2001 Volkswagen Beetle TDI review from North America
"Comfortable, great fuel economy, fun to drive"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Control panel (dash) broke down at 200 000 miles
One motor mount needed to be replaced
Driver mirror cracked (extreme cold weather)
One muffler pipe section was replaced
Hood latch fell apart
Oil pan fillets stripped - had to replace the oil pan
Replaced engine starter motor.
General comments?
This may seem to a lot of repairs, but I have run the car for over 200 000 miles, and I had VERY LITTLE issues with this car. In Canada, repair shops that service Volkswagen are common, and they do a great job at a low cost. For example, I got a used dash for $100, so I never got into repairs that cost more than $400.
Biggest maintenance issue is timing belt replacement every 60 000 miles: about $500 each time
After running the car 200 000 miles: no engine problems, no transmission problems, no turbo problems. I guess you can say this is a good car.
Fuel efficiency is incredible: over 50 mpg in warm weather (May through September). And this is a good size car - not an Toyota Echo or such.
Driving this car is really fun!
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| Dog Doo |
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| Good car, but if you're looking for low maintenance, you're better off with a Honda |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9L turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 120000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 300000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Golf |
| Date of Entry | 20th October, 2008 |