Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER ACCUMULATES IN REAR PASSENGER FOOTWELL AFTER A HEAVY RAIN. I DO NOT HAVE A MOONROOF SO THERE ARE NO CLOGGED DRAINS THERE. ALL DRAINS HAVE BEEN CLEAR IN THE DOORS AND UNDER BATTERY AND POLLEN FILTER. I HAVE CONCLUDED THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AS HUNDREDS OF OTHER POSTS ONLINE WITH VW'S SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH IS NOT COVERED UNDER VW'S WARRANTY. *TR
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
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
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AND THE DRIVER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. *MR THE HEAD LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLES IS FLLING APART AFTER ONE MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX IT. *YH
DOOR HANDLE HAS COME OFF PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
RUBBER AND TRIM AROUND DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS COMING OFF. MOLDING ALSO AROUND REAR HATCHBACK IS COMING OFF. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BELLY PAN BROKE OFF OF THE CAR, DEALER INSTALLED UNDER BODY SPLASH SHIELDS, AND REPLACED LEFT SIDE PIECE. *TT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION OPERATION AND SHIFTING, REPLACEMENT OF THE SPEED SENSOR,THROTTLE CABLE AND TCM WIRING RECTIFIED PROBLEMS. *MJS
ELECTICAL WIRING LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE BATTERY TRAY CAUSING THE WIRE TO DAMAGE (RECALL-98V-100), OWNER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH VEHICLE WITH THIS DEFECT. YH
CAR DAMAGED BY DEALER DURING MAINTENANCE. DAMAGE IS PREVALENT TO VW DESIGN AND IS EVIDENT ON A NUMBER OF CARS (VARIOUS OWNERS & VARIOUS DEALERS). IS THIS A DESIGN FLAW? VWOA HAS REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE OR ISSUE A SAFETY/MAINTENANCE BULLETIN TO CAUTION SERVICE PERSONNEL ABOUT IMPROVER LIFTING OF THE CAR. THIS HAS DAMAGED THE CARS FRAME. SEE THE FOLLOWING FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE DAMAGE: HTTP://WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/MOTORCITY/DOWNS/5610/BEETLE.HTML - THANK YOU. *AK
SPLASH GUARD FAILED. YH
PASSENGER CHAIR ADJUSTING KNOB CAME OFF. YH
CENTER CONSOLE REPLACED DUE TO BLISTERING.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .