I have a 99 vw beetle, 2.0 l 4 cylinder 5 spd manual gti. I have had continual ABS light problems since 10000 miles. The left rear speed sensor has been replaced 5 times. The vw dealer in hi at 16 k says it the control module after replacing the sensor and wire harness. Now at 28000 miles the ABS light is on and the brake light flashes and alarms. I seems this is a class engineering problem that requires a recall to fix.
1999 Volkswagen Beetle: ABS light or ABS activating
5 of the 174 complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle describe ABS light or ABS activating.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
ABS light or ABS activating by model year
What owners say
The ABS light stays on all of the time. Whenever I drive in wet conditions the brake warning light flashes and a buzzer sounds. Vw dealer recommends replacement of ABS control module at a cost of $1,680.
Fuse panel located on top of the battery melted in the area of the fuse for the radiator cooling fans. This further damaged the fuses for the brake system and the ABS system. This caused power to the ABS system to be lost. The dealer diagnosed this problem as shorted cooling fans. However, the wiring to the motors and the fan control unit were not affected. There was also the distinct smell of an electrical fire and melted plastic under the hood. The fuse panel has white deposits under its cover above the area that melted. I asked the dealer to give me the parts after the service. The fan motors appear to operate correctly when connected to a 12v power supply. This is a poor design that subjects the fuse terminals to corrosive fumes from the battery. The insert molded terminals then become corroded with high enough resistance to heat up and cause the fuse panel to melt and or catch fire. I'm glad that the panel was constructed of a flame retardant plastic or it would have certainly burned much more than it did. I am only too happy to furnish pictures if you would prefer to see the damage.
1999 volkswagen beetle having problems with tie rod equipment.*mr the vehicle was hard to steer and noisy on turns. The dealer replaced the rack and pinion gear and tie rod ends. The vehicle was taken bake to the dealer for front end vibration and it was determined that the tire rod ends were worn. The windows would not close due to defective regulators. The ABS light illuminated. The dealer replaced the left rear speed sensor and rest the readiness codes.
As you drive the ABS light displays on the dash and the brake pedal becomes very soft and long. It compromised braking distance. This has happen 3 times in the last 6 months. The first time after only 19 044 miles. We talked with volkswagen and they shared .
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle abs
Is ABS light or ABS activating a common problem on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
5 of 174 owner complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle (3%) mention ABS light or ABS activating. The model year with the most reports is 2001.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle
Fire or smoke 13Check engine light 11Headlights 10Airbag light 9Stalling 7Won't shift 6Won't start 6
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