1999 Volkswagen Beetle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE CLUTCH, PRESSURE PLATE, AND BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE WHICH WAS PURCHASED ON FEBRUARY 13, 2010. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN DRIVE MODE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL GEAR; HOWEVER, THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. SHE THEN ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK AND LUNGE VIOLENTLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BY REPLACING PARTS UNKNOWN TO THE CONTACT. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER, WHICH ALSO DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 121,000.

PROBLEM: GEAR SHIFTER FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKED IN PARK POSITION. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER HAS LOCKED IN THE PARK POSITION. IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR INTO A DRIVE GEAR, IT WAS NECESSARY TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES WHILE PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT HAS TAKEN AS LONG A 30 MINS. OF THIS PROCESS TO GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK. ON EACH OCCASION MY CAR WAS IN A PARKED POSITION. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM COULD POTENTIALLY OCCUR IF THE CAR WERE PLACED INTO PARK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN, IT WOULD CREATE A TRAFFIC HAZARD. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED BY MULTIPLE CONSUMERS THROUGHOUT VARIOUS INTERNET WEBSITES. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 99 BEETLE IN OCTOBER OF 2007 AND THE DAY THAT I GOT THE CAR THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT BACK THEY HAD IT FOR ONE MONTH THEY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND WIRE CLUSTER. WHEN I FINALLY GOT IT BACK ABOUT TWO WEEKS PASSED AND I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 0 TO 120 AND THEN THE CARE LOST POWER ON THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET THEM TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND THEY WONT. AFTER I GOT IT BACK THAT TIME THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING AND THE SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT GO ABOVE 40 WHEN I TOLD THEM THIS THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT THAT IT WAS MY PROBLEM. YESTERDAY MY MILEAGE, SPEEDOMETER, AND GAS GAGE STOPPED WORKING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU KNOW ANY ONE WHO COULD HELP ME WITH THESE PROBLEMS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *TR

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.