Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 09/05/2011 | 152000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated the vehicle failed to start normally because the instrument cluster module failed. the failure caused the vehicle to stall and made it difficult to start immediately. the contact stated the cluster was replaced twice. the contact stated the failure was a manufacturers defect. the current mileage was 152,000. | |||
| 09/05/2011 | 152000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated the vehicle failed to start normally because the instrument cluster module failed. the failure caused the vehicle to stall and made it difficult to start immediately. the contact stated the cluster was replaced twice. the contact stated the failure was a manufacturers defect. the current mileage was 152,000. rvk | |||
| 09/05/2011 | 152000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated the vehicle has problems starting because the instrument cluster module had failed. the failure causes the vehicle to stall and also hard to start at times. the contact stated this is the second time the cluster has been replaced on the vehicle. the contact feels this is a manufacturer defect. the current mileage was 152,000.rl | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 110000 | ||
| I have a 2000 vw beetle. i bought this car from the dealership with 100,000 miles on it. the first week it began acting crazy and i took it back to the dealership and i was told sold as is. i have spent $3000 on this car fixing various electrical problems. this car is extremely unsafe. the transmission needs to be recalled immediately! it jumps and jerks at weird times and almost causes someone to rear end me. i've already invested a grand trying to resolve the transmission issue but the car will act fine for the first few days and then the problem will begin again. the third gear always slips and you get whiplash. it feels as if they gear is about to drop out of the car!! the engine misfires on the highway and no problem can be found by my mechanic. he tells me they are just random misfires! that is dangerous going down the highway at 70 mphs and the car shoot fdown to 50 and jerk on i-40 in winston salem. in the rain, it will jerk even worse, almost like the transmission is jumping out of the hood! my abs lights will flash at weird times as well as my brake light. i have had my brakes checked, not the brakes. something now stays on in the car that no mechanic can pinpoint which causes the battery to go dead everytime you turn the car off. the gages tend to not want to work some of the time and the mileage will even stop reading. sometimes the gas pedal does not connect and will stop accelerating eventhough your pushing on the gas upon take off. the alarm goes off at all times during the day and not for no reason and various times when i crank the car. to top this all off, the fuses on top of my battery caught on fire! i was told by my mechanic that this was a common problem, no problems could be blamed for this event. someone needs to recall something before someone gets hurt! | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Tl* contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact states since day one of owning his vehicle he has had nothing but problems. the contact was driving at about 35 mph when his dash lights blew out, his power door locks also stopped working.the contact states while his vehicle is parked outside and is not running his alarm would just go off on it's own. the vehicle was under warranty at the time so the contact didn't have to pay as much. the contact states he has spent about 353.00 on miscellaneous, on normal maintenance there was 5,182 paid and on repairs there was 5,579.00 paid. the contact states he also had a new computer put in the vehicle about 3 years ago. there has been electrical problems back to back and the contact also states the check engine light is still coming on and off. the failure mileage was 1 mile and the current mileage is 58,000. ar | |||
| 11/07/2008 | 126000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated that the engine warning indicator remains illuminated on the instrument panel. a diagnostic was performed, which produced error code 5. a mechanic repaired the vehicle and reset the computer; however, the indicator continues to illuminate. the current and failure mileages were 126,000. updated 02/24/09. *lj updated 02/26/09. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 39200 | 1 | |
| We have a 2000 new vw beetle that we bought new in 2000. it has become a high maintenance vehicle that seems to have a lot of defective parts that has to be replaced. mostly electrical. window once fell inside of door. fog light that has water in them. today a week after taking the car into vw service to repair another thing for around $200.00. i had returned to the shop again because with in a day after car was out of the shop a new problem cropped up. the seat belt light was staying on. i took it into the shop to have the seat belt light repaired. it has been in the shop for most of the day. i just received a call from vw service dept. and was told the seat belt denser was the problem. it controls all the seat belt air bags and some other safety things. it is drivable and seat belt may be ok. i was also told it would cost approximate over $700.00. our vw beetle only has 69,000 miles on it and we have spent thousands of dollars on it for repairs. it over heated last summer and was in the shop for a couple of weeks before they could find what was wrong with it..i think this was the air conditioner compressor and sensors. we have replace mayny sensors it seem s several times. most of these repairs was no under a recall. this is a very high maintenance car. it has been in the garage many times and cost is starting drain us. i am a retired iowa police officer on a fixed income..so this car is a strain on our budget. so many problems.. all our vehicles are paid for as well as our home. *tr | |||
| 11/16/2007 | 6 | 10/01/1999 | |
| We have a 2000 vw beetle with automatic transmission that has some sort of electrical problem that drains the battery if no one drives the car for a few days. we didn't really notice the problem until our daughters both went off to school and no one was driving the car on a regular basis. we are at the point where aaa and amoco motor club will no longer jump the car. we have purchased several batteries in the last 3-4 years or replaced them under warranty to the point where sears told us today to not come back. the vw dealer told us to go someplace else because they couldn't help us and vw itself has nothing to say other than go to the local dealer who told us to call vw. this car has been a problem from the beginning and we have done everything asked of us, expended funds and an inordinate amount of time to no avail. today the vw dealer did say that there was a problem with vw's of this vintage because they had problems with cars sitting on the lot and dying. we now need to our daughter to use in chicago, but we can't risk giving it to her and having her come out to the car late at night after work and find that the car is dead. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2007 | 135000 | 20 | 06/10/2005 |
| Water inside automobile damaged electonics. appeared to be a common problem.*ak | |||
| 04/10/2003 | 45208 | 10 | 03/17/2003 |
| I have a 2000 vw beetle. i bought the car used a little more than two years ago. within a few months of buying the car i started having engine/electrical problems. i took it in........several times, same problem. as i am driving the car it just dies. i can be going 60 mph on the highway or 1 mph pulling to or away from a stop sign. with no warning the car cuts off. it always starts back up, but it will continually die. i lose all power to the car including steering. this is a serious concern and has been for two years and approximately ten times in the vw shop. the car definitely has a problem that no one can seem to fix. i have or my warranty company has repeatedly paid for the same and then some repairs to the vehicle. some parts (the same part) were replaced within four months of each other. mostly the shop determines it is the o2 sensors throughout the car (apparently you have several different o2 sensors) or something to do with the turbo (which has also been replaced once or twice now). those things have been repaired. some more than once. the car still dies. it gives no warning it just shuts off. losing power at 70 mph on a crowded interstate can shake one up. i have contacted the dealer, the manufacturer, and everyone in between. no one seems to care or want to help me. someone please help this car is a death trap!*jb | |||
| 01/15/2004 | 1 | 11/15/1999 | |
| Check engine light has been on more often than not since 22,000 miles. on 8/28/01 o2 sensor replaced by dealer (#1). on 1/20/03 dealer (#3) told me that engine wiring harness needed to be replaced for an estimated cost to owner of $1306.25. car brought to nondealer and repaired for $36.00, albeit temporarily. incidentally dealer had completely run down battery, requiring replacement. on 5/8/03 car brought to dealer (#4) for overheating due to a puncture in oil pan, though owner was not aware of hitting anything. of course engine light had been on and temperature sensor was replaced at that time. again incidentally temperature light came on within 5 miles of dealership after oil pan had been fixed. on 1/15/04 owner is not able to pass emissions testing and therefore not able to renew registration of vehicle because check engine light is on. on that day, vacuum leak was repaired but light returned within 24 hours. on 1/21/04 a hose in air injection system was replaced but light returned within 24 hours. mechanic has now refused to continue working on the car. do yourself a favor - never even consider for a moment buying a vw!! this is the worst car that i or anyone i've ever known has owned. vw service is atrocious as well. they are incompetent, irresponsible and rude to boot. the fact that vw will not provide a rental car, especially when car is still under warrenty and problems occur that have known technical service bulletins, is absolutely unacceptable, particularly in light of all the problems that these cars pose. see additional problems that owner has experienced under other.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states that all electrical components keep illuminating and giving a false reading. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 06/21/2003 | 52000 | 4 | 03/16/2003 |
| Faulty electrical system in 2000 volkswagen beetle. *ak | |||
| 04/09/2003 | 16618 | 1 | 01/04/2003 |
| Vehicle: 2000 volkswagen new beetle. instrument cluster failed resulting in a lack of ability to properly gauge speed. also, lost the ability to determine whether fuel level was low. vw dealer's service department advised the cluster needed replacement. the vehicle is 3 years and 1 month old. the warranty period was 24 months or 24,000 miles. the vehicle has 16,000 miles. i contacted vw customer advocate (their name, not mine) department and requested their help. i referenced service bulletin number 0103; some vehicles may experience instrument cluster nonfunctional. after review the advocate said they would not do anything in regards to 'goodwill' based on age (1 year out of warranty) and mileage. when i asked about their application of mileage (the vehicle only has 16,000 while warranty is 24,000) the advocate restated the reason for decline, but without mileage. further, the advocate stated that since i was not the original owner, they would not apply goodwill. when i asked what the basis was for ownership discrimination, she indicated the lack of service records. when i, again, indicated that i purchased the vehicle from the original owner three months ago and could provide the prior service records, she said basically too bad, i could send them a copy, but upon review vw customer advocate would not likely revise their decision. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 2 | ||
| Consumer states the headlights will burn out without warning while driving. has happened twice over last 2 months. consumer has to replace entire headlight unit.*jb | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states vehicle has a problem with electrical system resulting in the horn, radio and headlights failing intermittenly.*jb | |||
| 04/01/2000 | |||
| Due to electrical system problems power windows and door locks intermittently lose operation. emergency warning lights come on, and alarms intermittently sound off. dealer is having a hard time correcting the problem because cannot duplicate it. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 06/14/2004 | 45000 | 02/22/2001 | |
| Battery has to be jumped whenever left for 5 days. had tested at 39k but vw service said was fine. progressively got worse until had to be replaced at 45k as would no longer start in mornings. report states faulty battery and replaced with stateline (cannot afford vw battery with all the repairs i'm having to do) at $182. | |||
| 11/01/2000 | 3 | 03/13/2000 | |
| Intermittently vehicle will stall out while driving approximately 20-25 mph, battery light will come on. consumer must restart vehicle. dealer has replaced fuel pump relay switch and ran test, but defect still occurs. dealer cannot determine cause.*ak consumer states dealer has also replaced the throttle body and vehicle continues to stall. *slc | |||
| 15 | 07/01/1999 | ||
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 54000 | 1 | 03/14/2002 |
| Fuse block on top of battery melted, fuses not blown. *ak | |||
| 06/19/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| The power outlets were inoperable, dealer replaced missing fuse.*jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 05/17/2001 | 2 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Consumer states the engine light appeared, the dealer replaced the spark plugs and front and rear oxygen sensors.*jb | |||
| While driving vehicle intermittently heistated upon acceleration, cause unknown. dealer replaced control unit which did not correct problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 0 | ||
| Engine check light came on. called dealer, and they said it was normal, it would go off. car was still stalling, and engine check light came back on. then, a couple of days later vehicle would not start. vehicle towed in. after picking up car for repairs it stalled again. consumer stated there was a transmission noise. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| While driving vehicle intermittently heistated upon acceleration, cause unknown. dealer replaced control unit which did not correct problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 11/07/2004 | 43000 | 1 | 01/11/1999 |
| The 2000 volkswagen new beetle ignition switch melted at contact wires in the steering column. the cause was the fog lights undersized wiring to the ignition switch. when it melted the contacts the headlights, turn signals, hvac, and gauges became inoperable, to name a few. it was out of service for two months at my cost and my repair. i could not afford the repair through the dealership and there are no recalls although though conversations with vw mechanics and others this problem was not uncommon. there are still nuances with electrical components in the beetle to this day. i would hope there were no fires or injuries. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY - SOLENOID | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 41000 | 02/22/2001 | |
| Check mill light came on at 41k. had to replace air mass flow meter, airflometer, hose, and install new vacuum valve. also something to do with injection solenoid to the combi valve and a faulty mass airflow sensor. cost me close to $300. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 07/22/2006 | 1 | 07/20/2006 | |
| Airbag short to ground coolant system short to ground. *jb | |||
| 10/21/2004 | 50000 | 1 | 09/10/1999 |
| While parked vehicle caught on fire. vehicle was totaled. *ak a pedestrian informed the fire inspector that the flames was noticed coming from the driver's side of the engine. (electrical fire) *sc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 07/29/2003 | |||
| While backing out of driveway and without prior warning smoke was coming from inside of the vehicle vents. vehicle caught on fire . *ak | |||
| 07/17/2002 | |||
| While driving at 35mph a fire started under the hood, causing consumer to pull over. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 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 | |||
| 12/22/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Vehicle caught fire while on way home from work. initial symptom was that vehicle lost power while on highway and stalled. vehicle was able to be restarted. it then was able to be driven approx. 5 miles when it again lost power. it was then able to be restarted. vehicle was driven to a fuel station when it stalled. upon restart the instrument panel gages were not operative. it was driven into an amoco gas station when smoke began emanating from under the hood. the intensity of the smoke increased and it was apparent that the car was on fire. i pulled hood opening lever near driver's side kick panel to open hood. i jumped out of vehicle and opened hood. the left front portion of the engine compartment was on fire and flames were readily apparent. the flames were coming from underneath the firewall of the vehicle extending up the wire harness towards the battery. the battery started to melt as well. a passerby in a cube van observed this incident and grabbed a fire extinguisher from his truck and proceeded to contain and extinguish the fire.er. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 06/23/2004 | 43000 | 1 | |
| While driving between 20-40 mph, suddenly the ventilation panel became hot. when the driver attempted to turn the ventilation system on the knob melted. this was followed by smoke coming out the air vent. vehicle was engulfed in flames within minutes of the consumer exiting the vehicle, and calling the fire department. the insurance company and a factory representative inspected the vehicle. the cause of the fire was reportedly due to interior electrical system. the vehicle was totaled.*ak | |||
| 04/14/2004 | 1 | ||
| Fan switch would turn off, then started smoking and caught fire, burning the entire dashboard in a matter of minutes. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer noticed dashboard lights flashed while traveling. vehicle is now on second repair. dealer can't duplicate problem.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| When jump starting or replacing battery vehicle would run approximately three miles or less before it stalls compeletly out. vehicle had to be towed to dealer shop to reset all of eletrical components, to get the vehicle to run again. if this occurs in a town or city that does not have a volkswagen dealer shop what can one do? *ak *jg | |||