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VW 2002 Cabrio

9 messages,  Last post on Nov 13, 2010 at 11:20 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Cabrio Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Cabrio, Volkswagen, Car Buying, Convertible

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#1 of 9 VW 2002 Cabrio by lrios

Jun 23, 2009 (12:01 pm)

I am arranging to test drive a 2002 VW Cabrio but have noticed that many are for sale with mileage around 70,000. Is this cause for concern. What should I be looking for?

#2 of 9 Re: VW 2002 Cabrio [lrios] by questquigley

Jul 04, 2009 (7:50 am)

Replying to: lrios (Jun 23, 2009 12:01 pm)
If you haven't bought it, ask to look at the service records. But they may not give them al to you because they would be embarrassed.
 
Exercise the power windows and power top. You will see from the posts here that the power windows have a tendency to continually fail. The thing is, the seller may have had all the little bugs fixed to prepare it for sale. But these bugs come back again. And they are all expensive fixes.
 
The car could be great and never give you a problem or it could turn into a black hole. That is sort of the mode of VWs these days. Make sure you have a good local, trustworthy, and capable mechanic; you do not want to take it to a VW dealer unless absolutely necessary.
 
I have had a bunch of VW products in my life and really loved many of them, but the later models are generally pretty terrible. I would never buy another one.
 
Best of luck with whatever you buy. But with a Honda, you generally will not need any luck.

#3 of 9 Re: VW 2002 Cabrio [questquigley] by kirkus

Jul 22, 2009 (3:37 pm)

Replying to: questquigley (Jul 04, 2009 7:50 am)
Well, I just bought a 2000 Cabrio and I was happy as a clam....for two days. Then the check engine light came on and I wound up spending about a grand getting the little things cleared up on the car. Now I'm still happy as a clam with the car, but I don't drive very much. The one thing that was nice is that the repairs thru the dealer have a three year 50,000 mile warranty.

#4 of 9 Gremlins in 2002 Cabrio by scooterox

Feb 15, 2010 (9:16 am)

I bought my 16 yr old daughter a 2002 Cabrio conv. with 38K and it was great for two (2) weeks!! Then the drivers front window quit and (keep in mind it's out of warranty) I was told I needed a new motor and switch, which I had them replace. After that the passenger front window quit one (1) week later! I told her just to drive it that way.
I had a new stereo installed by Fryes on January 18th for a surprise b-day gift and dropped the car back at the High School with everything working properly - except of course the front passenger window. When she got home that evening she told me the key fob wasn't working and the horn was sounding every few seconds and the hazards would flash when this happened! Sounded like an alarm issue and I figured the key fob batteries were low so I replaced them and re-programmed the key fob according to the owners manual, which didn't help either situation. I first assumed that Fryes had shorted something when installing the new radio, which used a specific wiring harness that was bought specifically for that car, so I returned to Fryes to let them look at it before I took it to the VW dealership. During this day (of course it was raining all day) the windows would roll down on their own intermittently and sometimes roll back up and sometimes not, the horn would sound and the hazards might flash and might not!! The key fob had never began working again. Fryes took the new radio out and re installed the old one which had no affect on the problems and the windows actually rolled down in their garage with no key in the ignition! They said they new radio had been installed correctly and they re installed it and I was off to the VW dealer.
As of this message, the dealer has had the car two weeks and installed a new main computer chip, a different chip that supposedly operated the front windows separately and various other parts that they are now saying totals almost $2,000 with labor! At one point last week they said I needed both front window motors and switches, to which I replied was not correct (and not in so many nice words). I told them the drivers side front window was working, on it's own with no key in the ignition when I brought the car in and to go find the real problem. This morning the service guy wasn't in yet and I talked to the mechanic. By the way, I was told last Thursday the car was fixed but they wanted to keep it overnight to make sure. That sounds like a patient in the hospital. I called this morning to come pick it up and was told it still wasn't ready! When I got the mechanic on the phone he was very frustrated and said they had never figured out the whole problem but as they installed new electrical parts and computer chips, some things would work for a period of time then stop again and he, nor any techs at the dealership, had ever run across these issues. I suggested he contact VW corporate service (thinking he had of course already done that) but it seemed to be a novel idea to him! Either this car is possessed or VW doesn't have a clue or both. If anyone has had anything remotely resembling this issue or even heard of it please give me some direction, any direction. Should I contact corporate? The service tech stated they could find nothing relating to the radio install that would have caused any of this and that the radio had been properly and professionally installed. I find it hard to believe several components failed on the same day, whether related to the radio install or not. The dealership keeps asking for me to authorize new and very expensive parts to be installed but can't say if these parts are solving anything or not. Of course I have to authorize these requests as a car that has windows going up and down without any reason, plus all the other issues is basically worthless! If they eventually, by luck, replace the correct part why shouldn't they remove every other part they have installed to make sure the car actually needed them? I don't feel I should pay for those parts or the labor and I most definitely feel VW's corporate service division should have been called in and been able to diagnose the problem - and much sooner!! So much for the impeccable German engineering. Someone please help before I have a bill that is more than the car is worth!

#5 of 9 Re: Gremlins in 2002 Cabrio [scooterox] by phxmax

Aug 17, 2010 (5:20 pm)

Replying to: scooterox (Feb 15, 2010 9:16 am)
To: Scooterrox. I just saw your posting and wonder how you end up solving the driver side window problem. We have the same issue. My wife called a few shops and took to one (AAA). They all wanted to replace the switch and motor, same answer by all. Easy to say they both broke at the same. I like your comments about no way this would happen; being an engineer myself. Let me know how you got the issue fixed.
 
Thanks

#6 of 9 alarm & window problems by docdiesel

Aug 18, 2010 (12:31 am)

I just bought a 02 cabrio from a 1 owner with 72,000. He had all repairs done at the
dealer
1st the car alarm . He had the same issue and the dealer replaced battery in remote and issue came back next day. When he took car back they figured out
the button was stuck down on remote causing alarm to go haywire. They replaced
remote and no more problems.
 He also had drivers window go up and down on it's own. With the one touch up
or down window feature there are limit switches in the door that tell the window
win to stop . They were out of adjustment and it causes the window to cycle up
and down. The dealer did the switch adjustment free of charge.

#8 of 9 ... by 00cabrio08reno

Aug 23, 2010 (6:11 pm)

i have an 00 cabrio bought it new and dont drive to hard yet pieces fall off all the time. No trim and convertible top leaks dont buy 1 may be worst desision of your life

#9 of 9 cabrio seat belt by jimwaterrski

Nov 13, 2010 (11:20 am)

hi This is my first post. I am looking for info about how to install a right side seat belt buckle, My son was able to get me one from a vw dealer. I can'. t see how to get the old buckle out. We love the car, Thanks
Jimwaterski

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