1998 Volkswagen New Beetle

Defect. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION.

Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LAMPS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE; OR THE LAMPS COULD COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PARKED.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCHES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 26, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VWOA AT 1-800-822-8987.

1998 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE SEVERELY OVERHEATED, CHECKING OUT CAUSE FOUND THE FUSE BOX ON TOP OF THE BATTERY HOUSING HAD MELTED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT! VWOA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM ALTHOUGHT INTERNET SURVEYS SHOW 26% FAILURE IN NEW BEETLES. PLACEMENT OF THE FUSE BOX ON THE BATTERY HOUSING DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A VERY SAFE IDEA!*AK

SOME TYPE OF 'CONTROL MODULE' NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WITHOUT IT THE AIR-BAG SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH HELPED IN THE DECISION TO BUY THE CAR, AND AFTER 5 YEARS IT FAILS RENDERING THE SYSTEM USELESS AND REQUIRING OVER $700 TO REPLACE. THIS IS WRONG!

TODAY, JULY 27,2004, THE OUTPUT CONNECTION ON MY FUEL PUMP CAME APART (DISCONNECTED) AND WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR DUMPED ABOUT A QUART OF GASOLINE ON THE GROUND UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. I WAS IN A CROWDED POST OFFICE PARKING LOT AND IT WAS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE FIRE DEPT CAME AND RECONNECTED THE LINE AND I WAS ABLE TO PROCEED TO THE VW DEALORSHIP AND HAVE IT CHECKED AND CERTIFIED SAFE TO CONTINUE OPERATING. THE CAR IS VW NEW BEETLE, 1998 YEAR OF MANUFACTURING. THE DEALORSHIP VW MECHANIC SAID HE HAD HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING SPONTANEOUSLY ON ONE OTHER OCASSION.*AK

PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW AND DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED AND DRIVER SIDE PLASTIC SWITCH BROKE OFF.*AK

HEADLIGHTS CONSTANTLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING, HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE MANY TIMES DUE TO NO LIGHTS OR HAVING TO DRIVE WITH HIGH BEAMS ON. THIS PAST TIME HAD TO PARK THE CAR AND HAVE SOMEONE TAKE US HOME, COULD NOT DRIVE CAR UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. REPAIR BILLS ARE BECOMING REDICULOUS.*AK

TRUNK LATCH DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY WHEN TEMPERATURE GOES BELOW 31 DEGREES.*AK

BOTH PASSANGER AND DRIVE WINDOW MECHINISMS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO UP.*AK

DRIVER-SIDE SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON MY 1998 VW BEETLE FOR NO APPARENT REASON CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND ACCIDENT. *LA

HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONS, BURNS OUT. UPON REPLACEMENT, WIRING HARNESS MELTED. CAR NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW "FELL OUT". I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, TRYING TO PUT THE WINDOW UP WHEN IT BECAME STUCK. ONCE STOPPED, I AGAIN TRIED TO PUT THE WINDOW UP WHEN THERE WAS A CRACKING SOUND AND THE WHOLE WINDOW JUST FELL INTO THE DOOR. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THE SECRETARY WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM AND WAS EVEN ABLE TO TELL ME THAT THE ORIGINAL CLIPS TO HOLD THE WINDOW WERE PLASTIC AND THEY REPLACE THEM WITH METAL ONES. IF THIS PROBLEM IS THAT COMMON THAT THE SECRETARY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND WHAT THE REMEDY IS, VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 VW BEETLE. I BOUGHT THE BEETLE NEW. THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR HAD 15,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE LIGHT TO REMAIN OUT, HOWEVER SINCE I HAD REPORTED IT THEY WOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY ON IT IF IT WENT OUT AGAIN. IT DID THE MONTH THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VW AND THEY SAID SETTLED IT WITH THE DEALER. AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH I FINALLY PAID 80.00 TO GET IT REPAIRED. TWO MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST HEADLIGHT WENT OUT THE OTHER HEADLIGHT QUIT COMPLETELY. I TOOK IT BACK WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS AND VW WOULD ADDRESS THE PROBLEM LATER. BEING STUBBORN, I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE HEADLIGHT. THE CAR NOW HAS 52000 MILES ON IT. I THINK THEY SHOULD PAY ME FOR THE FIRST REPAIR AND ALSO REPAIR THE SECOND HEADLIGHT. VW IS VERY AWARE OF THE ISSUE AS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHO OWN 98'S AND 99'S. *JB

LEFT HEADLAMP BULB BURNED-OUT. I HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLAMP AT LEAST 5 TIMES OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP BULB HAS ONLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT ONCE OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD. *JB

WHILE IN MOTION, THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED WHEN CONSUMER WAS OPERATING IT AND IT JUST STOPPED MOVING AND THEN FELL DOWN INTO THE CAR DOOR. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FAILED IN AUGUST 2002. CONSUMER POWERED THE WINDOW DOWN AND THEN IT WOULD NOT GO BACK UP, LEAVING IT OPEN. THE DRIVER WINDOW WAS FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP IN VERMONT AND THE PASSENGER WINDOW WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP IN WASHINGTON, DC. A VOLKSWAGEN REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE POWER WINDOWS WERE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, BUT THAT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR MONIES PAID FOR REPAIRS. *JG *SCC

WHILE EXECUTING A RIGHT TURN AT LOW SPEED, THE DRIVERS'S SEAT BROKE LOOSE FROM THE TRACK AT THE FRONT OF THE SEAT. THE SEAT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE TRACK AT THE REAR OF THE SEAT. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT AND ME (THE DRIVER) TO SUDDENLY ROLL TOWARD THE BACK OF THE CAR, ALMOST LOSING CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. ONLY BY GRASPING THE STEERING WHEEL AND PULLING MYSELF FORWARD WAS I ABLE TO REACH THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDALS. I THEN GUIDED THE CAR TO A SAFE STOP. THIS DEFECT COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN MY DEATH AND THE DEATH OF OTHER DRIVERS. I HAVE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM ANY WORK ON THIS SEAT. REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN, AND REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY STATUS, THE DRIVER'S SEAT SHOULD NEVER BREAK LOOSE LIKE THAT. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT.*AK

THE VEHICLE HAD INADEQUATE GROUND CLEARANCE. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT PORTION OF THE ENGINE SPLASH SHIELD SCRAPES ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE CONCRETE STOP. *YH

CONSUMER STATES UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ALWAYS TURN ON, CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE BULBS ABOUT 5 TIMES EACH, CONSUMER CAN LIGHTLY TAP THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE LIGHTS WILL TURN ON UNTIL THE NEXT START UP, CONSUMER HAS CHECKED THE CONNECTION AND CLEANED THEM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, HE THINKS IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE CURRENT FLOW TO THE BULBS OR BE A GROUNDING PROBLEM, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE LIGHTS HAVE NEVER GONE OUT OR FLICKERED WHILE DRIVING. *SLC

WE NOTICED THE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. THE RIGHT SIDE HAD ALREADY GONE OUT AND WE WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE BULB WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHEN WE TRIED TO REPLACE THE DRIVERS SIDE BULB, THE BULB HAD EXPLODED INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND WE NOTICED THAT THE METAL END OF THE HALOGEN BULB WAS MELTED TO THE CONNECTOR. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER SHOWED US THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH WAS COMPLETELY MELTED. ADDITIONALLY THEY SAID THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY CONNECTION WAS ALSO MELTED. THE DEALER COMMENTED THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED THERE WAS NOT A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE.*AK

LOW BEAMS FAIL MUST TAKE APART AND RESET BULB TO CORRECT 3 TIMES IN ONE YEAR OWNING IT. *AK

THE BOLTS AT THE BOTTOM FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT CAME LOOSE, ALLOWING THE SEAT TO "WIGGLE" IN ITS TRACKS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BOLTS WORKED THEMSELVES FREE AND ALLOWED THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH IN ITS TRACKS, THUS PREVENTING THE SETTING OF A SAFE, STATIONARY POSITION. ALSO, BECAUSE THE FRONT BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SEAT TO THE VEHICLE CHASSIS HAVE FAILED, VEHICLE MOVEMENTS ALLOW THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO TIP UP AND DOWN IN AN ARCHING DIRECTION. THIS MEANS THAT UNLESS THE DRIVER IS HOLDING ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY, THE SEAT TENDS TO TIP BACK WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES FROM A STOP OR A STEADY SPEED. THE SEAT ALSO TENDS TO TIP UP AND DOWN WHEN THE VEHICLE REBOUNDS AS IT COMPLETES A STOP. ON THE FIRST OCCASION THAT THE SEAT ANCHORING SYSTEM FAILED (JANUARY 2000), THE SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF ITS TRACK, BREAKING THROUGH THE BACK END OF THE LEFT PLASTIC RAIL COVER AND ALLOWING THE THE LEFT SIDE SEAT ROLLER TO JUT OUT IN THE OPEN. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WAS ALSO REPORTED TWICE TO NHTSA IN 1999 ACCORDING TO PHIL EDMONSTON AUTHOR OF LEMON-AID CAR GUIDE 2001. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTUER DEFECT, AS IT OCCURS UNDER NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITIONS.*AK

FIRST BULB OUT ON 10/2000 ON DRIVER'S SIDE, ON 1/17/01 REPLACED WIRE HARNESSES AS RECOMMENDED BY VOLKSWAGON DEALER ON BOTH HEAD LIGHTS. ALSO REPLACED BOTH BULBS AT THIS TIME. ON 6/29/01 BOTH BULBS BURNT OUT AGAIN AND BOTH REPLACED. VOLKSWAGON REFUSES TO REFUND, BECAUSE WORK NOT DONE AT CERTIFIED VW DEALER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM... ONE WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING IN FOG AND VISIBILITY WAS BAD. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM, TO INFORM OTHERS THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MAY NOT BE DESIGNED PROPERLY. I FEEL I SHOULD ALSO BE REFUNDED THE MONEY SPENT ON REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! SINCERELY, [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).