I took my vehicle into the mechanic due to my airbag light being on. Mechanic stated that it is a problem between my seat belt buckle and airbags. He stated that my airbags will not deploy in the event of an accident due to the seat belt buckle malfunctioning. When he callez Dublin Volkswagen to get the part to fix this issue, they stated that Volkswagen does not make the part anymore. This is a major safety concern because myself and anyone else needs this part to drive safely.
Volkswagen Beetle seat belt problems
53 of the 2,588 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Beetle describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 53
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $400
- typical mileage
- 60,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Airbag light 33Check engine light 3No deployment 3Won't start 1Wipers 1Transmission failure 1Power windows 1Jerking 1
What owners say
Driver's seat belt buckle not reading that seat belt is buckled causing yellow seat belt /air bag light to remain on and making air bags inoperable I'm guessing. Dearler recommends new driver's side seat belt assembly.
Air bag light came on and stayed on. Car shop said the seat belt switch assembly failed, and needed to be replaced. If there was a crash, the seat belt would not lock and the driver would be thrown into the air bag.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that while attempting to buckle the seat belt, the front driver side seat belt remained retracted. As a result, the contact was unable to buckle the seat belt. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the front driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer who diagnosed that the front driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 7/9/15
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.
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.
Driver's side seat belt wiring has failed thus illuminating the air bag light. The seat belt wiring is of minute diameter with little shielding and poor conduit. Because the seat belt must flex when moving the seat forward, the strain on the wiring in the seat belt rips the wiring from it's soldered joint. This causes the air bag light to illuminate and causes the air bag system to revert to a backup algorithm that puts the driver in a dangerous environment. This "backup" algorithm will not monitor vehicle speed and will automatically deploy the airbag at a default amount of force regardless of impact force. This means that a minor fender bender that reaches the airbag force threshold could deploy the airbag at a force too great and conversely a high speed impact may deploy the airbag with insufficient force. This is an extremely common problem on this model year vehicle. A quick internet search will alert you as to how common this problem is. After calling my local dealership, they told me "we replace a ton of those seatbelts." volkswagen should acknowledge this egregious manufacturing defect and recall this defective part before fatal consequences further prove this is a deadly and extremely common problem.
I'm the original owner of a 2001 beetle with 11,8450 miles. On aug 27, 2014, the driver side seat belt suddenly loss tension and went limp while I was driving! The seat belt can not be retracted. The vw service the way the seat belt became loose is a major safety hazard, and it should be on official record. Vw denied responsibility and my request for the repair cost.
The new 2014 beetle I purchased at heritage volkswagen of reisterstown, maryland has left me stranded 3 times since I brought it home. The first time was in front of my house. I put the key in the ignition with the brake pressed, seatbelt buckled, and all doors closed. The key would not turn in the ignition. I was unable to go anywhere. I was given a key and told that the second key had been misplaced and as soon as they found it they would send it to me. I just received it this week. The second time I was stranded was at the columbia mall. The same thing happened and after about 20 minutes, it started. The third time was at my school. It was week before last, one of the hottest days of the summer. I had an appointment after school and so I got out a few minutes early. I got into a 120 degree car and the same thing happened. The windows would not roll down and shutting the door, buckling up, and pressing the brake, the key would not turn in the ignition. I was sweating through all my clothes and feeling panicked. I am 63 and have owned a pt cruiser for over 12 years and wanted a new car for peace of mind that I would not be stranded one day if my pt didn't start. Now I am afraid to drive the beetle because I don't know if it will start or not. I have an appointment for the 30 day check tomorrow, which is the earliest I could take it in, but just got a bill for 115.00 for diagnostics. I was told that the first month check was a courtesy, to see if there are any concerns. The car is brand new!! Anything wrong with it should be covered with no charge. I am so disappointed and furious and feel that I have been sold a lemon. After reading several posts, by other owners, this appears to be a problem that many vw owners are having. I should have been made aware of this problem when I was looking at the beetle on the lot.
Air bag warning light came on. We take it to a dealership who informs us that it will cost upwards $750 to fix. Evidently wires under the seat and seat belt buckle become worn from just moving the seat in a different position to satisfy the driver's size. How can a safety device of simple proportions be so costly???? What can be wrong with vw if gmc is recalling items and volkswagen sit back and collects money because they have the codes and parts that can fix this sensitive the item. A monopoly on a 5 year old car because we were foolish enough to buy their product. I understand the complication of the air bag system I don't understand why it is not a recall issue when it seems to be a manufacturers poor engineering problem. P.s. I'm retired and can't afford to have it fixed at this time and I'm now driving around without airbags.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Volkswagen Beetle seat belt
Which Volkswagen Beetle years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (13 complaints), 2004 (10 complaints) and 2003 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix seat belt won't latch or retract on the Volkswagen Beetle?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $400 (median of 15 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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