1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Equipment Problems

SINCE I PURCHASED MY BEETLE IN 2001, IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING MONEY DRAIN. IN 6 YRS. I HAVE REPLACED THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION TWICE, HAD THE BRAKES WORKED ON A NUMBER OF TIMES, BEEN UNABLE TO OPEN THE GAS "DOOR" ON THE CAR W/ THE GAS CAP LATCH, HAD TO REPLACE THE HOOD OPENING LATCH, HAD REPEATED ELECTRICAL FAILURES, PROBLEMS W/ FRONT & REAR LIGHT WIRING, HAD DOOR LOCKS/ALARM FAIL & SUBSEQUENTLY HAD MY LAPTOP STOLEN FROM THE CAR, THE RADIO HAS NOT WORKED FOR 1+ YEAR, & IT'S COVER PANEL IS LOOSE & FALLING BACK INTO THE DASH, THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR SWITCHES HAVE FAILED, THE POWER WINDOW SWITCHES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FELL OFF (!) OF ITS TOP HINGE WHEN THE HINGE BROKE WHILE OPENING THE DOOR NORMALLY AT A GAS STATION, THE AIR COMPRESSOR HAS FAILED MANY TIMES, THE A/C IS CURRENTLY NOT WORKING, THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK FELL OUT OF THE HANDLE(!!!!), THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, & THE LIST GOES ON. CURRENTLY I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR SEVERAL WKS B/C THOUGH ONLY A WEEK OR TWO OUT OF THE SHOP, AGAIN IT IS HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I AM AT MY WITS END WITH THIS CAR & HAVING RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, AM NOT IN THE GREATEST POSITION TO HAVE TO BUY A NEW CAR. MOREOVER, I AM SO DISPLEASED W/ THE CAR THAT I WOULD LITERALLY FEEL GUILTY ABOUT TRADING IT IN TO BE SOLD TO SOME OTHER UNSUSPECTING PERSON. VW SHOULD BE SO ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES, & SHOULD BE REIMBURSING OWNERS OF THE 1998 BEETLE IN FULL FOR ALL OF THE STRIFE & TROUBLE THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED. IN FACT, AFTER WRITING THIS & REALIZING HOW MANY PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD, I MAY TRY TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION - THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! FINALLY, OUR LOCAL VW DEALER IS TERRIBLE, KEEPING MY CAR FOR WKS. LONGER THAN EXPECTED, ONE TIME LEAVING A CANDY BAR STUCK TO MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT!!!, AND ACTING LIKE THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE POOR QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS & LABOR. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

IN EARLY MAY I HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH OUR 1998 VW BEETLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PART. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE, AND I PUSHED DOWN THE BRAKE PETAL. THEN I CHANGED GEARS TO REVERSE AND GENTLY STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED AND HIT A TRAILER AT MY PLACE OF WORK CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH THE BEETLE AND TRAILER. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING AT VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN (1401 SONOMA BLVD, VALLEJO CA) THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY, SO IT WAS SURPRISING THAT THE CAR WOULD MALFUNCTION SO DANGEROUSLY AFTER HAVING JUST BEEN SERVICED. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHTS SWITCH AND THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I LEFT THE CAR THERE OVERNIGHT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION WAS INDEED THE FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE PART IN QUESTION WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL AND HAD APPARENTLY BEEN REPLACED IN MY CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2003. VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN DISAVOWED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCIDENT AND ATTRIBUTED THE MALFUNCTION TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE BREAK LIGHT SWITCH. HOWEVER, IF THIS PART IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BREAKDOWN DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TARE THEN IT SHOULD BE INSPECTED WHEN THE CAR WAS SERVICED. VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH AND HAD THE AUDACITY TO CHARGE ME FOR DOING SO. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS SITUATION AND FEEL LIKE BOTH VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN AND VOLKSWAGEN ARE LIABLE FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT AND ARE LIABLE FOR PLACING ME IN SUCH A DANGEROUS AND UNCONTROLLED SITUATION. INDEED, I AM EXTREMELY RELIEVED THAT THE CAR HIT THE TRAILER, AND GOD FORBID NOT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY OCCURRED HAD I BEEN IN A CROWDED PARKING LOT. ADDENDUM: I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT AS OF MAY 30TH 2006 THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF THE RECALLED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED AND THE REPLACEMENT PART DISTORTS THE VIEW ALONG THE BOTTOM PASSENGER SIDE AND THE OUTER DRIVER SIDE. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE WORK WAS PERFORMED HAS BEEN ALERTED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS MANUFACTURED BY SEKURIT MODEL #43R-004527. UPDATED 05/10/06. *JB

Mileage: 78,000

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE BEYOND THE SET SPEED. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK THE VEHICLE'S SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT GO PAST 60 MPH. THE A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED WHICH CAUSED A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE A/C ON. THE MIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR HOSE , AIR PUMP AND MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. *NM

Mileage: 10,000

MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE IS FALLING APART. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE MY HEADLIGHTS 6 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 4 YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED THIS USED VEHICLE. MY INTERIOR TRIM, WINDOW SWITCHES, GEARSHIFT KNOB & SEVERAL PLASTIC COVERS IN THE CAR HAVE FALLEN NOW FALLEN APART. MY 6 HEADLIGHTS HAVE COST ME APPROX. $600.00 PLUS RENT-A-CAR FEES WHICH MY WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER! PLEASE HELP ME.*AK

Mileage: 30,415

DRIVE TIME SOLD ME A CAR THAT HAD THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON, AND SAID THEY WERE GOING TO FIX IT, BUT THEY NEVER DID, NOW THEY HAVE CHANGED MANAGEMENT AND THE PERSON WHO PROMISSED TO REPAIR IS NO LONGER THERE, LEAVING ME IN A POSITION WHERE THE NEW MANAGER SAYS THAT THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY THEIR BUSINESS. THE CAR SPENT A WEEK AND A HALF ON THEIR REPAIR SHOP, AND NOTHING WAS FIXED, MY DASH WAS SCRATCHED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THEY BROKE A PIECE BETWEEN THE SEATS.*AK

Mileage: 56,331

PLASTIC PART ON ORIG. HARNESS MELTED ON BOTH FRONT HEADLAMPS. THE PART WAS CHANGED TO ELIMINATE THE PLASTIC BUT NO RECALL WAS INITIATED. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE THE REDESIGN OF THE PART. DT

LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT FIRST, THEN AGAIN. AIR COMPRESSOR REPLACED 3 TIMES. CAR NOW STALLS. REPLACED FUEL/AIR FILTERS, STILL STALLS. CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD, RECALL STATES ALL PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. I WAS NOT THE OWNER AT TIME OF RECALL. APPARENTLY WAS NOT FIXED AT RECALL. *AK

LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT FIRST, THEN AGAIN. AIR COMPRESSOR REPLACED 3 TIMES. CAR NOW STALLS. REPLACED FUEL/AIR FILTERS, STILL STALLS. CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD, RECALL STATES ALL PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. I WAS NOT THE OWNER AT TIME OF RECALL. APPARENTLY WAS NOT FIXED AT RECALL. *AK

VEHICLE HAS HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION, RADIO/CASSETTE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN FIRE, PREVIOUS INCIDENT RADIATOR FAILURE, COMPUTER FAILURE, DEFECTIVE CONTROL SWITCHES AND DEFECTICE ENGINE.

RADIO/CD/CASSETTE UNIT FAILED.

AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR VALVE FAILED. NLM

RADIO FAILED. YH

RADIO FAILED, VOLUMN CONTROLS STICKING.