There are 9 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2005 Volkswagen Beetlein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGN, IT STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 45 MPH PARTICLES FROM THE A/C VENTS STARTING COMING OUT AND FLEW INTO MY EYE. DISTRACTED I ALMOST HIT THE VEHICLE THAT STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. I ENDED UP USING A WATER BOTTLE TO FLUSH MY EYES OUT TO STOP THE IRRITATION. THE PARTICLES ARE BLACK AND DISINTEGRATE INTO DUST OR POWDER UPON CONTACT. I HAVE SEARCH THE INTERNET IN REFERENCE TO THIS ISSUE AND FOUND OUT THAT SEVERAL INCIDENTS ARE OCCURRING. THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THE ISSUE AND HOW EXPENSIVE A REPAIR IT WOULD BE. THEIR SOLUTION IS TO KEEP BLOWING OUT THE DUCTS WITH COMPRESSED AIR UNTIL THE HEAT SHIELD IS GONE. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE HEAT SHIELD IF ITS NOT NECESSARY? THE PART NUMBER I WAS GIVEN IS 1J1820007 HOUSING WITH EVAPORATOR. I JUST SPOKE WITH VW CONSUMER DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT NO RECALLS OR SAFETY ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED. THIS CAN AND IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BOTH FROM A SAFETY STAND POINT AND CAR MANUFACTURE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CONSUMER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. ONE MONTH LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. IN ADDITION TO THE PREVIOUS REPAIR, THE CV BOOSTER WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
THIS CAR IS HORRIBLE! AT 70,000 MILES THE CAR WOULD JERK WHILE IT WAS DRIVING. IT WAS ESPECIALLY SCARY IF IT STARTED TO JERK/KICK WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. I GOT A NEW TRANSMISSION, NEW ENGINE. THEN 20,000 MILES LATER, IT DID IT AGAIN AND NOW VOLKSWAGEN SAID IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION! AGAIN! MORE JERKING, AND IT BECAME WORSE AFTER I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIXED "UNDER WARRANTY" I WILL COMPLAIN TO THE BBB AS WELL. HORRIBLE THAT I PUT SO MUCH MONEY IN ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE CAR STILL WONT WORK. SAFETY PROBLEMS AS WELL. *TR
I HAVE 2005 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH ONLY 43,351 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY I HAD TO REPLACE WATER PUMP DUE TO THE IMPELLER BEING MADE OF PLASTIC ATTACHED TO METAL AND NOW MY REAR WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BROKEN AND WONT ROLL UP OR DOWN THE WINDOWS. I PAID $650.00 TO FIX WATER PUMP AND WAS TOLD I COULD EXPECT TO REPLACE IT AGAIN IN 40000 MILES DUE TO ITS POOR MANUFACTURING. THIS FROM A VOLKSWAGEN MECHANIC. A WEEK LATER THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON MY BEETLE ALSO BROKE. LOOKING THROUGH THE INTERNET I FOUND ALOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH VOLKSWAGEN FOR THE SAME THING THAT IM EXPERIENCING WITH MY CAR. I CAN UNDERSTAND NOTHING IS PERFECT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERYONE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE PROBLEMS WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES BOTH YEAR MODEL AND MAKE AND SOMEONE NEED TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER NOW. I HOPE ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO INSTITUTE A RECALL FOR VOLKSWAGEN TO ACT UPON. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A NOISE WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND THE FLYWHEEL SUDDENLY EXPLODED AND LOCKED THE VEHICLE, DAMAGING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FLYWHEEL AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER A MECHANIC INSPECTED IT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 148,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000.
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
ENGINE MISFIRE FAULT. DTC P0300. *JB
ATTEMPTED TO STOP IN DRIVEWAY, ENGINE RACED OUT OF CONTROL, COULD NOT STOP AND HIT UTILITY TRAILER IN YARD, CAR CAME TO STOP BECAUSE OF COLLISION, SHIFTED INTO CAR STILL IN GARAGE BEING FIXED. *JB
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