If you buy a VW, see if you can get a longer warranty.  Better yet, don't buy a VW.  It appears VW has so many defects showing up that they can't afford to make adjustments for parts that were defective when installed.  I've heard horror stories about the defects in VWs that have been manufactured in Mexico.  Since my Passat was supposed to be made in Germany, I thought I was safe.  Not so---better but not safe.  Below is my saga with a part that the service advisor told me was defective and on which VW has a crazy policy on what it would take to make it as good as new: Wait a couple of weeks to get the part from Germany and good luck on getting transportation.  In contrast, my wife has always had a loaner the rare times when her Sentra (long out of warranty) was being repaired.  I guess Nissan's a classlier company than Volkwagen.  VW's policy seems to be to treat you like a king under warranty and like a beggar afterwards.

• December 1999 I purchased a 2000 VW Passat from Herman Cook VW. It has some nice features. One of these is (now was) a single key for the door and ignition with some bells and whistles on it.
• 1/5/03 (Sunday) The key would not turn in the ignition lock. The car had less than 39,000 miles.  I'd had all my service done at Herman Cook and thought I had a good relationship with them.
• I went to the VW webpage and sent email to "Marketing/Public Relations/Sponsorship" complaining that that should not have happened.
• Monday I called Herman Cook and was told they could get to the car Wednesday.
• 1/7/03 (Tuesday) My car was towed to Herman Cook.
• 1/8/03 A Herman Cook service advisor called and told me I had a defective ignition switch.  Since the defective part managed to function beyond the 2 year warranty I, naturally was on my own.  There were two choices: (a) replace the iginition lock and key with one that would NOT be the same as the door key or (b) order a lock from Germany that would match the door key.  In case (a) the car would be done the next day and I would be paying $462.66 to replace a defective part.  In case (b) I was told that I would have to pay shipping charges for the part and it would take 10 to 12 working days to arrive. In the meantime, I would have to provide my own transportation.  When I expressed incredulity, I was told that that's the way VW did it even though it was not sensible.  (No suggestion that Herman Cook would dare complain to VW on a customer's behalf.)  It seemed that since the warranty was over and this wasn't standard service, the honeymoon with Herman Cook was over.  I chose option (a).
• 1/10/03 (Friday) I finally heard from VW by email and was told to call an 800 number.
• 1/14/03 (Tuesday)  I had cooled down enough to call VW. I wanted them to provide and pay for installation of a cylinder set for the same key as the door since I had paid for a replacement of the defective part already but could not get the correct keying without paying for a car rental for at least two weeks.  Information was taken, a reference number was given and I was told that I would hear back after they talked to Herman Cook.
• 1/23/03  I had heard nothing, so I called VW.  No action had been taken.  That day they called the dealer for information and the dealer called to inform me of that.
• 1/31/03  I had heard nothing, so I called VW and was told nothing would be done.