Failure of dashboard (airconditioning) controls caused car to catch on fire. Car was completely destroyed. Failure to address this defect could cause injury or death.
1999 Volkswagen Beetle electrical complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 39 of 39, newest first, as owners wrote them.
1999 ww beetle with many problems including shifting, brake switch (recall n4)**cc the consumer could not shift out of park, which was related to the brake switch. The consumer then received a recall notice after already having the repairs done. The consumer didn't take the vehicle to a volkswagen dealer because they would only had paid for the switch and not the labor because at the time, the recall was not in effect. The serpentine belt and starter was replaced.
The car made a funny whistle noise then shut off. The person behind us said blue smoke came out the back. Took to dealer had engine, water pump, turbo and belts replaced. Now dealer can not get car to run properly. The diesel starts fine and runs great after 15 minutes car starts running sluggish and has no power. The car has been at the dealer for 4 months still waiting and still making payments on the beetle.
Purchased vehicle new in 1999. Was plagued with electrical problems through 2001 such as faulty radio ( 2 occurrences) ,faulty door lock switch and 1 occurrence of non functioning lights( inside and out) , horn, door chime . Complained of smoke streaming from steering column in 2004. Smoke was consistent with melted plastic odor. Dealer was able to locate origin of odor in feb 2006. Ignition coil + wiring overheated and melted. Relay also overheated. Parts were replaced by dealer. Defective ignition coil retained.
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.
I own a 1999 new beetle with the 2.0 engine with 37,000 original miles. The car quit running approx. 2 1/2 yrs ago,approximately two months after I purchased it from a certified volkswagen dealer, used. A few days after delivery there was a rotten egg smell, check engine light on, engine sluggish. After one month the battery went dead completely. Replaced the battery, car would not run. Battery dead again after four days. I found info on the internet that security system must be set or the battery will last only four days. Inspected plugs, found heavy carbon buildup. Inspected pre o2 sensor, found same. Decided to overhaul eng. Found heavy carbon on tops of pistons and valves. Machine shop had to replace pistons, rings, all bearings, oil pump, plane the cylinder head, plane the head mating surface, replace seals, turn the flywheel. I had to also replace the water pump, timing belt, clutch, throwout bearing, o2 sensor, plug wires, and the dipstick holder. After considerable money spent, engine would start but not run. I found out from the dealer that if electrical power is lost, vehicle must be towed to a volkswagen dealer and be reprogrammed. It will not run until that is done. The reason given was that volkswagen did not want any owners to fix their own car. This could be a signifigant safety issue in a life threatening situation! There are reports on several internet forums of the original batteries blowing up and even after replacement of the battery the vehicle would not run until it was reprogrammed. Volkswagen should be required to fix this problem. I would like to see a full investigation on this model to see if it should be sold in the us. There are too many reported defects on this model to list here, some that apply to this car, that are much more dangerous than I described here. I hope that our government will straighten this company out and that owners will somehow be compensated.
Dt:consumer complained about problems with unlocking vehicle. When she turned the key the windows roll down on their own. It might not happen right at that time, but some time after the vehicle was turned on and off the windows rolled down. Sometimes the keyless entry remote will work and sometimes it will not work. Consumer knew of other people with the same type of vehicle having the same problem. Dealer was repairing the problem . Dealer told consumer that repairs were not covered under warranty. Repairs were done at consumer's expense. Dealer replaced the cylinder lock switch.consumer had this problem since she owned the vehicle.
Cooling problems LED to overall diagnosis of cooling system. 30 amp fuse located in fuse panel on top of battery was found to be burned and melted. The plastic fuse panel was destroyed and the fuse itself melted into the fuse holder. The contacts in the panel for the remaining fuses appear to be very small (approx 18-gauge wire size) and possibly this extremely small contact area contributed to the overheating, melting and burning observed. This is the exact same problem as detailed in this thread online: http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?s=e9aee49b8c9fddf9b634388731c5d59a&threadid=26315&perpage=15&highlight=30a%20fuse&pagenumber=1 the fuse box and fuse (original oem green fuse) appeared the same as the pictures presented in the above-linked thread.
Problems with vehicle's instrument panel and radio.*mr the instrument panel had to be replaced twice. The radio operated on it's own and the windows rolled down on their own. The consumer was unable to use the power controls to. He wrote a letter to the vw dealership and has not received any response. The car was taken and auctioned off. The consumer was trying to find a way to make sure volkswagen be held accountable. *cb the consumer also stated the odometer rolled up approximately 9000 miles, the dealer ran a computer check but found nothing wrong with the vehicle.
#1 my check engine light came on and they replaced a sensor and it did no good, it came on again, and they could not fix it, I took it back four times and they still did not get it fixed properly. # after that there was a problem with a noise in the front end and I told them about it and they said it was ok, but I took it back after my step dad told me to and they look at it and told me it was my sway bar and told me they had to order a new part but it was ok I told them I have two kids and I was worried about the safety of the car and they told me to take it was ok to drive . This it the fifth time it has been in the shop and I am worried about the safety of the car and want some one to check it over and clear it to drive so I don't have to worry about getting in to a accident with a unsafe car would you please help me to take care of this so I have a safe car to take my children in and don't have to worry about it going off the road .
On 01/28/2003 while cruising at approximately 45mph my diesel engine simply shut down without any advance warning whatsoever. I was stranded on the side of a very busy road with my 3 year old granddaughter. I then had it towed to jim ellis vw on peachtree industrial blvd, atlanta, ga 30341 (phone: 770‑458‑6811). They were able to repeat the problem and diagnosed a failed power supply relay which was subsequently replaced. Thus far the problem has not repeated itself. This was a potentially dangerous situation!!!!
1)driver's side window had difficulty going up since vehicle purchase, have to push with hand to assist. 2) just a few months after purchase sensor behind brake pedal failed, vehicle would shift from park, replaced. 3) air bag came on and then engine light soon after, catalytic converter replaced. Both warning lights off and replaced. 4) headlights are constantly blowing out, evidence of a short when replaced. Burn marks, and exposed wiring because plastic on connectors got brittle and cracked off. 5) air bag light on again, two weeks later engine light on. Told two sensors on mass air flow and some others are malfunctioning and now been replaced. Told there is a broken clock spring in steering column along with bad wiring harness, both affecting air bags. Also, told air bag is now bad and needs to be replaced because other defective components have shorted igniter in air bag out. I am a college student and cannot continue to fund repairs to this vehicle. Cannot sell either because of these problems, and now reputation of beetle for problems. Vehicle has never been in an accident, even so much as bumped. Meticulously maintained. Dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis----------------770755. *ak
Eighteen months after purchase, the vehicle would not start when consumer tried to turn it on. After the third time, consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Consumer was informed it was a computer malfunction.
The consumer stated that 18 months after the purchase of the vehicle, the vehicle needed to be jump started. The consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told that it was a computer malfunction. The consumer had taken the vehicle in for an inoperative speedometer but it ended up being the instrument cluster. The low beam lights wouldn't work because of an error with the electronics.
Electrical system had a failure in fuse box which caused some fuses to melt. One fuse shorted out a wire to the relay box which also sustained a short. Head lights, defogger, horn, turn signals etc, became inoperative. Please describe details.
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.
While starting battery exploded. Vehicle towed to dealer, and informed consumer that the probelm was due to an electrical surge from alternator . Feel free to provide any further information.
At 1 1/2 months of ownership the check engine light came on "with no fault found" took 1 1/2 years and 6 service visits to fix. The car often goes forward while in reveres and has shifting problems, have had the transmission "adjusted" 3 times still has problems. Oil light doesnt go on when oil is low. Battery light doesnt go on when the batter is dying. Wiring to headlight keeps "loosening" causing the headlights to fail. Had rear and front brakes replaced due to low ground clearance and snow getting lodged in them and freezing.
Battery cable has burned out twice since date of purchase. Dealer has been contacted. Please provide further details.*ak rear hatch intermittently will not open with the remote due to it being out of adjustment, the left window switch is loose. Nlm
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.
I purchased this vehicle because I was looking for a reliable and economical car. I have been very disappointed. This car burns oil at an unbelievable rate. I cannot rely on it and do not want to drive it out of town. I am now keeping jumper cables in the hatch because of constant battery problems. The radio is not working. I have already replaced a regulator (window) on the driver's side and it has broken again. Less than a year after it was replaced. Several dealerships told me that they couldn't get me in to fix the problem for 2 weeks - my window was stuck down inside of the door and would not roll up. The waiting time for an appt at a dealer should be an indication that the are not producing quality vehicles. The warranty period is too short. The problems seem to all happen after the warranty is up. Is that how long they expected to last - 2 years?I have been very disapointed.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Vehicle experiencing a problem with computer shutting down engine after replacing battery. Computer needed to be recoded. Consumer would like to know why this warning was not listed in owner's manual when this problem occurred. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
Vehicle caught fire on inside of ignition switch box. There was a bad connection in the ignition switch. Fire meleted wires inside the box which caused shutdown in dashboard ie/ headlights/ windshield wipers, and etc. Dealer's remedy was to tighten the wires in ignition box, but the electrical portion of dashboard would periodically go down.
Battery was cracked causing acid to leak onto power steering reservoir.
While driving about 30 MPH vehicle will stall without a warning, and when consumer tried to start the engine again, it won't start. Failure due to relay part which was replaced by dealer. *ak
Electrical harness behind the dashboard failed resulting in vehicle fire.
While driving at 55 MPH there was a loss of power. Consumer has to reset the computer, and start the vehicle back up again. There was no prior warning that this would happen.
Please see photo's at http://www.crivelli.com/beetle.htm. This car just exploded into flames without any warning. Volkswagen admits car is defective and is taking vehicle to mexico.
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