2001 Volkswagen Beetle

AT THE END OF MY WORKDAY MY CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK. I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT HE WOULD RATHER SOMEONE WITH MORE VW EXPERIENCE LOOK AT IT. WHEN I CALLED THE VW DEALER THE SERVICE PERSON SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE BREAK LIGHT SWITCH AND THAT THERE WERE RECALLS THAT IT MAY BE COVERED UNDER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE NEXT DAY THE FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, AFTER SEARCHING MY VIN# THE DEALER SAID MY CAR WAS NOT ON ANY RECALL. AFTER SEARCHING THE NHTSA WEBSITE, I FOUND A RECALL FOR MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE PERTAINING TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *JB

TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER ON 2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE FAILED IN SAME WAY AS DESCRIBED IN YOUR RECALL #04V584000-WHICH APPLIES TO OTHER MODELS BUT NOT NEW BEETLE. OCCURRENCE DATE: 12 JANUARY 2006, MILEAGE 64,200 APPROX. THIS IS SAME BEHAVIOR ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY YOU. I REQUEST THAT INVESTIGATION BE OPENED TO BROADEN THE RECALL TO THIS MODEL. I AM TRYING TO FIND REPLACEMENT PART. *JB

DT: HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE RECALL. EPC LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF, CAME ON AGAIN. CURRENTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OFF. TRIED TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE, JUST TURNING THE KEY HAVE WAY , BUT THEY STILL WILL NOT COME ON. IT CAME ON ONCE BEFORE ABOUT 4 OR 5 MONTHS, BUT IT WENT BACK OFF. CONTACTED DEALER ,THEY HAD CHECKED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN.*AK

2001 VW BEETLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK. RESEARCED ON LINE TO FIND THERE WAS A RECALL CONCERNING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHS IN 2001 BEETLE. TOOK CAR TO BUTLER VW TO HAVE FIXED AND WAS CHARGED FOR REPAIR KNOWING THEY HAVE A HISTORY WITH THESE SWITCHS BEING DEFFECTIVE. DEALER WOULD NOT PAY BASED ON VEHICLE NOT FALLING INTO VIN'S THAT WERE RECALLED.

PURCHED A USED 2001 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE FOR MY DAUGHTERS 16TH BIRTHDAY. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FIRST. AFTER 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALER( WHICH IS 50 MILES AWAY) THAT WAS FINALLY FIXED. THEN IS WOULDN'T COME OUT OF PARK. SO WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY PUT IN A NEW BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. WELL NOW IT IS STUCK IN PARK AGAIN AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR TOWING AGAIN TO HAV THE SAME PART REPLACED AGAIN. THE TOW BILL ALONE IS WELL OVER 100.00. I CALLED VW AND THEY TELL ME THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALLL THAT IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THIS CAR IS COSTING ME A FORTUNE AND SHE HAS HAD IT ONLY 1 YEAR AND IT HAS ONLY 48,000 MILES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE TIMES THEN OUT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VW. THEY ARE TOTALLY JUNK.

MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO HAVE OUR 2001 NEW BEETLE TDI HEADLIGHTS ADJUSTED PROPERLY HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH BY GURLEY-LEEP VW SERVICE DEPARTMENT, SINCE THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, 2001 WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW.*AK SPECIFICALLY: LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SET FAR, FAR TOO LOW; I ESTIMATE THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATE ABOUT 60 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, LIMITING TRAVEL AT NIGHT TO ~35 MPH; THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY HAZARD FOR TWO REASONS: 1) WE CAN'T SEE HAZARDS SOON ENOUGH, AND 2) OUR LOWER SPEEDS PRESENT A HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING AT HIGHER (NORMAL) SPEEDS. WHEN I ASK WHY THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SET TOO LOW, I'M TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL THAT "THEY'RE SET TO SPEC". LATEST, 12/14/04: SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGAIN TOLD US THEY SET THE HEADLIGHTS "TO SPEC", BUT THE RIGHT LIGHT ASSEMBLY DOESN'T STAY IN ADJUSTMENT, I.E., IT "DROPS", AND WE NEED TO BUY A NEW ASSEMBLY AT ABOUT $330.00. THIS IS A STRANGE SITUATION BECAUSE THE LEFT HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATES THE ROAD AT THE SAME DISTANCE AS THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT, AND THE GURLEY LEEP SERVICE DEPARTMENT PEOPLE DID NOT TELL US THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT. BOTTOM LINE: THIS IS APPARENTLY EITHER A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR A POORLY MANAGED MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT; EITHER WAY IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND MUST BE CORRECTED BY VW AT NO CHARGE.

ON 7 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WE HAVE HAD A FAULTY BRAKE LIKE SWITCH REPLACED ON A 2001 VW BEETLE THAT WE BOUGHT NEW. WHEN THIS PROBLEMS OCCURS, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR DRIVE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY DAUGHTER'S SAFETY. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN OCT. 2001 AND IS CONTINUING TO OCCUR REPEATEDLY. WHAT CAN I DO AS A CONSUMER? MY DAUGHTER WILL BE MOVING 120 MILES AWAY IN ONE MONTH TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PICK HER UP AND HAVE HER CAR TOWED WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. PLEASE HELP!!!!!*AK