This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 1998 VW Beetle diesel. Driver was traveling about 5mph on a clear day when she noticed a squeak in the engine. Took to dealer for a new battery and to check squeak in front end and check air conditioner. The technician discovered fuses were burnt and that both fans were melted. After repairs made contact states that squeak still present and fans still not working. Technician informed contact that repairs made correctly. Contact took vehicle back to dealer and it is still there. Failure mileage was 106,000. Current mileage 106,075.
The VW dealership repaired this electrical problem caused by the engine fan control box which also burned wires in the engine harness the dealership only repaired what they considered necessary. I was driving 12/14/00, during the rain and stopped the vehicle and the windshield wipers, signal lights, air condition, fan control for heat, etc., and the ememergency brake light remained on without being pulled up. I do not know what else may have not been working in the vehicle during the rain. I paid almost $700 tp have this electrical problem fixed after only owning the car for only 4 months. Could someone please assist me in finding out repair information before I invest any more $$$ into this vehicle?
Bad wiring, alarm goes off in the middle og the night, rear hatch light comes on and off, wiring is bad in cold weather, front headlights keep burining out, excessive oil consumption, at about 2000 miles engine will be bone dry, excessive road nosie, radio no longer works, in general the car is in bad shape after two years of use and it seesm to be all factory related type of problems.
While driving in rain, low beams went out without warning due to a wiring harness malfunction. Dealer replaced both headlight bulbs, and replaced headlight harness.
- Perkasie, PA, USA
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Am doing this form to let people know there are Beetles and problems. Also that VW is not standing behind repairing these problems. The headlights have blown (bad wiring) 4 times at night. Not a fun thing to have happen at 65 mph. You try stopping blind.
I have had my car for a little over a year now and this is the problems I have had... the lights keep going out on me.. always the left one first then the right follows... leaving me with only the brights... dealership has fixed them maybe three times now... and now they work when they want to.. leaving me only my bright lights... dealership explained to me that the electrical was not done properly and said could be fixed at a price of 350.00... no way.. I should have to pay that when he said they were made with a defect... the second thing gone wrong was my battery... the first time.. it just gave a loud pop and everything died... dealership fixed it and.. the second time the battery went out it gave another loud pop but this time the acid from the battery exploded out of the battery and onto the driveway...the dealership fixed it.. the third time the fuses needed to be changed that are on the battery...the cooling system stopped working as well which caused the car to over heat... they fixed it and my water pump... a month later.. the cooling system failed again... had to take it back to fixed a second time.... the switches on the left door that control the windows are broken and this is the second time.. the first time they fixed it.. now they wont even fix it.. they claim its not on my warranty and want me to pay $400 to have it fixed... when warranty covered it the first time... and now my right window dont want to go up... dealership again claims warranty wont cover it... when my insurance agent says it will... dealership refuses to fix it.. want me to pay $600 to have it fix... now the dealership says my left window wont go up... so now I have two windows that wont go up...so in a brief summary.. my headlights failed four maybe five times.... my cooling system twice... my water pump once... my window switches twice.... my battery twice... and the dealership does not help matters any either... please get back to me on this...thank you.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Stockton, NJ, USA