2002 Volkswagen Beetle Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SENSORS WOULD HAVE TO BE DISENGAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

NHTSA ID

10489457

Incident

Dec 18, 2012

Mileage

190,000 mi

CURRENTLY HAVE VERY LOW MILEAGE(NOW UNDER 20000) 2002 VW NEW BEETLE PURCHASED NEW. AFTER TIME WARRANTY EXPIRED BOTH POWER WINDOW(PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES) REGULATORS FAILED (AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND MILEAGES) SPONTANEOUSLY NOT DUE TO ANY EXTERNAL EVENT.. BOTH REGULATORS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT CONSIDERABLE COST. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL BECAUSE AUTO WINDOW REGULATORS USUALLY ARE VERY DURABLE WHEN NOT DAMAGED BY EXTERNAL CRASH OR THE LIKE. I REPORTED THIS TO VOLKSWAGEN BUT GOT NO SATISFACTION. ON THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TO THEIR DISMAY AND WITHOUT SATISFACTION FROM VOLKSWAGEN. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THE DEFECTIVE PARTS! *TR

NHTSA ID

10449083

Incident

Jun 15, 2007

Mileage

11,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED TO FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE POWER WINDOWS, TURN SIGNALS, HEADLIGHTS, AIR CONDITIONER AND DEFROSTER WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE BRAKE AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ALSO ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA ID

10394438

Incident

Apr 6, 2010

Mileage

65,000 mi

I HAVE HAD MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS REPLACED TWICE, AND THE LAST TIME WAS AT A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING DURING A TWO-DAY 18 HOUR ROAD TRIP IN VARYING HEAVINESS OF RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING DURING A DOWNPOUR ON A HIGHWAY. THEY FROZE MID WIPE CAUSING A TEMPORARY LACK OF VISIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY A FATAL CRASH. AFTER TURNING THEM OFF FOR A MINUTE THEY STARTED WORKING AGAIN. HAD THIS PROBABLY SEVERAL HOURS LATER AND AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THEY HAD BEEN OFF FOR OVER 12 HOURS. THIS EXACT PROBLEM (STOPPED WINDSHIELD WIPERS) DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN. HOWEVER ON JANUARY 17TH, 2009, AFTER USING WIPERS CONTINUOUSLY DURING A CALM RAIN STORM FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 30 MINUTES, THE WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. WHEN THE WIPERS WERE PLACED IN THE OFF POSITION THEY CONTINUE TO WIPE BACK AND FORTH RATHER QUICKLY. THE OTHER SPEED SETTINGS WORK FINE. THEN, AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVING THE KEY AND STARTING THE CAR UP AGAIN, THE WIPERS WOULD NOT CONTINUE WHILE IN THE OFF POSITION, BUT AFTER TURNING THEM ON ONCE THEY WILL NOT GO OFF. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED AND A VOLKSWAGEN SPECIALIST IN AUSTIN, TX (WHERE I ENDED UP AFTER MY TRIP) HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255497

Incident

Dec 4, 2008

Mileage

39,000 mi

THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECT IN THE SUNROOF DRAIN TUBES WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO EASILY GET CLOGGED, WHICH CAUSES WATER LEAKS TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. THIS CAN CAUSE MOLD AND OTHER DAMAGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10249733

Incident

Aug 15, 2008

I OWN A 2002 VW BEETLE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE SINCE CHANGED IT OUT. NOW THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE NOTICED SURFING THE WEB THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN SO FREQUENTLY AND IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM? IF NOT THERE SHOULD BE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10244314

Incident

Aug 1, 2008

Mileage

52,000 mi

WINDOW CABLE BROKEN. HAD PASS. SIDE REPLACED 2 MONTHS AGO, NOW DRIVERS SIDE BROKEN. WINDOW FELL INTO DOOR. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168703

Incident

Sep 15, 2006

ANY TIME I TURN ON MY AIR CONDITIONER IT SOUNDS LIKE MY CAR IS GOING TO BLOW UP. COLD AIR COMES OUT, BUT THE NOISE AND THE SHAKING OF MY CAR SCARES ME. IT STARTED ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. I WOULD HAVE THE AC ON AND IF MY CAR WAS IDLING THE NOISE WOULD START UP AND MY CAR WOULD VIBRATE, IT FELT LIKE MY CAR WAS IDLING VERY HEAVILY. IT SOUNDED LIKE A JACK HAMMER. NOW, IT HAPPENS JUST WHEN I TURN THE AIR ON, BUT IT'S EVEN LOUDER THAN BEFORE. ALSO I HEAR THE JACK HAMMER SOUND WHEN THE AIR IS NOT ON AND HASN'T BEEN TURNED ON AT ALL WHEN MY CAR IS AT A STOP OR WHEN I TURN THE CAR OFF. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT SO I HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO TAKE IT IN ANYWHERE TO GET IT FIXED. ON TOP OF IT ALL, I CAN'T PUT MY WINDOWS DOWN BECAUSE IN NOV '05 MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRACK. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS I STARTED TO GET THE FEELING THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS NOT TOO FAR BEHIND WITH IT DOING THE SAME. SURE ENOUGH, THIS PAST APRIL, IT DID THE DEED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS TO SEE IF FIXING IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS EITHER 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES AND MY CAR BEING ABOUT 62,000 MILES WAS TOLD IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS CAR, I'VE BEEN HAVING A TOUGH TIME JUST PAYING FOR THE CAR ITSELF AND FIGHTING WITH VOLKSWAGEN CREDIT ABOUT THIS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10162489

Incident

Nov 11, 2005

Mileage

61,102 mi

TRANSMISSION REPLACED THREE TIMES, STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY, LUNGES INTO FORWARD AND REVERSE, AND WILL DROP INTO AND OUT OF HIGH AND LOW GEAR WHEN DRIVING. SUNROOF LEAKED BECAUSE THE DRAINAGE TUBING WAS NOT CONNECTED AT FACTORY CAUSING WATER DAMAGE TO LEATHER SEATS AND NOW MOLD IS GROWING INSIDE OF VEHICLE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO BE INSIDE AND HAVE HAD ONE SINUS INFECTION ALREADY. *JB

NHTSA ID

10153996

Incident

Sep 4, 2004

Mileage

21,057 mi

SUNROOF CLOGS CONSTANTLY CAUSING WATER LEAKS INTO THE CAR FROM THE HEADLINER OR DOWN THE SIDE ALONG THE WINDSHIELD TO DOOR FRAME PILLAR. APPARENTLY, THERE ARE MANY VW BEETLE OWNERS OUT THERE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. I HAD VW FIX IT AND IT WAS CLOGGED AGAIN WITHIN A MONTH. *NM

NHTSA ID

10145566

Incident

Dec 18, 2005

Mileage

19,900 mi

VW NEW BEETLE - IN SHOP FOR 3 MONTHS OUT OF 24 MONTHS OWNED. ENGINE TROUBLE, WINDOW TROUBLE, STARTER TROUBLE AND NOW CLUTCH PROBLEMS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10144108

Incident

Nov 1, 2005

Mileage

38,000 mi

WINDOW REGULATOR KEEPS BREAKING, CAUSING POWER WINDOWS TO MALFUNCTION. HAD PART REPLACED 3 TIMES. PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK

NHTSA ID

8010134

Incident

Sep 20, 2001

WHENEVER THE SUN ROOF IS OPEN 1 1/2 TO 2" WIDE, EXHAUST FUMES WOULD COME INTO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK DEALER STATED TO CONSUMER, THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO FIX AT THIS TIME. *JG

NHTSA ID

8008786

Incident

Oct 30, 2001