RoadVitals

2006 Volkswagen Beetle Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Mar 24, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
9%
of 124 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Volkswagen Beetle submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Visibility
Filed Mar 24, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE REGULATOR BAND REPAIR KIT WAS REPLACED. MOST RECENTLY, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS \BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,904.

NHTSA ID
10574429
Incident
Sep 5, 2010
Mileage
29,904 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 25, 2013

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY PARTIALLY MOVE WHEN TURNED ON OR STOP PART WAY THROUGH THE CYCLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10537126
Incident
Aug 25, 2013
Mileage
83,765 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Oct 26, 2012

WINDOW CABLE BROKE AND WHOLE FRAME HAD TO BE REPLACED INSTEAD OF CABLE ALONE TO THE COST OF $500 DEALER SAID THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. WHY SHOULD THEY NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ITEM THAT IS DEFECTIVE? *TR

NHTSA ID
10482398
Incident
Oct 25, 2012
Mileage
37,000 mi
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Aug 4, 2012

DEFECTIVE REAR POWER WINDOW REGULATORS. REAR WINDOW STUCK HALF OPEN,UNABLE TO LOCK CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10469197
Incident
Aug 3, 2012
Mileage
68,440 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 22, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY OPERATED IN DRY CONDITIONS AND WERE INOPERABLE DURING RAINY WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE INSPECTED DURING RAINY WEATHER WHEN THE FAILURE WAS PRESENT IN ORDER FOR A PROPER DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ID
10440942
Incident
Jul 1, 2011
Visibility
Filed Aug 10, 2011

DEFECTIVE WINDOW REGULATOR: I HAVE A 2006 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, WHICH I BOUGHT NEW. NO ACCIDENTS, NOTHING OF THE SORT. I WAS ROLLING UP THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AND HEARD A POP. THEN THE WINDOW WOULD NOT MOVE, AND I COULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE IN THE DOOR. THE WINDOW REGULATOR HAD BROKEN OUT OF NO WHERE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, BUT ONE THAT COSTS UP TO $800 TO FIX AT THE DEALERSHIP. I THOUGHT I COULD FIX IT MYSELF, SO I BOUGHT THE REPAIR KIT FROM THE DEALERSHIP FOR $110, BUT IT REQUIRE A SPECIAL TOOL THAT ONLY THE DEALERS HAVE. HOW AM I ON THE HOOK FOR SUCH A POORLY DESIGNED MECHANISM? *TR

NHTSA ID
10418455
Incident
Aug 7, 2011
Mileage
33,100 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Jun 14, 2011

THE BACK WINDOW IN MY CONVERTIBLE 2006 NEW BEETLE SEPARATED FROM THE FABRIC. THE ENTIRE TOP HAD TO BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE UPHOLSTERY SHOP THAT REPLACED THE TOP, IF THE SEPARATION HAD BEEN CAUGHT EARLY ENOUGH IT COULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WITH AN ADHESIVE GLUE. MY CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND I ASKED FOR THE TOP TO BE CHECKED BECAUSE I HAD EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT OF THE TOP NOT OPENING PROPERLY. TWO WEEKS LATER WE HAD A HEAVY THUNDER STORM AND MY CAR WAS FULL OF WATER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10406272
Incident
Mar 27, 2011
Mileage
64,835 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 27, 2011

I HAVE OWNED A 2003 AND 2006 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLES AND HAVE HAD 3 WINDOW REGULATORS FAIL. ALL ON THE BACK SIDE WINDOWS. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY FAIL FOR NO REASON. THE LAST FAILURE WAS 02/26/2011. I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AND PUT THE WINDOW DOWN AND IT WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP. I WAS 50 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO HAPPEN FOR THE 3RD TIME BUT DIFFERENT WINDOW EACH TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10384639
Incident
Feb 26, 2011
Mileage
30,041 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 18, 2010

OWN A 2006 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATOR MOTOR HAVE BEEN OUT TWICE. REAR WINDOW REGULATORS AND CABLE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AT MY COST BOTH TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10350347
Incident
Feb 18, 2009
Mileage
31,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 3, 2008

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN MY VW BEETLE VIN:[XXX] APPEAR TO BE ENGINEERED FOR A RIGHT SIDE DRIVER VEHICLE; AND, ON ROTATION, THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER STOPS FOR RETURN SWING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S FACE, FURTHER IMPAIRING VISION WHILE RAIN CONDITIONS EXIST. THIS IS AN EASILY REMEDIED SITUATION FOR THE MANUFACTURER.*CN *TR

NHTSA ID
10213567
Incident
Dec 15, 2007
Mileage
19,019 mi
Visibility
Filed Mar 13, 2007

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DISTORTED THE DRIVER'S VIEW. THE FAILURE OCCURED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WAS VERY DISTRACTING. THE DEALER COMPARED OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE CONTACT'S STATING THAT THE DISTORTION IN THE WINDOW WAS NORMAL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200. *AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB

NHTSA ID
10184983
Incident
Mar 12, 2007
Mileage
2,200 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .