Thinking of buying a VW Beetle - 2001 turbo - but mechanic friend cautioned me not to. Any advice?

Question

The mechanic likened the car to a "garden hose" and said when one thing breaks down - the rest follows. Also mentioned time consuming to replace parts - and needs to be through dealer mostly. I'm wondering if owners have had similar experience or - if they are satisfied, if they can recommend a good dealer/qualified mechanic in the area? Any feedback appreciated!

Answer 1

I'd listen to your friend. I've owned two V-dubs and they were fun little cars but they did have problems.

Answer 2

The 2001 VW Beetle 1.8 turbo is essentially two issues and I will address them separately.

1. Engine
The 1.8 turbo charged engine is a fairly reliable engine with only a couple of issues.

There was a recall on something with the spark plugs for that year which was rectified by VW. Depending on how the initial 10k miles were treated, the engine may last another 150k or so - they estimated to go about 250k miles.

Again depending on the mileage of the car, the timing belt may need to be changed which can be costly, but the car runs fine after the belt change is made.

Except for very specific engine parts, every part is available at the dealership on site. So changing out the usual parts isn't an issue.

See if you (or your friend) can check the underside to see how much damage the oil shield took. That's a good indicator of how well the car was treated. Don't expect perfection after 70k, but look for big big holes or major cracks.

2. Car
As for the Beetle configuration, I have to say it's a great coupe, but please don't expect to have more than 2 people in it for a long period of time. Unless you're 5 foot 1" or less, expect no one sitting behind the driver's seat. It actually does great for very tall 6'5" plus or huskier people because the apex of the bubble is right over the driver and front passenger's head giving a good sense of space.

Final thing, stupid to say, but there's essentially no cupholders in it. The two are pretty much useless as-is.

Overall, it's a decent car with few issues.

Answer 3

There are several things to take into consideration when buying a Beetle, or any model VW for that matter. First of all, you need to stay away from the turbocharged model. The engine is poorly designed. The crankcase is too small and the oil gets hot and cakes up causing crucial oil passages to be blocked. The other engines do well but you must be very religious about doing preventative maintenance. Timing belts only last between 75,000 and 90,000 miles. If you don't change it along with the water pump and pulleys it could cost you literally thousands. I own a Passat and love it but again you've got to keep up on the maintenance. its not a Toyota or a Honda

Answer 4

Don't. Your friend is right, and besides which they look like c**p. A lot of the parts are Volkswagen only so not only do they usually have to come from Germany (and therefore take a couple of days) they are expensive plus the end price will cover the carriage charge (hidden) too. As with all cars there are good and bad batches, and I'm sure you'll get people who have had nothing ever go wrong with theirs. I have a friend who had one from new. The thing hardly turned a wheel, except to the garage & back. eventually sold it with 1750 miles on the clock even before the warranty ran out! Another friend goes all over the country in hers without a problem. It's a lottery but we know the odds of winning one of those ;)

Answer 5

I'd like you to make an informed decision, not one based on hearsay. The one thing I would advise you to check before buying, is that the water pump/timing belt has been changed.
That's the most important/expensive maintenance ever on our cars. Other than that oil changes and other regular maintenance keeps it running smooth.
If you would like to find out how owners experience this car, come over to the forum. You'll see the issues as well as the enjoyment. 1.8 turbo is an engine with some punch on the bug, and I'd love to have one. I currently have a 2.0 gas NB that I LOVE.

Answer 6

I don't think the garden hose analogy is correct. Let me paste this reply I just gave to someone else about V.W.s but this is for any car.
Opinions vary so much about a cars reliability depending on an individuals experience with vehicle.. You can hear one person rant about how good a car is, another about how bad it is. Anything anyone tells you is suspect.
There are those who will blow up little repairs and apply it to vehicles overall performance.
Basically after working in this business for 30+ years I have come to the conclusion that most people are crazy when it comes to their cars.
Remember anything mechanical will break.
Tons of variables in cars performance,, starting with the most important and that is the maintenance of vehicles.
Some people don't do maintenance then are angry when car breaks, I love those kinds of people.
Here's an example, I have a Mercedes Benz customer who was just referred to me with locked up front differential, I found it had no grease in it, that is the oil that lubricates it. I fixed it and told him he needed front wheel bearings, well he drove it until one bearing seized. when we were talking about bearing he said. "this has been a good car except for the breakdowns" well they were not breakdowns and I had to inform him that it was operator error, stupidity or laziness..
My experience has shown me that most vehicles are good, yes, there are inherent problems with some vehicles.
Watch out for new models as they will have inherent problems by being a new design. But most vehicles do well if maintained well.. Most people drive the crap out of, and abuse their vehicles. Newer cars amaze me at their ability to withstand punishment and Owners assuming that vehicle should always perform no matter what. They really take a cars reliability for granted.
Always look for T.S.B.s (technical service bulletins) and recalls on vehicles in question. They are readily found on the internet .
Good Luck

Answer 7

I say buy what your heart desires. If you're gonna pay a car note on it every month, might as well be enjoyable. HOWEVER, volkswagens are not your typical hondas and toyotas, and cannot be abused like them. Whether if its a passat, jetta, beetle, or whatever, you must keep up with the maintenance because if you don't, the cost in the end will be detrimental. If u buy it, purchase a sevice plan with it or have some money saved just in case something goes down.

Answer 8

WHEN one thing breaks down. No different than any other car. It is the when.
And think of this, why is it so time consuming OR why is it so easy and fast to replace parts in others unless they make them to fail? Ask other VW drivers about who they go to. Domestic car mechanics don't like VW because it is all metric wrenches and they don't always got. He probably doesn't like Honda or Toyota either(because there is no work in them cause they don't break down much either)leaving him without work.

Answer 9

my mom owns a 2001 VW turbo bug. She loves it despite its problems. Still drives great and very fun to. But the engine light is almost always on whether there is something to be fixed or not. Something covered under warranty always needs to be fixed. Sorry I couldn't be more specific since it wasnt really my car. But I really wouldnt recommend it since it always had something to be fixed every year.
But if you want to see some customer reviews check out this site:
http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/newbeetle/2001/consumerreview.html

Answer 10

I just bought a audi 90 from a VW mechanic and he said stay away from the 1.8 turbo. they had tons of them in the shop.

Answer 11

stay away from the turbo VWs just get the regular motor the turbos have tons of problems and dont last as long