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.
I purchased a 2001 VW Beetle new and I have had to take it to the shop 4 times due to seat belt warning light. This seems to be an on-going problem even after VW made a recall and supposedly "fix" the seat belt problem. This very first time this happened the car had less 1500 miles on it.
I have a 2001 VW new Beetle. I have replaced brake light, which was drains the battery, serpentine belt, remoteless key which is still broken- basically 6 days after buying this car- I spent $1200 on repairs- now the check engine light is on, the transmission is acting funny, and basically- my VW dealership has a field day with me. To top it off- my battery died a month ago- and caught on fire when I tried to jump it. I am afraid that this car will blow up on me at any time. Please help me!
Since the purchase of my vehicle 2001 VW Beetle, I have had a continuous beeping and illumination of various crazy lights in my dashboard. I have continually taken my car to VW, at the rate of $350+ each time, I am at my wits end...these electrical issues cannot be found or fixed by a VW rep, and are a danger to myself, my passengers, and surrounding cars. I have contacted VW America, and have been treated like I was bothering them. I had one shop in springfield, mo fix the constant mind boggling beep that I've had to listen to for years now...this repair of the beep lasted the longest of all...(1year)...but the only way to fix it made the brake light illuminate continually, so that I never could tell if I had brake issues or not. Then when my vehicle needed to have a smog test for registration back in ca...the VW shop in ca said they would not smog the vehicle unless of course I paid another $350 to fix the brake light, and while they fixed it, they brought back the beep and the various other dashboard illuminations...I am sick of this company (VW America)...I am disappointed in their service, and lack of consumer welfare. I request that you have them replenish our drained savings accounts and return all monies spent on these types of flaws. We as consumers thought we were getting a good little gas saving car...it's a nightmare!!! there are 110 complaints so far...on this site...how many does it take for us all to get our money back, and the repair moneys as well. I'm willing to try a class action suit at this point...anyone with me can reach me at www.myspace.com/diamondblue777 please let me know...please help us all, these electrical problems are a hazard to myself, my son, my passengers, and the people driving next to me. Please order Volkswagen to refund our moneys for repairs. I have read over 500 complaints in the last 24 hours...that should be enough for you to order it to stop.
Emergency light switch (hazard switch) there was a VW recall issued to replace this switch that not only controls the hazard flashers but also the turn signals, in the jetta, golf, & gti. My Beetle uses the same switch I am wondering why it was not included in this recall (VW recall vx). My switch has the same intermittent problem as described in the March 2005 recall letter, I will be replacing the switch on my own Accord, but this bulletin should include the VW new Beetle model in my opinion.
Almost too many to list O2 sensor at 20K miles - twice temp sensor for cooling fan ($5 part - $200 to install) at 30K miles ignition coils at 50K miles. VW had initiated a "customer action" on all 1.8L engines for defective ignition coils on VW and Audi models. Customer service action means nothing, cost me $600 without rental car added. They refused to acknowledge this press release when contacted directly. Water pump went South at 61K miles electronic control module went South at 61K miles also. Warranty covered still cost me $300 for rental car for 5 days. Timing belt damaged when water pump went. Voa will tell you to "check" it at 50K but it should last to 108K. Paid full labor even though engine was apart for pump work. VW should be forced to honor the quality problems with this car. NHTSA should investigate and force a recall on the coils, potentially the O2 sensor and definitely the ECM. The repair costs are insane. ECM on this car is $1300 no labor. Current warranty on new is 60K. Mine went at 61K. 2001 warranty was 10/100 and 8/80. They know they have problems. Car is a lemon, contact lawyer too much hassle - they win again.
- Manville, NJ, USA
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I own a 2001 Beetle. It has only 50,000 miles on it. The other day the check engine light came on. I just took it in to the dealer, and they told me they have to replace a coil and an O2 sensor. All this is going to cost me close to $1000! after doing some research online, I found that this is a very common complaint for VW Beetles. VW needs to issue a recall since this is a problem for so many people. I read of people having the car stop running while they were driving. This could cause accidents.
The power shuts down in my 2001 Beetle turbo while I am driving. I have to pull off the road, kill the car, and then start it back up. After that, it seems fine.
Having the same problem for the recall. Epc light came on and off, came on again. Currently, the brake lights were off. Tried turning off the vehicle, just turning the key have way, but they still will not come on. It came on once before about 4 or 5 months, but it went back off. Contacted dealer, they had checked with the manufacturer. This vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.
While driving my 2001 VW New beetle the car suddenly lost power and began to shake violently. I immediately slowed down but the car continued to idle very roughly. The ESC and check engine lights illuminated. I pulled the car off the highway and turned off the engine. I was able to re-start the engine and drive the car home. I took the car to the dealer and was informed that the O2 sensor and the throttle body had failed and required replacement. The total cost was $1097 and was my responsibility even though the car is a 2001 model with just over 18000 miles on the odometer. A call to the Volkswagen "customer advocate" center proved hopeless as they refused to pay for the repair. I was told that the 2001 VW beetle came with a 2 year 24000 mile warranty. The lack of warranty leads me to believe that VW knew these cars were of substandard quality from the date of manufacturer.
Instrument cluster malfunction: (purchased this used car March 1, 2003. Started noticing problems shortly thereafter, decided to report it after the most current incident and unsuccessful attempts at fixing). - when trying to start the car, it will start then die immediately, I have almost been stranded a few times. I had to keep trying to restart the car until the engine finally stayed running (this has occurred at least 7 times from March 1, 2003 and is getting progressively worse). Could this potentially cause the engine to die while driving? - the seat belt warning buzzer has never functioned during my ownership. - the door buzzer has never functioned during my ownership, not if the lights are left on or if the keys are still in the ignition.
I started my car on 1/31 and the epc, check engine and traction control lights came on. The car would drive however had much less power and was very rough. I borught it into the dealership on 2/3 and they stated it was a coil. They refused to replace all 4 coils, only the faulty one, and I was told that only if this power failure occurs again and it is due to another coil...then they would replace all four. I am questioning the reliability of my car, since it appears this problem has been wide spread throghout the us. I feel very unsafe in my year and half old beetle that was bought because of the high reliability rating at the time.
Coil pack failure iin VW New beetle with 1.8T engine -- last week, I had my 2nd coil pack failure (the first being in November 2002) while commuting to work on the george Washington parkway at about 45 mph. The car suddenly began to shake violently, and I narrowly averted an accident when I had to slow down to 30. Fortunately, I was able to exit safely, and I followed surface streets to the dealer, with the car shuddering whenever my RPM exceeded 2,500. The dealer (alexandria VW) replaced the coil pack the same day, but, after checking with VW of America at my insistence, they refused to replace the remaining two defective coil packs despite their admission that the other two would almost certainly fail in the future. I called VW's complaint line the next day and was told that VW couldn't issue a recall because of insufficient supply of the replacement parts. VW doesn't, apparently, consider this a safety issue -- please see the comments attributed to VW's representative in this boston globe story from yesterday: www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/026/auto/no_easy_fix_for_failing_ignition_coils_in_audis_vws+.shtml I would submit (1) that, based on my personal experience, the coil pack problem is a serious safety issue and that VW should be required to replace all defective parts whether or not they have already failed and (2) that this is an epidemic issue, involving potentially 500,000 automobiles, which VW cannot be allowed to continue to sweep under the table. Please investigate and force VW to amend its irresponsible behavior and to issue a recall.
I have a 2001 Beetle with the 1.8T engine. My car has been disabled twice due to defective coil packs. Research on the vwvortex.com website revealed there is a large history of problems with these coil packs which can fail at any time rendering the vehicle undriveable. There is currently a shortage of this part (part # 06B-905-115-J coil) due to the volume of vehicles that have had this problem. Vwvortex is recommending owners contact NHTSA to facilitate a recall of coil packs as VW is unwilling to address the issue at this time. It is a safety issue because they can fail while driving resulting in loss of control of the vehicle.
I am frustrated and scared by a problem Volkswagen and Audi are having with the ignition system on their turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The sibling automakers, parts of Volkswagen ag of germany, admit there is a "higher-than-normal" failure rate of the four ignition coils on 2001 and 2002 turbocharged, 1.8-liter engines used in about 300,000 vehicles, including the golf, New beetle, jetta, passat and Audi A4. I have already had one coilpac replaced, and fear for the time when the others will go too. I have been told that they are going to fail at some point. So why didnt VW just replace all of the coil packs with the improved ones.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Cupertino, CA, USA