Faults:

Absolutely nothing. Car has been perfect!

General Comments:

The VW New Beetle TDI is a blast to drive. The fact that it get nearly 50 mpg is just a bonus.

Most people think smelly and nasty when they hear diesel, but there is hardly any smell and the turbo has plenty of torque and power.

The front seats are roomy, but the rear is tight. Luggage space is so-so, but it can handle 3 good-sized suitcases.

The GLS is loaded. Monsoon Sound, power everything, moonroof and alloy wheels.

For a small car, the TDI Beetle is a bit pricey, but has good resale value.

Be certain to properly maintain the car as it uses synthetic oil and MUST have a timing belt change at 60,000 miles.

Faults:

The Volkswagen New Beetle was awful. I dreamed of that car from the time I was a child, and I finally was able to purchase it.

After about 3 weeks, the transmission blew out.

It was in the shop for a week and then a week after I got it back, the radiator went.

The next thing to go was the drivers side headlight.

Then the passengers side went a month or so later. The next problem was the oil. They never did figure out why, but it lost oil all the time. I was driving on the highway and the oil light came on, so we pulled off the next exit and went to a store right off of the exit - checked the oil - NONE showed up on the dipstick. We purchased 4 quarts of oil, waited until the car had cooled and the oil had settled, put 3 quarts in, and drove it to the dealership.

They looked at it, couldn't find out what was wrong and said that it must have just had a problem at the last oil change.

A month later, same thing. More oil had to be put into it and this continued for the next few months until my drivers side headlight went out AGAIN.

This time they made me PAY for the headlight even though it was only 5 months old. At that point I got rid of the stupid thing. I wrote a letter to Volkswagen, but to no avail.

General Comments:

A horrid car disguised in a very cute body. I loved the look of it, and it handled really well - when it was working...

Faults:

The clutch and the flywheel went at 26,000 miles-just 2,000 miles after the 24,000 warranty ran out. The Volkswagen dealer service center manager told me that it was because of the way I drove the car. He gave me an estimate of $1450 for the repair of this, along with the repair of the brakes, which he said needed to be replaced and that would also include a rotor-which I didn't think would be needed for a car with only 26,000 miles. I'm a 50-year old woman and do not drive recklessly, in fact, am told I drive like an old lady. When I brought the Beetle to be repaired at a shop (not a Volkswagen dealer-but a highly recommended professional repair center), the manager there told me that the part was defective-it certainly was NOT due to the way I drove the car. Volkswagen told me that there was nothing that they could do for me, since the car was off warranty. I had read articles citing the problem Volkswagen was having with the clutch and flywheel of these Turbo Beetles, sometimes going at 18,000 and 20,000 miles. I was dissatisified with Volkswagen just brushing off my complaint with nary a return letter (since I had sent in a letter to the customer service dept., describing in detail my car's problems).

General Comments:

Although I do enjoy the pick up and speed of the Beetle, the repairs and parts are very expensive. I will not purchase another Volkswagen, due in large part to the unreliability of major systems failing and having to be replaced at such a high cost, when the car is still relatively new.