1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

THIS VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 25 TO 30 MPH, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

THE VW DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE ENGINE FAN CONTROL BOX WHICH ALSO BURNED WIRES IN THE ENGINE HARNESS THE DEALERSHIP ONLY REPAIRED WHAT THEY CONSIDERED NECESSARY. I WAS DRIVING 12/14/00, DURING THE RAIN AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, SIGNAL LIGHTS, AIR CONDITION, FAN CONTROL FOR HEAT, ETC., AND THE EMEMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT REMAINED ON WITHOUT BEING PULLED UP. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE MAY HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING IN THE VEHICLE DURING THE RAIN. I PAID ALMOST $700.00 TP HAVE THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FIXED AFTER ONLY OWNING THE CAR FOR ONLY 4 MONTHS. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE ASSIST ME IN FINDING OUT REPAIR INFORMATION BEFORE I INVEST ANY MORE $$$ INTO THIS VEHICLE?*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW SWITCHES REPLACED TWICE, WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED AS WELL. *AK

COMPLETE FAILURE OF UNIT. SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMAN PROBLEM IN NEW VW'S. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

I AM STUCK PAYING $650.00 IN REPAIRS FOR SOMETHING I THINK THE VW OR MY EXTENDED WARRANTY SHOULD COVER. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW AND THIS IS THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD... THE LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT ON ME .. ALWAYS THE LEFT ONE FIRST THEN THE RIGHT FOLLOWS... LEAVING ME WITH ONLY THE BRIGHTS... DEALERSHIP HAS FIXED THEM MAYBE THREE TIMES NOW... AND NOW THEY WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO .. LEAVING ME ONLY MY BRIGHT LIGHTS... DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE ELECTRICAL WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY AND SAID COULD BE FIXED AT A PRICE OF 350.00... NO WAY.. I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THAT WHEN HE SAID THEY WERE MADE WITH A DEFECT... THE SECOND THING GONE WRONG WAS MY BATTERY... THE FIRST TIME.. IT JUST GAVE A LOUD POP AND EVERYTHING DIED... DEALERSHIP FIXED IT AND.. THE SECOND TIME THE BATTERY WENT OUT IT GAVE ANOTHER LOUD POP BUT THIS TIME THE ACID FROM THE BATTERY EXPLODED OUT OF THE BATTERY AND ONTO THE DRIVEWAY...THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT .. THE THIRD TIME THE FUSES NEEDED TO BE CHANGED THAT ARE ON THE BATTERY...THE COOLING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING AS WELL WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO OVER HEAT... THEY FIXED IT AND MY WATER PUMP... A MONTH LATER.. THE COOLING SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN... HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO FIXED A SECOND TIME... . THE SWITCHES ON THE LEFT DOOR THAT CONTROL THE WINDOWS ARE BROKEN AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME.. THE FIRST TIME THEY FIXED IT.. NOW THEY WONT EVEN FIX IT.. THEY CLAIM ITS NOT ON MY WARRANTY AND WANT ME TO PAY 400.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED... WHEN WARRANTY COVERED IT THE FIRST TIME... AND NOW MY RIGHT WINDOW DONT WANT TO GO UP... DEALERSHIP AGAIN CLAIMS WARRANTY WONT COVER IT... WHEN MY INSURANCE AGENT SAYS IT WILL... DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX IT.. WANT ME TO PAY 600.00 TO HAVE IT FIX... NOW THE DEALERSHIP SAYS MY LEFT WINDOW WONT GO UP... SO NOW I HAVE TWO WINDOWS THAT WONT GO UP ...SO IN A BRIEF SUMMARY.. MY HEADLIGHTS FAILED FOUR MAYBE FIVE TIMES.... MY COOLING SYSTEM TWICE... MY WATER PUMP ONCE... MY WINDOW SWITCHES TWICE.... MY BATTERY TWICE... AND THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT HELP MATTERS ANY EITHER... PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ON THIS...THANK YOU. *AK

BATTERY BLEW UP, CAUSING WINDOWS TO LOCK/ DOOR LOCKS NOT TO WORK. VOLKSWAGEN WAS CONTACTED. *AK

A VITAL WIRING HARNESS HAS FAILED AND POSSIBLY BURNED UP CAUSING THE CAR TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF MAJOR EXPRESSWAY. VOLKSWAGON CLAIMS THAT THE PART WILL TAKE THREE MONTHS TO GET IF SPECIAL ORDERED FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN GERMANY AND WILL COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE. VOLKSWAGON CLAIMS THAT REPLACING THIS HARNESS MAY NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY. IN OCTOBER OF 1999, VOLKSWAGON REPLACED AN ELECTRICAL PART ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIESEL FUEL GLOW PLUG ASSEMBLY FOURTEEN MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. VOLKSWAGON REPLACED THE BATTERY IN MAY OF 2000 AND HAS REPLACED 5 HEADLAMPS IN TWO YEARS. THIS VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE.

I HAVE HAD MY CAR INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY JUST TOLD ME TO KEEP DRIVING UNTIL HTE "DYING" BECAME CLOSER. I TOLD THEM (AND REPORTED IT TO VOLKSWAGEN "CASE # 407289" ) IT WASN'T SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE THIS CAR I DRIVE 280-320 MILES A DAY. THEY ARE NOW REPLACING THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP (IT SHORTED OUT) THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THIS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 20555R16 )

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FROM THE START. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTERWARDS, IF YOU HIT A BUMP THE HUBCAPS WOULD COME FLYING OFF. THIS WOULD HAPPEN GOING AT THE SPEED OF 25MPH. I'VE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY SAID THAT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW MODELS. THEY REPLACED THE HUBCAPS, BUT THE PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUOUSLY HAPPEN. FINALLY I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN FOR SERVICE AND DEMANDED THAT THIS PROBLEM BE FIXED. SO FAR THEY ARE ALL CHANGED AND IT HASN'T OCCURED AGAIN. BETWEEN THESE PROBLEMS A TOTAL OF 5 HUBCAPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE OTHER PROBLEMS, ARE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD KNOCK AND MAKE LOUD NOISES. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS BROUGHT IN, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND THAT THE CAR WAS CLASSIFIED AS SAFE. IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN, AND THEY LOOKED AND SAID IT WAS A "DEFECT" IN THAT YEARS MODEL. SO THEY REPLACED IT, "BECAUSE MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER GUARANTEE". THIS PROBLEM HAS STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN, I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE JUST RECENTLY AND THEY SAID IT'S BECAUSE OF THE DAMP WEATHER WE'VE BEEN HAVING. JUST YESTERDAY I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR TURNING OFF ON THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT HELPFUL. THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE ME A RIDE HOME OR WORK BECAUSE I WORKED IN THE BRONX. MY CAR IS STILL NOT READY, AND THE COMMENT WAS WHEN I CALLED IF MY CAR WOULD BE READY TODAY WAS, "WELL YOU COULD TAKE IT BACK THE WAY YOU BROUGHT IT IN." GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I'VE HAVE BEEN VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE CAR AND THE SERVICE CENTER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTHING THAT I HAD CAUSED, IT IS AGAIN ANOTHER "DEFECT" AND IT WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE ONLY BECAUSE I'M STILL UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 8/27/00. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY IT HAPPEND NOW THAN LATER. BUT, EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME, IF IT IS WHAT THEY CALL A "DEFECT" AREN'T THEY SUPPOSED TO FIX IT ANYWAY?