Recalls

CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
06E026000PRO-A MOTORS, INC. E (Equipment)6194404/03/2006OVSCVOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC03/23/200603/23/2006571108
Defect SummaryCertain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryWithout the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Corrective SummaryPro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. the recall began on april 3, 2006. owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
NotesThis recall only pertains to pro-a motors aftermarket lamps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the listed passenger vehicles.for more information on the lamp model numbers, click on document search and view document titled lamp model numbers.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH
03V265000VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INCfrom 04/14/1998 to 11/30/2001V (Vehicle)29513609/26/2003ODIVOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC07/25/200307/29/2003
Defect SummaryOn certain passenger vehicles, the brake lamp switch may malfunction.
Consequence SummaryIf this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or the lamps could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake lamp switches. owner notification began september 26, 2003. owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-822-8987.
NotesVw recall no. wt.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
06V183000VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INCfrom 01/01/1998 to 11/30/2001V (Vehicle)64624611/27/2006ODIVOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC05/24/200605/25/2006
Defect SummaryOn certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic or manual transmissions and cruise controls, a brake light switch on these vehicles may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly during safety recalls 03v-265 or 04v-096.
Consequence SummaryThe brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Corrective SummaryDealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. the recall began on november 27, 2006. vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. the remedy is the same for each recall. volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the vin number of the vehicle. owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
NotesVw recall no. n4.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration

Bulletins

BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH
040102/17/2004030110006057New style brake light switch requires care during installation to prevent damage to switch. *tt04/13/2004
10210/22/200310004523Safety recall - wt - brake light switch. *tt12/17/2003
3170310/13/200310004522Safety recall - wt - new beetle brake light switch. *tt12/17/2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
TB-94-10-0208/09/201010036467Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. the headlamps or inside lights intermittently dim slightly at idle speed. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the f03/16/2011
TB-09-10-0208/09/201010035204Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the fluctuations. some electric consumers come on in cycles or have no constant02/11/2011
94000104/27/2000612442Information regarding the repair of the headlight electrical connection. *mjs06/08/2000

Investigations

NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS
RQ06004VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC02/28/200608/07/2006BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE06V183000
 By letters dated may 24, 2006 and august 4, 2006, volkswagen (vw) notified the agency that it is conducting a safety recall (nhtsa recall no 06v-183) involving model year (my) 1998-2002 volkswagen new beetle and 1999-2002 volkswagen jetta vehicles equipped with cruise control.volkswagen
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH
RQ06004VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC02/28/200608/07/2006BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE06V183000
 By letters dated may 24, 2006 and august 4, 2006, volkswagen (vw) notified the agency that it is conducting a safety recall (nhtsa recall no 06v-183) involving model year (my) 1998-2002 volkswagen new beetle and 1999-2002 volkswagen jetta vehicles equipped with cruise control.volkswagen

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
07/04/20091
 Low beam headlight bulbs fail prematurely causing loss of vision at night. new bulbs only last about 3 months before they burn out. we asked the vw dealership if there is a remedy for the problem, but they answered no. i know other people that have the same problem. *tr
03/12/200060000601/15/1999
 Ive had multiple failures with my 1998 beetle. the car was overheating--found out that the engine fuses were melted over the battery terminal. my reverse lights stopped working--no one has been able to correct that yet, my daytime running lights don't usually work, but sometimes will come on all by themselves. got locked in my car twice. the alarm sometimes goes off for no reason. the car periodically doesn't start. had it towed to vw twice for this. they could find no problems. also, something in the car's electrical components is drowning the battery--have to buy a new battery every six months. i have replaced both windows once . i had the brake light switch replaced three times and was rear -ended once before vw finally did a recall on that part. i'm sure i have left something out--there is so much it's hard to remember. bottom line--this car is a hazard on the road for the person driving and other motorists. *jb
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BACK UP LIGHTS
03/12/200060000601/15/1999
 Ive had multiple failures with my 1998 beetle. the car was overheating--found out that the engine fuses were melted over the battery terminal. my reverse lights stopped working--no one has been able to correct that yet, my daytime running lights don't usually work, but sometimes will come on all by themselves. got locked in my car twice. the alarm sometimes goes off for no reason. the car periodically doesn't start. had it towed to vw twice for this. they could find no problems. also, something in the car's electrical components is drowning the battery--have to buy a new battery every six months. i have replaced both windows once . i had the brake light switch replaced three times and was rear -ended once before vw finally did a recall on that part. i'm sure i have left something out--there is so much it's hard to remember. bottom line--this car is a hazard on the road for the person driving and other motorists. *jb
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH
03/12/200060000601/15/1999
 Ive had multiple failures with my 1998 beetle. the car was overheating--found out that the engine fuses were melted over the battery terminal. my reverse lights stopped working--no one has been able to correct that yet, my daytime running lights don't usually work, but sometimes will come on all by themselves. got locked in my car twice. the alarm sometimes goes off for no reason. the car periodically doesn't start. had it towed to vw twice for this. they could find no problems. also, something in the car's electrical components is drowning the battery--have to buy a new battery every six months. i have replaced both windows once . i had the brake light switch replaced three times and was rear -ended once before vw finally did a recall on that part. i'm sure i have left something out--there is so much it's hard to remember. bottom line--this car is a hazard on the road for the person driving and other motorists. *jb
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
05/01/200449000610/16/2002
 Headlights constantly go out while driving, have been pulled over by the police many times due to no lights or having to drive with high beams on. this past time had to park the car and have someone take us home, could not drive car until the next morning. repair bills are becoming rediculous.*ak
06/03/20024821003/20/2000
 Headlight malfunctions, burns out. upon replacement, wiring harness melted. car no longer under warranty.
07/25/199915000106/30/1998
 I have a 1998 vw beetle. i bought the beetle new. the headlights have been a problem since the car had 15,000 miles. the first time i took it to the dealership they said they could not get the light to remain out, however since i had reported it they would honor the warranty on it if it went out again. it did the month the warranty ran out. they refused to honor the warranty. i filed a complaint with vw and they said settled it with the dealer. after going back and forth i finally paid 80.00 to get it repaired. two months after the first headlight went out the other headlight quit completely. i took it back with the same complaint. they told me they are aware of the problem with the headlights and vw would address the problem later. being stubborn, i have not repaired the headlight. the car now has 52000 miles on it. i think they should pay me for the first repair and also repair the second headlight. vw is very aware of the issue as i have spoken with numerous other owners with the same problem who own 98's and 99's. *jb
03/01/2003507/02/1998
 Left headlamp bulb burned-out. i had to replace the driver's side headlamp at least 5 times over the life of the vehicle. the passenger side headlamp bulb has only needed replacement once over the same time period. *jb
07/01/2000507/03/1999
 Consumer states upon starting the vehicle, one or both headlights do not always turn on, consumer has replaced the bulbs about 5 times each, consumer can lightly tap the headlight assembly and the lights will turn on until the next start up, consumer has checked the connection and cleaned them, however the problem still exists, he thinks it may have to do with the current flow to the bulbs or be a grounding problem, consumer also states that the lights have never gone out or flickered while driving. *slc
10/25/2001103/01/1998
 We noticed the headlight was out. the right side had already gone out and we were able to replace the bulb with no problems. when we tried to replace the drivers side bulb, the bulb had exploded inside the headlight assembly and we noticed that the metal end of the halogen bulb was melted to the connector. we made an appointment with the dealer for repairs. the dealer showed us the wiring harness which was completely melted. additionally they said the headlight assembly connection was also melted. the dealer commented that they were surprised there was not a fire in the vehicle.*ak
11/08/2001311/01/2000
 Low beams fail must take apart and reset bulb to correct 3 times in one year owning it. *ak
06/29/20013
 First bulb out on 10/2000 on driver's side, on 1/17/01 replaced wire harnesses as recommended by volkswagon dealer on both head lights. also replaced both bulbs at this time. on 6/29/01 both bulbs burnt out again and both replaced. volkswagon refuses to refund, because work not done at certified vw dealer. this is a dangerous problem... one went out while driving in fog and visibility was bad. i wanted to report this problem, to inform others that this part should be recalled and may not be designed properly. i feel i should also be refunded the money spent on replacing these defective parts. it is a safety issue! sincerely, laura frashier
02/01/19980
 Headlights will blow out unexpectedly, consumer has had 10 sets of new headlights, and paid to have new wiring, and problem still occurs. mostly happens in dark. *ak
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
04/25/2005977858
 This vehicle has had a series of problems since i have owned it. i have always been a volkswagen enthusiast. so when i saw the new beetles i was naturally excited and couldn't wait to own one. what i expected was volkswagens usual excellent quality and value for money. what i got was a vehicle that not only is an inconvenience to drive, but is also a safety concern. this vehicle has had at least 8 major defects. i call them defects because so many others have experienced similar issues with their new beetles. keep in mind the vehicle is regularly maintained, and is only at 97,000 miles. 1. check engine light is on and vehicle stalls or cuts out on a regular basis. 2. the low beams on my headlights always burn out. i change the lights and they just burn out again. i always have to drive instead with my high beams on. 3. my driver side and passenger side windows have fallen into my doors. meaning that they wont roll up, a loud, noise can be heard when you try. i was told by volkswagen that they were aware of the problem. they even told me that it was because they used plastic clips to hold the windows and they are now replacing with metal clips. fine and good, but while my windows were down my seats became severely stained. (they stain easy) who's going pay for that??? 4. the window switch that controls the windows going up and down broke off in my hand. 5. the radio tries to load a tape when there isn't one. hood latch broke, has to be opened with screwdriver now. thanks vwoa!! 6. heater motor turns up and down on its own 7. engine holds high rpms in highway, rapid iol consumption. 8 reverse lights malfunctioned. questions vwoa? call me, we'll chat 269-986-0996 . *ak

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