2001 Volkswagen New Beetle

THE 2001.5, 2002, AND CERTAIN 2003 VW/AUDI 1.8T ENGINES HAVE EXPERIENCED A HIGH RATE OF COILPACK FAILURES. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THE MEDIA (AUTOWEEK MAGAZINE) AND DETAILED ON INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS AT VWVORTEX.COM, AUDIWORLD.COM, NEWBEETLE.ORG, AND OTHERS, IN GREAT DETAIL. THE CURRENT PARTS SHORTAGE IS CAUSING OWNERS TO WAIT UP TO 3 WEEKS OR MORE. I WAITED 2 1/2 WEEKS. BECAUSE OF THIS SHORTAGE, ONLY THE FAILED COILPACKS ARE BEING REPLACED AT THIS TIME. THIS LEAVES THE OWNER WITH THE REMAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE COILPACKS THAT CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT WARRANTS A RECALL. THE FAILED UNITS HAVE BEEN ISOLATED TO A CERTAIN PART NUMBER. PREVIOUS 1.8TS THAT USE A COILPACK OF A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DESIGN AND PRODUCED BY A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER, HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS HIGH RATE OF FAILURE. DT

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

HEADLIGHTS STARTED BROWNING OUT ON DECELERATION AT 100 MILES. DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY. AT 35,000 MILES, HEADLIGHTS FLASHED ALL THE TIME. AT COLD START ENGINE FAN WOULD COME ON, THEN HEADLIGHTS WOULD DIM AND FAN WOULD RUN, THEN HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME BACK NORMAL AND FAN WOULD STOP. THIS HAPPENS AT 3 SECOND INTERVALS. DEALER REPLASED GROUNDS AND HARNESS. FAN STOPPED CYCLING BUT HEADLIGHTS STILL DIMMED, UNTIL ONE MORNING THE COLD LIGHT WENT OUT AND ALSO BLEW A HEADLIGHT. NOW NO DIMMING AND NO FAN TROUBLE. DEALER REPLACED HEADLIGHT BULB AND THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE FLASHING LIGHTS MEZMORIZE YOU WHEN YOU DRIVE. PROBLEM 2: CAR WILL START AND DIE THREE TIMES , RUNNING ROUGH BEFORE IT WILL STAY RUNNING. DEALER SAYS TO USE 87 OCTANE FUEL. CAR MANUAL SAYS 93 OCTANE AND HAS USED 93 SINCE NEW. DEALER SUGGESTED ADDITIVES AT MY COST!!! SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN LOW TEMPS AND AT HIGH TEMPS, 70 DEGREES IS OK!. I LIVE IN MAINE, NO SUCH LUCK.*AK

HEADLIGHT IS BURNED OUT. TO REPLACE IT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE FENDER OFF OF THE VEHICLE. A COWORKER OF MINE ALSO HAS A NEW BEETLE AND HIS HEADLIGHT BURNT OUT WITHIN A YEAR. ALSO DRIVING AROUND YOU CONSTANTLY SEE NEW BEETLES WITH BURNED OUT HEADLIGHTS. I THINK THIS MUST BE A MANUFACTUERER DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE TO NOTE THE DEALERSHIP WILL REPAIR IT FOR FREE SINCE THE CAR IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, HOWEVER I DON'T BELIEVE THE HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BURN OUT THIS FREQUENTLY.*AK

EPC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON///CAR LOSES POWER......EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS MOST OF MY DRIVE TO WORK IS ON FREEWAY...HAPPENED 7/4 AND 7/5..TAKEN INTO METRO VW 7/5....TOLD OT PROBLEMS FOUND....HAPPENED AGAIN 7/9 RETURNED TO METRO VW/CHECKED/NOTHING WRONG....HAPPENED AGAIN 7/12/13...ETURNED TO METRO VW....THROTTLE REPLACED....HAPPENED AGAIN 7/12 7/13 AGAIN TO METRO VW THROTTLE BODY REPLACED......HAPPENED AGAIN 7/30 THROTTLE BODY REPLACED.....AGAIN 9/10 9/11...CONTROL MOD. REPLACED AGAIN 9/12...THOUGHT I WAS GOIN TO DIE THIS TIME....WHEN LOST POWER 18 WHEELER WAS TURNIN MY WAY.....AGAIN TO METRO VW.....WORKED ON WIRING OVERLAY....WAITIN TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!*AK