1. head gasket blew approx. 5 years ago.
2. clutch replaced once in the time I have had it.
I really cannot say enough good things about this car. I have had the car for over 7 years now and in that time it has never broken down on me (left me stranded).
I have paid no more than $500 per year for any repairs or maintenance I have needed for the car with the exception of
the items mentioned above. Other than that the car has only need regular tune-ups and new tires.
I have replaced the roof once and unfortunately the second roof is not as good a quality as the original so there are a few cracks starting here and there.
The car still runs very smoothly and the ride is comfortable especially for a car of this age.
The handling is very nice and the engine is very peppy!
Maybe it's my excellent mechanic, maybe it's fine German engineering, this is the best car I have ever had.
My 11 year-old Cabriolet still has the original top, so I imagine I will be replacing it in a year or two.
How soon after installation did the replacement top start
cracking? You should look into whether or not it had a warranty, as I would imagine it should have some kind of warranty. Even the lower-priced replacement tops in the
leading mail-order catalogs advertise a 5 year warranty.
I guess the lesson learned is to shop for a high-quality replacement top with a decent warranty when it is time to replace your top.
I own a '96 Cabrio with the original top. It has rarely been garaged, yet the top is still in excellent shape - no rips or cracks, just a few stains here and there. So it is 13 years old and still fine.
My only issues are a passenger power window that sometimes does not work (I've stopped using it), and cruise control that has stopped working. Otherwise, no problems! 116,000 miles as of November, 2009. I have used synthetic oil since the car was new, and the engine is in fine shape - no oil burning at all.
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