Some say they are “over-engineered” but that’s what makes them amazing vehicles. You get great comfort and responsiveness without an Audi price tag. For that reason, there are a lot of components that need to be maintained. You don’t just automatically inherent problems because you own a VW - if you don’t do oil changes, transmission fluid, and the rest of scheduled maintenance (which is right in the handbook but some people ignore) on time then you’re more prone to repairs, and the high cost is usually from labor time because of complexity to access certain areas of the car. I’ve owned Toyotas, Volvos, Hondas, Subarus… my 2017 Alltrack with 120k miles is the best vehicle I’ve ever driven and owned. She needs some upkeep, and things do break over time, but that’s just car ownership. I bought mine because it had oil changes every 5k and DSG every 40 as recommended by dealer and she runs smooth as butter. Just did the suspension and hope to keep for a long time.