At ~50k miles the front driver's side window regulator stopped working. Determined it was the cable starting to shed strands that would bind the motor. Replaced cables and trimmed out regulator which took me a weekend to complete the job. Now at ~63k miles the driver side rear window regulator is stuck half way closed and assuming it's the same issue with a poor designed cable system that routinely fails. Very annoying with cable systems not only used for the window regulators but for the retractable convertible top and door latches. Needs to be recalled immediately.
Volkswagen Beetle door locks problems
39 of the 2,588 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Beetle describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 1998 model year.
- owner complaints
- 39
- worst model year
- 1998
- typical repair cost reported
- $650
- typical mileage
- 62,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Power windows 3Headlights 3Airbag light 3Won't start 2Overheating 2Jerking 2Check engine light 2Battery drain 2
What owners say
The door latch function fails and the car door freely opens to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. The cable or module has failed and a right turn swung the door open as I held the window unknowingly.
Gas fill door will not open. Gas fill door should open when car is unlocked, but doesn't.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the front driver side door latch independently locked and unlocked. Eventually the interior door latch failed and the door failed to close. The contact had to maneuver the door latch to secure the door. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer don jacobs (66900 peters creek rd roanoke va.) who indicated that the door latch needed to be replaced.the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The window keeps shuttering up & down after getting in the car and shutting the door with ignition on.. The window doesn't close all the way, and the auto door lock doesn't work. The window shutters up & down all on its own. Brought car to dealership they replaced the door lock. This still did not fix the problem. I have a video showing the issue after the door lock was replaced.
Door lock have quit working properly, what make me think this might be a bigger problem than the 600$ I have had to pay separately for each door is an experience I had last week...upon entering the vehicle and closing the door, my battery died, and I was unable to exit the vehicle, as the beetle requires the window to lower approx. 1 inch for the door to open. I do not know if these 2 problems are connected, but having anything wrong with door locks should be a safety hazard that is fixed by the company. The doors are supposed to lock upon acceleration, with the double clicking I have experienced, I'm actually not sure if they are. I have a video that I could send, but it is not attachable to this form (.mov)I have attached the customer (don't) care messages from vw. I have decided to fie this complaint because the passenger door first went out a year or so ago and I paid for that one and now the drivers door has failed.
I bought used. One headlight was working. The other one went out shortly after I got it. We replaced the hid lights with brand new halogen lights. Was working great! Then I was driving to town late one night and my headlights went out. The low beams, I still had the high beams. Then I got pulled over cause my tail lights were not working. So I had to drive with my flashers on. Then the check airbag light came on and I need a new seat belt, cause it is not working right. The drivers door window would not roll down a little when I opened the door and the door would not lock. The lights and tail lights are making me mad cause no matter what we have done they never work. Help!!! I want it fixed!! I love my little convertible. I don't want to have to get rid of it.
The ignition key will not turn off the car and is stuck in the ignition. It will not turn back as you normally would to turn off the car and remove the key. The only way to shut the car off is to pull the fuel pump relay/fuse. The car can be locked manually using the other key in the exterior door handle. Than the battery must be disconnected in order to prevent drain from the accessories.
Inner door handles to close the doors, both left and right, have broken off, snaping. As I did research to find replacement; I contacted over 20 different junk yards in my area and I am being told the same; "all panels have the handle broken". The only way I can repair it is by buying the whole panel from the dealer at an outrage price or buying it from a used seller which is still at least $600.00 for the pair panels. I need these handles to close the doors securely .
Front door latch fail. Door will not lock or acknowledge door is shut. May open while driving.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Volkswagen Beetle door locks
Which Volkswagen Beetle years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1998 (6 complaints), 2000 (6 complaints) and 2002 (5 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the Volkswagen Beetle?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $650 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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