1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

WHILE DRIIVNG AT 50 MPH A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE CONSUMER AVOIDED THE DEER AND RAN INTO A DITCH. THEN HIT A TREE ON THE LEFT OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR, AND DRIVER SIDE/ PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER HAD THE SEAT BELT ON AND WASN'T HURT. *AK

ON 9/1/99, I DROVE THE CAR ALL DAY (BOUT 200 MILES) AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK WAS LEAKING GAS. (I HAVE NO SENSE OF SMELL!!) UNTIL I GOT HOME AND TOOK A FRIEND TO DINNER AND HE SAID "THIS CAR STINKS LIKE GASOLINE"! WE LOOKED UNDER THE BACK SEAT AND REMOVED THE COVER PLATE AND THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE GAS TANK IN THE AREA OF THE SENDING UNIT RETAINING RING WAS FILLED WITH GAS (ABOUT 1/2 INCH DEEP) . TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAL ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. TWO DAYS LATER 9/4/99, GAS SMELL RETURNED AND UPON INSPECTION THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN! GAS POURING OUT OF THE CLOSED RETAINING RING!! DUE TO THE HOLIDAY, I HAVE TO WAIT TIL TUES. TO HAVE CAR LOOKED AT. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED JOE BERTRAN AT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA RE THIS SERIOUS DEFECT.

PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T WORK. ALSO, REMOTE CONTRO IS WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, AND WHEN THE RADIO IS ON THE TAPE DECK WILL PLAY. *AK

PLASTIC CLIP IN COOLING SYSTEM BROKE, CAUSING ALL COOLANT TO BE DISCHARGED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC CLIP WITH METAL CLIP. VW SENT DEALER 8 METAL CLIPS THE WEEK PREVIOUS. THEY SAID OTHER BEETLES PROBABLY HAD THIS PROBLEM, THAT'S WHY VW SENT THEM 8 METAL CLIPS AHEAD OF TIME. *AK

OIL CONSUMED AT RATE OF 1QT/1500 MILES. NO LEAK OR SMOKING EXHAUST. VW RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGE EVERY 10,000 MILES. ENGINE WOULD HAVE NO OIL BY 6,000 MILES. COULD CAUSE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. OTHER NEW BEETLE OWNERS I KNOW HAVE TOLD ME THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR GAS 2.0L ENGINE, 5SPD NEW BEETLE. THIS SITUATION IS VERY UNSAFE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, ENGINE TURBO WENT OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE TO 120 MPH. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES/EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND DOWNSHIFTED VEHICLE, IT DIDN'T WORK. CONSUMER KEPT PUSHING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN, AND THEN IT ACCELERATED BACK TO HIGH SPEED. FINALLY, SLOWED BACK DOWN AND CAME TO A STOP. *AK

VEHICLE HAS HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION, RADIO/CASSETTE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN FIRE, PREVIOUS INCIDENT RADIATOR FAILURE, COMPUTER FAILURE, DEFECTIVE CONTROL SWITCHES AND DEFECTICE ENGINE.

LOSING OIL AT RATE OF 1QT EVERY 1,500 MILES. VW ORDERED NEW ENGINE FOR ME. SERVICE SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT, AND IT IS NORMAL. I DON'T THINK SO. OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES AT 10,000 MILE INTERVALS. THE ENGINE WOULD BE BONE DRY AT 6,000 MILES. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON COUNTY NARROW ROAD AND A DOG WAS ON THE ROAD. SHE SWERVED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WENT AIRBORNE ONTO A HILL. HIT A TREE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. CAR WAS AIRBORNE AND CAUGHT BY A TREE AND ROOF WAS TORN OFF. AFTER THAT, VEHICLE WENT INTO ANOTHER TREE ON THE REAR CORNER, AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CRUSHED IN. *AK

CONSUMER ROLLED DOWN THE PASSENGER'S POWER WINDOW FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE INSIDE MECHANISM FOR THE WINDOW BROKE, CAUSING THE WINDOW TO BE INOPERATIVE.THE CABLE AND REGULATOR FOR THE POWER WINDOW IS ON BACKORDER. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHEN PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK