Continuity mistake: Look at the dirt when Herbie backs away from the nose of the newer Beetle, between the races out in the desert. Although Herbie drove straight up to the newer Beetle, tire marks can be seen where the crew moved the car back and forth to get him lined up.
Continuity mistake: When Maggie goes to look at the green Nissan 200SX, it has a set of standard Nissan alloy wheels. When the shot cuts to Herbie being lifted above the Nissan, the wheels have now changed to standard steel wheels.
Continuity mistake: At Crazy Dave's, when Herbie tries to get to the exit and blows his tire, it's the right rear. But when Lindsay is looking for a car and he drives off the block holding him up the tire is off the left rear.
Continuity mistake: When Herbie spurts the dirt onto Crazy Dave at the junkyard, the dirt on Dave's face and shoulders change frequently throughout the scene, e.g. in one shot the dirt is on his ear, the next shot it's clean.
Continuity mistake: During the Nascar race, Maggie passes the 48 (Lowe's) car twice in the same sequence. Only the front corner of the Lowe's car is visible when she passes it the first time. Then the shot cuts to her dad praising her on the walkie-talkie. When the shot cuts back to Maggie racing, the Lowe's car is passed again.
Continuity mistake: Trip's autograph on Maggie's helmet changes during various scenes throughout the movie.
Continuity mistake: In the NASCAR race that Herbie enters, right before he gets boxed in and they show the view from Herbie's eyes, you see Jeff Gordon's car, but the next shot when they are getting boxed in, Gordon is behind Herbie.
Continuity mistake: In the scene when Lindsay left Herbie to race in Trip's car, Herbie is shown to have a piece of clear material on his back revealing his engine. In most other shots, he doesn't have this. This is especially noticeable when he is being put into the garage, after the car crash he was put through to destroy him.
Continuity mistake: Herbie is seen from the back as Matt Dillon beats on the hood and right front fender using a tire iron. When the camera angle pans to the front, there is not even a scratch in the paint, let alone a dent. Herbie's "magic" apparently didn't prevent sheet metal damage as seen in several after-race views.
Continuity mistake: When Lindsay Lohan loses Herbie to her rival racer she throws her helmet down to her right but when its shows the view through Herbie's eyes her helmet is to her left.
Continuity mistake: When Herbie squirts oil on Maggie, the oil lands in the middle of Maggie's shirt. A couple of shots later it has moved to the right side of her shirt.
Continuity mistake: Near the beginning of the movie Crazy Dave was dragged a distance on the ground behind Herbie. When he got up he had random dirt stains on his clothes whereas there should have been dirt all over and likely physical damage to his clothes.
Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie Herbie did several "doughnuts" on a large grassy area causing obvious damage to the grass, then stopped in the middle of the area he was doing doughnuts. In several subsequent shots (but not all) there was no damage to the grass.
Continuity mistake: When Herbie is looking at the new yellow Volkswagen, his windshield fogs up. Then a clear spot shaped like a heart appears in the middle of his windshield. But then when it switches to the shot of him moving over to the yellow bug, the heart is at the very right of his windshield (from our view.).
Continuity mistake: When Herbie is picked up by the crane to go into the car crusher, he is missing both rear wheels, but in the previous shots he has his right rear tire still intact.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Maggie and Kevin are washing Herbie, Herbie wiggles and shakes off the water and soap. Maggie and Kevin turn once in a zoomed out shot after Herbie splashes them, and turns a second time in a zoomed in shot of them.
Continuity mistake: In the scene after Herbie pile drives the Monster truck you can see the truck leaning to the left. But when Herbie backs off the truck it is completely straight.
Continuity mistake: When Maggie is first boxed in during the NASCAR race notice the entire pit crew is shown in a line reacting to the action. Seconds later when her father appears among them they seem to be standing in a different location with only Kevin and Ray Jr. there with him.
Continuity mistake: When Kevin and Maggie are at the fair, the smoke in the car suddenly disappears before they open the door.
Answer: It is explained in the 1997 version of "the love bug". When a scientist was building Herbie, a picture of the scientist's deceased wife who he loved very much fell into the container of molten metal. This accidental action caused Herbie to have love for any owner he has.