2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

DRIVERS-SIDE BACK WINDOW FAILED AFTER BEING LET DOWN. WILL NOT RETURN TO CLOSED POSITION. SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS TRYING AT FIRST, BUT NOW NO SOUND. SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER SIDE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO. AN EXPENSIVE FIX THAT VW SAID WAS DUE TO A FAULTY PART THAT BECAME BRITTLE AFTER SOME TIME. I HAVE AN EOS THAT VW HAS PUT A RECALL ON THE SAME PART UPON FAILURE. NOT SURE WHY THERE'S NOT ONE FOR THE BEETLE. *TR

TRANSMISSION IS JUMPING WHEN SHIFTING GEARS AND SLOWING DOWN. VOLKSWAGEN HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BUT NOT IF THE VEHICLE IS OLDER THAT 7 YEARS FROM THE INSERVICE DATE. I REPORTED MY PROBLEM JAN. 2012 AFTER I HAD LEARNED OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAD BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY MONTHS EARLIER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE INSERVICE DATE WAS NOV. 2004 THEREFORE I WAS INELIGIBLE BY ABOUT 6 WEEKS. *TR

I'VE BEEN HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS BETWEEN 2N AND 3RD GEARS. THE CAR DRAMATICALLY JERKS TO GET INTO GEARS AND THROWS THE GEAR TO FIRST WHEN BREAKING. I TOOK IT TO VOLKSWAGEN TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID I HAD TWO OPTIONS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. 1. REPLACE THE VALVE BODY AT A COST OF $1950 (AND IT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM) 2. REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $6900. THERE IS A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE VALVE BODY BUT, SINCE MY CAR IS OVER 100,000 MILES THEY WILL NOT REPAIR MY CAR. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IN HOPES TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE ON THE REPAIR SINCE THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY ALREADY MADE ON EXTENSION ON THE WARRANTY AND COULD NOT ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN A $500 VOUCHER TO BUY ONE OF THERE NEW CARS. REALLY??? WITH THE KIND OF PROBLEMS VOLKSWAGEN CARS ARE HAVING I WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER BUYING A VOLKSWAGEN AGAIN!!! ALSO THEY HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINS ON THIS MATTER AND SHOULD REPAIR ALL OF THEIR FAULTY CARS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE A CAR IN THIS CONDITION. *TR

THE LIGHT SOCKETS ON THE CAR ARE LOOSE AND WILL ALLOW THE BULB TO COME LOOSE AND NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CONNECTOR AND THE LIGHT HAS TO BE RE-INSERTED, THIS CONSTANT REMOVAL AND FIXING OF THE LIGHTS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL OF THE COMPONENTS TO BREAK AND NOW MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX. THE EFFECTED LIGHTS ARE: TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, HEAD LIGHT, REVERSE LIGHTS... MAINLY THE REAR LIGHTS, BUT THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

REAR QUARTER WINDOWS ON NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE (NBC): FAILURE TO PROPERLY RAISE/LOWER, GRINDING NOISE FROM INSIDE PANEL BEHIND SPEAKERS, DISASSEMBLY FOUND BROKEN CABLE RETAINER COMPONENT, COMPONENT MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC, KNOWN PROBLEM AMONG NBC OWNERS, $600+ REPAIR FOR EACH SIDE, SIMPLE CORRECTION WOULD BE TO MAKE THIS COMPONENT OUT OF AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINUM, BOTH SIDES HAVE FAILED ON MY DAUGHTER'S CAR------------ LIGHTING: FREQUENT REPLACEMENT OF HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM BULBS (DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE), CONSISTENTLY FAILING, HAVE REPLACED FIVE BULBS IN LAST 1.5 YEARS, NO FAULT CODES THROWN, MECHANIC HYPOTHESIZED IT MAY BE DUE TO A VOLTAGE SURGE, PROBLEM NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TOUCHING THE BULB (CAUSING THEM TO FAIL DUE TO OILS ON FINGERS) AS I USE NITRILE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING AND INSTALLING THE BULBS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE WAY THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES WERE DESIGNED, THE WIRING WITHIN THE BUCKLES FRACTURED AND DISABLED THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES WERE DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT THEY WOULD BEND INWARD, TOWARD THE PASSENGER, WHEN BUCKLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

* HARD GEAR SHIFTING - LED TO A COMPLETE INABILITY TO SHIFT OR BREAK - LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO "ROLL" OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE BEING HIT. ADDITIONALLY I HAVE EXPERIENCE THE SUDDEN LURCHING ON ABOUT 5 OCCASIONS. * THE CAR ALSO LOVES TO ROLL EVEN ON FLAT GROUND. NEED TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ALWAYS AND LEAVE IN GEAR. ROLLED ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS - ONCE WITH MAJOR DAMAGE. * REPAIRING THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 1 YEAR. IT JUST GETS STUCK - I HAVE READ IT IS A REGULATOR ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME THE WINDOW JUST WOULD NOT GO UP ALL THE WAY AND SHATTERED. THIS TIME IT IS STUCK DOWN. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS $642! * FRONT LIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. I THINK IT HAS BEEN 5X NOW IN 7 YEARS. *TT

FIRST LOST THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR, THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR, NOW THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR. *TR

MY 2005 VW BEETLE IS A TURBO/AUTOMATIC. IT HAS 79,500 MILES ON IT. THE CAR JERKS AND SHAKES WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP. IT HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, FROM 60 MPH AND LESS. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHECKED AND CHANGED, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR ANYMORE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO WHICH MIGHT ENDANGER ME OR OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME. I'VE READ MANY BEETLE OWNER COMPLAINTS ON-LINE ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE. I AM AWARE THAT A LETTER FROM NHTSA WAS SENT OUT TO SOME VW BEETLE OWNERS TO "EXTEND THE WARRANTY THAT COVERS THE VALVE BODY IN YOUR VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES". I NEVER RECEIVED THAT NOTICE! TO HAVE A NEW "VALVE BODY" INSTALLED WOULD BE AN EXPENSE I CAN'T AFFORD. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, AND I OCCASIONALLY HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME. I DON'T FEEL MY CAR IS SAFE ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM IN THE CAR NOW. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, I EXPECTED IT TO LAST ME LONGER THAN 7 YEARS, ESPECIALLY SINCE VW HAS A GOOD REPUTATION. I CHECKED THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF MY CAR, AND THE REPAIRS WOULD PROBABLY BE ABOUT HALF OF WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. I CAN'T SELL IT AND MAKE ANY MONEY ON IT; I CAN'T TRADE IT IN AND GET MUCH FOR IT; AND IF I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR, I'D HAVE CAR PAYMENT THAT I CAN'T AFFORD. I AM NOW "STUCK" WITH A CAR THAT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR

MY 2005 VW BEETLE'S TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 49,000 MILES. VW HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ITEM ON THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE CAN FAIL WHICH HAD FAILED ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER I'M BEING TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAS ALSO FAILED. VW IS CLAIMING THAT THE FAILED VALVE BODY DID NOT CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT MYSELF. THIS IS A DEALER MAINTAINED, COMMUTER CAR THAT IS UNALTERED AND UNDER 50,000 MILES THAT I HAVE HAD OTHER PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS LOOK AT AND THEY DO NOT SEE HOW VW CAN CLAIM THE FAILED VALVE BODY WOULD NOT CAUSE THIS KIND OF DAMAGE AND EVENTUAL FAILURE. WE HAVE CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PRODUCT. *TR