Fuse panel located on top of the battery melted in the area of the fuse for the radiator cooling fans. This further damaged the fuses for the brake system and the ABS system. This caused power to the ABS system to be lost. The dealer diagnosed this problem as shorted cooling fans. However, the wiring to the motors and the fan control unit were not affected. There was also the distinct smell of an electrical fire and melted plastic under the hood. The fuse panel has white deposits under its cover above the area that melted. I asked the dealer to give me the parts after the service. The fan motors appear to operate correctly when connected to a 12V power supply. This is a poor design that subjects the fuse terminals to corrosive fumes from the battery. The insert molded terminals then become corroded with high enough resistance to heat up and cause the fuse panel to melt and or catch fire. I'm glad that the panel was constructed of a flame retardant plastic or it would have certainly burned much more than it did. I am only too happy to furnish pictures if you would prefer to see the damage.

- Noblesville, IN, USA

Cooling problems led to overall diagnosis of cooling system. 30 amp fuse located in fuse panel on top of battery was found to be burned and melted. The plastic fuse panel was destroyed and the fuse itself melted into the fuse holder. The contacts in the panel for the remaining fuses appear to be very small (approx 18-gauge wire size) and possibly this extremely small contact area contributed to the overheating, melting and burning observed. This is the exact same problem as detailed in this thread online: forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?S=E9aee49B8C9fddf9B634388731C5D59A&threadid=26315&perpage=15&highlight=30A%20fuse&pagenumber=1 the fuse box and fuse (original oem green fuse) appeared the same as the pictures presented in the above-linked thread.

- Accokeek, MD, USA

My 1999 volkwagen beetle has a melted fuse block on top of the battery. I believe this was caused by the fuses being faulty as one leg of the fuse was completely burned off and the fuse was still not blown. I believe this is a fire hazard that should be looked into. On the website newbeetle.org, there are several more instances of this occurring including photos.

- Hasty, AR, USA

Electrical system had a failure in fuse box which caused some fuses to melt. One fuse shorted out a wire to the relay box which also sustained a short. Head lights, defogger, horn, turn signals etc, became inoperative.

- San Ysidro, CA, USA

At 1 1/2 months of ownership the check engine light came on "with no fault found" took 1 1/2 years and 6 service visits to fix. The car often goes forward while in reveres and has shifting problems, have had the transmission "adjusted" 3 times still has problems. Oil light doesnT go on when oil is low. Battery light doesnT go on when the batter is dying. Wiring to headlight keeps "loosening" causing the headlights to fail. Had rear and front brakes replaced due to low ground clearance and snow getting lodged in them and freezing.

- Scotch Plains, NJ, USA

Cooling fan fuse holder assembly sit on top of the battery in the engine compartment. This holder has a history of failure (according to the mechanic at the dealership). In many cases the fuse does not make adequate contact and may spark over time. In my case the fuse arched and melted the assembly. This is troublesome given the close proximity to the explosive gases which are generated by the battery.

- Huntsville, AL, USA