2003 Volkswagen Beetle

THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND WITHIN THREE MONTHS HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. RECENTLY IT STARTED TO LURCH AT STOPS AND STARTS, AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAILED VALVE BODY ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSITION COMPANY REFERRED ME TO WEBSITES WHERE THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN IN MI AND WAS TOLD THERE HAD BEEN A WARRANTY EXTENSION, OF WHICH I WAS NOT INFORMED, BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT APPLY TO ME NOW. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE FREQUENCY OF THIS PROBLEM WARRANTS A LOOK AT THIS MODEL AND ITS TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER WARNED MY TRANSITION SPECIALIST THAT THE REPAIR WHICH HAS BEEN FREQUENT ONLY WORKS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. I ASKED IF IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE AS IS AND WAS WARNED ONLY FOR SHORT DISTANCES. IT APPEARS TO E THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A RECALL OR A CLASS ACTION SUIT. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2003 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE BRAND SPANKING NEW IN DEC 2002. THE CAR HAD 32 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT; THE CAR NOW HAS 77K MILES AS OF TODAY. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT VW IS ACUTELY AWARE OF. THE CAR IS A 6 SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION WITH TRIP TRONIC. THE CAR HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION AND BEFORE SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR. INSTEAD, THE TRANSMISSION LURCHES FROM 1ST INTO 2ND, CAUSING THE TIRES TO SCREECH. WHEN THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD IT CAUSES THE FRONT DRIVE/STEERING TIRES TO LOSE GRIP ON THE PAVEMENT WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES WHEN IT JUMPED SO HARD IT ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND SOMETIMES THE LURCH IS SO STRONG IT FEELS LIKE ANOTHER CAR HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE TRANSMISSION WORKS FINE WHEN IT IS COOL BUT GETS WORSE AS THE CAR WARMS UP - AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES. THE OTHER GEARS HAVE SHIFTING PROBLEMS TOO; JUST NOT AS HARSH AS GOING INTO 2ND. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS DOWNSHIFTING AS WELL. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE CAR GETTING STUCK IN 2ND GEAR WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC WHICH CREATED A DANGER FOR ME AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THE ONLY WAY TO CURE THE PROBLEM IS TO SAFELY MAKE MY WAY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURN THE ENGINE OFF, WAIT A FEW MINUTES, THEN TURN IT BACK ON. THIS DOESN'T COMPLETELY MAKE THE LURCHING GO AWAY BUT IT GIVES ME SEVERAL TRAVEL MILES BEFORE GETTING STUCK IN GEAR AGAIN. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO LOOKED UP MY VIN. THEY TOLD ME I WAS OVER MY YEARS FOR THE RECALL ON THE VALVE BODY WHICH IS WHAT SHOULD CORRECT MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE LIVED AT THE SAME ADDRESS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2002 AND NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS ITEM. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN VW OF AMERICA! I WAITED SEVERAL YEARS FOR THE CONVERTIBLE VERSION TO COME OUT AND THIS WAS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO MYSELF (THIS IS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS CAR!) *TR

THREE YEARS AGO WHEN THE CAR HAD ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS NEVER ANY DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS AND I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY CAR. VW SAID IT WAS A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG, BUT REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND IT. THEY WANT $750 TO FIX IT. IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EACH WINDOW MOTOR. THEY COST $400 TO REPLACE. THE DRIVER SIDE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THAT MEANS THE FIRST REPLACEMENT LASTED LESS THAN FOUR YEARS. THE CAR HAS ONLY 77,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THERE WAS AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE TIMING BELT BROKE WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE SERVICE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 10/31/11 *BF UPDATED 11/14/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BETTLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE RPMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

AIR BAG LIGHT AS OF 1/1/11, THESE WERE RECALLED FOR 2004-2006 BEETLES AND 2003-2005 BEETLE CONVERTIBLES. NO RECALLS YET FOR 2003 BEETLES, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A GROWING PROBLEMS THAT ARE YET TO BE FIXED BY VW!!! SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE JUST DELAYING THE RECALL UNTIL THEY RECEIVE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS/INJURIES. 2 RECALLS OF A FRONTAL SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE IN 4/2008 & A PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (POD) DEALER REPROGRAM REPAIR IN 12/2004 BUT AGAIN NOTHING FOR 2003 MODELS EVEN THOUGH IT STARTED IN LATE 2003. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THE NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE TO COME OUT. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. NOW, AFTER ONLY 60,000 MILES, I AM TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE--IT WILL GET STUCK IN FIRST GEAR, IT WILL KICK BETWEEN GEARS ONE AND TWO, AND IT WILL JOLT SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THESE VEHICLES ARE UNSAFE FOR THE ROAD. *KB

RECALL ON AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR BACK IN 2008, WHICH WE HAD REPLACE . HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM CONSTANTLY HAPPEN WERE THE AIR BAG CREASE SENSOR LIGHTS COMES ON AND STAYS ON. WHEN YOU CALL THE DEALERSHIP THEY WANTS TO CHARGE THE CONSUMER. THERE IS ALWAYS A JERKING IN THE POWER TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING . THIS IS DANGEROUS YOU WOULD THINK THE CAR IS GOING TO STOP GOING UP HILL. I MADE A COMPLAINT BACK IN 2009 COMPLAINT #102868 NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. *TR