11 of the 280 complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle are about the equipment — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 23,000 miles.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
FAULTY VALVE STEMS -- SUSPECT -- MADE IN CHINA, PURCHASED AT LOCAL AAA REPAIR FACILITY THAT PURCHAES SUPPLIES FROM TECH INT'L.
NHTSA complaint #10280209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
I BOUGHT MY 99 BEETLE IN OCTOBER OF 2007 AND THE DAY THAT I GOT THE CAR THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT BACK THEY HAD IT FOR ONE MONTH THEY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND WIRE CLUSTER. WHEN I FINALLY GOT IT BACK ABOUT TWO WEEKS PASSED AND I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 0 TO 120 AND THEN THE CARE LOST POWER ON THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET THEM TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND THEY WONT. AFTER I GOT IT BACK THAT TIME THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING AND THE SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT GO ABOVE 40 WHEN I TOLD THEM THIS THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT THAT IT WAS MY PROBLEM. YESTERDAY MY MILEAGE, SPEEDOMETER, AND GAS GAGE STOPPED WORKING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU KNOW ANY ONE WHO COULD HELP ME WITH THESE PROBLEMS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
NHTSA complaint #10216730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
JUNE 2, 2003 THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS SENT TO VOA DEAR VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA I HAVE A 1999 BEETLE THAT CAUGHT FIRE ON MAY 4TH 2003; AS OF TODAY MAY 12, 2003 THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT. HE SAID, CORPORATE VOLKSWAGEN WILL DO NOTHING WITH THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS TOO OLD AND HAS TOO MANY MILES. THEY WILL NOT BE SENDING ANY KIND OF PAPERWORK TO ME, AND I WILL NOT GET ANY MORE CALLS FROM VOLKSWAGEN ON THIS ISSUE, THIS IS AN INSURANCE ISSUE? I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THIS ANSWER AND THIS IS WHY: 05/04/03 SUNDAY SMOKE THEN FLAMES CAME POURING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD OF OUR 1999 VW BEATLE PURCHASED OCT 1998. I WAS GIVEN A CASE # OF [XXX] TO REFER TO. [XXX] SAID THE A/C SWITCH WIRE CAUSED THE FIRE. HE WAS WAITING FOR A CALL FROM VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA?S CUSTOMER RELATION'S PERSON. 05/12/03 MONDAY 1:38 PM I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA AGAIN BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM [XXX]. [XXX] GOT ON PHONE AND SAID THAT A FIRE REPORT WAS SENT TO THEIR PRODUCT LIAISON PERSON. [XXX] SAID, CORPORATE VOLKSWAGEN WILL DO NOTHING WITH THE CAR BECAUSE IT'S TOO OLD AND HAS TO MANY MILES. THEY WILL NOT BE "SENDING PAPERWORK" TO ME AND ? I WILL NOT GET ANY MORE CALLS FROM VOLKSWAGEN ON THIS ISSUE, THIS IS AN INSURANCE ISSUE. I HAVE A RECORD OF ALL PAST SERVICE RECEIPTS (DATING BACK TO THE PURCHASE DATE) AND HAVE DOCUMENTED PROOF OF RECENT PROBLEMS AND REPAIRS TO THE A/C AND ELECTRICAL WIRING ON THIS CAR IN THE PAST. MY DAUGHTER, A CURRENT RESIDENT OF ARIZONA, CURRENTLY IS EMPLOYED AS A FULL-TIME NANNY. SHE HAS IN HER CARE A TWO MONTH OLD AND WILL BE EXPECTED TO DRIVE HIM ABOUT. HER PAST JOB WAS CARING FOR A TWO YEAR OLD AND HAD THIS FIRE? ERUPTED WHILE HE WAS IN HER CARE, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A TRUE TRAGEDY. PLEASE SEND VERIFICATION OF YOUR DECISION IN WRITING TO ME BY MAY 30, 2003. PLEASE SEND ALL INQUIRIES BACK TO ME AT [XXX] SINCERELY [XXX] JELINEK BUILDERS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10070354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER HAD STOPPED WORKING. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIRMEN THAT THE VEHICLE NEED A NEW COMPRESSOR. *SCC
NHTSA complaint #567334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE AIR CONDITIONER IS INOPERABLE.
NHTSA complaint #567115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, ENGINE"CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO, CD PLAYER WAS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY AND TEMPERATURE DISPLAY (BY REAR VIEW MIRROR) DID NOT WORK. TOOK IN TO DEALER'S SVC DEPT. MANY TIMES, BUT PROBLEMS PERSITED . DEALER SVC. DEPT. CLAIMED EVERYTHING WORKING FINE. RECENTLY, THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE FAILED AND IT WOULD NOT GO UP. TOOK CAR IN TO DEALER SVC. DEPT. AND GOT REPAIRED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, CAR DIED. IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY, SO CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPT. ON 8-14-02. DEALER EXAMINED CAR AND SAID IT WAS THE TRI-LOCK SYSTEM AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. TRI-LOCK SYSTEM REMOVED BY DEALER BUT CAR STILL NOT WORKING. PROBLEM: POWER WINDOWS DID NOT WORK, PUSH WINDOW BUTTON AND TRUNK WOULD POP OPEN, AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON, ETC. ETC. ETC. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALESHIP FOR OVER A WEEK AND DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME IT'S FIXED, BUT WHEN I GO PICK IT UP (3 TIMES), THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING, AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON ALL THE TIME. VERY FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED.
NHTSA complaint #766098 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #761578 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
CONSUMER HAS BEEN HAVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICAL FEATURES. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 2 BATTERIES/ 1 CD CHANGER/ 4 HEADLIGHT BULBS, AND AIR CONDITIONER OUTLET DIDN'T WORK. DEALER STATED VEHICLE HAD TOO MANY MILES. PROBLEMS EXISTED SINCE DAY 1.
NHTSA complaint #898624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THREE MONTHS PRRIOR TO THE ENGINE FIRE, A BATTERY BLEW UP IN THIS CAR AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION KEY. PRIOR TO THAT THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND THE A/C CONDENSER REPLACED. WE BELIEVE THIS CAR HAS SOME SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. VW DECIDED IT WAS AN "INSURANCE" ISSUE, BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR. IN SHORT, THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT IS OK FOR THE ENGINE TO BURN UP ON A 1999 CAR WITH 44,000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #749060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER TURNS OFF WHEN COMING DOWN FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #553633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
JACK FAILURE CAUSED CAR TO FALL. FORTUNATELY NO PERSON WAS UNDER THE CAR AT THE TIME. DEALER HAS NO REPLACEMENT JACK IN STOCK TO COMPARE/ASCERTAIN CAUSE OF FAILURE. SHOULD FAILED PART BE SUBMITTED TO YOU?
NHTSA complaint #712059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.