Volkswagen Beetle Complaints (1998)

171 consumer complaints on file.

#710951September 5, 1999
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
ON 9/1/99, I DROVE THE CAR ALL DAY (BOUT 200 MILES) AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK WAS LEAKING GAS. (I HAVE NO SENSE OF SMELL!!) UNTIL I GOT HOME AND TOOK A FRIEND TO DINNER AND HE SAID "THIS CAR STINKS LIKE GASOLINE"! WE LOOKED UNDER THE BACK SEAT AND REMOVED THE COVER PLATE AND THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE GAS TANK IN THE AREA OF THE SENDING UNIT RETAINING RING WAS FILLED WITH GAS (ABOUT 1/2 INCH DEEP) . TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAL ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. TWO DAYS LATER 9/4/99, GAS SMELL RETURNED AND UPON INSPECTION THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN! GAS POURING OUT OF THE CLOSED RETAINING RING!! DUE TO THE HOLIDAY, I HAVE TO WAIT TIL TUES. TO HAVE CAR LOOKED AT. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED JOE BERTRAN AT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA RE THIS SERIOUS DEFECT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#842593July 19, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T WORK. ALSO, REMOTE CONTRO IS WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, AND WHEN THE RADIO IS ON THE TAPE DECK WILL PLAY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707289June 8, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
OIL CONSUMED AT RATE OF 1QT/1500 MILES. NO LEAK OR SMOKING EXHAUST. VW RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGE EVERY 10,000 MILES. ENGINE WOULD HAVE NO OIL BY 6,000 MILES. COULD CAUSE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. OTHER NEW BEETLE OWNERS I KNOW HAVE TOLD ME THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR GAS 2.0L ENGINE, 5SPD NEW BEETLE. THIS SITUATION IS VERY UNSAFE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707290June 8, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
PLASTIC CLIP IN COOLING SYSTEM BROKE, CAUSING ALL COOLANT TO BE DISCHARGED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC CLIP WITH METAL CLIP. VW SENT DEALER 8 METAL CLIPS THE WEEK PREVIOUS. THEY SAID OTHER BEETLES PROBABLY HAD THIS PROBLEM, THAT'S WHY VW SENT THEM 8 METAL CLIPS AHEAD OF TIME. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#838109May 18, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, ENGINE TURBO WENT OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE TO 120 MPH. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES/EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND DOWNSHIFTED VEHICLE, IT DIDN'T WORK. CONSUMER KEPT PUSHING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN, AND THEN IT ACCELERATED BACK TO HIGH SPEED. FINALLY, SLOWED BACK DOWN AND CAME TO A STOP. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#706559May 17, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
VEHICLE HAS HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION, RADIO/CASSETTE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN FIRE, PREVIOUS INCIDENT RADIATOR FAILURE, COMPUTER FAILURE, DEFECTIVE CONTROL SWITCHES AND DEFECTICE ENGINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#705807April 20, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
LOSING OIL AT RATE OF 1QT EVERY 1,500 MILES. VW ORDERED NEW ENGINE FOR ME. SERVICE SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT, AND IT IS NORMAL. I DON'T THINK SO. OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES AT 10,000 MILE INTERVALS. THE ENGINE WOULD BE BONE DRY AT 6,000 MILES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#836513April 5, 1999
STEERING
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON COUNTY NARROW ROAD AND A DOG WAS ON THE ROAD. SHE SWERVED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WENT AIRBORNE ONTO A HILL. HIT A TREE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. CAR WAS AIRBORNE AND CAUGHT BY A TREE AND ROOF WAS TORN OFF. AFTER THAT, VEHICLE WENT INTO ANOTHER TREE ON THE REAR CORNER, AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CRUSHED IN. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#835378March 1, 1999
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
CONSUMER ROLLED DOWN THE PASSENGER'S POWER WINDOW FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE INSIDE MECHANISM FOR THE WINDOW BROKE, CAUSING THE WINDOW TO BE INOPERATIVE.THE CABLE AND REGULATOR FOR THE POWER WINDOW IS ON BACKORDER. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHEN PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#835187February 23, 1999
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER HIT AN OTHER VEHICLE ON THE FRONT OR THE SIDE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#834871February 16, 1999
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
CONSUMER WAS AT STOP WHEN SHE WAS REARENDED AT POINT OF CONTACT, THE DRIVER SEATBACK BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS, RESULTING IN INJUIRES. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#703110February 9, 1999
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP, POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT, POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
FAILURE 1-POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE DOWN, NO POWER STEERING FLUID IN RESERVOIR. FAILURE 2-WHILE DRIVING OFF OF A HIGHWAY EXIT VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AND COASTED TO A STOP IN TRAFFIC. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BOLTS CAME OFF THE AXEL. ALSO, THE DRIVESHAFT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED AND FIXED. THE LEFT DRIVESHAFT FLANGE WAS ALSO REPLACED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702909February 3, 1999
POWER TRAIN
DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS WRONG PARTS BEING SENT FOR REPAIR; AS OF 2/3/1998 ODOMETER STILL NOT REPAIRED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#608936February 1, 1999
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
MOTOR FOR ELECTRICAL MIRROR FAILED. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#608951February 1, 1999
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDOW GLASS MALFUNCTIONED. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#606578February 1, 1999
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC., VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
RADIO FAILED. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#609304February 1, 1999
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
SPLASH GUARD FAILED. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#609248February 1, 1999
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
REAR LEFT WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#607310February 1, 1999
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED. *YC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#606736February 1, 1999
SEATS, STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID, VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
PASSENGER CHAIR ADJUSTING KNOB CAME OFF. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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