Faults:

So far, the left window button snapped off, no biggie.

My fog light is burnt out, no biggie.

My passenger side window fell into the door! That's not fun.

But my biggest problem with it so far is the 'Check Engine' light won't go away! I've had it fixed three times! It must be a glitch in the system. Hey what do I know I'm a nineteen yr old girl. I just wanted something cute and red :)

General Comments:

Well, I just got the car, I'm paying for it myself and the payments are pretty hefty considering I have 0 credit. Fortunately I have "The Guardian" three year warranty. After reading some of the other reviews I noticed a pattern developing here, they all have the same problems. I just hope I got lucky and got a good egg. All in all I think it's a practical car, but the interior does wear down fast, and the speakers can't handle a lot of bass. I have black interior and it gets dirty very quickly. Another thing I noticed that the car kicks if you accelerate too quickly after changing gears. My advice: Baby it, it doesn't take abuse well like my Toyota Corolla did, that's one tough cookie!

Faults:

Be prepared for a long list.

Front headlights blew 4 times - yes 4 times each!!

Fuses in the car keep failing - I've had it fixed 3 times, and can't bother anymore.

The whole car wears very badly.

The window buttons keep falling off, have replaced once already, and again, can't bother anymore.

Air bag indicator light keeps flashing, had to get this fixed twice.

Get ready for this one... Passenger side window came crashing down.

Better yet, was driving today, made the 100,000 Km mark on the car, cheered that the car made it, and then at 100,003, NO joke, the driver's side window came crashing down.

Catalytic converter failed completely. I was told after they replaced it that it completely fell apart inside its casing. I was also told by many mechanics, that it shouldn't fail.

Car battery died after 2 years. It's a new car, c'mon!

General Comments:

This has got to be the worst car I've ever purchased.

Service from Volkswagen is scary, they couldn't care.

Once had to print out a page from a Beetle forum on how to fix something that was wrong, and show the service manager.

Calling head office leads you to call centre, who do everything in their power to make sure you don't get anything accomplished.

Honestly, I can say that this is probably the worst company I've ever come across in my life.

Worst service, worst product.

Faults:

The summer after I began leasing the vehicle, the air conditioning failed. I brought it in for service, which was covered at the time. It turned out to be a failed microchip, they said.

Shortly after that, one of the headlights burned out. Not a big deal.

The check engine light has come on for no reason four times. Each time I was told by the dealership that it was a faulty sensor.

The airbag light came on for no reason. When I tried contacting the dealership, there was no staff in that day (a Friday).

There was a recall due to faulty fuel sensors, which were replaced by the dealership at no cost.

The gas cap door sometimes does not lock into place.

Frost light on the temperature display stays lit, even in the summer at 90+ degrees.

General Comments:

The dealership changed ownership a year into my four-year lease. They have been less than helpful in providing alternate transportation (rides or loaners). My service from them has been bizarre- getting mailings telling me to come in for maintenance, and then being told to ignore these when I call for an appointment. The procedure for making an appointment seems to change every time I call, and it often takes weeks to get in and have them turn off a faulty light. They stopped doing little things like vacuuming when I brought the car in for an oil change.

The car handles very well, brakes sharply, and can turn with a flick of your fingers. Best car I've ever driven- when it works, and when it's warm out.

On ice or snow, the car has trouble braking. It skids, and the ABS kicks in, pumping very hard to manage the stop. It makes a very loud crunching sound, even when slowing to a stop from slow (10mph or less) speeds.