1999 Volkswagen Beetle

I BOUGHT A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE ON AUGUST 4, 2004. ON AUGUST 27, 2004 I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH. I THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE CLUTCH, AS IT IS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY REFUSED, AND SAID THAT I RUINED THE CLUTCH DUE TO MY DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THEM THIS CAN HAPPEN IN THE 23 DAYS THAT I OWNED THE CAR. THEY STILL CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

1999 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE UNDER WARRANTY OF 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES-POWER TRAIN-TRANSMISSION. BECAUSE PARTS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION DURING REPAIR IN 2001 AND BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE PURCHASE DATE OF 4-28-1999, MANY CLOSE CALLS/NEAR ACCIDENTS WERE EXPERIENCED ON THE FREEWAY. THE BEETLE JUMPED OUT OF 1 GEAR OR ANOTHER AND IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC THAT IS LIFE THREATENING. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER CLASSIC VW OF ESCONDIDO, CA. DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FROM 1999 TO 2-03, 7 ATTEMPTS AT REPAIR WITH THE ONE 2-13-03 BY PARADISE VW OF INDIO, CA, 110 MILES FROM HOME. ONE DEALER WOULD NOT EVEN ATTEMPT BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T GET PAID. PER PHONE 2 OTHER DEALERS TOLD US TO GO BACK TO CLASSIC WHERE WE PURCHASED THE BEETLE AND HAVE THEM FIX THEIR OWN BAD WORK. THE TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF GEAR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, 70 MPH, AND WHEN YOU LOOSE GEAR IN THAT KIND OF TRAFFIC IN THE 2ND OR 3RD LANE YOU ARE IN REAL DANGER. ABOUT 10 OF THIS KIND OF NEAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED. LUCKILY ACCIDENTS WERE AVOIDED. FREEWAY TRAVEL CANNOT ALWAYS BE AVOIDED. COULD NOT GET THE CAR REPAIRED SO WE DROVE IT. CLASSIC ALWAYS MAINTAINED THE CAR WAS REPAIRED OR DIDN'T NEED REPAIR, AND WE DROVE IT. WE ALWAYS FELT IN DANGER. THIS TYPE OF DEFECT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION BECAUSE IT IS LIFE THREATENING, A DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN. *JB

THE 5TH GEAR IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR A NUMBER OF TIMES RENDERING ME HELPLESS IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. I HAD MADE AT LEAST 5 ATTEMPTS TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE ON THE TRANSMISSION BUT THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROPERLY AND WHEN IT WAS REPAIRED IT WAS IMPROPERLY REPAIRED, WITH PARTS LEFT OUT. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DUPLICATED BY ANOTHER DEALER NO REPAIRS WERE DONE UNTIL THE CAR WAS SEEN BY A 3RD DEALER WHO FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS UNDERWARRANTY OF 10 YRS/100,000 MILES. . WE, THE CONSUMER, MUST LEARN TO BE AGRESSIVE AND GET PROPER REPAIRS DONE ON OUR AUTOMOBILES AND WE MUST USE EVERYMEANS AVAILABLE TO US TO ENCOURAGE/FORCE THE DEALERSHIPS TO BE MORE AWARE OF CONSUMER SAFTEY. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED OTHERS ON THE FREEWAY DUE TO THE CAR SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. I NEED TO USE MY CAR AND I DID TRY TO GET IT FIXED SO IT WOULD BE SAFE ON ALL ROADWAYS AND IN ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON ROADWAYS. IF A CAR CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY A DEALER THEY SHOULD BE HONEST ENOUGH TO ADMIT THEIR LACK OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE AND THE CONSUMER REFERRED TO A PLACE OF REPAIR THAT HAS THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TOOLS OF THE TRADE TO ACCOMPLISH THE REPAIR. A CAR OUT OF GEAR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS ON A FREEWAY IS AS DANGEROUS AS ANY OF THE TOP 3 DANGERS LISTED AND SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. SO SHOULD THE NAMES OF THE DEALERS WHO ARE SO LAX IN ACCOMPLISHING LIFE SAVING REPAIRS.

WHILE DRIVING IN METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON, D.C. BELTWAY ("HIGHWAY") TRAFFIC AT EVENING RUSH HOUR, I WAS PREPARING TO SWITCH LANES AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS .... WHEN MY STICK SHIFT BROKE (ONE PIECE BECAME TWO PIECES). I WAS FORTUNATE THAT NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED, I WAS FURTHER BLESSED THAT I WAS ABLE TO COAST AT HIGHWAY SPEED (CAR WENT TO NEUTRAL) UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE LANE TO THE SLOWER RIGHT HAND LANE. AT THIS POINT I CONTINUED ON WITH FLASHERS AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN THIRD GEAR, BUT THE STICK SHIFT REMAINED BROKEN. I HAVE ASKED APPROXIMATELY 50 PEOPLE IF THEY HAVE EVER HEARD OF SUCH A MALFUNCTION. NONE HAD! I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE DEALING WITH ONLY VW PEOPLE CONCERNING THE ACCEPTIBILITY OF THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED USAA AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I GET YOUR GROUP INVOLVED. THANK YOU

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER & ODOMETER WEREN'T WORKING (MILEAGE FROZE AT 26,139). THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT WORKING EITHER. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT. BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE 19 FAILURES WHEN IT WAS TESTED ON THEIR COMPUTER. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS PARTS REPLACED. (WILL BE COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY POSSIBLY). STILL WAITING ON PARTS. THEY SAID AFTER THEY REPLACE PARTS OF TRANSMISSION THEY WILL LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE AND HOW MUCH IT WILL COST ME. THE STANDARD WARRANTY ENDED MARCH 2001. THE VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE (26,139). THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED LAST YEAR. MANY TIMES THE CAR WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE JUMPED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE FIRST YEAR I HAD THE CAR AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED IT WAS A SENSOR PROBLEM.*AK