2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

THE TURN SIGNALS TO NOT WORK. CONSUMER HAS TO REMOVE THE BULB AND REPLACE THEM TO MAKE THEM WORK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THE ONGOING PROBLEM, AND THE DEALER HAS ONLY REPLACED THE BULBS.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE BULBS THAT WHERE REPLACED WHERE NOT BURNT OUT AND THE PROBLEM RESIDES IN THE SOCKET. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SOCKET AND THE BULB IS NOT SOUND AND THEREFORE THE BULB RATTLES. AFTER TIGHTENING THE BULB WILL WORK A FEW DAYS AND THEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. THE DEALER JUST TIGHTENS THE BULB BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. *TC

AT ABOUT 30,000 MILE, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC INTSRUMENTATION PANEL DUE TO SOME KIND OF SHORT CIRCUIT, WHICH THEY FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AT ABOUT 60,000 MILE WITH SAME SYMPTOM, WHICH I COULD NOT FIX IT BECAUSE ITS WARRANTY WAS OVER. BUT, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ITS INSTRUMENTATION IS FAULTY PART IF SAME PART HAS A FAILURE TWICE WITHIN 60,000 MILES WHEN OTHER INSTRUMENTATION PANEL LAST MORE THAN 220,000 MILE IN MY OTHER VW JETTA WITHOUT ANY FAILURE AT ALL.*AK

I PURCHASED MY VW ON 11/21/03 THE NEXT DAY THE I WAS DRIVING CAR AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS NOT PICKING UP SPEED THEN THE BRAKES WAS REALLY HARD AND IT WAS MAKING A ROARING SOUND. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK CAR INTO VW SVC DEPT AND WAS ADV OH SINCE YOU HAVE A DIESEL CAR IT WILL DO THAT I WAS NOT TKN THAT FOR AN ANSWER I EXPL TO SVC TECH THAT THERS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY CAR, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT.ON 11/23/03 I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND I MY CAR WAS STALLING AND WOULD NOT GO PASS 45 AND THEN I SMELT SOMETHING BURNING AND THEN SMOKE THE BRAKES HAD LOCKED UP AND I PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP.THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OK AND DIDNT REPLACE ANYTHING. AND ADVISED ME THAT I WAS OK SO I TOOK CAR HOME AND 3 DAYS LATER IT DID IT AGAIN, I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOOK CAR OVERNIGHT AND THEY FOUND THAT THE HYDL BOOSTER WAS BAD,THEY REPLACED THAT AND THEN I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE BRAKES BECAUSE THEY JUST DIDNT FEEL RIGHT TO ME. I WAS ADV THAT OH THE BRAKES ARE GOOD AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER I DIDNT TRUST TO TK MY CAR TO DEALERSHIP I TOOK CAR TO ACTOR GATOR WHICH WAS GREAT! TO CHECK MY BRAKES AND THEY FOUND PROBLEM AND SHOWED ME HOW BACK BRAKES SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW MINES WAS (THERE WAS HARDLY ANY LEFT ) AND THEY REPLACED BRAKES FOR ME. IM UPSET THAT EVEN THOUGH I PURCHASED A USED CERITIFED VW FROM A VW DEALERSHIP I FELT COMFORTABLE AND I DIDNT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD SELL A CAR WITH NO BRAKES WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE.AND THEN A CUSTOMER HAVING TO PAY FOR BRAKES NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER I GOT IT.

I OWN A 2002 VW BEETLE. THE SEAT BELT LATCH BECAME DEFECTIVE, THUS TURNING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IN MY CAR OFF. I HAVE 80K MILES ON MY CAR AND THE REPAIR COST ME OVER $350. VW IS REFUSING TO PAY FOR THIS VITAL SAFETY ISSUE STATING THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REPAIR OUT OF WARRANTY ITEMS. ISN'T THERE A LAW THAT REQUIRES AUTO MANUFACTURERS TO REPAIR DEFECTIVE SEAT BELTS? DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE FOR GETTING THIS PAID FOR? THANKS. *JB

MY CAR CONTINUES TO GET STUCK IN PARK. IT'S LEFT ME STRANDED NEEDING ASSISTANCE FROM STRANGERS. ITS FRUSTRATING AND SCARY TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.*AK

WHILE AT A STOP/DRIVING VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE AND WAS FILLING THE GAS TANK WITH FUEL AT A TEXACO IN BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE GAS PUMP SHUT OFF WHEN THE TANK FILLED UP, AND I PULLED THE PUMP FROM MY TANK. WHEN I REMOVED THE PUMP GASOLINE BURST OUT OF THE TANK AND COVERED ME IN GASOLINE. THE GASOLINE WENT INTO MY EYES AND ALL OVER MY BODY AND CLOTHES, AND I BECAME CHEMICALLY BLIND FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS. I WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAD TO HAVE MY EYES FLUSHED OUT WITH TWO BOTTLES OF SOLUTION PER EYE. THE GAS STATION REPLACED THE NOZZLE OF THE PUMP, BUT STILL COULD NOT VERIFY THAT THE PUMP WAS TO BLAME. THE EXPERIENCE WAS EXTREMELY TRAUMATIC.*AK

THE VEHICLE WARNING PANEL LIGHT ILLUMINATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE BATTERY DIED. THE VEHICLE INDICATED IT WAS OVERHEATING WHEN IT WASN'T. THE VEHICLE INDICATED IT WAS OUT OF GAS WHEN IT WASN'T. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD CONSTANT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT THE LIGHTS, DOOR LOCKS, SEATS, ENGINE AND WARNING LIGHTS. THE CONSUMER HAS STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *AK

I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE "COUGHED OR SPUTTERED" AND THE ENGINE QUIT. I TURNED THE KEY TO OFF POSITION AND BACK ON AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY ONE TO TWO MILES WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, LIKE A BACKFIRE, COME FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE CAR BEGAN SMOKING IMMEDIATELY A BLUISH SMOKE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT SO I SLOWED DOWN, TURNED AROUND AND BEGAN HEADING BACK TOWARD THE CITY. THE CAR DID NOT HAVE FULL POWER AND SO I WAS ONLY GOING TWENTY TO THIRTY MILES PER HOUR AND HAD TRAVELED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE WHEN ANOTHER CAR BEGAN PASSING ME AND FLAGGED ME DOWN TELLING ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. BY THE TIME I GOT STOPPED THE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT THE HOOD AND OUT FROM THE DASH. I IMMDEDIATELY GRABBED MISCELLANEOUS PERSONAL ITEMS AND CARRIED THEM ABOUT 5O FEET BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO RUN BACK FOR ONE MORE TRIP BEFORE IT LOOKED ENTIRELY UNSAFE TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER TRIP. THE WITNESS CALLED 911 BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY BURNT UP BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. *AK

THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SPLIT IN HALF WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED. THE CONSUMER HIT A CURB AS A RESULT. THE FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. (VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 2003 NOT IN SYSTEM.) *JB *MR