2004 Volkswagen Beetle

OUR 2004 VW NEW BEETLE HAS HAD TWO AIR BAG SWITCH FAILURES. THE FIRST ONE WAS WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE THOUSAND MILES AND WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND ONE JUST HAPPENED AND WAS NOT COVERED BY OUR ORIGINAL WARRANTY, OR OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY. IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WE DID NOTHING TO PROMOTE THE FAILURE, IS THE $535 REPAIR OUR RESPONSIBILITY? *JB SRS.PCO

PURCHASED BRAND NEW. PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR: 1. REAR POWER WINDOWS HAVE BOTH TAKEN TURNS FALLING DOWN INTO THE BODY. WILL NOT POWER UP. ONE HAS BEEN REPLACED. DEALER NOW WON'T FIX SECOND ONE BECAUSE THEY 'DON'T SEE IT AS A KNOWN PROBLEM.' 2. HEADLINER AROUND REAR WINDOW HAS COME UNDONE. 3. HEADLIGHTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED CONSTANTLY. FOR EXAMPLE; A LIGHT BULB WAS INSTALLED ON A SATURDAY, AND HAD STOPPED WORKING BY THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. 4. RUBBER COATING ON GLOVE BOX AND ON INTERIOR DOORS IS PEELING OFF. DEALER WOULD NOT EVEN CONDSIDER FIXING OR ADDRESSING. 5. KEY ASSEMBLY FOR ARM CONSOLE BROKE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS, AND SEVERAL REMINDERS, TO GET DEALER TO REPLACE. 6. SOMETIMES RADIO STAYS ON AFTER KEY HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM IGNITION. 7. AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. WON'T GO OFF. 8. HAND RELEASE ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OFTEN GETS 'STUCK' AND WILL NOT WORK. 9. CUP HOLDER HAS COME OFF TRACK. I ONLY DRIVE THIS CAR TO-AND-FROM WORK. NO KIDS/PASSENGERS RIDE IN IT. IT HAS NOT HAD ANY OWNER ABUSE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VOLKSWAGEN PRODUCT. *JB

I PURCHASED A USED 2004 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE FROM TOYOTA OF ORANGE, ORANGE, CA THIS YEAR, JANUARY, 2006. WITHIN A WEEK OF THE PURCHASE, THE AIRBAG WARNING CAME ON. I TALKED TO THE SALES MANAGER, BILL ABOUT THIS IN PERSON...(CONCERNED THAT THE SAFETY CHECK WAS NOT THOROUGH), AND HE WAS NOT THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED AND TOLD ME THAT SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS ONLY ABOUT 25,000 THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOOK IT TO MCKENNA VW IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA FOR THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF SENSOR. THE LIGHT WAS OFF WHEN I PICKED IT UP BUT THEN CAME ON AGAIN ONLY ONE MONTH LATER. THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO FLADEBOE VW, IRVINE CA. A PART HAD TO BE ORDERED FOR ANOTHER SENSOR, SO I RETURNED AFTER THE PART WAS IN AND HAD IT PLACED MID-MARCH, 2006. IT IS NOW APRIL 2006 AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON FOR THE 3RD TIME SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED 3 MONTHS AGO!! HELP!! *NM

IN APRIL 2005, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT TO THE NEAREST VW DEALER/SHOP. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A PART, BUT THAT ALL WAS FINE. IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS I CALLED MANY TIMES AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAD COME BACK ON. BY AUGUST 2005 THEY FINALLY RECEIVED THE PART (PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSORS UNDER/IN THE SEAT). THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT EVEN WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE PART (THREE MORE ERRORS CAME UP AND THE WIRES DID NOT CONNECT PROPERLY) AND THEY SENT THE INFORMATION TO THE MANUFACTURE FOR ASSISTANCE. ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2005, THEY HAD ME BRING THE CAR BACK IN BECAUSE THEY HAD RECEIVED REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE MANUFACTURE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS FIXED AND WOULD HAVE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH IT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, I WILL ASK. ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2005 (FIVE DAYS LATER), THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON. *NM