2001 Volkswagen Beetle

THIS IS MY SECOND VW BEETLE TURBO THAT HAS AN ENGINE THAT HAS DIED BELOW THE RECOMMENDED MILEAGE FOR MAINTENANCE. BOTH VEHICLES DID THE SAME THING AND DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 75 MILES PER HOUR. I LOST POWER AND WAS NOT ABLE TO USE MY BREAKS TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY. AFTER CONTACTING VW CUSTOMER SERVICE (800 882 8987 REF# 60353557 9-29-06) I WAS INFORMED, "THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE DAMAGE OCCURRED BELOW THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE". MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS 73K AND MY CURRENT MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE USUAL MILEAGE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IS 105K. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE ISSUE AND VOLKSWAGEN IS MORE THAN AWARE OF THIS DEFECT. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. *JB

I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED USED 2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE IN FEB 2003. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE TURNPIKE SUDDENLY THE CAR LOST POWER AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CERTIFIED VW GARAGE WHERE I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING UNTIL IT STOPPED AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 56,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC IS GOING TO GIVE ME A REBUILT ENGINE BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO SAVE ME SOME MONEY. SO FAR MY CAR IS IN THE GARAGE FOR OVER A MONTH BECAUSE IT SEEMS IT IS NOT EASY TO GET A REPAIRABLE USED MOTOR. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ALSO I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR ONE MONTH ALREADY WHICH OF COURSE CAUSES A HARDSHIP AND A LOT OF STRESS. I DON'T FEEL THAT A MOTOR SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES ON IT. I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A RELIABLE CAR. BOY WAS I WRONG!! *JB

ALMOST TOO MANY TO LIST O2 SENSOR AT 20K MILES - TWICE TEMP SENSOR FOR COOLING FAN ($5 PART - $200 TO INSTALL) AT 30K MILES IGNITION COILS AT 50K MILES. VW HAD INITIATED A "CUSTOMER ACTION" ON ALL 1.8L ENGINES FOR DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS ON VW AND AUDI MODELS. CUSTOMER SERVICE ACTION MEANS NOTHING, COST ME $600 WITHOUT RENTAL CAR ADDED. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PRESS RELEASE WHEN CONTACTED DIRECTLY. WATER PUMP WENT SOUTH AT 61K MILES ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WENT SOUTH AT 61K MILES ALSO. WARRANTY COVERED STILL COST ME $300 FOR RENTAL CAR FOR 5 DAYS. TIMING BELT DAMAGED WHEN WATER PUMP WENT. VOA WILL TELL YOU TO "CHECK" IT AT 50K BUT IT SHOULD LAST TO 108K. PAID FULL LABOR EVEN THOUGH ENGINE WAS APART FOR PUMP WORK. VW SHOULD BE FORCED TO HONOR THE QUALITY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND FORCE A RECALL ON THE COILS, POTENTIALLY THE O2 SENSOR AND DEFINITELY THE ECM. THE REPAIR COSTS ARE INSANE. ECM ON THIS CAR IS $1300 NO LABOR. CURRENT WARRANTY ON NEW IS 60K. MINE WENT AT 61K. 2001 WARRANTY WAS 10/100 AND 8/80. THEY KNOW THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. CAR IS A LEMON, CONTACT LAWYER TOO MUCH HASSLE - THEY WIN AGAIN. *JB

I OWN A 2001 BEETLE. IT HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE OTHER DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I JUST TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE TO REPLACE A COIL AND AN O2 SENSOR. ALL THIS IS GOING TO COST ME CLOSE TO $1000! AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT FOR VW BEETLES. VW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL SINCE THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. I READ OF PEOPLE HAVING THE CAR STOP RUNNING WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS. *NM

I OWN A NEW VW BEETLE AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS BEEN GIVING DISPLAYS THAT COME ON AND OFF CONCERNING THE ABS SYSTEM, AIR BAG AND ENGINE. I HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS CORROSION OF THE TERMINAL STRIP FROM THE COOLANT TANK THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT AND GIVEN A FIELD SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT OUTLINED THE PROBLEM DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. THIS CAN BE A PROBLEM AS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS UNRELIABLE AND THE SAFETY SYSTEMS CANNOT BE SURE TO BE WORKING. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN TO NO AVAIL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT RECOURSE I HAVE TO HAVE A DESIGN FLAW CORRECTED? *NM

2001 VW TURBO BEETLE (22,770 MILEAGE) LOW OIL PRESSURE. SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP. OIL SLUDGE CLEANED FROM PAN AND PICKUP TUBE REPLACE, COST $457.53. SYNTHETIC OIL USE VICE NORMAL OIL TO AVOID SLUDGE BUILDUP. VW MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ENGINE DESIGN PROBLEM THAT CAUSED NORMAL OIL TO BREAK DOWN. OWNER'S MANUAL SHOULD STATE ONLY USE SYNTHETIC OIL. ALL PREVIOUS OIL CHANGES AND SERVICING WERE PERFORMED AT SPECIFIED MILEAGES AT THE VW DEALERSHIP. *AK