There are 50 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2004 Volkswagen Beetlein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE WINDOWS ON THE DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT ROLL UP. THEY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A VOLKSWAGEN PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE WINDOW SIDE AS OF THIS DATE. IF THERE IS A RECALL, PLEASE ADVISE. I NEED THIS FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WINDOW REGULATOR. *TR
REAR WINDOW WENT UP AND THEN DOWN BY ITSELF...THEN A CRACKING NOISE ENSUED AND NOW WINDOW IS STUCK OPEN. HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF BEETLE CONVERTIBLES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS DUE PRIMARILY TO POOR ENGINEERING. VW MAKES $500-600 FOR EVERY REPAIR. (SEE: HTTP://NEWBEETLE.ORG/FORUMS/NEW-BEETLE-CONVERTIBLE/38354-BACK-WINDOW-REGULATOR-MOTORS-VW-RECALL.HTML). *TR
THE BACK WINDSHIELD HAS POPPED AWAY FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. *TR
THIS THE 3RD WINDOW REGULATOR TO FAIL. ONE DOOR AND NOW BOTH REAR REGULATORS. *TR
I HAVE HAD THE REGULATOR REPLACED IN MY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND MY FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS. IT SEEMS THAT THERE MIGHT BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH THE REGULATORS/WINDOWS. THANK YOU. *TR
MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. AFTER READING MANY FORUMS I CAN CONCLUDE THAT IT IS THE REGULATOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THESE CARS. I AM MOST LIKELY GOING TO HAVE TO PAY UPWARDS OF $1000.00 TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT ON VOLKSWAGENS PART. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES THIS TAKE TO GET A RECALL. *TR
WINDOW REGULATOR FAULTY ON ALL WINDOWS. *TR
THIS IS FOR A CONVERTIBLE BEETLE: THE REAR WINDOW ROLLED DOWN WHILE OPENING THE TOP, MADE A GRINDING SOUND, AND NOW WILL NOT GO UP EITHER WITH THE CONVERTIBLE TOP CLOSE BUTTON, NOR WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WINDOW BUTTON - THE WINDOW MOTOR WORKS, BUT THE REGULATOR MECHANISM MAKES A GRINDING SOUND AND THE WINDOW STAYS IN OPEN POSITION (ON-LINE ENTRY SYSTEM WON'T ACCEPT CORRECT PHONE # SO I LIST IT HERE: CORRECT DAYTIME PHONE IS [XXX]) . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
BOTH REAR WINDOW CONTROL MECHANISMS HAVE GONE BAD. I HAVE DONE A SEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. *TR
ALL THE WINDOWS APPEAR TO HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS, THE BACK RIGHT MAKES A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE AND WON'T BUDGE, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MAKES A WEIRD NOISE BUT MOVES, AND THE OVERALL PLACEMENT OF THE WINDOWS IS ODD AND LEAKS AIR. *TR
2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE - DRIVER SIDE WINDOW ROLLED DOWN AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN REAR WINDOW REGULATOR- APPARENTLY UNDER RECALL BY VOLKSWAGEN BUT CAN'T GET CONFIRMATION. *TR
2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. REAR WINDOWS DO NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN. REAR WINDOWS REGULATOR/MOTORS BROKE. DESIGN DEFECT. REVISED PART. DEALER WANTS OVER $700.00 PER SIDE TO FIX. PARTS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER!!!! *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS WERE INOPERABLE AND REMAINED OPEN. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
BOTH BACK WINDOW REGULATORS WENT OUT JUST THREE DAYS APART AND THE VW DEALERS WANTS $1,000.00 TO REPAIR. VW OF AMERICA EXTENDED THE FRONT WINDOW REGULATORS WARRANTY BUT REFUSE TO FIX MY BACK WINDOWS. I CAN NOT ROLL UP MY WINDOWS AT ALL. THEY ARE STUCK DOWN INSIDE THE CAR. *TR
WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. THIS IS THE 3RD OF 4 WINDOW REGULATORS TO FAIL. REAR PASSENGER WINDOW FAILED TO ASCEND LEAVING CABIN OPEN TO WEATHER. POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT INCREASED AS DRIVER WAS FORCED TO DIVIDE ATTENTION BETWEEN FAILED WINDOW AND DRIVING TASKS AT NEAR HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
WINDOW REGULATOR ON OUR 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE FAILED ON THE SECOND REAR WINDOW ON DECEMBER 18, 2010. THE FIRST OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2010. ACCORDING TO OUR REPAIRMAN, THIS WINDOW REGULATOR IS A VERY POOR DESIGN AND HAPPENS ON MANY BEETLES, EVEN NEW 2010 VERSIONS. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL OR WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR ITS DESIGN PROBLEM. OUR COST TO REPAIR WILL BE $850 TO $1,000. *TR
WELL IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. FIRST THING, THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHTS. THE TOP WILL NOT COME DOWN BY IT SELF. THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON ( AIR BAG, BRAKES, CHECK ENGINE, EMISSIONS). SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE HOLES IN THE MUFFLER. LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW FELL DOWN AND THEY WON'T 800 TO FIX, THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. *TR
DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED IN THE DOWN POSITION ON MY 2004 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE REGULATOR HAS FAILED ON MANY NEW BEETLES. THE WINDOW REGULATOR HAS BEEN COVERED FOR 2003 - 2005 NEW BEETLE SEDANS BUT NOT CONVERTIBLES. I WANT TO DOCUMENT THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS ON THE CONVERTIBLES AS WELL. *TR
DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW FAILED 9-22-10. I PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN. I TRIED TO PUT THE WINDOWS BACK UP AS IT WAS STARTING TO RAIN. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW WILL ONLY GO HALF WAY UP AND THEN STOPS AND GOES BACK DOWN. *TR
THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON THE 2004 NBC ARE DEFECTIVE. BOTH OF MY REAR WINDOWS HAVE BROKEN. ACCORDING TO VW, THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WHERE THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THESE PARTS FOR 7 YEARS. WHEN I CALLED TO SEE ABOUT MINE THEY SAID THE CONVERTIBLES WERE NOT COVERED, EVEN THOUGH THE SAME PARTS WERE USED. THE WINDOWS BROKE WHEN I ROLLED THEM DOWN TO GET THE MORNING CONDENSATION OFF OF THEM. AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC WILL CHARGE ME $260 PER WINDOW VERSUS THE $500 PER WINDOW QUOTED BY VW. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026