10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,950 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2002 Volkswagen Beetle engine problems

engine problem

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2002 Volkswagen Beetle Owner Comments

problem #2

Apr 232004

Beetle 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 9,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving at 65 mph attempted to accelerate when the vehicle "coughed or sputtered" and the engine quit. I turned the key to off position and back on and the engine restarted. I proceeded to drive on down the highway approximately one to two miles when I heard a loud explosion, like a backfire, come from under the car. The car began smoking immediately a bluish smoke. I knew something was not right so I slowed down, turned around and began heading back toward the city. The car did not have full power and so I was only going twenty to thirty miles per hour and had traveled about one half mile when another car began passing me and flagged me down telling me that my car was on fire. By the time I got stopped the smoke was coming out the hood and out from the dash. I immdediately grabbed miscellaneous personal items and carried them about 5O feet behind the vehicle and was able to run back for one more trip before it looked entirely unsafe to attempt another trip. The witness called 911 but the car was completely burnt up before the fire department got there.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #1

Jan 172002

Beetle 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,900 miles
2002 Volkswagen New beetle 1.8 turbo had coilpack fail along with turbo blow off valve. This is a re-ocuring problem among these vehicles and it is inevitable that the other coilpacks will fail at some point. VW would only replace the failed coilpack, I have to wait for the others to fail putting my life and the lives of my passengers in jeopardy

- Streamwood, IL, USA

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