Volkswagen Beetle Complaints (2000)

263 consumer complaints on file.

#10098552November 9, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
FUSE BLOCK ON TOP OF BATTERY MELTED, FUSES NOT BLOWN. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10099131November 1, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, WITHIN 15 MINUTE OR LESS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON LOCATION TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH NOTIFIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS STILL UNDETERMINED. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10094695September 30, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING AND AT A STOP VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WOULD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10090891September 13, 2004
AIR BAGS
I JUST TRADED FOR A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE DIESEL FOR USE AT MY DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE EXCELLENT FUEL MILEAGE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE PREVIOUS OWNER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT THE LOCAL VW DEALER AND THE DEALERSHIP PERSONELL DID NOT MENTION THE LIGHT AS BEING A PROBLEM. I CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SERVICE FACILITY FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND ASKED THEM TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON. THEY REPORTED THAT THE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS DEFECTIVE. I CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN ASHEVILLE. THEY REPORTED THAT THE AIR BAG IN THE PASSENGERS SIDE WAS DEFECTIVE. I AUTHORIZED THEM TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $566.28. I CALLED VW AND THE LADY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR SINCE I WAS NOT A CUSTOMER OF VW. MY COMPANY IS THE CUSTOMER AND IT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR COMPANY USE. THE AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE. WHY SHOULD MY COMPANY HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE SAFETY PRODUCT?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10081280July 18, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
ONE RELAY SENSOR IN MY HORN FAILED WHICH CAUSED HORN NOT TO FUNCTION. HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR RELAY SENSORS IN ORDER TO CORRECT PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $ 300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10081281July 18, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID
CHECK MILL LIGHT CAME ON AT 41K. HAD TO REPLACE AIR MASS FLOW METER, AIRFLOMETER, HOSE, AND INSTALL NEW VACUUM VALVE. ALSO SOMETHING TO DO WITH INJECTION SOLENOID TO THE COMBI VALVE AND A FAULTY MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR. COST ME CLOSE TO $300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10081282July 18, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY HAS TO BE JUMPED WHENEVER LEFT FOR 5 DAYS. HAD TESTED AT 39K BUT VW SERVICE SAID WAS FINE. PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE UNTIL HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 45K AS WOULD NO LONGER START IN MORNINGS. REPORT STATES FAULTY BATTERY AND REPLACED WITH STATELINE (CANNOT AFFORD VW BATTERY WITH ALL THE REPAIRS I'M HAVING TO DO) AT $182.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10074073May 21, 2004
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE GOT STUCK IN PARK, AND WOULD NOT MOVE. CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT SHE NEEDED TO TAKE HER VEHICLE TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER. CONSUMER JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN JANUARY 2004, AND DID NOT TAKE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. HOWEVER, CONSUMER FELT THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10066308April 16, 2004
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
DURING CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION, CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES, THEN REENGAGES WHEN VEHICLE STRIKES A RIDGE OR HOLE IN THE ROAD. ON ONE OCCASION, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO REENGAGE WHEN PASSING THROUGH CASUAL WATER ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10066202April 14, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
FAN SWITCH WOULD TURN OFF, THEN STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10064273March 31, 2004
AIR BAGS
I HAVE A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BETTLE AND SINCE THE CAR HAS HAD ABOUT 30000 MILES I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO VOLKSWAGEN THE PROBLEM IS THE WIRING FOR THE AIR BAGS IS LOCATED UNDER THE SEATS AND BECAUSE OF THIS I HAVE HAD THE AIR BAG LIGHT RESET 2OR 3 TIMES FINALLY THEY SAID I WOULD NEED A WIRE HARNESS INSTALLED SO I PAID A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THAT TO BE DONE IN AUG 2003 NOW THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AGAIN EVERY TIME THE LIGHT COMES ON IT CAUSES THE AIR BAG SYSTME TO SHUTDOWN THIS IS A BIG SAFTEY ISSUE SINCE 2/3 RDS OF THE TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON I FOUND OUT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BEETLE AND THEY INSTALLED THE HARNESS ON THE NEW ONES TO FIX THIS WELL I HAD THAT INSTALLED AND IT IS BROKEN AGAIN I CALLED VW AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY ANOTHER 95 FOR A DIOGNOSTIC PLUS AND THEN THEY WILL DECIDE IF THEY WILL REPAIR IT AT NO COST THIS SHOULD BE A RECALLED ITEM IT PLAGUES THE BEETLE AND IT IS A SAFTEY ISSUE AND I CANT KEEP PAYING FOR THE SAME REPAIR PLEASE HELP ME. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10063960March 26, 2004
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
POSSIBLE GAS LINE LEAK. HASN'T BEEN OFFICIALLY DETERMINED..BUT DEALERSHIP OFFICIALS ARE SAYING THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF A FIRE IN THE ENGINE.DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056548February 4, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON MORE OFTEN THAN NOT SINCE 22,000 MILES. ON 8/28/01 O2 SENSOR REPLACED BY DEALER (#1). ON 1/20/03 DEALER (#3) TOLD ME THAT ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR AN ESTIMATED COST TO OWNER OF $1306.25. CAR BROUGHT TO NONDEALER AND REPAIRED FOR $36.00, ALBEIT TEMPORARILY. INCIDENTALLY DEALER HAD COMPLETELY RUN DOWN BATTERY, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. ON 5/8/03 CAR BROUGHT TO DEALER (#4) FOR OVERHEATING DUE TO A PUNCTURE IN OIL PAN, THOUGH OWNER WAS NOT AWARE OF HITTING ANYTHING. OF COURSE ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN ON AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME. AGAIN INCIDENTALLY TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 5 MILES OF DEALERSHIP AFTER OIL PAN HAD BEEN "FIXED". ON 1/15/04 OWNER IS NOT ABLE TO PASS EMISSIONS TESTING AND THEREFORE NOT ABLE TO RENEW REGISTRATION OF VEHICLE BECAUSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. ON THAT DAY, VACUUM LEAK WAS REPAIRED BUT LIGHT RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS. ON 1/21/04 A HOSE IN AIR INJECTION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED BUT LIGHT RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS. MECHANIC HAS NOW REFUSED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE CAR. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR - NEVER EVEN CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT BUYING A VW!! THIS IS THE WORST CAR THAT I OR ANYONE I'VE EVER KNOWN HAS OWNED. VW SERVICE IS ATROCIOUS AS WELL. THEY ARE INCOMPETENT, IRRESPONSIBLE AND RUDE TO BOOT. THE FACT THAT VW WILL NOT PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRENTY AND PROBLEMS OCCUR THAT HAVE KNOWN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT THESE CARS POSE. SEE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS THAT OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED UNDER "OTHER".*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10049881January 16, 2004
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON. AT TIMES THE AIR BAG LIGHT BLINKED, BUT IT NEVER WENT OFF. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE SENSOR UNIT SHORTED OUT. *AK *SCC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10053004January 12, 2004
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS CLASSIFIES AS A PROBLEM BUT I WANT TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION. I OWN A 2000 VW BETTLE THAT MY DAUGHTER DRIVES. RECENTLY, DURING HER TRIP TO WORK, THE CAR STARTED SPUTTERING AND WOULD NOT GO BEYOND 10 MPH. I NOTICED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS VERY SIMILAR TO MY 1982 FIAT SPYDER WHICH HAD A DEFECTIVE AIRFLOW METER. AFTER CHECKING WITH THE LOCAL DEALER, IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM ON ALMOST ALL THEIR MODELS INCLUDING MERCEDES BENZ CARS. THE PRICE OF THIS AIRFLOW METER WAS AROUND $ 60.00 WHICH MADE ME MORE SUSPICIOUS SINCE I PAID WELL OVER $400 FOR THE ONE ON MY FIAT. COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD OVER 20 ON BACKORDER DURING THE TIME I PURCHASED MINE AND I HAD TO WAIT OVER TWO WEEKS TO GET IT. IF THIS AIRFLOW METERS FAILS DURING TRAVEL ON THE INTERSTATE, IT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR WILL SLOW DOWN CONSIDERABLY IN HI-SPEED TRAFFIC. THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS COMPONENT IS BOSCH AND ACCORDING TO SERVICE PERSONNEL, THE COST OF THE AIRFLOW METER WAS IN EXCESS OF $250 BUT THEY DROPPED THE PRICE DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF FAILURES. I QUESTIONED WHY THIS WAS NEVER ADDRESSED ON A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLES, AT WHICH TIME THE TECHNICIANS JUST STOPPED TALKING TO ME. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047891November 12, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE LEAKING COOLANT, DEFECTIVE AIRFLOW SENSOR, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND PROBLEMS WITH WINDOW SWITCH. *MR THE WINDOW HAD TO BE OPERATED A CERTAIN WAY IN ORDER TO OPERATE PROPERLY,THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON DUE TO A BAD AIRFLOW SENSOR IN WHICH THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE COOLANT LIGHT HAD COME ON DUE TO THE TUBE THAT HAD RUN FROM THE COOLANT CONTAINER TO THE ENGINE HAD CUT IN IT AND LEAKED COOLANT. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10045894November 10, 2003
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
MY WIFE'S VOLKSWAGEN CLUTCH HAS BROKEN 3 TIMES. ONCE AT 3K, ANOTHER AT 34K AND NOW AT 83K; THIS DESPITE THE FACT SHE DRIVES ABOUT THIRTY FIVE MILES EACH WAY TO WORK ON AN EXPRESSWAY, AND DOES NOT SUE THE CLUTCH THAT MUCH. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10044159October 17, 2003
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT CONTINUES TO ILLUMINATE. DEALER STATES "PROBLEM IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE; " HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF COLLISION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10037794October 10, 2003
AIR BAGS
THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. *AK THE DEALER FIXED THE VEHICLE DIFFERENTLY EACH TIME. (AIRBAG, AIR BAG HARNESS, AIR BAG CONNECTOR AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER) WERE ALL REPLACED. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10042006September 30, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, AIR BAGS
CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT COMIMG ON/OFF WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND STATED THAT AIR SENSOR FAILED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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