2005 Volkswagen Beetle Complaint Log

DEFECTIVE WINDOW REGULATOR - DRIVER'S SIDE REAR POWER WINDOW 2005 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. *TR

2005 VW BEETLE BEGAN HAVING SHIFTING ISSUES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO DRIVER'S EDGE. CODES FROM COMPUTER WERE SENSOR RELATED AND TUNE UP NEEDED. I PAID FOR THE TUNE UP AND THE NEXT WEEK I TOOK TO VW DUE TO HARD SHIFTING. CODE WAS CLEARED SO THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. I STILL HAD ISSUES SO I RETURNED THE CAR THEN SUDDENLY I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. MY CAR ONLY HAS 77K SO I THOUGHT $6000 WAS EXTREME. STARTED LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE AND APPARENTLY IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM. PREVIOUS CODE ON CAR WAS IGNITION COIL SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WENT FROM A POSSIBLE RECALL ISSUE TO NEEDING A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

PLASTIC PART IN HEADLIGHTS (WHICH BULB SITS IN) GETS HOT MELTS CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO GO OUT. POTENTIAL FOR FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY LUNGED FORWARD AS IT ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY HESITATE WHILE ACCELERATING AT A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TIPTRONIC SWITCH WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

I HAVE A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE TOP OF THE REAR GLASS WINDOW AND HAS A GAP. THE CAR IS 5 YEARS OLD, BUT IT ONLY HAS CLOSE TO 65,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

THE FIRST TIME I DROVE MY USED OVER 50 MPH ALONG COASTAL ROAD (WITHIN 24 HOURS OF PURCHASE FROM A TOYOTA DEALER), THE ENGINE CUT POWER AND ROLLED TO A STOP. FROM FIRST GEAR, IT BEGAN TO DRIVE AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR OVER 55 ON THE FREEWAY FOR FEAR OF CUTTING POWER. IN AUGUST 2011, THE SAME CUT OF POWER OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING 4 MILES IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE ON THE 405 FREEWAY. I ROLLED OFF THE FREEWAY OFFRAMP AND CAME TO A STOP. THE TRANSMISSION RESET ITSELF AND DROVE UP TO 40 MPH TO MY DESTINATION ON SIDE STREETS. AGAIN THE DEALER ACCUSED THE VALVE BODY. IN JULY 2012, I DECIDED TO LET THE DEALER CHECK THE CAR OUT AGAIN BECAUSE I HAD A STRANGE CUT IN POWER UPON ACCELERATION FROM A LEFT TURN TRAFFIC LIGHT THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT MY FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. AFTER THESE THREE FIXES, I TRUST THE CAR TO DRIVE AROUND TOWN. BUT I SUFFER EXTREME ANXIETY ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR ON A FREEWAY. THIS WEEK, I NEED TO MOVE THE CAR FROM CALIFORNIA 300 MILES TO NEVADA. I AM NOT CERTAIN IF THE TRANSMISSION CAN DRIVE THAT DISTANCE WITHOUT A CUT IN POWER. NOT DEPENDABLE, NOT WORTH $15,000 PRICE TAG. EMBARRASSMENT! *TR

I HAVE A 2005 VW BEETLE WITH 52K MILES. A FEW WEEKS AGO BOTH REAR WINDOWS QUITE WORKING WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF EACH OTHER. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 VW BEETLE, I JUST MADE MY LAST PAYMENT ON IT. IT HAS 102,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. THE WINDOW REGULATOR HAS MESSED UP. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS TWICE. HAD TO REPLACE THE RADIO IN IT. REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHTS NUMEROUS TIMES. THE TRANSMISSION IS THE THING I AM MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT. THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS OF OTHER BUYERS DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR 2005 BEETLE. THESE CARS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUY. IT IS NOT RIGHT TO BUY ANYTHING FOR THIS KIND OF MONEY AND BE FACED WITH ALL THESE EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS. WHEN THE CAR CHANGES GEARS IT SNATCHES YOUR NECK. YOUR HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

2005 VW BEETLE REAR LEFT WINDOW REGULATOR HAS FAILED. THE GLASS IS NOT BROKEN, AND THE MOTOR WORKS, BUT THE WINDOW DOES NOT GO UP OR DOWN WITH THE SWITCH. IT WILL MOVE BY PUSHING/PULLING ON IT. I HAVE NOTICED THIS SAME COMPLAINT ON MANY WEBSITES. I DID NOT SEE WHEN THE WINDOW FAILED, IT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE I PURCHASED IT ON JULY 13, 2010. *TR

NORMAL DRIVING WITH MY VW 2005 BEETLE. IT HAS HAD A LOT OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIME. ONLY HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT. NOW THE POWER WINDOW HAS STOPPED WORKING. ONE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AFTER THE OTHER. SORRY PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

2005 VW BEETLE WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WIRING PROBLEMS AND LIGHTING PROBLEMS. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS IN A LOT OF BEETLES THAT ARE ON THE ROAD. TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 80,000 MILES... THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THE VW COMPANY SEEMS NOT TO CARE. SINCE CAR BOUGHT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS, WHICH VW HAS FIXED MOST OF THEM. THE LIGHTING HARNESS MELTED TOGETHER ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT SIDES, THIS WAS CONCERN OF MINE. WHY????, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED... WITHOUT WARNING.. TOOK IT IN FOR 80,000 MILE SERVICE PAID 600.00 AND THEN TRANSMISSION FAILS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO THE ONGOING PROBLEMS. .... MY BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO WORK IN REVERSE 3 TIMES NOW AND THIS IS SCARY.... I FINALLY GET STOPPED AND THEN HAVE TO PUMP BRAKES. NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM SO FAR WHEN TAKING INTO VW DEALER. *TR

MY PARENTS PURCHASED A 2005 NEW BEETLE FROM VOLKSWAGEN FOR ME WHEN I GOT MY PERMIT IN 2006. THE TRANSMISSION IS NOW FAILING. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST OVER $6000 TO REPLACE. IT SHIFTS HARD AND JERKILY. UPSET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DISCOVERED I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM. I FOUND MANY OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AT THIS WEBSITE: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F124D77/0 . IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON ISSUE WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR TO SCHOOL BECAUSE I AM AFRAID OF IT FAILING WHILE ON THE FREEWAY WITH ALL THE FAST MOVING CARS. I'M IN COLLEGE AND CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY VOLKSWAGEN HASN'T RECALLED THIS. IS IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO FIX ALL OF OUR CARS THAT THEY BUILT POORLY? I DON'T THINK IT'S MY FAULT THAT THEY BUILT AN INFERIOR PRODUCT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

I AM AN ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 VW BEETLE. STARTED NOTICING THE TRANSMISSION, HESITATING AND SLAMMING INTO GEAR, MAINLY WITH 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. THE PROBLEM IS WORSENING, NOW AT 75,000 MILES I EITHER NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION OR AT MINIMUM, A NEW FLYWHEEL. I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND FEEL THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR

I HAVE LESS THAN 80,000 MILES ON MY 2005 VW CONVERTIBLE BEETLE AND WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION COSTING $6000. WHEN RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THIS MODEL IS RIDDLED WITH TRANSMISSION ISSUES. *TR

DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR IS BROKEN. WHILE ROLLING WINDOW DOWN, I HEARD A LOUD SNAP. THE WINDOW WILL ONLY ROLL UP HALF WAY, AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY ROLLS DOWN AGAIN. I CANNOT SECURE MY VEHICLE AS THE WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO KIMBALL VOLKSWAGEN, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE WINDOW REGULATORS, AND THAT IT IS "RE-OCCURRING" PROBLEM! THE COST TO REPAIR THE WINDOW IS $75 FOR THE REPAIR KIT, AND $105 PER HOUR LABOR BY THE DEALERSHIP. MY NEIGHBOR HAS AN 05' RED CONVERTIBLE, HE TOLD ME HE HAS FIXED THE BACK WINDOWS THREE TIMES! THIS IS A CONSUMER RIP OFF. I HAVE NOT FIXED MY WINDOW, BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO, BECAUSE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP IS NOW BROKEN AS WELL. A PLASTIC RIVOT HAS BROKEN OFF AND NOW MY CONVERTIBLE BOOT DOES NOT FOLD CORRECTLY! THIS OF COURSE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED WITH ORIGINAL WARRANTY STILL GOING AND I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (HIGH TECH) WITH IT. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AND THEN SHIFT INTO GEAR OR SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR OR IT WOULD BARELY MOVE. MY MALFUNCTION LIGHTS DIFFERENT ONES WERE COMING ON AND THE CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT. SOMETIMES IT WOULD LEAK ALL THE WATER OUT AND OTHERS YOU WOULD SEE IT BOILING THE CAR ALSO MADE DIFFERENT NOISES AS I DROVE AND THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WOULD MAKE THIS PIERCING NOISE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WOULD GO DOWN AND UP BY ITSELF. WELL THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN REPLACED PLUS MORE.....(2) HEAD GASKETS, A FEW WATERPUMPS, COOLANT FLANGE MELTED A FEW TIMES, A COUPLE THERMOSTATS, IMPELLOR, TIMING BELT TENSIONER NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING NUMEROUS TIMES AND SEVERAL THINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO VW CAPO FOR REPAIR OVER 40 + TIMES I STOPPED COUNTING. VW CAPO IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT HAS SERVICED THIS CAR SINCE MY PURCHASE. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED ON ORTEGA HWY IN 103 DEGREES WITH NO CELL COVERAGE DUE TO VEHICLE OVERHEATING I THINK I'VE BEEN TOWED IN 4 OR 5 TIMES. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT HERE....THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT'S MY FAULT THAT I MUST HAVE PUT SOMETHING IN THE CAR TO CLOG IT. I NOW HAVE REPLACED THE RADIATOR AT MY COST OF $1600 PLUS. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD ALL THESE PROBLEMS?? I HAVE HAD ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE STRUTS, MOUNT, CV BOOTS, CONTROL ARMS ETC......... *TR

2005 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE TRANSMISSION . CARS SLIPS FROM 2ND TO 3RD. JERKS HARD, COMPLAINT TO VW, WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL. RPM'S SUDDENLY ESCALATE WHILE IN CONSTANT GEAR TO 4000 RPM AND THEN LEVEL OFF WHILE ALREADY IN THAT GEAR FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, ALSO WILL HAPPEN WHILE ON CRUISE. STOPS ARE ROUGH AND STARTS ARE THE SAME. 6 SPEED TRIPTRONIC. LUCKY NOT IN ACCIDENT AS OF YET BECAUSE OF DELAYS IN SHIFTING. WILL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT 82,000 STARTED ACTING UP AROUND 60,000. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY LUNGED FORWARD. UPON ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHEN CHANGING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE FREQUENCY OF THE FAILURES HAD INCREASED OVER TIME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

AROUND 80,000 MY 2005 VW BEETLE BEGAN SHIFTING REALLY HARD. IT JERKS BETWEEN GEARS, AND HAS RECENTLY BEEN GETTING STUCK IN FIRST AND THIRD GEAR. SOMETIMES WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR IT IS FINE, BUT OTHER TIMES, IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THE LEVEL OF UNRELIABILITY IS REALLY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO SPEED UP LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO. I'M IN CONSTANT FEAR THAT I WILL GET REAR ENDED OR STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO MECHANICS AND TALKED TO TWO TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE SAID THAT THEY WON'T WORK ON A VW BEETLE'S TRANSMISSION AND THAT I NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I'VE TRIED AIDING THE PROBLEM WITH A NEW BATTERY, BUT THAT HASN'T HELPED. OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE (300 ON TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM) HAVE STATED THAT REPAIRS FOR THIS PROBLEM ARE $5,000-$7,000 AND THAT IT HASN'T ALWAYS FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUOUSLY SLIPS BETWEEN 2ND & 3RD GEAR WHEN DOWNSHIFTING OR UPSHIFTING. OFTEN IT WILL NOT SHIFT AT ALL. THERE IS SEVERE LURCHING OCCASIONALLY WHEN MOVING OR COMING TO A STOP. I HAVE GOTTEN A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WHICH WITHIN DAYS THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE POWER WINDOWS CONTINUOUSLY DO NOT FULLY RAISE- REQUIRING YOU TO MANUALLY RAISE THEM. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED TWICE AND BOTH TIMES AFTER BEING FIXED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. *TR

MY 2005 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, WITH ONLY 56,300 MILES, LURCHES IN THE LOWER GEARS AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY BETWEEN THE LOWER GEARS AND OFTEN REVS UP TO 5000 RPM BEFORE IT "SLAMS" INTO HIGHER GEAR. VW DEALERSHIP IN OKLAHOMA CITY ASSERTS "WE CAN REPLICATE THE PROBLEM". PLEASE HELP! *TR

I OWN A 2005 VW CONVERTIBLE BEETLE AUTOMATIC, WHICH I BOUGHT NEW IN AUGUST OF 2005. IT ONLY HAS 64,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR LURCHING FORWARD OR SHIFTING VERY ROUGHLY BETWEEN FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD GEARS ON UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY AND GETS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE THE WARMER THE CAR GETS. I'VE ALMOST BEEN IN ACCIDENTS SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THE LURCHING, AND I'VE ALMOST BEEN REAR-ENDED ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE OF GEAR SLIPPING. I'VE SPOKEN TO MY TRANSMISSION MECHANIC, AND HE STATED THAT THEY'VE SEEN THESE SAME ISSUES IN MANY OTHER VW'S. I'VE ALSO SEARCHED ONLINE, AND SEEN 100'S OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. I CONTACTED MY VW DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THIS IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM. AFTER DOING A LITTLE BIT OF INTERNET RESEARCH, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S TRUE. I'M HAVING TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THE CAR IS NOT EVEN 5 YEARS OLD. I FEEL UNSAFE AND NERVOUS DRIVING THE CAR AS DO MANY, MANY OTHERS AND I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE FRONT AUTOMATIC WINDOWS IN THIS CAR SINCE AUGUST 2008. IN MAY 2010 THE REAR WINDOWS WOULD GO UP PART WAY AND THEN GO BACK DOWN. I HAD REPAIRS DONE (REINSTALLED WINDOW SEAL AT A COST OF $96.00) THEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2011 THE OTHER REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP AND THE DEALER SAID THAT I NEEDED A "KIT" TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF THE CABLES BINDING UP AND KEEPING THE WINDOW FROM GOING UP. THIS REPAIR COST $800. TODAY THE OTHER REAR WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP AND IS MAKING THE FAMILIAR GRINDING SOUND. I SUSPECT THAT I WILL NEED TO GO TO THE DEALER AND GET A "KIT" FOR THIS WINDOW WHICH IS THE ONE THAT HAD THE SEAL REPLACED ON IT. ANOTHER $800.00 OR SO FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL ONLY TEMPORARILY FIX THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE BACK WINDOWS DOWN ON THIS VEHICLE MAYBE A DOZEN TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. THIS IS CLEARLY A CHEAP AND FAULTY DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER. IF I DO NOT CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE REPAIRS I CANNOT PROPERLY SECURE MY VEHICLE AND RISK DAMAGE OR THEFT. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 VW BEETLE PURCHASED NEW, I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED JERKING BETWEEN 1ST & 2ND THEN IT STARTED STALLING GOING INTO 4TH GEAR AND A FEW DAYS AGO IT SLIPPED OUT OF 6TH GEAR IN THE CALDECOT TUNNEL, NEARLY GOT REAR ENDED! TOOK IT TO A TRANNY GUY AND HE CHECKED IT OUT. COME TO FIND OUT THE VW TECH HE CONTACTED TOLD HIM THAT THEY GO OUT AT 100,000 (CURRENTLY AT 97,700) AND IT CAN TAKE UP TO $7,500 TO REPLACE AND IT CAN'T BE FIXED. VW TECH SAID THEY DID THIS TO GET YOU TO BUY A NEW CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2005 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE IN 10/2009 AS A WAY TO "SAVE MONEY" AND TRADED IN MY SUV. IT HAD 48000 MILES AND NOW HAS 56000. IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. I TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP TO HAVE MY TRANS FLUID CHANGED, THINKING THAT MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY RUINED AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT, WHICH COST $4600+ DOLLARS. MY HUSBAND STARTED LOOKING ONLINE AND THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF TESTIMONIALS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN I TALKED TO THE VW CUSTOMER CARE DEPT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY PROBLEMS OR COMPLAINTS AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T GO TO A DEALERSHIP FOR MY REPAIRS, OR PURCHASE THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY, I AM OUT OF LUCK. I'M AFRAID IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. AT LEAST I WENT TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP, BECAUSE LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE THAT HAD THEIR TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED AT THE VW DEALER, LOTS OF THEM ARE NEEDING THEM REPLACED AGAIN. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT, I AM THANKFUL THAT MY TRANSMISSION DIDN'T GO OUT OR ACT UP WHEN I WAS ON THE FREEWAY OR SOMEWHERE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE MAKE VW BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, COME TO FIND OUT, COMMON DEFECT. THE PROBLEMS STARTED PROBABLY IN 1/2010 AND JUST HAD THE TRANS REBUILT 4/2010. *TR

MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE. IT HAS NUMEROUS SAFETY ISSUES: 1. THE TAIL LIGHTS CEASE WORKING ALTHOUGH THE BULBS ARE GOOD. THE BULB CONTACTS ARE INADEQUATE FOR BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. THIS HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES ON HER CAR IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. 2. THE CONVERTIBLE HEADLINER PULLS AWAY FROM THE REAR WINDOW AND DROOPS IN FRONT OF THE REAR WINDOW BLOCKING THE VIEW IN THE REAR VIEW WINDOW. THIS HAS OCCURRED 5 TIMES IN THE PAST 4 YEARS AND SHE HAS STOPPED USING THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO PREVENT HER FROM HAVING A ACCIDENT. 3. THE POWER WINDOWS HAVE FAILED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT COME UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN THREE YEARS. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY VW OWNERS (DO A GOOGLE SEARCH). THEY ARE ALL SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

2005 VW BEETLE, BEGAN SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR AND THE FINAL STRAW WAS IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC AND IT SLIPPED OUT COMPLETELY, WAS NEARLY KILLED! FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AT 97,700 AND APPARENTLY THIS HAPPENS QUITE A BIT WITH THESE VEHICLES, TO REPLACE IS $7,500. THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE, NTSB WON'T SAY IF OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING ABOUT IT. *TR

OUR SON BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION JERKING ON HIS AUTOMATIC 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE AROUND 75,000 MILES. THE SHIFTING CAN BE SO SEVERE AS IF THE CAR HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. WHEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NEVER CHECKED BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETELY ENCASED AND THE FLUID IS NEVER CHECKED WHEN SERVICED. WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE ABOUT $5000. TO REPAIR. *TR

1. CAR IS 5 YEARS OLD / 40K MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING - HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. READ ONLINE THAT OTHER VW HAD SAME ISSUE - CLEARLY MANUFACTURING FAILURE. 2. TRANSMISSION FAILURE 3. VALVE BODY REPLACED. *TR

MY 2005 VW BUG TURBO JERKS SO VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS THAT I'VE NEARLY HIT A HANDFUL OF CARS WHEN I'M TRYING TO MOVE SLOWLY AHEAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, HAVE SERVICED IT FAITHFULLY, IT IS A 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC AND IT ONLY JUST TURNED 50K MILES. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I FIRST NOTICED IT SHIFTING ROUGHLY BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR (BOTH UPSHIFTING AND DOWN SHIFTING) I MENTIONED IT TO MY VW SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID "THAT'S WHAT ALL BUGS DO," AND BRUSHED ME OFF. I'M WRITING YOU NOW BECAUSE THE JERKING HAS BECOME SO VIOLENT IT FEELS LIKE I'M BEING REAR ENDED EACH TIME IT MOVES FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THANK YOU. *TR

AFTER 15 OR SO MINUTES THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO MISS FIRST & SECOND GEAR SHIFTING ERRATICALLY IF YOU ARE MAKING A LEFT TURN, IT IS QUITE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE FOR A FEW SECONDS THIS CAN CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT, IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS & OTHER VW 2005 SUPER BEETLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $338. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,500.

I BOUGHT A 2005 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE IN 2005 WITH THE OPTIONAL 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR NOW HAS APPROX 80000 MILLES ON THE ODOMETER AND THE TRANSMISSION JERKS AND SLIPS IN ALL GEARS. THE TACHMOMETER WINDS 3000 RPMS ABOVE WHAT THE ENGINE SHOULD RUNNING AT ANY PARTICULAR SPEED WHEN THIS OCCURS. DURING THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IN TRAFFIC I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND WHICH PLACES ME AT RISK OF A COLLISION.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FORWARD AND DOWNWARD SHIFT ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED TO GIVE $1,500 TOWARDS THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

2005 VW NEW BEETLE AUTO 6 SPEED 57,000 MILES. HARD DOWNSHIFTING. THIS PROBLEM IS ONGOING. *TR

NEW VW BEETLE HEADLIGHT AND TAILLIGHT FAILURES. THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY DAUGHTERS 2005 BEETLE FAIL BUT CAN BE MADE TO WORK AGAIN BY HITTING THE HEADLIGHT WITH THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. HEADLIGHT/TAILLIGHT FAILURES ARE REPORTED AS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW BEETLE AND VERIFIED BY MY VW DEALER IN METAIRIE, LA. LAST NIGHT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. TODAY I REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND INSPECTED THE CONNECTIONS AND WIRING. BOTH ASSEMBLIES HAVE HEAT AND CURRENT RELATED WIRING FAILURES. WHERE THE WIRE IS CRIMPED TO THE BULB FLAG TYPE CONNECTOR THE WIRE IS DISCOLORED AND IS CORRODED. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRE IS ALSO DISCOLORED AND CRACKING FROM HEAT OR OVERCURRENT OR BOTH. THIS APPLIES TO THE LOW BEAM CONNECTORS FOR BOTH LIGHTS. THE BULBS ARE THE ORIGINAL PHILLIPS 55W WHICH IS SPEC FOR THE LOW BEAM. MANY OWNERS THINK THEIR BULBS HAVE FAILED AND THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THERE ARE MANY BLOGS REGARDING EARLY BULB FAILURE IN THE NEW BEETLE AS MOST OWNERS SIMPLY ARE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE ASSEMBLY AS IT REQUIRES MECHANICAL SKILLS AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE. I'VE ALSO HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS REGARDING THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES BUT I HAVE NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THEM AS I DID IN THIS CASE. AGAIN THE VW DEALER TOLD ME TAIL LIGHT FAILURES ARE COMMON AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY VW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY PROBLEM AND NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 NEW BEETLE CONV. IN 12/08 I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR 40K MILE SERVICE AT WHICH TIME THE TRANSMISSION WAS CHECKED FOR LEAKS AND FLUID LEVEL. IN 2/10 MY TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS NO GOOD. MY PROBLEMS STARTED ABOUT LATE NOVEMBER 2009 TO DECEMBER 2009. I STARTED TO HAVE HESITATION PROBLEMS FROM TAKE OFF AND COMING TO A STOP AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. I FIRST THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS BAD GASOLINE, HOWEVER THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. I WOULD BE GOING ALONG JUST FINE AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD JERK HARD SOMETIMES TO CHANGE GEARS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. AND WOULD WHINE AND HESITATE AND JERK TO CHANGE GEARS WHEN TAKING OFF. THIS PROBLEM GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN I WAS TOLD @ 55,000 MILES I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. SO A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED TO THE TUNE OF $5,700. THIS IS NOT WAS I BARGAINED FOR. *TR

2005 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE - SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT DID THIS AND IT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLES IN FONT OF ME AND BEHIND ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE INTO THE RIGHT LANE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT FOR NOW. READING OTHER FORUMS ABOUT VW, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT VW IS HAVING WITH A LOT OF THEIR VEHICLES. YOUR JOB IS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, SO PLEASE DO YOUR JOB AND KEEP OUR HIGHWAYS SAFE. *TR

DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY IN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING SEVERE CAR TROUBLES ON-ROAD, SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING WHILE GOING 60 MPH ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. *TR

THE CAR HAS 62,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN JUST DROVE AROUND TOWN AND IS NOW HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES IT HAS PROBLEMS GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND WHEN I SLOW DOWN IT DOWN SHIFTS SO HARD IT FELT LIKE I WAS BEING HIT FROM BEHIND!!! I WAS SO STARTLED WHEN IT HAPPENED I HAD CHEST PAINS!!! ITS LOOKING LIKE THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM!!!!! *TR

2005 VW BEETLE SLIPPING IN AND OUT OF GEARS WHEN SLOWING DOWN. *TR

OWNER OF A 05 BEETLE. TRANSMISSION ISSUES STARTED AT 60,000 MILES. PUT IN A LOT OF MONEY ON REPAIRS WITHOUT REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE TOLD AFTERWARDS THE TRANS HAD TO BE REPLACED. LOOKED ONLINE AND A LOT OF 05' BEETLES ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME EFFECTS AS EARLY AS 30,000 MILES!! THE CAR IS FINE FOR THE FIRST 15 MINS THAN IT JERKS VIOLENTLY INTO 3 & 4TH GEAR. THE JERKING GETS SO BAD IT FEELS AS IF I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. I GET PANIC ATTACKS ESPECIALLY AT STALE GREEN LIGHTS OR INTERSECTIONS IN GENERAL. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL EVER ON MY CAR AND NOTICED ONLINE A RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS WENT INTO AFFECT ON APR 08 WHICH MY AIR BAG HAS BEEN OUT. I HAVE PAID $15,000 AND STILL HAVE $14,500 TO PAY OFF IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS WITH A PAYMENT OF $400 A MONTH!!! I CAN NOT AFFORD TO BUY A NEW TRANS FOR MY CAR. ALL THESE 05 BEETLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE DUE TO THEIR TRANS FAILING AND VERY LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP WITH OIL CHANGES, TRANS FLUSHES, NEW FILTERS YOU NAME IT. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THE "CAR OF MY DREAMS" GIVES ME ANXIETY ATTACKS JUST TO DRIVE IT. DRIVING IS ONE OF MY MANY MODES OF TRANSPORT EVERYDAY! PLEASE HELP VW OWNERS WITH 05' BEETLES GET OUR CARS FIXED, I AM PAYING A LOT OF MONEY FOR A CAR THAT I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

THIS IS ON A CAR WITH A 1.9L BEW ENGINE AND 6 SPEED DSG GEARBOX. PROBLEM EMERGED AS A ROUGH IDLE (LIKE A CYLINDER WAS MISSING) AND KNOCKING SOUNDS WHILE AT IDLE AND DURING ENGINE SHUTDOWN AS ENGINE COMES TO A STOP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND DEALER DIAGNOSED AS FAILING DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL, $1398 TO FIX. I GOT LUCKY AND MINE DIDN'T EXPLODE/DISINTEGRATE AS SOME OTHERS HAVE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW YET IF IT HAS CAUSED OTHER DAMAGE TO ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION. CAR HAS 73,000 MILES ON IT AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SPENT EXTRA MONEY ON EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW TO HOPEFULLY AVOID SITUATIONS LIKE THIS - THE LONGEST WARRANTY I WAS OFFERED WAS 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. VW HAS RE-DESIGNED THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL TO IMPROVE IT AND THEY HAVE RECALLED THE CARS IN OTHER COUNTRY'S BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE BUT NOT HERE IN THE U.S. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM, OTHERWISE WHY THE RE-DESIGNED PART OR RECALL? THE FAILING FLYWHEEL COULD ALSO CAUSE SEVER DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. *TR

2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING HARD AT AROUND 56,000 MILES. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR. HAD A SENSOR REPLACED. THAT HELPED SOME BUT NOW IT IS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR AGAIN - EVERYDAY. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS. WHY HASN'T VW BEEN MADE TO CORRECT THESE ISSUES? *TR

I BOUGHT A 2005 VW BEETLE WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT. IT DROVE GREAT UNTIL ABOUT 70,000+ MILES WHEN IT STARTING HARD SHIFTING. IT IS HARD SHIFTING WHEN GEARING UP FROM 2ND TO 3RD AND WHEN IT GEARS DOWN FROM 4TH TO 3RD. IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I DRIVE THE CAR. *TR

MY 2005 VW BEETLE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND JERKING ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. I T HAS 50+ K MILES ON IT. FINALLY TOOK IT INTO ARMSTRONG VW DEALER IN GLADSTONE OR AND WAS TOOK IT WAS THE "TRANSMISSION VALVE" AND WOULD COST MORE THAN $2000.00 TO REPAIR AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY!! THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT NOW TELLS ME THAT IF I PAY $550.00 FOR A COMPLETE 45K MILE TUNEUP THAT VW WILL REPLACE THE PART FOR FREE. YES, THE CAR HAS OVER 50K MILES ON IT! PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE THE BEETLE SERVICED AT A LOCAL GARAGE BUT THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE TUNEUP MUST BE DONE BY A VW DEALER! THIS IS A HOSTAGE SITUATION. IT APPEARS FROM INTERNET RESEARCH THAT MANY, MANY OWNERS OF VW BEETLES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS LURCHING HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. *CN

HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES A YEAR, CAN ONLY BE DONE AT A DEALER AND ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT ON FOR SECOND TIME, VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, HAS COST ME SO FAR $110 FOR A DEALER TO CHECK AND $117 FOR PARTS NOT TO COUNT MY LABOR FOR REPLACEMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTRA $400 OR SO. I BELIEVE VEHICLE FALLS UNDER A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND DURING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BAD PARTS I FOUND THE BAD PARTS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL NO. 08V178000 ON MY VEHICLE WHICH I STILL HAVE. WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE, WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL BY VW AMERICA BUT ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENT NO. RCMN-08V178-2838.PDF FOUND ON THIS WEB SITE UNDER DEFECTS & RECALLS, IS IN FACT ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MY REPAIRS FINISHED, WHICH SHOULD ONLY REQUIRE THE AIRBAG COMPUTER TO BE RESET AND MY PREVIOUS COST AND POSSIBLE LABOR CHARGE REFUNDED TO ME BY VW OF AMERICA. *TR

I OWN A 2005 VW BEETLE, WITH A 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER TODAY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION VALUE BODY IN BAD AFTER ONLY 67006 MILES, COSTING $2300 DOLLARS. THEY ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE CARS DOESN'T SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND OR 3RD TO 4TH ON A IRREGULAR BASICS. LOOKING A VARIES WEB SITES. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THOUSAND ARE HAVING WITH THIS CAR. PLEASE MAKE VOLKSWAGEN RECALL THESE CRAPPIE TRANSMISSIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE A ACCIDENT AT ANY TIME COSTING SOMEONE'S LIFE. THE COST TO REPAIR IS ABOUT $2400 DOLLARS. *TR

MY HARD-SHIFTING BEETLE'S TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACING! I DROVE MY LAST BEETLE FOR 10 YEARS! NOW THIS CAR, ONLY NOW 6 YEARS OLD HAS A FAILING TRANSMISSION? THIS BEGAN VERY SLOWLY. WHEN I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALER FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR RECALL I ASKED ABOUT IT BUT WE COULDN'T REPLICATE IT. NOW THEY RECALL THE VALVE BODY, A PART WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION, YET VW HAS DENIED MY CLAIM TO THE WARRANTY. THEY STATE MY TRANSMISSION IS ENTIRELY RUINED AND THE VALVE BODY REPLACEMENT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM NOW. WELL WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS OTHER THAN THE FAULTY VALVE BODY? THIS CAR IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD FROM NEUTRAL TO 1ST GEAR, THEN CLUNKS THROUGH THE REST OF THE GEARS. PLEASE HELP GET THESE DANGEROUS CARS OFF THE ROAD.