2003 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo review from North America

The windows malfunctioned two weeks after I purchased the vehicle. Normally, the two front windows slide down a bit whenever their respective doors are opened and then they slide back up once the doors are closed. My windows stopped doing that. They would bump into the convertible top, ruining them even more. It has been taken into the dealership nearly 10 times for servicing of just the windows.

I also chose to purchase the optional $900 CD changer hidden in the armrest. They somehow wired it incorrectly and the parking break, when applied, kept on cutting off the wiring to the CD changer. Eventually, the wires completely gave and the CD changer was no longer operative.

The rear cup holder got jammed and was eventually rendered useless when the service department tried to fix it. They ordered parts for it, but never followed up so we had to get it fixed elsewhere.

After about 8000 miles, the vehicle has some sort of electrical malfunction. It would not start and the sensors in the vehicle were not making any sense. I had to switch out a few fuses before it finally started again. I was in the middle of a road trip.

My most recent fiasco involved the service department (a different one). They were performing a factory recall when they broke one of my windows. They assured me that it would be restored back to factory settings. I clearly stated that that would include having the VIN number clearly labeled on the window as it is on all the others. He tried to reassure me, but when I got my vehicle back, the VIN wasn't there. Clearly, my vehicle is no longer in its factory settings.

I have purchased 5 new vehicles in my lifetime and I have never regretted buying a car, old or new, more than this one. Part of the blame rests on the service departments. The rest of the blame is on the vehicle itself. I have unsuccessfully tried the services of 4 different service departments. All have left me utterly disappointed.

The car is a nice ride and my girlfriend loves driving it. It's also very appealing and appropriate for her. Unfortunately, these complaints I have shared in regards to this vehicle grossly outweigh the little bit of joy it has produced over the year. At this point, I would rather have an upset girlfriend for a whole year than this vehicle for a month.