2000 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE Problems & Recalls

TWO WIRES ON IGNITION SWITCH MODULE SHORTED. CAUSED FAILURE OF HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS, BRAKE LIGHTS, AIR CONDITIONING, INTERIOR LIGHTING, ETC. IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED. PROBLEM REMEDIED.*AK THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN, AND VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THIS DEFECT, OR INIT...

Mileage: 155,000

CAR STALLED OUT SEVERAL TIMES RIGHT AFTER STARTING IT. IT WOULD ALWAYS START RIGHT BACK UP NORMALLY, ONCE THE VEHICLE DIED ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 70MPH ALSO CAME RIGHT BACK ON. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDANT REPAIR SHOP (GOT NO HELP FROM VW DEALER AT ALL) THEY TOLD ME IT WAS AN IDLE MOTOR WHICH IS ...

Mileage: 24,000

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON REPEATEDLY SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR FROM BURNSVILLE VW, BURNSVILLE, MN. SERVICE DEPT. STATED "IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT" AND RESET THE COMPUTER. AFTER PERSISTENT REOCCURANCE, REQUESTED THEY ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM, THAT IS WHEN THEY INFORMED US THE RIVETS TO THE...

CLUTCH SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY FAILED AT 27,000 MILES. DRIVEN ONLY BY PREVIOUS OWNER OF TWO OTHER VWS. HAVE LEARNED NO REPLACEMENT CLUTCH IS AVAILABLE. WAS ATTEMPTING TO SELL IT SINCE ANOTHER CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED. THIS HAS PRESENTED A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. I AM LIVID LIVID LIVID. NO MORE VWS...

Mileage: 27,000

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE CAR FAILED SOMETIME BETWEEN 8:00PM MONDAY 8/02 AND 5:30AM ON TUESDAY 8/03. I WENT OUT TO MY CAR AND STARTED IT, ONLY TO NOTICE, I HAD NO FAN, NO A/C, NO DEFROSTER, NO REAR DEFROSTER, NO HEADLIGHTS, NO FOGLIGHTS, NO POWER TO SOME OF MY GAUGES. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND...

Mileage: 59,992

I OWN A 2000 NEW BEETLE 1.8T GLX WITH APPROXIMATELY 30461 ORIGINAL MILES. I HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 7 REPAIRS OF THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND ONE REPAIR TO DATE OF MASS AIR FLOW METER. ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN COVERED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICAS EXPENSE. I DO HOWEVER WANT TO NOTE THAT ALL THE MECHANICAL ISSUES RE...

Mileage: 30,461

TRANSMISSION LOCKS ITS SELF INTO PARK. YOU CANNOT RELEASE THE CAR FROM PARK. DEALER CANNOT REPLICATE PROBLEM. WILL NOT FIX TE BRAKE SWITCH WHICH HAS CAUSED TEH SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS. *AK

Mileage: 55,000

THE 2000 NEW BEETLE THAT MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED APPARENTLY HAS A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN FEBRUARY 2003. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TIME I PUT GAS IN THE CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY HUSBAND CONTACTED A LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER TO SEE ...

Mileage: 36,000

SUDDEN LOST OF SHIFT ABILITY. VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SHIFTED IT INTO REVERSE, BACKED UP, AND THEN SHIFT TO FORWARD GEAR AND NOTHING WOULD ENGAGE. TOWED TO DEALER WHO SAYS LINKAGE CABLES AND SHIFT LEVERS SNAPPED, "FROZEN" STATES DEALER. TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED 3 MONTHS AGO. SAYS THIS I...

NUMEROUS NUISANCE PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE AS FOLLOWS: PASSENGER WINDOW WILL NOT CLOSE WITH ELECTRIC SWITCH AT 42,000 MILES, TRUNK LATCH DEFECTIVE AT 35,000 MILES SO THAT TRUNK RELOCKS PREMATURELY, ELECTRIC MIRROR SWITCH BROKEN AT 35.000 MILES, HORN INOPERATIVE AT 35,000 MI, FLOOR MAT...

I HAVE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE ENGINE ON MY VW DECARBONIZED AT 40,000 MILES AFTER A LENGTHY TOW, AND NOW IT HAD TO BE TOWED AGAIN AND NEEDS TO BE DECARBONIZED AGAIN AT ONLY 60,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO THAT VW HAD ISSUED A NOTICE TO DEALERS TO PAY FOR DECARBONIZ...

Mileage: 60,000

CAR HAS A HISTORY OF STALLING WHEN IT IS DECELERATING, SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE IN JUNE 2000. PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED BY DEALER. HERE IS THE HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM. JULY 2000: CAR SPATTERS AND STALLS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN TAMPA WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND THEY FI...

Mileage: 5,000

I PURCHASED A 2000 VOLKSWAGON BEETLE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO AND ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER I BROUGHT IT HOME THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. I READ THAT THESE CARS WERE COMING WITH SOME KIND OF SAFTEY DEFECT IN THE ENGINE AND THAT'S THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THE DEALER HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX TWICE ALREADY GOING O...

Mileage: 25,000

MY 2000 VW BEETLE HAS RECENTLY HAD IT'S AIRBAG SAFETY LIGHT COME ON. I TOOK IT TO BILL BLACK VW DEALERSHIP IN GREENSBORO NC. THEY SAY IT'S A COMON PROBLEM THAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY FACTORY DEFECT OR WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF I WAS TO BE INVOLVED IN A...

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY COMES ON DUE TO A VACUUM HOSE CONSTANTLY BRAKING. HAVE HAD REPAIRED 4 TIMES. *JB

BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTION EDON THE 2000 ,VOLKSWAGEN, NEW BEETLE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO STICK IN PARK. *AK

BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTION EDON THE 2000 ,VOLKSWAGEN, NEW BEETLE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO STICK IN PARK. *AK

I BOUGHT A VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE ON THE 12TH OF JUNE BEFORE WE WENT ON VACATION. WE TRAVELED 860 MILES ONE WAY. THE CRUISE LIGHT WOULD NEVER COME ON, NOT EVEN WHEN YOU STARTED THE VEHICLE. ANYWAY WE COULD GO ANYWHERE FROM 10 MILES TO 100 MILES AND THE CRUISE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY KICK OFF, JERKING THE ...

WITHIN 5,500 MILES OF PURCHASING MY 2000 BEETLE I STARTED EXPERIENCING SUDDEN MAJOR POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. WHEN I TOOK IT IN THEY WOULD RUN A DIAGNOSTIC AND COME UP WITH NOTHING. ACCORDING TO THEM THE PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST. THEY SAID TO ME, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO START THROWING PARTS AT...

Mileage: 5,500

ONGOING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS/FALSE POSITIVES FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE IN THE OIL. FREQUENT REPLACEMENT OF INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS. NLM

Mileage: 3,000

ONGOING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS/FALSE POSITIVES FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE IN THE OIL. FREQUENT REPLACEMENT OF INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS. NLM

Mileage: 3,000

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JB

Mileage: 17,500

MY 2000 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE GLX CAUGHT FIRE FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER I PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE, CAUSING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GARAGE, THE BEETLE, AND TWO OTHER CARS. *NLM

FAILURE OF STARTER

Mileage: 25,000

ON JANUARY 16, 2003 WHILE DRIVING MY VW NEW BEETLE TDI (DIESEL) ON THE INTERSTATE WITH A HALF OF A TANK OF NO. 1 DIESEL FUEL WITH THE TEMPERATURE BELOW 0 DEGREES F AND WIND CHILL IN THE -40 TO -50 F RANGE, MY VEHICLE DIED SEVERAL TIMES AND TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESTART EACH TIME. BY THE TIME I GO...

Mileage: 34,420

I HAVE HAD TWO BRAKE RELAY SWITCH PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR IN THREE MONTHS. I THINK ITS A COMMON DEFECT. DT

WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED, THE CONSUMER COULD HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING BUT THE WIPERS WOULD NOT MOVE. NLM

AT 4:20PM ON 5/28/02 MY WIFE WAS ON INTERSTATE 95 NEAR GEORGETOWN, MA ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP IN AMESBUY FOR SERVICE BECAUSE THE CAR'S AIRCONDITIONER HAD QUIT AND SOME OF THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT STOP FLASHING. SUDDENLY SHE SAW SMOKE IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND PULLED THE CAR O...

WHEN CAR WAS PURCHASED, IT WAS MISSING THE FUSE FOR THE REAR DEFROSTER.*AK

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES FOR REPAIRS, EACH TIME HE IS ASSURED THAT THE CAR IS FIXED. VW CUSTOMER SERVICES POSITION IS THAT IF IT IS CURRENTLY FIXED THEY HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION. THE CAR WAS BACK 4 TIMES UNDER ITS 24,000 MILE WARRENTY BUT EACH TIME CONSUMER WAS ASSURE...

CAR WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT FIRE-TOTAL LOSS, WAS THIS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE OR VANDALISM. *AK

ON 12/27/01 WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 VW BEETLE TO WORK ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS STARTED TO FLASH AND MAKE A CLICKING SOUND. I THEN SMELLED WIRES BURNING. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR , CALLED MY HUSBAND AS I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE. WITHIN MINUTES I NOTICED SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES COMING FROM ...

CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE BUT DID NOT STALL. ALL PANEL LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH, ALSO A ''CLICKING'' SOUND. THERE ALSO WAS A SMELL OF BURNING WIRES. THE CAR BECAME FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAME IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. THE FIRE BEGAN ON DRIVERS SIDE. *AK

WHILE COMING TO AN INTERSECTION AND DOWNSHIFTING, INSTEAD OF THE CAR SLOWING DOWN, THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNED ITSELF ON AND PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE. BY PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONE TIME. MY CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN THE ...

WHILE COMING TO AN INTERSECTION AND DOWNSHIFTING, INSTEAD OF THE CAR SLOWING DOWN, THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNED ITSELF ON AND PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE. BY PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONE TIME. MY CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN THE ...

2.0 LITER ENGINE IS BURNING OIL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

ENGINE WOULD NOT START, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT STARTED BUT CHECK ENGINE & AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER 23 MILES, BUT AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. *AK

ENGINE WOULD NOT START, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT STARTED BUT CHECK ENGINE & AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER 23 MILES, BUT AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. *AK

ENGINE WOULD NOT START, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT STARTED BUT CHECK ENGINE & AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER 23 MILES, BUT AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. *AK

SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH CAR. WORST WARRANTY AND SERVICE. DLR DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH. POOR ATTITUDE OF SERVICE, AND POOR PUBLIC RELATIONS. I LOVE THE CAR, BUT IT WILL BE THE LAST VW I BUY, DUE TO THE ATTITUDE, SERVICE, RELIABILTY SO FAR,AND WARRANTY ISSUES. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

I AM REQUESTING ANY DEFECT INFORMATION ON THE REAR WINDSHIELD OF MY 2000 NEW BEETLE GLS. ON RETURNING TO MY LOCKED CAR ON LUNCH BREAK I FOUND THE WHOLE BACK WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED IN A PUFFED OUT DIRECTION (NO MAIN STRESS CRACK). SINCE IT IS SAFETY GLASS IT REMAINED INTACT (I HAVE SEVERAL PICTURES...

BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE DEPRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY (1 INCH OR MORE) BEFORE ANY SENSATION OF THEM BEING APPLIED. YOU LOSE 1/4 TO 1/2 SECOND OF BREAKING TIME, COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING OR NOT HAVING AN ACCIDENT. THE PEDAL DOESN'T FEEL SOLID BUT SPONGY.

LOST CONTROL IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG AND SEATBELT FAILURE, RESULTING IN DEATH

NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS POSSIBLE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE DRIVER ROBERT MCGARY. NLM

ABS CONTROL UNIT AND PUMP WERE REPLACED DURING AN EXTENDED STAY (OVER 30 DAYS) AT THE DEALER. BRAKES ARE CURRENTLY NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. CAR TO BE RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR(S).