Volkswagen Beetle Complaints (2000)

263 consumer complaints on file.

#750670August 17, 2001
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
CLUTCH FAILED ON A STEEP HILL WHILE WAITING FOR A LIGHT TO CHANGE. THE CLUTCH BURNT OUT WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO AVOID ONCOMING, UPHILL, RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. $1,800 REPAIR COSTS. VOLKSWAGON REFUSES TO REPLACE PART PAST THE 12,000 MILE WARANTEE DESPITE THE DRIVER'S 18 YEAR, PROBLEM-FREE, CLUTCH DRIVING EXPERIENCE WITH 2 VOLKSWAGONS AND 2 HONDAS. HORN JUST DIED. ELECTRIC WINDOWS DO NOT FOLLOW OWNER MANUAL DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#894300August 14, 2001
AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WILL STAY ON UNTIL CONSUMER TAKES VEHICLE TO DEALER. THEN, THEY WILL REPAIR IT. PART HAD TO BE REPLACED FOUR TIMES, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#894303August 14, 2001
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL GET STUCK WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. SOMETIMES WILL SWITCH INTO NEUTRAL. VEHICLE WILL HAD TO BE TOWED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#747349June 25, 2001
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, 10 MILES SOUTH OF PROVIDENCE, RI ON I-95. IT WAS 82 DEGREES AND SUNNY. I HAD A/C ON. SUDDENLY REAR WINDOW, FOR NO EXPLAINBLE REASON, EXPLODED OUTWARDS. THERE WAS A LOUD "BOOM" AND THE WINDOW SHATTERED IN THOUSANDS OF
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#891048June 22, 2001
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
WHEN STARTING VEHICLE IN MORNING AND WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED WITH VEHICLE IN REVERSE , PEDAL GOES DIRECTLY TO FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER REPLACED BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK DEALER HAS ALSO RECENTLY REPLACED THE HYDRAULIC PUMP AND PROBLEMS STILL EXIST, VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SHOP SINCE JUNE 11TH. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#891050June 22, 2001
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE FAILURE. *AK *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#888785May 21, 2001
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH REQUIRED THAT TRANSMISSION BE REPLACED. ALSO, DEALERSHIP HAS INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HEAD GASKET AND CONTROL VALVE FOR THE ENGINE WERE DEFECTIVE. NOTE: DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN IN POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. *AK *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#887854May 9, 2001
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DUE TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS POWER WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY LOSE OPERATION. EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS COME ON, AND ALARMS INTERMITTENTLY SOUND OFF. DEALER IS HAVING A HARD TIME CORRECTING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#887858May 9, 2001
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CONSUMER CAN HEAR AND FEEL VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. DEALER SAYS THAT AIR COMPRESSOR IS NEAR THE BRAKES, AND IT'S NORMAL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#885649April 11, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH, BATTERY LIGHT WILL COME ON. CONSUMER MUST RESTART VEHICLE. DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP RELAY SWITCH AND RAN TEST, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE.*AK CONSUMER STATES DEALER HAS ALSO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#884451March 28, 2001
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER STATED AIRBAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#742377March 13, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN IT IS EXTREMELY COLD (MOST OF THE TIME THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN BELOW ZERO) THE CAR WILL LOSE POWER AND DIE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. I WAS GOING APPROX. 75 ON THE INTERSTATE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED. THE TEMP. WAS TEN BELOW ZERO. I HAVE BEEN LEFT STRANDED 4 TIMES WITH THIS VEHICLE IN TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO. THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES!! I AM WORRIED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING ON RAILROAD CROSSINGS OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND VOLKSWAGEN FOR A REFUND- JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE BEETLE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#560276March 8, 2001
AIR BAGS
DURING VEHICLE COLLISION WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE ROLLOVER THE AIRBAGS EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT. *MJS
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#741705February 28, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
DRIVING ALONG AT HIGHWAY SPEED, DIESEL ENGINE DIES, WON'T RESTART, TOWED 5 TIMES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#881268February 23, 2001
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HEISTATED UPON ACCELERATION, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER REPLACED CONTROL UNIT WHICH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#740858February 13, 2001
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
THE DEALER ADMITS THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT. THE HEATED OPTION ON THE SEAT IS INOPERABLE AND AFTER A REASONABLE NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS THE OPTION IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING. I AM GOIN TO ARBITRATION TO HAVE VW PURCHASE THE VEHICLE BACK ON 02/15/01. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE ARE SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON ALL BEETLES WITH THESE SEATS YET NO TECH BULLETIN HAS BEEN PUT OUT AS OF YET. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I AM GETTING NOWHERE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#739648January 19, 2001
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE ON WAY HOME FROM WORK. INITIAL SYMPTOM WAS THAT VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE ON HIGHWAY AND STALLED. VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. IT THEN WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN APPROX. 5 MILES WHEN IT AGAIN LOST POWER. IT WAS THEN ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A FUEL STATION WHEN IT STALLED. UPON RESTART THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAGES WERE NOT OPERATIVE. IT WAS DRIVEN INTO AN AMOCO GAS STATION WHEN SMOKE BEGAN EMANATING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE INTENSITY OF THE SMOKE INCREASED AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. I PULLED HOOD OPENING LEVER NEAR DRIVER'S SIDE KICK PANEL TO OPEN HOOD. I JUMPED OUT OF VEHICLE AND OPENED HOOD. THE LEFT FRONT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE AND FLAMES WERE READILY APPARENT. THE FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE FIREWALL OF THE VEHICLE EXTENDING UP THE WIRE HARNESS TOWARDS THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY STARTED TO MELT AS WELL. A PASSERBY IN A CUBE VAN OBSERVED THIS INCIDENT AND GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM HIS TRUCK AND PROCEEDED TO CONTAIN AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.ER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#878422January 18, 2001
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS, EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
UNDERCARRIAGE OF VEHICLE WAS HARD CARDBOARD, WHEN GOING OVER A HIGH SPEED BUMP IT RIPPED UNDERCARRIAGE OFF. ALSO IN HEAVY RAIN, IT TEARS AND COMES OFF. HAS BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES, REPLACED ONCE. DEALER SAID IT WAS POOR DESIGN.*AK THE UNDERCARRIAGE CAME OFF SEVERAL TIMES AFTER BEING REPLACED. THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE AND THE A/C HAD FAILED. *YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#878234January 16, 2001
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. CALLED DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL, IT WOULD GO OFF. CAR WAS STILL STALLING, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THEN, A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE TOWED IN. AFTER PICKING UP CAR FOR REPAIRS IT STALLED AGAIN. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION NOISE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#558883January 11, 2001
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
THE CLUTCH FAILED PREMATURELY, IT DISINTERGRATED, NO EXPLANATION WAS EVER RECIEVED. NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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