2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON MY 2002 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE IS ON. THE CAR HAS 52,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $400.00 TO REPAIR. IT COST $150.00 TO FIND OUT THAT IT IS THE AIRBAG PIGTAIL-1J0971584J AND SPIRAL REEL-1J0959653C. *NM

WINDOW CABLE BROKEN. HAD PASS. SIDE REPLACED 2 MONTHS AGO, NOW DRIVERS SIDE BROKEN. WINDOW FELL INTO DOOR. *NM

IN JUNE I TOOK MY 2002 VW BEETLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT AGAIN WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED ALREADY, A BATTERY CHANGE, AND THEN ANOTHER ALTERNATOR. SO THREE ALTERNATORS SINCE CREATION. I WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER BATTERY HAD FAILED. SO NOW THREE BATTERIES IN TOTAL. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE STICKING ON AND BURNING OUT THE BULBS, THAT THEY STAYED LIT SO PEOPLE COULD NOT TELL IF I WAS BRAKING AND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS TOLD BY CORPORATE THAT MY VIN DID NOT FALL UNDER A RECALL. I ARGUED THAT WHILE MY VIN MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IT DID NOT NEGATE THE FACT THAT THE CAR HAD THE SAME FAILURE AND CAUSE AS THOSE LISTED AS PART OF THE RECALL. THEY FINALLY AGREED TO WARRANTY THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. I PAID FOR THE NEW BATTERY. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH OUT WORKING TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS. THE SERVICE REP FAILED TO RETURN MY CALLS ABOUT IT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. ONLY AFTER I CONTACTED THE MGR DID THEY CALL ME. THEY SAID TO BRING IT BACK AND THEY WOULD FIX IT. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $135 BECAUSE THEY SAY THE SWITCH INSIDE THE DASH FAILED AND IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH. FUNNY THE CRUISE CONTROL, ETC WERE RELATED. I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE SWITCH ALLOWED ELECTRICAL TO BE BACK FED INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WAS TOO POWERFUL FOR THE CIRCUITS THUS BURNING THEM OUT. THEY CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS NOR WHY THEY RETURNED IT TO ME BROKEN. THIS CAR IS AN ELECTRICAL LEMON! *NM

I HAVE A 2002 VW BEETLE AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. I KNOW THEY HAVE RECALLED OTHER BEETLES FOR THIS BUT WHEN I CALLED VW THEY SAID IT WAS NOT RECALLED ON MY VEHICLE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTIES STARTING. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, AND THE KEY WAS HOT WHEN REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED; OPENED AND CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE MALFUNCTIONS WERE DUE TO A SEATBELT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK DURING FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 06V183000 WHICH PERTAINED TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

ANY TIME I TURN ON MY AIR CONDITIONER IT SOUNDS LIKE MY CAR IS GOING TO BLOW UP. COLD AIR COMES OUT, BUT THE NOISE AND THE SHAKING OF MY CAR SCARES ME. IT STARTED ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. I WOULD HAVE THE AC ON AND IF MY CAR WAS IDLING THE NOISE WOULD START UP AND MY CAR WOULD VIBRATE, IT FELT LIKE MY CAR WAS IDLING VERY HEAVILY. IT SOUNDED LIKE A JACK HAMMER. NOW, IT HAPPENS JUST WHEN I TURN THE AIR ON, BUT IT'S EVEN LOUDER THAN BEFORE. ALSO I HEAR THE JACK HAMMER SOUND WHEN THE AIR IS NOT ON AND HASN'T BEEN TURNED ON AT ALL WHEN MY CAR IS AT A STOP OR WHEN I TURN THE CAR OFF. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT SO I HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO TAKE IT IN ANYWHERE TO GET IT FIXED. ON TOP OF IT ALL, I CAN'T PUT MY WINDOWS DOWN BECAUSE IN NOV '05 MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRACK. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS I STARTED TO GET THE FEELING THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS NOT TOO FAR BEHIND WITH IT DOING THE SAME. SURE ENOUGH, THIS PAST APRIL, IT DID THE DEED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS TO SEE IF FIXING IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS EITHER 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES AND MY CAR BEING ABOUT 62,000 MILES WAS TOLD IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS CAR, I'VE BEEN HAVING A TOUGH TIME JUST PAYING FOR THE CAR ITSELF AND FIGHTING WITH VOLKSWAGEN CREDIT ABOUT THIS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE BUT DECLINED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THERE WERE NO REPAIR INVOICES AVAILABLE BECAUSE NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

TRANSMISSION REPLACED THREE TIMES, STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY, LUNGES INTO FORWARD AND REVERSE, AND WILL DROP INTO AND OUT OF HIGH AND LOW GEAR WHEN DRIVING. SUNROOF LEAKED BECAUSE THE DRAINAGE TUBING WAS NOT CONNECTED AT FACTORY CAUSING WATER DAMAGE TO LEATHER SEATS AND NOW MOLD IS GROWING INSIDE OF VEHICLE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO BE INSIDE AND HAVE HAD ONE SINUS INFECTION ALREADY. *JB

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE SWITCH IN THE SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IF THE SWITCH IS NOT REPLACED, THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A COLLISION. *JB UPDATES 3/3/2006 - *NM