 I purchased a 2003 new beetle in Dec. 
of 2002.I rated this car so low because 
there was a malfunction in my vehicle 
that caused it to "melt down"&almost 
caught on fire.This happened after a 
year of driving my car.After taking it 
to the dealership, they said that 
because the"melt down"is considered a 
fire, it voided the manufacture 
warranty.My insurance co.determined 
that the cause of the incident was due 
to a manufacture's defect.After 
reporting this to Volkswagon America,I 
was told that there was nothing that 
could be done.I was not satisfied with 
the reliability of the vehicle and 
there is a chance that this can happen 
to other customers.