2006 Volkswagen Beetle

WE HAVE A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT AT LEAST 8 TIMES SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN SPRING OF 2006. THE AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP HAS REPAIRED EACH TIME WITH SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE RAILS. VOLKSWAGEN ENCOURAGES ME TO CONTINUE BRING IT TO THEM FOR REPAIR. IT IS UNSAFE AS THE LIGHT WILL GO OUT ON NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVEWAY, NOT BUMPY COUNTRY ROADS. I HAVE INCLUDED THE LATEST INCIDENT. *TR

2006 VW BEETLE, 6-SPD AUTOMATIC WITH 62,000 MILES. CAR BEGAN SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS ON A TYPICAL TRIP ALONG INTERSTATE 95. CAR WAS TOWED INTO A DEALERSHIP WHERE A TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS MOISTURE IN THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED FOR AN ESTIMATED $7,000. I'VE CALLED SEVERAL PRIVATE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS AND AM TOLD THAT NEITHER VW NOR ANY AFTERMARKET COMPANIES SELL PARTS TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS STILL NOT REPAIRED AS THE VALUE OF THE CAR, APPROX $9,000 DOES NOT WARRANTY $7,000 REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT VIA ONLINE FORUMS WITH SEVERAL OWNERS FROM 2003 TO 2007 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO MANY, VW DEALERSHIP TECH'S SEEM TO SYSTEMATICALLY BLAME THESE PROBLEMS ON MINOR DINGS AND DENTS TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CARS THAT "MAY" HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEMS. *TR

IN 2006, MY WIFE LEASED A NEW VW BEETLE FROM A DEALERSHIP IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. THE CAR CAME WITH A SET OF NEW GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES. MY WIFE COMMUTES 40 MILES ROUND TRIP FIVE TO SIX DAYS A WEEK TO WORK. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 60K IN MILES ON IT. THE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN MISTREATED- SURFACE STREETS AND FREEWAY USE ONLY. ON 4-25-09, MY WIFE DROVE TO WORK, PARKED IN A PUBLIC USE GARAGE, AND SPENT EIGHT HOURS WORKING. WHEN SHE RETURNED TO THE CAR, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. A TOW SERVICE WAS CALLED AND THEY PUT ON THE SPARE TIRE. IT WAS AT THAT TIME THE TOW SERVICE DRIVER SHOWED MY WIFE THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE REPLACED TIRE. IN BRIEF, ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE SIDEWALL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN TREAD TO THE POINT THE METAL BANDS WERE EXPOSED. WHEN MY WIFE GOT HOME, I CRAWLED UNDER HER CAR AND SAW THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS ALSO IN THE SAME DEFECTIVE CONDITION. I TOOK PICTURES OF BOTH TIRES AND DOWNLOADED THEM ONTO MY COMPUTER. THE COST TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES WILL BE OVER $500.00 BASED ON A SEAR\'S ESTIMATE. I CHECKED THE INTERNET FOR RECALLS AND SAFETY BULLETINS ON GOODYEAR TIRES. I FOUND THERE WAS NO FORMAL RECALL OF THIS TIRE, BUT GOODYEAR WAS DOING A \"SILENT RECALL\" REPLACING TIRES FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES, THE EAGLE RS-A, SEPARATING AT THE SIDEWALL ON THE INTERNET. TODD MAYER *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CLUTCH SEEMED TO BE DIFFERENT. IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN HOW BUT WHEN YOU ARE THE DRIVER 99% OF THE TIME YOU KIND OF KNOW. ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 22 I DEPRESSED TO CLUTCH COMING TO A STOP AND HEARD A DEFINITE NOISE. THEN AS I WAS PULLING OFF FROM THE STOP IN 1ST GEAR THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO MOVE EASY. THERE WAS ANOTHER NOISE AS I WAS RELEASING THE CLUTCH, AS WELL. THERE IS JUST OVER 29000 MILES ON THE 2006 VW NEW BEETLE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE WITHOUT CAUSING AN INCIDENT. I THANK GOD FOR HELPING ME TO RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM AND MAKE SLOW EASY MOVES. I HOPE THERE DOES NOT NEED TO BE AN ACCIDENT, DEATH, FIRE TO SUSPECT A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH A CAR TO LODGE A COMPLAINT TO REVIEW THE CAUSE. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2006 VW NEW BEETLE ON HIGHWAY, WITHOUT WARNING THE CLUTCH HAD A SUDDEN FAILURE AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AND ALMOST RESULTED IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY. VEHICLE HAD 30,000 MILES AND NO PREVIOUS TROUBLE NOTED ON THIS 1,9L TDI MANUAL TRANSMISSION. SAME ENGINE AND CLUTCH AS LISTED IN A VW SERVICE BULLETIN FOR 2005/2006 JETTA. BULLETIN STATES THAT CLUTCH FRICTION MATERIAL MAY HAVE A DEFECT CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR,BURNING,SHREDDING AND BREAKING AND WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 4YR/50,000 MILES ON THE JETTA. DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND BLAMED THE SUDDEN FAILURE ON A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE OR DRIVER ABUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT CONCERNING THE SACHS CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. REPAIR WAS OVER $2200. 6 MONTHS REMAINING ON ORIGINAL WARRANTY. THIS CLUTCH SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

I WROTE VOLKSWAGEN THREE TIMES AND HAD THREE PHONE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE/SPLASH GUARD. I CONSIDER THE PROBLEM TO BE NOT ONLY A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. THE GUARD HAS COME LOOSE TWICE FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, WITH VW SUGGESTING THAT ONE TIME WAS DUE TO THE PIECE BEING IMPROPERLY PUT BACK AFTER AN OIL CHANGE FROM AN AUTO REPAIR GARAGE AND THE OTHER INSTANCE DUE TO MY PARKING TOO CLOSELY TO A PARKING SPACE CONCRETE END-BLOCK. IT IS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE PIECE DID NOT COME COMPLETELY OFF AND GO FLYING INTO TRAFFIC. VW TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD PROBABLY BACK INTO PARKING SPACES SO AS TO AVOID THAT PROBLEM OR PARK FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM PARKING SPACE CONCRETE BARRIERS SO IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS "FEATURE" IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT I AM PROBABLY NOT ACCUSTOMED TO DRIVING A LOW RIDING CAR AND WOULD HAVE TO GET USED TO IT - MY PREVIOUS CAR RODE JUST AS LOW, BUT WAS ENGINEERED WELL ENOUGH THAT THE BUMPER WOULD NEVER GET CAUGHT ON A PARKING BLOCK . ISN'T THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BLOCKS - TO LIGHTLY TAP THEM TO KNOW THE CAR IS CLOSE ENOUGH IN THE SPACE TO BE KEPT FROM BEING HIT FROM BEHIND? I HAVE ASKED OTHER BEETLE OWNERS IF THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND SO FAR, THE FOUR PEOPLE I ASKED HAVE SAID YES, BUT THEY HAVE NOT CONTACTED VW OR MADE ANY OTHER ENTITIES AWARE OF THE PROBLEM - THEY ARE JUST LIVING WITH IT. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL MENTIONS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ON CAR/VW/COMPLAINT FORUMS ON THE INTERNET, WHICH I DOCUMENTED IN MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH VW. THE FINAL WORD FROM VW WAS THAT THEY MEET THE US AUTOMAKER GUIDELINES/SPECIFICATIONS AND THE PROBLEM IS "DUE TO BE TO AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE, AND NOT A MANUFACTURER'S SHORTCOMING" .. AND SO IT EVEN, "DID NOT FALL WITHIN WARRANTY PARAMETERS." THE FIRST REPAIR, VW WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE GUARD BACK INTO PLACE AND SECURE IT; THE SECOND COST ME $340. THANK YOU FOR ANY CONSIDERATION AND FOLLOW-UP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE FAILURE BEGAN ON OCTOBER 8, 2008 AND OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ONLY ONCE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEY CLEANED THE CARBURETOR, CHECKED THE FUEL LINE, AND POWER FLUSHED THE COOLANT; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTIC COULD NOT PRODUCE A FAILURE CODE. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,500. UPDATED 01/08/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED VOLVO FIXED THE PROBLEM AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED. UPDATED 01/12/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A U-SHAPED BAR ATTACHED TO THE SEAT BELT, WHICH ALLOWS THE SEAT BELT TO MOVE TO THE BACK WHEN NOT IN USE. HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. IT WOULD PROVIDE THE CONTACT APPROXIMATELY EIGHT INCHES OF "EXTRA" SEAT BELT BECAUSE IT WOULD POP TO THE BACK POSITION WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE COME TO THE FRONT. SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE BAR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND COULD REDUCE THE PROTECTION NEEDED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,142 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY SHIFTING GEARS. AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY GOES INTO 2ND GEAR WHERE IT REMAIN UNTIL THE KEY IS REMOVED. THE DEALER INDICATES THE 'MEGATRONIC' SHIFTING CONTROLLER IS BAD. HOWEVER THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER FROM THE FACTORY AND THERE IS A 7-10 DELAY IN SHIPMENT FROM THE FACTORY. IT SEEMS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PART FAILURE. *TR