Bad decision???

[Boost Master D]

Well hello everybody, this will be my first post here. Long story short after my brand new car crapped out under warranty with only 12k miles for the third time I decided it was time for another car. Plus I was tired of $600 car payments, not to mention the car almost killed me last time when the whole front end fell out at 50 mph lol. Anyhow I just bought a 2005 1.8t with 75k miles for $7,900 and am not sure if I made a good choice due to the following. ***note*** I was car less and had to shop via internet, also bad credit so not a lot of options lol. The ad was from a dealer here in Austin. Said the car was perfect and had been checked out by a certified VW mechanic. So after talking with him I sent a money order for partial down payment to hold the car. When I finally got a ride to the car to finish up paperwork and purchase, I went for a test drive. Engine wise, it runs smooth, no MIL or CEL, transmission shifts smooth and no clutch slippage. But the car has many things wrong aesthetically. Broken door panels, broken glovebox, rear spoiler motor, snap bushings on fan temp control. I had to buy a tire, replace burnt out blinker bulbs, the headliner is falling down ect. Now I could have turned away and not bought the car but finding a car getting financed and getting transit to the vehicle is very difficult procedure. SO the dealership said they would fix the door panels and the spoiler motor. and give me a 3k mile warranty. So I felt pretty good and went ahead with the deal. So i have had the car a few days and keep finding lots of small things wrong, cd player broke, blown speaker, broken antenna ect. I called the dealership and they offered to take the car back, at first I thought maybe it was for the best,...then the owner told me that he would let me bring it in and have a GOOD mechanic look it over again and fix a few more of the problems. I know the TB and WP are a must, and I want in writing that it has been replaced previously or I want them to replace it if it hasnt been. Bottom line is I love this little car but it is far from perfect and I am worried I may have made a bad decision. Any advice is appreciated. SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST.

[Smileybug]

Sounds like the poor little thing was owned by someone who just didn't care. Most of your problems sound like cosmetic issues, so I wouldn't worry much about it. Timing belt probably hasn't been done but it is coming up on being due for sure.

I'd find yourself a good VW mechanic closer to you for the future too.

[Boost Master D]

THANKS SMILEYBUG!!! Sad part is that the previous owner was supposed to be a VW mechanic. I am definitely looking for a good mechanic here in Austin. For now I will let the dealership do what it states it will do and then take it into my own hands from there. I have plenty of wrench experience but this new beetle is strange territory for me. However this forum is definitely empowering.

cheers

[Smileybug]

You certainly can wrench on these cars. If you plan to, get yourself a Bentley service manual. Its essential for working on any VW and its the first thing I make sure I get when I get a new one

[dnyed]

Welcome to the Org, and Welcome to the New Beetle!


Aside from the TB/WP, and getting a few things fixed from the dealer, I'd say you will end up with a great car! I find it interesting that even with all of the collective issues, you still love this car. Usually, it takes a longer period of ownership, before they turn into "family members", that we love unconditionally.....


Thank you for taking this NB under your wing. He/she will love you for it.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Boost Master D

Well hello everybody, this will be my first post here. Long story short after my brand new car crapped out under warranty with only 12k miles for the third time I decided it was time for another car. Plus I was tired of $600 car payments, not to mention the car almost killed me last time when the whole front end fell out at 50 mph lol. Anyhow I just bought a 2005 1.8t with 75k miles for $7,900 and am not sure if I made a good choice due to the following. ***note*** I was car less and had to shop via internet, also bad credit so not a lot of options lol. The ad was from a dealer here in Austin. Said the car was perfect and had been checked out by a certified VW mechanic. So after talking with him I sent a money order for partial down payment to hold the car. When I finally got a ride to the car to finish up paperwork and purchase, I went for a test drive. Engine wise, it runs smooth, no MIL or CEL, transmission shifts smooth and no clutch slippage. But the car has many things wrong aesthetically. Broken door panels, broken glovebox, rear spoiler motor, snap bushings on fan temp control. I had to buy a tire, replace burnt out blinker bulbs, the headliner is falling down ect. Now I could have turned away and not bought the car but finding a car getting financed and getting transit to the vehicle is very difficult procedure. SO the dealership said they would fix the door panels and the spoiler motor. and give me a 3k mile warranty. So I felt pretty good and went ahead with the deal. So i have had the car a few days and keep finding lots of small things wrong, cd player broke, blown speaker, broken antenna ect. I called the dealership and they offered to take the car back, at first I thought maybe it was for the best,...then the owner told me that he would let me bring it in and have a GOOD mechanic look it over again and fix a few more of the problems. I know the TB and WP are a must, and I want in writing that it has been replaced previously or I want them to replace it if it hasnt been. Bottom line is I love this little car but it is far from perfect and I am worried I may have made a bad decision. Any advice is appreciated. SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST.

WOW, sounds like the dealer's definition of "Perfect" is a bit far fetched. With that many things wrong with it I would have walked away. It seems that the previous owner didn't care much about the car and just let things progress. Who knows what he has done regarding simple maintenance like oil changes, etc. Perhaps just let it slide until the oil light comes on? Who knows? $7900 is way too steep for a less than "Perfect" car which this one definitely isn't. Sure some of those little items can be fixed but what about the items that you haven't discovered yet? How about suspension, exhaust, brakes. Unless you have a really Big Wallet with cash in it I would give them the car back and run the other direction. Beetle's are High Maintenance to start with and the one your are buying already has a slew of things that need to be addressed besides the obvious. If the previous owner didn't take care of it there is no way he ever had the timing belt service done ahead of schedule. Why would he? He let the car go to $hit with all the smaller stuff. Trust me look elsewhere. There are other fish in the Sea in much better shape and for a LOT less money.

Just my 2 cents.

Newbie Welcome Kit!

[Boost Master D]

thanks for the advice. Tomorrow i take it to the dealership and he will fix the things and a vs tech will go over it with a fine tooth comb. If anything major is wrong I will definitely walk away as I dont want to deal with a POS. the cosmetic things dont bother me too too much and its kind of my civic duty to bring new life into this neglected car. The previous owner was a mechanic and I was told by the dealership the mechanic said he did the WP TB, but then again the dealership said the car was perfect lol. So it really just hinges on what the new mechanic says. I know the price is a bit high but thats what happens when ya got crappy credit, however if a few more monthly payments mean that I am back on the road and dont have to deal with the PITA of trying to find another car and get financed then the cosmetic things and higher price I can live with. I dont mind turning a wrench and doing some maintenance and with any used car I know there will be a few things here and there to deal with. Just as long as the motor and tranny are in good shape and everything checks out I think I will be fine,...plus the 3k mile warranty gives me the opportunity to milk the dealership for the other repairs..

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Boost Master D

thanks for the advice. Tomorrow i take it to the dealership and he will fix the things and a vs tech will go over it with a fine tooth comb. If anything major is wrong I will definitely walk away as I dont want to deal with a POS. the cosmetic things dont bother me too too much and its kind of my civic duty to bring new life into this neglected car. The previous owner was a mechanic and I was told by the dealership the mechanic said he did the WP TB, but then again the dealership said the car was perfect lol. So it really just hinges on what the new mechanic says. I know the price is a bit high but thats what happens when ya got crappy credit, however if a few more monthly payments mean that I am back on the road and dont have to deal with the PITA of trying to find another car and get financed then the cosmetic things and higher price I can live with. I dont mind turning a wrench and doing some maintenance and with any used car I know there will be a few things here and there to deal with. Just as long as the motor and tranny are in good shape and everything checks out I think I will be fine,...plus the 3k mile warranty gives me the opportunity to milk the dealership for the other repairs..

Answer me this, why would this so called "VW Mechanic" have done the Timing Belt service prior to it's scheduled maintenance but didn't even bother to screw in a new antenna? Whatever they are trying to tell you I would never accept the story that the Timing belt service was performed on this car.
Do me a favor, take off the plastic engine cover, then remove the upper timing belt cover and take a look at at the belt. Meassure the overall width of the belt. It should be minimum 22mm. If it is anything different then that belt has not been replaced. I would also pull one of the spark plugs and see if there is any oil in the spark plug tube and how the spark plug looks. Around that time the Valve Cover and spark plug tube cover gaskets start leaking and if they do they need to be replaced. I feel for you and know how it is with the economy and bad credit but I wouldn't blindly jump at the first opportunity to get into debt on a car that may give you more headaches than you need or can afford.

[IndyTom]

I was just re-reading your original post. Where it said that the "Owner" said he will have a "Good Mechanic" have a look at your car. So I guess the first mechanic that looked at it was a "BAD" one

Did you actually buy this car from a VW Dealership? Just don't tell me you got it from Oak Motors or JD Byrider Those two places are the worst rip off dealerships in the country. They sell sub par Cars at triple what they are worth. Hopefully you don't have any of those dealerships in Texas.

[Boost Master D]

Thanks, I had planned on popping off the timing belt cover and inspecting the belt. I bought it from a used lot not a VW dealer. The precious owner and mechanic were the same person. My understanding is that when the lot bought the car from the previous owner (mechanic) he said he had replaced them. Im not too keen on believing anything this dealership says right now, however since he is willing to do some repairs and have a mechanic look at it and give a 3k mile warranty I am thinking its worth a shot. I agree, I dont want to jump blindly into this car and just want to make a good decision. Anything else I should look for or make sure the "new" mechanic looks over? Thanks again everyone for the words of wisdom and help.

[matt423]

First off welcome to the org nice to meet you.I would not trust anyone from their at this point.You need to take it to a independent shop and have it checked out ,even if you have to pay 50.00 buck's or so.At this point the money will be well spent.After what you have been told and sold. How can you trust anything they say or state to do or have done up to this date and time.Seem's to me they think they have a pawn to play with and sell their snake oil to.Trust me if all the work and maint has not been done it is going to cost you big if you cant do it yourself.I know this for a fact.I got my wife a 2000 1.8T with 53,000 on it mint in and out but only maint ever done was oil changes.I am lucky to have a good shop near me and had all maint done plus some and spent over2500.00 and yup it left a bad taste in my mouth for the nb.But know all has been done they are a nice car but are high maint even on a good day.I only wish i found the great people here before i got it for her to know what to look out for my bad So with that said good luck sound's like your going to need it

[Boost Master D]

So I popped off the timing belt cover and checked the belt. Seems it was exactly 22mm maybe 21 if my ruler is slightly off. Didnt see any cracks or frey or weather rot or separation or rounding of teeth. Seemed nice and snug with very little play, alignment seemed perfect and the belt didnt look to be 75k miles or 7 years old. I looked for fluid leaks and cant find any. It was a just under a quart low but I think the car lot did an oil change recently so maybe just needed topped off. Still no MIL or CEL, car runs smooth and seems to have some balls to it. I have never had a NB before so I have no comparison, but it seems to be running strong and without problems as far as I can tell. Turbo spools up and as far as I can tell seems to be providing boost. I don't hear any vacuum leaks so I assume it is holding boost. The 5 speed shifts smooth, no noise, no slippage of the clutch and no leaking seals as far as I can tell. Suspension seems tight, no play in the steering, handles well, tracks a straight line. Brakes stop, no noise, pedal feels fine. I know diagnostics will go a long way and the car lot will be providing documentation for all work and test done (including confirmation of TB and WP change), but as far as I can tell now the car seems to be in good mechanical condition. Ill have them fix the snap bushings on the fan knob control. AC and heat worked very well until the bushing broke and air was stuck on hot. The cosmetics I can deal with myself over time, I dont care that the stock radio is busted as I will prefer after market anyhow. I can do headliner myself so no worries on that,..the glove box and other little things I can ebay or ORG or junkyard if and when I feel the need to fix. Anything I am missing here? You guys are a great help and I can not express how much I appreciate it.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Boost Master D

Thanks, I had planned on popping off the timing belt cover and inspecting the belt. I bought it from a used lot not a VW dealer. The precious owner and mechanic were the same person. My understanding is that when the lot bought the car from the previous owner (mechanic) he said he had replaced them. Im not too keen on believing anything this dealership says right now, however since he is willing to do some repairs and have a mechanic look at it and give a 3k mile warranty I am thinking its worth a shot. I agree, I dont want to jump blindly into this car and just want to make a good decision. Anything else I should look for or make sure the "new" mechanic looks over? Thanks again everyone for the words of wisdom and help.

I thought you were talking about the Owner of the dealership? Okay, so the owner of the car is also the supposedly certified VW Mechanic but he himself admits that he is a bad mechanic so he will let some other supposedly "Good" Mechanic of his choosing take a look? Man, that story just gets better and better. I know what I would do but hey, it's your decission. If you really, really had your mind set on this car I would take it to a mechanic of "Your" choosing not theirs. Trust me for $7900 bucks there are a lot better and worry free cars out there.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Boost Master D

So I popped off the timing belt cover and checked the belt. Seems it was exactly 22mm maybe 21 if my ruler is slightly off. Didnt see any cracks or frey or weather rot or separation or rounding of teeth. Seemed nice and snug with very little play, alignment seemed perfect and the belt didnt look to be 75k miles or 7 years old. I looked for fluid leaks and cant find any. It was a just under a quart low but I think the car lot did an oil change recently so maybe just needed topped off. Still no MIL or CEL, car runs smooth and seems to have some balls to it. I have never had a NB before so I have no comparison, but it seems to be running strong and without problems as far as I can tell. Turbo spools up and as far as I can tell seems to be providing boost. I don't hear any vacuum leaks so I assume it is holding boost. The 5 speed shifts smooth, no noise, no slippage of the clutch and no leaking seals as far as I can tell. Suspension seems tight, no play in the steering, handles well, tracks a straight line. Brakes stop, no noise, pedal feels fine. I know diagnostics will go a long way and the car lot will be providing documentation for all work and test done (including confirmation of TB and WP change), but as far as I can tell now the car seems to be in good mechanical condition. Ill have them fix the snap bushings on the fan knob control. AC and heat worked very well until the bushing broke and air was stuck on hot. The cosmetics I can deal with myself over time, I dont care that the stock radio is busted as I will prefer after market anyhow. I can do headliner myself so no worries on that,..the glove box and other little things I can ebay or ORG or junkyard if and when I feel the need to fix. Anything I am missing here? You guys are a great help and I can not express how much I appreciate it.

Almost a quart low? Another suspicious item. So they did an oil change but weren't smart enough to top off the oil to it's proper level? Are you sure it's not burning oil?
Well, it seems that you are determined to keep this car. Seems you already have several projects lined up and those are just the ones that you know about right now. The ones that you find out about later are going to be the fun ones
But if you like to tinker on cars and you have a second car just in case this one is laid up for a week or two then this project car is for you. Otherwise, I still recommend you walk away and look for something more reliable with less problems. That so called previous owner really seemed to abuse that little car and never got anything fixed. Why not look around I am sure Austin, TX has more than one car dealership with a few more reliable cars than this one.

[Boost Master D]

Yeah well I guess a part of me does want this car to work out for a multitude of reasons. I am certain there are a plethora of other vehicles out there, but with each one naturally comes an inherent risk. This deal is not final and trust me when I say that I will not sign off on it until I feel completely comfortable with the car. I know as time goes by I will put plenty of wrench time into the car and have no problem with that. I just need this car for light daily use, and yes I have another vehicle in Dallas but its not too practical considering its over 500hpw at the wheels lol. I have less than two years left of grad school and just need this car to make it through that. If this car passes the mechanics check up and mine, Im sure a lil love and some wrench time can make that happen.

cheers and thanks for the advice.

[Oh Randi]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

If you really, really had your mind set on this car I would take it to a mechanic of "Your" choosing not theirs.

This.


x5853

I would absolutely not trust a mechanic of their choosing. Do a google search to find an independent shop near the dealership. Most of them will charge an hour labor ($50-$75) to completely look over the car. Make sure it's a reputable VW/Audi shop though, they know what to look for in these cars.


I know where you're coming from, so I understand you wanting this car to work out. I was the same way with mine, it was a TOTAL lemon from the beginning. But with A LOT of blood, sweat, tears, and cash monies, 4 years later I have a car that I could not be more proud of. There's something satisfying about not listening to smart advice and believing in a car most sane people wouldn't. (My wallet hates me though!)

I'd do it all over again. The things I've learned and the people I've met because of it make it so worth it. There's a lot of great people on this site. I hope you'll stick around to see for yourself.

[Boost Master D]

Thanks Miss Randi.... God knows how many rimes Ive gone against the grain and advice of others. Many times the outcome is great and others down right hell, but never the less I grew and I learned and I experienced. I will definitely be taking it to a vw mechanic of my choosing or the VW dealership prior to me dropping the car off tomorrow. That way I can be completely confident in what the car needs. The lot where I purchased the car said they would fix anything drive train related within the first 3k mile I put on it so If I know ahead of time what is and isn't wrong with the car then I can make a better choice. I went through 7grand and 2 years worth of expletives blood and sweat on a 1970 beetle and everyone made fun of me at first, but I loved that car till the end when I sold her for tuition. I have a vw bus in a shed waiting for restoration but that ill be on hold till after grad school. Here is to faith and love in the face of adversity!!!

cheers

[Bratgirl]

Sorry in advance for the long post, but, Oh my gosh! All the doom and gloom posters on this page. I know, I know, there are some issues that maybe cannot be ignored, and you're just trying to give him information to make an informed choice, but my goodness! Let's throw some positives about these cars out there.
Boost Master, it sounds like you know what you want, and you're not afraid to get your hands dirty to fix the issues that may occur. I do agree to take it to a mechanic of "your" choosing and have it checked out before you finalize the deal. The car dealer may have his mechanic on the payroll, if you know what I mean.. And get the 3K warranty deal in writing, signed in blood if you can
I have read a lot of posts on this forum and can see why people are afraid to buy these cars. They get on here asking advice and get scared off by all the negativity.
If I took to heart all the things I read, and this was my first Beetle purchase,I would never buy one. But, having previously owned a Beetle and knowing how much fun it was, and how much I loved it, and some of the issues I had to deal with(my 2000 1.8T was possessed by an electrical demon LOL), it was well worth the chance I took to get another one. Even though it still had/has as few issues, it is a great little car, and I love it!
Go with your gut. You only have one person to please, YOU!
Being a child of the 60's, I firmly believe in the old phrase.."If it makes you feel good, DO IT!"
Best of luck to you.
Barb

[Oh Randi]

Oh and another thing to add, in addition to finding your own person to check out the car which it sounds like you will be doing.. **BUT I still recommend an independent VW shop over a dealership.. we call them stealerships on here for a reason.. An independent shop is more likely to be honest with you about an inspection.. A VW dealership might not mention the difficult (and expensive!) repairs, thinking that when it breaks, you'll pay them to fix it instead of the place you bought it. That's my .02.**

If anything does need to be replaced, make sure the place you bought it from uses genuine VW products. I've heard horror stories from people that bought their car from a small used car dealership regarding things like that. For example, smaller places like that may not know you need to use special coolant, or power steering fluid. Not using these will result in gelled coolant and a leaky or broken power steering pump, respectively. If I were you, ask whoever is inspecting it to give you a write up of everything that needs to be replaced, and specify which things absolutely MUST be OEM. These cars a finicky. The first step to building a reliable car is to replace things the right way with the right parts, helping to prevent premature failure and in most cases, prevents something more expensive from breaking. Step 2 being preventative maintenance





Excellent advice from Barb up there! Some more I've thought to add while I'm bored to tears at work

Originally Posted by Bratgirl

And get the 3K warranty deal in writing, signed in blood if you can

Yes! Which reminds me to say, the stuff that you get replaced after inspecting, inquire about a warranty on the stuff if the place you purchased it from replaces it. Again, some smaller used car dealerships (like where I bought my lemon beetle!) will try and rip you off in that department. Saying they replaced the parts with OEM as suggested but secretly replacing it with a universal product not up to VW standards that will fail, or worse, not replacing it at all.. In my experience, other than the fluids in the car, electrical parts such as the coolant temp sensor should probably be OEM. You save a few bucks (seriously, from O'reilly's aftermarket sensor= $7, online genuine sensor = $11 shipped), BUT the 2 aftermarket I bought from O'reilly's failed after 2 months and 4 months. The OEM one I bought online has lasted so far about 10 months, no issues. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by Bratgirl

I have read a lot of posts on this forum and can see why people are afraid to buy these cars. They get on here asking advice and get scared off by all the negativity.
If I took to heart all the things I read, and this was my first Beetle purchase,I would never buy one.

I just have to agree with this. If I would've looked on here before I bought it, I would never have brought my car home, made so many friends, and found something I'm passionate about. I'm stubborn though, even if people warned me to not get it, if I wanted it, I'd probably get it anyway.

Originally Posted by Bratgirl

(my 2000 1.8T was possessed by an electrical demon LOL)

Heh, mine is still plagued by electrical gremlins. I'm used to all the weird quirks now. Like having to hit the passenger headlight to turn it on sometimes, the drivers side automatic up window not working half the time, radio randomly turning on once in a while, things like that.)

Originally Posted by Bratgirl

Go with your gut. You only have one person to please, YOU!
Being a child of the 60's, I firmly believe in the old phrase.."If it makes you feel good, DO IT!"
Best of luck to you.

I thought that deserved an applause.


Disclaimer:
Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am not mechanically inclined, I learn and do everything the hard way.
Plus, I'm probably a little off my rocker.. but I'm not alone! I'd say at least 50% of us enthusiasts on here are! :

[Bratgirl]

Originally Posted by Oh Randi

Disclaimer:
Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am not mechanically inclined, I learn and do everything the hard way.
Plus, I'm probably a little off my rocker.. but I'm not alone! I'd say at least 50% of us enthusiasts on here are! :

Thanks for the kind words Randi (love your name by the way)
I do believe that all of us "buggers" are a little off. That's what makes us as unique as our cars.