2013 Volkswagen Beetle

DOOR LOCK HAVE QUIT WORKING PROPERLY, WHAT MAKE ME THINK THIS MIGHT BE A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN THE 600$ I HAVE HAD TO PAY SEPARATELY FOR EACH DOOR IS AN EXPERIENCE I HAD LAST WEEK...UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND CLOSING THE DOOR, MY BATTERY DIED, AND I WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, AS THE BEETLE REQUIRES THE WINDOW TO LOWER APPROX. 1 INCH FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN. I DO NOT KNOW IF THESE 2 PROBLEMS ARE CONNECTED, BUT HAVING ANYTHING WRONG WITH DOOR LOCKS SHOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD THAT IS FIXED BY THE COMPANY. THE DOORS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOCK UPON ACCELERATION, WITH THE DOUBLE CLICKING I HAVE EXPERIENCED, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE IF THEY ARE. I HAVE A VIDEO THAT I COULD SEND, BUT IT IS NOT ATTACHABLE TO THIS FORM (.MOV)I HAVE ATTACHED THE CUSTOMER (DON'T) CARE MESSAGES FROM VW. I HAVE DECIDED TO FIE THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE PASSENGER DOOR FIRST WENT OUT A YEAR OR SO AGO AND I PAID FOR THAT ONE AND NOW THE DRIVERS DOOR HAS FAILED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK OIL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO NAPLETON'S VOLKSWAGEN OF URBANA (1025 NAPLETON WAY, URBANA, IL 61802, 217-637-1222) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOY-BASED WIRING WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

OVER TIME, THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN WHENEVER THE KEY IS INSERTED. THIS OCCURS ESPECIALLY OFTEN IN WARMER WEATHER, WHICH CAN BECOME A DANGER AS THE DRIVER SITS AND WRESTLES WITH THE KEY TRYING TO GET IT TO TURN IN THE IGNITION IN AN INCREDIBLY HOT CAR. IT MOST OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY AND ALREADY TURNED OFF, THOUGH IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES AFTER PARKING, AND BEING UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY BACK AND TURN THE CAR OFF.

MID 2014, WE PURCHASED OUR 2013 VW BUG FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. BY FALL OF THE SAME YEAR, THE BUG WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER FOR IGNITION KEY SWITCH EXHIBITING DIFFICULTY NOT ONLY ENGAGING TO THE "ON" POSITION, BUT ALSO REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE HOUSING SWITCH. THE DEALER SUGGESTING THAT THE KEYS MAY BE DEFECTIVE, AS THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE SALE (AS IF THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE). THEY SUGGESTED PURCHASING A NEW SET OF KEYS. COST: CLOSE TO $400. NOT SURE IF THEY DID ANYTHING ELSE WITH THE CAR WHILE THEY HAD IT, BUT THE "PROBLEM" ABATED FOR A WHILE, RETURNING WITH A VENGEANCE ABOUT A YEAR LATER- WE LITERALLY COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE BUG WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER- THIS TIME FOR A NEW KEY SWITCH CYLINDER, STEERING LOCK AND BOLT. COST APPROX. $625. IF YOUR KEEPING SCORE, THAT'S APPROX. $1000. SPENT. FAST FORWARD TO CURRENT DAY, END OF AUG. 2018. SAME IGNITION ISSUES. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VW OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGING THE "PROBLEM", WITH A SPECIFIC WARRANTEE EXTENSION OFFERED. SO, BACK TO THE DEALER IT GOES. THANKS TO THIS NHTSA WEBSITE, I SEE THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.

VW BEETLE (2013) WOULD NOT TURN OFF AS THE KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING! STOPPED AT GAS STATION TO FILL UP AND WHEN I TRIED TO REMOVE KEY, WOULD NOT COME OUT. HAD EXPERIENCE PROBLEM THE DAY BEFORE BUT THOUGHT USING A DIFFERENT KEY WOULD HELP BUT IT DIDN'T--SAME PROBLEM. HAVE EXPERIENCED FREQUENT PROBLEMS WITH KEY IN IGNITION SINCE PURCHASING BEETLE. DROVE CAR TO TWO MECHANICS AND THEY COULD NOT GET CAR OUT OF IGNITION SO DROVE HOME TO BE IN FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET KEY OUT OF IGNITION AND COULD NOT GET CAR ENGINE TO TURN OFF. RECEIVED HELP FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE BUT STILL COULDN'T GET KEY OUT OF IGNITION AND CAR TO TURN OFF--4 HOURS LATER, FINALLY MECHANIC PROVIDED INSTRUCTION TO DISCONNECT BATTERY, FUSE PUMP, AND FUSE BOX WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING--WHICH HELPED TO TURN THE CAR OFF; HOWEVER, IT ALSO LEAVES CAR SUSCEPTIBLE TO OTHER ISSUES. I ALSO HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR IN OPEN PARKING SPOT--WITH THE KEY IN IT--LEAVING IT AT RISK OF BEING STOLEN!

I HAVE NOTICED MY CENTER DRIVER-SIDE HEADLIGHT DIM/TURN OFF FOR SOME TIME THINKING THE HEADLIGHT WAS BAD. I HAD THE HEADLIGHT REPLACED IN FEBRUARY BUT STILL HAD PEOPLE TELL ME IT WAS OUT AND AT TIMES I COULD SEE THIS IN THE REFLECTION OF TRUCK TAILGATES, ETC. THE SURROUNDING DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT CAN MAKE IT HARD TO TELL. HOWEVER, IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, EVERY TWO TO THREE MINUTES, SOMETIMES AFTER NOTICING THE INITIAL DIM OF THE DRIVER-SIDE HEAD LIGHT, ALL LIGHT TURN OFF LEAVING THE CAR IN MOTION IN THE DARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH ON LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAY. ENGAGING THE FOG LIGHTS MAY EXTEND THE TIME BETWEEN SHUT-OFFS BY ANOTHER MINUTE OR SO. BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND WAITING A SECOND, THEN TURNING THEM BACK ON, ALL LIGHTS COME BACK. DOING SO TOO QUICKLY DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC FEELS IT IS CAPACITOR OR SIMILAR ELECTRIC ISSUE IN THE J519 BODY CONTROL MODULE THAT RECEIVES POWER FOR THE LIGHTS AND CONTROLS THEM FROM THERE. BEING A SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE TO WONDER IF CREATING SUCH A WEAK-LINK TO POWER ALL NIGHTTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS NOT RECALL WORTHY. HE SUGGESTED FULL MODULE REPLACEMENT I DO HAVE VIDEO TO SHARE OF THIS OCCURRING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VOLKSWAGEN OF MURRIETA (41300 DATE ST., MURRIETA, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. *LN

STEERING COLUMN LOCK HOUSING IN 2014 & 2016, WE BOUGHT 2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLES FOR OUR COLLEGE-BOUND KIDS. SINCE THOSE PURCHASES WE'VE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF EACH VEHICLE'S IGNITION KEYS BEING STUCK IN ITS IGNITION SWITCH. THESE OCCURRENCES HAPPENED BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE RUNNING (INABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLES OFF) AND WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE NOT RUNNING. WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE RUNNING, THE INABILITY TO EXTRACT THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE VEHICLES ENGINES OFF. THIS PRESENTED SAFETY HAZARDS. IN APRIL, 2018, WE RECEIVED LETTERS FROM VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. REGARDING A 'WARRANTY EXTENSION' AFFECTING BOTH VEHICLES. IT EXTENDED COVERAGE OF THE 'STEERING COLUMN LOCK HOUSING' ON EACH VEHICLE FOR 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST. BOTH VEHICLES ARE JUST 5 YEARS OLD. HOWEVER, ONE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES (ANGELA'S) AND THE OTHER 105,000 MILES. SO WE CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN REGARDING THEIR LETTERS AND STATED THAT BOTH VEHICLES HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND THEY EACH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AT THEIR EXPENSE. SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET CONFIRMED THAT THIS ISSUE IS SYSTEMIC WITHIN VOLKSWAGEN AND SHOULD HAVE LED TO SOME TYPE OF VEHICLE RECALL BEFORE NOW. WE NEED FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR THOSE OF US VEHICLE OWNERS WHO ARE STUCK WITH MASSIVE REPAIR BILLS DUE TO A LACK OF OVERSIGHT OF THIS SYSTEMIC ISSUE BY NHTSA. YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO OUR CONCERN IS SOLICITED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. THE MOORES, BRASELTON, GA