1999 Volkswagen Beetle

1999 WW BEETLE WITH MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING SHIFTING, BRAKE SWITCH (RECALL N4)**CC THE CONSUMER COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK, WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE BRAKE SWITCH. THE CONSUMER THEN RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AFTER ALREADY HAVING THE REPAIRS DONE. THE CONSUMER DIDN'T TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER BECAUSE THEY WOULD ONLY HAD PAID FOR THE SWITCH AND NOT THE LABOR BECAUSE AT THE TIME, THE RECALL WAS NOT IN EFFECT. THE SERPENTINE BELT AND STARTER WAS REPLACED. *JB

THE CAR MADE A FUNNY WHISTLE NOISE THEN SHUT OFF. THE PERSON BEHIND US SAID BLUE SMOKE CAME OUT THE BACK. TOOK TO DEALER HAD ENGINE, WATER PUMP, TURBO AND BELTS REPLACED. NOW DEALER CAN NOT GET CAR TO RUN PROPERLY. THE DIESEL STARTS FINE AND RUNS GREAT AFTER 15 MINUTES CAR STARTS RUNNING SLUGGISH AND HAS NO POWER. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR 4 MONTHS STILL WAITING AND STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE BEETLE. *JB

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN 1999. WAS PLAGUED WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THROUGH 2001 SUCH AS FAULTY RADIO ( 2 OCCURRENCES) ,FAULTY DOOR LOCK SWITCH AND 1 OCCURRENCE OF NON FUNCTIONING LIGHTS( INSIDE AND OUT) , HORN, DOOR CHIME . COMPLAINED OF SMOKE STREAMING FROM STEERING COLUMN IN 2004. SMOKE WAS CONSISTENT WITH MELTED PLASTIC ODOR. DEALER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE ORIGIN OF ODOR IN FEB 2006. IGNITION COIL + WIRING OVERHEATED AND MELTED. RELAY ALSO OVERHEATED. PARTS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. DEFECTIVE IGNITION COIL RETAINED. *NM

FUSE PANEL LOCATED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY MELTED IN THE AREA OF THE FUSE FOR THE RADIATOR COOLING FANS. THIS FURTHER DAMAGED THE FUSES FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE ABS SYSTEM. THIS CAUSED POWER TO THE ABS SYSTEM TO BE LOST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THIS PROBLEM AS SHORTED COOLING FANS. HOWEVER, THE WIRING TO THE MOTORS AND THE FAN CONTROL UNIT WERE NOT AFFECTED. THERE WAS ALSO THE DISTINCT SMELL OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND MELTED PLASTIC UNDER THE HOOD. THE FUSE PANEL HAS WHITE DEPOSITS UNDER ITS COVER ABOVE THE AREA THAT MELTED. I ASKED THE DEALER TO GIVE ME THE PARTS AFTER THE SERVICE. THE FAN MOTORS APPEAR TO OPERATE CORRECTLY WHEN CONNECTED TO A 12V POWER SUPPLY. THIS IS A POOR DESIGN THAT SUBJECTS THE FUSE TERMINALS TO CORROSIVE FUMES FROM THE BATTERY. THE INSERT MOLDED TERMINALS THEN BECOME CORRODED WITH HIGH ENOUGH RESISTANCE TO HEAT UP AND CAUSE THE FUSE PANEL TO MELT AND OR CATCH FIRE. I'M GLAD THAT THE PANEL WAS CONSTRUCTED OF A FLAME RETARDANT PLASTIC OR IT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BURNED MUCH MORE THAN IT DID. I AM ONLY TOO HAPPY TO FURNISH PICTURES IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEE THE DAMAGE. *NM

I OWN A 1999 NEW BEETLE WITH THE 2.0 ENGINE WITH 37,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THE CAR QUIT RUNNING APPROX. 2 1/2 YRS AGO,APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED IT FROM A CERTIFIED VOLKSWAGEN DEALER, USED. A FEW DAYS AFTER DELIVERY THERE WAS A ROTTEN EGG SMELL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, ENGINE SLUGGISH. AFTER ONE MONTH THE BATTERY WENT DEAD COMPLETELY. REPLACED THE BATTERY, CAR WOULD NOT RUN. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN AFTER FOUR DAYS. I FOUND INFO ON THE INTERNET THAT SECURITY SYSTEM MUST BE SET OR THE BATTERY WILL LAST ONLY FOUR DAYS. INSPECTED PLUGS, FOUND HEAVY CARBON BUILDUP. INSPECTED PRE O2 SENSOR, FOUND SAME. DECIDED TO OVERHAUL ENG. FOUND HEAVY CARBON ON TOPS OF PISTONS AND VALVES. MACHINE SHOP HAD TO REPLACE PISTONS, RINGS, ALL BEARINGS, OIL PUMP, PLANE THE CYLINDER HEAD, PLANE THE HEAD MATING SURFACE, REPLACE SEALS, TURN THE FLYWHEEL. I HAD TO ALSO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, TIMING BELT, CLUTCH, THROWOUT BEARING, O2 SENSOR, PLUG WIRES, AND THE DIPSTICK HOLDER. AFTER CONSIDERABLE MONEY SPENT, ENGINE WOULD START BUT NOT RUN. I FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALER THAT IF ELECTRICAL POWER IS LOST, VEHICLE MUST BE TOWED TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER AND BE REPROGRAMMED. IT WILL NOT RUN UNTIL THAT IS DONE. THE REASON GIVEN WAS THAT VOLKSWAGEN DID NOT WANT ANY OWNERS TO FIX THEIR OWN CAR. THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFIGANT SAFETY ISSUE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION! THERE ARE REPORTS ON SEVERAL INTERNET FORUMS OF THE ORIGINAL BATTERIES BLOWING UP AND EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RUN UNTIL IT WAS REPROGRAMMED. VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FULL INVESTIGATION ON THIS MODEL TO SEE IF IT SHOULD BE SOLD IN THE US. THERE ARE TOO MANY REPORTED DEFECTS ON THIS MODEL TO LIST HERE, SOME THAT APPLY TO THIS CAR, THAT ARE MUCH MORE DANGEROUS THAN I DESCRIBED HERE. I HOPE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT WILL STRAIGHTEN THIS COMPANY OUT AND THAT OWNERS WILL SOMEHOW BE COMPENSATED.

DT:CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH UNLOCKING VEHICLE. WHEN SHE TURNED THE KEY THE WINDOWS ROLL DOWN ON THEIR OWN. IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN RIGHT AT THAT TIME, BUT SOME TIME AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND OFF THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN. SOMETIMES THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE WILL WORK AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT WORK. CONSUMER KNEW OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER WAS REPAIRING THE PROBLEM . DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. REPAIRS WERE DONE AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. DEALER REPLACED THE CYLINDER LOCK SWITCH.CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE SHE OWNED THE VEHICLE.*AK

COOLING PROBLEMS LED TO OVERALL DIAGNOSIS OF COOLING SYSTEM. 30 AMP FUSE LOCATED IN FUSE PANEL ON TOP OF BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE BURNED AND MELTED. THE PLASTIC FUSE PANEL WAS DESTROYED AND THE FUSE ITSELF MELTED INTO THE FUSE HOLDER. THE CONTACTS IN THE PANEL FOR THE REMAINING FUSES APPEAR TO BE VERY SMALL (APPROX 18-GAUGE WIRE SIZE) AND POSSIBLY THIS EXTREMELY SMALL CONTACT AREA CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERHEATING, MELTING AND BURNING OBSERVED. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DETAILED IN THIS THREAD ONLINE: HTTP://FORUMS.NEWBEETLE.ORG/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=E9AEE49B8C9FDDF9B634388731C5D59A&THREADID=26315&PERPAGE=15&HIGHLIGHT=30A%20FUSE&PAGENUMBER=1 THE FUSE BOX AND FUSE (ORIGINAL OEM GREEN FUSE) APPEARED THE SAME AS THE PICTURES PRESENTED IN THE ABOVE-LINKED THREAD. *JS

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL AND RADIO.*MR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE RADIO OPERATED ON IT'S OWN AND THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN ON THEIR OWN. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO USE THE POWER CONTROLS TO. HE WROTE A LETTER TO THE VW DEALERSHIP AND HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN AND AUCTIONED OFF. THE CONSUMER WAS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE VOLKSWAGEN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *CB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ODOMETER ROLLED UP APPROXIMATELY 9000 MILES, THE DEALER RAN A COMPUTER CHECK BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB

#1 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEY REPLACED A SENSOR AND IT DID NO GOOD, IT CAME ON AGAIN, AND THEY COULD NOT FIX IT, I TOOK IT BACK FOUR TIMES AND THEY STILL DID NOT GET IT FIXED PROPERLY. # AFTER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH A NOISE IN THE FRONT END AND I TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS OK, BUT I TOOK IT BACK AFTER MY STEP DAD TOLD ME TO AND THEY LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME IT WAS MY SWAY BAR AND TOLD ME THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW PART BUT IT WAS OK I TOLD THEM I HAVE TWO KIDS AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT WAS OK TO DRIVE . THIS IT THE FIFTH TIME IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND WANT SOME ONE TO CHECK IT OVER AND CLEAR IT TO DRIVE SO I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING IN TO A ACCIDENT WITH A UNSAFE CAR WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME TO TAKE CARE OF THIS SO I HAVE A SAFE CAR TO TAKE MY CHILDREN IN AND DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GOING OFF THE ROAD . *JB