Volkswagen Beetle 2002

• Recall 102150 [USA]: A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
  The gates corporation (gates) is recalling certain aftermarket tru-flow water pumps, part number tfw 41127, sold at certain napa auto parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after november 1, 2013 (and manufactured august 2013 through october 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'us9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 audi a4, 2000-2006 audi tt, 1998-2005 volkswagen beetle, 1999-2006 golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 volkswagen jetta, and 2000-2005 volkswagen passat. In the affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.
  gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during may 2014. Owners may contact the gates corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
  owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 83277 [USA]: Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
  Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
  sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
  this recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.In order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.The list can be found under "document search" located at the bottom of your screen.Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov .

• Recall 79611 [USA]: Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility may be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
  K2 motor is recalling 1,921 aftermarket headlamps of various models sold for use on the above listed vehicles. These headlamps are missing the amber side reflex reflector which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
  k2 motor will notify owners and offer a full refund. The recall began on decemeber 17, 2008. Owners may contact k2 motor at 1-909-839-2992.
  this recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by honda, ford, or chrysler llc. Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 31815 [USA]: The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
  On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
  dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the vin number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
  volkswagen recall no. N4.Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 50850 [USA]: Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash
  Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
  aai motorsports will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. The recall began on august 1, 2006. Owners may contact aai motorsports at 909-923-9188.
  this recall only pertains to aai motorsports aftermarket lamps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the listed passenger vehicles.For more information on the lamp model numbers, click on document search and view document titled "lamp model numbers."customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 48071 [USA]: The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
  On certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic or manual transmissions and cruise controls, a brake light switch on these vehicles may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly during safety recalls 03v-265 or 04v-096.
  dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on november 27, 2006. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the vin number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
  vw recall no. N4.Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 51171 [USA]: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
  Certain ck motorsports combination headlights, clear corner, bumper, and side marker lights sold as replacement lamps for use on the passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
  ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2006. Owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211.
  this recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by the vehicle manufacturers.For more information on the lamp model numbers, click on document search and view document titled "lamp model numbers."customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 2006122 [Canada]: Lights and instruments
  On certain golf, gti, jetta, jetta wagon, new beetle, new beetle convertible, passat and passat wagon, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked. Correction: dealers will replace the brake lamp switch with a newly revised version. This action includes vehicles previously affected by transport canada recall 03-184 and 04-075. The switch installed during this prior repair may not function properly. Note: parts available december 2006.

• Recall 2003184 [Canada]: Electrical
  On certain vehicle, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or the lamps could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked. Correction: dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake lamp switch.

• Recall 2002028 [Canada]: Brakes
  On certain passenger vehicles short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (abs). This can result in a fire. Correction: dealers will replace the abs control unit.

To ensure accuracy and for your safety, it is recommended to do a free VIN recall check here or here [USA] - UK - Canada.

Bulletins are notices put out by manufacturers in conjunction with the NHTSA to notify the public of manufacturing issues or changes.

• Brake light switch failure investigation as of 20060228

  By letters dated may 24, 2006 and august 4, 2006, volkswagen (vw) notified the agency that it is conducting a safety recall (nhtsa recall no 06v-183) involving model year (my) 1998-2002 volkswagen new beetle and 1999-2002 volkswagen jetta vehicles equipped with cruise control.Volkswagen¿s recall covers 646,246 vehicles.Previously, vw recalled these vehicles to replace a defective brake light switch (recalls 03v-265 and 04v-096) that was unique to vehicles with cruise control.Volkswagen reports that the brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly during recalls 03v-265 and 04v-096.Volkswagen will install a new design brake light switch.Based on volkswagens safety recall action, this investigation is closed.
  

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• Brake light switch investigation as of 20030408

  The brake light switch used in cruise control equipped my 1998-1999 and all my 2000 and later models has undergone multiple revisions.Analysis of warranty and complaint data indicates high replacement rates occurred in vehicles built with brake switch part numbers 1j0 945 511a and 1j0 945 511b, the original and first revision levels, respectively.The failure of the switch could result in failure of the brake lights to illuminate when the brakes are applied, or could cause the brake lamps to stay continually illuminated.Either condition results in the inability of the brake lights to notify other motorists of vehicle braking.Under safety recall 03v-265, volkswagen will inspect the brake light switch on all vehicles built through november 2001.Any affected switch will be replaced free of charge with the most current version, part number 1j0 945 511d.
  

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Common OBD Error codes specific to this vehicle.

• P0102 [1] Mass or Volume Air Flow "A" Circuit Low Input
• P1128 [1] Throttle Position Sensor In Range But Higher Than Expected
• P1296 [1] Injector High Side Short To GND Or VBATT - Bank 1
• P1250 [3] Alternator Load Input Failed Low
• P0234 [2] Engine Turbocharger/Supercharger Overboost Condition
• P0299 [2] Turbocharger/Supercharger "A" Underboost Condition
• P0380 [1] Glow Plug/Heater Circuit "A"
• P1297 [3] Injector High Side Short To GND Or VBATT - Bank 2
• P1557 [1] P1557
• P1603 [1] Throttle Control Unit Detected Loss of Return Spring

I was driving on the highway with my daughter and girlfriend when suddenly the car caught an electrical fire out of nowhere. I pulled over and cloudy smoke was arising luckily the state trooper had a fire extinguisher to put it out before the car caught on heavy flames.

I was driving on the highway with my daughter and girlfriend when suddenly the car caught an electrical fire out of nowhere. I pulled over and cloudy smoke was arising luckily the state trooper had a fire extinguisher to put it out before the car caught on heavy flames.

Vehicle was in motion (about 25 mph) when a front end collision occurred which resulted in the passenger side airbag activating only. The driver side steering wheel airbag did not activate. Driver's face hit the steering wheel.

Abs traction control system malfunctioning, told by dealer and mechanic that the control module is defective. The abs kicks in even when not braking and no light on. Car abruptly swerves as brakes engage one wheel only. The dealer said there is no recall for my vin number but the part is the same number as the one for other listed recalls. I called vw america and they are unwilling to take responsibility. The cost to replace and reprogram the new module is $2,000

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was not available.

The car was driven in the morning then parked at my home. When i went to use it again it will not come out of park. The light will not go out so that i can pull the gear shift out of park.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle convertible. While driving approximately 40 mph in the rain, water suddenly leaked into the cabin of the vehicle and onto the driver. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.

We purchase our 2002 vw beatle from a private 6 years ago. We have replaced the fuse box above the battery on 3 previous occasions as the box shorts out and melts causing the car to turn off and not restart. The first two times we had repair facilities fix the problem to the tune of $500 plus each time. The 3rd time this happened i ordered the part on line and did the repair myself. Well it just burned out again this week which now makes 4 times in a 6 year history this has occurred. I talked with vw concerning this and they said the cable was too small when vw first manufactured the car. So the 3rd time it went out i replaced the so called faulty cable as well. Well i guess that wasn't the problem as i said it now burned up again and that was replacing the cable and going to a larger gage size wire that vw suggested. Not what should i just expect it to happen again. Needless to say i have seen this same complaint several times when is vw going to stand up and take responsibility. I know have spent over $1500 fixing the same thing now for the 4th time. Very disappointing vw.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. While driving approximately 15 mph, all the warning indicators illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery died. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred several other times. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000. ...Updated 08/15/16 *bf the consumer stated the alternator was replaced and the battery was charged. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. While driving 60 mph, the abs main control unit indicator illuminated. An independent mechanic stated that the abs was malfunctioning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer (volkswagen of oakland, 2740 broadway, oakland, ca 94610) who stated that there were no active recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 89,605. *tt

When i drive the car go slow then fast

The interior smells strongly of crayons and will not go away with shampooing, cleaning and/or other methods of odor removal. The odor is very strong and rubs off on clothing and skin whilst seated.

Bought this vw beetle used. Had terrible smell, like burnt crayons. Cleaned it intensely, inside and outside. Thorough detail job. Still smells, causing headache. Air bag light and buzzer stayed on even after latching seat belt. Cruise control works erratically, lunging forward suddenly, then chugs, then lunges forward quickly again. Speed works consistently when cruise control is not engaged. Very unsafe with cruise control in use. Lighting issues. Interior lights would not work, unable to see interior gauges in the dark. Turn signals blinking erratically, and not in sync. Took vehicle in for repairs at an authorized vw dealer, paid $1,300.00. Still not working properly. Took it back in 4 days later because drivers side window almost fell out while driving, and interior lighting issues still did not work. Was charged another $600.00. Vehicle will not engage into drive position easily, and sometimes not at all unless the steering wheel is jerked on. Dealer said sensors were the problem, and that i will need to bring it back again to have the cruise control fixed at a cost of $250.00. I am scared to drive this vehicle now. There should be some recalls on the smell issue, and the air bag/seat belt issue. Also cruise control issue, because i have been told it is associated with the electrical problems. *tr

On friday, august 15, 2014 at 12:19 pm, i rear ended a toyota highlander at a speed of about 30 mph. My passenger was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and on impact my passenger was ejected out of the seat and smashed her head off the windshield and then onto the dashboard. Also she hit her legs off the glove box hard enough that she could not walk after the accident. The windshield is smashed and the glove box door is broken. I on the other hand had my seat belt on, but my side of the car had sustained the most damage, but neither the driver or passenger air bags deployed. *tr

On june 13th i was driving my car and i went to turn off the ac and it made a loud clicking noise, after the noise the ac wouldn't turn off so i ended up driving 3 hours with the ac full blast. A few days after this i was able to turn off the ac, and left it like this for about 2 weeks. At this point the middle knob was stuck and the ac would randomly work and no longer would turn at all. On june 30th as i was leaving the parking lot of my apartment and went to turned on the ac, it made a weird noise but i continued driving anyways. The ac stopped working so i turned the knob again and i started getting a burning smell, i looked down and saw smoke coming out from behind the knob so i drove back to my apartment because i decided it wasn't safe to drive on the freeway. In a matter of a minute the smoke got worse and started coming out from the entire area under my radio. I parked my car once i got back home and stood outside as i allowed my car to air out, not long after this i saw flames coming out from the middle knob and growing bigger. I was luckily able to put it out with a cup of water and was forced to call 911 to make sure the fire was completely out. This is one of the worst experiences that has ever happened to me and it was terrifying, if i didn't have a cup of water at the time the fire could have easily burned up the rest of my car in a matter of seconds. *tr

I was sitting in standstill traffic, by myself, was hit from behind at full freeway speed, forced into the car in front of me, resulting in a domino effect and a 6 car pile up. I sustained both front end and back end damage, totaling my car, my passenger airbag deployed (again, i was alone) the drivers side one did not, forcing me into the steering wheel and dashboard. I am currently under a doctors care. *tr

The front seat belt buckle becomes defective and sets an airbag code making the air bag light turn on and possibly not work. This is the third time i have had to replace the buckle on this vehicle in 187,000 miles. I have checked a number of vw club forums and have found this is a very common issue on these vehicles. I feel this is a safety issue that nhtsa should look into. *js

The vw new beetle i just got has a strong interior smell of crayons. Is this harmful to our health? *tr

This is my daughters car and we are concerned about the safety of it with her going to school and work. It has been jerking very hard enough to throw you whole body forward i just can't believe the complaints i've seen with this car i would have never bought it knowing all these problems. Parents concerned please help to get fixed. Vw should be held accountable and fix these dangerous issues i pray everyday she is ok driving, can't afford to get another car let alone fix it!!! Also have had other issues too but this one is the most concerning!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph in rainy weather, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised that there were no recalls for the failure and that the windshield wipers sensors would have to be disengaged. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was 190,000.

Water leaking from moonroof. Headliner damp and loose. *tr

Vehicle stalled approaching an intersection. It would not restart, and none of the electronics functioned. The vehicle had to be pushed into a nearby parking lot. Upon repair, it was discovered that the battery fuse block had melted, and the in-line fuses were all damaged. The battery fuse block needed to be replaced.

The blue temp gauge comes on for a short period of time...Then when i slow down the jumps/jerk really hard...I notice it only does when i slow down....To avoid it i try to let the car slow down on its own but it still does it....Others that ive discussed the issue with advised me that it may be the transmission...And upon researching the vw beetle i found out that im not the only person experiencing this is issue and that it is indeed the transmission

There is an unusually strong, and obnoxious, odor (smelling of burnt crayons) coming from the interior of the car. The smell is so over-powering i have to open the windows, and leave them open, the entire time i am driving the car, otherwise i become dizzy and nauseous. I searched the internet, and there are many people who have blogged they have a car made by volkswagen with the same odor problem -- a few of these websites are; ----(1) http://www.Fixmystinkycar.Com/?P=706 ----(2) http://forums.Automotive.Com/70/6371584/volkswagen/chemical-odor/index.Html ----(3) http://www.Carsurvey.Org/reviews/volkswagen/jetta/2001/page-57/ ----(4) http://www.Webanswers.Com/automobiles/what-is-causing-my-car-smell-5b4bd0. *tr

I own a 2002 vw beetle,the air bag light came on,and took it to the dealership and they want to charge around $600.00 dollars to get it fixed.I was doing some research on line about the airbag light coming on,and found out that alot of people who owned the same model year are having the same issue.I think this issue should be a recall since lots of other consumers are having exactly the same issue with the airbag like me. *tr

02m transmission 6 speed; shift fork in 1st and 2nd gear fail, a small rivet is used to secure this fork (brass fork and steel shaft) together. My 1st and 2nd gear were hard to get into and progressively got worse over time; until the shift fork failed and 1st, 2nd gear are nonexistent; all other gears work fine. This is a known issue and widely reported problem on websites such as vwvortex. This particular car; 2002 new beetle turbo s; only has about 70k which is low for a catastrophic failure such as this. *tr

Airbag light came on. Took it to the dealer to diagnose. Dealer stated that the drivers side (seat) side impact airbag (the one built into the side of the seat nearest the door) was not communicating with the airbag system and stated that it would cost $680 to fix. Less than a year ago i spent $500 on the drivers seat belt latch replacement to cure the airbag light. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact smelled a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The odor caused him to have a headache. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was 73,000 miles.

We purchased a used 2002 vw beetle for our daughter. It smells like burnt crayons and gives her a serious headache. Online there a numerous people complaining of this same problem. It comes from something sprayed on the undercarriage, that smells more when the car is heated up. You must be aware of this problem. What are you going to do. What should we do. The odor was covered up during the test drive, but has now become unbearable. What avenues should we pursue. Lemon law, recall, ...What should we do...Or more aptly what aren't you doing? I want a solution. *tr

Seat belt/air bag light came on. Took to local, qualified mechanic. They said only vw dealer could fix and reset. Dealer said it was lower seat belt harness ($380), but could be more (above $800) and the service writer encouraged us to do the more expensive work. Told them to do the harness and see if light would go out, which it did. Light came back on around 12/10/2010 at approximately 79,000 miles. Just prior to this, we purchased another vw beetle, a 2003 convertible with 69,500 miles with the seat belt/airbag light on. Seller said he could not get it fixed by his mechanic and had to have vw dealer repair it for around "$380", maybe more. Since he made other repairs, we let it go. Now we have two to fix at the mercy of the vw dealer. My concerns are several: 1. This is a recurring problem for us and for numerous others (vw beetle forum) 2. The repairs can only be completed by a high cost vw dealer and the computer reset by them only 3. The materials appear to be deficient/defective and the engineering of the harness/wiring system substandard 4. Repairs need to be made in the 60-85,000 mile range - a contrived maintenance/repair item that brings windfall revenue/profit to vw dealers in the $400-1,000 range per occurrence when many of the cars are worth only $4,000-7,000. 5. Since it is a basic safety item and we don't know if the airbag system works or not, we are forced to repair this problem because it makes us appear as if we are negligent when in fact this problem should not exist and be covered by the manufacturer like emission systems to well past 100-150,000 miles. In summary, vw has colluded with its dealers to create this situation and allow this "repair" to emerge as a way to generate revenues and profits on cars that would normally not have a reason to be brought in to a vw dealer. It is non-competitive, fraudulent and unnecessary.

My fiancee and i purchased this beetle in november of 2010 and have had nothing but problems with it. It has been in the shop a number of time (5-7) and we have spent hundreds in trying to fix it. Yet no luck. It is a danger to my fiancee and new born baby. On day it will run fine but then after driving for ten minutes the epc light come on and the brakes barely work if at all, and it wont speed up even if she has her foot to the floor. So now we have a $6000 dollar car that not even the vw dealership can fix. It sits on our road. I have seen so many complaints about people having the same problem and i believe its only a matter of time before some one gets seriously injured or even worse. Please do something about this monstrosity that vw refuses to admit. *tr

Serious electrical long term quality issues, starting with under hood wiring for glow plugs melted away, air bag/seat belt wiring broke/failed, seat heater failed, passenger door switch failed, turn signal bulb holder failed, repeated head lamp and tail light failures, alternator pulley clutch failed(exploded) factory alarm problems - just sets off, air back light on dash on, service engine light on. *tr

2002 volkswagen new beetle. Consumer writes regarding replacement brake light switch *tgw the consumer stated the epc light illuminated. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and the problem was diagnosed as a failed brake light switch. The consumer stated it was the same switch that wa replaced under recall.

Vw dealer advises that airbag light indicates airbags are disabled and caused by a malfunction in the seatbelt latch assembly costing $386 to repair. Vw dealer says this happens a lot. Vw dealer said that airbags would not have deployed. Vw dealer said that wiring inside the latch "just breaks" eventually. Failure of safety equipment should be an automatic recall and manufacturers should be required to repair defects at their costs and not cost to the consumer. *tr

Drivers side seat belt latch sensor failure causes airbag error light on the dash to come on. Dealer states that when the light is on the airbags are disabled. Seems like an unnecessary sensor...When the car is in use wouldn't that mean that someone is in the drivers seat? $500 to fix. *kb

I was driving my 2002 new beetle to work. The brakes froze up, i could not stop ran a stop sign i put car in park still could not stop. Happened twice more b/4 i got to work. I looked up recall for volkswagen 2002. There was one "service brakes ,hydraulic: antilock recall. I called volks and was asked if i was the original owner? I told them no. Although i was able to speak with someone about my problem i got no results. I was told there was no recalls for vin number i gave her. I came back to work and found that there was, said every vehicle has it's own id number which i understood but i know what happened and i could have lost my life. *tr

Chemical odor inside car. Recently purchased a 2002 vw beetle. The inside of the car smells like burnt crayons. It is so strong it burns my eyes and the smell gets in your hair and in your clothing. This cannot be healthy to be breathing. I live in ms and the heat seems to make the smell stronger. I've read many threads with a lot of people on line complaining of this same problem but vw dealership says they cannot help. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated while traveling approximately 75mph, the transmission independently downshifted yet there was an unusual increase in engine rpms. The vehicle abnormally decelerated from 75 to 15 mph within seconds. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that the transmission rear differential gear was defective. The mechanic also advised that the transmission would need to be replaced. The failure and current mileages were approximately 100,000.

Failed airbag wiring - dealer says its related to a seat sensor - light on dash came on at 62,000 miles has 108,000 currently. *tr

2002 vw beetle turbo 1.8 while driving the red light sensor would come on stating my car was overheating. Nothing was leaking, sensors were replaced a few months prior due to the same issue along with a ring and it happened again. The red light flashes then about 2 miles later the oil light goes on and if the car is not pulled over immediately then you risk engine damage. The entire engine is made up of plastic parts pretty much which crack and melt very easy when heat gets to them. So now after spending money on water pumps, assemblies, hoses, sensors which total over 3k it is now an issue once again and the car is undrivable. I am extremely disappointed in this vehicle. Also my igniter coils were replaced 8 times (2x each one) prior to a recall and they do not reimburse you all the monies spent. Now there is a recall in my sunroof which the dealership will not fix since the water damage is already affecting the roof of the vehicle. So with all of my receipts not including rental cars for repairs only i have invested over 6k in a car worth less and i doubt no one will pay to take it off my hands which will leave a single mother car less. *tr

2003 volkswagen beetle. Alternator, wiring harness, fuse block and battery all went bad. Melted parts (wire and fuse block), which indicates high current draw and potential for fire, concerned about safety. Vw says isolated issue, web search says a different story. Call vw customer care, logged a case, dead end. I'm sure it's their issue however they won't admit and instead we get a $1500 bill. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. When the contact started the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer previously replaced the air bag sensor, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Updated 10/18/2017*cn

I have a 2002 vw new beetle with an automatic transmission that has failed with 220,000 miles on it. It began to slip and not down shift properly at 170,000 miles. It is a diesel and i expect the engine will continue to perform for another 3 to 400 thousand miles. Has vw been honest with the consumer about its track history of transmission failures in the new beetle? Please add my new beetle to the list of automatic transmission complaints. *tr

Our 2002 vw transmission went out @ 75,000 miles with no notice. Just one day it would not back up. Then it was almost like it jumped into reverse and then when we put it in drive you could just tell it was not right. We limped it around from place to place getting opinions on what was wrong and getting estimates on repair. Had one garage take the cover off side of transmission seeing metal shavings was when we got it replaced. That replacement lasted a total of 3 days, it was used with only 23000 miles on it and only lasted 3 days. It just stopped in the middle of road and would no go into any gear. Replaced that one with another ( both were fdf transmissions) and now the speedometer is off x 8-13 mph, the rpm are running high around 2800 to 3000 @ 55 -60 mph. Fuel mileage is down cut in half. Have taken it to a vw dealer and was told there were no codes anywhere and they did not know what was wrong or why these problems were happening. This tells me there is a big problem somewhere with vw transmissions and someone needs to inquire into this. The internet is full of vw transmission problems. *tr

Over the past two months, i have experienced problems shifting in between gears. The problem began on a road trip to houston, tx and was stuck on a back highway in low gear in the middle on nowhere. After bringing the car to a stop and restarting the vehicle it worked for some time but the issue progressively got worse over the last two months. I live in nacogdoches, tx where there are many hills throughout town, this past friday on my way home from school my car would not shift gears and i could not get over the hills. Another car came over the hill and almost hit me as the speed limit is 55 mph in that area and my car was not even moving as i hit over 6000 rpm and i could not move forward to climb the hill. Now the vehicle will not even move forward once it was brought to my driveway, no matter how many times i have restarted. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact was driving approximately 45 mph when the windshield wiper failed to function. In addition, the power windows, turn signals, headlights, air conditioner and defroster would not function. The brake and engine warning lights were also illuminated and the contact stated that the failures occurred at the same time. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

I was driving home and my coolant light started beeping and flashing red. I ended up stranded. I got it to the mechanic and he says it is a water pump. So i am replacing the water pump. I feel this should be a recall. *tr

Vw dealer advises that airbag light indicates airbags are disabled and caused by a malfunction in the seatbelt assembly costing over $500 to repair. D.O.T. Requires manufacturers to insert airbags as safety measures, but fails to enforce auto manufacturers maintenance requirements for this defect. Failure of safety equipment should be an automatic recall and manufacturers should be required to repair defects at their costs and not cost to the consumer. *tr

After driving the car for about 20 minutes, i stopped at a redlight. When the light turned green, my car acted like it did not have a lot of power and would not shift into 2nd and 3rd gears without over revving. Whenever i slowed back down, the car abruptly and severely downshifts. The shift is hard enough that it slings me forward. I fear that i will soon be rearended because of this. I do not feel safe to drive my car. This occurrence happens sporadically and i can't get it fixed until a mechanic witnesses it happening. *tr

2002 volkswagen beetle automatic transmission. There is a long hesitation then a violent jerk going into gears. I had stopped at the stop sign at the end of my road, i then proceeded to cross 4 lanes of highway traffic when the transmission decided to do a long hesitation. A multiple car accident was almost the result. I have since parked the car and do not drive it because i cannot afford to fix it and volkswagen told me that the repairs would be $5700.00. This hesitation and jerking happens everytime time now when driven. I believe this is a safety concern and should be looked into. Thank you! *tr

2002 turbo vw beetle. Seems to be jerking when shifting into gear. Last week it jerked me forward quite hard. Scary!! Car has 70,000 miles. I see there is alot of people with this same problem. I've spent 1200.00 in the last year on various repairs. As i saw with other complaints, a/c stops working and then this. Wondering if this is a safety issue with the seriousness of this jerking affect. Jerking now has gotten harder and is everytime it shifts into gear. This is an automatic! When recently taken into a vw shop they did a computer scan on it and nothing comes up. Various hoses, water pump, thermo reader have been replaced. *tr

2002 vw beetle. The airbag warning light is on. The diagnosis is that a wire to the driver's side seat belt latch is broken therefore relaying that the seat belt is not latched (false positive). When the air bag light is on the air bag function is disabled. The repair is not of a wire, but of the entire seat belt at $250+. At any time this is a lot but when out of a job may be impossible. As my college-age daughter is the one in the seat, i am left without much choice, but to pay for the repair. This is the third time the air bag light has gone on, all with different diagnosis. Why is this not considered a safety issue? The topic is frequent on the web. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited an abnormal odor that caused the contact to receive headaches. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer advised that the odor was caused by a stain on the floor mats. The contact stated that the odor was not coming from the floor mats but the entire carpet kit. The contact removed the carpet kit but the odor persisted. The failure mileage was 63,000. The vin was not available.

Air bag default, light indicator on shows that there is an air bag malfunction in the passenger side air bag. Vw dealership suggested replacement of the air bag for $800. Car is only 6 years old, 65,000km, no accidents. This should be included under warranty. *tr

My wife was involved in an accident in our 2002 vw new beetle. She was hit in the driver's door. Her head was thrown against the driver's window and her hip was hurt from the door intruding into the cabin. Her neck was hurt also. She was transported to va beach gen. Hospital and given x-rays, a ct scan and a physical exam. Her transport was via ambulance and she was extricated through the passenger door on a backboard with a neck brace. We believe her injuries are at least in part due to her side airbag not deploying. We have contacted vw of america and provided them information and photos of the automobile. Vw has informed us that vw's stand is that it accepts no responsibility because the damage did not fall within their specs per the diagram in the owners manual. Our position is it absolutely does fall within their guidelines as witnessed by the photos. We also offered them a 30 day period that the insurance company would hold the vehicle for inspection and they said they were not interested in examining the car and as far as vw america was concerned the matter was closed. We believe vw should be help liable for my wife's medical bills at a minimum and that they should inspect the vehicle for defects in the airbag system. The automobile was a total loss and will not be repaired. *tr

I have had my windshield wipers replaced twice, and the last time was at a volkswagen dealership. While driving during a two-day 18 hour road trip in varying heaviness of rain, the windshield wipers stopped working during a downpour on a highway. They froze mid wipe causing a temporary lack of visibility and potentially a fatal crash. After turning them off for a minute they started working again. Had this probably several hours later and again the next morning after they had been off for over 12 hours. This exact problem (stopped windshield wipers) did not occur again. However on january 17th, 2009, after using wipers continuously during a calm rain storm for a total of about 30 minutes, the wipers would not turn off. When the wipers were placed in the off position they continue to wipe back and forth rather quickly. The other speed settings work fine. Then, after turning off the engine and removing the key and starting the car up again, the wipers would not continue while in the off position, but after turning them on once they will not go off. Problem has not been solved and a volkswagen specialist in austin, tx (where i ended up after my trip) had never heard of the issue. *tr

Airbag light illuminated. No operator reason for this; i.E., no vehicle impacts, no work done on car other than brake light switch replaced one week prior. Research indicates airbag system is inoperative if this light is on. Research also indicates this is a very common problem that is expensive fix and is not always reliable. Cannot be diagnosed with obd ii reader; needs expensive ($250+) diagnostic software and cable to use with laptop computer for reliable diagnosis. Vw dealers typically charge in excess of $100 to read diagnostic codes and then price of repairs is unaffordable. This is a safety issue--occupant protection systems are at least as important as emissions systems and should be reliable for more than 70,000 miles. *tr

Airbag light came on. I took it in and they said it is caused by a bad wiring harness in the drivers seat, something to do with the seatbelt latch. It is my understanding that the airbags will not work if the light is on. There should be a recall. Consumers should not have to pay for a manufacturer defect! There have been numerous complaints, yet vw has yet to recall this part. Are they waiting until someone dies? *tr

Drivers door lock fails to latch when closed. Vehicle is unsafe to drive. *tr

In august 2008 i went to have my oil changed at a volkswagen dealer in kalamazoo, mi. They said that the aluminum oil pan plug had been overtightened and the pan was ruined. I was told that potentially the plug could have fallen out at any point in time, leaving me in a dangerous situation, either stranded somewhere but most likely causing a crash. They told me that the aluminum pans wear out and need to be replaced, but this car had only 35,000 miles on it at the time. Something like an oil pan shouldn't just "wear out" after that short a time. They also told me i was better off replacing the aluminum pan with the steel because the aluminum was susceptible to punctures from almost anything. The new volkswagens are being manufactured with steel pans and volkswagen should be willing to replace the old aluminum free of charge. The new pan cost me $293.69. *tr

The problem is a defect in the sunroof drain tubes which allows them to easily get clogged, which causes water leaks to the interior of the car. This can cause mold and other damage. *tr

I own a 2002 vw beetle and the passenger side window regulator went out about 2 months ago and have since changed it out. Now the same thing has happened to the drivers side. I have noticed surfing the web that there have been several other complaints about this problem. Why does this happen so frequently and is there a recall on this item? If not there should be. *tr

The ignition coils on my 2.0l azg engine crumbled during a tune up,which resulted in a $647.00 repair bill. New vw ignition coil, spark plug wires and oem spark plugs were installed. Today, 4/26/2013, ignition coil crumbles again during tune up. Vw claims their warranty on parts is 12 months. Vw recalled a ton of ignition coils for 1.8l engines in the 2001-2003 time period claiming higher than normal failure rates. I would say that one ignition coil every 4 years is a high failure rate as well, considering of the three cars i have currently own (one for 15 years), i have never had a coil fail except for twice for this beetle. A search of vw owner websites and you tube video sites show a plethora of failed ignition coils and how-to's for replacement of the coil. If this isn't a prevalent problem, why are so many people claiming it happens? It seems that vw is limiting their losses by ignoring these failures. *tr

For no apparent reason the airbag warning light in my daughter's 2002 new beetle lit up. After a costly ($315) diagnosis and repair it was discovered that there was resistance in the seat buckle. When i scheduled the diagnosis, the service desk person predicted that was the problem. That indicates that this is a common defect. She also said the airbags will not deploy if the light is on. Which in its self is cause for concern . *tr

2002 volkswagen beetle diesel turbo seals and/or bearing failure which resulted in oil filling the inner cooler and air tubes--this resulted in oil being taken into the intake and filling the cylinders--this led to hydro lock of the engine and cylinder damage--had the vehicle not just been started when incident occurred, this condition could have resulted in runaway engine rpm's and no way to shut the engine off, eventually leading to the engine blowing up and/or fire. *tr

I was driving down the street at approximately 20 miles per hour when suddenly my car began to sound like i was dragging metal across the road. I tried to turn the car to the right to pull over and park, and the car locked. Three airbags then deployed. The steering locked and caused the car to sideswipe another. The officer that responded to the accident, advised me to report it on to this site. He claimed that he has never seen anything like this before and said it was a defect in the wheel. The lower control arm bolt completely broke causing the suspension frame to break. The police officer reported this as a defect in the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2002 volkswagen beetle with 44,000 miles. *tr

I own two of the vw new beetles. One is 2002 and the other is 2003. Both of them have trouble with the taillight/stoplight and turn signals not working due to a defective contact design in the bulb socket. In order to fix the problem you have to take the assembly out and bend the contact to put more spring in them which puts more pressure against the bulb. This may fix the problem for a time ( 1 to 60 days) then the problem reverts. All parts are oem equipment. I have contacted vw about this and there is not a recall. I would think that turn signals and tail lights would be considered a safety issue. I know i am not the only person to have this problem. I am concerned about my families safety and don't understand why a mandatory recall has not been issued. *tr

Air bag light intermittent. 3rd time for service to air bag system. 1st event was in warranty - replace clock spring, 2nd and 3rd events were not covered - over 50k miles and extended warranty claims they do not cover safety related systems including air bag systems. 2nd issue, was too short in length of wiring harness leading to clock spring. 3rd issue was due to seat belt switch, now light is again on. Have not taken car back to dealer yet. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The driver's side air bag light has remained illuminated in the vehicle for over 1 1/2 years. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer numerous times and they stated that the driver's side seat belt and sensor caused the failure. Through research, the contact discovered that a newer model might have a recall for this same issue. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 107,000. Updated 09/11/09 *bf updated 09/14/09.*jb

The driver's side air bags did not deploy as they should have in a head on car accident. Someone hit my car in the right rear end and i lost control of the car and it careened head first into a tree. Before the car was hit it was going about 30 - 35 mph but after it was hit it went faster, i can't say how much (i estimated above). I was the driver and only occupant. The car was totaled but the air bags did not deploy as they should have. I got whiplash (real whiplash) and injured my hip as it broke the arm rest. The vin number i provided is for this car that was totaled - it's no longer on the street. *tr

Airbag light came on. I took it to the dealer service department and they said it is caused by a bad wiring harness in the drivers seat. It is my understanding that the airbags will not work if the light is on. Vw of america refuses to cover the cost of the repair (almost $400) because it is not under warranty. The problem began at about 52,000 miles. There should be a recall. Consumers should not have to pay for a manufacturer defect! *tr

Defective door latch ,,,safety issue because the warning light does not come on when you open door. I have two 2002 vw beetles and they both have non working warning lights due to defective latches, also airbags don,t work due to fault. Both problems are very common, but vw doesn't do anything about it. Also when you call the dealership parts department these latches are in stock due to high rate of failure. There should be a recall on the door latch, this is a safety issue. Also the air bags need to be recalled. The vw dealer wants 450.00 to replace the door latch, and the airbags start at about 800.00 so most people will be driving around without this safety equipment. Please make them stand behind there product . Thank you *tr

Defective door latch ,,,safety issue because the warning light does not come on when you open door. I have two 2002 vw beetles and they both have non working warning lights due to defective latches, fault. Both problems are very common, but vw doesn't do anything about it. Also when you call the dealership parts department these latches are in stock due to high rate of failure. There should be a recall on the door latch, this is a safety issue. The vw dealer wants 450.00 to replace the door latch, so most people will be driving around without this safety equipment. Please make them stand behind there product . Thank you *tr

Clutch needs to be replaced in my 2002 vw new beetle. I commute 200 miles a day.. All freeway.. And after purchasing the car used and using it for 5 months, the clutch needs replacing already. I have almost always owned manual transmission automobiles and have never had a clutch problem. I do not drive a lot using the clutch seeing as most of my driving is on the highway. I am glad i noticed this problem early and was only driving to the store instead of on the freeway. *cn

I have the same problem with my 2002 vw new beetle as in pe 04073: turn signal/hazard flasher failure: exterior lighting:turn signal:flasher unit. The flasher does not work consistently: it starts, then stops after one or two blinks. The timing of the blinks are also erratic. My model needs to be covered by this recall. *tr

Failure of the front crash sensor to triggered an air bag warning light. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen new beetle. When the vehicle is turned on the air bag indicator light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The dealer stated that the air bag was deactivated and the seat belt latch system needed to be repaired in order for the air bag system to function properly. The contact would have to pay for the repair because air bag was not covered under warranty. The vehicle needs to be repaired. The failure mileage was 51,000 and current mileage was 52,000. Updated 02/14/08. *lj the brake light bulb and right rear tail light was inoperative. Updated.

Air conditioner compressor clutch fell off car under normal use. This would have been a serious safety issue had the dust cover on the bottom of the motor compartment not have caught it and the clutch was thrown into traffic.. *tr

In the fall of 2007 the engine overheating light would come on while driving 40mph+. Car remained at a decent temperature until that speed. Checked everything possible before going to the dealer. Dealer said the water pump was bad and it cost $800 to replace the pump and a couple of cheap belts they had to remove in the process. At the time the car was 5 years old and had around 30,000 miles on it. Very upset that the water pump went out after 30,000 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that the air bag light remained illuminated. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the scan dtc found that the driver's buckle resistance was set too high. The first time the failure occurred and was repaired was on april 6, 2005. The current and failure mileages were 52,000.

When you put the car in drive with your foot on the brake, when you let off the brake the car will roll backwards then jerk forward.

I have a 2002 vw beetle. I had an airbag light come on 3 years ago. I had it fixed once. About 6 months later the light came back on and i was told that the problem may continue. I did not have it fixed again. I am now reading that this is a common problem. Why has this not been recalled? *tr

Failure to start, wont read key in ignition dealer unable to fix problem as of yet. Similar problems occurred last year, prior to routine maintenance when problem was mentioned, the dealer couldn't find anything wrong.... Basically brushed me off. Very frustrating since i greatly depend on my car for work. The car is completely inoperable! *jb

Currently have very low mileage(now under 20000) 2002 vw new beetle purchased new. After time warranty expired both power window(passenger and driver sides) regulators failed (at different times and mileages) spontaneously not due to any external event.. Both regulators required replacement at considerable cost. This is very unusual because auto window regulators usually are very durable when not damaged by external crash or the like. I reported this to volkswagen but got no satisfaction. On the internet i have found many other complaints from owners about this problem to their dismay and without satisfaction from volkswagen. There should have been a recall for the defective parts! *tr

02 nb with 7700 miles, airbag light came on. Told system will not work with this fault. Took to royal volkwagen, was told they could not communicate with air bag computer, so, sorry. No offer to investigate nor fix problem. Spoke with volkwagen care line, what a joke, sorry, not under warranty. Come on volkswagen, lets do a recall, or do you really not care about our lives??? German engineering my money. *ak

Air bag light has been on for about 3 weeks. Not sure what it means.*ak

I'm in the process of replacing my second driver's side seat belt latch (the female end that the belt attaches to) on my 2002 vw new beetle. This failure triggers the air bag light on the instrument panel. The first seat belt latch was replaced in april of 2007; now, three years later, the air bag light is on again and the error code indicates the same issue, so i'm forced to replace the same part again. From my reading vw new beetle forums, this is a chronic problem for this model year. At the very least you'd think vw would re-design the part to eliminate the issue so it only has to be replaced one time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen new beetle. The contact stated that the air bag light remains illuminated. The mechanic repaired the failure on several occasions, however, it always recurs a few days later. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 37,000.

Dt*: the contact stated a nhtsa recall letter was received indicating the brake safety switch needed to be replaced at the nearest dealership. The vehicle had not presented any problems with the brake light switch yet. The nearest dealership was 130 miles from the locality. The contact asked the manufacturer for the replacement part to perform the repair at an independent authorized certified mechanic or other trusted dealership. The manufacturer refused the proposal. The contact expressed concern because the manufacturer should be flexible in cases were no dealership were present in the area.

The airbag warning light came on for no apparent reason. Diagnosed as bad passenger side airbag crash sensor. Had to be replaced at expense to me. *tr

2002 vw beetle 2.0 gls w/ approx. 77,000 miles. Low fuel lights stays on / will not go off. The fuel gauge is working properly, the light just won't go off. We checked several web sites and contacted a couple of vw dealerships. We found out it is likely the instrument cluster and it's a fairly common problem. Vw wouldn't warranty the work. *nm

The airbag light on my 2002 volkswagen new beetle is on. The car has 52,000 miles on it. The dealer wants to charge me $400.00 to repair. It cost $150.00 to find out that it is the airbag pigtail-1j0971584j and spiral reel-1j0959653c. *nm

Air bag light will not go off--forum says may air bags may not work with light on. It seems to be a major problem with vw bugs for years. Should be a recall. *nm

Window cable broken. Had pass. Side replaced 2 months ago, now drivers side broken. Window fell into door. *nm

Passenger door had been difficult to get closed since about 9/15/06, but on this date, although door had been successfully closed and locked for 20 miles, it swung open as i was exiting a us highway and turning onto a state highway. Fortunately i was alone in the car. I took it to a private shop and had the door repaired - although now i can't open it using the outside handle, the door has no problems latching. Previous to this issue with the door, my trunk release buttons on both my driver's side door and my remote wouldn't release my trunk - i was only able to open it manually using the key in the lock. I replaced the remote battery, but that had no effect. After my car door was repaired, my trunk releases started working again. However, on occasion the trunk has had the same reluctance to latch that the passenger door did. In the last month, my windows have decided to go no farther than an inch from top on the passenger side and only halfway up on the driver's side and i can neither unlock nor lock my car using the interior buttons - i can only use my remote. *jb

I have a 2002 vw new beetle. Problem..Engine light comes on, then goes off. Had many costly repairs. Problem reoccurs. Mechanic stated that i may need a new catalytic. Have been told that car maintains an 80,000 or 7 year warranty. Is this true and if so how do i get my car fixed asap before this warranty expires? Car has 54000 miles and is now 7 years. *tr

I have a 2002 vw beetle and the brake lights do not work because the brake light switch failed. I know they have recalled other beetles for this but when i called vw they said it was not recalled on my vehicle. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was not able to be taken out of park during failure of the brake light switch. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the brake light switch was replaced 4 times. There was a nhtsa recall # 06v183000 which pertained to the brake light switch. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle had difficulties starting. The service dealer replaced the wiring harness. The air bag and check engine lights illuminated, and the key was hot when removed from the ignition. The electric windows malfunctioned; opened and closed without warning. The service dealer determined the malfunctions were due to a seatbelt. The manufacturer was not contacted.

Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle's airbag warning light suddenly illuminated while driving 35 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the airbag was defective but declined to repair the problem because the warranty had expired. There were no repair invoices available because no repairs were made.

In june i took my 2002 vw beetle to the dealership because it again would not start. The vehicle has had the alternator replaced already, a battery change, and then another alternator. So three alternators since creation. I was told that another battery had failed. So now three batteries in total. I also told them that the brake lights were sticking on and burning out the bulbs, that they stayed lit so people could not tell if i was braking and that the cruise control was not working. I was told by corporate that my vin did not fall under a recall. I argued that while my vin might not have been identified it did not negate the fact that the car had the same failure and cause as those listed as part of the recall. They finally agreed to warranty the brake switch failure. I paid for the new battery. However, the car was returned to me with out working turn signals and hazard lights. The service rep failed to return my calls about it on numerous occasions. Only after i contacted the mgr did they call me. They said to bring it back and they would fix it. Now they want to charge me $135 because they say the switch inside the dash failed and it was not related to the electrical issues with the brake switch. Funny the cruise control, etc were related. I was told the brake switch allowed electrical to be back fed into the system that was too powerful for the circuits thus burning them out. They can not explain why the turn signals would not be affected by this nor why they returned it to me broken. This car is an electrical lemon! *nm

Dt*: the consumer stated the air bag light illuminated on a continuous basis. The dealership determined the switch in the seat belt needs to be replaced. If the switch is not replaced, the air bag may not deploy in a collision. *jb updates 3/3/2006 - *nm

Clutch failure (began to slip) on 2002 nb tdi @ 77k mi. *nm

Sunroof clogs constantly causing water leaks into the car from the headliner or down the side along the windshield to door frame pillar. Apparently, there are many vw beetle owners out there with this same issue. I had vw fix it and it was clogged again within a month. *nm

Any time i turn on my air conditioner it sounds like my car is going to blow up. Cold air comes out, but the noise and the shaking of my car scares me. It started about 4 months ago. I would have the ac on and if my car was idling the noise would start up and my car would vibrate, it felt like my car was idling very heavily. It sounded like a jack hammer. Now, it happens just when i turn the air on, but it's even louder than before. Also i hear the jack hammer sound when the air is not on and hasn't been turned on at all when my car is at a stop or when i turn the car off. I don't have the money to fix it so i haven't even bothered to take it in anywhere to get it fixed. On top of it all, i can't put my windows down because in nov '05 my passenger side window disconnected from the track. After a couple of months i started to get the feeling the driver side window was not too far behind with it doing the same. Sure enough, this past april, it did the deed. I called the dealership about this to see if fixing it would be covered under warranty, but because my warranty was either 5 years or 60,000 miles and my car being about 62,000 miles was told it was no longer under warranty. I do not have the money to fix this car, i've been having a tough time just paying for the car itself and fighting with volkswagen credit about this. *jb

Vw new beetle - in shop for 3 months out of 24 months owned. Engine trouble, window trouble, starter trouble and now clutch problems. *nm

08/05 purchased vehicle from lexus of glendale 09/05 experience numerous problems with brakes. Peddle would not spring back into place causing car to be stuck in the road. I had to physically pick up the peddle so the car would move again. Took back to the dealer, they said they cannot duplicate problem and left it unresolved. 10/05 brake problem occurred many more times. Twice when i tap the brake to slow down it would have a loud suction vacuum sound and go straight to the floor and get stuck leaving the vehicle behind me with no warning to stop. Took to dealer...They said they knew what the problem was, but are not authorized to fix unless they can duplicate. We asked they how much it would cost if we wanted to pay out of pocket. They said they cannot give us a price because it's under warranty...?!? Problem unresolved!!! 10/05 problem occurred again, but this time on the freeway. Dealer said bring it back and we'll look at it yet again! We asked for our money back and they said they would buy it back at a fraction of what we paid. Left unresolved...Looking for alternative way to get our money back. *nm

Just after reaching 35,800 miles, my 2002 vw nb suddenly and without warning on the freeway lost power and speed. The engine began to rev erratically from a low of 1000 rpms to 6000/7000 rpms while the speed continued to drop below 50 mph. I took the car to a va dealership for the 35,000 mile service and bought the erratic engine behavior to the attention the of service manager. He advised me that he had "no idea what-so-ever" (indicating so on the service papers for the car) about what was causing the cars erratic behavior but would test drive it to troubleshoot the problem. I received a call later that day that they had found the problem with the car. The "fly wheel" was "falling out" of the car and would have to be replaced asap. Furthermore, while troubleshooting the car the mechanics had actually broken the fly wheel (clutch) rendering the car undrivable. The service manager advised me that in the 3 years the service department had serviced my car they had never checked my clutch as it was suppose to be self-regulating and that he found it unusual that the clutch would fall out with so few miles on the car. However, the service manager informed me that the clutch is not under warranty and would cost me approximately $2,000 or more to repair. I contacted va of america to inquiry as to why the clutch is not serviced regularly with the rest of the car and why owners are not advised of the so-called self-regulating clutch which is not mentioned anywhere in the owners manual. The consumer representative stated that even if the part was defective now at 35,000 miles that i should have taken action to have the part replaced when it was under warranty even though she could not specifically state when the fly wheel was under warranty or whether it is still under warranty. As yet the car has not been repaired. *nm

2002 volkswagen beetle electric fan failed.*mr the stated that an object must have hit the fan to cause it to fail. The consumer stated the fan was protected on all sides by steel and aluminum. The consumer stated the only way to access the fan was to remove the entire front end of the vehicle. *jb

Dt : the key will not turn in the ingition. Had to wait up to 10 minutes in order to get the vehicle to start. Once it started it stayed locked/parked. It was intermittently. Contacted the deale, they could not duplicate the problem and could not t replace parts until they duplicate. This started on may 15, 2005. Also the trunk release will not unlock from the button that used inside the vehicle. Dealer could not duplicate this problem either. *ak

Vehicle was on the road when all of a sudden the brakes did not operate when they were applied. As a result, vehicle hit a telephone pole. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

I purchased this "like new"vw super beetle on dec 31 04. It had only 17000 miles on it. Since that time i have had the transmission modulator on it changed, and in the shop 6 time for a transmission problem. When the car has been sitting for an hour or so it will hesitate then slam into 2nd gear. It causes me and passengers to lunge foward then back. I am told this is a charaturistic of vw and should just ignore it or get use to it.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. Over the course of three years, the seat belt light remained illuminated on the dashboard. The first time this incident occurred the failure was remedied at the volkswagen dealer. The second time, the entire seat belt unit was replaced as a result of a crash. The contact notified the manufacturer on multiple occasions, but volkswagen is unable to resolve the failure. The current mileage is 50,500 and failure mileage was 30,000.

At about 30,000 mile, there was a failure of electronic intsrumentation panel due to some kind of short circuit, which they fixed under warranty. This same thing happened again at about 60,000 mile with same symptom, which i could not fix it because its warranty was over. But, i strongly believe that its instrumentation is faulty part if same part has a failure twice within 60,000 miles when other instrumentation panel last more than 220,000 mile in my other vw jetta without any failure at all.*ak

I own a 2002 vw beetle. The seat belt latch became defective, thus turning the airbag system in my car off. I have 80k miles on my car and the repair cost me over $350. Vw is refusing to pay for this vital safety issue stating they are not required to repair out of warranty items. Isn't there a law that requires auto manufacturers to repair defective seat belts? Do i have any recourse for getting this paid for? Thanks. *jb

My car continues to get stuck in park. It's left me stranded needing assistance from strangers. Its frustrating and scary to have this happen.*ak

While at a stop/driving vehicle jerked forward. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Rear collision accident in 2004, now seatbelt latch mechanism not working, struts and wheel bearings damaged and need replacement along with subframe and emergency brake system. *tr

I have a 2002 volkswagen beetle and was filling the gas tank with fuel at a texaco in beaufort, south carolina. The gas pump shut off when the tank filled up, and i pulled the pump from my tank. When i removed the pump gasoline burst out of the tank and covered me in gasoline. The gasoline went into my eyes and all over my body and clothes, and i became chemically blind for nearly two hours. I was rushed to the hospital and had to have my eyes flushed out with two bottles of solution per eye. The gas station replaced the nozzle of the pump, but still could not verify that the pump was to blame. The experience was extremely traumatic.*ak

The vehicle warning panel light illuminate for no apparent reason. The battery died. The vehicle indicated it was overheating when it wasn't. The vehicle indicated it was out of gas when it wasn't. The vehicle has had constant electrical problems that affect the lights, door locks, seats, engine and warning lights. The consumer has stopped driving the vehicle. *ak

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. *ak

The left front wheel split in half while driving at normal speed. The consumer hit a curb as a result. The front and side airbag deployed. Please describe further. (volkswagen beetle 2003 not in system.) *jb *mr

I purchased my vw on 11/21/03 the next day the i was driving car and noticed that it was not picking up speed then the brakes was really hard and it was making a roaring sound. The next day i took car into vw svc dept and was adv oh since you have a diesel car it will do that i was not tkn that for an answer i expl to svc tech that thers something wrong with my car, but they would not look at it.On 11/23/03 i was driving on a major highway and i my car was stalling and would not go pass 45 and then i smelt something burning and then smoke the brakes had locked up and i pulled over and had car towed to dealership.The dealership where i purchased it from told me that it was ok and didnt replace anything. And advised me that i was ok so i took car home and 3 days later it did it again, i took it to a different vw dealership and they took car overnight and they found that the hydl booster was bad,they replaced that and then i expressed my concerns about the brakes because they just didnt feel right to me. I was adv that oh the brakes are good and sent me on my way. About 2 weeks later i didnt trust to tk my car to dealership i took car to actor gator which was great! To check my brakes and they found problem and showed me how back brakes should look like and how mines was (there was hardly any left ) and they replaced brakes for me. Im upset that even though i purchased a used ceritifed vw from a vw dealership i felt comfortable and i didnt understand how they could sell a car with no brakes which is a safety issue.And then a customer having to pay for brakes not even a month after i got it.

While driving at 65 mph, the left rear tire exploded. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder. The driver had the vehicle towed to a gas station to replace the tire. *ph

Consumer stated when shifting the vehicle into reverse it moved forward. *ak this happened three different times to three different drivers. Once while sitting at a light, when consumer took foot off the brake, it went reverse. *ph

The epc light comes on the dash. I was told this is due to a brake light switch that will go out. This causes cruise control to go out, brake lights to not work, and difficulty getting your gearshift out of park or neutral.*ak

At and after 30,000 miles many mechanical failures including 2 alternators replaced, 2 batteries replaced, epc light had come on twice, brake light defaults, signal light defaults. Most of this waas fixed under warranty, however, the a/c system stopped working at 65,000 miles and is not a freon issue. The a/c was not covered under warranty.

Faulty brake switch assembly- won't come out of park. My car only had 9,000 miles on it.

1 of the 4 ignition coils failed, the dealer refused to replace the other 3 until they fail.*jb

Vehicle vibrates. Dealer has been notified.

2002 vw beetle would drain all battery power parked more than a few days. It was returned to dealer under warranty several times. Owner self diagnosed problem as radio keep alive power was pulling excessive current due to internal radio fault. The radio was replaced and solved the issue. It took at least 4 visits to the dealer to get this resolved. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000.

Consumer states that while driving at 65mph and no warning the vehicle will shut off causing consumer to pull over and it will be hard to get the vehicle back started. Dealer notified.

Consumer states he get very poor gas mileage and his auto smokes when he starts it up and also smiles while he is driving it. He sates also his auto runs very rough. Consumer states he took his auto to a dealer and he was told that he has a clogged manifold and a clogged egr valve. He also states that volkswagen knows about this and won't do anything about it. He says they won't admit there is a problem with these cars. Ts *dt

Consumer states his vehicle stalls while driving at 60mph, problems is due to a faulty electrical system. The steering wheel is uncontrolable. Dealer and manufactures has been notified. Please provide further information. Ph

I have claimed to volkeswagen why this has not been on recall although the service is advising me that they cannot keep up with service since they keep having the same models of car with the same problems. My car has been at the service for over a week and a half now since vw is out of stock on this particular parts. Service can not start working on vw told me that they are not calling for recall for this problem but just wait for the owner of the cars with defected parts to find out this problem. I do not feel volkeswagen is taking a proper action on this defected parts. Wish some kind of proper action would be taken seriously soon. Dt

Transmission of 2002 vw beetle needs to be replaced . The car has only 31,000 miles and has been very well cared for. This seems to be a common problem on vw beetles. Could there be a defect in the transmissions of there cars? *tr

The turn signals to not work. Consumer has to remove the bulb and replace them to make them work. Vehicle has been serviced for the ongoing problem, and the dealer has only replaced the bulbs.*ak the consumer stated the bulbs that where replaced where not burnt out and the problem resides in the socket. The consumer stated that the connection between the socket and the bulb is not sound and therefore the bulb rattles. After tightening the bulb will work a few days and then the problem occurs again. The dealer just tightens the bulb but the problem is still there. *tc

Consumer states that vehicle loses power while driving on freeway. Vehicle "sputters" and then stalls. Mr

Vehicle experiencing electrical problems, any electrical problem with this vehicle activates the motor protection circuit, this circuit remaps the computer to shut off the turbo, this has occurred while the vehicle is in motion which caused a hazardous situation. *ts *nlm

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen beetle. While driving various speeds at night, the headlights and tail lights failed to work intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000.

Each time i select the turn signal it now blinks a couple times and then stops working. The hazard lights work fine. *tr

During a rear impact, my son states his seat lumbar section tilted towards the back seating area and the passenger seat (empty) tilted forward, towards the windsheild. My son litterally had to use the steering will to help pull himself back up forward.*ak

While traveling on the highway the vehicle has stall more than one occasion. Please furnish additional information. Dealer is aware of the problem. Mr

While consumer has his fot on the brake, and the transmission in forward gear, it will not engage. When removing his foot, the vehicle will hesitate and then lurch forward into gear. If on a hill the vehicle will roll backwards before engaging. The transmission control module has been changed several times and the problem still exists. *jg

Consumer states that when vehicle is shifted into drive with foot still on the brakes it will not engage. When foot is removed from the brake vehicle will hesitateand then lurch forward. Dealer contacted, cannot fix problem. *mr

While driving 55-65 mph steering wheel started to shake and vehicle pulled to the right. *akthe dealer replaced the cu axle and related front end parts. *nlm

Whenever the sun roof is open 1 1/2 to 2" wide, exhaust fumes would come into vehicle while driving. Dealer notified. *ak dealer stated to consumer, they were aware of the problem, but there is no fix at this time. *jg

Consumer states that the vehicle will intermittenly lose power at a certain speed and stay there for about 30 seconds the consumer has tried to step on the gas pedal but the vehicle will still drive at the same speed. Contacted dealer and the dealer is not willing to do anything.*jb *yh

Window regulator keeps breaking, causing power windows to malfunction. Had part replaced 3 times. Problem still occurring. *ak

Vehicle turbo hose came loose on 2002 new beetle.*mr *cb

Consumer stated he has learned that the rear spoiler will deploy when driving 45-50 mph, consumer stated on the 2001 model in order for the rear spoiler to deploy, the vehicle must be driven at a rate of 80 mph, consumer feels that this feature was misrepresented and wants to return the vehicle or have this feature disengaged since the spoiler is designed to deploy at such a low speed.*jb

While applying the brakes, the abs system shut down completely, the abs system module was replaced, this was the 2nd time it had happened. Nlm

Passenger's side airbag deployed without hitting anything, causing consumer to hit another vehicle. Driver's side airbag did mnot deploy after hitting vehicle. Please add vin. *ak

Vehicle has been in the shop for various electrical problems. During one situation vehicle shut down in the middle of the road with no warning. Other problems were immobilizer failed again, affecting electrical system. Also, front light covers were retaining water, causing a short. Please describe details. *ak

While traveling on the highway the vehicle will jerk back and forth. The transmission has froze and will not shift gear. Please fill in additional information dealer is aware of the problem. Ts