2000 Volkswagen New Beetle electrical system problems

“Terminal Box above battery has a black wire that get extremely hot and melts in its receptacle in the terminal box. Have replaced the terminal box and that one was also melted within a few days after installation of the new box.”

“ELECTRICAL SURGES...BLOWS FUSE BLOCK...MELTS DOWN FUSE BLOCK. REPLACED FUSE BLOCK ABOVE THE BATTERY THREE TIMES SINCE OWNING THE CAR. CAR WAS BEING USED IN THE CITY.”

“HIS COMPLAINT CONSISTS OF A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE, IN WHICH IT DOESN'T APPLY TO ANY WARRANTY WHATS SO EVER. WHETHER IT'S A NEW VEHICLE OR NOT. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE SWITCHBLADE PROGRAMMABLE TYPE KEY WITH REMOTE. VOLKSWAGEN HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THESE TYPE KEYS FOR SOMETIME BUT HAS FAILED THE CONSUMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THEY INSTEAD TAKE THE APPROACH, WHICH PROFIT OUTWEIGHS THE CONSUMERS, THEY PUT PROFIT BEFORE CONSUMERS, AND SAFETY. THESE KEYS PRODUCE A ''DANGER'' TO NOT ONLY THE CONSUMERS BUT EVERYONE ON THE HIGHWAYS AROUND THEM THE SAFETY AND MARKSMANSHIP OF THE KEY CAN BREAK OFF DURING USE, SO IF THIS HAPPENS DURING A CRASH, THE CONSUMER WOULD BE UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH AGAIN PRODUCES AN IMMEDIATE ''DANGER''. THE REMOTE SWITCHBLADE KEY IS ONLY SECURED BY A VERY CHEAP MADE PLASTIC. IT'S VERY POORLY DESIGNED AND MADE. IF THE ENCASING THAT HOLDS THE KEY WAS MADE OUT OF METAL OR ALUMINUM THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE KEY, IS THAT VOLKSWAGEN MADE THE KEY PROGRAMMABLE WITH A CHIP, SO THE KEY HAS TO BE CUT DOWN THE MIDDLE, AND PROGRAMMED, WHICH MEANS THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE…”

“I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR AND JUST STALLED ON AN INTERSECTION AND SMOKE JUST CAME OUT UNDER THE HOOD AND I SMELLED IT TOO, OPENED THE HOOD AND FUSE BOX HAD MELTED WHICH IS LOCATED ON TOP OF BATTERY AND FIRE INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, UNDER THE BATTERY HAS BEEN BURNING AND ALSO MELTED THE WIRES.”

“MY DAUGHTER'S CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY NIECE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE LIGHT WENT ON SIGNALING IT WAS OVER HEATING SO SHE PULLED OVER TO A CALL BOX AND WHILE SHE WAS MAKING THE CALL FOR ASSISTANCE SHE HEARD A POP POP AND THE FRONT HOOD WAS ON FIRE AND A MAN PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO PUT IT OUT WITH HIS EXTINGUISHER WHICH DIDN'T WORK AND THE WHOLE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES. IT WAS COMPLETELY BURNED UP WHICH ALSO BURNED DOWN THE CALL BOX ON THE FREEWAY. SHE HAD JUST SPENT APROXIMATELY $1, 400 ON REPAIRS ON THE CAR WHICH WAS MAINLY ON THE COOLING SYSTEM. *TR”

“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”