We are thinking about getting a 2002 Turbo S or GLX (turbo) New Beetle.

Each have around 120k miles on them.

Anyone know/heard how well these things hold up or last?

My Mitsu sales guy that I talk to a lot says stay away from them with over 120k but never sure if he's just trying to keep me in another Mitsu lol

 

Those 1.8 turbos have sludge build up issues that get so bad that they clog up the oil pick up tube causing no oil pressure.

 

Any way to clean out the sludge build up without having to tear down the motor?

 

Yeah what we do is drop the oil pan, clean out the sludge, replace the oil pick up tube, then perform an engine oil flush (yes this is a real thing). The first place that starves for oil are the cam shaft bearings, you can pop the valve cover off and remove a bearing cap to inspect it.

 

Thanks for the info!!!

So would you say they are worth it to keep up the maintenace?

 

I'm not a VW fan but yes, keep up with the maintenance and it will be ok.

 

as with anything with 120k, you want to find the cleanest, best maintained example you can, and even then, its a german car, which means, things will break for no apparent reason, will be unreasonably expensive for oem and you'll need special tools to maintain it, again for no apparent reason.

 

Ouch lol