2001 Volkswagen Beetle GLX

General Comments:

I bought this 2001 Beetle for my wife this past September. After the first couple of days we noticed a strong odor coming out of the vents. We turned the recirculation switch off and this still has not helped. We have tried sprays that you spray in to the air intake to kill mold and odors and this still has not helped. Fe-breeze and air fresheners only cover up so much, but the smell is still there and it gets on your clothes. I contacted VW through their website and was told that I needed to contact my dealer. But by looking at different websites, I see a lot of other VW owners are having the same problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 10th December, 2005

12th Dec 2005, 10:09

You need the Air-Sept treatment. The dealer will need the car over night. Hopefully it will solve the defect. You might want to check the price on the service, before you sign the workorder.

18th Sep 2006, 21:22

I have a 2001 1.8T beetle. Since I bought it (new) there has been a slight odor from the a/c, kind of like an burning oil smell. While it hasn't bothered me, my mom finds it really offensive. I thought it was because of the synthetic leather seats, but now I think that it is not.

Just wanted to add this. I don't think it is a mold related smell, and I live in south florida.

5th Oct 2006, 16:47

I also bought a 2001 beetle, and have the same crayon/burnt oil smell. I wouldn't be "bugged" if I were sure it was not harmful. It stays on my skin & hair the rest of the day. I don't want to get rid of the car because I love everything else about it. Anyone know what it could be?

2001 Volkswagen Beetle New GLS Turbo 1.8 turbo

Summary:

Unreliable

Faults:

The car refuses to start on an intermittent basis. It starts fine for days, then suddenly will not crank or turn over. I can jump start the car without difficulty. Or, if I wait a while (a few minutes or few hours) it will just start up as if there were no problem at all.

The fuel tank cover latch sticks.

The plastic coating on the interior door handles is peeling off. Especially on the passenger side, which gets almost no use at all.

General Comments:

This starting problem makes the car unreliable. Reliability is, in my opinion, the most important function for a vehicle. Also, since the problem is intermittent, I can't seem to get it diagnosed and fixed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 30th July, 2005

31st Oct 2005, 10:00

Two of your problems are so common as it's not funny.

On 98-2001.5 cars, the gas tank cable stretches and prevents the latch from operating. VW have a replacement cable that does not stretch as much. You're out of warranty, but this is a very easily fixable item, and is fixable by yourself if you have an afternoon, patience, and some metric tools.

The 2001.5 door handles don't peel as they're not coated. Swapping them out for new items is cheap, simple and fast.

See newbeetle.org for details.

18th Sep 2006, 21:10

I have the 2001 beetle Turbo 1.8L. The door handles are peeling (or delaminating) as the dealer calls it with little use or no use on passenger side. They will not replace them as they are out of warranty. It is obviously a bad design/paint process. Also, the dashboard material is quite fragile, just placing an object on it can mar it, again a bad choice of materials.

As for the intermittent starting problem: I had this, and solved it with a new battery. Mine was taking or keeping only a partial charge, so at times it didn't have enough juice to start or even crank. Batteries can need replacing after as little as three years in some climates. The car is fun to drive, but I don't know if it will have the staying power and reliability overall to keep it as the original beetles did.