Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-57
I own a 2002 VW beetle GLX, standard transmission aftermarket stereo and amplifier, I have had no problems other than a dead battery and a slight over voltage in my turbocharger control unit.
Changing the battery is too expensive to have the dealer do it, so I have to find instructions to do it myself. As for the turbocharger, I'm already working on that, my dad is an electrician and he is helping me fix the problem.
VW makes a good car. All the problems everyone else seems to be having according to the users manual seems to be due to lack of knowledge. I sell cars for a living (not VW, Dodge and Chrysler) and because of that I know you have to READ the manual and follow it to a TEE. All your electrical problems can be fixed by reseting the computer every 30,000 miles like the maintenance log says to do.
sA for the lady with the check engine light, that is caused by a loose gas cap. As a reference for everybody, all cars made after 1999 cars were designed to meet new emission standards which require the check engine light to come on when the gas cap is loose.
I have a 2001 VW Beetle...Help! Those indicator lights are driving me nuts! I spent over $600 to replace the "air bag igniter wiring harness, only to have it go out again one year later. Now I just have to drive around with that silly light on! Now the coolant blue light flashes. It started doing this the day after I had the oil changed. Anyone have any suggestion, other than giving the VW folks $98.00 to read the code and THEN charge me a fortune to repair it? I really like driving this little car, but, NO MORE Beetles for me.
I have a 2002 Color Concept 1.8 Turbo and it's been a real pain. I love to drive it - I read it described somewhere as a rocket-powered go-cart, and that's about right. But honest to god, I have to take it in every other month. The MAF. The EPC light. Wheels out of alignment, had to have the entire steering assembly replaced and 4 new tires. The brake light switch. The head lights. It's coming on 60,000 miles and I know that the water pump and the timing belt are due to break if I don't replace them soon, as it generally happens before 70,000 miles, but I don't have $1500 right now so I'm driving on prayers. I'm not rich and this car eats too much money, even with the extended warranty. It's a hassle.
They are cute and fun to drive, and very high maintenance. If you have the time and money to indulge your love of cuteness, go for it. You have to really love the bug to put up with one. If you need reliable transportation and can't get to the garage every other month, get something else.
My 2 cents.
Wish I had seen this site before I bought the Beetle I have now! We all agree, they are fun to drive, but things keep breaking and falling off.
I have spent over $800 with two dealers to get the "Check Engine" light to go off... it is still on and the dealer wants more to "fix" it... even though the last $350 fix lasted 50 miles!
VW Corp said that was my problem because it is now out of warranty even though the problems with the light started when it was still under factory warranty.
Never again!
I bought a used 2002 1.8 turbo about 4 months ago with 32000 miles, and I've spent more money on this car already then I spent on my little mercury tracer in 11 years! I got the car in winter so I didn't realize the air conditioner was broken when I bought it. I took it to the mechanic (VW dealer is not getting my business-they said they checked out the car before they sold it to me-either they have really incompetent mechanics or they are big liar heads). The mechanic found that the alternator was bad and the battery was bad. $1200 bill. The little turbo tail that pops up stays up sometimes. The passenger side window got stuck down-had to yank on it to get it back up, so for now I'm just not using that window. The inside of the front window ices up in the winter, and takes about 20 minutes to defrost. It's only been four months. I'm very scared. But it is really cute.
2001 beetle is a money pit. Rear hatch indicator light on dash stays on. Hatch works fine, any suggestions?
My wife has a 2002 5 speed Turbo Diesel with 35,000 miles. after going through the comments my problems are minor. I did have the check engine light fo on and it cost me $350.00 too fix, It was some wiring. Other than that it has performed well.
My complaint is the changing os exterior lamps. I had a tail light replaced, the book says take it to your dealer, it cost 50.00 and they would not show me how they did it. Now I need to replace the front right turn signal lamp and the dealer is 40 miles away.
Typical German Engineering, it's real good or real bad.
This is my 6th VW, the first was a cloth sun roof, and than two convertibles, all bugs, a rabbit and a dasher. I am not sure I want to go that route again, I think I will try the Asain route.
What do you expect? It's manufactured in Mexico for one thing and one thing only... cheap labor!! You get what you pay for, and just because it's being built cheaper doesn't mean that VW is passing along the savings... VW is still asking for top dollars and pocketing the profit margin. Mexico has a long way to go to get to NAFTA standards... NAFTA because of their geography, and not much of anything else.
I have a 98' Beetle which my wife was anxious to buy to be the first one on the block to own one. Yeah it's cute, but in the 8 years I probably have spent enough repair money to buy a second beetle! Headlights, transmission, warning lights on the dash, exhaust system, hazard light modules, electric window modules, tires, battery, and today my repair shop drops me an estimate for: rt-ft axle assembly since the car vibrates during acceleration, ft upper struts worn due to clacking noise when I turn, drive belts cracking, but the kicker is the air bag light which will not go off - their solution replace the the air bag in the passenger seat for $840! Total Bill - $1744! I am going nuts! It still looks great, but who is going to buy it with 140k miles?? I can't afford a new car and I can't afford not to repair since we the need transportation! Good thing I have a Honda - best advice don't buy a VW!
I have a 2002 Beetle diesel. The only trouble I have had was the glow plug, which I've replaced twice. The second time the dealer told me of a $40 part that would resolve the problem. I have 131,000 miles on it and have always gotten 50 mpg on the highway with it. I absolutely love the car.
This is the third VW diesel that my immediate family has owned. We had a rabbit and then a golf. They both got 50 mpg as well, with no trouble or problems.
I have a 2002 VW Beetle that I HAVE to go to the dealer to get the oil changed. I took it to a 'speedy' place once and they stripped the oil pan screw so much that the oil leaked and I needed a new pan. (They paid for some of it not all.)
I took it in again for an oil change and this time they tried to drain the oil thru the transmission fluid plug. They just don't know how to work on Beetles!!
Yikes! I was thinking about getting a 01-03 beetle TDI. good thing I checked here first.
I narrowly avoided buying a VW Jetta when I was car shopping. Instead of buying a VW with 44k, I bought a honda with 104k and haven't heard a peep from it (knock on wood). There's no excuse for such a poorly designed car.
I'd have American, Korean, Japanese without problems, but after VW Beetle the only thing I have to say that is the worst car I have ever had.
I have a 2002 Beetle that I bought used in 2004. I'm sorry for all the problems you all are having we now have 57,000+ miles and the only thing I have had to do is change oil & tires. Good luck.