2000 Volkswagen New Beetle air bags problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WALKED A FEW YARDS AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A MINOR INJURY THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.”

“I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY GRANDSON TO DRIVE TO WORK..THE GUY I BOUGHT IT FROM SWORE IT WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, THAT HIS DAUGHTER DROVE IT TO SCHOOL ETC......WHEN WE GOT IT, I TOOK IT TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE FOR MY GRANDSON TO DRIVE, THEY BEGAN TO FIND THINGS WRONG AND THE COST WAS MOUNTING UP AND UP AND THEY EVEN HAD US TAKE IT HOME ONLY TO TAKE IT RIGHT BACK BECAUSE IT HAD NO HEAT (AND ITS VERY COLD HERE) SO THEY WORKED ON IT SOME MORE...BOTTOM LINE IS SO FAR THEY HAVE CHARGED ME 3 TIMES WHAT I PAID FOR IT AND WHEN I LOOKED IT UP ON LINE, EVERY THING THEY DID WAS A RECALL....MY QUESTION TO YOU IS..HOW LONG ARE THE RECALLS GOOD FOR AND I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THE GUY WAS APPRAISED OF THEM OR HE WOULDN'T HAVE LET HIS DAUGHTER DRIVE IT LIKE THAT ....I HAVE THE PAPERWORK RIGHT HERE WHERE IT SHOWS 9 RECALLS AND 62 SERVICE BULLETINS...PLEASE ADVISE ME OF MY OPTION AS I COULD HAVE BOUGHT HIM A MUCH NICER CAR FOR WHAT I HAVE IN THIS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME [XXX] *TR”

“I'VE HAD MY BEETLE SINCE 2005, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY COME ON AS WELL AS ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I'VE TAKEN IT TO VW ONCE FOR REPAIR, AND THEY COME BACK ON MONTHS LATER. I'VE READ SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER VW OWNERS CONCERNING THE AIRBAG AND TRANSMISSION. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISN'T A RECALL ISSUE PARTICULARLY SINCE THERE WAS A DEATH IN 2007 WITH ANOTHER OWNER. THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON. THE WEB PAGE BELOW VOICES THE FRUSTRATIONS OF MANY OWNERS, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE COMPLAINTS AREN'T BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THE REPAIRS COST OVER $1600. HOW IS THIS FAIR WHEN HAVING TO GET IT REPAIRED EVERY YEAR? ARE YOU PROTECTING VW? TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO CLEAR THE CODES IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO UNDER THE SEAT TO ADJUST WIRES AND USING THE COMPUTER TO CLEAR THEM, BUT THEY COME BACK ON A DAY OR TWO LATER. HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2000/VOLKSWAGEN/BEETLE/AIR_BAGS/PROBLEM.ASPX. *TR”

“I PURCHASED MY VW BEETLE IN 2005 WITH THE CARFAX - NO ACCIDENTS OR MAJOR REPAIRS. WITHIN MONTHS, THE ENGINE LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING. I'VE PROBABLY SPENT MORE THAN WHAT I PAID FOR IT. I JUST SPENT OVER $1800 AT VW SPRINGFIELD IN VIRGINIA AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON AGAIN AFTER ONLY A FEW MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION CODES WERE DISCOVERED BY OTHER REPAIR SHOPS, BUT THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIR. NEITHER VW SPRINGFIELD OR VW WOODBRIDGE EVER CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION. IN FACT, WOODBRIDGE TOLD ME TO TRADE IT IN AND PURCHASE A NEW ONE FROM THEM.SOME KIND OF LIGHT OR PROBLEM OCCURS IN MY CAR EVERY TIME I'VE TAKEN MY CAR TO THIS DEALERSHIP AND VW WOODBRIDGE IN VIRGINIA. THEY CONTINUE TO CLAIM THAT IT IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM EVERY TIME WITH THE SAME COMPONENTS. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE FOR DIAGNOSTICS? EVERY TIME I TAKE MY CAR TO ANY OF THE VW DEALERSHIP, I WILL HAVE TO BRING THE CAR IN MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN MONTHS. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES, AND NO ONE IS INVESTIGATING THIS. IT APPEARS THAT VW IS BEING PROTECTED FROM SELLING US POORLY MADE…”

“SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN THIS 2000 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE MULTIPLE TIMES. VOLKSWAGEN RESPONDED BY REPLACING THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED BUT REFUSED TO ACTUALLY CORRECT THE ENGINEERING ISSUE CAUSING THE FAILURE TO RETURN. THE WIRING HARNESS IS TOO SHORT UNDER THE SEAT AND FEEDING TO THE SWITCH IN THE SEAT BELT OF THE DRIVER. THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND FAILED YET AGAIN. IF YOU WILL NOTICE, THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH THE 2000 NEW BEETLE BUT ONLY 4 RECALLS OF THIRD PARTY LIGHTING PRODUCTS AND NO ACTUAL VOLKSWAGEN RECALLS. VOLKSWAGEN IS BEING ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH ABUSE TO THE CONSUMER. *TR”

“AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON CONSTANTLY ON A 2000 BEETLE. THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM WIRING UNDER THE SEAT CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO STAY ON...THIS SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL INVESTIGATION! *TR”