2001 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2.0L from North America

Faults:

The driver's side window only goes up on the second try.

Front bearings replaced upon purchase.

Radio restarted = code needed to be entered 3 times.

Coolant and oil leak fix.

Door handle peeling.

General Comments:

I live in Ontario, and this car was from Washington DC, then was moved to Montreal where I purchased it for $4,500 (private).

It had a few problems before I bought it, like bearings needed to be replaced, and oil filter, oil and seals changed, which ran me up at my local mechanic $900.

Then a month later it leaked twice; first was coolant, then oil, which was at 101,000 miles.

After the fixes, I drove to Vermont and New York during winter, and the car ran great; the heat is amazing, and the heated seats are great.

Of course spring rolled in quickly, and with the top down, just made me even happier. No problems for a couple of months now :). All that's left to do is fix my radio; FM and AM do not work, but I use XM radio instead.

NOTE: Cabrio interior parts are really hard to find.

In the end, if you get this car at a low price; $5,000 and under, it's great. A Ford dealership offered me $8,000 for the car. Of course I'll wait until the summer is over, and it depends if the car wants to give me any more problems.

Bottom line: Love the car and great price. Looks expensive and cool, but real cheap.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th April, 2010

2001 Volkswagen Cabrio 2.0L from North America

Summary:

Economical and cheap

Faults:

The muffler broke, the windows have problems opening and closing, the check engine light appears out of the blue, and a crack appeared in the catalytic converter.

General Comments:

My girlfriend purchased this car used, two years ago, and nothing significantly has gone wrong with it... besides the muffler falling off, but we got a friend to weld it back in place.

The engine and transmission run flawlessly, and the clutch is in good working order.

The Cabrio is very economical and is a good first car. I hope that this car lasts us for another 10 years.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th December, 2009

10th Jun 2011, 22:28

In addition to my other post, I had to drive the car through a long and deep puddle, and water got on critical ignition parts. My fiance and I spent a few hours, bought a new ignition coil and finally got it to start. It misfired and stumbled when idling, but keeping my foot on the gas (for about 20 minutes) all of the water evaporated and the car was fixed. :)

Also for high mileage VWs, I recommend replacing the ignition coil; it turns out that that was the source of the "check engine" light problem, and the car drives much better with the new one. Just this week I changed the spark plugs, and it is running quite well.

P.S. if your cabrio windows leak a little when it rains, I suggest shutting your door, then rolling down the window, and then rolling it up all the way, so that it seals better. Just pray that your window still wants to go back up. ;)

2001 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2.0 from North America

Summary:

I am in love with this car

Faults:

Left hand window motor went out, fixed in my backyard for about 150 bucks.

The seat adjuster knob broke off on the drivers seat, but I glued it back on and it works fine :).

Had to have the radio reprogrammed at the dealer a few times due to a faulty relay that was frying the alternator. NO issues after it was fixed.

General Comments:

No major issues with this car. Only regular maintenance and a few electrical quirks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th June, 2008

2001 Volkswagen Cabrio GLX 2.0L 4 cylinder. from North America

Summary:

A head-turning, yet sometimes troublesome, example of German engineering

Faults:

Faulty distributor cap, if you go through a puddle the wrong way, water gets in the engine and stalls the car.

Driver & passenger side window motors have gone bad since I have purchased the car.

General Comments:

I personally really love my 2001 GLX. It is expensive to own in the sense if it breaks down, but I have had pretty decent luck with mine. The Cabrio is one of the quietest and most comfortable convertible I have ever ridden in. The features are very nice and it is comfortably seat a family of four with plenty of room to spare. The size makes it perfect for city driving, and you can expect around 24-27 city, and 28-32 highway, depending how you drive. The trunk is bigger than it seems, and can store a lot of gear. The stereo system in it is very loud and crisp, and the styling on it is very nice. I was in a car accident in my old 1998 Cabrio, and I can say it is a very safe car for the size of it.

The car itself is pretty slow. It should get better gas mileage for how small it is, but you still won't be let down.

With Volkswagen, it's either a hit or miss. You either get a great one with minor problems, or a headache waiting to happen. I have been really happy with both Cabrios I have owned, and yes, I will be getting a third!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd June, 2007

28th Apr 2008, 20:27

I would be very appreciative if a perchase price was posted for these comments. If there are purchase prices posted for them that I have over looked, then I apologize for the inconvenience.