2003 Volkswagen Beetle

THE WINDOW REGULATOR ON THE 2003 AND 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLES DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT DOES NOT ALLOW THE WINDOW TO GO DOWN ENOUGH OR SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. THIS CAUSES THE WINDOW TO RUB AGAINST THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. I NOW HAVE A SMALL TEAR IN MY TOP, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A LARGER TEAR OR POSSIBLE BREAKDOWN OF MY CONVERTIBLE TOP, RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE IN MY MINNESOTA CLIMATE. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THESE CARS AND VW REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AS THE REGULATOR CAN COST UP TO $700 PER SIDE TO FIX. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING TO VIRTUALLY EVERY 03, 04 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. *TR

REAR WINDOW IS DETACHING FROM CONVERTIBLE TOP CREATING OPEN SPACE INTO CAR, RAIN ENTRY AND POOR VISIBILITY THRU REAR VIEW MIRROR WHEN WATER IS COMING IN. FABRIC SHRINKING BACK FROM GLASS. CANNOT BE RE GLUED. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED THE ENTIRE TOP MUST BE REPLACED. RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS WITH A COMPANY THAT REPLACES CONVERTIBLE TOPS EVIDENTLY HIS IS COMMON ON THE 2003 MODEL. THE REAR CONVERTIBLE TOP WINDOW STARTED FALLING OUT LATE 2008. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. TOO MANY SAFETY CONCERNS DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER. *TR

REAR WINDOW IS DEATTACHING FROM CONVERTIBLE TOP CREATING OPEN SPACE INTO CAR. FABRIC SHRINKING BACK FROM GLASS. HEADLINER DEATTACHED FROM INSIDE WINDOWS EVEN THOUGH CLIPS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. $1850 FOR NEW TOP PER DEALER PLUS 6-8 HOURS FOR LABOR AT $98 AN HOUR.GLASS CANNOT BE RE GLUED ..WHOLE TOP MUST BE REPLACED. VWOA CUSTOMER CARE CONTACTED MANY TIMES AND WAS TOLD SORRY YOU ARE OVER WARRANTY. MANY MANY PEOPLE ON LINE REPORTING SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2003 MODEL. VWOA NOT INTERESTED IN CHECKING INTO THE PROBLEM ONLY REPEATING THAT I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. WHAT HAPPENS IF IT FALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING..OR FALLS IN TO THE BACKSEAT AND HITS PASSENGER OR GOD FORBID SOMEONE WITH A BABYSEAT BACK THERE. VWOA WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE PROBLEM JUST IN LETTING ME KNOW THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND IT IS NOT COVERED. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THE TOP IT IS A DEFECT IN THE HEAT SEAL OR ADHESIVE HOLDING THE WINDOW IN PLACE. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE SAME WINDOW PROBLEMS AS THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE SITE BUT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. HOWEVER ,FROM MY INTERNET SEARCH IT SEEMS THAT THE REAR CONVERTIBLE TOP WINDOW STARTED FALLING OUT STARTING FOR MOST IN 2008. I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 04 AND CAN'T BELIEVE I CANT EVEN DRIVE IT SAFELY EVEN THOUGH I'M STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT WITHOUT MAKING A $3000 REPAIR. *TR

SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ASAP TO MAKE VOLKSWAGEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 2003 BEETLE CONVERTIBLE DOORS AND WINDOW PROBLEMS. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2003 WITH LESS THAT 10 MILES ON IT SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE WITH MOST OF THE PROBLEM BEING WITH THE DOORS AND WINDOWS. THE DRIVERSIDE DOOR HINGES BROKE OFF AND ALL OF MY WINDOWS REGULATORS/MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE. TODAY TOPS THE CAKE WHEN MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP!! NOW WITH THE REGULATORS JUST BEING REPLACED IN 2006 THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!!! AFTER READING EVERYONE ELSE'S COMPLAINTS THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ONGOING PROBLEM THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND HOLD VOLKSWAGEN RESPONSIBLE!! I DID NOT PAY THE AMOUNT I DID FOR A NEW VEHICLE TO HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. I HAVE OWNED OTHER TYPES OF CARS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. IF THERE IS AN ATTORNEY READING THIS I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER OWNERS THAT FEEL THE SAME!!! *TR

THE WINDOW REGULATORS/MOTORS IN MY 2003 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE HAVE ALL BROKEN. THE FRONT PASSENGER BROKE TWICE. THE BACK PASSENGER IS NOW BROKEN AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT. IT IS SPRING IN CHICAGO AND RAINY. NOW I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. THE LAST TIME, THE FRONT AND BACK DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOWS BROKE. MY DEALER HELPED ME WITH THE COST SINCE VWOA WOULD NOT LISTEN. I THINK I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE LAST REPAIR AND GET THE NEW REPAIR DONE AND PAID FOR BY VWOA. READING THE CHATS AND THE COMPLAINTS HERE TELL ME THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. I ALSO WAS TOLD BY VWOA THAT THE RECALL DID NOT COVER THE BEETLE CONVERTIBLES. WHAT A LOOPHOLE! IF OWNERS DRIVE THE CARS REGULARLY AND DON'T BABY THE WINDOWS, THEY BREAK. MY KIDS' FRIENDS WON'T SHUT THE DOORS BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID THE WINDOWS WILL BREAK. PLEASE FORCE VWOA TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS! *TR

I HAVE A 2003 VW BEETLE THAT ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT. THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK WINDOW WILL NOT COME UP. BEFORE I TOOK MY BEETLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED, I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VW BEETLES. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT BROUGHT BY THE LAW FIRM OF STUEVE SIEGEL HANSON IN WHICH VW AGREED TO (1) REIMBURSE ALL EXPENSES INCURRED BY VW OWNERS IN THE PAST RELATED TO REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE WINDOW REGULATORS, (2) INSTALL A REDESIGNED METAL WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACING ANY FAILED WINDOW REGULATORS (WHICH USED PLASTIC COMPONENTS) UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, (3) EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR ALL FOUR WINDOW REGULATORS AT ISSUE TO 7 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE CAR PURCHASE INCLUDING 1999-2003 MODEL YEAR VW GOLF, GTI AND JETTA AND 1998-2003 MODEL YEAR VW BEETLE. HOWEVER, WHEN I SPOKE WITH VW ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT, THEY STATED THAT MY VW 2003 NEW BEETLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SETTLEMENT BECAUSE IT WAS A CONVERTIBLE. MY CAR'S WINDOW REGULATORS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE EXACT FAILURE AS THESE VEHICLES. IT IS UNSETTLING TO DRIVE A CAR EXPECTING A WINDOW TO FALL DOWN INTO THE TRACKS AT ANYTIME - ESPECIALLY IF IT IS DURING THE WINTER, RAINING, ETC. THIS DEFECT, IN MY OPINION, IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO IT IS UNSETTLING THAT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DOES NOT HAVE A COMPANY-WIDE POLICY CONCERNING THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THIS REPAIR NOR HAS INSTITUTED A RECALL TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. THERE ARE MANY HORROR STORIES OF WINDOWS FAILING AND CARS BEING OUT OF SERVICE FOR MONTHS WHILE BACKORDERED PARTS ARRIVE. I WANT VOLKSWAGEN TO COVER THE FULL COST TO REPAIR ANY DEFECTIVE WINDOW REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY STATUS. ADDITIONALLY, VW SHOULD BE PRO-ACTIVE AND ISSUE A RECALL. THIS RECALL WOULD IMPROVE VOLKSWAGEN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE RATINGS BY GREATLY DECREASING THE FRUSTRATION AND INCONVENIENCE CAUSED BY SUCH FAILURES. THE LACK OF A RECALL GIVES THE IMPRESSION VW IS PROFITING FROM THE REPAIRS OF THIS DEFECT, INSTEAD OF TAKING ACTION. *TR