Airbag light is on..was diagnosed as a faulty airbag module ...vw dealer says part has been discontinued and I can not get my car inspected.
2003 Volkswagen Beetle: airbag warning light
42 of the 314 complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 42
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 60,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
The airbag light is on.
Takata recall air bag light switch has been recalled on several 03 beetles but nothing that included the 03 convertable version of this light being activated the car has never been in an accident that I know of and is a cause for concern where none of my airbags will deploy if I ever get into an accident. God forbid. This has been checked by the VIN but does not necessarily mean the part is not defective. Also opposite lights in the rear seem to have some sort of electronic issue new fuses new bulbs and relay seems not to fix this issue. Could possible be part of the same 03 beetle break switch recall??
Air bag warning light diagnosed at service by dealer (campbell/nelson vw) indicated that a sensor or switch located in the driver-side seatbelt latch was defective and even when the seatbelt was latched, the airbag would not deploy. This turned out to be a $400 repair and I believe it should be considered for a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen beetle. After starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that unknown air bag wires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The air bag light came on and when we took it to the volkswagen dealership we were told that the air bag had failed and that it may or may not deploy during an accident, and that it could deploy without cause while driving. Called volkswagen customer care number and was told that the recall had been addressed in 2008 with the vechicle and that it was not necessarly repaired "it was just addressed". I could not get any further response. I have never had or read about a car having to have airbags replaced as a scheduled service or maintance. Airbag failure showes that it was not done right to begain with. The car was purchaced with 34,000 miles and now has 60,111 miles. I am concerned about the airbag possiblity deploying while driving more than not deploying during a crash. Any help in understanding this matter is much appriciated.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen beetle. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact heard a loud clicking sound in the rear of the vehicle. The contact also noticed the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The rear driver's side roll over bar suddenly deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The technician was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 28,600.
My 2003 new beetle convertible has been having transmission problems where it will jerk violently when it shifts up or down and sometimes it will not shift at all. It will get stuck in a gear and I have to stop it and turn the engine off and restart it. It will jerk even when stopped at a light. I have to make sure I am far away from the car in front of me. I no longer drive it because I don't know what will happen at any time. My airbag light stays on and will not turn off also, so I'm not sure if it will even work if there was an accident. Transmissions should not be jerking that way at all and if someone was to walk in front of my car at a stop light or sign, it could jerk forward and hit them. Not a safe car.
Three years ago when the car had only 55,000 miles on it, the air bag light came on. There was never any deployment of the air bags and I take good care of my car. Vw said it was a defective air bag, but refused to stand behind it. They want $750 to fix it. In the past four years I have had to replace each window motor. They cost $400 to replace. The driver side motor needs to be replaced for the second time. That means the first replacement lasted less than four years. The car has only 77,000 miles on it. This is outrageous.
Air bag light as of 1/1/11, these were recalled for 2004-2006 beetles and 2003-2005 beetle convertibles. No recalls yet for 2003 beetles, but it seems to be a growing problems that are yet to be fixed by vw!!! Seems like they are just delaying the recall until they receive enough complaints/injuries. 2 recalls of a frontal sensor/control module in 4/2008 & a passenger occupant detection system (pod) dealer reprogram repair in 12/2004 but again nothing for 2003 models even though it started in late 2003.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated the air bag light illuminated. The dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that the entire air bag system failed and needed to be replaced. The contact believed that the failure was caused by a manufacturing defect. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 96,000.
This is my second complaint to and I haven't received any contact from anyone on this matter. All I want is for my air bag system to be fixed for free by vw in stockton ca. My airbag light is on for the fourth time in four years that I have had the 03 vw beetle convertible and every time, vw has found that the sensor is at fault. Now this time, vw wants to charge me 678.00 to fix it. There is no recall on this. It is 00003 control module defective. I am extremely angry that they will not fix this knowing that this is the fourth time that the air bag light came on. Vw knows that my airbag light comes on and they supposedly fix the sensors free of charge each time, but this time, they will not. They need to make a recall on this thing. Im sick and tired of having to have my car serviced over a light. Please help me.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 08V178000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle?
42 of 314 owner complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle (13%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle
Jerking 59Power windows 29Transmission failure 27Slipping 14Harsh shifting 13Won't shift 12Stalling 11Check engine light 10Seat belt 9Hesitation 8Grinding brakes 7Headlights 6Door locks 5Fire or smoke 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Volkswagen Beetle?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history