[Annemichi]

Hey guys, I'm considering in purchasing the new 2013 beetle, however, I have heard that they are very unreliable so I would very much appreciate opinions on the reliability of the beetle, especially the newer ones! Thank you!

 

[swimbug]

Leasing? Buying? How long do you typically keep your cars? Performing your own routine maintenance?

My bug is 14 years old and remains a daily driver. Does it take more time and money to keep on the road than the 03 and 07 Hondas in my driveway? Yes, but it is way more fun to drive and worth every minute and penny.


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[billymade]

I wouldn't consider VW to be the most reliable car out there but I would say the same thing about any European designed car. I think if you ask people who have them; we appreciate the car for what it is, the driving experience, the connection to the road etc. As you can see; the car is not just a mechanical device to get us from point a to point b, the most reliable form of transpo etc. etc. So, if your looking for the most reliable car out there; look elsewhere, if you are looking for a car to love, enjoy and connect to... and can afford the repairs, maintenance it will need down the road.. maybe consider one. If keeping long term; a extended warranty may not be a bad idea; that way, you won't be stuck with repair bills if in fact something major fails. These are pretty new cars; haven't been out that long.. so, just like the new beetle before it; it will take some time to work out the "bugs" as it were, before it reaches a certain level of "finish" and they will revise things, work out problems that were inherent in the car in its first roll out state. Not trying to sound cynical but as many owners can attest to around here; VW's do have their issues and it does take a certain persistence to keep them on the road. The newer VW's are supposed to more reliable then the older ones; time will tell... meanwhile check out the discussion groups here on the new beetles and vwvortex, consumer reports etc. You might even talk to the service manager down at your local dealer; I'm sure they can tell you the issues that have been coming up with them as well... if you can find one that will be honest and up front with you. Reliability can be a funny thing; there are poeple on here who have had practically zero problems with their cars and others (like me) who have had lots of things go wrong. You can't do too much research or ask too many questions; from my own experience I would be tempted to wait a couple of years from the initial production date but thats just me. Don't mean to sound negative but you can't be too careful, good luck! If you test drive one; you will probably fall in love and all your reservations will go out the window!

Check out these discussion areas:

http://newbeetle.org/forums/questions-issues-concerns-problems-2012-beetle/

http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay.php?5309-The-Beetle

 

[robertsnowden1990]

I haven't had any major issues with my 2006 or 2008 beetles. Both have been pretty reIieble. I have driven a 2012 beetle few times and they seem to be good cars to me at least.

 

[Pushing Fifty]

Anecdotal as this may be, I think the reliability reports on not only Beetles, but just about every VW, are blown way out of proportion. I have a 2000 NB and a 2010 NB, neither of which have given me any out-of-the-ordinary problems whatsoever. Nor has anyone else I personally know of that owns a Beetle. Granted, I can't speak for the 2012+ models, but after 2006, the base engines are the same, so reliability should be just as good if not better. One must also keep in mind that publications like Consumer Reports have historically been very Japanese-biased.

 

[eladoppel]

I have had three Beetles, and they seem to be getting better. My 1999 Beetle had significant electrical issues that the dealer eventually made better with a new wiring harness. It continued to have issues and was replaced at 70,000 miles by a 2002 Turbo that was a much better car. I put 130,000 miles on that car with only mininal issues (a new radiator was the most expensive) and no breakdowns that left me dead on the side of the road. I traded the 2002 on a 2013 convertible (60s Edition), but I've only had it a month. So far it is a GREAT car to drive but I can't comment on reliability. As others have said, the Beetle is not the least expensive car to keep on the road, but (at least for me) the car is so much fun that I have had three of them.

 

[02SilverSport]

I've owned three different beetles and several other VWs over the past 40 years. They are great and none have been any harder or costly to take care of when weighing the fun long term.

 

[05yellowbeetle]

My '98 came to me with 34k hard miles, it had various issues (ac, water pump, ac condenser and some other things) in the 30k miles/5 years i had it. My '05 had under 8k miles, i had the transmission valve body replaced under extended warranty and have done normal maintenance on it, sometimes early because of the '98 (plus wheel bearings, cv boots), it now has 97k in 5 yrs. i think the big difference was previous owner, so if you are buying it new, just take care of it and it will take care of you.

 

[xxxxxbluesunbug]

Worst car ever

I purchased a New Beetle Convertible in 2004,new.Transmission went out at 37000 miles.Air bag sensor replaced 4 times,top fixed twice.Window fixed twice.Wrote letters to VW about trans.Told me I had went over the time.Never again VW

 

[SPIKEVW]

Poor reliability, sadly

I bought mine new in 2005, a convertible. Overall reliability has been poor from the beginning. It seems as though VW never fixes the ongoing things that plague their models when they are newly introduced. My transmission went just out of warantee. A very costly repair. Now I have to get a new cat converter. Not as bad as the transmission, but a costly repair none the less. And many other things. As others say, they do drive nice, have a nice feel of the road, you can feel connected to them, etc... But they are very hard on the wallet and you forget how nice they drive once that hits. Do your research and see what actual drivers say especially those who've owned them for a few years.

 

[janitz]

My 98 has been really good to drive and not very expensive either. I've started doing a lot of the maintenance myself which really keeps the cost of maintaining a 15 year old car down.

 

[hyakugojyuuichi]

My 2006 TDI has been very reliable so far. The only thing I've had issues with is the drivers side headlight popping out. It was replaced a few months ago and it's been fine ever since. Other than that the car has been very reliable, much more so than my mom's Toyota.