Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 129000 | ||
| My vehicle's radio shut off, warning lights came on and vehicle powered down while driving. could not even steer vehicle completely to shoulder of road. police officer driving by stopped and chastised me for not moving my car completely out of traffic's way. created a very hazardous traffic situation. police officer had to direct traffic around my vehicle for the hour it took to get vehicle home. the battery was checked and was fine. no charge on alternator. a quick google search led to checking fuse box near battery. one fuse was completely melted/burnt as well as the alternator cable connection on vehicle. the google search made it seem as though this is a very common occurrence, yet no recall has been issued. from my assessment, the damage included the fuse-box assembly, one of the fuses, and alternator cable ring-terminal; however, multiple web forums suggest that fan assemblies and other components may need to be replaced as well, leading to costly repairs. it is my opinion that the issue can be attributed to manufacturer's faulty design. my internet search also revealed that a class action lawsuit was filled in florida, 2011, but i cannot find any further information on the matter. | |||
| 07/12/2012 | 142234 | ||
| This particular electrical problem with vw new beetles has been reported in online vw forums hundreds of times. there is a small plastic fuse box that is attached at the top of the vehicle battery in the engine compartment. it contains a series of flat metal fuses of various amperage, and is electrically fed by a cable directly from the alternator. once at the fuse box, the electricity is branched to other circuits by connection to a bus. but the main feed from the fuse box is to the battery by an auxiliary cable, branching out from the fuse box, connected by the alternator cable/flat fuse at one end (in the fuse box), and directly to the battery positive at the other end. the problem is that the entire fuse box assembly frequently melts into a glob of plastic, and represents a significant fire hazard. i have owned two new beetles (2003 & 2004), and have experienced this problem four time between the two. my own investigation into the cause(s) has shown me that if the vehicle battery is discharged, and the alternator attempts to recharge the battery at a high rate, that once the electrical charge enters the fuse box via the alternator cable, the auxiliary cable is incapable of allowing the electricity to pass on through to the battery. the excess electrical build up is dissipated as heat, and the fuse box melts. it is analogous to bringing in water through a fire hose (the alternator cable), and then trying to funnel all of the water into a straw (the auxiliary cable). it won't fit. it appears that the auxiliary cable is of insufficient size and metal type to handle the electrical charge. in addition to the generic fire hazard, given the fuse box location, any leaking fumes (hydrogen) from the battery which come into contact with a fuse box spark/flame could cause the battery to explode. please advise. | |||
| 03/19/2003 | 1 | ||
| From day one this car had transmission problems which were denied by the dealer on 5 visits, after i sold the car i received a recall from vw, now that i am looking at blogs they have apparently recalled this recall to suit them. other complaints with this vehilce are window troubles, convertible roof troubles, electronic troubles, seatbelt troubles, airbag troubles. i can't believe anyone will allow this car to still be sold or on the road. it is a safety hazard on wheels. | |||
| 11/20/2003 | 15000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen beetle. the contact noticed that the air bag sensor light illuminated on the instrument panel. the light remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was due to a loose electrical connector for the driver's side air bag. the recall repair was performed incorrectly. on three separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for the same failure, but with no resolutions. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved with the air bag deployment. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the failure mileage was 15,000 and current mileage was 45,000. | |||
| 12/18/2005 | 61000 | 5 | 11/14/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated that the vehicle fails to start in very cold weather. she notified a repair shop that came out and got the vehicle started. the contact took the vehicle to the volkswagen dealer who could not diagnose the cause of failure. a few months later, the check engine light illuminated while driving 60 mph. the dealer was unable to find anything wrong with the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the nearest shop who stated that the vehicle had enough oil. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the computer board was changed. the current and failure mileages were 61,000. | |||
| 06/22/2006 | 56000 | 30 | 03/22/2006 |
| When attempting to put car into reverse brake switch does not respond. this has happened numerous times. driver side window goes back down by itself. also car shifts real hard in second and third gear. sounds like transmission will break. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 10/23/2007 | 41901 | 1 | 12/22/2006 |
| The alternator cable is burn also the fuse box on top of battery is burn. the dealership told me they see this happen on different volkswagen in the houston area and the fuse box needs some kind of thermal protection because the battery gets to hot. if i place some kind of thermal protection i will be held liable. the dealership nor the manufacturer are willing to help, they just told me a had 12 month warranty and if this happens again after 12 months it will be my expense. i had a 40,000 mile service on 10-3-07 which include inspecting battery which cost over $400.00. *tr | |||