2002 Volkswagen New Beetle Owner Complaints

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 FOURTH TIME I BROUGHT IT IN WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT, THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BEHAVE THIS WAY. INHERENT TO THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS THIS SMALL DELAY FOR EMISSIONS REASONS. I AM NOT BUYING IT, NOT WITH ALL THE OTHER ISSUES I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOUR TIMES FOR POWER WINDOW PROBLEMS AND GETTING READY TO BRING IT IN FOR A FIFTH. THE MONSOON STEREO HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND IS MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN. THE PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. LOTS OF BOTHERSOME PROBLEMS AND NOW I HEAR WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A VALVE TAP.*AK

NHTSA ID

10100587

Incident

Aug 17, 2002

Mileage

10,000 mi

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 ORDERED. CALLED IN 2 WEEKS AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE ON MANUFACTURE BACKORDER AND THEY WOULD CALL ME WHEN THEY CAME IN. I CALLED EVERY 2 WEEKS THEY PART WERE NOT IN. 3/3/04 SMOG TEST DONE TO REGISTER MY CAR- FAILED SMOG, TOOK CAR TO DEALER CAT CONVERTER OUT, THEY HAD TO ORDER PART SAID THEY WOULD REORDER THE SENSOR, 3/12/04 TOOK CAR BACK IN PARTS NOT IN YET, CALLED EVERY DAY PARTS NOT IN NOW MY REGISTRATION WAS LATE. CAT CONVERTER CAME IN ON 4/2/04 IT WAS INSTALLED DEALER WAS REFUSING TO SMOG TEST FOR FREE THE FINALLY DID BUT WOULD NOT PAY THE FEES FOR MY REGISTRATION BEING LATE. CALLED AGAIN EVERY 2 WEEKS PARTS DID NOT COME IN. 6/30/04 WENT IN OTHER PARTS ON THE CAR WERE BRAKING OFF, EMERGENCY BRAKE HANDLE BROKEN, DISPLAY LIGHTS NOT WORKING, CUP HOLDER BROKEN, AGAIN THEY HAD TO ORDER PARTS, AND THEY NEVER CAME IN. 8/18/04 AIR CONDITIONING STOPED BLOWING COLD AIR, MADE APPT ONLINE FOR 8/23/04 TOOK CAR IN, NONE OF THE PARTS ORDERED ARE IN AGAIN. SERVICE STATED MY AIR CONDITIONING IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE OF A HOLE IN THE CONDENSOR EVEN THOUGH MY WARRANTY STATES IT IS COVERED THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT AND TRIED TO CHARGE ME $95.00 FOR FINDING THE HOLE, I REFUSED TO PAY AFTER ALL I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE NOVEMBER FOR SEVERAL PARTS INCLUDING A SAFTEY ISSUE, THE DEALER SERVICE HAS BEEN THE WORST I DEALT WITH IN 25 YEARS OF DRIVING. I HAVE SENT EMAILS, PHONE CALLS AND FAXES TO THE DEALER REGARDING ALL MY COMPLAINTS AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10088497

Incident

Nov 8, 2003

Mileage

41,583 mi

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 BE HAVING VERY EARLY FAILURE. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED FOR $1450.00 AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I HAVE REQUESTED TO SEE THE OLD PARTS. I HAVE READ THAT THE NEW CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL HAVE DIFFERENT PART NUMBERS THAN ORIGINAL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10075150

Incident

Jun 8, 2004

Mileage

23,500 mi

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. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND BROUGHT IT IN. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR'S CLUTCH WAS OUT AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH & FLYWHEEL. THE ESTIMATE WAS $1800 TO REPAIR. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 27,000 MILES (PROBABLY LESS). THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THE CLUTCH EVEN AT 27,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ONLY A 12,000 MILE WARRANTY FOR THIS TYPE OF REPAIR. THIS IS A MAJOR PART OF THE DRIVE TRAIN AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY FOR MORE THAN 12,000 MILES. I HAVE DRIVEN STANDARDS ALL MY LIFE. THERE IS APPARENTLY A PROBLEM WITH THE VW CLUTCHES.*AK

NHTSA ID

10074998

Incident

May 14, 2004

Mileage

27,800 mi

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 BEEN DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS FOR 30-YEARS, NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION OR CLUTCH PROBLEM EVEN ON CARS WITH OVER 200K ON CLOCK. THEY CHARGED ME $300 TO TEAR DOWN CLUTCH, VW MAINTAINED "DRIVER OUTSIDE INFLUENCES." MEANWHILE I GET ON THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE PAGES OF WEB SITES AND HUNDREDS OF LETTERS ON VW 2002 TURBO BEETLES WITH BAD CLUTCHES, GOING OUT AT 5K, 11K, 17K 25K, 36K AND SO ON, BUT VERY EARLY IN HE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER MORE RESEARCH, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ENGINES ARE POORLY DESIGNED AND THE CLUTCH IS TOO SMALL FOR THE TURBO ENGINE AND THUS BURNING UP AT LOW MILEAGE. ALSO PROBLEMS ON 2001 VW JETTA'S WHERE FLYWHEEL IS CRACKING AND LEAKING ONTO CLUTCH AND BURNING UP CLUTCH. VW ARE VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND ARE NOW PLACING LARGER CLUTCH IN NEWER MODELS. HOWEVER, THEY WERE DENYING RESPONSIBILITY AND PLACING REPAIR COSTS ONTO CUSTOMERS. VW CUSTOMER CARE WERE THE MOST ARROGANT AND DIFFICULT PEOPLE I'VE DEALT WITH IN 30-YEARS OF DRIVING. THEY MESSED WITH MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OTHERS AND THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VW OR RECOMMEND A VW TO ANYONE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED BUT I AM TURNING IT IN FOR A HONDA. *NM

NHTSA ID

10064453

Incident

Feb 23, 2004

Mileage

24,750 mi

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 PROBLEM, AND NOW THEY ARE STATING THAT THE CAR IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE SO THAT THE DOORS CANNOT BE LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE UNTIL THE CAR IS STARTED IF THE TRUNK WAS OPENED WITH THE POWER TRUNK RELEASE ON THE KEY. THEY TELL ME I HAVE TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR, USE THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON ON THE DOOR AND THEN THE LOCKS WILL WORK PROPERLY. I CANNOT USE THE REMOTE TRUNK OPENER AND I HAVE TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR FIRST!!!! THIS PROBLEM DID NOT START UNTIL WE HAD OWNED THE CAR FOR 14 MONTHS. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE OTHER PROBLEMS AS WELL. *LA

NHTSA ID

10054935

Incident

Jan 26, 2004

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

NHTSA ID

10039153

Incident

Sep 16, 2003

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 WAS TOLD THE OVERLOAD PROBLEMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED, WHILE DRIVEN, THE VEHICLE DROPPED DOWN TO 30 MPH AND DOWN TO 20 MPH ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE MOTOR SOUNDED LOUD AND THE VEHICLE HAD SHAKEN, THE DEALER FOUND THREE FAULT CODE FOR THROTTLE CONTROL AND FAULTY THROTTLE BODY(DEALER ASSURED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN), AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A MISFIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS AND THAT THE PLUG WIRES WERE REPLACED. ON ONE OCCASION WHERE VEHICLE DID NOT COME OUT OF PARK, THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD COME FROM THE BRAKE SWITCH AND ASSURED THAT THE FREEZE UP(S) WERE SOLVED. THE VEHICLE SAT FOR FIVE HOURS, THEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY STARTED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ECM(THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED). *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10016051

Incident

Apr 16, 2003

Mileage

8,268 mi

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 IS SHOWING SOME BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR FOR A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 25K. THE LEATHER SEATING SURFACE IS TEARING AT THE SEAMS AND APPEARS TO BE OF VERY THIN MATERIALS IN THE BOLSTER AREA. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10023780

Incident

Jun 9, 2003

Mileage

19,000 mi

AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016049

Incident

Apr 1, 2003

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 MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY PASSENGERS IN JEOPARDY

NHTSA ID

10003295

Incident

Jan 17, 2002

Mileage

18,900 mi

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 MY HOUSE AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED AND REPLACED. THE WINDOWS CONTINUALLY GO UP AND DOWN BY THEMSELF BUT THE DEALER CAN'T FIX IT. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID AND TOLD THEM AGAIN ABOUT THE CEL LIGHT. THEY THEN TOLD ME I NEEDED TO HAVE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACE (NEARLY $400) AND THAT IS WHY MY CAR HAS BEEN DOWNSHIFTING BY ITSELF AND LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR THAT I HAD WANTED FOR SO LONG. DT

NHTSA ID

769375

Incident

Oct 15, 2001

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

NHTSA ID

786447

Incident

Jun 1, 2002

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 FURTHER. VOLKWAGEN WAS CONTACTED BY ME AND TOLD TO TAKE CAR FOR SECOND OPINION AT CUTTER VOLKWAGEN HERE IN HONOLULU. STEVE FROM SERVICE DROVE THE CAR AND COULD NOT BELIVE IT WAS DOING THE DOWNSHIFTING. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS IN THE SHOP THEY REPLACED PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS STILL DOING IT. THEY WERE AUTHORIZED TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION WITH ANOTHER FROM A NEW CAR IN STOCK BUT THEY ALSO DID THE SAME THING. IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE IS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING THIS IN FROM GERMANY AND SO FAR I HAVE BEEN WAITING 2 WEEKS. DURING THIS TIME I SPILLED HOT COFFE ON MY LEG AND HAVE 2ND DEGREE BURNS DUE TO THIS SHIFTING PROBLEM AND WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH MY SON HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE DASHBOARD COMING TO A STOP WHEN THIS DEFECT OCCURRED. THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NON-LIFE THREATENING BUT I BEG TO DIFFER. THEY TOLD ME THAT I WILL BE THE FIRST IN HAWAII TO HAVE THIS REPROGRAMMING DONE. I WANT OUT OF THIS CAR, IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND VOLKWAGEN DOESN'T CARE.*AK

NHTSA ID

759383

Incident

Feb 5, 2002

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 WAS JUST REAR -ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR FOR MY WIFE AND NOW SHE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.*AK

NHTSA ID

758474

Incident

Feb 3, 2002