Volkswagen Beetle Reviews

I have a 2004 VW Beetle with 60,000 miles on it. My transmission seems to be the issue. My car dangerously jerks from gear to gear (I have automatic) and has almost caused me several accidents. It happened while the car has been running awhile. It always happens upon acceleration and deceleration. Sometimes, all gears are highlighted on my sensor. Sometimes, it gets stuck in sixth gear and even start on that gear after stopping. It makes a horrible noise and it has caused me emotional distress and severe anxiety while driving.

I bought a 2005 Turbo Convertible Beetle used. Since my purchase in 2008, I've had to get something fixed: the driver side window was not closing completely when the door shut, 3 parts replaced that were associated with the turbo, and the passenger airbag light sensor. The economic damage is at least $1,000-$1,500.

I bought my 2006 VW Beetle in late 2005. I ordered it brand new, straight from the factory. I was so excited because it was my very first brand new car and I had always wanted a Beetle. Here we are in 2009 and if my car were stolen, I would not shed a tear. It is a love/hate relationship with this car. While it is fun to drive and gets good gas mileage, the problems, mainly electrical, that I have had with this car have made my VW experience a nightmare. The first car stereo/CD player never really worked right from day one.

I bought a 2004 New Beetle Convertible in February of 2009. It had just under 70K miles. Within two weeks, my engine light went on, but they said nothing was wrong with my transmission even though I told him I felt lurching when coming to a stop. I needed a new charging head replaced which cost $600. Then in June, my transmission went out.

We bought our daughter a brand-new 2005 VW beetle convertible when she graduated high school. The car squeaks and rattles like a junker. We were told by North Point VW in Sherwood, Arkansas, that it's normal for that engine size. Then in January 2009, the passenger side airbag light came on. We had the passenger side crash sensor replaced under warranty. 2 days later, the driver's side crash sensor had to be replaced. Then, a few months later, the light came on again.

I am writing this letter to express my disappointment with Volkswagen of America and your dealer, Fields Volkswagen in Daytona Beach, Florida. Since I have owned my 2006 new beetle, I have had clutch problems with it. The clutch was replaced at 12,000 miles and immediately after had the same acrid "clutch" smell. The clutch has never been proper. You have diagnosed the current problem as normal wear and or driver problem. I could not disagree more. I purchased another new beetle with a diesel, and a manual transmission in 1998 and it now has over 100,000 miles and I never had any clutch problems with it! I had to special order my current bug to get a diesel with a manual transmission. I am a very experienced driver and do not "ride the clutch".

I have a 2004 VW Beetle Convertible. There have been a few recalls on it which the dealer took care of. The battery went bad within two years but the car was on warranty. I think that the VW bug battery problem is well-known. Right about 50,000 miles, I've started having transmission problems. The car jumps very hard at 20 mph, 30 mph, and when you first put it in drive, it jumps so hard that it is almost not drivable, and you can easily get a whiplash. It appears to be getting worse. The VW dealer diagnosed it and recommended replacing the transmission at a cost of $3000. However, just today, I found out that the axle is too loose. They are replacing the axle and checking to see if that fixes the problem with the transmission.

In 2006, I purchased a previously leased 2004 VW New Beetle Convertible from Toyota of Orange. It has been a nightmare ever since. Not even one week after the purchase, the airbag sensor warning light came on. It was still under the factory warranty and I thought it should be handled by a VW dealership, so I took it in for repair. This happened two more times before the problem went away.

I have a VW Bug. It's the same thing. I spent a fortune in window regulators. The wing was replaced on the convertible, and now, the back window is pulling away from the canvas. I cannot wait to trade this in and get something reliable. The engine is fine for now. Hey, VW, are you listening? Probably, I spent $3-4 thousand on fixing the poor quality of the Bug.

I have almost been rear-ended three times, and have taken my car into the dealer 6 or 7 times and they still cannot fix the slipping in the transmission. I have taken pictures of brackets to show the dealer. They said it was a computer fault. My car has gotten stuck in third gear (not changing to 4th) many times. When slowing down to come to a stop, it jams between 3rd and 2nd. When taking off after being stopped, the car will not move past 2nd gear and sometimes just stops.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle Convertible and like many others complaining, all four of my window regulators have been replaced (luckily under warranty); my carburetor and airbag sensor needs to be replaced (both have been recalled but have a $200 fee attached to guarantee, this is the only thing wrong with the car), my transmission shifts very hard as I slow down and the dealer says it performs correctly. My "wings" for the convertible have broken and on top of it all, my convertible top have lifted off the window allowing water to leak in to the car.

I purchased a 2003 VW Beetle in February 2009. On March 11, 2009, I was involved in a major single car accident. My car hit an embankment on a freshly grated gravel road. The car basically did a nose dive into the embankment, then launched my car airborne into a pasture. The car flipped end over end, and landed on all 4 wheels, only to burst into flames. Air bags never deployed! Both front seats broke on impact, and I was thrown into the back seat with my seat belt still on.

I own a 2004 convertible Beetle. I have replaced three window regulators. If a part is defective, it should be recalled. The first two window regulators cost about $550 each. The third broke yesterday and the estimate is $850.

I have a 2004 VW Beetle Convertible Turbo with 52,000 miles on it. Last weekend, when I put my top up, it made a horrible crunching sound. It turned out that one of the "wings" that retracts during operation has cracked, and it is going to cost me nearly $500 to replace it. This car has been meticulously serviced and cared for, so this blows my mind. I did some research and found that this has been a very common problem and that they abandoned this design on the 2006 model. I asked my dealer to call VW Corporate on this repair, since I don't intend to pay for their flawed and abandoned design. No word yet on that, but I am furious.

I received a recall notice for faulty brake light switch for my 1998 VW Beetle. The auto had to be returned to the nearest dealer for repair. The nearest dealer is in Abilene, TX (90 miles away). They are open Monday through Friday. I work Monday through Friday and could not get there for the repair. The brake light failed. It came on and would not go off. The battery died. I had to get the car jumped off. I took it in to Ric Henry’s Auto Service here in San Angelo. Ric Henry’s Auto is recommended by Sterling Motors in Abilene for repairs. Ric Henry’s Auto told me to send the receipt and proof of repair to VW for reimbursement. They said they should take care of reimbursement because there is not an "authorized" dealer in San Angelo. I mailed in the receipt along with proof of payment, a total of $94.92.

2003 Volkswagen Beetle rear window is detaching from fabric. I will call VW but from what I read here, it might be useless. My daughter does not have $3000 for a new top. It sounds like it's devastating. I can't sell it. It would go under in loan. I don't know what to do.

My elderly relative bought the 2001 VW 1.8 Turbo Beetle new. At about 40K miles, the plastic water pump failed, timing belt broke, and the car stopped running. He had it towed to VW and was told the engine was sludged, the oil pump had failed, and the car needed a new cylinder head at a cost of $5,000. It was under powertrain warranty. They asked for oil change receipts, and these were provided. VW rejected the claim at all levels with no explanation. The original owner died from an extended illness and I inherited the car. It had sat at the VW dealer for 14 months. I recovered the car and had it repaired at a private shop. I researched the problem and found numerous complaints and similar stories from other owners.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle convertible I bought with 1500 miles on it in Dec. 2003. Since that time, I have had the following problems with the window regulators: In Jan. 2005, both front window regulators were replaced under warranty. In July 2006, the left front window regulator was replaced under warranty. In June 2007, the right front window regulator was replaced under warranty. In Oct. 2008, the left rear window regulator was replaced, $900 cost. In July 2009, now the left front regulator is broken again and needs to be replaced. This car has only 32,00 miles on it and has window regulators replaced 5 different times!

I have a 1999 Volkswagen Beetle. I have owned it for almost four years. I bought it used in 2005. I have had many small issues since buying this vehicle. However, now there is a big issue. Since early 2008 there has been an issue with the battery. Every time I went to start my Beetle after it had sat for any length of time (maybe one hour or more), it would not start and would need to be jump started. I had it looked at several times; the battery was replaced along with almost every fuse, the starter, and many other options were explored; nothing worked. Finally in March 2009 I took the car to a Volkswagen dealer service department in Kalamazoo, MI (on west main near US 131). The vehicle was looked at and they replaced something in the driver door along with the recalled break - light switch. This cost me $403.00.

I own a 2004 VW Beetle that has 54,000 miles. In April, my passenger rear window would not roll up and I was told it was a regulator, which cost $373 that I paid. Now in June 2009, the driver's rear window has the same problem. VW would not respond in April if this was a common problem and was told there is not a recall (not health and safety?). The recall for the air bag was apparently fixed and the next day, the air bag light went on and is still on. VW said that it would cost $200 to determine what the problem was. It was not a problem before the recall fix? Who can I call to have this window and sensor fixed without paying again? I am afraid to take this car out after reading about all the same and other more serious problems. I am a senior citizen on a fixed income and cannot afford $200 per month+ to fix this car with 54,000 miles. How about VW extending the guarantee for two years or buying the car from me at the now market price $10,000-$13,000?

I have a 2003 Volkswagen New Beetle convertible. The rear window has detached from the convertible top leaving a big space below the window. It is only a matter of time before it falls out completely. Hopefully, not hitting the car behind me while driving. All contact with VW customer care was answered with "We are sorry, but the warranty is expired". I have researched this particular problem on the internet and have found that this is a common complaint for the 2003 model of this car and started happening in 2008. I believe that the seal holding the window in place is defective and that this is not a warranty issue or a no issue of wear and tear, but a defect in manufacturing.

I bought a 2004 VW Beetle Convertible. At 40,000 miles the water broke while I'm on a freeway. I have no idea what was going, except a warning light was flashing that the engine is heating up. I stopped and added water and kept doing so until the flashing light stopped and the engine trouble light came on. The car finally stalled and I had it towed to a dealer.

I purchased a 1998 Beetle in 1998. Since then, I have had to have the window regulators replaced at least five times, at $300-$400 each. I now have duct tape over the window controls so that no one can use them - because I can't afford the repairs if they break again. This has been going on for over four years. There are posts all over the Internet from people like me who have had the same problems with their window regulators on their VW Beetles.

Wife was driving her 2006 TDI manual transmission Beetle on the highway when she had a premature clutch failure at 30,000 miles. Dealer said failure was caused by driver abuse and was a wear and tear issue and would not be covered by warranty. They tried to hide the fact that a service bulletin existed for the same type of clutch installed on the 2005/2006 Jetta. VW customer care office sided with the dealer and did not even want to talk about it. If there are other drivers of 2005/2006 Beetle who have had clutch failures prematurely on TDI diesel 1.9L manual transmission, please send me an email.

I purchased a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible in 2005. The dealership was Capistrano Volkswagen in San Juan Capistrano, Ca. When I purchased the vehicle, the sales team was very high pressure. I tried to leave and they chased me out of the parking lot and made me stop. I went back into the office and made the purchase. After I signed the contract and went to leave in the vehicle, I noticed some items I did not like. I was told by the salesman that since the contract was signed, there was nothing they could do. I drove off with the car and kept it for 3 years 5 months (the lease was 4 years). I recently traded in the vehicle and received a final invoice for payment and excessive wear and tear. The invoice total is now $2600. I do not agree with $500 of the wear and tear charges. This $500 charge I am disputing is for “convertible glass motor inoperable.”

Here's a list of the problems I've encountered since purchasing my 2000 Beetle a couple of years ago (note: these are the ones I can remember, I'm sure there are more).

We purchased a 2004 VW Beetle GLS turbo in May 2007. From the very start we started having problems. The cars battery went dead a month after purchase. Next, the car went into limp mode and of course the problem and part was not covered under the existing warranty. Then the window motor went out and of course not covered by warranty. Next, the transmission started slipping. The dealers mechanic told me it was a valve in the turbo and charged me $300. Of course this did not fix the problem. Again, the car went into limp mode and this time the dealership says it needs a new transmission to the tune of $8000. I told the dealer I bought this car from them just over a year ago can't they help out with the cost. Of course no way. They suggested trading it in but want me to roll the diff into a new auto loan. They won't come up on the trade in value or move on sale price of diff car. This an absolute nightmare.

My 2007 VW new beetle has a terrible smell that consume the entire car. The best way to describe it is burning wax or burning crayon. VW refused to acknowledge the problem after countless visits to the dealership even though the car is still under warranty. I filed a formal written complaint to Volkswagen of America and after 1 week of research on their end, they called me back and said they were closing my file as the dealership said there was no abnormalities with my car.

Bought a 2003 VW Beetle for my daughter and from the beginning we had horrible problems. Every sensor on this car went bad and after 1800.00 dollars in repairs over 4 months I decided to trade it in. The last estimate was going to cost me 1500.00 per my mechanic who does imports only. He said these cars are awful and services so many VW's in general that he should call himself VW Affordable Mechanic

I own a 2001 VW Beetle, mileage 83,585. In August of 2008 I had a VW dealer repair 2 oil leaks on the engine. Last week the car stopped running; I took it to a local mechanic who told me the timing belt was broken and the engine needed to be replaced. I called the dealer, who explained that they would not have been able to see the timing belt where the leaks were repaired, but he also told me that the timing belt should last to 105,000 miles.

I own a 03 VW new Beetle. Back glass came unglued. Was told by VW dealer it would have to re replaced almost $2200.00! Called VW and was told they have not had any other VW complaints relating to the top (ha ha). Surfed on line and found lots of people with the same problems. Thanks.

I was just told yesterday that my 2004 Covertable Beetle was basicaly dead. I have had several small issues leading up to the past 2 weeks of hell. The fabric holding the rear window glass in place disconnected long ago with no financially reasonable way to correct it. The covertable top itself never worked properly. It would always lock while it was lowering which caused me to wait for 5 minutes every time in order for the circuit to reset.

I purchased a 2003 Beetle convertible in late 2003 from a dealer in San Antonio. The vehicle had about 7,000 miles on it when I purchased it and was under a full factory warranty. About two-three weeks ago, I noticed that the back glass window that is attached to the canvas convertible top has disconnected from the canvas. I contacted the local VW Dealer and was informed that they cannot reattach the window to the canvas and that I will have to purchase an entire new canvas top at a cost of about $2,400.00.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle convertible purchased new. Yesterday (08/31/08) I noticed the adhesive that holds the rear glass window in place has become unattached. Has anyone else had a similar problem with this happening.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle convertible purchased new. Yesterday (08/31/08) I noticed the adhesive that holds the rear glass window in place has become unattached. Has anyone else had a similar problem with this happening.

Purchase VW bug diesel TDI May 5, 2006 from Lithia VW in Medford, OR. Early problems that have not been resolved are: 1. Door windows do not operate properly, touch the button and they all go the way or down. No partial control. 2. Hatch does not release, doesn't seal. 3. Expensive model radio, is scratchy, blurred and difficult to hear.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle convertible that I purchased with 500 miles in February,2004. Recently, the adhesive that holds the rear glass window in place has become unattached. I took it to National Volkswagen in Jacksonville, NC and they said I would have to get a new one. Otherwise, they suggested that I go to a car upholstery shop. No one in town says it can be reglued, it is no longer under warranty and the dealership insists that I purchase a new top. A new top costs around $2300. I have driven other convertibles and you do not have to buy a new top to save your car. I know that I can not be the only one out there that is or will have this problem. The other troubles that you all have mentioned on this website, I have had also. I really feel that this is unfair of Volkswagen to leave us without any other option for repair. I have had other convertibles and even though the top becomes worn and torn, the car can still be used. Once this glass falls out, I am doomed. Please respond to this post and let me know what you have done to save your cars or if you, too are having this problem. Thank you for your time, Karen

I bought a 2001 New Beetle Volkswagon on 7-5-08. There was no warrenty on car we new that. Drove car home to pick up wife 18 miles. The check engin light came on. We called the same day, Elloy assured us it was something minor bring in on Monday leave it they would fix it. Picked up 2 days later they said a hose was off. Drove about 18 miles check engin light came on again.

Driving home from a nice visit with a friend in my lime green 1999 Volkswagon Beetle I noticed that my air conditioning wasn't working properly- it kept turning itself off and on. I was pushing the button (AC) vigorously because it was super hot outside and I wanted air. I had been having problems similar to this for a couple weeks but I thought- no biggie.

Back window dropped, I need a new regulator, which seems like everyone with a beetle has a problem with. My warranty expired last month, when I had just brought my car in for an airbag sensor light, they said they'd order me the part never did, a month later i get a recall letter in the mail for the airbag light so now they have to fix it, but now my back window regulator failed and my warranty is expired so now im quoted over 600 bucks to make my window work. If my volkswagen dealer didnt suck and fixed my airbag light when they were supposed to maybe they could have caught potential other problems such as the regulator. Also when I shut my drivers side door the window always sounds like its going to shatter into a million pieces, does anyone know why that would be that way? Anyways VW should recall window regulators just like they did the airbag sensor because obviously I'm not the only one with these problems.

Back window dropped, I need a new regulator, which seems like everyone with a beetle has a problem with. My warranty expired last month, when I had just brought my car in for an airbag sensor light, they said they'd order me the part never did, a month later i get a recall letter in the mail for the airbag light so now they have to fix it, but now my back window regulator failed and my warranty is expired so now im quoted over 600 bucks to make my window work.

I bought a 2001 Volkswagon Beetle for my 17 year old daughter. From the beginning her friends all called it the crayon car because it smelled like crayons. She is now 19 years old and i finally googled it and found I am not the only one. I called VW and they said they had no complaints on this issue. I am concerned now that it may be hazardous fumes. I am not sure what I need to do next but I feel Volkswagon needs to do test to make sure this smell will not make us sick in the future or either make a recall to have this issue dealt with.

I bought a 2003 Vw New Beetle from Gary Matthews Volkswagon in clarksville,Tn. I have had it for about 3 months and the airbag sensor light has come on i was told by two dealers that they have a really bad problem with one or both front crash sensors being defective. Which keeps the air bag from deploying in a accident why hasnt any one steped in and made Volkswagon do a recall. Also the back seat d/d plug break becuase of a design flaw and they make you pay 50.00 to buy the replacement part. I think these companys are getting over on people and there should be something done about it.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle Convertible, and about three weeks ago, my right quarter window stopped working, after having the top down for the weekend. It was the same thing that I'm reading all over the internet. I called the dealership, and the technician transferred me to the service manager. After I described my car, gave him the VIN, and described the problem I was having, he immediately said, "Oh, I know exactly what that is. I've got 5 or 6 others right now with the same problem. You need a window regulator, and it's going to cost you about $450."

Rear window won't go up or down on 2003 convertible Beetle. I'm told the regulator needs to be replaced - about a $900 job. I read about multiple other complaints across the country regarding the same problem and crazy price to fix. http://www.volkswagentalk.com/vw-beetle-window-motor-broken-t2074.html and http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/volkswagen-new-beetle/T0HOIQ206ML2TD6LK. Just wanted to add my concern to the list.

Wow, I found this forum while doing research on the Internet on how to fix various problems with my 2001 VW Beetle. I just had to contribute my experience. I honestly cannot remember every single problem we've had with the car; I had originally made a list and wrote a two page complaint letter I planned on sending to Volkswagen, but it became exhausting after a couple of years. I hate to say it's comforting to know it's not just my Beetle.... My parents purchased the car new after I was rear-ended at 45 MPH, sent to the ER, and had my car totaled. The problems started from day one, literally as we drove out of the lot. The passenger window would not roll down and the a/c was not working. In the sake of saving time and a rise in my blood pressure, here's a laundry list of the inferior manufacturing marvel that is my car: Replaced passenger window twice; replaced driver's side window once; heated seats went out within a month; a/c went out twice; electric sunroof broken twice; temperature sensor no longer working; replaced oxygen sensor; lost track of headlight and tail light replacement; seat belt broken; arm rest broken; cargo lid broken and replaced twice; inner window lining peeled off; electric gas lid sealed shut (that made for some problems); electric key broken, inner consol peeling; interior consul lights out (not a spark plug, estimated $500 repair!!); burns through oil like to car I've ever seen....That's all I can muster to remember, BUT mind you the majority of these problems occurred within six months of purchasing the car. Ahhhh....that feels better.

I own a 2004 VW Beetle Convertible. Two years after purchasing it, the right rear window failed. It was fixed under warranty after 3 days at Clovis VW in Clovis, California. Now my left rear window has failed, and my car is out of warranty. I'm facing an $800+ repair. I'm afraid to roll any of my windows down now. This is interfering with my enjoyment of my convertible, not to mention that the security of my vehicle is compromised. My husband managed to wrestle the window back into the up position, but air is whistling through the car. I'm afraid to take it to a car wash for fear that water will enter the passenger compartment. Believe me, I will tell all my friends never to buy a VW vehicle after finding out that the window regulator problem with all of their models.

I have a 2003 VW Beetle Convertible. This is my 3rd Beetle. My daughter still has a 2005 Beetle. Her airbag light came on in January. She currently lives in California. The dealer there told me there was a problem with the airbag sensors and that the airbag can unexpectidly deploy...and or deploy with excessive force. they replaced her sensor without charge. My 2003 Beetle's sensor light cameon 2 two weeks ago. I brought it in. They reset it and told me if it comes back on to bring it back immediatly. The light came back on and I brought it right back in. They told me the sensor needed to be replaced. They offered to split the cost in 1/2 with me. I checked online and saw your article about the recall. I called VW as you suggest in the article. They have also said they would only be willing to pay half. They are willing to let me drive off of the lot knowing that the recall WILL be in effect. But since it is not YET, they are not willing to pay for it.

I drive a 2000 VW New Beetle. Problems began at 50,000miles, with the catalytic converter breaking twice. I use on average 2 quarts of engine oil every two weeks, an obvious economic strain. At almost 60,000 miles, the car began using much more gasoline than usual, I spent another $2,000 in repairs. 3 months after costly repairs, the check engine light turns on and I find out that the 4th cylinder is misfiring. Apparently Steve's Imports in Portland OR tells me that they had 8 other VWs with 2.0L engines from the years 1999-2002 with similar check engine problems. O2 sensors and catalytic converter broken again.

We own a 2005 Volkswagen beetle that has 25k miles, which is suppose to be still under factory warranty. One day we noticed that the vehicle started to leak transmission fluid, and that same day it started to stall and then became inoperable. The next day we had the beetle towed to Ontario Volkswagen dealership, assuming this would be covered under warranty. We explained the situation to the service advisor and he even thought it was very odd that we were having this transmission problem. The dealership later contacted us, and to our surprise they reported that The vehicle's transmission was tampered with, therefore it was not going to be covered under warranty.? At this point we were completely clueless to how or who would have tampered? with the transmission valve, being that the car only has 25k miles. The dealer then advised us that they would have to perform a transmission fluid change for $680, just to find out if the transmission was still operable. If not operable then we would have to replace the transmission for the price of $5,000. I tried to explain that we have never tampered with our vehicle and always had our service done by a Volkswagen dealership or a certified technician. To note, Ontario Volkswagen was the last service center that fixed this vehicles faulty convertible top. I tried to speak with the service manager to get a further explanation to why this would not be covered under Volkswagens power train warranty. Instead of Bob the service manager giving me a better explanation, he pretty much told me that the transmission was trash.? I decided to get another opinion, so I had the vehicle towed to Corona Volkswagen dealership. The service team was very helpful in trying to get the cars transmission completed under warranty. At this point I had already contacted Volkswagen corporate costumer service, which basically sided with Ontarios findings that the transmission was tampered? with. The corporate office wouldnt even give me the benefit of doing a separate investigation to find out if it was truly tampered with. Since I decided not to get the service done with Ontarios dealership, Ontario noted in their dealer-to-dealer system to not do the work under warranty. In essence singling us out to not get this covered at another dealer. Therefore because I do not know how our vehicles transmission got tampered? with and Volkswagen refuses to fix this problem under warranty, which leaves me with the only option to pay out of pocket. I feel that I am being taken advantage of and Volkswagen is making the excuse to not have to cover their warranty promise. I feel that their warranty serves no purpose, if a vehicle with 25k miles cant even be covered.

I just want to say my window regulator (passenger side) just broke last week (5/16/2008). Apparently to fix this issue, that part will cost me $312.00 plus 2-3hrs labor at my garage! I was shocked to see on this website that VW has had so many complaints about their windows (on many models incli=uding the Cabrio!) & has made no improvements. I have had no real huge issues with my '98 Cabrio (I bought it pre-owned in 2002 w/46K miles--it now has 105K...) but I have been slowly considering a new car, have been pretty much loyal to the idea of buying another VW, until I read these reviews.

When we purchased the car we were told warranty was bumber to bumber, just change oil. After 2 months the A/C didn't work, they charged it then it was OK. The first time we had awarm day this year no A/C. Well now we are told that A/C is a maintainance item it would not fall under warranty. How good is your car if you have to charge your A/C every year. It was charged twice in 14 months. They say there is no leak, so where does it go. The other item is a whistle in the moonroof, you pay extra so you can listen to the whistle. The so called service guy said he could not verify the whistle. I'll bet every VW New Beetle with a moonroof has a whistle. They said maybe we should try a wind deflector & they could sell me one. Well if they say there is no whustle why would I buy a deflector. No more VW no more Clark VW. Thank VW

EPC warning light light comes on at times and Dealer was very clueless about anything about the car. Key want go all the way into the switch and once forced into switch, it just make a complete turn and don't start. Heater knob switch caught dash on fire and destroyed dash and gave me hardship in getting to work and etc. Rear shakes makes a bumpie noise. Fire Dept. just made it worse with foam.

I bought a 2003 new convertible Beetle in 2003.About 15,000 miles into the car, the cables snapped on the top (convertible). I took it to the dealer. The sunvisor on the passenger side as well as the ash-tray were already broken. Problems were fixed. 6 months after that, the passenger side back window snapped. The regulator broke. Also, the top would not go down properly. There ended up being a recall on the top (as well as a brake light switch and a catalytic converter). Both items were fixed. Then, shortly thereafter (Dec, 2003), my back lights burned out. I had my brother replace them. Not even 1 month later, back lights burned out again. A friend replaced them. Within another month, back lights out again. I initally took it to Power VW in Corona in June '04 They claimed the bulbs were bad and replaced them. I tried to explain there had to be an underlying electrical problem. No use. Basically, I drove around with faulty rear running and brake lights. Again, in June 2005, took it to Murrieta VW and complained about the lights. It is stated on the service invoice, Customer reports that the left rear turn signal bulb is inoperable. Customer also states that they have had a number of concerns in the past. Once again, I was told, Oh it is a socket and a bulb. I left. Lights burned out immediatly. I was sick and tired of running back to the dealer. So, I drove around with no working break lights or running lights (at night) Eventually, I did get rear-ended. I did not go after the driver as I knew the lights were burned out and it really wasn't her fault. So, I now had a crease in the bumper. The break light situation continued on..and on...July of '07 (yes, I had no back lights the entire time)I took it in again to Murrieta VW because the regulator (2nd time) on the driver side passenger window broke and none of the back lights worked. They claimed to have fixed the situation but it still cost me money. However, on a side note, I paid to have my windows tinted. The service tech ended up breaking that back window and replaced it with a normal window that had some sort of film on it. Clearly, it wasn't the original window. To this day, Murrieta VW claims that they did not replace that window and because I wasn't diligent in reporting that problem, they refused to fix it. After that, Within one week, first the right break light went out..then the left and once again, no back lights.Please note-blinkers worked intermittenly. I refused to go back to the dealer. My complaints fell on deaf ears and I had no idea what to do. I was stuck. Finally, I took my car in 2 weeks ago. I told them none of the back lights worked and the regulator broke on the back window on the passenger side again. (3rd defective regulator). I was told my car was fixed. I went to pick it up, pulled out of the lot, and when I hit the brakes, the right side had no lights. I turned around and went back into the dealer. Explained again that the problem is not the bulb and socket as that had been replaced 3 times on the right side. Finally, embarrased, Karen (service person) stated we'll have our top mechanics look at it. I went back again to pick it up the next day. Good as gold. However, Karen at Murrieta told me that the Manager stated that they would mail me the invoice reflecting the latest socket and bulb. I never received it and I am sure I never will. Well, as usual, within 3 days the check engine light was back on. There went another few hundred out of my pocket. Seriously, I had to refinance the car because it was a lease. I planned on paying it down and then selling it.But due to mechanical errors, I cannot keep dropping money into it. I have spent more money on that car. I gave up. Yesterday, I had to trade it in because I am not paying for a car that is a defective lemon anymore. I ended up having to roll over 6,000 into my new loan to make up for that horrible car. It is pathetic that VW can treat people horribly and get away with it.They should have taken that car back based on the window regulators and the obvious electrical problem they are not admitting to. I have numerous colleagues, family, and friends that can attest to the defective beetle that I drove around for the last 5+ years.

The vehicle,1998 new beetle diesel, was purchased 9-99 as rental return 15800 miles. Needed a road call within 12hrs of purchase. Continued to stall/ hard to start until repaired 6-05. Had it to 2 approved agents and 2 dealers 3 times 2001-2. Sued 2 VW dealers and dismissed with settlement for past inefective repairs and funds for another injection pump. Discontinued driving. Trailered it to a dealer in Van Nuys 4-04 and told them I did'nt want it back until it was fixed. 6-05 called and said it was ready. Paid $2700 and it wouldn't start. Dealer wanted permission to pull fuel tank and it finally started. No additional charge. Older mechanic gave me defective part. Had crack in inlet pickup tube. I recorded conversation. Yellow engine is light on and has been on since purchase to date except for a few minutes after leaving shops. Still didn't license until 07 and drove to my lawer to sue last dealer and VW America and upon returning got a ticket for one headlight which they were supposed to fix. Still has no power up a hill. Once after they changed oil the belly cover was draging down the street. Most bolts missing. Wanted $400 to fix. Just threw it away. BEETLEJUNK. I feel that this VW bunch is not any different than a crook I once worked for until figured him out. He would go to a junkyard and buy all the used transmissions he could. He would steam clean and paint them and put them in stock as rebuilts. When I asked how he could do that he said that They are guarenteed 90 days so if they don't make I just put in another. At least he honored his warrantee!

Ive wanted a beetle since the new ones first came out. At 18 I bought a 99 beetle. Regular oil changes, I took care of it. Ive had the alternator literally FALL APART in my engine and damaged a belt. Ive had the cv joint literally fall out of the engine while backing out of the engine. If you dont know what a cv joint is, its the thing that causes power, when you put the car in drive the car is suppose to go forward. I live in Las Vegas, what if that happened on the freeway? Ive had door problems like none other. And also Ive had headlight problems since I first got it. HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK. Than its $150 to put new bulbs in, theres no short or anything. I've replaced these bulbs more than 10 times. What the heck. Now I know Im not the only one with problems. Oh, and the check engine lights comes on periodically. And the piece on the roof, where it shows the time, I tried plugging that in, and it caught on fire. Now Im 21 and broke because of the car I always wanted. A blue 1999 Beetle. Thanx for making a great car Volkswagen!

bought my car used with a three year extended warranty in september of 2005. it is a 2001 vw beetle gls. found out that something was wrong with the coolant light that they just cleared out to avoid fixing. less than a year later, my car wouldn't start out of the blue one morning. had towed to dealer that kept my car for days without contacting me, returning calls, or saying what was wrong with it. finally said catalytic converter, wouldn't tell me when it was going to be done. warranty covered it, but customer service was agonizing to deal with. several months later, car overheated with no warning, dealership had car for months without telling me what was wrong with it. wouldn't return my calls, treated me like crap. dealer put engine together wrong and said it wasn't their problem. warranty sent two inspectors and said faulty workmanship. vw finally replaced engine, so I thought. told me car was ready four different times, and it never was. wrote better business bureau, called vw america at least a dozen times, said not their problem. in the meantime, received recalls for brake lights, cruise control, and catalytic converter. went to pick up my car twice and it wasn't ready. the second time, said it was being washed. when I went into the parking lot, they were trying to jump it, the hub cap was missing, and the passenger mirror shattered. car was disgusting, died in the parking lot after they 'replaced' the battery. car died fifteen minutes later on freeway. dealership said 'they knew it was going to die', said not their problem. vw said not their problem. many things had to be replaced...I have all documentation, too much to list. when I got home, engine light went on ONCE AGAIN. told them something was wrong with acceleration. they said it was nothing, fixed random things. Last week, took car in with brake problems, told 1200 to replace four brake pads and rotors. When I picked up my car, check engine light mysteriously went on. Dealer said not their problem, 79.95 to have them look at it again. took it back in, said bad spark plugs and spark plug wires, 520.00 to have replaced. online, found that this is a common vw problem. I refuse to pay this. I will have it done elsewhere, but at what point does this end?? my car is a lemon...what laws protect used car buyers that bought extended warranties? my warranty company has been very great with all of this, but volkswagen america makes me dread climbing into the car everyday. I can smell a burning smell after my car has been 'fixed'...something tells me it never has. I am at a loss for words at this point and in over my head. vw america acknowledges faulty parts but refuses to fix them. They treat me like crap and I'm sick of it.

CAN YOU SAY LEMON!!!

I purchased my 2003 Turbo Beetle brand new. It had a recall on the ignition from the very beginning. It has been a total lemon from day one. While the car was still under warranty, the coolant light kept coming on and I took it back to VW 2 or 3 times before they figured out that the coolant sensor and coolant pump were bad and needing replacing. They also replaced the wiring harness.

We purchased a 2003 Volkswagon Bug just over one year ago. In the year that we have had it, all four windows have come off the tracks and broke. The first three were under warranty but the fourth was not. It was about two months out of warranty. The cost for this repair...$1200. In speaking with other Volkswagon owners, this is a common problem. Volkswagon was less than helpful in dealing with the problem. The dealer we took the car to, cut fifty percent off the bill. This action leads me to wonder about one of those secret warranties and that they are trying to do as little as possible.

I have a 2000 VW Passat with the same faulty window regulator clips as the Jetta. Called VW of America to confirm that the extended warranty of 7 years applied but i was told sorry it does not. It seems not enough of the Passats are having window regulator clip problem to justify the repairs to my car. Problem is that both the Passat and Jetta had the same plastic window regulator clips installed.

I own a 2002 VW Passat with 57,000 miles that blew a hole in a high pressure fuel line. Gasoline was being sprayed all over the inside of my engine compartment! I have an excellent photo that I took at the dealership that clearly shows the fuel being sprayed out of the fuel line (I'd be happy to send that in) and on top of the engine. I am very lucky that it did not start a fire especially with my kids strapped into their car seats. When I contacted VW they expressed NO concern at all about the issue. They said they were sorry I had that experience and that they would do nothing about it!

I purchased a 2004 VW Passat used. The finance manager named Frank, when preparing my paper work inadvertantly left out amount costs when explaining in his words the things that were to my benefit because I was financing. The only thing I recieved was sign here and sign there to inflate the final cost of my vehicle with the financing. When confronted with this practice everyone I spoke about it did not want to aide in customer satisfaction. But only aided in their prospective commission. I feel because I was not familar with this finance procedure, I was duped into the signing of paperwork without full disclosure as to what I was really paying to get.

I am sick of replacing my engine coils (four times now on my 2002 Passat Wagon on my dime!) I have 75,000 miles on my car. Not too happy about shelling out $1500 because it rained and ruined my electrical system because of a clog under my battery...an Act of God?

I experienced an accident on 1/7/07. My Golf of 2003 has the problem with airbags. My side airbags were not opened properly to protect me.

bought 2001 beetle new from this dealership. had to replace motor after 1000 miles, found out my 2001 beetle has 2000 engine in it. dealership ordered engine when we went to put it in didnt fit, had to reorder engine thats how we found out.

We have had many problems our VW beetle. Had to completely replace the A/C, the check engine light comes on for no reason. We've had it checked and there was nothing wrong. We did not think much about this until the car burst into flames a couple of days ago. Driving down the highway the car starting pouring smoke from under the hood, then the brakes went out, and then the car burst into flames under the hood. WHY CAN'T SOMEONE MAKE VW DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! I am outraged to read the other stories confirming that we are not the only ones that this has happened to. I want to take legal action if it can be done. Thank God my daughter was not injured.

My parents bought a 2000 VW Beetle new, off the the lot. Numerous problems occurred with the car. A/C went out twice. Had problems opening the fuel door. Check engine light came on. Took it into the dealership at 25,000 miles and had to pay $400 for new o2 censors. Engine light came back on 20 miles later. Took it back in and couldnt figure out what was wrong with the car. I guess VW hires untrained monkeys to fix their crappy cars.

My daughter and wife were driving down the highway in her 1999 VW Beetle, when the engine light came on. She pulled over and went through the step-by-step checkup procedure in the owner's manual. Everything checked out fine. After about 1/2 hour with the engine off, the light turned blue. She drove onto the highway. Within five minutes the accelerator quit working and the engine compartment went up in flames while she was driving at 60 mph. She slowed the car down and flames started shooting out of the engine compartment. She was not able to pull off the highway and was stopped in the left hand lane. My wife and daughter jumped out of the car in the middle of busy highway traffic. Thank God neither was hurt or killed.

I have a 2002 vw beetle TDI with a automatic transmission. The vehicle just reached 63,000 miles. The transmission failed, internally broke apart. WE had the vehicle towed to the dealer. This is a sealed transmission, so there isn't a whole lot that can be done to it. The warranty ends at 60,000. This vehicle was always maintained and well taken care of, never abused in any way. Auffenberg Volkswagen or Volkswagen USA headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan would offer no assistance in repairing or replacing.

I was driving my 98 VW Beetle on SW 137 Ave and 66 Street in Miami on 8/22/06 around 3:30 P.M. I tried to turn on the AC and smoke starting coming out the AC vents. I stopped the car and noticed that a fire had started inside the AC controller panel. Since I was on the side walk with nobody around, I had to run the the nearest condo building and a gentlemam quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. The center of the dashborad is completly burnt including the radio.

The 2000 Turbo New Beetle I purchased brand new at Prestige Imports has been a nightmare, and service from the dealer has been extremely unsatisfactory. To date, I have been stranded on the road six times; the vehicle has had two clutch replacements and two complete replacements of the engine cooling system. The rear center brake light fell off and had to be replaced; the driver's side headlight periodically pops out of place; the coatings on the VW emblem on the hood and all of the interior handles have peeled off; the passneger window will not open all the way; the mirror adjustment knob fell off; the tires wear very unevenly (but no one knows why); the alarm goes off on a whim; and there are on-going problems with opening and closing the fuel door and rear deck lid.

My wife and I purchased a 2003 diesel New Beetle in 2003. For 31,*** miles we were very happy with the car, this is my wife's car and she treats it like a baby. Then one day, out of the blue, it refused to start. We had it towed in and they found the problem to be a carbon problem on the ERG valve. Not bad, the cleaning was $140 something. Although the repairs were not under warranty, I contacted VW and they reimbursed me the amount. Everything went well for another few thousand miles and the engine light goes on. Not bad again, bad injector and it was under warranty.

My 2000 Beetle had a fire in it due to bad wiring on the fan switch. I expect a settlement from Volkswagen since they have determined the fire is the fault of the car. I want my new car paid for and Beetle owners warned of the possibility.

Timing belt blew apart at 93,000 on 2002 VW Beetle. Manual says check at 40K and 80K, and recommend replace timing belt and tension roller at 105,000. Had 80K check up at dealership, they did not identify a problem. Are others having timing belt break before 105,000 miles?

i've had my 2003 beetle in the shop 6 times over the past 8 months, 3 of which was for a rattling noise i was hearing in the transmission. the first time in they said they replaced the control arm, but the noise was still there when i left. i returned, two more times, on both occasions they told me it was a normal sound due to the cold weather. my vehicle is still under original warranty. i was driving to the movie with my 13 year old last sunday and suddenly i had no transmission past 3rd gear. i took it in on monday and they told me it needs a new transmission however the work will not be covered because the transmission plate is cracked and the subframe mounts are bent, so i must have hit something, causing the damage from the outside in.