1999 Volkswagen Beetle GLS review from North America
"Beautiful to look, a nightmare on reliability!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
EXTREMELY shoddy electrical system!!
I have had to replace the mass air flow sensor many times.
The Check Your Engine light comes on frequently, but when taken in for service there is no glaring problem.
Have had to replace both?security system door panels? (not sure what the official name is) because they were draining the battery... that was almost $1000 in repairs.
Cheap interior detailing... paint peels away at door handles badly, window buttons have had to be replaced, and the cloth interior is very difficult to clean.
General comments?
The sad thing is that after all of this, I still love this car. It's so stylish and when it runs, it's a dream. The problem is that it's so unreliable that I can't keep it running for any decent amount of time. If it's not one sensor, it's another.
If you want a pretty car that looks good in your driveway, then the New Beetle is great, but if you want a pretty car that's reliable to drive, avoid this car AT ALL COSTS!!!
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| A wondrous car, fun, full of pep, and a joy to drive |
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| A very safe, modern and cute alternative to eco-cars |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 24000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 52000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 2nd February, 2005 |