2000 Volkswagen Beetle

VEHICLE: 2000 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED RESULTING IN A LACK OF ABILITY TO PROPERLY GAUGE SPEED. ALSO, LOST THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER FUEL LEVEL WAS LOW. VW DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE CLUSTER NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE IS 3 YEARS AND 1 MONTH OLD. THE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS 24 MONTHS OR 24,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS 16,000 MILES. I CONTACTED VW "CUSTOMER ADVOCATE" (THEIR NAME, NOT MINE) DEPARTMENT AND REQUESTED THEIR HELP. I REFERENCED SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 0103; "SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NONFUNCTIONAL". AFTER REVIEW THE "ADVOCATE" SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO 'GOODWILL' BASED ON AGE (1 YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY) AND MILEAGE. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THEIR APPLICATION OF MILEAGE (THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 16,000 WHILE WARRANTY IS 24,000) THE ADVOCATE RESTATED THE REASON FOR DECLINE, BUT WITHOUT MILEAGE. FURTHER, THE ADVOCATE STATED THAT SINCE I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THEY WOULD NOT APPLY GOODWILL. WHEN I ASKED WHAT THE BASIS WAS FOR OWNERSHIP DISCRIMINATION, SHE INDICATED THE LACK OF SERVICE RECORDS. WHEN I, AGAIN, INDICATED THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER THREE MONTHS AGO AND COULD PROVIDE THE PRIOR SERVICE RECORDS, SHE SAID BASICALLY "TOO BAD", I COULD SEND THEM A COPY, BUT UPON REVIEW VW CUSTOMER ADVOCATE WOULD NOT LIKELY REVISE THEIR DECISION. *JB

DRIVER'S SIDE SIDE IMPACT-AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A FREEWAY. VOLKSWAGEN THEORIZED THAT ROAD DEBRIS PENETRATED THE FLOORBOARD CAUSING THE SENSOR TO GO OFF. HOW THIN IS THE FLOORBOARD THAT A ROCK OR PIECE OF ROAD DEBRIS COULD PENETRATE IT? AND WHY DOES THAT THROW OFF THE SENSOR FOR A SIDE AIRBAG? VOLKSWAGEN REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR TOWING, REPAIRS, OR MY ARM INJURY. *NLM

MY HUSBAND WAS INSTALLING THE BABY SEAT INTO THE BACK SEAT OF OUR CAR IN PREPARATION FOR BRINGING OUR NEWBORN SON FROM THE HOSPITAL ON A COLD RAINY EVENING. WHEN HE TURNED THE REAR-WINDOW DEFOGGER ON. THE REAR WINDOW OF THE CAR EXPLODED INTO SMALL FRAGMENTS OF FLYING SHRAPNEL WHICH SPATTERED ALL OVER THE BACK SEAT AND BABY SEAT. MY HUSBAND SUSTAINED MINOR CUTS ON HIS HANDS AND HEAD. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY, WHEN WE WERE TO BRING MY SON HOME. HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN BLINDED AND BADLY LACERATED OR MUCH WORSE. THE ENTIRE BACK OF THE CAR WAS SOAKED DUE TO THE DRIVING RAIN. BEFORE MY HUSBAND GOT THE CAR INTO A GARAGE, SIGNIFICANT WATER DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ENTIRE BACK PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I CONTACTED VW TO PAY FOR OUR DEDUCTIBLE AND REIMBURSE US FOR THE WATER DAMAGE, AND THEIR ONLY ANSWER WAS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTEE AND THAT THEY WILL NOT HELP US. I MENTIONED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE INJURIES WHICH COULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD MY SON BEEN IN HIS REAR FACING BABY SEAT WHEN THE GLASS SHATTERED. THEY WEREN'T EVEN INTERESTED IN TAKING THE INFORMATION DOWN. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT, A MR. BRANDON CURTIS, SEEMED WILLING TO HELP, BUT IT SEEMS HIS SUPERVISOR OVERRULED HIM. I HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO GET VW TO PAY FOR OUR EXPENSES, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS VITAL TO MAKE SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE WHILE THERE IS A CHILD OR INFANT ON THAT BACK SEAT. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CONTACTED DEALER. MR THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS SLIGHT DAMAGE DISCOVERED ON THE LEFT SIDE IN THE FIREWALL AREA. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IMPROPERLY ENGINEERED. SCC

SRS SYSTEM FAILURE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 16000 MILES. VEHICLE FAULT CODE WAS RESET WITH THE FIRST FAILURE. SIDE AIRBAG WAS REPLACED WITH THE SECOND LIGHT ILLUMINATION. SYSTEM FUNCTIONED PROPERLY FOR ABOUT 8000 MILES AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. AWAITING RESOLUTION FROM VW AS THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES ALSO PURCHASED A 2002 JETTA WHICH HAD AN SRS FAILURE IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGEN'S SRS SYSTEM WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO INVESTIGATE.

THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THE POLICE REPORT (FULL COPY AVAILABLE ON REQUEST) "DRIVER AND ONLY OCCUPANT BUTLER STATED HE ENTERED THE PARKING LOT AND PUT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION OF THE VEH. INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED INTO THE PARKING SPACE, BUT THEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES OF THE VEH. THEY DIDN'T WORK, CAUSING FRONT OF VEH. TO JUMP OVER THE APPROX. 6" HIGH CURB AND COME TO REST HANGING OVER EDGE OF THE RIVER WALL. BUTLER REPORTED HE HAS HAD THE LEASE VEH. FOR APPROX. 3 YEARS AND HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH IT, BUT NEVER ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES" "AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE WAS SITTING ON THE BACK OF THE VEH. TO KEEP IT FROM TIPPING INTO THE WATER" "BUTLER WAS NOT INJURED BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO EXIT THE VEH. AS HE REPORTED IT WAS TEETERING BACK AND FORTH BEFORE THE MALE SAT ON THE BACK END" ON REPORTING THE ABOVE TO VOLKSWAGEN, THEIR OFFICIAL RESPONCE THAT I FOUND INSULTING WAS THAT IT WAS "OPERATOR ERROR". I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STICK SHIFT VEHICLE FOR 12 YEARS AND NEVER MISTAKEN THE CLUTCH WITH THE BRAKE, AND AFTER RELUCTANTLY TAKING BACK THE BEETLE I WENT TO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT TO SEE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH BY MISTAKE AND FOUND THAT MY RIGHT FOOT WOULD NOT EASILY REACH THE PEDAL AND THEREFORE BEYOND ANY DOUBT DISMISS THE CLAIM OF "OPERATOR ERROR". SINCE THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY AND MINIMAL VEHICLE DAMAGE IT IS NOT FINANCIALLY VIABLE FOR ME TO TAKE LEGAL PROCEEDING, ALTHOUGH 4 MONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT I STILL HAVE FLASHBACKS AND BAD DREAMS OF THE NEAR FATAL EVENT. NLM