The Car itself is a thrill to own, but the Beetle is made poorly. After owning 5 vehicles, this one for my wife, this one is poorly made. At 36000 miles the A/C control went out on the vehicle, est. $560 to replace, did it myself for $90. The cloth on the roof is falling down at 41000, apparently it was not wrapped around and will have to be replaced in entirely. And since we have had it, it is very easily scratched on the dash and front interior panels... Apparently they used a cheap plastic instead of a hard plastic and the whole panel has to be replaced, and I'm talking about a finger nail scratching the dash accidentally is permanent.
Great little car to own in design, Definitely give it a plus for accidents, have been rear ended twice by lunatic drivers at 15 mph and the bumper still looks like new. Though you need to watch the front when you park, the fog light / front bumper breaks easily. Only unless you are thrilled about the design, go for something that lasts.
I agree, great design, fun to drive, but very poor quality. I have the same issue with the dash, just touching it will leave a scratch. Also, the door handles are peeling, and the headliner came down at 43000miles.
I heard there was a recall with the headlights from another driver, I have to look into this further.
I also had the problem with the fuel latch sticking. The dealer tried to take me for a ride to fix this one. It is easy to just reach into the side panel (in the trunk) and push/adjust/fix it yourself.
Find a good mechanic to do the stuff you can't, and stay away from the dealers, I've been to several. They have not been honest overall, they overcharge and look to pad the bills.
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