Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 11292005 | 11/29/2005 | 10018786 | Engine pre-heater installation. calix. *tt | 01/17/2006 | |
| 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 | |||||
| 05012007 | 05/01/2007 | 10021950 | Emissions recall circular. reprogramming of engine control module and replacement of malfunctioning oxygen sensor. *kb | 06/27/2007 | |
| 0501 | 09/09/2005 | 10016900 | Mil is on and or catalytic converter is rattling. *sc | 10/14/2005 | |
| 0405 | 12/03/2004 | 10011901 | Hybrid oil pan, installing. *tt | 02/03/2005 | |
| 0410 | 05/10/2004 | 10007712 | Evaluating fuel mixture diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) - how to perform effective diagnostic related to fuel system adaptation system too rich/ too lean. volkswagen. *mj | 07/08/2004 | |
| 0409 | 05/10/2004 | 10007711 | Evaluating fuel mixture diagnostic trouble codes- how to perform effective diagnosis related to fuel system adaptation - system too rich/too lean. volkswagen. *mj | 07/08/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/20/2004 | |||
| Water pump broke, causing the timing belt to break which resulted in all valves bent and an engine rebuild. the car had 69,000 miles...vw manual says manitenance at 120,000 miles. | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 32400 | 1 | 04/22/2002 |
| I own a 1999 new beetle with the 2.0 engine with 37,000 original miles. the car quit running approx. 2 1/2 yrs ago,approximately two months after i purchased it from a certified volkswagen dealer, used. a few days after delivery there was a rotten egg smell, check engine light on, engine sluggish. after one month the battery went dead completely. replaced the battery, car would not run. battery dead again after four days. i found info on the internet that security system must be set or the battery will last only four days. inspected plugs, found heavy carbon buildup. inspected pre o2 sensor, found same. decided to overhaul eng. found heavy carbon on tops of pistons and valves. machine shop had to replace pistons, rings, all bearings, oil pump, plane the cylinder head, plane the head mating surface, replace seals, turn the flywheel. i had to also replace the water pump, timing belt, clutch, throwout bearing, o2 sensor, plug wires, and the dipstick holder. after considerable money spent, engine would start but not run. i found out from the dealer that if electrical power is lost, vehicle must be towed to a volkswagen dealer and be reprogrammed. it will not run until that is done. the reason given was that volkswagen did not want any owners to fix their own car. this could be a signifigant safety issue in a life threatening situation! there are reports on several internet forums of the original batteries blowing up and even after replacement of the battery the vehicle would not run until it was reprogrammed. volkswagen should be required to fix this problem. i would like to see a full investigation on this model to see if it should be sold in the us. there are too many reported defects on this model to list here, some that apply to this car, that are much more dangerous than i described here. i hope that our government will straighten this company out and that owners will somehow be compensated. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| The vehicle was smoking because of oil leaking onto the engine from a faulty hose. dealer has had vehicle for 3 weeks. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 05/29/2003 | 55000 | 1 | 05/28/1999 |
| I was driving down the expressway at about 55 mph, when my steering wheel locked up, and my car went up on the center divider. i could not steer my car off the divider, and the brakes weren't working as well either. i imagine what happened was that the engine stopped and my car powered off without warning (the car has a history of failed warning lights or warning lights going on for no reason, having the instrument panel replaced once, but not solving the problem). my car ended up spinning out across the road and slamming into a tree on the passenger side. if the timing was different by a split-second, i would have probably hit the tree with the driver's side, or slammed head-on into a light pole. my car was totaled and i split my head open and had to get stitches. i am very lucky to be alive. i have had nothing but problems with this car, and another one of it's stupid failures almost killed me. *jb | |||
| 11/17/2000 | 3 | 12/24/1999 | |
| At various speeds vehicle will stall out and die without warning. dealer has repaired electrical system, and fuel tank. but, problem still exists vehicle experiences oil leaks. air bag light is on, dealer secured loose connector clear codes. passenger seat would not move up or down. trunk very hard to close, dealer adjusted upper and lower trunk lock assembly. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 08/11/1999 | |||
| While driiving at any speed vehicle enters a safe mode, restricting engine power. the vehicle slows down to 10-15 mph ,creating an unsafe situation. the vehicle has been towed to the dealership twice for this problem. the dealer is not able to determine what causes this problem. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 03/19/2003 | 68319 | ||
| Mass air flow sensor failed. *nlm | |||
| 01/29/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2099 | |
| The 1999 new beetle has been a nightmare (lemon). its reliability / safety / enviromental impact is poor. please assist new bettle owners. vw assistance / knowledgement has been non existent.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 02/03/2003 | 55287 | 1 | 04/30/1999 |
| Nar 02/28/2003 mr the consumer has had ongoing problem with the catalytic converter, and the emissions control system. *cb | |||