1998 Volkswagen Beetle review from North America
"Not one of my better automotive decisions"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Both of my headlights, taillights, and fog lights have burned out including the receptacles.
The check engine light seems to have a life of it's own and just stays on although it has now been attributed to one of the three oxygen sensors.
The brake switch has gone out twice in one year so I cannot take my car out of park.
The air conditioning lost all of it's charge in one day.
The radio and CD changer lost all power.
The instrument cluster is fried. Part of the purple light has gone out and it doesn't register fuel, tachometer, odometer, or speedometer.
General comments?
I chose this vehicle because of Volkswagen's reputation for safety, reliability, and "German engineering". It's still a very safe car, but between the service department at Volkswagen, the fact that my warranty makes me cover everything out of pocket before they decide what they will pay for, and the sheer number of problems that have gone wrong with my car, I have to think that maybe Volkswagen isn't the car company that they used to be.
Recommended reviews
| 1998 - Beetle Tdi 1.7 turbo diesel Very disappointing in every respect |
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| A fun, cheap, reliable car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 19000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 34000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Celica |
| Date of Entry | 18th July, 2004 |