“Are Volkswagens expensive to maintain?” is one of the most common questions people ask about Volkswagens, as any car dealer will tell you.
That does not surprise us one bit, as the consensus is that Volkswagens are premium vehicles and, hence, require premium maintenance. However, that’s not exactly accurate as you will find out below, so let’s get into it!
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Are the Maintenance Costs of a Volkswagen High?
The maintenance costs of a Volkswagen are not high, with high in this context being relative to the industry average. It will cost around 675 dollars a year to maintain a Volkswagen, compared to about 1,000 dollars for an average car. Therefore, Volkswagens are not expensive to maintain.
A study was also conducted in this regard, and the results were eye-opening. Among the thirty different car brands, including Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Ford Mustang considered, Volkswagen was ranked 22 in terms of maintenance costs over a ten-year period. That’s saying a lot, as it will be difficult to name 21 car bands better than Volkswagen.
However, while Volkswagen cannot be considered expensive in terms of the average maintenance costs in the United States, it is slightly higher than the median maintenance costs. In other words, there are still a lot of cars with lesser maintenance costs than Volkswagens. Again, though, the difference is slight and insufficient to judge VW maintenance as expensive.
What Are the Maintenance Costs of Different Volkswagen Models?
The maintenance costs of different Volkswagen models range from 609 dollars for the Volkswagen Jetta to 880 dollars for the Volkswagen CC model. Interestingly, even the most expensive Volkswagen model is not overly expensive to maintain, coming in at under 75 dollars a month.
Below is a more detailed list of different Volkswagen models and their maintenance costs per year.
- VW CC – 880 dollars
- VW Tiguan – 730 dollars
- VW Passat – 639 dollars
- VW Golf – 630 dollars
- VW Beetle – 612 dollars
- VW Jetta – 609 dollars
Of these models, the Golf is the best-selling and is just below the average costs of maintaining a Volkswagen car. What’s more, VW CC, which is the most expensive on the list, is not the most expensive VW car.
What Are the Common Maintenance Item Costs of Volkswagens?
The common maintenance item costs of Volkswagens range from 58 dollars to 252 dollars. These maintenance items cut across standard maintenance activities of a car. While it costs more for these routine maintenance activities for a Volkswagen, you will not have to change it as frequently as other vehicles.
Below, we will examine some of these maintenance items and their average cost for a Volkswagen.
- VW oil change – 99 to 134 dollars
- VW rotation of tires – 40 to 74 dollars
- VW replacement of spark plugs – 164 to 230 dollars
- VW air filter – 63 to 115 dollars
In comparison, these are the industry averages for these maintenance items.
- Oil change – 35 to 75 dollars
- Rotation of tires – 20 to 80 dollars
- Replacement of spark plugs – 115 to 200 dollars
- Air filter – 63 to 85 dollars
What Factors Determine the Cost of Maintaining Volkswagens?
Factors that determine the cost of maintaining Volkswagens include the model of the car, the number of miles the car has driven, the location of repair, and the exact car service patronized. Each of these factors contributes in one way or another to normal Volkswagen maintenance costs.
Take note that we have excluded factors like accidents and bad driving conditions, as those do not fall under the tag of normal use. If the car is driven under normal conditions, what factors will determine its maintenance costs?
– Car Model
The model of the car is perhaps the most fixed of these factors. Some Volkswagen models cost more to maintain than others, and that’s not something the user can change. With the model, it is not always the case that the most expensive cars will cost the most to maintain.
Still, generally, the more expensive the car, the higher it will be to maintain. Also, luxury Volkswagens will be more expensive to maintain than regular cars.
– Mileage
The miles the car has driven will influence its maintenance costs. For instance, a car that has driven 20,000 miles without being checked up or serviced will cost more to maintain than one that has driven 10,000 miles.
Still on that, a car that has driven 20,000 miles without being serviced will also cost more to maintain than a car that has also driven 20,000 miles but has been serviced twice. Ultimately, it is advisable and smart to service Volkswagen cars every 10,000 miles.
– Location
The location where the car is to be maintained can affect the maintenance costs of the car. Car maintenance costs are cheaper in some states of the US than in others. For example, people living in a state like Iowa will have cheaper Volkswagen maintenance costs than in most of the other states in the US.
– Service Used
The auto dealer you go to for maintaining your vehicle also influences the maintenance costs. This applies in two different ways. For one, some dealers are of better quality than others and will charge more. While cost is not always a perfect representation of quality, it offers a fair picture.
The other way is in the insurance policies and other related services for the car. People have different insurance services and maintenance services for their vehicles, and this ultimately tells in the maintenance costs of the vehicle.
How Can You Reduce the Maintenance Costs of a Volkswagen?
You can reduce the maintenance costs of a Volkswagen by regularly checking it up with a professional. This is important as the mechanics and engineers can detect early if something needs to be repaired before it gets to the stage where only replacement is possible.
Do not confuse regular check-ups for servicing. You do not need to service your vehicle more than once a year, but you can check it up at a mechanic’s shop two to three times a year. Also, you should drive your Volkswagen carefully and under proper conditions. Bad use is one of the chief causes of people spending excessively on maintaining their vehicles.
Again, be mindful of where you go to get your car checked up, repaired, or serviced. It is best to use services with experience in fixing Volkswagens. These services are typically European services. Visiting the wrong service may lead to bad repairs, which can then significantly increase maintenance costs later.
Conclusion
Volkswagens are one of the most popular vehicles on the planet, and they have built up a solid reputation over the years. However, many wonder if their maintenance costs are expensive, and here are the points to note:
- Volkswagen vehicles are not expensive to maintain and actually have their average maintenance cost lower than other common brands in the United States.
- The average maintenance cost of a Volkswagen is 675 dollars a year, although it could be higher or lower depending on the model.
- The mileage on the car, the location of repairs, and the car service used also increase or decrease the maintenance costs of Volkswagens.
- To keep maintenance costs down in the long term, ensure you regularly check up and service your vehicle at experienced dealerships.
Ultimately, if you don’t want to spend a lot on maintenance, drive your car under proper conditions.
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