1998 Volkswagen New Beetle problems

“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”

“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”

“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”

“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”

“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”