2012 Volkswagen Beetle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY. AS A RESULT, WATER WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT RAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ON 5/15/12, I PARKED MY CAR AT 1:20 P.M. IN AN OFF ROAD SMALL PRIVATE PARKING LOT (A SMALL ASSISTED LIVING COMPLEX IN STOCKTON, CA), TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 80 DEGREES, NO TREES OVERHEAD, PERPENDICULAR, FACING THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. WHEN I CAME OUT 3 HOURS LATER, FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR, I NOTICED WHAT SEEMED TO BE A SEMI-CIRCLE HAIRLINE FRACTURE ON MY FRONT WINDSHIELD, THAT HADN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE; STARTING AT THE UPPER ROOFLINE APPROXIMATELY 10 INCHES TO THE LEFT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR, ARCHING DOWNWARD THROUGH THE CENTER LOCATION OF THE MIRROR BRACKET (SILICONED TO THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE INSIDE) ARCHING BACK UPWARDLY APPROXIMATELY 8" TO THE RIGHT OF THE MIRROR ENDING AT THE UPPER ROOFLINE. CLOSER EXAMINATION FROM INSIDE SHOWED ONE VERTICAL FRACTURE TO THE RIGHT OF THE BRACKET POSITION, FROM THE ROOFLINE AS THE ACTUAL POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THE LEFT ARCH, THE RIGHT ARCH SEPARATE FROM THE PREVIOUS BRANCHING INTO AN ADDITIONAL HAIRLINE FRACTURE, AND YET ANOTHER SMALLER ATTACHED HAIRLINE SEMICIRCLE FRACTURE ARCHING BELOW THE FIRST OBSERVED SEMICIRCLE!! THERE IS A VERY TINY LOOP OF SILICONE HANGING FROM THE INSIDE ROOFLINE. PREVIOUS TO THIS OBSERVATION, THERE HAD BEEN NO FRACTURES! THIS WAS TOTALLY "OUT OF THE BLUE". IN MY 4903 MILES OF DRIVING, I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANYTHING BUT RAIN "HITTING" THE WINDSHIELD...NO OTHER DRIVERS HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT MY BEING IN THE CAR...AND I HAVE ONLY USED "TOUCH LESS" CAR WASHES. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THE NATIONAL VW CUSTOMER CARE CENTER, AFTER READING MULTIPLE VW OWNERS' COMMENTS ONLINE WITH SIMILAR "SPONTANEOUS" FRACTURES TO THEIR 2012 BEETLE'S WINDSHIELDS!!

I NOTICED A SET OF CRACKS NEAR THE TOP OF MY WINDSHIELD, APPROXIMATELY AT THE POINT WHERE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ATTACHES AND EXTENDING UP TO THE ROOF LINE EDGE. THE CRACKS WERE APPROXIMATELY 6" - 8" IN LENGTH. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN OR HOW IT OCCURRED AS I DO NOT RECALL ANY STONE OR OTHER ROAD DEBRIS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD, THERE WAS NO SOUND OF ANYTHING HITTING THE WINDSHIELD OR SMALL CHIP IN THE GLASS WHERE THE IMPACT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I DID NOT PARK IT UNDER A TREE AND NOTHING FELL ON OR HIT THE GLASS TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I HAVE HEARD SIMILAR REPORTS FROM OTHER 2012 VW BEETLE OWNERS, AND IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT SOME WINDSHIELDS WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY AND COULD LEAD TO STRESS FRACTURES. THERE ARE A LIST OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND AT: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?5560318-CRACKING-WINDSHIELD-AND-ANNOYING-RATTLE-ON-2012-BEETLE. *TR

CPSC#I1220269A. 2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE DRIVER CAN NOT READ THE SPEED OR FUEL GAUGES THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE BACK LIT MARKS AND NUMERALS ON THE DASH CLUSTER FOR THE GAS, TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. THE CONSUMER STATED THEY WOULD NOT COME ON UNLESS HE TURNED THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH ON OR, IF HE WERE DRIVING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN. THE CONSUMER STATED 90% OF THE TIME, HE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE GAUGES. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND NOTICED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED A FUEL VAPOR LEAK IN THE EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM AND AN UNKNOWN REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE SIMILAR FAILURE RECURRED TWO TIMES AFTER THE REPAIR. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE THIRD OCCURRENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,166.