I HAD one it was a 1999 New Beetle that I leased for 4 years.
When I first owned it I loved it. It was a NEW car and even a Beetle. I loved passing by other New Beetle owners because we would wave to each other.
I wrecked the car after having it for 3 months. I was so upset I wrecked my first real NEW car. It took 2 months and a $5000 repair bill to get my car back. Lucky insurance covered the repair cost.
After the wreck the Beetle lost its spark, magic, and newness. Its was just a car after that.
I did not have any problem until about the 2 year mark after the warranty was up go fig.
I had heated oxygen sensors got bad. That was taken care of by the recall for the oxygen heater circuit / computer reprogram. After about 6 months the check engine light came on for the same problem. I never had it fixed and just drove the car.
My electronic solenoid for my gas flapper door broke. I was not able to open the flapper until I popped it with a screw driver. I also never fixed it and just drove it without latching the flapper door.
I grabbed the e-brake one day and pop went the plastic button. The e-brake still worked but the button cover was broken.
I hit a pot hole on a busy road and pop went my plastic hubcap. I never stopped to pick it up. I drove after that hubcapless
After 3 years the aluminum paint on the steering wheel wore off.
The car always had a whistle at 60 mph or greater.
I hated the cup holders. I had 4 but 3 of them were covered by the center console and would only fit a very small cup. I was only able to use the one designed for the rear passengers between the front seats. I believe this problem was changed in the later years.
I was also turned off by the fact that my VW New Beetle was manufactured in MEXICO. At the time of ownership I also owned a 1978 VW Rabbit and a 1969 VW Ghia both were manufactured in GERMANY
I was lucky that I never had to buy new tires the whole time I owned the car. They were 16" rim low profile tires and rare at the time.
Don't ever crack the windshield. That was a $600 piece of glass.
Other than the little things the car drove and rode nice I had plenty of room with my 6'-7" 240 lbs frame. It was one of the few cars that fit me.
I loved the side rear view mirrors they were mounted high at my eye level but I believe they changed the mirror height in 2001.
You can see my Beetle just behind my Ghia ...... I kept the Ghia.
All bugs in the bug are dead by now.