2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG OFF WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE SEAT BELT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AS THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO WOULD INSPECT AND PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION DOWN-SHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ON THE 2006 BEETLE ARE TIED INTO THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS. IF THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS GO OUT, THEN THERE ARE NO LOW-BEAM HEAD LIGHTS AND GENERALLY I DON'T KNOW UNTIL I HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS BUT HIGH-BEAMS. IF THE RUNNING LIGHTS HAVE TO BE TIED INTO ANY HEADLIGHT THEN IT SHOULD BE THE HIGH-BEAMS. I CAN DRIVE WITHOUT THEM BUT NOT WITHOUT THE LOW-BEAMS. I HAVE HAD MY RUNNING LIGHTS GO OUT TWICE SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR NEW IN 12/2005. LOST THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS BOTH TIMES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND A BAD DESIGN. *JS

OUR 2006 VW BEETLE TDI, WITHOUT WARNING, SUFFERED A SUDDEN REDUCTION OF BRAKING ABILITY DUE TO A CRACK IN THE VACUUM SUPPLY HOSE TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE CAR BECAME DANGEROUSLY DIFFICULT TO STOP. LUCKILY WE WERE IN THE FLATLANDS, NOT IN HILLY TERRAIN. THE COMPONENT IS AN ASSEMBLY COMPRISED OF A SHORT, STRAIGHT SECTION OF RUBBER HOSE, A CHECK VALVE AND A LONGER SECTION OF PLASTIC TUBING WITH A 90 DEGREE BEND. THIS BRIDGES BETWEEN THE VACUUM PUMP ON THE ENGINE AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER ON THE FIREWALL. THE PLASTIC TUBING SECTION TAKES THE BRUNT OF THE VIBRATION AND FLEXURE. APPARENTLY, THE PLASTIC TUBING BECOMES EMBRITTLED OVER TIME FROM ENGINE HEAT AND EVENTUALLY CRACKS. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE COMMON TO MULTIPLE VW MODELS ACCORDING TO WEB FORUMS THAT LED ME TO FIND THE PROBLEM WITH MY OWN CAR. ON THE TDI (DIESEL) MODEL, THE LOSS OF VACUUM IS NOT INDICATED BY POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THE VACUUM SOURCE IS A PUMP, NOT ENGINE VACUUM. *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH (ELECTRICAL PART, NOT LOCKING CYLINDER) AFTER TIME GOT VERY HOT, MELTED SOME OF WIRES CONNECTING TO THE SWITCH AND SHORTED THE SWITCH OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE THE HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS (NOT BRAKE LIGHTS), TURN SIGNALS, AND WIPERS. ALSO A FEW NON SAFETY RELATED TIMES AS IN THE HEATER. IF THIS WOULD HAPPENED AT NIGHT, YOU COULDN'T SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP OR WORSE IF GOING AROUND A CURVE. WOULD ALSO NOT ALLOW DRIVER TO SIGNAL TO OTHER DRIVERS OF A LANE CHANGE. ALSO, NO WIPERS WOULD IMPAIR THE DRIVER EVEN MORE WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE IN RAIN/SNOW CONDITIONS. WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN IT HAPPENED TO US. THIS BEING MY WIFE'S CAR, IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING HER TRIP HOME AT NIGHT FROM WORK. I JUST DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT. VW WILL CHARGE YOU TO REPLACE THIS PART IF NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PART INCLUDING DIFFERENT VW MODELS (JETTA, GOLF, ETC.) HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS SWITCH FAILURE. SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN ARE PRETTY BAD AND COULD ALSO POSE AS A FIRE HAZARD. THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH ASAP. *KB

2006 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION, PURCHASED NEW BY MYSELF AS SOLE OWNER. DRIVING DOWN ROAD ON 12/4/11 LATE AT NIGHT SUDDENLY COULD NOT SHIFT GEARS; CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR, CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO COAST IN NEUTRAL THROUGH DANGEROUS INTERSECTION IN A MAJOR URBAN CITY. CAR WAS DISABLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO SHOP. "TRANSMISSION FAILURE" DIAGNOSED AT ONLY 31,800 MILES? (DAMAGED TRANSMISSION PARTS DISCOVERED - BUT VW DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY). THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD IN BEETLES, HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OWNERS ON PUBLIC INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS, AND SOONER OR LATER SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT. PERSONALLY I WAS LUCKY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME OR APPROACHING AT A NORMAL SPEED HEAD ON; HAD THAT BEEN THE CASE I WOULD CLEARLY HAVE BEEN IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY OPERATED IN DRY CONDITIONS AND WERE INOPERABLE DURING RAINY WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE INSPECTED DURING RAINY WEATHER WHEN THE FAILURE WAS PRESENT IN ORDER FOR A PROPER DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

THE SEAT HEATER GOT EXTREMELY HOT VERY QUICK WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS SO HOT, THAT IT BURNED A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND BURNED MY BOTTOM. THIS ALSO NEARLY CAUSED ME TO GET INTO A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AS I TRIED TO NOT GET BURNED. *TR

CAR HAS DIFFICULTY SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS AND SURGES WHEN IT FINALLY SHIFTS. MULTIPLE DEALER VISITS IN JUNE 2011 AND OCTOBER 2011 INDICATE IT WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION. LOCAL MECHANIC THOUGHT MAYBE COMPUTER ISSUE. RESET OF COMPUTER DID NOT FIX. REVIEW OF INTERNET COMPLAINTS INDICATES SIMILAR ISSUES FOR HUNDREDS OF OTHER 2006 NEW BEETLE OWNERS WITH A VARIETY OF FIXES SUGGESTED, TRIED AND FAILED. NO RECALLS LISTED DESPITE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. *KB