2008 Volkswagen Beetle Complaint Log

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO A DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR SIX HEADLAMP REPAIR/REPLACEMENTS IN 2 YEARS (OCT 2009, NOV 2009, APR 2012, FEB 2011, AND DEC 2011). THE LAST TIME, BOTH HEADLAMPS WENT OUT ALMOST AT ONCE, CREATING A REAL DRIVING HAZARD SINCE IT WAS AT NIGHT. THIS HEADLAMP IS NOT EASY TO REPAIR - EVIDENCE THE DAMAGE DONE IN REPLACEMENT OF THE RIGHT HEADLAMP BY ONE DEALERSHIP AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED BY ANOTHER DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. VW OF AMERICA HAS OFFERED A ONE-TIME PAYMENT THAT SHOULD COVER UP TO FOUR ADDITIONAL HEADLAMP REPAIRS. TO ME, THIS REPRESENTS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW, BUT WITHOUT FORMAL RECOGNITION OR PUBLICATION OF THE PROBLEM. SEVERAL PUBLIC BLOGS EXIST THAT HIGHLIGHT THIS CONDITION. I PURCHASED ANOTHER, NON-VW NEW VEHICLE ON THE SAME WEEK, AND IT HAS NEVER HAD A HEADLAMP OUTAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE BLACK TIE EDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE HEARD A VIBRATING NOISE ON THE ROOF. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE SPOILER HAD BECOME PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE SPOILER NEEDED TO BE RE-ATTACHED WITH GLUE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE SPOILER BECAME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 11/05/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SPOILER BECAME DETACHED THREE TIMES. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 08V036000. HOWEVER, THE RECALL ONLY PERTAINED TO THE TRIPLE WHITE EDITION, NOT THE BLACK TIE EDITION. UPDATED 11/18/13

BOTH HEADLIGHTS EITHER BURNOUT OR LOSE CONNECTION. IT HAPPENED 4 TIMES DURING WARRANTY AND AN ADDITIONAL 8 TIMES AFTER WARRANTY PERIOD. NUMEROUS CONTACTS AT THE DEALER RESULTED IN CONVERSATION THAT VW WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY EVIDENT TO ME AS AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER AND A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER THAT THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY IS NOT ADEQUATE TO LOCK THE ASSEMBLY INTO THE REQUIRED POSITION.

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2008 VW BEETLE AND IT'S AN AUTOMATIC. WHEN FIRST GETTING THE CAR I COULD TELL THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED NOT SMOOTH AT ALL. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION FROM A RED LIGHT MY CAR HAD TROUBLE WHEN PRESSING THE GAS. IT HAD A PAUSE. THEN WHEN GOING DOWN THE HIGH WAY WHEN I WAS CHANGING LANES TO GO INFRONT OF SOMEONE I PRESSED THE GAS AND MY CAR JUMPS. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ONCE AND A WHILE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CAR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT ON 5,000 BUT THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS! THEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE POURING RAIN MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. WHEN I WENT THROUGH A DRIVE THROUGH I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW AND IT MADE A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE THAT I THOUGHT THE WINDOW WAS GOING TO SHATTER. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDOW MOTOR. THEN THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND BACK WINDOW. BOTH MY HEAD LIGHTS KEEP GOING THROUGH $20.00 BULBS. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE FUSES. ON MY CONVERTIBLE TOP THE SIDE COVERS STOPPED GOING IN AND OUT. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THOSE. THEN ON MY WAY TO WORK ALL THE LIGHTS FOR THE WHAT GEAR YOU WERE IN BLINKING. WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING IN EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION MODE. THEY HAD TO REPLACE SOMETHING WITH THAT. RIGHT AFTER THAT WAS REPLACED GOING DOWN THE ROAD MY CAR MADE A GRINDING NOISE SO I TURNED AROUND TO TAKE IT BACK AND IT WAS SOMETHING WITH THE FUEL INTAKE THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE. THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. *TR

WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, VEHICLE SUDDENLY REVVED UP AND STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH FOOT WAS FIRMLY PRESSING DOWN ON BRAKE PEDAL. TURNED WHEEL TO THE RIGHT WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING FORWARD AND MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER FROM "DRIVE" TO "PARK". LEFT FRONT OF VEHICLE MADE CONTACT WITH REAR OF VEHICLE THAT WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2008 NEW BEETLE IN 2008, TRADING IN A 2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE MODEL. I HAVE ALSO PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2000 MODEL. AFTER ABOUT TWO MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP WITH THE 2008 NEW BEETLE, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN IN THE STARTER. I FOUND I HAD TO USE A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS BROKE TWO KEYS OFF IN THE IGNITION. IN MARCH 2009, I WAS DOWN TO MY LAST KEY WHEN THE STARTER BECAME STRIPPED, WITH THE KEY SPINNING AND NOT TRIGGERING THE STARTER AT ALL. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE VW DEALER, WHICH ORDERED A REPLACEMENT STARTER. I WAITED 17 DAYS FOR THE REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED BECAUSE, I WAS TOLD, THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF BACKORDERS NATIONALLY FOR THIS STARTER PART. WHEN I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK WITH THE NEW PART, I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO NOTED THE SAME PROBLEM IN TWO LOANER CARS (2009 MODELS OF THE VW NEW BEETLE) PROVIDED BY MY DEALER. I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 OR 2005 MODELS. I CALLED TO REPORT THIS TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO CALL VW. I JUST CALLED VW AND THEY ADVISED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK FOR POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF THE PART AGAIN. I TOLD VW I WOULD DO SO, BUT THAT I LACK CONFIDENCE THAT YET ANOTHER REPLACEMENT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM AS I SUSPECT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF DESIGN AFFECTING THE PART. I ASKED VW IF THEY HAD KNOWLEDGE OF A PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THEY DON'T TRACK WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR POSSIBLE PART PROBLEMS, SO I DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. *TR

VW 2008 BEETLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. IT WILL HAVE A DELAYED AFFECT MUCH THE SAME WAY THE TOYOTA SEQUOIA IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATION. DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE CROSSING A STREET AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD ON MY WAY TO WORK. MY CAR WAS MAKING AN AWFUL GRINDING NOISE, SO I WAS TAKING IT EASY AND MADE A NOTE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER VERY SOON. I HEARD A JINGLING NOISE, LIKE SOMETHING METAL FALLING. IT REPEATED A SECOND TIME. 100 YARDS DOWN THE ROAD, MY CAR STARTED MAKING A HARD CLUNKING NOISE. IT FELT LIKE A FLAT TIRE. I PULLED OFF AND INSPECTED THE TIRES, WHICH WERE FINE. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS. MY ENGINE LOOKED A LITTLE LOW, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW LOW WAS NORMAL. THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND SAID MY ENGINE FELL OUT. THE BOLTS SUPPORTING THE ENGINE HAD SHEARED OFF. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WITH UNDER 30K MILES ON IT. I'VE OWNED IT FOR A YEAR. I HAVE NEVER HIT ANYTHING, GONE OFF ROAD, OR BOTTOMED OUT IN THE VEHICLE. NOTHING AT ALL THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. THE DEALERSHIP IS INSISTING THAT I HAD A COLLISION AND REFUSING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR LIGHT FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE TIRE SENSORS FAILED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH TIRE SENSOR FAILED BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT WOULD NOT OFFER TO REPLACE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT AN OPERABLE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

2008 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE WITH BROKEN AIR VENTS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE CAME FROM THE MANUFACTURING PLANT WITH A DEFECT. SHE FEELS THAT SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A NEW VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. *KB THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD A SQUEALING NOISE COMING OUT OF ANOTHER VENT WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS SHUT OFF.