2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

I HAVE 2005 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH ONLY 43,351 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY I HAD TO REPLACE WATER PUMP DUE TO THE IMPELLER BEING MADE OF PLASTIC ATTACHED TO METAL AND NOW MY REAR WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BROKEN AND WONT ROLL UP OR DOWN THE WINDOWS. I PAID $650.00 TO FIX WATER PUMP AND WAS TOLD I COULD EXPECT TO REPLACE IT AGAIN IN 40000 MILES DUE TO ITS POOR MANUFACTURING. THIS FROM A VOLKSWAGEN MECHANIC. A WEEK LATER THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON MY BEETLE ALSO BROKE. LOOKING THROUGH THE INTERNET I FOUND ALOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH VOLKSWAGEN FOR THE SAME THING THAT IM EXPERIENCING WITH MY CAR. I CAN UNDERSTAND NOTHING IS PERFECT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERYONE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE PROBLEMS WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES BOTH YEAR MODEL AND MAKE AND SOMEONE NEED TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER NOW. I HOPE ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO INSTITUTE A RECALL FOR VOLKSWAGEN TO ACT UPON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING ABNORMALLY HARD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THE VEHICLE COMPUTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.

SLIPPAGE IN THE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR CAUSING JERKING AND SLOWING. THIS CAUSES UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE WHICH IS A CLEAR SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. REPLACING THE VALVE BODY AS VW HAS INDICATED IT "MIGHT"--IF YOUR VEHICLE MEETS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS--WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION IS AT FAULT AND MUST BE COMPLETELY REPLACED TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS.

PLASTIC LENS ON HEADLIGHT FELL OFF THE SEALANT WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT EVERY TIME YOU PARK THE LENS WOULD FALL OFF WENT TO AUBURN VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY SAID COULDN'T REPLACE SEALANT I HAD TO BUY A WHOLE ASSEMBLY WHICH COST ME $525.59 WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS WHICH WE DID NOT RECEIVED AND I CAN'T GET AHOLD OF SABERSPORTS WHO WAS THE CONTACT, IN 2009 WE PURCHASE THE CAR 2/16/09 AND ONLY HAVE 20,626 MILES ON IT, AND I FEEL THE LIGHT WAS ONE OF THE RECALLS AND MY OTHER HEADLIGHT LOOKS LIKE ITS STARTING WITH THE SAME SEALANT PROBLEM. I FEEL I SHOULD GET MY MONEY BACK AND MY LIGHTS REWORKED ON THE RECALL WHICH THE DEALER DIDN'T MENTION ANY THING ABOUT A RECALL,AND WE NEVER GOT NOTICE ABOUT RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $338. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,500.

I HAVE A 2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH $40,000 MILES. THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR IS BROKEN. THE WINDOW IS UP, BUT I CAN'T USE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THE WINDOW WILL OPERATE PROPERLY. ALSO THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY. I HAVE NOT PRICED A REPAIR YET. THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP IS 100 MILES AWAY. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2005 VOLKWAGEN BEETLE IN 2005. I EXPERIENCED HARD DOWN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 1ST WITHIN THE 1ST YEAR OF OWNING THE CAR. I TOOK IT IN TO [XXX] IN SNELLVILLE GEORGIA WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL. YEAR AFTER YEAR, THE SHIFTING GOT WORSE. IT WOULD HAPPEN RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. NOW AFTER 100,000 MILES, THE SHIFTING IS SO BAD, I CAN BARELY DRIVE THE CAR. IT NOW SHIFTS HARD FROM EVERY GEAR. EVERY TIME MY CAR HAS TO SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP FROM A STOP LIGHT, IT JERKS SO HARD IT THROWS ME FORWARD. IT'S RIDICULOUS AND SCARY. SOMETIMES, WHILE ACCELERATING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, IT WILL JUST STOP, AND I HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS AND JUST PAUSE AND WAIT A SECOND AND THEN SPEED UP AGAIN. IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. I RECENTLY GOT A LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA STATING THAT THEY'RE FIXING CERTAIN BEETLE'S TRANSMISSIONS, AND MY 2005 WAS ONE OF THEM! I WAS SO EXCITED, BUT AS I READ ON, THE LETTER EXPLAINED THAT THE BEETLE HAD TO BE UNDER 100,000 MILES OR UNDER 7YEARS OLD. WELL OF COURSE MY BUG WAS 400 MILES OVER 100,000 MILES!!!! I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA FAXED THEM DOCUMENTATION THAT MY CAR HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AT 50,000 MILES, AND I WAITED 6 WEEKS TO HEAR ANYTHING BACK. FINALLY, THEY SENT ME A LETTER DENYING ME OF A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I WAS 400 MILES OVER 100,000 MILES! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! THEY CANNOT GET AWAY WITH THIS. WE NEED TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA!!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION, AND THE "REGULATOR" HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $331.55. THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED WITH BOTH REAR WINDOWS IN FEB. OF 2008, BUT VW HAD A RECALL ON THOSE WINDOWS, AND FIXED THEM "FREE". THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL FOR FRONT WINDOWS, EVEN THOUGH INTERNET FORUMS SHOW MANY OTHER BEETLE OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH FRONT WINDOWS. ALSO, MY PREVIOUSLY OWNED 2001 BEETLE HAD A STUCK PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, AND COST ABOUT $300 TO REPAIR. *TR

2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE [XXX] PURCHASED IN THE FALL OF 2004; MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR SERVICE TO DEALER GOSSETT VOLKSWAGEN / MEMPHIS, TN REGARDING HARD SHIFTING TIPTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED REPORTING THIS JAN 2005 AT 198 MILES BUT I HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS NOT RECORDING MY COMPLAINT, DESCRIBING VISITS AS "30 DAY INSPECTION"; ONLY DOCUMENTATION OF PROGRAMMING OF SHIFT POINTS AT 59860 MILES ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDS DATED 7/17/08; NOTHING HELPED; MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM DEALER IGNORED DEALER CLAIMING COULD NOT DUPLICATE ISSUE. PROBLEM CAUSED HESITATION IN TRAFFIC; INVOLUNTARY JERKING AND SOMETIMES SUDDEN FORWARD MOTION OF CAR. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION HAD TO PULL CAR OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD TO SHUT IT DOWN. PROBLEM RESOLVED WHEN CAR BELOW NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE THEN MANIFESTS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. DEALER STATED "UNABLE TO DUPLICATE" UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED THEN DECLARED TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITHOUT OPENING SO-CALLED SEALED UNIT TO DIAGNOSE. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA ISSUED RECALL ON TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY LATE LAST YEAR; REFUSED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE THIS JANUARY AFTER 6 YEARS OF VISITS TO DEALER FOR NUMEROUS ISSUES INCLUDING THIS ONE. I ALLEGE THAT THE DEALER AND VOA KNOWINGLY SOLD THIS MODEL YEAR WITH A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AS MANY OWNERS OF PREVIOUS AND SAME MODEL YEARS HAVE FREQUENTLY POSTED ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON VARIOUS CONSUMER WEBSITES INCLUDING YOUR OWN; APPEALING FOR YOUR INTERVENTION IN THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT AT THE STATE OF TENNESSEE CONSUMER AFFAIRS AGENCY ALLEGING THAT GOSSETT VOLKSWAGEN AND VOA HAVE ENGAGED IN A FRAUDULENT PATTERN OF AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF NECESSARY REPAIRS. THIS CAR IS PARKED AND IS NO LONGER BEING DRIVEN BECAUSE IT WILL STALL, LURCH, AND ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE ERRATICALLY BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE, 2005 MODEL WITH 105,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION FAILING CAUSING HARD SHIFTING AND SLIPPING GEARS RESULTING IN CAR LURCHING, SUDDEN DOWN SHIFTS AND PAUSING UNEXPECTEDLY IN TRAFFIC. CAUSED REAREND IMPACT WHEN VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. AS TOLD BY THE VW DEALER THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW BEETLE 6SPD TIPTRONIC TRANSMISSION, ONE THAT VW WILL NOT ADMIT NOR CORRECT. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE FOR SOME TIME FINDING THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION AS TO WHETHER A NEW BEETLE OWNER WILL HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS RATHER WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL BEGIN. WHILE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW MANY IF ANY ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE I DO KNOW THERE IS A GREAT CONCERN AMONGST THESE VEHICLE OWNERS THAT ACCIDENTS WILL OCCUR. VW SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL ALL THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR