1999 Volkswagen Beetle GLS review from North America
"Good safe solid car, not perfect, but what do you expect for the $?"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Catalytic convertor (covered under warranty).
MAF Sensor.
Excessive seat wear.
Paint peeling off interior door handles.
Fuel door not working - needs a new cable.
Brake light bulb housings failed.
General comments?
My car has had some minor issues so far, but at 76K miles I can't complain too much, knock on wood!
One major issue that VW stood behind - a bad catalytic convertor, thanks to the great warranty.
Bad service is no joke, I have visited a few dealers - some I will never return or buy a vehicle from.
Some dealers have untrained techs who screwed up my car in some way or another, that is breaking plastic parts or gouging things with a screwdriver that come apart just by twisting off.
The name "2.SLOW" is no joke, though a reliable engine, the 2.0 is by no means a powerful engine and the car is grossely underpowered. The 1.8T would be a better choice.
Quality is not bad, but not great, the choice of materials is much better than you would see in some other american or japanese imports at the same price level. This has been improved upon with the latest incarnation.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.SLOW Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 76000 miles |
| Previous car | GM S10 |
| Date of Entry | 22nd July, 2006 |