1999 Volkswagen Beetle

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

1)DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAD DIFFICULTY GOING UP SINCE VEHICLE PURCHASE, HAVE TO PUSH WITH HAND TO ASSIST. 2) JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE SENSOR BEHIND BRAKE PEDAL FAILED, VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT FROM PARK, REPLACED. 3) AIR BAG CAME ON AND THEN ENGINE LIGHT SOON AFTER, CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED. BOTH WARNING LIGHTS OFF AND REPLACED. 4) HEADLIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY BLOWING OUT, EVIDENCE OF A SHORT WHEN REPLACED. BURN MARKS, AND EXPOSED WIRING BECAUSE PLASTIC ON CONNECTORS GOT BRITTLE AND CRACKED OFF. 5) AIR BAG LIGHT ON AGAIN, TWO WEEKS LATER ENGINE LIGHT ON. TOLD TWO SENSORS ON MASS AIR FLOW AND SOME OTHERS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND NOW BEEN REPLACED. TOLD THERE IS A BROKEN CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN ALONG WITH BAD WIRING HARNESS, BOTH AFFECTING AIR BAGS. ALSO, TOLD AIR BAG IS NOW BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OTHER DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS HAVE SHORTED IGNITER IN AIR BAG OUT. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AND CANNOT CONTINUE TO FUND REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE. CANNOT SELL EITHER BECAUSE OF THESE PROBLEMS, AND NOW REPUTATION OF BEETLE FOR PROBLEMS. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, EVEN SO MUCH AS BUMPED. METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED. DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS----------------770755. *AK *NLM

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 18 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE JUMP STARTED. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN INOPERATIVE SPEEDOMETER BUT IT ENDED UP BEING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK BECAUSE OF AN ERROR WITH THE ELECTRONICS. *SCC

SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, ENGINE"CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO, CD PLAYER WAS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY AND TEMPERATURE DISPLAY (BY REAR VIEW MIRROR) DID NOT WORK. TOOK IN TO DEALER'S SVC DEPT. MANY TIMES, BUT PROBLEMS PERSITED . DEALER SVC. DEPT. CLAIMED EVERYTHING WORKING FINE. RECENTLY, THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE FAILED AND IT WOULD NOT GO UP. TOOK CAR IN TO DEALER SVC. DEPT. AND GOT REPAIRED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, CAR DIED. IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY, SO CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPT. ON 8-14-02. DEALER EXAMINED CAR AND SAID IT WAS THE TRI-LOCK SYSTEM AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. TRI-LOCK SYSTEM REMOVED BY DEALER BUT CAR STILL NOT WORKING. PROBLEM: POWER WINDOWS DID NOT WORK, PUSH WINDOW BUTTON AND TRUNK WOULD POP OPEN, AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON, ETC. ETC. ETC. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALESHIP FOR OVER A WEEK AND DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME IT'S FIXED, BUT WHEN I GO PICK IT UP (3 TIMES), THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING, AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON ALL THE TIME. VERY FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED.*AK

WHILE IN MOTION, THE RED ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER CHECKED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND FOUND IT TO BE EMPTY. THE CAUSE, A LEAKING COOLANT RESERVOIR CAP. THE RED ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATES OCCASIONALLY. THE OIL LEVEL WAS EXTREMEMLY LOW. MAZDAS SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE NEW BEETLES TENDS TO USE OIL. THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT FAILED ALSO. THE OIL PAN HAS A HOLE IN IT WHICH ALLOWED THE OIL LEVEL TO CONTINUOUSLY BE LOW, THEREFORE ALLOWING THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT TO CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATE, ALSO THE TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER BELT WERE REPLACED. *JG

WHEN TIRES WERE ROTATED, THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THREE BULGES ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. THE GOODYEAR DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS ROAD DAMAGE AND WOULD NOT HONOR THE TIRE WARRANTY. THE TIRE WAS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND HAD GONE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. IT HAD REPLACED THE ORIGINAL, WHOSE SIDEWALL WAS PUNCTURED WHEN MY WIFE HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. I SUSPECT THAT THE SIDEWALLS ON THIS MODEL TIRE SHOULD BE STRONGER THAN THEY ARE.*AK