2003 Volkswagen Beetle

VW NEW BEETLES HAVE A SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CONSTANT AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON DUE TO POOR QUALITY WIRING UNDER THE SEAT AND IN THE SEAT BELT HARNESS. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICAN DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POOR QUALITY WORKMANSHIP. PARTS ARE TOO EXPANSIVE AND ONLY A DEALER ITEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF VW BEETLE OWNERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE SOME PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT. *TR

MY COMPLAINT CONCERN OUR VW BEETLE AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR BACK IN JANUARY 2008 I RECEIVED A EMAIL FROM SAFETY ENGINEER STEVE CHAN REGARDING A INVESTIGATION WHICH SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN FILED WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN REGARDING THE SAME MATTER. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE SENSORS. WE DID HAVE OUR REPLACE ON OUR 2003 VW BEETLE WHICH WE GOT REIMBURSTMENT. HOWEVER NOW, AGAIN THE SAME (FRONT) CRASH AIRBAG SENSOR HAVE WENT OUT (FAIL) AGAIN. OUR VEHICLE IS BEEN SERVICE AT MURRITEIA VW SERVICE ADVISOR STEVE (951) 894-6555 EXT 1358 DUE TO CONSIST FAILURE OF THIS MANUFACTURER PART. I FEAR THAT MY LIFE IS IN DANGER EVERY TIME I DRIVE OUR VW BEETLE VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS GREAT BIG SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE I PURCHASED MY USED 2003 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE 1.8T IN JUNE '07. WE HAVE TAKEN IT DO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEY HAVE QUOTED OUTRAGEOUS PRICES FOR REPLACING THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSORS, UPWARDS OF $700. LAST YEAR THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSORS, WHICH WE HAD REPLACED. BUT THE LIGHT STILL REMAINS ON, AND NOW THEY SAY IT IS THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT SWITCH, AND QUOTED $300 FOR REPAIRS. A QUICK WEB SEARCH SHOWS THIS SEATBELT SWITCH ISSUE IS WIDESPREAD, AND IS USUALLY CAUSED BY BROKEN WIRES UNDER THE SEAT. APPARENTLY THESE WIRES ARE TOO SHORT AND/OR EXPOSED, AND CAN EASILY BE BROKEN BY MOVING THE SEAT TOO FAR FORWARD OR BY ITEMS PUSHED UNDER THE SEAT. I THINK THIS IS YET ANOTHER POORLY DESIGNED SYSTEM THAT CREATES A REAL HAZARD FOR PEOPLE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO PAY FOR THE DEALER TO POKE AROUND UNTIL THEY FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEMS. *TR

1. MY AIRBAG LIGHT IN MY CAR CAME ON. 2. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT FOUND THE SEATBELT SENSOR HAD GONE BAD THUS CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. 3. THE SEATBELT WAS REPLACED SO THAT THE SENSOR WOULD AGAIN BE WORKING CORRECTLY AND THE AIRBAGS WOULD BE DEPLOYED IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. AS THE SEATBELT MECHANISM WAS WORKING FINE, BUT JUST A TINY SENSOR ON THE SEATBELT ARM WENT BAD, IT CAUSED MY AIRBAGS TO BE DEACTIVATED. THERE SHOULD BE A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON SUCH SAFETY PARTS SUCH THAT THERE IS NEVER A FAILURE TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS OR AN ISSUE WITH SEATBELTS. THE AUTO REPAIR EMPLOYEES SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED HUNDREDS OF THESE SEATBELTS IN VWS FOR THE VERY SAME REASON I HAD. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE WARNING LIGHT FOR MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP COMES ON AND DOES NOT GO OUT ALSO DRIVER SEAT IS STUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN ON 11/15/2005 AT THAT TIME IT WAS ONLY THE AIR BAG CAUSE; 00591. DRIVERS SEAT BELT SWITCH FAULTY IT WAS REPLACED ON 12/12/2007 THE SAME PROBLEM AND MORE BUT,THIS TIME I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I HAVE FOUND A ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND NHTSA IS AWARE OF IT.THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY I HAVE HAD REPAIR DRIVER SEAT SLIDER. IT HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING, NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VW. *TR

CAR BOUGH USED FROM VS DEALERSHIP ON 7/31/2006. BEEN IN FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT 4TIMES, AIRBAG LIGHT 3 TIMES, A/C BROKE ONCE, WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP ONCE, NEEDED NEW ROTORS ONCE, RATTLING UNDER HOOD ONCE, BATTERY DIED TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT AND I HAD TO TOW IT BACK TO VW. CAR JERKS WHEN GOING OUT OF FIRST GEAR-I TOLD VW THIS REPEATEDLY AND THEY ONLY TRIED TO FIX IT AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS UP. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE $700 TO FIX. ON 12/9/2008 MY CAR WOULD NOT GO OUT OF FIRST GEAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY HOUSE AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR. I CAN NOT PUT ANYMORE MONEY INTO IT. WHEN THE WARRANTY WENT UP, ALL OF THE SUDDEN EVERYTHING STARTED GOING WRONG. I REQUESTED PRIOR INFORMATION FROM THE VW DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE OTHER OWNER BEFORE ME. I FEEL THAT THIS CAR WAS DOCTORED SO THAT I WOULD BUY IT AND THEN IT STARTED FALLING APART. *TR