2000 Volkswagen Beetle

RECENTLY I BROUGHT MY NIECE'S VW 2000 NEW BEETLE TO THE VW DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED. IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT FROM INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AND THE RECALL NOTICE BELOW THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER THE DEALER INDICATED THE VIN FOR MY NIECE'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY VW. WE HAD IT FIXED ANYWAY AT OUR COST AND IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT IS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. LATER I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE US AND THEY DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH THE DEALER AND CONFIRMED THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE SERVICE COST FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE SWITCH. SURPRISINGLY THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT VW KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE RECALL AND COULD NOT ACCESS READILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE WEB TO UNDERSTAND IT. THE VIN FOR OUR VEHICLE IS [XXX]... VW SHOULD BE FORCED TO EXPAND THE RECALL TO ALL VEHICLES, SINCE IT IS CLEAR THE PROBLEM EXIST WTH MANY OTHER VEHICLES BEYOND THOSE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. * MAKE : VOLKSWAGEN MODEL : NEW BEETLE YEAR : 2000 MANUFACTURER : VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 03V265000 MFG'S REPORT DATE : JUL 25, 2003 COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED : 295136 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION. CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LAMPS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE; OR THE LAMPS COULD COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCHES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 26, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VWOA AT 1-800-822-8987. NOTES: VW RECALL NO. WT. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATIONS AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236). *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I DROVE AN HOUR AWAY IN THE RAIN, PARKED FOR 15 MINUTES, AND WHEN I RETURNED THE ENGINE WOULD START BUT I HAD NO USE OF WIPERS, HEATER/BLOWER, OR DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS. SINCE I DARED NOT DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITHOUT WIPERS, AND SINCE IT WAS A SUNDAY, I HAD TO GET TOWED HOME. IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH -- AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO REPLACE IT, THEY FOUND THAT ITS RECEPTACLE AND NEARBY WIRES WERE ALL MELTED! VW SAYS TOUGH LUCK, IT'S MY PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 BEETLE. BOUGHT IT USED WITH A EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM STARTED FEW MONTHS AFTER THE BUYING IT. THE CONSUMPTION OF OIL IS OUTRAGEOUS. I HAVE TO CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 800 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, THE DEALER PERFORMED A CONSUMPTION OIL TEST, AND ACCORDING WITH THEIR TEST THE CONSUMPTION OF OIL WAS WITHIN THE STANDARDS OF A REGULAR CONSUMPTION. HAVING TO CHECK THE OIL LEVEL EVERY 800 MILES IS STRESSFUL. FEW WEEK AGO I HAD TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUG BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T START. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 VW BEETLE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF BUYING THE CAR I STARTED HAVING ENGINE/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT IN........SEVERAL TIMES, SAME PROBLEM. AS I AM DRIVING THE CAR IT JUST DIES. I CAN BE GOING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY OR 1 MPH PULLING TO OR AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN. WITH NO WARNING THE CAR CUTS OFF. IT ALWAYS STARTS BACK UP, BUT IT WILL CONTINUALLY DIE. I LOSE ALL POWER TO THE CAR INCLUDING STEERING. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN AND HAS BEEN FOR TWO YEARS AND APPROXIMATELY TEN TIMES IN THE VW SHOP. THE CAR DEFINITELY HAS A PROBLEM THAT NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIX. I HAVE OR MY WARRANTY COMPANY HAS REPEATEDLY PAID FOR THE SAME AND THEN SOME REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. SOME PARTS (THE SAME PART) WERE REPLACED WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. MOSTLY THE SHOP DETERMINES IT IS THE O2 SENSORS THROUGHOUT THE CAR (APPARENTLY YOU HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT O2 SENSORS) OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TURBO (WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN REPLACED ONCE OR TWICE NOW). THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. SOME MORE THAN ONCE. THE CAR STILL DIES. IT GIVES NO WARNING IT JUST SHUTS OFF. LOSING POWER AT 70 MPH ON A CROWDED INTERSTATE CAN SHAKE ONE UP. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER, THE MANUFACTURER, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN. NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE OR WANT TO HELP ME. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP!*JB

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN MAKING A LOUD, HORRENDOUS NOISE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE AND LOOKED AT THE MUFFLER, IT APPEARED INTACT. I DROVE SLOWLY TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PIPE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THAT LEADS TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD DETACHED. THEY TOLD ME THE PIPE WAS STAINLESS STEEL AND THEY WERE NOT EVEN SURE HOW IT HAD EVER ATTACHED. THEY CALLED VOLKSWAGEN TO ASK WHAT COULD BE DONE. THE PEOPLE AT VOLKSWAGEN WANTED TO KNOW WHAT YEAR THE CAR WAS AND THE MILEAGE, 61,000 MILES. AFTER A HESITATION THEY TOLD THE MAN AT THE SERVICE STATION THAT IT WOULD COST $800 - $900 FOR A NEW SYSTEM. THE MAN AT THE SERVICE STATION DID AN EMERGENCY WELD, ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T THINK THAT IT WOULD HOLD. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE SAW NO DAMAGE UNDER THE CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS PIPE TO DETACH. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS SUSPICIOUS OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VOLKSWAGEN REPRESENTATIVE HAD QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE YEAR AND MILEAGE AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN MYSELF. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ON THAT MODEL HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO 80,000 MILES OR 8 YEARS. I EXPLAINED THAT I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS THE CONVERTER BUT IT WAS THE PIPE LEADING TO IT, I WAS ASSURED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY COVERED. I TOOK MY CAR TO PITCAIRN VOLKSWAGEN IN LANGHORNE, PA. THE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN DIRECTLY AND SHOWED THEM PICTURES OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF MY CAR. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT I HAD CAUSED THE DAMAGE. WHEN I ARGUED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE I HAD THE EMERGENCY WELD DONE. THEY AGREED TO REINFORCE THE WELD BUT THAT WAS ALL. *JB

THE CAR OVERHEATED AND THE TEMPERATURE LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE AUTOMOBILE TO A SERVICE STATION. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE BLADES TO THE FAN LYING ON THE ENGINE. HE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP WITH PARTS ORDERED FROM VOLKSWAGEN. THE MECHANIC WAS ASTONISHED AT THE PLASTIC PARTS USED BY VOLKSWAGEN. THERE WAS ONLY 60,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. *JB

ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT STARTED FLASHING A BEEPING WHILE CAR STILL HAD MORE THAN 50% OF ORIGINAL BRAKES LEFT. NO ACT OR EVENT SEEMS TO HAVE PRECIPITATED THE PROBLEM. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT BELIEVES THAT THE ABS PUMP IS MALFUNCTIONING. REGULAR APPLICATION OF BRAKES IS UNAFFECTED. UNKNOWN WHETHER APPLICATION OF ABS SYSTEM WOULD CAUSE BRAKE FAILURE.

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED WHILE LEAVING PARKING SPACE. DOOR HAD BEEN SHUT PROPERLY BEFORE TAKING OFF. DOOR LATCH MALFUNCTIONED ALLOWING DOOR TO SWING OPEN. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED AS SPEED WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR, BUT HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE ROADWAY, I WOULD NOT WANT TO THINK OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED. THE DOOR LATCH WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR AIR BAGS KEPT COMING ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED BUT LIGHT CAME BACK ON IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE CONSUMER STATED THIS PROBLEM STARTED SOON AFTER HE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2000 AND THAT IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING OFF AND ON EVER SINCE. *AK THE CONSUMER HAS HEARD OTHER BEETLE OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE CONNECTION UNDER THE SEAT CAN BE DISCONNECTED EASILY OR IS TOO EASILY DAMAGED. *NM