2000 Volkswagen Beetle

WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING TURNS VEHICLE STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLED WHILE STOPPED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR METER, DIVERTER VALVE, OXYGEN SENSOR AND FUEL PUMP RELAY BUT THE PROBLEM PERSIST. THE LOWER ENGINE COVER WAS DAMAGED AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. *NM

SINCE NEW, IN THE PAST (4) YEARS, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLAMP BULB (5) TIMES AND THE PASS. SIDE HEADLAMP BULB (4) TIMES (DAYTIME RUNNING AND LOW BEAM). NOW, THE DAYTIME RUNNING AND LOW BEAM LIGHTS DO NO FUNCTION AT ALL!*AK I CANNOT FIND ANY BLOWN FUSES OR CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND AFTER REVIEWING SEVERAL VW OWNER SUPPORT SITES, I'M TOLD IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS DO TO CORROSION FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER BOTTLE SPILLAGE. THE ONLY WAY TO DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT OR DUSK IS BY USING THE HIGH BEAM LAMPS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WIRING OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THIS CAR, 2000 VW BEETLE WITH THE 1.8 TURBO ENGINE.

DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROAD IN AN ISOLATED AREA, LIMITED SHOULDER; WITHOUT WARNING CAR STOPPED RUNNING. HAD TO BE TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION & THEN TO A DEALER. IT TURNED OUT THE TIMING BELT HAD FAILED AND HAD DESTROYED THE VAVLES AND PISTONS REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE TO FIX. MY CAR HAD 99,000 MILES ON IT. WARRANTY ON TIMING BELT FOR FIRST OWNER IS TO 100,000 MILES. VW SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS SAY THE TIMING BELT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 105,000 MILES FOR YEAR 2000 MODELS. I AM CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY COST THAT IS INVOLVED IN REPAIRING THIS FAILURE BUT ALSO IN THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO WARNING AND IT CAUSED COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY ENGINE. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER TIMING BELT FAILURES ON THIS VEHICLE. DEALER ASKED FOR AND WAS SUPPLIED INVOICES FOR EVERY REPAIR AND OIL CHANGE BUT REPAIR UNDER THE WARRANTY WAS DENIED BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BY A DEALER AT 60,000 & 80,000 MILES. I CALLED THE 800 NUMBER FOR VW BUT VOLKSWAGEN WAS COMPLETELY UNINTERESTED IN MY STORY. THE ONLY TIME THE ISSUE OF CHECKING THE TIMING BELT WAS MENTIONED TO ME WAS AFTER IT BROKE! EVEN WHEN I HAD OTHER SERVICE PERFORMED AT 88,000 MILES BY THE DEALER. MY FEELING IS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WHICH IS SO SEVERE THAT IT REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE IS UNACCEPTBLE AND UNEXPECTED. I HAVE OWNED OTHER CARS OF A DIFFERENT MAKE THAT HAD WELL OVER 100,000 MILES WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS. WHY WOULD VW RECOMMEND REPLACING THE TIMING BELT AT 100,000 MILES IF THERE IS A PROBABILITY THAT IT MAY NOT EVEN MAKE IT THAT FAR? WHAT USE IS A 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY IF THERE ARE SO MANY LOOP HOLES THAT VW DOES NOT EXPECT TO HAVE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY? *AK

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH CLOSE CEMENT BARRIERS ON BOTH SIDES, NO SHOULDER; WITHOUT WARNING CAR STOPPED RUNNING. IT TURNED OUT THE TIMING BELT HAD FAILED AND HAD DESTROYED THE VAVLES AND PISTONS REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE AND TIMING BELT TO FIX. MY CAR HAD 68,000 MILES ON IT. WARRANTY ON TIMING BELT FOR FIRST OWNER IS TO 100,000 MILES, BUT ONLY 50,000 MILES FOR SECOND OWNER. I AM SECOND OWNER. I AM CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY COST THAT IS INVOLVED IN REPAIRING THIS FAILURE BUT ALSO IN THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO WARNING AND IT CAUSED COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY ENGINE. IT WAS EXTREMEMY DANGEROUS. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER TIMING BELT FAILURES ON THIS VEHICLE. VOLKSWAGEN IS COMPLETELY UNINTERESTED IN MY STORY BECAUSE I AM A SECOND OWNER. MY FEELING IS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WHICH IS SO SEVERE THAT IT REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE IS UNACCEPTBLE AND UNEXPECTED AND UNSAFE ON A CAR WITH ONLY 68,000 MILES. IT USED TO BE A TIMING BELT FAILURE MADE A CAR RUN POORLY NOT GET DESTROYED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-40 MPH, SUDDENLY THE VENTILATION PANEL BECAME HOT. WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VENTILATION SYSTEM ON THE KNOB MELTED. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY SMOKE COMING OUT THE AIR VENT. VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITHIN MINUTES OF THE CONSUMER EXITING THE VEHICLE, AND CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS REPORTEDLY DUE TO INTERIOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

03V265000/EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL SERVICE WORK DONE. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES OR THE BRAKE LIGHT. NOW, CONSUMER HAS DIFFICULTY CHANGING GEARS WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR FROM PARK TO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE LEFT THE CONSUMER STRANDED. THE EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND AFTER SEVERAL MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE HIM THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE WAS THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED DURING THE RECALL, THE VEHICLE WAS 27 DAYS PAST THE 12 MONTH 12,000 MILES REPLACEMENT PARTS WARRANTY. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB