Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - SWITCHES - BRAKE LIGHT | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - WHEEL SPEED SENSOR | |||
| 02/10/1999 | 3 | 04/22/1998 | |
| Vehicle has had continued problems with transmission operation and shifting, replacement of the speed sensor,throttle cable and tcm wiring rectified problems. *mjs | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 12/11/2008 | 100000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 volkswagen beetle. the contact was not the driver at the time of the incident. while driving approximately 55 mph on a snow covered road, the driver noticed an 18-wheeler heading towards the vehicle. the driver applied pressure to the brakes in order to avoid a crash. the brakes failed and the driver rear ended the preceding vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a body shop and an insurance agent informed the owner that the vehicle was destroyed. the dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 06/26/2007 | 89957 | 1 | 07/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 volkswagen beetle. the plastic tube that extends from the vacuum pump to the vacuum brake booster is cracked and defective. the contact stated that without this piece, brake failure is likely to occur. as a result, he would have to depress the brake pedal very hard in order for them to work. the vehicle has not been driven since the failure occurred. the current and failure mileages were 89,957. the consumer stated plastic line replaced with 3/8 vacuum line. updated 07/26/07 *tr | |||
| 07/30/2004 | 1 | 07/29/2004 | |
| 1998 beetle.*mr after the vehicle was purchased it was driver 120 miles to the consumer's home. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop because the consumer heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the technician determined that eh vehicle's brakes and clutch were bad. the consumer contacted the dealer but the refused to provide any assistance. *nm | |||
| 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 | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 08/21/1998 | 1 | ||
| Brake make noise. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer replaced brake lights/headlights/rear brake pads and rotors/ engine shield and cooling system. *ak *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer replaced brake lights/headlights/rear brake pads and rotors/ engine shield and cooling system. *ak *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - SWITCHES - BRAKE LIGHT | |||
| 08/08/2006 | 78000 | 2 | 08/12/2002 |
| I am reporting the second failure of a brake light switch on my 1998 vw beetle. the first switch was replaced less than a year ago under a factory recall -- it failed, leaving the brake lights inoperative. the switch was replaced with a revised part which has also failed, leaving the brake lights stuck on. i have heard of countless reports of this issue with these cars; some users are reporting that their switches have been replaced four or more times. i will be seeking another replacement and will keep the old part. *nm | |||
| 06/26/2005 | 2 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Dt: had an issue with the brake lights remaining on. this occurred when both brake pressure was applied and even when it was not. consumer removed brake light fuse on his own. also, replaced brake light switch but still problem recurred. . consumer was c without any brake lights . consumer has not contacted dealer or manufacturer. *ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Brake light switch replaced five times from dealership . when backing up there was no light showing up. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||