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I am looking at buying a VW Bettle as I like the shape and style. I am looking to buy from a dealer as I need to trade my car in. Is there any known problems with these VW Beetles. Is there a down side of buying a convertible opposed to a standard VW Beetle. The convertibles are about $5K more for a 2004 model. Thanks!

The main weaknesses of this model are the automatic transmission and some electrical & throttle body problems. It's basically the same car as the Mk4 Golf, which was prone to similar issues. A manual car is likely to be lower risk.
Generally speaking, there's little difference in reliability between the sedan and the convertible, although with a convertible make sure there are no water leaks, as some of the seals can give trouble.
Perhaps if you are considering a Beetle from this era, it would be prudent to look at getting a warranty type policy. Dealers usually offer these products, or you can check out the AA Mechanical Breakdown Insurance.

Thanks for the info. I have gone off the idea of a beetle as I need something reliable. How much do you think I would have to spend to get something reliable, fuel efficient, and relatively cheap to maintain. I can spend up to 2 hours per day driving to/from work plus driving around weekends. Are there any makes/models/years that you would recommend. A 2 door is fine. I bought a Mitzi Mirage about 8 years ago for approx $8K. Its been great but not so reliable now and rusty hence the need to trade it in.

I'm not saying that the Beetle would necessarily be unreliable, but with cars such as this, they can have issues at this age.
Probably from a reliability perspective, it's hard to beat a mainstream Japanese model. Depending on your exact needs and budget, something like a Suzuki Swift, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 (or import model Mazda Alexa) would be good models to start looking at.