Air bags
Free remedy
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER DETECTION FUNCTION OF THE PASSIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (PODS) MAY BECOME DISABLED.
75 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle cite air bags, 21% of all 361 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WHICH WAS A PART OF THE DRIVER'S FRONTAL SEAT BELT SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.”
“VW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, OBD SENSOR PORT NOT READING, BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON, NOW RADIO IS GOING ON AND OFF. STARTED YESTERDAY MORNING,WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE ABS STARTED AFTER WORK ON THE WAY HOME.”
“1. AIR BAG: THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT IS ILLUMINATING. 2. SUNROOF DRAIN SYSTEM CLOGGED: THERE IS LEAKAGE THROUGH THE SUNROOF OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALL RAIN WATER IS COMING IN FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR. AFTER ABOUT 2 WEEKS OF THUNDER STORMS THE CAR HAS WATER ALL OVER THE INSIDE AND THE CEILING AND SMELLS BAD. (AS SOON AS I FOUND OUT THE SUNROOF LEAKAGE PROBLEM OF THIS CAR, I FOUND THAT HE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT HAS APPROVED A $69 MILLION SETTLEMENT STEMMING FROM A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT THAT STARTED IN 2007 OVER LEAKING SUNROOFS. HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2014/VOLKSWAGEN-SETTLES-LAWSUIT-LEAKING-SUNROOFS.SHTML)”
“IN 2008 I TOOK MY VW BEETLE TO THE VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN MURRIETA, CA ON DATE STREET AND THEY HAVE RECORD THAT THEY FIXED THE AIR BAG LIGHT/ AND REPLACE THE SWITCH WHICH WAS LIT UP ON MY DASH INSTRUMENT PANEL. WELL I TOOK THE SAME CAR 2004 VW BEETLE BACK ON 08/17/2015 AT 8:15 AM SO THEY COULD TAKE CARE OF MY AIRBAG LIGHT WHICH CAME ON AGAIN AT 107,000 MILES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL SWITCHES FROM THE SEATBELTS TO THE FRONTEND AND ALSO BEHIND THE CARS DASH THAT CAN CAUSE THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON BUT, BEING THIS IS A LIFE SAVING PART ON MY CAR I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A RECALL SERVICE AND PART ON MY RETURN VISIT. AS I SEE IT THIS IS A DEFECT AND A SAFETY HAZARD AND I SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED A $126.00 TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND PAY MORE FOR THE PART AND SERVICE TO FIX A DEFECTIVE ITEM. IF I'M INCORRECT PLEASE ADVISE ME SO I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS MY FAULT. I THOUGHT IF YOU FIXED THE PROBLEM THEN IT SHOULD BE ON THE COMPANY OR PERSONS WHO REPAIRED THE RECALL ISSUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE TO MY FRUSTRATION WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING 25 MPH AND MY FRONT BUMPER HIT A PARKED CAR, AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND RENDERED ME UNCONSCIENCE IT CAUSED $12,000 TO MY TEETH AND POSSIBLE HEAD INJURY AND 18 MONTHS AT A SPECIALIST DENTAL, HAD TO HAVE A BONE GRAPH AND STINT IN MY MOUTH, LIVER AND ABDOMINAL CONTUSION HAD TO PAY AN ATTORNEY $9,000 TO AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT ME IN COURT, I LOST MY JOB AND AM NOW ON SSD”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V356000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,600.”
Showing 6 of 75 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER DETECTION FUNCTION OF THE PASSIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (PODS) MAY BECOME DISABLED.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.