2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

SUNROOF CLOGS CONSTANTLY CAUSING WATER LEAKS INTO THE CAR FROM THE HEADLINER OR DOWN THE SIDE ALONG THE WINDSHIELD TO DOOR FRAME PILLAR. APPARENTLY, THERE ARE MANY VW BEETLE OWNERS OUT THERE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. I HAD VW FIX IT AND IT WAS CLOGGED AGAIN WITHIN A MONTH. *NM

VW NEW BEETLE - IN SHOP FOR 3 MONTHS OUT OF 24 MONTHS OWNED. ENGINE TROUBLE, WINDOW TROUBLE, STARTER TROUBLE AND NOW CLUTCH PROBLEMS. *NM

08/05 PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM LEXUS OF GLENDALE 09/05 EXPERIENCE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. PEDDLE WOULD NOT SPRING BACK INTO PLACE CAUSING CAR TO BE STUCK IN THE ROAD. I HAD TO PHYSICALLY PICK UP THE PEDDLE SO THE CAR WOULD MOVE AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND LEFT IT UNRESOLVED. 10/05 BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURRED MANY MORE TIMES. TWICE WHEN I TAP THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN IT WOULD HAVE A LOUD SUCTION VACUUM SOUND AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND GET STUCK LEAVING THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME WITH NO WARNING TO STOP. TOOK TO DEALER...THEY SAID THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, BUT ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO FIX UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE. WE ASKED THEY HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST IF WE WANTED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. THEY SAID THEY CANNOT GIVE US A PRICE BECAUSE IT'S UNDER WARRANTY...?!? PROBLEM UNRESOLVED!!! 10/05 PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME ON THE FREEWAY. DEALER SAID BRING IT BACK AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT YET AGAIN! WE ASKED FOR OUR MONEY BACK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD BUY IT BACK AT A FRACTION OF WHAT WE PAID. LEFT UNRESOLVED...LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE WAY TO GET OUR MONEY BACK. *NM

JUST AFTER REACHING 35,800 MILES, MY 2002 VW NB SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ON THE FREEWAY LOST POWER AND SPEED. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV ERRATICALLY FROM A LOW OF 1000 RPMS TO 6000/7000 RPMS WHILE THE SPEED CONTINUED TO DROP BELOW 50 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VA DEALERSHIP FOR THE 35,000 MILE SERVICE AND BOUGHT THE ERRATIC ENGINE BEHAVIOR TO THE ATTENTION THE OF SERVICE MANAGER. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD "NO IDEA WHAT-SO-EVER" (INDICATING SO ON THE SERVICE PAPERS FOR THE CAR) ABOUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE CARS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR BUT WOULD TEST DRIVE IT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A CALL LATER THAT DAY THAT THEY HAD FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE "FLY WHEEL" WAS "FALLING OUT" OF THE CAR AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ASAP. FURTHERMORE, WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING THE CAR THE MECHANICS HAD ACTUALLY BROKEN THE FLY WHEEL (CLUTCH) RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME THAT IN THE 3 YEARS THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD SERVICED MY CAR THEY HAD NEVER CHECKED MY CLUTCH AS IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE SELF-REGULATING AND THAT HE FOUND IT UNUSUAL THAT THE CLUTCH WOULD FALL OUT WITH SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THE CLUTCH IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2,000 OR MORE TO REPAIR. I CONTACTED VA OF AMERICA TO INQUIRY AS TO WHY THE CLUTCH IS NOT SERVICED REGULARLY WITH THE REST OF THE CAR AND WHY OWNERS ARE NOT ADVISED OF THE SO-CALLED SELF-REGULATING CLUTCH WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. THE CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT EVEN IF THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE NOW AT 35,000 MILES THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH SHE COULD NOT SPECIFICALLY STATE WHEN THE FLY WHEEL WAS UNDER WARRANTY OR WHETHER IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AS YET THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *NM

DT : THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE INGITION. HAD TO WAIT UP TO 10 MINUTES IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START. ONCE IT STARTED IT STAYED LOCKED/PARKED. IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY. CONTACTED THE DEALE, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT T REPLACE PARTS UNTIL THEY DUPLICATE. THIS STARTED ON MAY 15, 2005. ALSO THE TRUNK RELEASE WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE BUTTON THAT USED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM EITHER. *AK

2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE ELECTRIC FAN FAILED.*MR THE STATED THAT AN OBJECT MUST HAVE HIT THE FAN TO CAUSE IT TO FAIL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAN WAS PROTECTED ON ALL SIDES BY STEEL AND ALUMINUM. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ONLY WAY TO ACCESS THE FAN WAS TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

AT AND AFTER 30,000 MILES MANY MECHANICAL FAILURES INCLUDING 2 ALTERNATORS REPLACED, 2 BATTERIES REPLACED, EPC LIGHT HAD COME ON TWICE, BRAKE LIGHT DEFAULTS, SIGNAL LIGHT DEFAULTS. MOST OF THIS WAAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THE A/C SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING AT 65,000 MILES AND IS NOT A FREON ISSUE. THE A/C WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

I PURCHASED THIS "LIKE NEW"VW SUPER BEETLE ON DEC 31 04. IT HAD ONLY 17000 MILES ON IT. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION MODULATOR ON IT CHANGED, AND IN THE SHOP 6 TIME FOR A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR AN HOUR OR SO IT WILL HESITATE THEN SLAM INTO 2ND GEAR. IT CAUSES ME AND PASSENGERS TO LUNGE FOWARD THEN BACK. I AM TOLD THIS IS A CHARATURISTIC OF VW AND SHOULD JUST IGNORE IT OR GET USE TO IT.

VEHICLE WAS ON THE ROAD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES DID NOT OPERATE WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK

PROBLEM: VERY HARD TO SHIFT GEARS WHILE DRIVING AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. CAR ONLY HAD 35,000 MILES. TOOK CAR TO VW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. REPAIR PERSON KNEW INSTANTLY WHAT PROBLEM WAS. AFTER TAKING CLUTCH APART, VW DEALER SAID TOTAL CLUTCH FAILURE AND SHOWED ME THE CLUTCH PARTS. VW DEALER REPLACED CLUTCH AND I WAS BILLED $1600. VW SAID NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY BECAUSE WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. (I EVEN PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM THE SAME DEALER WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR). THIS IS B.S. A CLUTCH DOES NOT FAIL ONLY AFTER TWO YEARS OF NORMAL DRIVING. THIS TYPE OF CLUTCH IS A MAJOR DEFECT AND VW KNOWS ABOUT IT. I CALLED VW OF AMERICA TO REPORT PROBLEM WHICH WAS TOTALLY USELESS. I AM SO DISGUSTED WITH VW NOW, I WILL NEVER BUY A VW AGAIN AND I WILL ALWAYS ADVISE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY NEVER TO OWN A VW.*AK