2008 Volkswagen Beetle: power window failure

Filed Sep 20, 2017 · Electrical · 60,000 miles · OH

The automatic window motor and regulator went bad on rear passenger side when the car was stationary. Vw knows about the issue but sells the cars anyway without warning, and then charges between $800 and $900 for the required repair kit. In order to repair the window, a mechanic must remove the entire back seat of the car. This takes more than four hours. Total cost to repair is more than $1200 per window. Vw profits through selling a defective part which can only be repaired by an expensive repair kit - the price of which is determined by vw. All mechanics contacted (12) in the cincinnati area are aware of this vw window situation, and the vw owners forums online are full of the exact same complaint. Vw dealers also have to get the part from vw, and charge the same thing. New buyers like me do not budget for this kind of repair, but have no option other than to pay vw their price.

Filed May 6, 2017 · Electrical · 38,000 miles · OK

On my 2008 vw beetle convertible the rear drivers side window regulator/motor made a loud pop when rolling up the window (vehicle was in motion travling at about 20mph in my neighborhood) and is now broken. It will not roll up or down, the car only has 38,000 miles on it & is always garage kept. This is not the only electrical issue I've had with the windows. When pressing the 'all windows' button (whether up or down) the headlights will go dim and then go back to normal when you let off the button. This will happen while the car is in motion at any speed or parked. The headlights dimming from the 'all windows' button is dangerous because of the loss of visibility, and it's confusing to other drivers thinking that you are flashing them. Volkswagen should be held accountable for these defects that are causing safety issues. I believe vw is fully aware of both of these quality issues and even has 'technical service bulletins' on both. A recall needs be done!

Filed Oct 10, 2015 · 38,000 miles · FL

The passenger side window fell down and the dealer put a new regulator in it costing us $500.00, then the rear window on the passenger side fell down and that cost us $185.00 at the dealer, now the driver's window has fallen down and we are wondering if there is a recall on this problem. The 1st & 3rd time was stationary, the 2nd time we were in motion.

Filed Oct 16, 2014 · Electrical, Visibility · 90,000 miles · MN

Rear driver's side window stuck on convertible beetle, would not roll up or down. Had window regulator replaced--$400 two months later, rear driver's side window again stuck. Made appointment to have it looked at. Day before appointment driver's side window stuck in open position. Would not roll up. Informed that I need new regulator for that window too, another $400. Back window just needed to be adjusted. Seems like this is a flaw in design. When will it be recalled and flaw fixed? I live up north. So glad this didn't happen in subzero weather!

Filed May 9, 2014 · Electrical, Visibility · OK

Love my vw beetle convertible but this is the 4th window that has stopped working and with the prices to fix them well over 300 I have about had enough. After looking on the internet this seems to be a common problem that has been happening for awhile. Is there a recall on these window regulators? If not there should be!!!

Filed Oct 11, 2011 · Visibility · 38,404 miles · AR

Window regulators come apart and make a grinding noise. Windows fall into the door and will not go back up. Parts take at least a week to come in. Quite a problem in a convertible, the windows go up and down every time you open the doors. This has happened twice in the last 9 months. Volkswagen has no recall or defect reported. Volkswagen makes the part and gives it a 12 month or 12,000 mile manufacturers warranty but offers no guarantee the window regulators will not fail again and does not offer to cover the cost of repair when they do, outside 12 mos/12k miles. At $250 a door on a 3 year old car, I'm not looking forward to replacing these when they fail again.

Filed Sep 16, 2010 · Electrical, Lights · 5,000 miles · GA

I currently own a 2008 vw beetle and it's an automatic. When first getting the car I could tell the transmission seemed not smooth at all. When driving through an intersection from a red light my car had trouble when pressing the gas. It had a pause. Then when going down the high way when I was changing lanes to go infront of someone I pressed the gas and my car jumps. This happens all the time. Not something that happens once and a while. It happens every time I drive my car. The dealership replaced the transmission at on 5,000 but the problem still happens! Then going down the road in the pouring rain my windshield wipers stopped working. They had to replace the motor. When I went through a drive through I rolled down my window and it made a horrible grinding noise that I thought the window was going to shatter. They had to replace the window motor. Then the same exact thing happened to the passenger side front and back window. Both my head lights keep going through $20.00 bulbs. They had to replace the fuses. On my convertible top the side covers stopped going in and out. They had to replace those. Then on my way to work all the lights for the what gear you were in blinking. Which caused me to have the car towed because it was running in emergency transmission mode. They had to replace something with that. Right after that was replaced going down the road my car made a grinding noise so I turned around to take it back and it was something with the fuel intake that they had to replace. The dash board lights go on and off. The dealership said they could not find anything wrong with that.