1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Complaints

LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT FIRST, THEN AGAIN. AIR COMPRESSOR REPLACED 3 TIMES. CAR NOW STALLS. REPLACED FUEL/AIR FILTERS, STILL STALLS. CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD, RECALL STATES ALL PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. I WAS NOT THE OWNER AT TIME OF RECALL. APPARENTLY WAS NOT FIXED AT RECALL. *AK

WHEN JUMP STARTING OR REPLACING BATTERY VEHICLE WOULD RUN APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES OR LESS BEFORE IT STALLS COMPELETY OUT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERS SHOP TO RESET ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN ORDER TO GET VEHICLE TO RUN AGAIN. IF THIS OCCURS IN A TOWN OR CITY THAT DOES NOT HAVE A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SHOP, WHAT CAN ONE DO? ASKING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK

LEFT SIDE TRANSMISSION/ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS CAME LOOSE DUE TO VIBERATION. ONE BOLT BROKEN, BELIEVED TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING OTHER TWO BOLTS TO COME LOOSE FROM TRANSMISSION CASE. BOLTS CAN NO LONGER BE TIGHTENED UP TO SECURE ENGINE IN PLACE. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DENIES THAT THIS A DEFECT, WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR UNDER THIER POWETRAIN WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT STATES IN THE MANUAL THAT THE TRANSMISSION CASE IS A COVERED PART, AND WILL NOT REPAIR CAR OR LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ANY FURTHER.*AK

THIS CAR DRINKS OIL, THE ENGINE KNOCKS, VW HAS DONE NOTHING TO EVEN AKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THE WINDOW REGULATORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND ONE BROKE COMPLETELY WITH THE WINDOW FALLING OUT. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPEND WITH A KEY AND HAS BEEN CORODE

MANY PROBLEMS/FAILURES BETWEEN 10600 AND 19000 MILES. DASHBOARD LEFT TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR INTERMITTENT FAILURE PERSISTS FOR >1 YEAR AND DEVONHILLS VW REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE FOR THEM (IN THE MEAN TIME, THE LIGHT IS USELESS SINCE HALF THE TIME IT IS ON, HALF OFF).*AK

CONSUMER STATES THE DRIVERS SEAT SLIDES FOWARD EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STOPS, THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM.*JB

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH CONSUMER'S SON BROADSIDED A TRUCK, CAUSING A CRASH. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED FIVE TIMES FROM DEALERSHIP . WHEN BACKING UP THERE WAS NO LIGHT SHOWING UP. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

HOOD FAILED TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT CONSUMERS EXPENSE. *AK CONSUMER STATES IT TOOK FIVE WEEKS TO GET AN APPPOINTMENT. *SLC

THE OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS ON THE DOORS OF THE CAR ARE PLACED EXACTLY IN THE LINE OF VISION AND IN ORDER TO SEE WHEN TURNNG A CORNER THE CONSUMER HAS TO PUT HIS HEAD DOWN AND LOOK UNDER HTHE MIRROR, THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS DESIGN IS UNSAFE. NLM