2002 Volkswagen Beetle

I OWN TWO OF THE VW NEW BEETLES. ONE IS 2002 AND THE OTHER IS 2003. BOTH OF THEM HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE TAILLIGHT/STOPLIGHT AND TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CONTACT DESIGN IN THE BULB SOCKET. IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE ASSEMBLY OUT AND BEND THE CONTACT TO PUT MORE SPRING IN THEM WHICH PUTS MORE PRESSURE AGAINST THE BULB. THIS MAY FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A TIME ( 1 TO 60 DAYS) THEN THE PROBLEM REVERTS. ALL PARTS ARE OEM EQUIPMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED VW ABOUT THIS AND THERE IS NOT A RECALL. I WOULD THINK THAT TURN SIGNALS AND TAIL LIGHTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A MANDATORY RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. *TR

PASSENGER DOOR HAD BEEN DIFFICULT TO GET CLOSED SINCE ABOUT 9/15/06, BUT ON THIS DATE, ALTHOUGH DOOR HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED AND LOCKED FOR 20 MILES, IT SWUNG OPEN AS I WAS EXITING A US HIGHWAY AND TURNING ONTO A STATE HIGHWAY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE SHOP AND HAD THE DOOR REPAIRED - ALTHOUGH NOW I CAN'T OPEN IT USING THE OUTSIDE HANDLE, THE DOOR HAS NO PROBLEMS LATCHING. PREVIOUS TO THIS ISSUE WITH THE DOOR, MY TRUNK RELEASE BUTTONS ON BOTH MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND MY REMOTE WOULDN'T RELEASE MY TRUNK - I WAS ONLY ABLE TO OPEN IT MANUALLY USING THE KEY IN THE LOCK. I REPLACED THE REMOTE BATTERY, BUT THAT HAD NO EFFECT. AFTER MY CAR DOOR WAS REPAIRED, MY TRUNK RELEASES STARTED WORKING AGAIN. HOWEVER, ON OCCASION THE TRUNK HAS HAD THE SAME RELUCTANCE TO LATCH THAT THE PASSENGER DOOR DID. IN THE LAST MONTH, MY WINDOWS HAVE DECIDED TO GO NO FARTHER THAN AN INCH FROM TOP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND ONLY HALFWAY UP ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND I CAN NEITHER UNLOCK NOR LOCK MY CAR USING THE INTERIOR BUTTONS - I CAN ONLY USE MY REMOTE. *JB

FAILURE TO START, WONT READ KEY IN IGNITION DEALER UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM AS OF YET. SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRED LAST YEAR, PRIOR TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHEN PROBLEM WAS MENTIONED, THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.... BASICALLY BRUSHED ME OFF. VERY FRUSTRATING SINCE I GREATLY DEPEND ON MY CAR FOR WORK. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE! *JB

02 NB WITH 7700 MILES, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. TOLD SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS FAULT. TOOK TO ROYAL VOLKWAGEN, WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH AIR BAG COMPUTER, SO, SORRY. NO OFFER TO INVESTIGATE NOR FIX PROBLEM. SPOKE WITH VOLKWAGEN CARE LINE, WHAT A JOKE, SORRY, NOT UNDER WARRANTY. COME ON VOLKSWAGEN, LETS DO A RECALL, OR DO YOU REALLY NOT CARE ABOUT OUR LIVES??? GERMAN ENGINEERING MY MONEY. *AK

2002 VW BEETLE 2.0 GLS W/ APPROX. 77,000 MILES. LOW FUEL LIGHTS STAYS ON / WILL NOT GO OFF. THE FUEL GAUGE IS WORKING PROPERLY, THE LIGHT JUST WON'T GO OFF. WE CHECKED SEVERAL WEB SITES AND CONTACTED A COUPLE OF VW DEALERSHIPS. WE FOUND OUT IT IS LIKELY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND IT'S A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. VW WOULDN'T WARRANTY THE WORK. *NM

IN JUNE I TOOK MY 2002 VW BEETLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT AGAIN WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED ALREADY, A BATTERY CHANGE, AND THEN ANOTHER ALTERNATOR. SO THREE ALTERNATORS SINCE CREATION. I WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER BATTERY HAD FAILED. SO NOW THREE BATTERIES IN TOTAL. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE STICKING ON AND BURNING OUT THE BULBS, THAT THEY STAYED LIT SO PEOPLE COULD NOT TELL IF I WAS BRAKING AND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS TOLD BY CORPORATE THAT MY VIN DID NOT FALL UNDER A RECALL. I ARGUED THAT WHILE MY VIN MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IT DID NOT NEGATE THE FACT THAT THE CAR HAD THE SAME FAILURE AND CAUSE AS THOSE LISTED AS PART OF THE RECALL. THEY FINALLY AGREED TO WARRANTY THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. I PAID FOR THE NEW BATTERY. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH OUT WORKING TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS. THE SERVICE REP FAILED TO RETURN MY CALLS ABOUT IT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. ONLY AFTER I CONTACTED THE MGR DID THEY CALL ME. THEY SAID TO BRING IT BACK AND THEY WOULD FIX IT. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $135 BECAUSE THEY SAY THE SWITCH INSIDE THE DASH FAILED AND IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH. FUNNY THE CRUISE CONTROL, ETC WERE RELATED. I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE SWITCH ALLOWED ELECTRICAL TO BE BACK FED INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WAS TOO POWERFUL FOR THE CIRCUITS THUS BURNING THEM OUT. THEY CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS NOR WHY THEY RETURNED IT TO ME BROKEN. THIS CAR IS AN ELECTRICAL LEMON! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTIES STARTING. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, AND THE KEY WAS HOT WHEN REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED; OPENED AND CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE MALFUNCTIONS WERE DUE TO A SEATBELT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

DT : THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE INGITION. HAD TO WAIT UP TO 10 MINUTES IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START. ONCE IT STARTED IT STAYED LOCKED/PARKED. IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY. CONTACTED THE DEALE, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT T REPLACE PARTS UNTIL THEY DUPLICATE. THIS STARTED ON MAY 15, 2005. ALSO THE TRUNK RELEASE WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE BUTTON THAT USED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM EITHER. *AK

AT AND AFTER 30,000 MILES MANY MECHANICAL FAILURES INCLUDING 2 ALTERNATORS REPLACED, 2 BATTERIES REPLACED, EPC LIGHT HAD COME ON TWICE, BRAKE LIGHT DEFAULTS, SIGNAL LIGHT DEFAULTS. MOST OF THIS WAAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THE A/C SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING AT 65,000 MILES AND IS NOT A FREON ISSUE. THE A/C WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.