2005 Volkswagen Beetle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED AS MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE FUSE PANEL ON TOP OF THE BATTERY WAS ALSO MELTED. THE CONTACT INDEPENDENTLY REPLACED THE FUSE BOX BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

VW NEW BEETLE TIPTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MANUFACTURER/DESIGN DEFECT: I EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE CLOSE CALLS IN THE FREEWAY WHILE THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME. I COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC AFTER SLOWING DOWN IN A CONGESTED FREEWAY CONDITION DUE TO THIS TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN TO ALL DRIVERS, NOT JUST ME. ALTHOUGH I WAS DRIVING VERY CAREFULLY TO AVOID ANY ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THIS TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION PROBLEM; BUT NOT SO FOR OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME. THIS IS A KNOW POTENTIAL SAFETY-RELATED DEFECTS CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION (CASE # 11-CV-02243, IN THE US DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS). ALTHOUGH THIS WAS DISMISSED IN ARKANSAS, BUT THE JUDGE SAID "OTHER CO-PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE COULD PURSUE CLAIMS IN CA". TO ME, THIS MEANS THIS DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS VALID. IT SHOULD BE ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY AND I AM ASKING NHTSA TO MAKE A SWIFT JUDGMENT BEFORE IT CAUSE ANY LIFE OR MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRIPTRONIC SENSORS HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,405.

I ACQUIRED MY VEHICLE ON 7/29/2010 AS A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION GIFT WITH 31,290 MILES ON IT. AS OF DECEMBER 2013 MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HARD SHIFTING ISSUES.12/15/2013 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO VW FOR HARD SHIFTING ISSUES WHEN DECELERATING. VW INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE PART CAUSING THE HARD SHIFTING ISSUES. WHEN THE COVERAGE INFORMATION WAS PULLED UP FOR THE AUTO TRANS VALVE BODY AQ-250 WARRANT EXT. THE END DATE OF THE WARRANTY WAS ON 9/27/2011 OR THE END MILEAGE OF 100,000 MILES. VW DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE END DATE, SO I PROCEEDED TO CALL 1-800 VW NUMBER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NEVER EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES AT THE TIME OR HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAD MY VEHICLE FOR ONLY A YEAR. WHEN EXPERIENCING THIS HARD SHIFT ISSUE WHILE DECELERATING THE CAR FEELS AS IF SOMEONE HAS REAR-ENDED ME AND DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS BAD VALVE BODY IS A NIGHTMARE, SO THE CAR HAS BEEN STUCK IN MY GARAGE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW. I HAVE READ OF MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE AND VW QUOTED ME FOR THE VALVE BODY REPLACEMENT OF ABOUT $1,832.26. THIS IS ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED AND ALL CONSUMERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. *TR

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009 THE BEETLE WAS TAKEN TO BROWN'S VOLKSWAGEN OF RICHMOND DUE TO TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ISSUES. THEY NOTED THE FILE: REMOVED THE TRANS PAN TO CHECK--SMALL SHAVING, CLEANED SCREEN AND REINSTALLED--STILL HAVING PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH HAD BEEN APPROVED BY VW CORPORATE.VW HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE ELECTRONIC TRANS VALVE BODY FOR THE KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. INSTEAD THEY WANTED TO INSTALL A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS NOT COVERED BY THEM. THIS WAS NOT AGREED ON. IN MAY OF 2013 I LEARNED OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH HAD BEEN OFFERED BY VW CORPORATE AND CONTACTED VW VIA THEIR WEB SITE AND FILED A COMPLAINT. IN JULY OF 2013 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WEST BROAD VOLKSWAGEN FOR A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC FOR SHIFTING RELATED ISSUES. IN JULY OF 2013 VW CORPORATE CONTACT ME STATING BROWNS VW HAD NOT LOGGED ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I DID STATE TO THEM THE CAR WAS AT WEST BROAD VW NOW. THE COMPUTER CAME BACK WITH CODE P0730 INCORRECT GEAR RATIO. THE MECHANIC STATED VERBALLY REPLACING THE VALVE BODY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM. BUT THE SERVICE ADVISOR WOULD NOT PUT THAT IN WRITING AND DID ADVISE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR $8,500. VW CORPORATE DECLINED ANY WARRANTY TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY. THIS CONDITION IS WIDE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE BEETLE 09G SIX SPEED TIPTRONIC TRANSMISSION. IT IS MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT VW HAS PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. VW KNOWS THIS PROBLEM EXIST BUT HAS FALSELY REPRESENTED THEIR CONCERN WITH THE PROBLEM. VW IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. THEY HAVE MISLED THE PUBLIC. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND RESOLUTION. ERRATIC SHIFTING/ SLAMMING INTO GEARS/ LOOSING POWER TRANSFER TO THE WHEELS/ WITHOUT INDICATION THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS WITH ALL VW BEETLES IN THIS TIME FRAME. THE HVAC DOORS HAVE A FOAM AROUND THEM THAT BREAKS DOWN AND FALLING INTO THE DUCT WORK OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH DEFROST OR AC ON THESE LITTLE PIECES FLY OUT OF DUCTS INTO YOUR EYES. IF YOU HAVE GLASSES IT IS A LITTLE BETTER TILL THE PIECES HIT YOU BECAUSE YOU TURNED YOUR HEAD. I HAVE PICTURES IF NEEDED. OF COURSE VW STATES THERE IS KNOW PRODUCT THEY HEARD ABOUT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 45 MPH PARTICLES FROM THE A/C VENTS STARTING COMING OUT AND FLEW INTO MY EYE. DISTRACTED I ALMOST HIT THE VEHICLE THAT STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. I ENDED UP USING A WATER BOTTLE TO FLUSH MY EYES OUT TO STOP THE IRRITATION. THE PARTICLES ARE BLACK AND DISINTEGRATE INTO DUST OR POWDER UPON CONTACT. I HAVE SEARCH THE INTERNET IN REFERENCE TO THIS ISSUE AND FOUND OUT THAT SEVERAL INCIDENTS ARE OCCURRING. THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THE ISSUE AND HOW EXPENSIVE A REPAIR IT WOULD BE. THEIR SOLUTION IS TO KEEP BLOWING OUT THE DUCTS WITH COMPRESSED AIR UNTIL THE HEAT SHIELD IS GONE. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE HEAT SHIELD IF ITS NOT NECESSARY? THE PART NUMBER I WAS GIVEN IS 1J1820007 HOUSING WITH EVAPORATOR. I JUST SPOKE WITH VW CONSUMER DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT NO RECALLS OR SAFETY ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED. THIS CAN AND IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BOTH FROM A SAFETY STAND POINT AND CAR MANUFACTURE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

CAR WOULD ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN LOSE LIGHTS RADIO SPEEDOMETER AND EVENTUALLY DIED IN A NOT NICE SECTION OF TOWN. REPLACED ALTERNATOR, BATTERY PRIOR TO THE BREAKDOWN. DUE TO A WEB SEARCH FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM. FUSE BOX MELTED, SMOKED. DANGEROUS. VW WILL NOT RECALL OR FIX. DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM. FIXED WITH PARTS SUGGESTED. NOW AGAIN TODAY........12-6-2013 THE FUSE BOX IS MELTED AGAIN. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1000.00 AND DONE MY OWN REPAIRS AS VW DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS. IF THEY WOULD JUST DO A RECALL. I LOVE THE CAR BUT IT IS NOT RELIABLE AND SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS. THE CAR IS GREAT OTHERWISE. I JUST SPENT$2000.00 TO REPLACE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP AND NOW I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LEMON! *TR