are there any problems with a beetle?

Question

year 1999
anyone have common issues with the car or know of recalls or are they all around sound good cars

Answer 1

I just bought a 2000 beetle. So far I love it. I'm defiantly no expert, but I can tell you what the research my boyfriend did turned up. There are some pro's and con's.

* Through internet research we discovered that it holds it's value extremely well. In fact, the Kelly Blue Book value was better than a Honda Civic. We were both very shocked by that.

* I'm told that it's extremely safe. Unfortunatly, it's late and I can't remember the details on it's safety ratings. A quick google could tell you though :)

* My mother was concerned that I was buying it because her friend has one and she says that it handles poorly in the snow.

* The car is fairly low to the ground, so if you take potholes hard this might not be the car for you.

* Mine isn't a turbo so it is missing some of the get-up-and-go from stops that my previous car had. It moves just fine once you get trucking though. I would definatly not call it a slow car.

* It's alot bigger than it looks! I was surprised by just how much room and trunk space I have.

* I love the huge back window. Backing up is a breeze.

* The clock is screwed up. I think it's stuck on stopwatch mode. Once I sit down and research how to fix it I'm sure it will clear up though.

* My boyfriend, who is quite car savvy couldn't figure out how to change the oil. He talked to some people online and is going to try again this weekend. He is told it is easy, but messy.

* I have a blindspot on my right side. Not a major one, but alittle annoying.

* Surprisingly big gas tank. My Nissian Sentra was a 12 gal and this has at least a 13 gal.

* It warms up nice and quick. We're having a cold spell where I live so this is an awesome feature.

* You get alot of cup holders but the front ones aren't tall enough to accomadate a medium sized soda with a straw stuck in it.

Despite any con's, overall I am very happy with my Beetle. I've wanted one since I first saw the classic models as a child so I couldn't be more thrilled to own one now. My boyfriend is excited to learn about a car that's he's never played with before.

I hope this helps! Good Luck with whatever car you go with!

Answer 2

i've had several problems with mine, but luckily my car has been under warranty the whole time. i have a 2003 vw beetle convertable 4 cylinder automatic. the first year i had it, i had parked my car and when i returned, the automatic stick was stuck. i couldn't get my car to move. so i called the vw car dealership that i bought it from, and the manager drove out to my location and tried to get it to move. no such luck. so he called a tow truck and had my car towed to the dealership. they had to replace the entire automatic section, which took forever because the these were special parts which had to be order directly from the company in germany. about 6 or so months later, my car battery died after trying to start it up in a parking spot (which i thought was odd for a new car). since then, i've also had problems with the wiring in my doors (i've had to have the insides of my doors replaced), the wiring in my back side windows (had to have those replaced too), and i've had several recalls on my car as well. it hasn't been a big deal money wise since it's been under warranty, but it's been a hassle having to go back and forth to the dealership. i'm also worried that if problems keep happening now, will they continue when my warranty runs out (which is in a few months)?

Answer 3

I heard the 1998-2001 models had alot of electrical problems. But I guess thats not always the case, I had a 2001 vw beetle and drove the hell out of it, I never had a single problem with it. It was a great, very reliable car.

Answer 4

Watch out for starter/wiring/battery problems. It seems to be a common problem across VWs in general--just search for "vw" and "starter" in the answers section.
I have a 2001 Beetle, and other than the starter problem, I haven't had one necessary repair or complaint.

Answer 5

Well it's always included in the list of used cars to avoid.

Answer 6

i don,t know try asking him