1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE LIGHT BEGAN BEEPING, THEN SUDDENLY STOPPED BEEPING AND A RED LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. THE CONTACT NOTICED A THUMP UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SO SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. SHE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT SIDE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, SO SHE COASTED OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. WHEN THE HOOD WAS OPENED, THERE WERE FLAMES ERUPTING AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BUT NO REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 136,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VW BEETLE DIESEL. DRIVER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 5MPH ON A CLEAR DAY WHEN SHE NOTICED A SQUEAK IN THE ENGINE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR A NEW BATTERY AND TO CHECK SQUEAK IN FRONT END AND CHECK AIR CONDITIONER. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED FUSES WERE BURNT AND THAT BOTH FANS WERE MELTED. AFTER REPAIRS MADE CONTACT STATES THAT SQUEAK STILL PRESENT AND FANS STILL NOT WORKING. TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONTACT THAT REPAIRS MADE CORRECTLY. CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND IT IS STILL THERE. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. CURRENT MILEAGE 106,075.

MY DRIVER SEAT WAS DISLOCATED N PUSHED TO THE BACK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING IN THE TOWN N THE SPEED WAS SLOW N I MANAGED TO PARK MY CAR AFTER MUCH DIFFICULTY COS I COULD NOT REACH THE PEDAL OF BRAKE N HAD TO PULL MYSELF FORWARD TO DO IT. GOD BLESSED ME THAT NOTHING HAPPENED EXCEPT RUSHING OF ADRENALINE. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THE DISLOCATION OF SEAT WAS CAUSED BY THE LOOSING SCREWS WHICH SECURED THE SEAT. THE SCREWS ARE IN PERFECT CONDITION. THEY CERTAINLY CANNOT COME LOOSE COS THERE IS NOT WEAR N TEAR. IT MUCH BE MANUFACTURED DEFECT. I REPORT TO VW DEALER BUT THEY WANT DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE. WHAT A JOKE. I DO NOT SEND MY CAR FOR REPAIR COS I WANT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER. I ONLY TAPED MY SCREWS TO FIX THEM. STILL THEY WILL COME LOOSE AFTER A WHILE.

VOLKSWAGEN OVERHEAT WITH FUSE BLOCK ELECTRICAL FIRE. FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE FUSE BLOCK OF 1998 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE FUSE BLOCK ON TOP OF THE BATTERY CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

MY 1998 VW NEW BEETLE DRIVER SEAT DISLODGED COS SCREWS UNDERNEATH CAME OUT WHILE DRIVING ON OAKLAND HIGHWAY. I WAS PUSHED TO THE BACK ON THE SEAT N I WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH MY ACCELERATOR N BRAKE PEDALS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED ON FREEWAY IF IT HAPPENED FIVE MINUTES EARLIER. THE SCREWS CAME LOOSE THE SECOND TIME. THE THIRD TIME I HAVE TO USE THE WHITE TAPE ON THE SCREWS TO TIGHTEN THEM. *TR

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULBS FAIL PREMATURELY CAUSING LOSS OF VISION AT NIGHT. NEW BULBS ONLY LAST ABOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE THEY BURN OUT. WE ASKED THE VW DEALERSHIP IF THERE IS A REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY ANSWERED "NO". I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW STUCK IN DOWN POSITION. PRESSING THE WINDOW UP TOGGLE RESULTS IN GRINDING NOISE AND BURNT/ELECTRICAL SMELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT THE DRIVER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD, THE DRIVER NOTICED AN 18-WHEELER HEADING TOWARDS THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO AVOID A CRASH. THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE DRIVER REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP AND AN INSURANCE AGENT INFORMED THE OWNER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

I HAVE A 98 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. I HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEMS LISTED IN ONE OF THE RECALLS THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON SOME NEW BEETLES, BUT WHEN I TALKED WITH VOLKSWAGEN, THEY SAID THAT BASED ON MY VIN #, MY CAR IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THAT RECALL. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE SO THAT THIS ISSUE CAN BE RESOLVED? HERE IS THE INFORMATION ON THE RECALL THAT I THINK THEY NEED TO DO ON MY CAR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ROUTED TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY TRAY. THE WIRING CAN BECOME DAMAGED OVER TIME BY CHAFING AND THE AIR-CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND/OR THE FUEL PUMP CAN MALFUNCTION. CONSEQUENCE A MALFUNCTION OF THE FUEL PUMP CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, COULD ALSO RESULT IN A WIRING FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE HAD TO GET A NEW FUEL PUMP FOR MY CAR THIS YEAR AND MY MECHANIC IS TELLING ME THAT I NOW NEED TO GET A NEW AC COMPRESSOR. SINCE THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY A BAD ELECTRICAL WIRING, AND MY CAR HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THESE, I BELIEVE THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS RECALL. PLEASE HELP! *TR

MY CAR BEGAN TO OVER HEAT IN JULY AND I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC. I HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT AND TIMING BELT. @ MONTHS PASS AND AGAIN ITS OVERHEATING AGAIN NOW I'M TOLD THE HEAD GASKET IS BAD. I FIX THE HEAD GASKET AND ITS OVERHEATING. THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT. $1500 LATER I'M STILL IN THE SAME BOAT. *TR