2001 Volkswagen Beetle Air Bags & Restraints Problems

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CAR SHOP SAID THE SEAT BELT SWITCH ASSEMBLY FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF THERE WAS A CRASH, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD BE THROWN INTO THE AIR BAG.

I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2001 BEETLE WITH 11,8450 MILES. ON AUG 27, 2014, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT SUDDENLY LOSS TENSION AND WENT LIMP WHILE I WAS DRIVING! THE SEAT BELT CAN NOT BE RETRACTED. THE VW SERVICE THE WAY THE SEAT BELT BECAME LOOSE IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, AND IT SHOULD BE ON OFFICIAL RECORD. VW DENIED RESPONSIBILITY AND MY REQUEST FOR THE REPAIR COST. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO A FAULTY SEAT BELT BUCKLE. *TR

THE STATE OF VIRGINIA REQUIRES VEHICLE INSPECTIONS, ONE ITEM REQUIRES THAT DASH WARNING LIGHTS FOR SEAT BELT AND AIRBAGS OPERATE CORRECTLY. OUR 2001 VW BEETLE HAS AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT THAT WOULD NOT GO OUT. THE VW DEALER CHARGED $100 TO DIAGNOSE THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT (MICRO CHIP) WAS THE CULPRIT AND FOR ANOTHER $500 THE PROBLEM COULD BE CORRECTED. FEELING THIS DEALER WAS TRYING TO "RIP ME OFF" I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS FROM OWNERS OF VW CARS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, CUSTOMER CARE ADVOCATE, FOR INFORMATION ON THIS SAFETY ITEM AND INQUIRED WHY THE EXCESSIVE CHARGE FROM THEIR DEALERS. A SIMPLE REPLY WAS RETURNED SAYING THEY DID NOT SEE A NEED FOR A RECALL TO CORRECT A RECURRING PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IF THE SENSOR DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SEAT BELT IS FASTENED, THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. I WISH TO ADD MY VOICE TO THE MANY COMPLAINTS I FOUND IN THE NHTSA WEB SITE REGARDING VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA'S DISREGARD FOR THE LIVES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS, SO THEIR DEALERS CAN MAKE MONEY FROM A REPEATED CORRECTION TO THIS PROBLEM. AT YOUR REQUEST I WILL PROVIDE FACTS, DOCUMENTS, AND EVIDENCE CONCERNING MY COMPLAINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION IN WHICH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE AND HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

I PURCHASED A 2001 VW BEETLE NEW AND I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP 4 TIMES DUE TO SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ON-GOING PROBLEM EVEN AFTER VW MADE A RECALL AND SUPPOSEDLY "FIX" THE SEAT BELT PROBLEM. THIS VERY FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE CAR HAD LESS 1500 MILES ON IT. *TR

SAB DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY. *TR

THE CHECKERED FLAG VABEACH VA DEALERSHIP ACTUALLY TOLD ME MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE OF A MALFUNCTION OF AN AIRBAG FUSE. IF THIS IS TRUE, THE AIRBAG LIGHT DOES NOT WORK ON 2001 NEW BEETLES. I SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW UP ON THIS DEALERSHIP FOR FAULTY INFORMATION AND CONSUMER NEGLIGENCE . ALL THEY DID WAS RESET THE CODE IN THE COMPUTER. T. FORGEY, CUSTOMER *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT - THE LIGHT WENT ON IMMEDIATELY AFTER I ADJUSTED MY SEAT. I DO NOT KNOW IF I HAVE FUNCTIONING AIR BAGS OR AN IDIOT LIGHT MALFUNCTION. I OWN 2001 VW NEW BEETLE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS ISSUE HAPPENS A LOT WITH VW JETTAS AND NEW BEETLES 2000- 2004. THERE IS A FORUM NAMED FREDS TDI WHERE YOU WILL NOTE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES. APPARENTLY YOU CANNOT JUST CLEAR THE FAULTY CODE. VW SHOULD MAKE SURE THESE DEVICES ARE NOT MALFUNCTIONING. IF THE CODE WAS ERRONEOUSLY CLEARED THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS WOULD BE UNAWARE IF AIR BAG IS OPERATIONAL. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE ON ALL THE TIME, THERE HAS BEEN NO REASON FOR THE LIGHT TO BE ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. APPARENTLY THIS AIRBAG REQUIRES REPLACEMENT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WHILE THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT DEPLOY AIRBAGS IN A CRASH. I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL OWNERS OF VW BEATLES AND ALL HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE LAST THING THAT SHOULD FAIL IN A VEHICLE SHOULD BE THE AIRBAG, AND REPLACEMENT IS VERY EXPENSIVE AT $300 ONCE A YEAR. REPLACEMENT OF A RELAY SEEMS TO REPAIR THE ISSUE FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT IS NOT A PERMANENT REPAIR AS THE SYMPTOMS RETURN. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE ODBC COMPUTER SYSTEM WILL NOT DISPLAY CODES THIS CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY NON-MANUFACTURER AUTOSHOPS. VW OWNERS COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP HERE PLEASE LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING SITE HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=205721&HIGHLIGHT=AIRBAG FOR A LISTING OF SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SWITCH WAS CONNECTED TO THE SEAT BELT, WHICH CAUSED THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE AIR BAG WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE REPAIR COSTS WERE OVER $500. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88,540. * UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS REPLACED. FOR $780 THEY REPLACED THE AIRBAG AND WIRING HARNESS. THIS AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE AND VOLKSWAGEN IS RESPONSIBLE! *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS REPLACED. FOR $780 THEY REPLACED THE AIRBAG AND WIRING HARNESS. THIS AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE AND VOLKSWAGEN IS RESPONSIBLE! *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT ON FOR 2ND TIME SINCE AUG 2006 WHEN CAR WAS BOUGHT USED. NEWBEETLE.ORG MEMBERS ALL HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND I KEEP GETTING CHARGED TO READ CODE AND TURN OFF THE LIGHT BECAUSE IT'S AN "INTERMITTENT" CODE. I'M TIRED OF DRIVING AROUND A VEHICLE KNOWING THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. *NM

2001 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED. *KB THE DEALER DETERMINED THE AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE, HOWEVER NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. *JB

AIR BAG DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON. ONLY A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER HAS THE EQUIPMENT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND TELL ME WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. THE DEALER WILL NOT LOOK AT MY CAR UNLESS I GIVE THEM $100. IS THIS NOT PRICE GOUGING? NO AUTOMOBILE DIAGNOSIS WITH THAT EXPENSIVE. IT WILL NOT TAKE BUT A FEW MINUTES TO HOOK THE COMPUTER UP TO THE CAR AND SPIT OUT A REASON FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT. SO, I CAN PAY THEM $100 TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR I CAN RIDE AROUND WITHOUT AIRBAGS. THIS TYPE OF EXTORTION SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5O MPH THE FRONT PART OF THE VEHICLE HIT AGAINST A TREE. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED HOWEVER ONLY THE DRIVER WAS IN THE VEHICLE. THE END OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG HIT THE DRIVER'S FACE CAUSING PERMANENT FACIAL DAMAGE (ACUTE RECESSION GLAUCOMA). THE CAR WAS DEEMED TOTALED.

THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED THAT THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE, AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK

CONSUMER CLIPPED THE CURB WITH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER ESTIMATED A CHARGE OF $1,400 TO MAKE THE REPAIRS.*AK

CONSUMER FELT THAT THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELTS SHOULD NOT BE HOOKED UP TOGETHER. BOTH AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERABLE. *AK