2001 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo review from Australia and New Zealand

Right rear bearing - tow required at three months

Window regulators (x2) - six months

Sunroof made a sharp cracking sound - no repair despite dealer visit

CD head unit (x1, but 12 (!) dealer visits to "fix")

Diverter valve (x1, but three visits to fix)

Coil packs (x1, more to fail) - tow required at 53,000

Driver's seat showed excessive wear on the piping despite careful ingress and egress. My wear and tear.

I know that every manufacturer has its lemons and I had one. However, VW Australia's dealer service was customer hostile mostly due to VW Australia's service policy of "we will only replace an item after we have seen it broken, and only after calling you an idiot or blaming you first, and you must come back at least twice", taking many more visits (21 in total, only three of which were for regular servicing) than absolutely required to fix.

The bearing rusted out after three months, despite it being a "lifetime" part. The original dealer tasked to find the problem failed to find it. The third party service centre I took it to found it immediately and refused to let me drive it any more as it could have caused an accident due to four way play - the bearing was nearly dead. Two and a half weeks off the road, and no loaner car, and no repayment of car hire fees. No satisfaction from calling VW Australia to complain - they listened and did nothing.

Towards the end, I was getting more comfortable with the reliability until the coil pack packed it in. This is a world-wide replacement under 7 year warranty extension... except in Australia. So after my warranty was up, I would have to shell out $480 per coil pack, even though it is a known fault with these coil packs. The car cannot be driven safely with only three cylinders as it safes itself, and so requires a tow. I got rid of the car within two weeks of that being fixed.

I knew by first name my local dealer's service staff and made casual acquaintances with three other dealers. I nearly lost my job due to so many dealer visits.

Unacceptable. I am NEVER buying a Volkswagen ever again. I have had five until that point, and run Australia's largest Volkswagen forum.

You have been warned!