2004 Volkswagen BEETLE: complaints, problems and recalls

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON, AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE AND ABS LIGHTS. CONSUMER WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO GET VEHICLE SERVICED, BUT DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10103772 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10105585 at NHTSA ↗

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 98,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10109575 at NHTSA ↗

BOUGHT NEW 2004 VW BEETLE IN 9/04, 2 WEEKS LATER, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK TO DEALER. THEY HAD THE CAR OVER 8 WEEKS TRYING TO FIX. FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE WITH IDENTICAL NEW ONE. LESS THAN 2500 MILES LATER, AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. THEY RESET BUT DID NOT DO ANY REPAIRS. DON'T KNOW IF THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM AS SHORTLY AFTER, STEERING WENT OUT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN OFF ROAD AND HIT GUARD RAIL. VW HAS NOW, WAITING TO SEE IF THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, IT DOESN'T APPEAR AS THEY WILL FROM WHAT I AM HEARING FROM SERVICE MANAGER. FINAL…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10116319 at NHTSA ↗

THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK FOR THIS PROBLEM ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON ONE OCCASION WE NEVER EVEN LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. THE LAST TIME WE PICKED IT UP THE VEHICLE THEY TOLD US IT WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE, AND THE SOLUTION SHOULD BE IN TWO WEEKS, AND IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST FIVE MONTHS AND STILL NO SOLUTION AS OF YET. THEY WERE STILL SAYING TWO WEEKS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 12,240 miles reported. Look up ODI 10118626 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I CLOSE MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, THERE IS CONSISTENTLY A GAP BETWEEN THE GLASS AND SOFT TOP CONVERTABLE. ALSO WHEN I USE THE BUTTON TO CLOSE MY WINDOW IT GOES UP BUT COMES RIGHT BACK DOWN REPEATIDLY, I HAVE COMPLAINED TO VW AND I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHOIP , I HAVE TAKEN IT THERE NUMBEROUS TIMES AND THEY HAVE "FIXED" IT BUT IT CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME THING REPEATIDLY... I AM VERY FUSTRATED .... I LOVE MY CAR BUT HATES IT WHEN IT DOES NOT FUNTION PROPERLY.

Owner-reported narrative. 3 miles reported. Look up ODI 10122400 at NHTSA ↗

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS; THE SPEAKERS DIDN'T WORK/WINDOWS KEPT GOING UP AND DOWN, AND TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN A ONE YEAR OLD. *AK THE REPLACED TRANSMISSION STILL PERFORMS POORLY. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES. *TT *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124075 at NHTSA ↗

DIGITAL ODOMETER "GOES OUT" AND THE CHARACTERS CHANGE WHILE THE CAR IS SITTING OR WHILE STARTING. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BAD OR NOT, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM NORMAL. I'VE BEEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 5 TIMES WITH NO FIX OR URGENCY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE. CLUSTER WAS REPLACED ONCE.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124609 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-12-15 (December 15, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL PUMPS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPER FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW DIESEL FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE PUMP.

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL PUMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2007-02-20 (February 20, 2007)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.

Consequence: THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGGERED MAILINGS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2007. VEHICLES WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL, AND MODEL YEAR OF THIS POPULATION MAY BE INVOLVED IN EITHER THIS RECALL OR 06V-183, BUT NOT BOTH. THE REMEDY IS THE SAME FOR EACH RECALL. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL APPLY THE REMEDY BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2008-04-17 (April 17, 2008)

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 76,900 MY 2004-2005 NEW BEETLE AND MY 2003-2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED (DUAL-STAGE) AIR BAG SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM MAY HAVE AIR BAG FRONTAL CRASH SENSORS THAT CONTAIN A SOLDER JOINT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT MAY CRACK UNDER CERTAIN HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. IF THIS OCCURS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AND THE FALLBACK ALGORITHM WILL ENSURE THAT THE FRONT AIR BAGS ALWAYS DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE'S DECELERATION IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS.

Consequence: IN LOW-SEVERITY FRONTAL IMPACTS, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY MORE FORCEFULLY THAN DESIGNED, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO OUT-OF-POSITION FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT EACH VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE SPECIFIC DEFECT CRASH SENSOR IS PRESENT ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE DEFECT CRASH SENSORS WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JULY 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.