2002 Volkswagen Beetle GLS review from North America
"Happy Beetle, but several little problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Odometer had to be replaced within first week.
Back cup-holder always falls off.
Strong Crayon smell that everyone notices.
General comments?
Does anyone else here live in a hot climate? I have a 2002 New Beetle and all my friends tease me about the crayon smell in my car. I thought it was karmic payback haunting me since I melted a box of crayons in my mom’s car when I was two years old, but I’m so glad, bittersweet as it is, to not be alone with this! I live in Phoenix, AZ and was thinking that maybe this smell is a product of being in such a hot area – leaving the car parked out in the sun where it’s 120 degrees might make various plastics or waxes or whatever start smelling weird… Maybe they don’t account for that when they design these in a place with cooler weather like Germany? I haven’t been able to get rid of the smell – everything I’ve tried (Febreeze, car fresheners, Bounce, etc.) is just the two smells mixed together, ugh. Even leaving the windows down all the time doesn’t fix it. I still love my car though!
Recommended reviews
| Great gas mileage and very fun to drive! |
|
| Good car, flawed quality build |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 10 miles |
| Most recent distance | 50000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota RAV4 |
| Date of Entry | 20th June, 2007 |