Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Airbag light came on and stays on constantly on a 2000 beetle. there are too many complaints about the problem wiring under the seat causing the airbag light to stay on...this should be the subject of a recall investigation! | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 12000 | 1 | |
| I have a vw new beetle and the airbag light came on took my car to the dealer and they say it's not their problem and they want to charge 700 dollars to fix it but the car is expensive. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2006 | 20013 | 5 | 10/27/1989 |
| I am the original owner of this 2000 volkswagen beetle. on july 30, 2001 (mileage 20013) i complained to my dealership that the air bag light was on all the time while driving. they reconnected the wire under the drivers seat stating it was loose, poor fit. on november 15, 2002 (mileage 33164) i complained again that the air bag light was on all the time. they inspected and found two misc. codes reset and tested, said all is ok at this time. on september 3, 2003 (mileage 41463)i complained that the air bag light was on all the time, again. dealership tested and said i needed d/d air bag, harness and seat belt replaced at a cost of $675.00. i declined repair and called volkswagen. on november 5, 2003 vw said they would repair this problem free of charge for customer goodwill. on july 19, 2005 (mileage 61130) i complained that the air bag light was once again on all the time. dealership repositioned connector for drivers side air bag and stated if it comes on again will need new air bag. on november 20, 2006 (mileage 73661) once again i complained that the air bag light was on all the time while driving. i was told i needed a new drivers seat air bag, harness with rewire to control at a cost of $1040. once again i called volkswagen and this time i was told sorry, there is nothing they can do to help me. this has been an on going problem with my vehicle and specifically a huge safety issue. please advise if there is any help you are able to offer. *jb | |||
| 01/20/2007 | 3 | 11/15/1999 | |
| The airbag light came on in 2005. the dealer said the driver's airbag had to be replaced. approximately 1 year later, the light came on again. this time the dealer said they fixed it. i don't know what they did. in january 2007, the airbag light came on again. i don't know what to do now. i'm worried that my airbags won't work in a collision because i don't know what the dealer is doing and they can't tell me what the continuing problem is. *jb | |||
| 03/01/2006 | 31000 | 1 | 09/25/2005 |
| Why would i have so much trouble trying to get my volkswagen airbag light for safer driving. cannot order the correct parts. *nm | |||
| 12/31/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Dt: consumer states that the indicator light for air bags kept coming on. the vehicle was taken to the dealership to be fixed but light came back on in a couple of days. the consumer stated this problem started soon after he bought the vehicle in 2000 and that it has been happening off and on ever since. *ak the consumer has heard other beetle owners complain of this problem. the consumer believes that the connection under the seat can be disconnected easily or is too easily damaged. *nm | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 61990 | 08/18/2004 | |
| I just traded for a 2000 volkswagen beetle diesel for use at my dealership due to the excellent fuel mileage. the air bag light was illuminated when i purchased the vehicle. the previous owner stated the vehicle had been at the local vw dealer and the dealership personell did not mention the light as being a problem. i carried the vehicle to a local service facility for routine service and asked them to determine the reason for the air bag light being on. they reported that the sensor on the passenger side was defective. i carried the vehicle to the dealer in asheville. they reported that the air bag in the passengers side was defective. i authorized them to replace it at a cost of $566.28. i called vw and the lady stated that they could not reimburse me for the repair since i was not a customer of vw. my company is the customer and it purchased the vehicle for company use. the air bag was defective. why should my company have to pay for a defective safety product? | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 30000 | 1 | 07/05/2001 |
| I have a 2000 volkswagen bettle and since the car has had about 30000 miles i have had problems with the air bag system. according to volkswagen the problem is the wiring for the air bags is located under the seats and because of this i have had the air bag light reset 2or 3 times finally they said i would need a wire harness installed so i paid a couple hundred dollars for that to be done in aug 2003 now the air bag light is on again every time the light comes on it causes the air bag systme to shutdown this is a big saftey issue since 2/3 rds of the time the car has been on the road the airbag light is on i found out this is a problem with the beetle and they installed the harness on the new ones to fix this well i had that installed and it is broken again i called vw and they want me to pay another 95 for a diognostic plus and then they will decide if they will repair it at no cost this should be a recalled item it plagues the beetle and it is a saftey issue and i cant keep paying for the same repair please help me. *ak | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 41092 | 2 | |
| Air bag sensor light continues to illuminate. dealer states problem is not a safety issue; however, consumer was concerned that air bag would not deploy in case of collision.*ak | |||
| 09/30/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consistent problem with air bag light and engine light comimg on/off while driving vehicle at any speed. dealer inspected vehicle, and stated that air sensor failed. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving , the air bag light illuminated on the dashboard. *jb | |||
| 08/27/2003 | 29179 | 5 | |
| The air bag warning light appeared on the dashboard while driving about 55 mph on the highway. cause was undetermined. the light continued to stay on while the vehicle was running. *ak the dealer fixed the vehicle differently each time. (airbag, air bag harness, air bag connector and the instrument cluster) were all replaced. *scc *jb | |||
| 08/19/2003 | 1 | 08/20/1999 | |
| When driving at various speeds without warning the air bag warning light would illuminate and would stay lit for the reminder of the time that vehicle was being operated. dealer has been notified. *ak vehicle stalled, bucked, all lights on instrument panel lit up. failure of window switches.*ts | |||
| 161 | 1 | ||
| While driving airbag light suddenly illuminated. consumer states this is an indication that airbag may not deploy. *ak | |||
| 41232 | 2 | ||
| The check engine light and air bag light illuminated on the dashboard. *ph *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The air bag light illuminated on the dashboard. *jb *cb *jb | |||
| 04/18/2003 | 17900 | ||
| The airbag light illuminated. *nlm *ts | |||
| 04/04/2003 | 36920 | ||
| The vehicle hit a pot hole and the airbag light illuminated. the vehicle was taken tot he dealer who stated they would fix it so the light would not come on, and stated that the right passenger airbag had a leak in it. consumer was later involved in a front end collision and none of the airbags deployed. *nlm | |||
| 03/08/2003 | 21000 | 05/12/2000 | |
| Driver's side side impact-airbag deployed for no reason as i was driving down a freeway. volkswagen theorized that road debris penetrated the floorboard causing the sensor to go off. how thin is the floorboard that a rock or piece of road debris could penetrate it? and why does that throw off the sensor for a side airbag? volkswagen refused to reimburse me for towing, repairs, or my arm injury. *nlm | |||
| While driving the air bag light stay illuminated, dealer notified said spring like contact and wire harness. please provide any additional information. ts | |||
| 09/25/2002 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Srs system failure light has illuminated for the third time in 16000 miles. vehicle fault code was reset with the first failure. side airbag was replaced with the second light illumination. system functioned properly for about 8000 miles and has failed again. awaiting resolution from vw as the warranty has expired. one of my employees also purchased a 2002 jetta which had an srs failure in the first two months. there appears to be a design problem with volkswagen's srs system which you may wish to investigate. | |||
| 09/25/2002 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Srs system failure light has illuminated for the third time in 16000 miles. vehicle fault code was reset with the first failure. side airbag was replaced with the second light illumination. system functioned properly for about 8000 miles and has failed again. awaiting resolution from vw as the warranty has expired. one of my employees also purchased a 2002 jetta which had an srs failure in the first two months. there appears to be a design problem with volkswagen's srs system which you may wish to investigate. mr | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 2 | 03/01/2001 | |
| The failure is with the airbag system. does not function when airbag light is on and the diagnosis was a bad panel. i want to know if there is a recall regaurding these panels.*ak | |||
| 06/19/2001 | 2 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Consumer stated the air bag light was on, dealer reattached the side air bag harness and found that connector was not attached all the way for side airbag, the airbag light came on again and the dealer replaced the airbag.*jb | |||
| 04/03/2002 | 4 | ||
| Air bag light stays illuminated, causing consumer to take vehicle to dealer for the fourth time. problem is not intermittent, light stays on until it is fixed. dealer was notified. please provide additional information. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| Air bag light continuously stays on all the time while consumer is driving. consumer has contacted dealer 7 times already, but they are not willing to do anything for consumer. *ak | |||
| 01/09/2002 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Aibag warning indicator light activated for no cause. *ak | |||
| 06/19/2001 | 2 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Consumer stated the air bag light was on, dealer reattached the side air bag harness and found that connector was not attached all the way for side airbag, the airbag light came on again and the dealer replaced the airbag.*jb | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 6 | ||
| Srs light keeps coming on. vehicle taken to dealer 6 times, replaced wiring harness once. other times consumer was told vehicle was repaired, light was off, but came back on after a period of time. *ak | |||
| 07/26/2001 | 4 | ||
| While driving air bag light will come on and will stay on until consumer takes vehicle to dealer. then, they will repair it. part had to be replaced four times, but problem still existed. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 12/27/2000 | 1 | 05/18/2000 | |
| During vehicle collision which resulted in vehicle rollover the airbags experienced no deployment. *mjs | |||
| 09/25/1999 | 3 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Airbag light does not go off. now being repaired for the 3rd time. unable to drive due to safety concerns. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 04/10/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the air bag light stays on. the contact stated the air bag light came on after driving over a speed bump. the contact stated if the vehicle is involved in a crash the air bags will not deploy. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer but refuse to have a diagnostic test due to the cost. the contact stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive. the failure mileage was 60,000. jo | |||
| 08/04/2003 | 1 | ||
| While traveling on the highway and without prior warning air bag light appeared on the dashboard. air bag light will not go off until the vehicle is turned off.*ak | |||
| 10/04/2002 | 28000 | 1 | 09/17/2002 |
| Consumer states that while driving at 55 mph, the driver side door air bag deployed without any warning. contacted dealer. mr the consumer also stated that after reviewing the underside of the vehicle, there was slight damage discovered on the left side in the firewall area. the consumer feels that the vehicle was improperly engineered. scc | |||
| 05/18/2000 | 11 | 11/20/1999 | |
| Airbag malfunction light repeatedly comes on, consumer has taken vehicle into dealership on numerous occasions , the airbag unit has been replaced several times but problem still exists.*jb | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 3 | ||
| Air bag light continues to stay on even after consumer has taken vehicle into dealer three times already. dealer has tried three times to remedy vehicle, but the problem still occurs.*ak | |||
| 07/17/2000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| While traveling at 5 mph another vehicle ran into consumer's vehicle going at speed of 45 mph. upon impact, driver's side air bag did not deploy. manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 12/04/1999 | 1 | 08/15/1999 | |
| Side impact airbags did not deploy during serious accident resulting death. yh | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - DRIVER SIDE INFLATOR MODULE | |||
| 07/14/2005 | 54241 | 1 | 04/30/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light on the dashboard illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the air bag driver inflator module failed. | |||
| 07/22/2006 | 1 | 07/20/2006 | |
| Airbag short to ground coolant system short to ground. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 80000 | 5 | 11/11/2000 |
| Cooling system failed causing the original overheating. the car has continued to peridodically overheat since. the car was fully repaired from the first incident and has been in for repair many times since. now there are several failures with the car. | |||
| 11/02/2003 | 26000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 |
| While driving at any speed air bag light stayed on. at times the air bag light blinked, but it never went off. the dealer repaired the problem, and informed the consumer that the sensor unit shorted out. *ak *scc | |||
| 03/24/2001 | |||
| Airbag light came on. dealer stated airbag sensor needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 07/19/2001 | 12218 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact started the ignition and the air bag warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the failure was contributed to the passenger side wiring harness. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on eight separate occasions for the identical failures with replacement of the driver side wiring harness. there have been no resolutions. the failure mileage was 12,218. the current mileage was 47,564. | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 22000 | 1 | |
| 2000 vw beetle has had 3 airbags installed since 2002. the vehicle has never been in an accident. the airbag light is illuminated again and therefore will not pass the virginia state inspection process.. three letters sent to vw with no success. vw customer care representative will not look into the airbag system on the 2000 vw beetle since the car is out of warranty. the first airbag issue started under warranty. the three airbags replaced to date has been 2 drivers and 1 passenger side airbag. the airbag light has been reset numerous times with no success without replacing an airbag. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2001 | 2 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Consumer stated the air bag light was on, dealer reattached the side air bag harness and found that connector was not attached all the way for side airbag, the airbag light came on again and the dealer replaced the airbag.*jb | |||
| 07/17/2000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| While traveling at 5 mph another vehicle ran into consumer's vehicle going at speed of 45 mph. upon impact, driver's side air bag did not deploy. manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||