Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 010702 | 01/11/2007 | 10021315 | Dtc's p1297 (17705) or p1557 (17965) stored in dtc memory. this may be caused by intake hoses leaking (during boost conditions) due to incorrect torque on clamps or improper placement, worn or torn intake hoses. *kb | 04/03/2007 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 2010464 | 05/14/2007 | 10021962 | Mil is on and/or catalytic converter is rattling. *kb | 06/27/2007 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 9903 | 07/23/1999 | 607922 | Subject regarding engine oil capacities. *tt | 10/18/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 2015831 | 08/28/2008 | 10026848 | Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced. *pe | 12/29/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/31/2008 | 100 | 6 | 10/03/2007 |
| I bought my 99 beetle in october of 2007 and the day that i got the car the oil light came on and i took it back they had it for one month they replaced the motor and wire cluster. when i finally got it back about two weeks passed and i was driving on the interstate and my speedometer went from 0 to 120 and then the care lost power on the middle lane of the road. i took it back and they replaced the transmission i have tried numerous times to get them to take the car back and they wont. after i got it back that time the heater stopped working and the speedometer will not go above 40 when i told them this they said they would not fix it that it was my problem. yesterday my mileage, speedometer, and gas gage stopped working my check engine light came on. and i don't know what to do if you know any one who could help me with these problems please let me know. *tr | |||
| 01/13/2005 | 36933 | 1 | |
| The driver was sitting at an intersection another vehicle rear ended the driver. the driver hit the vehicle in front without warning the vehicle caught fire. no injuries to report. the fire department was called out to extinguished out the fire. the vehicle was towed and totaled out by the insurance company. please provide additional information. updated 04/19/06. *jb | |||
| 09/20/2004 | 101000 | 1 | |
| While driving 30 mph, the motor blew. the consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. please provide more information. *jb | |||
| 08/07/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| While driving at 35 mph engine fell out. as a result, the vehicle shut off. *ak | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 38744 | ||
| The water pump has a part that goes into the engine; it's made of plastic and called an impeller. it is part of the water pump. the plastic impeller disintegrated, causing the engine to overheat. the engine light on the dashboard came on just minutes before the engine ceased up. other than that, there was no warning that the engine was running hot. normally when a water pump goes out, the water leaks out. in this case, the water remained in and did not circulate. repairer has asked owner for money to replace the engine entirely. vw will not stand by its manufacturer's warranty, which the owner has. the plastic impeller is a common design defect which vw knows has a short life, but they keep designing their vws with a plastic impeller! | |||
| 04/15/2000 | 23000 | ||
| June 2, 2003 the following letter was sent to voa dear volkswagen of america i have a 1999 beetle that caught fire on may 4th 2003; as of today may 12, 2003 this is what i was told by jim kamradt from your department. he said, corporate volkswagen will do nothing with the car because it is too old and has too many miles. they will not be sending any kind of paperwork to me, and i will not get any more calls from volkswagen on this issue, this is an insurance issue? i am not pleased with this answer and this is why: 05/04/03 sunday smoke then flames came pouring out of the dashboard of our 1999 vw beatle purchased oct 1998. i was given a case # of 30213588 to refer to. jim said the a/c switch wire caused the fire. he was waiting for a call from volkswagen of america?s customer relation?s person. 05/12/03 monday 1:38 pm i called volkswagen of america again because i have not heard from mr. custer. jim kamradt got on phone and said that a fire report was sent to their product liaison person. jim kamradt said, corporate volkswagen will do nothing with the car because it?s too old and has to many miles. they will not be ?sending paperwork? to me and ?i will not get any more calls from volkswagen on this issue, this is an insurance issue. i have a record of all past service receipts (dating back to the purchase date) and have documented proof of recent problems and repairs to the a/c and electrical wiring on this car in the past. my daughter, a current resident of arizona, currently is employed as a full-time nanny. she has in her care a two month old and will be expected to drive him about. her past job was caring for a two year old and had this fire? erupted while he was in her care, this would have been a true tragedy. please send verification of your decision in writing to me by may 30, 2003. please send all inquiries back to me at ed stade 8n 200 naperville rd. bartlett, il 60103 sincerelyed stade jelinek builders | |||
| 04/15/2003 | 20500 | ||
| Engine light on, and car running rough, losing power and jerking upon acceleration. diagnosis was plug wires and plugs are fouled, causing ignition coil to burn out. warranty covers coil, but i have to pay for new plugs and wires because they are normal wear and tear service item. | |||
| 05/15/2002 | 29 | 1 | 12/02/1999 |
| At 25,000 miles the car started burning excessive amounts of oil. at 28,516 vw finally agrees the car is burning oil excessively. vw replaced piston rings. but at 35,000 the problem returns! now vw states this is normal. why is this normal now and the same problem was not normal before? i have recently learned per volkswagen,is supposed to use a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. i was never informed of this by the dealership. this is totally ridiculous and unacceptable!!! its my opinion, but i suspect that vw is well aware of this problem. they probably don't want to eat the cost of replacing thousands of engines. so....they declared this situation normal.i am total discussed with vw of america. because this car burns more oil then the old heap i got tired of. i would like a new engine that does not burn oil!!!! normal is just a standard way to weasel out of taking any responsibility for the very real problems that myself and other have with their vehicles!!!! *ph | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 3 | 01/04/1999 | |
| While in motion, the red engine coolant light illuminated. consumer checked the coolant reservoir and found it to be empty. the cause, a leaking coolant reservoir cap. the red engine oil pressure light illuminates occasionally. the oil level was extrememly low. mazdas service manager informed consumer that the new beetles tends to use oil. the engine control unit failed also. the oil pan has a hole in it which allowed the oil level to continuously be low, therefore allowing the engine oil pressure light to continuously illuminate, also the timing belt and tensioner belt were replaced. *jg | |||
| 09/29/2001 | |||
| When driving vehicle more than 10 minutes thermostat would overheat. while at a dealership, thermostat sensor that was replaced failed to correct the problem.also, mechanic indicated that water pump would need to be replaced if the thermostat still overheated. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 02/25/2008 | 46000 | 5 | 07/07/2006 |
| Purchased 1999 vw beetle 20 months ago. car has only 54,000 miles. since owning the car have already over $3,500 in repairs. all of the repairs were done at my local darcar vw repair shop. i believe some of these repairs were recalls and have all receipt. is there someone i can sent my repair receipts to to see if i can be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses which should have been recall services? i can forward receipts. also seven days ago the passenger side window regulator broke and it appears it had been recalled per two vw owner who had same problems but i can't find the recall information on it. can you suggest how i can view all recalls for 1999 vw beetle gls? *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 09/29/2001 | |||
| When driving vehicle more than 10 minutes thermostat would overheat. while at a dealership, thermostat sensor that was replaced failed to correct the problem.also, mechanic indicated that water pump would need to be replaced if the thermostat still overheated. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 3 | 01/04/1999 | |
| While in motion, the red engine coolant light illuminated. consumer checked the coolant reservoir and found it to be empty. the cause, a leaking coolant reservoir cap. the red engine oil pressure light illuminates occasionally. the oil level was extrememly low. mazdas service manager informed consumer that the new beetles tends to use oil. the engine control unit failed also. the oil pan has a hole in it which allowed the oil level to continuously be low, therefore allowing the engine oil pressure light to continuously illuminate, also the timing belt and tensioner belt were replaced. *jg | |||
| 01/05/1999 | |||
| Engine cover is poorly designed, and the car is too low. engine cover gets pulled and scrapes on the ground and rippes apart which goes back into the engine. this occurs when going over a large speed bump also pulling up to a cylinder block. *ak | |||
| 06/20/1999 | 1 | ||
| A hole developed in the oil pan, causing oil to leak which resulted in vehicle stalling. dealer & manufacturer have been notified. *yc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL | |||
| 06/06/2006 | 1 | 08/18/2005 | |
| The car made a funny whistle noise then shut off. the person behind us said blue smoke came out the back. took to dealer had engine, water pump, turbo and belts replaced. now dealer can not get car to run properly. the diesel starts fine and runs great after 15 minutes car starts running sluggish and has no power. the car has been at the dealer for 4 months still waiting and still making payments on the beetle. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 3 | 01/04/1999 | |
| While in motion, the red engine coolant light illuminated. consumer checked the coolant reservoir and found it to be empty. the cause, a leaking coolant reservoir cap. the red engine oil pressure light illuminates occasionally. the oil level was extrememly low. mazdas service manager informed consumer that the new beetles tends to use oil. the engine control unit failed also. the oil pan has a hole in it which allowed the oil level to continuously be low, therefore allowing the engine oil pressure light to continuously illuminate, also the timing belt and tensioner belt were replaced. *jg | |||
| 06/01/2099 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 02/17/1999 | ||
| While driving at 35 mph vehicle began to stall, and shake, showed a sign of vehicle losing power.engine check light illuminated on the dash panel, and vehicle shut off. dealer has been contacted. *ak engine also hesitates when accelerating from the start. vehicle has had complaints regarding trunk and fuel release actuator cable. steering rods came loose and had to be resecured and mounting bolt.. window motor failed. *yh | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| The car stops dead - i know of a man who was killed in another vw beetle because of this....i heard on tv that ford might be recalled for a faulty relay part. why not vw? the malfunction light comes on and the car dies. my dealer had my car for one month and i didn't get any satisfaction until i called the main plant and until i filed a complaint with the dept of motor vehicles. i believe this is a large vw problem. | |||
| 01/27/2000 | 0 | 08/01/1999 | |
| While driving about 30 mph vehicle will stall without a warning, and when consumer tried to start the engine again, it won't start. failure due to relay part which was replaced by dealer. *ak *ml | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 2 | 04/01/1999 | |
| On 2 occasions when my car has been facing down on a slope it will not start and i have to put it in neutral and roll to level ground to get it to start. on one other occation my car did have a problem when i pulled into my parents driveway and i put my car in reverse , it did not go into gear and i rolled over my mom's flowers. the deal has checked in their database and with volkswagen of america and noone has reported a problem similar to mine. they tried to recreate what i described, but to no avail. to date i have not had any incident repeat and i have gone to my parents house to try to recreate it myself, but again to no avail. the dealer has been very helpful with any problem i have encounted with my new car. *ak | |||
| 10/06/1999 | 3 | 06/01/1999 | |
| After only 3 months of ownership, the malfuction engine indicator light came on and stayed on. took the car to the service center, i guess they reset the sensor on it. the end of september the airbag light came on and stayed on. contacted dealer and he set up appointment to have it looked at. they looked at it and said they would have to order the part to fix it. i waited about 1 1/2 weeks before i called the dealer to see what the holdup was. they picked up my car from work and took it to the service center on october 6th. my receipt that was printed, states that the air bag test failed and they replaced it and also some ring. today, two days later the airbag light is on again!!!! i am wondering how safe it is to drive this vehicle with this problem. the car is going back to the service center on monday, oct. 11th. | |||
| 08/27/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| I was driving along a straight, dry stretch of road at approximately 45 miles per hour, when my car suddenly accelerated and the steering locked up. i was unable to control my vehicle and crashed into an embankment. it is also important to note that the vehicle had been serviced (regular servicing) at the volkswagen dealership just 3 days before. in addition, volkswagen had a similar problem on its cabriolet about 8 years ago. this problem was caused by the water separator panel being bent during servicing. the outcome of this accident was $6000 worth of damage to my vehicle and minor injuries sustained by me. | |||
| 05/07/1999 | |||
| While driving with sun roof fully open vehicle shakes and shutters. also there is something wrong with the engine. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 1 | 12/01/2005 | |
| 1999 ww beetle with many problems including shifting, brake switch (recall n4)**cc the consumer could not shift out of park, which was related to the brake switch. the consumer then received a recall notice after already having the repairs done. the consumer didn't take the vehicle to a volkswagen dealer because they would only had paid for the switch and not the labor because at the time, the recall was not in effect. the serpentine belt and starter was replaced. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 10/17/2004 | 59000 | 1 | |
| While driving clutch went out, and the consumer could not shift the gears. after getting out of the vehicle there was a fire under the hood. the fire department responded and put the fire out. vehiicle was later towed. the air pump was defective. vehicle was totaled.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| The yellow malfunction indicator light ame on while in motion. the malfunction was due to a faulty o2 sensor.*jg | |||
| 05/14/2002 | |||
| Vehicle was brought in fo recall repairs, oxygen sensor had to be replaced. vehicle is making loud noises. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 2 | ||
| Consumer states both oxygen sensors have failed, consumer was told by dealership that the bad oxygen sensor has damaged the mass air flow device, consumer states he has received different information from dealer departments, some say it is becuase the gas in the state he lives in is not regulated as to quality and if premium quality gas is not used the parts will not be warranted. *jb | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2001 | |
| After driving car for an hour the engine light came on,. dealer took car to check it out and in doing which damage the car further by denting passenger fender and bumper. failed to tell me about this, however engine light was fixed (o2) sensor.*ak | |||
| 04/04/2000 | 3 | 06/10/1998 | |
| Engine light came on due to faulty o2 sensor. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 08/20/2002 | 58000 | 1 | 06/01/2001 |
| 1)driver's side window had difficulty going up since vehicle purchase, have to push with hand to assist. 2) just a few months after purchase sensor behind brake pedal failed, vehicle would shift from park, replaced. 3) air bag came on and then engine light soon after, catalytic converter replaced. both warning lights off and replaced. 4) headlights are constantly blowing out, evidence of a short when replaced. burn marks, and exposed wiring because plastic on connectors got brittle and cracked off. 5) air bag light on again, two weeks later engine light on. told two sensors on mass air flow and some others are malfunctioning and now been replaced. told there is a broken clock spring in steering column along with bad wiring harness, both affecting air bags. also, told air bag is now bad and needs to be replaced because other defective components have shorted igniter in air bag out. i am a college student and cannot continue to fund repairs to this vehicle. cannot sell either because of these problems, and now reputation of beetle for problems. vehicle has never been in an accident, even so much as bumped. meticulously maintained. dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis----------------770755. *ak *nlm | |||