21st Dec 2009, 12:46

I have a 2000 VW Beetle 1.9 Turbo Diesel. I bought the car used in 2003 with a lot of mileage already on it. I do love my car, but it has been in the shop more often than I care to remember.

Lately, I have had trouble with the temperature light. It is the dead of winter, but the light blinks red as soon as I turn on the car. After about 1 min., it turns to blue and stays on. My check engine light has been on for years, but it's not causing in problems, and I've poured enough money into it already. The latest issue was that the bug hasn't been able to start in the cold without a jump. This has gone on for a couple of years, and everyone always assumed the battery was the issue. This year I finally found a decent mechanic who checked the glowplugs. They were all bad and had to be replaced. So at least she starts reliably now.

I do love my car, but more than anything I hate taking it to the VW dealers. I have yet to find one that is both competent and honest. I have found a small-time mechanic that I take my car to for anything that doesn't require seeing the dealer.

All in all, and I really hate to say this, I would never buy a VW again. I love the way it drives and it is a really fun car. However, I am tired of dealing with the VW people and the costs for all of the frequent repairs. But despite all of the car's troubles, I'll drive the Beetle I have until she drops.

18th Mar 2010, 12:04

I purchased my 2000 Beetle in August of last year (2009) with only 70,000km on it - but as soon as I got it, I had to replace the mass air flow sensor and the battery has died on me 3 times... the first time it died (within a month of purchasing the car), I was in an automatic car wash, so I had to push it out.

I replaced the battery - then I went traveling for 5 weeks and left my car in a heated underground garage, and when I came home, the battery was dead. So I boosted it, thinking that it was a new battery, and maybe leaving it for 5 weeks without starting it was the problem (even though I've left previous cars I've owned for longer with older batteries, and it had never been a problem for me), but a month later the battery died again. I got the battery tested and it turned out it had a bad cell... but after reading these comments, I'm worried I have a battery drain problem too.

I have command start on my Beetle - I am wondering if this is a problem. With winter almost over, I have turned it off, but I don't feel like this should be a problem - a lot of people have command start - why should it drain the battery?

Furthermore, I used to own a '97 Geo Tracker, and despite people saying this car is junk, I never had any problems with it in the entire 12 years I owned it, and with this beetle, I've had more issues in the 7 months that I've owned it than any car I've ever driven in my life.

The previous owners of the Beetle are family and trustworthy, and I don't feel that they've ripped me off, but they had zero problems with it for the 9 years they've owned it, and as soon as I got it, it started to break down.

Like most people my check engine light and temperature light are always on - on the rare occasion, the temperature light will turn off, but the check engine light is ALWAYS on - even two days after getting it back from the dealer it came on - I brought it back in and they told me this happens, so I could chose to have them look at it and turn it off, or just leave it - unable to pay for the check - I left it - I really want to love my car, but loving her is hard to do...

28th Jun 2010, 17:34

6-25-2010 I bought my second car, a 2000 "New Beetle" GLS 1.8 turbo with 145K on it.

I purchased the car from a dealer, about 2 hours from my home. I didn't even make it home, and the check engine light was on and the car was overheating and skipping.

The next day I had it checked, and it wasn't firing on cylinder number one, because of a bad coil pack.

On the way home, I needed gas, and noticed it had been pried open, so it doesn't open with the button from inside the car.

My turn signals won't turn themselves off after completing a turn.

This car is a complete nightmare!!! I could have bought a Honda with 250 k and not had any problems like this. I love the Bugs, but I would never buy another VW again!

Asheboro, NC.

11th Jul 2010, 03:20

I don't own a VW Beetle, but I wanted to buy one, so I heard from a couple of people that these cars are.. HORRIBLE! A friend of my dad owns a car dealership, so my dad went ahead to ask him if he could get a VW New Beetle for me, since I am starting college in the fall, and I've ALWAYS wanted one. SURPRISINGLY, my dad's friend told my dad to BEWARE!!! And not buy me one, it's a waste of money; he said that after 80,000 miles the engine will break down, and parts will start falling off.

About three weeks ago, I went ahead to look at 2 VW New Beetles year 2000, a silver and mint green. Any who, the silver had problems when I first laid eyes on it, there was a light on that said there was something wrong with the engine, and whenever you made a turn and the turn signal went back to place, it would make the weirdest sound as if the car doors were locking themselves; weird, and then the steering wheel was sooo hard to handle. I don't know if they're made like this, but I found it really strange..

The mint green one was HIDEOUS! The woman who was trying to sell it to me claimed that she had it garaged for so long that the paint started to wear off, the paint from the front fender was peeling, and it just looked weird with all the weird fading holes. In the sun, it looked like some parts of the paint were darker than the other, it was weird, and the engine made a weird noise, the CD holder is in the trunk.. WEIRD!..

I don't know, but I'm definitely not purchasing one after this website. THANK YOU for warning me. Everything about this car is... WEIRD!

31st Jul 2010, 03:31

I've had my 2000 1.8 Turbo Beetle for a couple years now, and in the past year and a half I've had more problems than I have had with any other car!

Here are my issues:

Both of my window motors went out on me within 3 months of each other.

Just one of my headlights keeps blowing out within a couple months of changing them. (I've changed it 3 times within the last 6 months)

My turbo wing does not come up at all unless I manually press the button.

My oil light flashes and beeps anytime I drive over 45 mph and come to a stop.

My driver door does not sound when opened, nor does the light on the inside of the car turn on when I open the same door.

My temperature light flashes blue on the freeway, yet nothing is wrong with my car.

My switch to the gas tank stopped working, so I had to pry the door open and then cut the wire inside the trunk so I won't break the door to the gas tank.

My CD player keeps malfunctioning.

All in all, I love my Beetle more than any other car I have had. It fits my personality so well, yet there are so many electrical problems with my car, it's such a hassle to keep maintaining. If anyone has suggestions or advice on any of these problems, please let me know!!!

jenn.luu928@gmail.com

18th Oct 2010, 14:42

Have a 2000 Beetle, and I took out the radio and now it doesn't start. I put the code in and the radio works, but it won't start. Does anyone know why?

Thanks, Joe.

6th Dec 2010, 17:12

2000 VW Beetle is JUNK.

Check engine light always comes back, no matter how many parts you have replaced.

Smells like crayons... wax oozes from the doors on hot Texas days.

Sunroof drains clog and your roof will stain.

Cup holders and armrest are worthless and prone to break.

Linings on the doors sag as they age.

A/C Fuse on battery block overheats/melts.

Headlights are nearly impossible to replace. You have to remove the entire assembly each time.

IF timing belt breaks on the 1.8T, the zero tolerance engine must be rebuilt or replaced. Cost me $4k.

Cute car, but a real junker. Don't confuse this car with your old memories of the great, common man's original beetle. New beetle is EXPENSIVE to maintain and is of poor design and construction. STAY AWAY!!! Worst car I have ever owned (35 years).