There are 4 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2007 Volkswagen Beetlein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2ND BEETLE. SAME ISSUE. (FIRST ONE LEAKED FLUID). THIS ONE DOES NOT LEAK BUT HAS THE SAME HORRIBLE SHIFTING ISSUE! I LOVE MY CAR BUT HEAR FROM ALL THE MECHANICS THAT THIS IS THE NORM WITH THESE VEHICLES. SO WHY IS IT NOT RECALLED????? IS IT TRANSMISSION OR SOMETHING ELSE? 2007 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IT HAS 91,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN THE CAR TRANSMISSION IS COLD IT SHIFTS OK MOST OF THE TIME. BUT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION HAS WARMED UP ITS A GIVEN TO JERK AND HESITATE. SPECIALLY WHEN IT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR I FEEL A HITTING NOISE. ALSO FACING THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN IT DOWN SHIFTS BUT NOT ALWAYS. EMBARRASSING REALLY! SOMETIMES IT SHIFTS HARD IN HIGHER GEAR ON HIGHWAY OR SEEMS TO MISS AND RPM GOES UP AND IT HESITATES TO SHIFT. IT FINALLY DOES WHILE I AM HOLDING MY BREATH AND PRAY IT DOES NOT STALL WHILE I AM TURNING OR IN THE INTERSECTION OR ON THE HIGHWAY. IT REALLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE! I LOVE MY LITTLE CAR THOUGH... GURRRRRRRRR.. SO MAD. WHAT COULD BE THE ISSUE? HOW COULD I FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT ON A LIFT TO ALWAYS CHECK TRANSMISSION FLUID. I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR, ITS A SHAME BECAUSE ITS IN GREAT CONDITION. TRIPLE WHITE CONVERTIBLE AND NO WEAR. AM I LOOKING AT 3K FOR A NEW TRANS? SO I AM TO GIVE UP AND SELL IT TO SOME OTHER POOR SOUL (SUCKER). THAT'S AWFUL. THERE IS A GRAVEYARD FULL OF YOUR CARS IN THE JUNK YARDS FOR PARTS.. SICKENING AND SAD!
AFTER DEPARTING MY HOME, AND DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 23 MILES, I HAD A BRIEF SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING, HOWEVER, ALL THE WINDOWS WERE OPEN AND I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OF 12 LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND FELT IT COULD BE FROM ANY WHERE, NOT NECESSARILY MY VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, I CAUGHT A FLASH IN MY RIGHT EYE, THAT DREW MY ATTENTION TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD, BUT WHEN I LOOKED I THOUGHT PERHAPS IT WAS A SUN REFLECTION. DIRECTING MY ATTENTION BACK TO THE HIGHWAY, SECONDS LATER, I CAUGHT A SECOND FLASH AND THIS TIME WHEN LOOKING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD, THERE WAS FLAMES INSIDE THE CAR NEAR THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT TOWARDS THE FLOOR AND DOOR, AND BLACK SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY, TURNED OFF THE CAR, EVACUATED WITH MY BELONGINGS, AS THE CAR BECAME TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND ASSISTANCE ARRIVED TO INCLUDE THE STATE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND TURNPIKE STAFF. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP ON CAMERA BY THE TURNPIKE DISPATCHER ONCE I CALLED IN. NOTE: THIS VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED 35 DAYS PRIOR FROM THE VW DEALER WHERE PURCHASED 4 YEARS AGO! I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AT ALL, AND HAVE A CAR FAX THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME WHEN PURCHASED THAT SHOWS NO PREVIOUS RECALL EITHER. SOMETHING WENT SERIOUSLY WRONG ON 25 JUL 2015. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY MORE TRAGIC DAMAGE, TO INCLUDE MY LIFE, OTHER VEHICLES, AND POSSIBLY OTHER LIVES.
I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THERE IS OIL LEAKING ONTO TIMING COVER AT THE REAR OF CYLINDER HEAD. VERY COSTLY AND THERE IS NO WAY TO CATCH IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS, IT JUST HAPPENS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, UNKNOWN FUMES WOULD ENTER THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE HER TO BECOME ILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD BE FURTHER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,412.
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