FaultScore

2005 Volkswagen Beetle body problems

13 of the 330 complaints about the 2005 Volkswagen Beetle are about the body and structure — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 63,000 miles.

B

13

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Body 8 61.5%
Structure 4 30.8%
Roof AND Pillars 1 7.7%

Body & Structure across every Volkswagen Beetle year

1998 17 13.8%
1999 17 13.8%
2000 18 14.6%
2002 11 8.9%
2003 20 16.3%
2004 16 13.0%
2005 13 10.6%
2008 11 8.9%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 130,000 miles Macon, GA

STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR STOPPED WORKING. WINDOW WAS STUCK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. CAR WAS IN MOTION, HIT THE FRONT WINDOW BUTTON, BACK WINDOW ROLLED DOWN, WOULDN'T ROLL BACK UP.

NHTSA complaint #10934745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 63,000 miles North Port, FL

STRUCTURE

THE DASHBOARD AND INSTRUMENT PANEL ARE MELTING AWAY.

NHTSA complaint #10622025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 84,000 miles 770-257-8302, GA

STRUCTURE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE TRUNK HAD MOLD AND MILDEW DUE TO WATER SEEPING INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TOP HAD SEPARATED FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,000. *TR UPDATED 4/24/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE CONVERTIBLE TOP SEPARATED FROM THE REAR WINDSHIELD, ALSO ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR CANVAS THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS LEAKING INSIDE THE TRUNK

NHTSA complaint #10503727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 84,000 miles Hiram, GA

STRUCTURE:BODY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS SEPARATING FROM THE REAR GLASS WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

NHTSA complaint #10501374 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,624 miles Portage, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN SUPER BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ADHESIVE AROUND THE REAR WINDOW FAILED AS THE WINDOW BEGAN TO SEPARATE. THERE WAS ONLY A PIECE OF CLOTH THAT WAS HOLDING THE WINDOW IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AND THE ENTIRE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER NONE COULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,624.

NHTSA complaint #10484850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 78,100 miles Melbourne, FL

STRUCTURE:BODY

REAR WINDOWS WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN (CAN HEAR SOUND OF MOTORS RUNNING THOUGH). DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT 'DROP-DOWN' WHEN OPENING.

NHTSA complaint #10456504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,300 miles Durham, NC

STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVERS-SIDE BACK WINDOW FAILED AFTER BEING LET DOWN. WILL NOT RETURN TO CLOSED POSITION. SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS TRYING AT FIRST, BUT NOW NO SOUND. SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER SIDE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO. AN EXPENSIVE FIX THAT VW SAID WAS DUE TO A FAULTY PART THAT BECAME BRITTLE AFTER SOME TIME. I HAVE AN EOS THAT VW HAS PUT A RECALL ON THE SAME PART UPON FAILURE. NOT SURE WHY THERE'S NOT ONE FOR THE BEETLE.

NHTSA complaint #10451206 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,000 miles Oklahoma City, OK

STRUCTURE:BODY

THE LIGHT SOCKETS ON THE CAR ARE LOOSE AND WILL ALLOW THE BULB TO COME LOOSE AND NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CONNECTOR AND THE LIGHT HAS TO BE RE-INSERTED, THIS CONSTANT REMOVAL AND FIXING OF THE LIGHTS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL OF THE COMPONENTS TO BREAK AND NOW MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX. THE EFFECTED LIGHTS ARE: TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, HEAD LIGHT, REVERSE LIGHTS... MAINLY THE REAR LIGHTS, BUT THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10448507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 64,800 miles Pace, FL

STRUCTURE:BODY

I HAVE A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE TOP OF THE REAR GLASS WINDOW AND HAS A GAP. THE CAR IS 5 YEARS OLD, BUT IT ONLY HAS CLOSE TO 65,000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA complaint #10347030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 30,000 miles Houma, LA

STRUCTURE

MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE. IT HAS NUMEROUS SAFETY ISSUES: 1. THE TAIL LIGHTS CEASE WORKING ALTHOUGH THE BULBS ARE GOOD. THE BULB CONTACTS ARE INADEQUATE FOR BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. THIS HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES ON HER CAR IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. 2. THE CONVERTIBLE HEADLINER PULLS AWAY FROM THE REAR WINDOW AND DROOPS IN FRONT OF THE REAR WINDOW BLOCKING THE VIEW IN THE REAR VIEW WINDOW. THIS HAS OCCURRED 5 TIMES IN THE PAST 4 YEARS AND SHE HAS STOPPED USING THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO PREVENT HER FROM HAVING A ACCIDENT. 3. THE POWER WINDOWS HAVE FAILED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT COME UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN THREE YEARS. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY VW OWNERS (DO A GOOGLE SEARCH). THEY ARE ALL SAFETY ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint #10330569 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 48,955 miles LA Verne, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

ON MY 2005 VW BEETLE THE LEFT SIDE BACK WINDOW FELL OFF OF IT'S TRACKS. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES THIS COULD HAVE STARTLED MY WIFE AND PERHAPS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MANY VW MODELS GOING BACK TO 1995, YET WHEN I CALLED THEIR VW OF AMERICA NUMBER TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT THEY ACTED LIKE MINE WAS THE ONLY ONE!!!! I THEN DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED VWOFAMERICA IS NONRESPONSIVE TO MANY COMPLAINTS. EI; ODI NUMBER: 10282664. CAN YOU HELP??!!!!

NHTSA complaint #10286921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Noblesville, IN 1 injured

STRUCTURE

2005 VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE CUSTOMER STATES THAT HER GRANDDAUGHTER GOT HER THUMB STUCK IN THE WIND STOP MOUNTING HOLE AND HAD TO HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CUT PART OF THE CAR TO GET IT OUT CUSTOMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT**CC THE CONSUMER PROVIDED MULTIPLE PICTURES OF THE CAR SEAT AND INJURED CHILD.

NHTSA complaint #10194531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

RED Bank, NJ

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

2005 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE WOULD NOT START PROPERLY. MECHANIC DETERMINED THE TEMP SENSOR WAS BAD AND REPLACED IT. *KB PARTS FOR THE CONVERTIBLE TOP AND HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALER IN NOW TELLING THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS A STRUT BEARING.

NHTSA complaint #10165860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Volkswagen Beetle problems

← Full 2005 Volkswagen Beetle report