Faults:

It hasn't been too terrible, but...

Cadillac converter went out... quite costly.

One time my window wouldn't roll back up.

Be sure if you ever get brake pads replaced that you get Volkswagen specific, otherwise they won't work and sound like screaming children. (that was as experience)

Trunk won't seal quite right.

Alarm system has a bug.

Wiring for trunk lights is not good. Lights sometimes shut off which is unfortunate when looking for something in the dark.

My driver side door fell off its hinges, very odd and quite expensive.

Passenger door handle is mess up.

General Comments:

This car has been treated very nicely! No kindness in return!

I am about to get rid of it hopefully for a fire bird. I wouldn't recommend keeping these cars past the five or six year mark.

Faults:

Poor dealer diagnosis of problems. I brought it to two dealers over it's life, and the both have a history of mis-diagnosing problems and making high cost fixes that do NOT solve the initial problem. (the car was brought back to fix these problems only a day or so later)

General Comments:

Great car... very good fuel economy, and very reliable. I am actually very happy with the acceleration... given that it is a diesel.

The interior could be a little tougher... some of the plastic coated coverings have worn or scratched... but overall, it is OK.

The drive train and body has been very good.

Being so low to the ground, it is a pain to do oil changes on. Lots of jacking and removal of a lower pan cover.

Faults:

EXTREMELY shoddy electrical system!!

I have had to replace the mass air flow sensor many times.

The Check Your Engine light comes on frequently, but when taken in for service there is no glaring problem.

Have had to replace both?security system door panels? (not sure what the official name is) because they were draining the battery... that was almost $1000 in repairs.

Cheap interior detailing... paint peels away at door handles badly, window buttons have had to be replaced, and the cloth interior is very difficult to clean.

General Comments:

The sad thing is that after all of this, I still love this car. It's so stylish and when it runs, it's a dream. The problem is that it's so unreliable that I can't keep it running for any decent amount of time. If it's not one sensor, it's another.

If you want a pretty car that looks good in your driveway, then the New Beetle is great, but if you want a pretty car that's reliable to drive, avoid this car AT ALL COSTS!!!

Faults:

My A/C Compressor failed at 62,000 miles. I had to have the vehicle towed because I wasn't sure if the knocking was coming from the engine.

Car failed to start at 65,000 miles. I had to have the vehicle towed again. Thankfully this time it was only a blown fuse.

Car failed to start again at 72,761 miles. This time it was the fuel pump and very expensive to replace.

It was recommended that I replace the timing belt at 70,000 miles, but I can't afford it having just replaced the fuel pump.

General Comments:

My wife is the main driver of the vehicle and enjoys the car. She is not happy being left on the road side. We are considering selling and getting an American made car.

This car has been very expensive on repairs. It is good that we have a local mechanic that can work on VW because the closet dealership is 90 miles away.