2005 Volkswagen Beetle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. ONE MONTH LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. IN ADDITION TO THE PREVIOUS REPAIR, THE CV BOOSTER WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE CAR IS CONVERTIBLE AND BOTH REAR WINDOWS STOPPED OPERATING NORMALLY AND THERE WAS A WINDOW-CRUNCHING SOUND AND THE WINDOWS WERE STUCK, HAD TO MOVE THEM IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION BY HAND AND PUT SOME KINDS OF RUBBER DOOR STOPS TO KEEP THEM IN THE UP POSITION. IT IS FUNNY HOW BOTH STOPPED WORKING AROUND THE SAME TIME (PROBABLY A WEEK APART) LITERALLY RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT SEEMS FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN TO BE A STANDARD PROBLEM IN THESE CARS AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE AS WELL. ALSO THE FRONT WINDOW REGULATOR STARTED ACTING UP AND YOU COULD FEEL SOMETHING WAS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED BECAUSE WHEN YOU MOVE THE WINDOW YOU COULD FEEL LIKE IT WAS NOT MOVING AS SMOOTHLY AS THE PASSENGER'S DOOR. IT WOULD NOT GO ALL THE WAY DOWN AND IT WOULD BE STICKING UP LIKE AN INCH OR SO, THEN OTHER TIMES IT WILL GO DOWN ALL THE WAY BUT IT WILL MAKE THIS FUNNY SOUND LIKE IT IS STUCK ON SOMETHING. I TRIED OPENING THE DOOR COVER AND BEFORE EVEN GOT TO DISASSEMBLING OF THE INNER PANEL AND REALIZED THE CABLE HAD BROKEN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE REASONING FOR ALL THIS BUT IT LOOKS THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE WINDOWS WILL TRAVEL A BIT DOWN EVERYTIME YOU HAVE TO PUT THE ROOF UP OR DOWN IT MIGHT PUT EXTRA STRAIN AND WEAR THAT WAS NOT PLANNED FOR INITIALLY. IN MY HONEST OPINION IF YOU GET 3 OUT OF 4 WINDOW REGULATOR PROBLEMS IN LESS THAN THE CARS FIRST 4-5YEARS, THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING WRONG OR FLAWS WITH THE DESIGN THANKS *TR

THE FIRST TIME I DROVE MY USED OVER 50 MPH ALONG COASTAL ROAD (WITHIN 24 HOURS OF PURCHASE FROM A TOYOTA DEALER), THE ENGINE CUT POWER AND ROLLED TO A STOP. FROM FIRST GEAR, IT BEGAN TO DRIVE AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR OVER 55 ON THE FREEWAY FOR FEAR OF CUTTING POWER. IN AUGUST 2011, THE SAME CUT OF POWER OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING 4 MILES IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE ON THE 405 FREEWAY. I ROLLED OFF THE FREEWAY OFFRAMP AND CAME TO A STOP. THE TRANSMISSION RESET ITSELF AND DROVE UP TO 40 MPH TO MY DESTINATION ON SIDE STREETS. AGAIN THE DEALER ACCUSED THE VALVE BODY. IN JULY 2012, I DECIDED TO LET THE DEALER CHECK THE CAR OUT AGAIN BECAUSE I HAD A STRANGE CUT IN POWER UPON ACCELERATION FROM A LEFT TURN TRAFFIC LIGHT THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT MY FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. AFTER THESE THREE FIXES, I TRUST THE CAR TO DRIVE AROUND TOWN. BUT I SUFFER EXTREME ANXIETY ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR ON A FREEWAY. THIS WEEK, I NEED TO MOVE THE CAR FROM CALIFORNIA 300 MILES TO NEVADA. I AM NOT CERTAIN IF THE TRANSMISSION CAN DRIVE THAT DISTANCE WITHOUT A CUT IN POWER. NOT DEPENDABLE, NOT WORTH $15,000 PRICE TAG. EMBARRASSMENT! *TR

THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON THE VEHICLE ARE PREDICTABLY FAILING APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2 YEARS WITHOUT MUCH USE AT ALL. THE PART IS POORLY ENGINEERED AND EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT VW REFUSES TO FIX. I HAVE HAD MY WINDOW REGULATORS REPLACED ON EACH OF MY 4 WINDOWS TWICE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2006RIGHT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACEMENT JULY 18, 2007LEFT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACEMENT APRIL 29, 2009LEFT FRONT REGULATOR REPLACEMENT AUGUST 15, 2009RIGHT FRONT WINDOW REPLACED (SHATTERED WHEN A FRIEND CLOSED, NOT SLAMMED, THE DOOR) JULY 21, 2010LEFT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR ? REPAIRED BY VW OCTOBER 31, 2010RIGHT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR JULY 20, 2012 LEFT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED (NOT YET REPAIRED) THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPANY THAT CLAIMS TO HAVE EXCEPTIONAL ENGINEERING. WEB SEARCHES HAVE REVEALED THAT COUNTLESS CUSTOMERS HAVE THIS SAME COMPLAINT AND THAT THE ISSUE IS ALSO WITH JETTA, PASSAT AND OTHER VW VEHICLES. THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO MANUFACTURE A BETTER PART AND FIX THE ISSUE FREE OF CHARGE FOR ALL CUSTOMERS. *TR

AFTER HAVING THE VALVE BODY FIXED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IN MARCH 2011, I AM CURRENTLY HAVING THE SAME EXACT TRANSMISSION ISSUES. VW REFUSES TO COVER THIS EXPENSE SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS NOW VOID, AND THE PARTS WARRANTY IS VOID AS WELL. HOWEVER, I'VE DRIVEN THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN 6K SINCE THE REPAIR. I ALSO JUST HAD THIS VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP A MONTH AGO TO FIX THE TIPTRONIC TRANSMISSION WHICH JUST WENT OUT. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT REPAIR, THE VALVE BODY JUST DECIDED TO GIVE OUT? WELL, VW IS TELLING US THE ISSUE NOW IS A VALVE BODY HARNESS..? THIS IS JUST STARTING TO SEEM RIDICULOUS ON MY DIME. *TR