2002 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 NEW BEETLE FAILS TO ENGAGE FOR A SECOND OR TWO AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. DOESN'T DO IT AT OTHER TIMES, ONLY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AN HOUR OR MORE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRANSMISSION MODULE TWICE (TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS) AND THE THIRD AND FOURT...
Mileage: 10,000
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 NEW BEETLE FAILS TO ENGAGE FOR A SECOND OR TWO AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. DOESN'T DO IT AT OTHER TIMES, ONLY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AN HOUR OR MORE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRANSMISSION MODULE TWICE (TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS) AND THE THIRD AND FOURT...
Mileage: 10,000
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 NEW BEETLE FAILS TO ENGAGE FOR A SECOND OR TWO AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. DOESN'T DO IT AT OTHER TIMES, ONLY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AN HOUR OR MORE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRANSMISSION MODULE TWICE (TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS) AND THE THIRD AND FOURT...
Mileage: 10,000
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 NEW BEETLE FAILS TO ENGAGE FOR A SECOND OR TWO AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. DOESN'T DO IT AT OTHER TIMES, ONLY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AN HOUR OR MORE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRANSMISSION MODULE TWICE (TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS) AND THE THIRD AND FOURT...
Mileage: 10,000
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
SEATBELT AIR BAG SENSOR- AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON 11/8/03 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED THE PART. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THOSE, TURN SIGNALS WERE GOING ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, WAS TOLD THESE NEEDED TO BE...
Mileage: 41,583
THE CLUTCH ON 2002 BEETLE 1.8 TURBO WENT OUT ON MY WIFE ON I-40 IN AMARILLO. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND SHE WAS GOING 30 MILES PER HOUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. SHE WAS ABLE TO MOVE ACROSS TWO LANES AND EXIT THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VW CLUTCHES IN THE 1.8 TURBOS SEEM TO ...
Mileage: 23,500
VW 2002 TURBO BEETLE HAD AN EPC LIGHT COME ON. THE CAR WAS LOOSING POWER AND WOULD CUT OFF AT TIMES (IN TRAFFIC). I TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID THAT IT A PROBLEM WITH THE VACUUM ON THE TURBO. THE RECEIPT SHOWS THAT THEY REPLACED A SWITCH. ABOUT A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE CAR STARTED LOOSING POWER AGAIN...
Mileage: 27,800
VW 2002 TURBO BEETLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO LOSE POWER, CUT OUT IN TRAFFIC A COUPLE OF TIMES. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AS AN EMERGENCY. WAS TOLD THE CLUTCH WAS BAD AT LESS THAN 25K ON THE SPEEDOMETER? PART NOT COVERED BY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY - "HIDDEN" WARRANTY, SO THEY WANTED $1800 TO FIX. I HAVE BE...
Mileage: 24,750
DOOR LOCKS HAVE NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOR LOCK PROBLEMS AT LEAST 8 TIMES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. OFTEN THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK WITH THE INTERIOR POWER DOOR LOCK. THEY HAVE GIVEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE THE P...
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH MY CLOSED SUNROOF SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE FIRED A GUN, AND THEN GLASS WENT EVERYWHERE. *JB
THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DROPPED DRAMATICALLY, AND THEN STALLED. *JB THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: THE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK(REPEATEDLY), LOCK UP, SIT FOR HOURS/FROZEN, START BUT NOT COME OUT OF PARK, ABS AND EPC LIGHT PROBLEMS WHICH WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY AND W...
Mileage: 8,268
THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DROPPED DRAMATICALLY, AND THEN STALLED. *JB THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: THE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK(REPEATEDLY), LOCK UP, SIT FOR HOURS/FROZEN, START BUT NOT COME OUT OF PARK, ABS AND EPC LIGHT PROBLEMS WHICH WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY AND W...
Mileage: 8,268
THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DROPPED DRAMATICALLY, AND THEN STALLED. *JB THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: THE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK(REPEATEDLY), LOCK UP, SIT FOR HOURS/FROZEN, START BUT NOT COME OUT OF PARK, ABS AND EPC LIGHT PROBLEMS WHICH WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY AND W...
Mileage: 8,268
THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BULB TO BE REPLACED TWICE. BULB REPLACEMENT ONLY FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS. THERE IS SOME TYPE OF SHORT AND I KEEP GETTING HIT WITH A SERVICE CHARGE EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE GOES IN FOR THIS. ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT...
Mileage: 19,000
THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BULB TO BE REPLACED TWICE. BULB REPLACEMENT ONLY FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS. THERE IS SOME TYPE OF SHORT AND I KEEP GETTING HIT WITH A SERVICE CHARGE EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE GOES IN FOR THIS. ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT...
Mileage: 19,000
AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE. *JB
2002 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE 1.8 TURBO HAD COILPACK FAIL ALONG WITH TURBO BLOW OFF VALVE. THIS IS A RE-OCURING PROBLEM AMONG THESE VEHICLES AND IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THE OTHER COILPACKS WILL FAIL AT SOME POINT. VW WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE FAILED COILPACK, I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE OTHERS TO FAIL PUTTING ...
Mileage: 18,900
I BOUGHT MY NEW BEETLE BRAND NEW IN AUGUST 2001. THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT HOME (OVER 2 HOURS AWAY), THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS IT WAS FLASHING SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. 2 MONTHS LATER MY ABS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS AN HOUR FROM M...
I BOUGHT MY NEW BEETLE BRAND NEW IN AUGUST 2001. THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT HOME (OVER 2 HOURS AWAY), THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS IT WAS FLASHING SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. 2 MONTHS LATER MY ABS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS AN HOUR FROM M...
I BOUGHT MY NEW BEETLE BRAND NEW IN AUGUST 2001. THE DAY AFTER I BROUGHT IT HOME (OVER 2 HOURS AWAY), THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS IT WAS FLASHING SO I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. 2 MONTHS LATER MY ABS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS AN HOUR FROM M...
A COMPONENT WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO EITHER NOT COME OUT OF PARK OR WHILE BEING DRIVEN THE VEHICLE DROPS DOWN TO 20 MPH AND SPEED CANNOT BE REGAINED. NLM
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. NLM
TRANSMISSION NOTED TO BE DOWNSHIFTED VERY HARD WHEN COMING TO A SLOW STOP. WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP AND REACHING THE 15-20 MPH AREA CAR WILL JERK HARD. TOOK BACK TO TONY HONDA FOR SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT TO VOLKSWAGEN SPECS AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO CHECK INTO IT ANY FUR...
CAR DOWNSHIFTS EXTREMELY HARD WHEN COMING TO A STOP, CAUSING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO BE LUNGED FORWARD IN THEIR SEAT.. DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND INCREASES WHEN VEHICLE IS WARMED UP. ON OCCASION DOWNSHIFT OCCURRED SO HARD THAT I THOUGHT I W...
CAR DOWNSHIFTS EXTREMELY HARD WHEN COMING TO A STOP, CAUSING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO BE LUNGED FORWARD IN THEIR SEAT.. DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND INCREASES WHEN VEHICLE IS WARMED UP. ON OCCASION DOWNSHIFT OCCURRED SO HARD THAT I THOUGHT I W...