2001 Volkswagen New Beetle

I'M REPORTING THIS TO NHTSA AS I BELIEVE THIS FAILURE CONSTITUTES A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS THE 4TH, OR 5TH, REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE THAT HAS OCCURRED ON THIS 1 YEAR OLD CAR. THIS TIME THE BEARING FAILED SUDDENLY BECOMING VERY NOISY. I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO DRIVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT FITZGERALD VW IN FREDERICK, MD THE REPAIR FACILITY WAS CLOSED. I WAS UNWILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ON DRIVING THE CAR HOME AND BACK AGAIN ON MONDAY (AN ADDITIONAL 50 MILES) AS I'M CERTAIN IT WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE TRIP. WHILE I REALIZE THAT ANY MECHANICAL THING CAN BREAK, I FIND IT UNREASONABLE THAT THIS VEHICLE WOULD HAVE 4 FAILURES IN THE SPACE OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR AND IN ONLY 26,000 MILES. PREVIOUS FAILURES HAVE OCCURED SLOWLY AND SHOWED UP AS A NOISY BEARING. TODAY'S FAILURE HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND WITHIN THE SPACE OF 30 MINUTES AND 20 MILES OF DRIVING THE NOISE IN INSIDE THE CAR WAS SO LOUD YOU COULD NOT HEAR THE RADIO. ALSO, THE CAR DEVELOPED AN INCREASINGLY BAD VIBRATION IN THE RIGHT REAR. AFTER CHECKING THE DEALER, I CALLED THE VW CUSTOMER CARE CENTER, RECORDED THE PROBLEM AND LEFT THE CAR AT FITZGERALD VW IN FREDERICK, MARYLAND AS I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT FARTHER. IT WAS, IN FACT, UNDRIVEABLE IN MY OPINION AS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HAD A SLGHT TILT INWARD AT THE TOP WHEN COMPARED WITH THE LEFT. BETTER SAFE THAN LOSE THE WHOLE WHEEL ON I-70! AGAIN, I WOULD NOT BE WRITING UNLESS I FELT THIS WAS OF SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE. SINCE IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN ONE YEAR, I BELIEVE THERE COULD BE ONE OR MORE REASONS FOR THE FAILURE: IMPROPER OR NO LUBRICANT; BAD METALURGY; IMPROPER ASSEMBLY, OR IMPROPER ASSEMBLY DURING REPAIR. NOTES: THE CAR HAS THE ORIGINAL WHEELS AND RIMS; THE CAR IS NOT RACED OR THRASHED; IT HAS NOT BEEN HEAVILY LOADED; ITS NEVER BEEN WRECKED OR PRANGED; BEARING FAILURES HAVE PREVIOUSLY OCCURED ON BOTH THE LEFT (2X) AND RIGHT SIDES (1X) OF THE REAR AXLE. DT