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The Myth of Expensive Volkswagen Repair

Volkswagens are a beloved car around the entire world. They have a distinct character, good gas mileage, and superior engineering. Be that as it may, what gives many would-be buyers, or even already-owners, pause about their Volkswagen is the concern of expensive Volkswagen repair. Even those of us who don’t own one have most likely heard about the costs of repairing foreign cars, the reason being that all the parts must be imported and therefore cost so much more. The truth is, however, that many of the stories we hear about inflated Volkswagen repair are, well, inflated.

In the past, stories about expensive foreign car repair held a little bit more weight. There was a time – long, long ago – when foreign cars were produced outside the U.S., and domestic cars inside. But this is simply no longer the case. For a car to be a foreign make, 75% of its parts are manufactured outside the U.S. That means that 25% may be manufactured within our own country, eliminating any need for importing the parts and paying for extra shipping and taxes. The likelihood that the part you need to repair your Volkswagen is manufactured right here at home has increased greatly over the years.

While Volkswagen repair, especially if major, may indeed cost you a little bit more than repairing another traditionally “domestic” makes, the difference isn’t so large. Sometimes, the difference is even non-existent. For example, Frugalmechanic.com looked at the average prices for the most common parts replaced in dozens of car makes. The average price for a new air filter in a Volkswagen was $41.17, and a brake disc $56.68. Compare that to a good-old home-grown GMC: air filter $40.75, and brake disc $86.18! Combine these costs with the general better fuel-economy and more reliable engineering of a Volkswagen, and suddenly the prospect of Volkswagen repair or maintenance no longer looks dismal.