Ownership Cost for 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle Base
Estimated: $34381 over the next 5 years
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Total
Depreciation
$984
$472
$413
$374
$335
$2578
Insurance
$1451
$1502
$1554
$1609
$1665
$7781
Fuel
$1592
$1640
$1697
$1765
$1844
$8538
Maintenance
$2763
$2078
$947
$512
$2291
$8591
Repairs
$977
$1138
$1298
$1417
$1627
$6457
Taxes & Fees
$294
$294
$294
$294
$294
$436
Total Ownership Costs
$8061
$6863
$5952
$5704
$7800
$34381
Air Bag Loc Front: 1st Row (Driver & Passenger)
Air Bag Loc Side: 1st Row (Driver & Passenger)
Body Class: Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Displacement CC: 1984
Displacement CI: 121.071108283
Displacement L: 1.984000
Doors: 2
Engine Cylinders: 4
Engine HP: 115
Engine KW: 85.7555
Engine Manufacturer: Volkswagen
Fuel Type Primary: Gasoline
Make: VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer: VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA
Manufacturer Id: 1147
Model: Beetle
Model Year: 1998
Other Engine Info: 51-St., Emissions Certification Test Group: WVWXV02.0226
Other Restraint System Info: Restraint System: AirBag - Dr/Pass, Active - Dr/Pass
Plant City: Puebla
Plant Country: Mexico
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON REPEATEDLY SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR FROM BURNSVILLE VW, BURNSVILLE, MN. SERVICE DEPT. STATED "IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT" AND RESET THE COMPUTER. AFTER PERSISTENT REOCCURANCE, REQUESTED THEY ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM, THAT IS WHEN THEY INFORMED US THE RIVETS TO THE SECONDARY AIR PUMP HAD FAILED AND IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. CALLS TO VW NORTH AMERICA RESULTED IN THE SAME, "NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY", "CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT MATTER", ETC. ESTIMATED $650 TO REPLACE ITEM. WHILE WE ARE BEING TOLD IT IS A "MINOR" FAILURE AND WILL NOT AFFECT THE CAR PERFORMANCE, IT SEEMS THAT IT TRIGGERS AN "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT FOR A REASON. ALSO, WE WERE TOLD TO "IGNORE" THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. HOWEVER IF WE IGNORE IT THEN WHEN A "SIGNIFICANT" PROBLEM OCCURS, HOW WOULD WE KNOW?! VW NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER ADMITTED THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM BUT UNLESS IT IS REPORTED WITHIN THE FIRST 2 YEARS IT IS NO LONGER COVERED.*AK
1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
1998 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE SEVERELY OVERHEATED, CHECKING OUT CAUSE FOUND THE FUSE BOX ON TOP OF THE BATTERY HOUSING HAD MELTED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT! VWOA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM ALTHOUGHT INTERNET SURVEYS SHOW 26% FAILURE IN NEW BEETLES. PLACEMENT OF THE FUSE BOX ON THE BATTERY HOUSING DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A VERY SAFE IDEA!*AK