Volkswagen UK Reviews 

Bought an ID4 6 months ago. A faulty actuator meant that I could not access the charging port and a recent fault means that the central locking is unavailable and will sporadically unlock when driving. This fault has led to a recall. X2 manufacturing faults in 6 months. Poor quality and unsafe product - do not purchase as a family car.

On Monday 12th January 2026, Bought a VW Tiguan Elegance from Lookers, Battersea. All seemed OK. Even if there were issues, dealer said that VW Warranty would fix them. On Tuesday, the gearbox went in to emergency mode, (going in to 2nd gear at 60mph) and the starter refused to work half the time. Tried it again on 13th. Same issues. Called for VW Warranty breakdown help. VW Warranty help could not come until Thursday 15th. Turned up nice and early. Told us that the gearbox system was broken. Plus, car needed a new starter. They took the car to VW High Wycombe. VW High Wycombe did a video and written report. VW Warranty rang. They would not pay for the gearbox issues as the dealer had known about them from November.
VW Battersea rang and said they would not pay for repair, as it would cost them too much. Many phone calls. Lookers refused to pay for the necessary work. We do not trust them to touch the car, as they had known of the problem for MONTHS, but sold us the car as being in Very good condition.
We have written to REJECT the car.
I suspect both the police and Trading Standards will be very interested in this.

Brand new VW, broke down on day 7, 3.5 hrs for VW Assist (the AA) to attend. They got it going and offered to follow me to my nearest dealer for a required repair but I opted to just take it in myself the next day and release the AA - big mistake

My nearest dealer - which wasn’t the one I bought from because they didn’t have the franchise for the vehicle I purchased - did not want to know and offered me an appointment in 2 months

I called VW UK who suggested I just go to a public charger, plug the car in to replicate the fault and then get recovered to the dealer who would then be more likely to assist - this is madness!

In the end I had to take to the dealer I bought from who were miles away just to get a fault that existed from day repaired.

Having had BMWs for over 20 years where they protect the brand, VW are just shambolic. Dealer only care about their own group not the brand

Appalling customer services from Johnsons VW Liverpool, booked my VW id4 in for an urgent .Gov notification recall.They charged me £180 told me the SOS was faulty( I already.knew this as there was a dashboard icon and in car message).They told me they couldn't.do the urgent.recall until the SOS was fixed and the cost would be £2400 (as my car was just out of warranty).I complained to VW UK, they emailed Johnsons asking them to carry out the recall according to .Gov spec.Johnsons didnt even bother to respond to VW UK.THEN. I recieved another email telling me my car wasn't registered in my name( V5 document sent.straight back to them).Now ive been.driving round in a dangerous car ,and no one at VW taking responsibility.I will now be starting a civil case in the small claim court against VW.
Gave 1 star as you cant give them 0

Went to Group 1 Manchester branch on 9th January 2026..

I called weeks before my appointment to let them know my hybrid car wasn’t charging. They booked me in — fine.

Dropped the car off at 9am. At 2pm they ring me to say the car is charging and everything is “fine”. Turns out they were too useless to check both the fast charger and the normal charger. I had to be the one to prompt them to do their job properly…. (This is just the start)

An hour later customer service calls back to say their fast charger doesn’t work at that site, and I’ll need to rebook or take it to another branch.

1. Why couldn’t they show some urgency and take the car somewhere else themselves to get the fast charger checked?
2. If they had anything about themselves, then you’d prepare everything in advance and ensure that all the charging stations would be working prior the customer arriving?
3. If they did No.2 then you could have sent me to a different branch instead of wasting my time.

No accountability from anyone on the phone. No urgency to actually solve the problem. They even claimed they’d “done their job properly”.

I know all the old managers have left this branch recently so clearly whoever has been hired has zero experience in customer service and nothing about them. Literally, the worst customer service I’ve ever received.

In April 2023, I purchased a “VW Approved Used” vehicle from Vertu Volkswagen Leeds for £12,372, advertised with a 2-year warranty.
To this day, I have never received the promised Approved Used multipoint check report (VW’s official website states this should be provided on collection). This raises serious doubts about whether the car actually met Approved Used standards.
Within months of purchase, multiple serious faults emerged:
• Air conditioning failed completely (first noticed in June 2023, repeatedly failed despite re-gas)
• Both low-beam headlights stopped working (discovered August 2023, failed MOT in 2024)
• Multiple failures to start properly
All issues occurred within 6 months of purchase, so under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, they should be treated as present at the time of sale.
The complaint process was lengthy and frustrating. The Motor Ombudsman upheld my complaint regarding the missing pre-sale check report, confirming it breached the Vehicle Sales Code.
Overall experience has been extremely disappointing – I feel misled and have lost trust in both Vertu and the Volkswagen brand.

I had no issues with my vehicle until the engine warning light came on. Citygate Ruislip carried out a diagnostic check and confirmed that urgent repairs are needed. The faults identified—the EGR cooler and tailgate wiring loom—are well-known issues on VW vehicles, so I believe Volkswagen should offer a goodwill contribution.
Citygate advised me to contact VW Customer Service, but despite already paying for diagnostics, I was told I must pay for further checks. This was never mentioned by Citygate, and if the repairs are “urgent,” they must have already assessed the faults.
This has left me feeling that VW is adding unnecessary charges. After raising this with Customer Service, I have been ignored for days, and although my case is now “escalated,” no resolution has been provided.
Meanwhile, I’m worried about driving the car and have had to hire a vehicle at my own expense, adding financial stress and impacting my wellbeing. I feel I’m being passed around with no real support.
This situation is unacceptable.

Earlier this year, I purchase a Tiguan that turned out to be sub standard. The retailer, the repair garage and VW UK, will not take responsibility for this. VW customer services is SO poor that they contradict themselves. NEVER again

Purchased a VW ID3 a year ago from Parkway VW and on delivery had so many issues. I had to return the car so it can go back to get repaired as it clearly wasn't checked pre delivery!

Then a year later, after it's first service and health check, the 12v battery failed and I was told it'd cost me £500 to repair!

So basically the larger batter drains the smaller battery which is a clear defect but VW won't put it under warranty as the car was a 21 plate (over 3 years) and a used car I purchased last year. In good faith, i expect a used car to be reliable especially a battery as ive never had issues so soon after buying with a petrol or diesel car. Service dealer, supplying dealer or customer service did not want to take any responsibilities and left me with a huge bill.

They first told me they will support with a £100, then escalated to say I'd likely get more so when it was escalated, they came back to say I'm now getting nothing!!@

Will I buy another car from VW? NO.

BTW Did I mention that the brakes are horrendous.

Honestly, it's dealers like this (cowboys) that end up going bust and this is exactly the reason why. Awful customer experience and service.

My Vw T roc was due an mot at Citygate High Wycombe straight away your greeted at reception Naseem Maneger relaxes you with refreshments on.offer couldn't meet a nicer guy.

Volkswagen has exposed itself as an exploitative company with shameful customer care. I bought a Golf R32, only to discover that VW has not only stopped producing the car but also stopped producing essential parts. When I asked what this means for me, I received a dismissive email closing the case with no help, no responsibility, and no interest.

This is not just poor service - it is exploitative. They take customers’ money and then abandon them the moment ongoing support is inconvenient. A global brand of this scale leaving loyal owners stranded without solutions is shameful.

Buying from VW means you risk being discarded as soon as they decide you are no longer profitable. There is no loyalty, no support, and no care.

I will never buy from Volkswagen again and will tell anyone who asks to keep well away. They have permanently lost my trust.

Leased an ID BUZZ in June, weather was incredibly good, so tried the air con, no air con. Phoned the local dealers cardiff sinclair, 4 weeks to get it looked at.
Reluctantly agreed to wait.
After having my vehicle for a day they decided they didn't have the machine to fix it and suggested their sister company sinclair swansea, they couldn't just send me to swansea, I had to book in again
First available date, end September, 8 weeks away.
Good news, I didn't have to wait 8 weeks as swanseas machine broke down and they can't get it fixed.
I've tried contacting VW, several times, its not their problem apparently, I fact they honestly were not interested.
Since then a handle has fallen off, a battery cover is missing and the HUD has stopped working.
Lex auto who. I lease through are also not interested, so its solicitors now.

Brand new Golf from day 1 Wi-Fi has dropped out at random, dealers say u/d required but that never comes! VW been "checking" for 4 months, still no nearer! Always placing the onus on the customer! CARIAD, who produce VW s/w, are completely incompetent! Volkswagen don't know the meaning of customer service! First & last VW!

My VW Polo is under 2 years old (bought new) still within warranty and is constantly off the road due to electrical/engine problems causing the engine to shut down randomly. The VW garage where my car was purchased checked my car over the first time this happened (May 7th 2025) then told me the car was safe and ok to drive. They said it happens sometimes and was ‘just one of those things’. My car broke down again with the same fault 3 days later on a busy main road.
I paid to have a diagnostic test carried out on my car independently with an auto electrical specialist which shows several faults including the main processor which will cost over £1000 to rectify.
The Motor ombudsman has accepted that I have a justified complaint against Volkswagen and my case is ongoing. I am prepared to take this matter to the county court if necessary. No point in taking my car back to VW anymore - they are either clueless or under instruction not to carry out any work on cars under warranty. I wouldn’t trust them. The VW customer service (7th May)just reiterated the assurance that the car was safe to drive and have done nothing constructive to assist up to this date 28th August 2025.

Not good Bedford VW Vindis they charge for loan cars £35 a day and VW in MK doesn’t charge you for loan cars Marshall in MK so please take your car there

Terrible customer service.
Been left without my car for two weeks now and still ongoing. Minimum updates when chased, no support offered at all. So unprofessional, absolutely shocking service.
Raised my concerns with customer services, had to chase updates when deadlines haven’t been met. The team at VW Solihull couldn’t even find the time to attend the meeting with the customer service team to discuss my concerns.
Oliver Blume sort it out.

Re VW MARSHALLS BARNSTAPLE

Shocking, liars who have no accountability for their failures.
Have outright LIED by saying I refused to return a loan vehicle and demanded it be collected. (A moronic statement when you realise that I would need to drive the loan vehicle back in order to collect my car!) This accusation is an entire FABRICATION. This is in response to an official complaint I made due to the shocking service as a way to exonerate themselves of any responsibility. Make sure you always get a photo to show you have returned any loan vehicle in case they try to use this on you. I have had nothing but issues here.

Bought a new 2025 from you and it’s causing us whiplash and back problems I have tried to reject the car but get nothing but excuses so your breaking the consumer rights act 2015 trading standards and the financial ombudsman have been informed

ABSOLUTELY APPALLING VW ID.3 ELECTRIC CAR BATTERY RECALL EXPERIENCE – AVOID VW (and these retailers!) AT ALL COSTS!
My experience with Volkswagen regarding their electric car battery recall for my ID.3 has been an unmitigated disaster, leaving me utterly furious and £3650 out of pocket for their failure. This is not just a negative review; it's a stark warning to anyone considering a VW, especially an electric one: run in the opposite direction!

The nightmare began with the battery recall. Getting a booking was a Herculean task, with wait times that were frankly ridiculous. And to add insult to injury, the VW Wimbledon service battery center was utterly unhelpful, contributing nothing to resolve the issue. My attempts to get assistance from Lookers Volkswagen Battersea, 100 York Road, Battersea, London, SW11 3RD, Drift Bridge Volkswagen, Ruden Way, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 3LA, and even trying to book with Volkswagen Walton, Esher Road, Hersham, Surrey, KT12 4JY, were met with similar stonewalling and a complete lack of urgency. The collective incompetence from these Volkswagen Retailers is astounding.

The real outrage came when I was informed my warranty wouldn't cover the fix for a problem they should have sorted in the first place. VW demanded £3650 from me for an issue they failed to address in a timely manner. This is absolutely scandalous and nothing short of a scam.

Naturally, I escalated the case to their customer service complaint team, even providing them with case number 06165889 for their investigation. What I got was an even deeper descent into frustration, compounded by the involvement of A N, Customer Relations Manager. They made me wait a preposterous 15 days, only to offer a measly £500 as a "goodwill gesture." A goodwill gesture for their incompetence and my financial burden? It's insulting.

I can unequivocally state that I will never, ever recommend buying a car from Volkswagen, especially their electric vehicles like the ID.3. The service is horrendous, customer relations are abysmal, and their staff are shockingly rude towards the customer. I've already lodged a formal complaint with the Motor Ombudsman, and I felt it was my duty to leave this review so that other people don't fall victim to the same appalling experience. VW, you are scammers, and your treatment of loyal customers is disgraceful.

Leaving a 1 star review for both VW and VW group1 Manchester:

I am writing to formally raise serious concerns regarding the ongoing issues I’ve experienced with two consecutive VW vehicles, both of which suffer from malfunctioning emergency braking systems and persistent CarPlay/console connectivity problems.

VW has acknowledged these issues are known faults requiring a software update, yet no timeline for the fix has been provided. This lack of resolution has left me with not one, but two vehicles that do not function as advertised.

The first vehicle was rejected after repeated failed repair attempts and being provided with non-like-for-like courtesy cars. Despite giving ample opportunity to resolve the problem, no permanent fix was ever delivered.

Regrettably, the second vehicle is now showing exactly the same issues. It has already been in once for repairs, which failed to resolve the problems. I have submitted multiple videos clearly demonstrating the faults occurring repeatedly in a short timeframe.

Despite providing the dealership with a fair opportunity to rectify the issue, my formal rejection request (submitted via email) has been ignored. Instead, I received a call from the sales manager who accused me of being “biased” due to my previous experience—this is despite their own servicing manager confirming that these issues are indeed known and pending a software fix.

Meanwhile, VW Customer Service has offered little more than confirmation that the dealership is “unresponsive” and advised that I “just need to wait” for the update—again, without any indication of when this will happen.

To be clear:
• I am currently making payments on a vehicle with core functionality issues.
• VW acknowledges these are known software faults.
• The dealership has refused to formally respond to a valid rejection process.
• I have provided clear video evidence.
• I have followed the proper procedure, including giving them the opportunity to fix the car.

What more is required for this matter to be taken seriously? This level of service and accountability is unacceptable for a brand of VW’s standing.

I expect a formal written response and a clear path forward, including honoring the rejection request or providing a suitable resolution.