2003 Volkswagen Beetle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLICKING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ROLL OVER BAR SUDDENLY DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,600.

MY 2003 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE HAS BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHERE IT WILL JERK VIOLENTLY WHEN IT SHIFTS UP OR DOWN AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT SHIFT AT ALL. IT WILL GET STUCK IN A GEAR AND I HAVE TO STOP IT AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT. IT WILL JERK EVEN WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I AM FAR AWAY FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I NO LONGER DRIVE IT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. MY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF ALSO, SO I'M NOT SURE IF IT WILL EVEN WORK IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD NOT BE JERKING THAT WAY AT ALL AND IF SOMEONE WAS TO WALK IN FRONT OF MY CAR AT A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN, IT COULD JERK FORWARD AND HIT THEM. NOT A SAFE CAR. *JS

AS I TURNED OFF THE 4 LANE HIGHWAY ONTO OUR LOCAL STREET I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, I THOUGHT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE. I PULLED INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, ABOUT 30 YARDS FURTHER, AND SAW NOTHING. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHOSE PARKING LOT HAS AN ENTRY ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR DRIVEWAY. I DROVE TO THEM VERY SLOWLY AS CAR WAS MAKING TERRIBLY NOISES. I ALSO FOUND A BROKEN OFF BOLT ABOUT 1/2 INCH DIAMETER IN THE ROAD JUST BEFORE OUR DRIVEWAY AND TOOK IT TO NISSAN. NISSAN FOUND THAT BOTH ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. THEY FELT ONE HAD BROKEN AND THE WEIGHT OF THE ENGINE FALLING HAD BROKEN THE SECOND. MY ENGINE WAS "SITTING ON TOP ON MY EXHAUST" IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGH SPEED ROAD -- THE HIGHWAY I HAD JUST TURNED OFF OF --- I MAY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH FATALITIES. I HAVE REPORTED TO BOTH MY LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED AS WELL AS THE VW NATIONAL OFFICE. NEITHER WOULD PAY FOR MY $800 REPAIR, BOTH SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY MODEL. I MAINTAIN MY CAR AND FEEL THIS IS TERRIBLE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN. IF THE BOLTS ARE BROKEN --WHICH IS WHAT NISSAN SAYS/ NOT RUSTED --- THEN THE BOLTS ARE DEFECTIVE!!!! IT WAS SO FORTUNATE THAT THE ENGINE DROPPED WHEN IT DID AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY!!! *TR

MY FUSE PANEL HAS BURNT OUT FOUR TIMES IN A YEAR AND A HALF AT A COST OF $100.00 EACH TIME PLUS ALL THE OTHER PARTS IT RUINED WHEN IT BURNED. I HAD TO GET A NEW A/C COMPRESSOR A NEW BATTERY. I KNOW FROM LOOKING ONLINE TRYING TO FIND OUT INFO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT ITS HAPPENING TO ALOT OF PEOPLE AND THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL A LONG TIME AGO. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY IS FAULTY, BUT VW'S EXTENDED WARRANTY ONLY COVERS VEHICLES AFTER 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. MY CAR WAS JUST 4 MONTHS TOO OLD TO QUALIFY AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE ANYTHING, DESPITE IT BEING A MAJOR ISSUE AFFECTING DRIVE PERFORMANCE. OTHER CARS IN MY SAME MODEL YEAR QUALIFIED, BUT MINE DID NOT. HOW IS THIS FAIR? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO DOWN SHIFT CONTINUOUSLY INTO LOWER GEARS. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT AND WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY 2003 BEETLE HAS BEEN VIOLENTLY JERKING AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING (WHEN IT WARMS UP). IF I'M AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT AND ACCELERATE - IT VIOLENTLY JERKS INTO GEAR !! IF I BABY IT AND BARELY MOVE (WHERE TRAFFIC IS PRACTICALLY RUNNING INTO ME FROM BEHIND), IT IS NOT SOOOO BAD, BUT STILL BAD AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. VW ALSO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY UNTIL 2010 OR 100,000 WHICH EVER CAME FIRST, AND UNFORTUNATELY 2010 CAME FIRST AND THEY REFUSE TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO BE USED UNDER THE 100,000 MILES RULE. THIS IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO FIX, I'VE READ THOUSANDS OF THE SAME EXACT COMPLAINTS IN THIS CAR -- THOUSANDS, THE VERY SAME THING AND VW WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE IT TO 100,000 MILES AND NOT JUST 2010 (WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS PAST 2 YEARS AGO). THIS IS DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE. IT IS A DEFECT AND VW SHOULD PAY FOR THIS. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE THEY OFFER THE EXTENSION UP TO 100,000 MILES??? THANK YOU *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AS I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY, MY CAR SHIFTED DOWN VERY HARD AND THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED CAUSING ME TO HIT A GUARDRAIL. I TOOK MY CAR TO A SHOP AND HAD THE BODY REPAIRS DONE ($3910.00), AND UPON TAKING MY CAR, IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. I HAD IT TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THOSE VW'S AND THEY HAD A RECALL ON IT. MY LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME BECAUSE THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE WAS UP. I WAS HOPING THAT SOMEONE THERE COULD HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE REPAIR IS 5900.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND THE BODY DAMAGE WAS 3910.00. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FROM DAY ONE THIS CAR HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH WERE DENIED BY THE DEALER ON 5 VISITS, AFTER I SOLD THE CAR I RECEIVED A RECALL FROM VW, NOW THAT I AM LOOKING AT BLOGS THEY HAVE APPARENTLY RECALLED THIS RECALL TO SUIT THEM. OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE WINDOW TROUBLES, CONVERTIBLE ROOF TROUBLES, ELECTRONIC TROUBLES, SEATBELT TROUBLES, AIRBAG TROUBLES. I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE WILL ALLOW THIS CAR TO STILL BE SOLD OR ON THE ROAD. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD ON WHEELS. *TR