2004 Volkswagen Beetle

THIS VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR THE AIR BAG SENSORS. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD THE SENSORS REPLACED (THE VEHICLE WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY BASED ON TIME). VW REFUSED ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED US FOR THE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSORS. IN JANUARY OF 2011 THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER CHARGED A FEE TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE LIGHT WAS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE, AND THE FACT THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THEY WANTED APPROXIMATELY $480 TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE, AND $245 TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. I CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE BUCKLE FOR NO CHARGE, BUT WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE BATTERY. VW OPENED A CASE # 110006836 AND REGIONAL MANAGER LISA WAS THE CONTACT. WE HAD AAA COME TO DO A TEST ON THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM BOTH PASSED THE TEST. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT A TRICKLE CHARGE WOULD BRING THE BATTERY TO A FULL CHARGE. IN ADDITION, VW AGREED TO DO A ONE TIME COURTESY REPLACEMENT OF THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF SINCE THE FABRIC HAD SEPARATED FROM THE REAR WINDOW. A CLIP RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED, BUT THE HEADLINER WAS HANGING DOWN AND HAD SEPARATED FROM THE REAR WINDOW. WE FEARED THAT THE WINDOW COULD SEPARATE FROM THE ROOF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. STATEMENT INDICATES THAT VW PERFORMED 61.07-02 TECH BULLETIN TO PERFORM MODIFICATIONS TO THE REAR WINDOW.

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN EARLIER RECALL DUE TO SENSORS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND NOT DUE TO SENSORS. WE WERE ALSO ORIGINALLY TOLD IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY BATTERY. HOWEVER, THE BATTERY WAS CHECKED BY AAA AND WAS NOT FAULTY. EVENTUALLY VW AGREED TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *TR

I HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REGARDING MY 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT 71,000 MILES, IT HAS HAD HARD SHIFTING ISSUES AND HAS ACTUALLY JERKED FORWARD WHEN I CAME TO A STOP AT A LIGHT, AND THEN HAS PROCEEDED TO GET STUCK IN 3RD GEAR UNTIL IT WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. VOLKSWAGEN HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY, BUT THEY HAVE DETERMINED, $300.00 LATER, THAT IT IS NOT THE VALVE BODY, BUT NEEDS THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $6,300.00. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS! *TR

I HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA ABOUT MY 2004 AUTOMATIC NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE TRANSMISSION. I RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR A SKIPPING TRANSMISSION. A YEAR AGO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH I DID FOR $6,500.00. THE NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY SAID I COULD BE REIMBURSED FOR WORK DONE, I FILLED OUT ALL THE PAPERWORK AN HAD COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL WORK REQUESTS AND RECEIPTS AND SENT THEM IN AS INSTRUCTED. I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT I DO NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE I HAD THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACED (AS RECOMMENDED) AND NOT JUST THE VALVES. IT IS A CATCH 22 AND UNFAIR AS I JUST FOLLOWED THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION IN GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED. *TR

2004 VW BEETLE - FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VIOLENTLY INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEARS CAUSING THE CAR TO JOLT FORWARD. AT OTHER TIMES IT BECOMES STUCK IN 1ST GEAR SO AS YOU ACCELERATE FROM A STOP SIGN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO INCREASE SPEED ENOUGH TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM BEHIND. A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE FOR SAME PROBLEM. VW ADMITS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND SHIFTING DIFFICULTY ON 1998 - 2006 AUTOMATIC'S. THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS, BUT ONLY COVER THE VALVE BOX, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL VW DEALER IS NOT THE PROBLEM. *TR

2004 VOLKSWAGEN 'NEW BEETLE' HAS SERIOUS DESIGN / OEM-COMPONENT FLAWS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND/OR TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, CREATING VERY-DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE 'STALLS' (STEP ON GAS, MOTOR REVS, BUT TRANSM. DOES NOT ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY) IN TRAFFIC. VW IS AWARE OF THIS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SENT A 'WARRANTY-EXTENSION / REPLACEMENT OFFER' LETTER FOR THE VALVE-BODY OF THE TRANSM., HOWEVER, DEALER 'COMPUTER' SAYS IT'S NOT THE VALVE-BODY, BUT RATHER A 'MECHANICAL ISSUE DUE TO AN INCORRECT GEAR RATIO' AND OFFERS A COMPLETE TRANSM. REPLACEMENT FOR $5500. (!) NOT A VERY 'HELPFUL' SOLUTION FOR A CAR WORTH THAT OR LESS. IT WOULD SEEM THERE IS A 'CONTROL' PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THEIR OEM COMPONENTS (IE: TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND/OR SOLENOID-PACK) AS THERE ARE *THOUSANDS* OF OWNERS WITH SUCH PROBLEMS, ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, AND IMHO, VW NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX / REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS - HERE IS A LINK TO A 20-PAGE THREAD DETAILING OTHERS' EXPERIENCES: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F124D77/0?@704.H96PAXOBGWB@ - THIS IS *NOT* A 'SINGLE-CONSUMER' OR 'PERSONAL PERIODIC-MAINTENANCE ISSUE', AND MAY HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR SOMEONE / SOME FAMILY(IES) IF NOT RECALLED BY VW -PLEASE, HELP US! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SCRAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE CAUSED BY THE SEPARATION OF THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT BOTH THE FLYWHEEL AND TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000.