2005 Volkswagen Beetle

TODAY, 12/3/13, I HAD MY 3RD WINDOW REGULATOR GO OUT IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. EACH OCCURRENCE HAS BEEN ON A DIFFERENT WINDOW, AND EACH REPAIR HAS COST FROM $400 - $600. THE SERVICE ADVISORS I'VE SPOKEN TO HAVE ALL SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLES BECAUSE THE PART IS POORLY ENGINEERED AND THEY'RE SURPRISED A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN MADE. THIS POORLY ENGINEERED PART IS NOT ONLY A FINANCIAL ABUSE TO THE CONSUMER, BUT ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CONVERTIBLE IS DOWN, THEN ONE IS NOT ABLE TO PUT THE TOP BACK UP, WHICH NOW DOES NOT ONLY COST YOU A NEW WINDOW, BUT THE LOSS OF THE CAR IF IT'S STOLEN WHILE UNATTENDED. ADDITIONALLY WHAT COULD HAPPEN, AS IT DID IN MY CASE. THE WINDOW MADE A NOISE ON SUNDAY, THIS MORNING (TUESDAY) I TOOK MY CAR IN, THE PART WON'T BE IN UNTIL TOMORROW OR POTENTIALLY THURSDAY. IN THE MEAN TIME, IT'S RAINING IN MY CITY AND I LIVE IN APARTMENTS AND HAVE TO PARK ON THE STREET. THEREFORE, MY CAR RUNS THE RISK OF NOT ONLY GETTING STOLEN, BUT THE INTERIOR BEING DAMAGED IF THE PLASTIC ON THE OUTSIDE COMES OFF DURING THE HEAVY RAIN. AGAIN, MAJOR INCONVENIENCE TO THE CONSUMER, WHILE THE MANUFACTURER NOT ONLY POCKETS THE CUSTOMERS CAR PAYMENT ON A MONTHLY BASIS, BUT IS ALSO MAKING MONEY IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH A VEHICLE THAT WAS PRODUCED BY THEM WITH FAULTY PARTS IN THE FIRST PLACE. FINALLY, THE WINDOW AT ANY MOMENT CAN FALL INTO THE DOOR AND SHATTER, WHICH WOULD MAKE THE BROKEN WINDOW A HEALTH RISK IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THE WINDOW SHATTERS; THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER COULD BE INJURED BY THE GLASS. IN CONCLUSION, THERE SEEMS TO BE MULTIPLE RISK AND CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE, IT IS LUDICROUS THAT A RECALL OR PERMANENT SOLUTION HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

2005 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, PUSHED THE BUTTON FOR ALL WINDOWS TO OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AND THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. MADE A GRINDING SOUND LIKE SCRATCHING NOISE ON GLASS. IT JUST STUCK THERE ABOUT HALF WAY OPENED. I HAVE SINCE TAPED IT UP WITH CARDBOARD AND DUCT TAPE FOR SECURITY REASONS AND NOT TO GET RAIN INSIDE. ASKED MECHANIC AT VW AND HE SAID IT IS $600 IF IT'S JUST THE REGULATOR MUCH MORE IF IT IS THE MOTOR. ALSO SAID THEY MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE WINDOW. REALLY? I HAVE READ MANY, MANY REVIEWS ON THIS VERY SAME ISSUE, TOO MANY TO COUNT ACTUALLY. SOMETHING IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG, (LIKE THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT ISSUE). I WORRY EVERY DAY WHILE AT WORK SOMEONE WILL BREAK IN TO MY CAR, I'VE CLEANED OUT THE INSIDE OF EVERYTHING AND NOW RESORT TO LOCKING MY COMPARTMENTS WHICH I NEVER HAVE EVER DONE BEFORE. A RECALL IS NECESSARY FOR ALL OF US WHO LOVE OUR BEETLES, HAVE TAKEN SUCH GOOD CARE OF THEM ONLY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH EVENTS. SAFETY ISSUES FOR THIS FEMALE BEETLE OWNER HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE BY THOSE WITH THE POWER TO CORRECT THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE OF US SUFFERING FROM THE NEGLECT OF THE VW MANUFACTURER. I PRAY THIS FALLS ON THE EYES OF SOMEONE WITH A CONSCIOUS WHO PUTS PEOPLE AND THEIR SAFETY ABOVE PROFIT. A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE IS NEEDED AND TO RETURN THOSE OF US TO A SAFER DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND LIFESTYLE. *TR

REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP. AUTOMATICALLY WENT BACK DOWN, AND THEN I HEAR WHAT SOUNDS LIKE GLASS BREAKING! THINK THERE ARE PLASTIC PARTS DOWN IN WINDOW THAT WERE ACTUALLY TEARING UP! HAD SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND WAS HOPING MY BUG WAS NOT A LEMON LIKE SO MANY OTHERS! VW HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM REPEATEDLY, BUT STILL CONTINUES TO DO NOTHING BUT CHARGE AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT TO "FIX" (PUT A BANDAGE ON IT) ! LOVE MY BUG, BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS! SERIOUSLY THINKING OF GETTING RID OF IT BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS! *TR

THE TRANSMISSION LURCHES WHEN SHIFTING. IT FEELS LIKE IT SLIPS AND WILL REV UP AND . FROM WHAT I AM READING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. THE DEALERSHIPS WANT $7000 DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE VERY FAMILIER WITH THIS "COMMON" PROBLEM. SOUNDS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE CARS. GOT THIS CAR FOR MY DAUGHTER TO USE THROUGH COLLEGE AND NOW I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT COST MORE TO FIX THAN ITS WORTH. *JS

UPON INCREASING SPEED VEHICLE SHIFTS EXTREMELY HARD ESPECIALLY IN LOW GEARS. A DECREASE IN SPEED ALSO RESULTS IN EXTREMELY HARD DOWNSHIFTING. SOMETIMES CAR WILL NOT SHIFT. UPON SLOWING DOWN AT SAME RED LIGHT TWO DAYS IN A ROW CAR APPEARS TO DROP INTO FIRST GEAR, BUT THEN BEGINS TO TRY TO ROLL BACK UPON RELEASING THE BREAK. THIS PARTICULAR LIGHT IS ON A HILL WITH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. I HAD TO SWITCH THE CAR OFF, SHIFT INTO PARK, AND THEN CRANK THE CAR AGAIN FOR IT TO CATCH FIRST TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. I CALLED VW DEALERSHIPS WITH NO RETURN CALL. FINALLY GOT A SVC MGR. COULD NOT TELL ME ANYTHING. GAVE ME AN 800 PHONE # TO CALL. I WAS TOLD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT IN NOV OF 2012 EVEN THOUGH MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 100,000 MILES. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THAT NUMBER WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR TO "REGISTER" IT IN MY NAME WITH VW. I RECEIVED NO INFORMATION AT PURCHASE, AND WITH THIS BEING MY 8TH VEHICLE IT WAS THE FIRST I WAS TOLD I HAD TO CALL THE MAKER TO REGISTER IT WITH. I AM SCARED WHEN I HAVE TO DRIVE MY CAR TO WORK EVERY DAY. *TR

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A DEALERSHIP IN DEL RAY BEACH FLORIDA ON OCTOBER 2011. THE DEALERSHIPS NAME IS AUTOBAHN/USA (1800 NORTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, DEL RAY BEACH, FLORIDA 33483). THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED "AS IS", WITH NO EXTENDED WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THERE WAS NO ISSUES WITH SAID VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THIS VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN BACK TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN WHERE I RESIDE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES REFERENCE THIS VEHICLE FROM THE START. IT APPEARS WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES FEELING LIKE IT IS JUMPING GEARS. I HAVE TALKED WITH A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, AND A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. BOTH STATED THAT THE YEAR OF VEHICLE I PURCHASED HAD A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THEY ALSO NOTED IN ORDER FOR THE RECALL TO BE VALID, I NEEDED TO HAVE PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE JUST OVER 60,000 MILES ON MY VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION CAN BE A DANGER WHILE DRIVING. I AM ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR SAID TRANSMISSION. I AM A LITTLE CONFUSED WHEN VOLKSWAGEN IS STATING THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE YEARS 2004 AND 2005, AND THEY WOULD ONLY HONOR THE RECALL IF I PURCHASED THERE EXTENDED WARRANTY. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR