VW Beetle

We need a bit more info. :rolleyes:

What year?

New or used?

How many miles?

Manual or automatic?
 
i've heard lots of bad things about newer vw's, but my wife has an '03 jetta that has been great for the past 4 years we've had it. the brake light switch failed and i replaced it. the ignition switch went bad and had to be replaced this winter, it wouldn't start in the cold. those are the only two problems we've had. nothing major, just annoying. she loves it. i like driving it, but i wouldn't want to drive it every day. i think the jetta and bug are very similar, but i'm not sure.
 
Me and my family have had a few VWs.

my parents had a "new beetle'' TDI - which is the diesel version. Never had any problems and was actually VERY fun to drive, the thing handled like it was on rails and looked pretty neat inside. It also got about 50 MPG on the highway which is a huge plus these days. When I drove it it was about 4 years when diesel was ''cheap'' - I could put 5 bucks in gas(err - diesel) and drive around for the weekend. It was a great little car.

I own a 1997 GLX Jetta Vr6 = The Vr6 is surprisingly fast, it has a LOT of low end torque for a sedan and torque is way more fun that horsepower. I've had my share of problems with it but its been my first car so I abused and dogged the hell out of it so a lot way probably my own doing. The only thing thats really annoyed me is all the electrical problems it has had. Which is a common thing among newer VWs. They ALL have some sort of electrical problems, usually they have to do with the windows going up and down.

VW's are a love-hate car - They aren't the car for people who get frustrated easily about quarks or little nuances and problems, because they can be frustrating at times. But if you are into German styling and a car with a little soul - they are great rides. If I had to do it all over again or get a car for a teenage son. I'd get a VW with a TDI motor in it, they have less mechanical problems and get great mileage. Or just get a Honda....
 
tyr_shadowblade said:
The "New Beetle" is not a good car, according to Consumer Reports.

The original Beetle, Super Beetle, Thing, Ghia, and 914 were VERY good cars -- reliable and simple to work on yourself. They are so popular that parts are easy to find -- including newly manufactured parts.

And then there are the "Beetles" being manufactured in Mexico . . . those probably have lax quality control.
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I second everything you just said. We get a lot of cstomers with newer VW's that need work, and you should see the looks on their faces when they hear how much it will cost to fix.:eek:

A lot of them have a cheap plastic impeller on the water pump that tends to break, and it is ran by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt which makes the job a major PITA in my opinion.

Here's an '02 Passat, you have to remove the entire front clip just to access what you are working on:rolleyes:
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They sure run great and get good gas mileage, but they can very expensive to maintain.
 

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TexasNativeDRJH said:
True, but VW's are the only cars I have had to remove the entire front clip to work on. There's cramped, and then there's really cramped.
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No this is not true. The Passat yes, but that is only because it is based on the Audi A4 chassis and has a longitudinal engine. The Beetle, Jetta and Gold are all the same platform/chassis and have transverse mounted engines. When i do timing belts and thing of the like on these cars you don't have to take off the front clip. Even on the 1.8 turbo motor the only reason to take off the front bumper when doing major service (ie much needed water pump and timing replacement) is to allow removal of the intercooler. All and all the the front bumper is held in by 7 screws.

I own three VW's and my girlfriend has a beetle. It is the 2.0 model and I would not recomend buying one with the 2.0 unless it is newer than a 2002 and has the timing belt replaced and water pump. The 1.8t models are good cars and are relatively quick, but it helps of you have some desire/knowledge to be able to work on them.

If you want further info on Beetles try the beetle forum on VWVORTEX.Com or just ask me and i will point you in the right direction.
 
My wife purchsed a 2002 "New Beetle" from a large dealer and it had been a great car. No problems that were not covered by the dealer. Even after the warrenty had expired they still covered parts and labor on the few things that need repaired. I think a lot of it is which dealer you buy from...
 
2k3gti18t said:
No this is not true. The Passat yes, but that is only because it is based on the Audi A4 chassis and has a longitudinal engine.
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I wasn't referring to all volkswagens with that comment, I have done a timing belt job on a 1.8 Cabrio that wasn't that bad at all.

If I could afford the upkeep I'd love to own a diesel Jetta.
 
I had a '66 and a '71 bug, and they were the best cars I ever had till I bought a Toyota pick-up. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
What year were the super beetles produced? A friend had one and it mashed everywhere! The older ones I think are pretty sweet!
 
I bought my daugter a 2001 VW Beetle with a 2.0 engine......Its a money pit! Dont get one. Ive had it for 4 months now and I have already spent 1300.00 on it just to fix things that I had not seen when checking it out. Including a timing belt. The parts are terriably high IMO, But she loves it so....The car runs good, it just keeps having ghost that sneak out and bite u in the ass.
 
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