Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 06E060000 | AAI MOTORSPORTS USA, LLC | E (Equipment) | 87745 | 08/01/2006 | OVSC | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 06/29/2006 | 06/29/2006 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| 09E012000 | SABERSPORT | E (Equipment) | 16270 | 05/11/2009 | OVSC | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 04/07/2009 | 04/07/2009 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | 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 . | |||||||||||||||
| 06E049000 | CK MOTORSPORT, INC. | E (Equipment) | 27176 | 07/01/2006 | OVSC | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 05/24/2006 | 06/05/2006 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | 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 | |||||||||||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 08E050000 | K2 MOTOR CORPORATION | E (Equipment) | 1921 | 12/17/2008 | OVSC | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 08/11/2008 | 08/14/2008 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility may be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | 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. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | 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. | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| PE02084 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 11/18/2002 | 04/08/2003 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OPERATION | ||
| The brake light switch used in new beetle is also specified in golf and jetta models.one type of switch is used on cruise equipped models, a second type is used on non-cruise models.vw reports 86 consumer complaints and 2575 warranty claims of inoperative brake lights, the majority of which are related to the brake switch.two of the vw complaints involve failures that were also reported to odi.additionally, over 100,000 brake switch service components have been sold under 4 different part numbers.the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | ||||||
| EA03002 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 04/08/2003 | 08/20/2003 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH | 03V265000 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| RQ06004 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 02/28/2006 | 08/07/2006 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE | 06V183000 | |
| 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 | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH | ||||||
| PE02084 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 11/18/2002 | 04/08/2003 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OPERATION | ||
| The brake light switch used in new beetle is also specified in golf and jetta models.one type of switch is used on cruise equipped models, a second type is used on non-cruise models.vw reports 86 consumer complaints and 2575 warranty claims of inoperative brake lights, the majority of which are related to the brake switch.two of the vw complaints involve failures that were also reported to odi.additionally, over 100,000 brake switch service components have been sold under 4 different part numbers.the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis. | ||||||
| RQ06004 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 02/28/2006 | 08/07/2006 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE | 06V183000 | |
| 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 | ||||||
| EA03002 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 04/08/2003 | 08/20/2003 | BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH | 03V265000 | |
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 08/01/2007 | 50000 | 1000 | 05/01/2001 |
| Since i purchased my beetle in 2001, it has been an ongoing money drain. in 6 yrs. i have replaced the manual transmission twice, had the brakes worked on a number of times, been unable to open the gas door on the car w/ the gas cap latch, had to replace the hood opening latch, had repeated electrical failures, problems w/ front & rear light wiring, had door locks/alarm fail & subsequently had my laptop stolen from the car, the radio has not worked for 1+ year, & it's cover panel is loose & falling back into the dash, the rear-view mirror switches have failed, the power window switches have had to be replaced, the drivers side door fell off (!) of its top hinge when the hinge broke while opening the door normally at a gas station, the air compressor has failed many times, the a/c is currently not working, the drivers side door lock fell out of the handle(!!!!), the catalytic converter has been replaced twice, & the list goes on. currently i have not been driving the car for several wks b/c though only a week or two out of the shop, again it is having transmission problems. i am at my wits end with this car & having recently graduated from college, am not in the greatest position to have to buy a new car. moreover, i am so displeased w/ the car that i would literally feel guilty about trading it in to be sold to some other unsuspecting person. vw should be so ashamed of themselves, & should be reimbursing owners of the 1998 beetle in full for all of the strife & trouble that they have caused. in fact, after writing this & realizing how many problems this car has had, i may try to take legal action - this is totally unacceptable! finally, our local vw dealer is terrible, keeping my car for wks. longer than expected, one time leaving a candy bar stuck to my passenger side seat!!!, and acting like they could care less about the poor quality of their products & labor. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer replaced brake lights/headlights/rear brake pads and rotors/ engine shield and cooling system. *ak *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | ||
| In early may i had an accident with our 1998 vw beetle which was caused by a defective part. the car was in drive, and i pushed down the brake petal. then i changed gears to reverse and gently stepped on the gas pedal. the car lurched forward uncontrollably at an accelerated speed and hit a trailer at my place of work causing damage to both the beetle and trailer. the car was brought in for servicing at vallejo volkswagen (1401 sonoma blvd, vallejo ca) the previous friday, so it was surprising that the car would malfunction so dangerously after having just been serviced. the car was brought back to vallejo volkswagen monday afternoon. the dealer told me that it sounded like this was due to a faulty brake lights switch and that they had seen this problem before. i left the car there overnight and they determined that the cause of the malfunction was indeed the faulty brake light switch. the part in question was subject to a recall and had apparently been replaced in my car in december of 2003. vallejo volkswagen disavowed any responsibility for the accident and attributed the malfunction to normal wear and tear of the break light switch. however, if this part is susceptible to breakdown due to normal wear and tare then it should be inspected when the car was serviced. vallejo volkswagen replaced the defective switch and had the audacity to charge me for doing so. needless to say i am very unhappy with this situation and feel like both vallejo volkswagen and volkswagen are liable for the damage caused by the accident and are liable for placing me in such a dangerous and uncontrolled situation. indeed, i am extremely relieved that the car hit the trailer, and god forbid not another human being which could have easily occurred had i been in a crowded parking lot. addendum: i recently found out that as of may 30th 2006 there has been a recall of the recalled brake light switch. *nm | |||
| 12/20/1999 | 1 | 04/22/1998 | |
| Faulty brake switch caused gear shifter to be difficult to move into gears/sticking. *mjs | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - FOG LIGHTS | |||
| 12/19/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Headlamp: i stated to my dealer that my headlamps were not properly adjusted, dealer found left headlamp had no possible adjustment, and replaced the entire assembly. fog lights: fog lamps when switched on, don't light. after a few minutes of driving, they come on sometimes. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 84239 | 1 | 10/19/2004 |
| Driving down the road in my car the day time running light went out. the brights still work but the passenger side headlight doesn't unless it is on brights, i thought this was just normal maybe the light work out but i was told it was the connection and i have seen so many with the same headlight out this is unsafe and can potentially result in a ticket or a wreck. *nm | |||
| 01/30/2001 | 30415 | 6 | 12/17/2000 |
| My 1998 volkswagen beetle is falling apart. i've had to replace my headlights 6 times within the past 4 years that i've owned this used vehicle. my interior trim, window switches, gearshift knob & several plastic covers in the car have fallen now fallen apart. my 6 headlights have cost me approx. $600.00 plus rent-a-car fees which my warranty doesn't cover! please help me.*ak | |||
| 53000 | 2 | 02/01/2002 | |
| Headlights will go out while in use without warning. when vehicle is in cruise control mode it will either surge or continue to accelerate. dealership stated they need to separate the engine and transmission in order to fix the problem. *ak the windshield wiper works intermittently. the dealership replaced the motor but the problem recurred. consumer noted he has seen a lot of one headlight beetles and that the problem is widespread. *ph *nm | |||
| 08/19/2003 | 1 | ||
| Headlights failed while driving without warning. *ak | |||
| 02/02/1999 | 6 | 08/06/1998 | |
| Driver side head light continually stops working. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer replaced brake lights/headlights/rear brake pads and rotors/ engine shield and cooling system. *ak *jb | |||
| 09/13/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Vehicle caught on fire, possible engine failure, while driving the vehicles brake system failed and the driver had to use the emergency brake to stop vehicle. *mr the head light malfunctioned and the vehicles is flling apart after one month of ownership. the dealer refused to fix it. *yh | |||
| 07/04/2001 | 04/01/2001 | ||
| Left headlight went out first, then again. air compressor replaced 3 times. car now stalls. replaced fuel/air filters, still stalls. car was recalled for the electrical system wiring harness under hood, recall states all problems i have had. i was not the owner at time of recall. apparently was not fixed at recall. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Multiple problems with car since purchase. | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling on the highway and noticed that headlight went out on the passenger's side. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic told him he needed a new headlight assembly.*ak | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Dealer refuses to schedule prompt repair for current headlight failure (request 5-10 days); current headlight failure includes permanent failure of left headlight and intermittent failure of both headlights; consumer reports reports 1998 new beetle as used car to avoid (april 2000issue, p. 75); new beetle website conducted survey of owners of 1998 model - 55 percent report trouble with the car, 90 percent of which is electrical; a recall was issued for 1998 beetles manufactured in first half of 1998 because of faulty wiring that could cause fire in engine compartment (we were not notified of a recall); there are many complaints of beetle owners regarding vw consumer service; we have received substandard service from our dealer, including one repair on a failed headlight that was not performed as stated, forcing us to return the car. *ak | |||
| 12/19/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Headlamp: i stated to my dealer that my headlamps were not properly adjusted, dealer found left headlamp had no possible adjustment, and replaced the entire assembly. fog lights: fog lamps when switched on, don't light. after a few minutes of driving, they come on sometimes. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 1 | |||
| Tail lights intermittently function, and the dealer cannot determine or duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Many problems/failures between 10600 and 19000 miles. dashboard left turn signal indicator intermittent failure persists for >1 year and devonhills vw refuses to fix the problem because it would be expensive for them (in the mean time, the light is useless since half the time it is on, half off).*ak | |||