2003 Volkswagen Beetle GLS review from North America
"The car is fun, but it's a HUGE money pit"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car is fun to drive when it is operational.
Gets great gas mileage, but with the cost of having it repaired, I could be driving a truck and actually save money.
From the day I got the car, I had to take it to the dealership 6 times for a blown taillight (not the same one). Every three months I can pretty much count on either a tail light, blinker, head light, or brake light to go out. My reverse light went out and it cost me close to $300 to have them repaired. I live in a smaller town, so the only place that is willing to work on it is the Volkswagen dealership.
The sunroof constantly get clogged, and I was told by the dealership that there was no way to stop it, and no maintenance that could be done. The only way I would know to have them cleaned would be to start smelling the mildew from the sunroof leaking (which has happened twice in 6 months).
None of this really bothered me until the car went out of warranty, and I found out how much they were to fix. Oh, and I had to have it towed, just to get the battery replaced. The battery alone was $110! Twice the amount of any other battery!
I agree with one of the comments I saw where the person said that it wouldn't be quite as bad if the dealership would take care of the problem the first time! Every problem I have had with the car, I've had to take it back to be fixed at least twice before they got it right!
I will NEVER own a Volkswagen again! Even if they gave me one!
General comments?
The car is fun & fuel efficient when it actually works. But the cost to have it repaired is nowhere near worth the hassle.
Recommended reviews
| 2003 - Beetle GLS Convertible 2.0 liter GLS An extremely unreliable and inconvenient car that comes at a high price. |
|
| Great at first, sadly a money pit in the end |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 16000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 46500 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan 240SX |
| Date of Entry | 25th July, 2008 |