My primary transportation is a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta station wagon. Driving it is a drug. The performance is just amazing. Unfortunately, the quality is typical VW. Little stuff breaks all the time. I've had no major nightmares, and most of the problems have been covered by warranty. Nevertheless, there is indeed a trade-off between VW's performance and quality. (My experiences with the dealer's service department have echoed this, but that's another story.)

An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning tells the same story about the VW Passat wagon. Here's a company that makes cars that are simply amazing to drive and are priced affordably. But there's a catch. The company has a track record for being finicky about how they treat their customers.

Volkswagen has always had a reputation for occasional quality problems, but I don't think that's what hurts them the most. The only thing keeping me from considering another VW is the matter of whether or not I can trust VW to stand behind the product. Is the sublime performance worth the risk that I might get stuck paying for the product's shortcomings?

A remarkable product can be killed if a company gains a reputation for not standing behind it. People are willing to take some risk on quality if they know they are protected on the down side. Once doubt exists, the product's performance becomes nearly irrelevant. The review in the article would have been glowing, and I would have immediately put the Passat wagon on my short list of cars to consider next time. Unfortunately, all it did was confirm my doubts. Hopefully, VW will turn the corner. I hate the thought of giving up this wonderful driving experience.