2004 Volkswagen Beetle

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WIRING HAS FAILED THUS ILLUMINATING THE AIR BAG LIGHT. THE SEAT BELT WIRING IS OF MINUTE DIAMETER WITH LITTLE SHIELDING AND POOR CONDUIT. BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT MUST FLEX WHEN MOVING THE SEAT FORWARD, THE STRAIN ON THE WIRING IN THE SEAT BELT RIPS THE WIRING FROM IT'S SOLDERED JOINT. THIS CAUSES THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND CAUSES THE AIR BAG SYSTEM TO REVERT TO A BACKUP ALGORITHM THAT PUTS THE DRIVER IN A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT. THIS "BACKUP" ALGORITHM WILL NOT MONITOR VEHICLE SPEED AND WILL AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOY THE AIRBAG AT A DEFAULT AMOUNT OF FORCE REGARDLESS OF IMPACT FORCE. THIS MEANS THAT A MINOR FENDER BENDER THAT REACHES THE AIRBAG FORCE THRESHOLD COULD DEPLOY THE AIRBAG AT A FORCE TOO GREAT AND CONVERSELY A HIGH SPEED IMPACT MAY DEPLOY THE AIRBAG WITH INSUFFICIENT FORCE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH WILL ALERT YOU AS TO HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM IS. AFTER CALLING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME "WE REPLACE A TON OF THOSE SEATBELTS." VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS EGREGIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART BEFORE FATAL CONSEQUENCES FURTHER PROVE THIS IS A DEADLY AND EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ACTIVATING THE TURNING SIGNAL, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. ADDITIONALLY, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHORTED AND SMOKE CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

EXITING GARDEN STATE PARKWAY SB ENGINE CUT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXIT RAMP. HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF AND THEN TOWED. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT IT WAS THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER. THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY USED CAR WARRANTY HOWEVER THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2.0L TURBO MOTORS. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS OR TECHNICAL BULLETINS FOR THIS PART. I AM AWARE THAT THE PART THAT IS FAULTY ON THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS ONLY CORRECTED IN 2012. I PERSONALLY KNOW SOMEONE WHOSE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS PART . THE FAULTY PART BEING REPLACED IS A SPRING. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN WARRANTY HOWEVER THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN BY VW AND I SHOULD BE EITHER PARTIALLY OR ENTIRELY COVERED FOR THIS REPAIR. IF YOU WANT TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM IS VERY EASY TO FIND ON THE INTERNET. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED A QUARTER SIZE BURN STARTING TO HAPPEN ON THE SEAT SECTION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MY SON HAD THE SEAT HEATER ON THIS MORNING WHEN DRIVING TO SCHOOL NO BURN NOTICED ON HIS LEG THE CAR IS A CONVERT ABLE BEETLE 2003 THE SEAT IS IN REASONABLE CONDITION .LEATHER STILL SUPPLE WITH NO VISUAL DEFECTS APART FROM SLIGHT DISCOLORATION AND SOME PERIPHERAL CRACKING ON THE EXTERIOR SEAT SECTION. WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TURN ON HEATED SEAT. *TR

ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. EPC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. LOSS OF POWER STEERING. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE LAST TIME WAS 7/8/2014, THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST. VOLKSWAGEN HAS BEEN CONTACTED THEY SAY NOT RECALLS ARE LISTED. *TR

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR. INITIALLY THE HEADLIGHT WAS BURNT OUT. ORDERED A NEW HEADLIGHT AND INSTALLED IT AND IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THEN MY DAUGHTER DROVE THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HER DESTINATION SHE ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR OFF BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. WHEN I ARRIVED I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING AND THE CAR BATTERY WAS NOW DEAD. I HAD THE BATTERY JUMPED BUT NOW THE HEADLIGHT THAT I JUST REPLACED WAS NOT WORKING AGAIN, AND NOW THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE RUNNING LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT OVER TO THE MECHANIC THE WIRING WAS COMPLETELY MELTED AND THE HEADLAMP MODULATOR WAS BLOWN. THE WINDOW WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR WAS MELTED AND RUINED. AFTER ABOUT $1000 IN REPAIRS THE MECHANIC IS EXPLAINING THIS IS JUST THE ONE SIDE, THE WIRING FOR THE OTHER SIDE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE REPLACED IN NEXT 6 MONTHS OR SO. HE EXPLAINED THIS IS A COMMON OCCCURANCE WITH THESE CARS. I AM HONESTLY AFRAID TO ALLOW MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT SEEMS IT IS A FIRE HAZARD. *JS

MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE AC STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. I ALSO NOTICED A BEEP SOUND THAT WOULD COME ON WHEN I TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS ON BUT THE SOUND WOULD TURN OFF AND ON WHILE I DROVE. THEN THE ALARM STOPPED WORKING AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, THE RADIO ALSO GAVE OUT AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HESITATE WHILE DRIVING IT. I CHECKED THE FUSE BOX ON THE BATTERY AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SLOT WHERE THE FUSE SLIPS INTO ON TOP OF THE VEHICLE BATTERY WAS MELTED AND THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLAMP COVER LIKE SOME TYPE OF GAS OR FUMES HAD ESCAPED THE BATTERY AND SPRAYED THE HEADLAMPCOVER. I CHANGED THE FUSES AROUND AND GOT THE AC GOING AGAIN, THEN I CHANGED THEM ALL OUT, AND EVERYTHING WORKED GREAT FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS, THEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN, THE ALARM STOPPED WORKING, RADIO IS OUT, THE BEEPING SOUND IS BACK AND WHEN I CHECKED THE FUSE, IT WAS MELTING AGAIN. I AM AFRAID THAT WHILE IN THE VEHICLE WITH MY CHILDREN I WILL HAVE A MALFUNCTION AND BE INJURED. I JUST PAID OFF THE VEHICLE... WHAT A GIFT FOR PAYING OFF A VEHICLE... SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING IN AND ON THAT VEHICLE IS A HAZARD AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.. ITS SAD BECAUSE I USE TO LOVE MY NEW BEETLE. *TR

THE BATTERY TO ALTERNATOR WIRE ON THESE CARS OVERHEATS AND CATCHES FIRE. I OWN A CAR DEALERSHIP AND JUST HAD IT HAPPEN TO ME. I WAS LUCKY AND STOPPED ANYTHING HORRIBLE FROM HAPPENING BUT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO STOP IT OR THAT IT WAS HAPPENING. THESE CARS ARE A HUGE FIRE HAZARD AND YOU NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL. CHECK THE PICTURES OF BURNED CARS ON GOOGLE. YOU WONT FIND ONE COMPLAINT BUT MANY AND PLENTY OF BURNED CARS. SO I ASK THAT YOU DO YOUR BEST TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THE CAR I OWN HAS A HISTORY OF THE ALTERNATOR BEING SERVICED. OBVIOUSLY A RECALL ISSUE THAT MAYBE VW SHOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX INSTEAD A BAND AID AND OUT THE DOOR. CHECK CAR FAX ON THIS CAR. IF SOMEONE LET THERE CAR WARM THEY COULD BURN DOWN THERE HOUSE. I AM GOING TO REROUTE THIS WIRE AND REPLACE IT WITH A BETTER GRADE OF WIRE. *TR