars to spot now that VW is recalling some 441,000 Beetle and Jetta vehicles for possible suspension issues. [More]
4 Popular Cars That Aren’t Worth Your Money
By 6.18.14
While you’d like to think you can’t go wrong with a middle-of-the-road vehicle from a well-known car company, sometimes you’re still not getting the most for your car-buying dollar. [More]
Volkswagen Recalls 26,000 New Vehicles Because Bursting Into Flames Is Not Cool
By 4.17.14
Brand new isn’t always better. That certainly seems to be the case with more than 26,000 new Volkswagen vehicles being recalled. [More]
The Tales Of Two Stolen Cars That Both Showed Up After Decades Away From Home
By 2.21.14
While going about my daily rounds on the Internet, there are constantly new and surprising little tidbits popping up, usually unrelated. Which is why it’s kind of nutty to hear that two separate car theft cold cases have suddenly been solved this week, decades after the cars were stolen, with both vehicles reappearing far from home. [More]
Badvertising History Lessons: Women Can’t Drive, Men Can’t Bake, Fancy Cheese Is A Requirement
By 1.17.14
Let’s face it: The past was terrible. Sure, wax on about the “golden era” and pine nostalgically for the “good old days,” but if we can learn anything from advertising in days gone by, it’s that sexism sells. In an effort to show how far we’ve come and take a bit of shine off the past, we present Consumerist’s Badvertising History Lessons. This week, sexism is an equal opportunity -ism. [More]
Working For McDonald's Is Apparently Good Training For A Job At Volkswagen
By 8.2.12
Fast food jobs have been the butt of easy jokes since the first person asked if you’d like fries with that. But the volks at Volkswagen say that people who’ve worked behind the counter at McDonald’s are ideal for staffing the assembly lines at the company’s plant in Tennessee. [More]
168,000 Volkswagens Recalled Because Fuel Isn't Supposed To Leak
By 10.7.11
The volks at Volkswagen have issued a recall on a total of 168,275 Golf, Jetta and Audi A3 vehicles over concerns the fuel line could crack and leak, potentially causing an engine fire. [More]
71,000 Volkswagen Jettas Recalled Because Honking Your Horn Shouldn't Shut Off Your Engine
By 3.29.11
If you have a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, you may not want to go around tooting your own horn — because it might just shut your engine off. [More]
Toyota Allegedly Conspired To Keep Canadian Exports Out Of US — Get A Piece Of The Class Action
By 1.26.11
If you bought or leased a new car in the Toyota family from Jan 1, 2001 to April 30, 2003, you could get some cash in a new class action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges a conspiracy between Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and the Canadian Automobile Dealer’s Association (CADA) to keep Canadian car exports out of the states and raise prices for American consumers. [More]
Hey Ladies, What Is It About The VW Beetle That You Love So Much?
By 6.16.10
I have a very distinct memory of being 11 and riding in the car with my recently licensed big brother, who of course knew everything there is to know about cars and girls. We pulled up next to an old VW bug being driven by an attractive woman, and after he slugged me in the arm he sagely stated, “Man, there’s nothing as cool as a girl who drives a Volkswagen.” And maybe he was right, because 23 years later the VW Beetle is the car with the highest rate of female ownership. [More]
Consumer Reports Picks Top Cars In 10 Categories
By 3.22.10
In the April issue of Consumer Reports, they announce their top picks for vehicles in 10 separate categories, from Family Sedan to Green Car to Pickup Truck to Best Car Overall. This year, that title belongs to the Lexus LS 460L. [More]
Every Time VW Fixes My Car, They Break Something Else
By 1.27.10
Amy’s ’06 VW Passat has been in the shop 106 of the past 141 days. After the engine broke down on a road trip and needed replacing, VW replaced it, but broke the transmission. When they replaced the transmission, they broke an axle. When they fixed the axle, the car started leaking oil worse than the Valdez. All Amy and her family want to be able to do is drive their car around like normal. So far, that’s not happening, and VW’s only offer of contrition has been to waive one car payment and $250 in services. So Amy launched her EECB, complete with a graph of how long VW has held her car hostage: [More]
Some Ford Cars Are Reliable, Actually Worth Buying
By 10.27.09
Several Ford cars are among the world’s most reliable vehicles, according to the latest annual car reliability survey from Consumer Reports.
Everybody Gets A Mediocre Minivan! Everybody Gets A Mediocre Minivan!
By 7.15.09
What’s Oprah’s latest giveaway? Not, thankfully, chicken. She’ll be giving away two Routans. Hey, cool! But does the Oprah endorsement mean that the Routan is any good? Well, according to Consumer Reports Cars…not really.
Consumer Reports' Top 5 All-Around Car Brands
By 2.26.09
Wondering which car brands are the all-around best? According to the Automaker Report Cards published in Consumer Reports’, Annual Auto Issue, 4 of the top 5 brands are Japanese, with no US car makers making the list — even though there was a 4-way tie for 5th place. Ouch.
Volkswagen Recalls 340k Cars That Fail To Meet US Safety Standards
By 9.28.07
Volkwagen is recalling 340k cars because they “may be missing required caps in the sockets of the low beam horizontal and vertical aiming screws.” We’re not sure why that is important, but we’re sure that they wouldn’t bother recalling the cars if it wasn’t.
