Comments: 1-15, 16-18
I'm starting to think my cute little 2004 Beetle is a cruel joke someone is playing on me. I've had it a year and so far the engine idles roughly while in anything other than Park, the airbag light has come and and needed to be repaired, the seat handle has broken and been replaced 3 times (no, I'm not that strong..it's a design flaw), now (like someone else has listed) it gets stuck in Park all the time with the EPC light on. I called roadside service. They told me to turn the car off, stomp very hard on the brake five times, keep the brake peddle pushed in on the 5th time, start the car for 5 seconds with teh brake still in, then turn the car off with the brake still in, turn the ignition a quarter turn and shift it between N & D, hold it there and then turn the car on. I asked them if they thought I was a contortionist???! When I asked them what caused this problem they said that it was a secret and that only the dealer could tell me. Hysterical, or what?!!! The worst part is, today, it finally got stuck and I couldn't trick it out of Park and the VW Roadside Service took 3.5 hours to arrive for a tow to the dealer. This is pathetic. Now my car is imprisoned at the dealer for god knows how long. Yes, it's under warranty, but who has time for this? I'm a professor and told all my students in all my classes never to buy a VW.
I have the exact same problem with EPC light coming on, and getting stuck in park... twice I have needed service, and once a tow. I've needed towed for other ridiculous things with my Beetle,also, and it feels like I'm always at the dealership killing the weekend. Cute is not enough, don't buy Beetles.
I, too, had the same problem with the EPC light and being stuck in park, however I have so far been fortunate enough to be able to unstick it by revving it up a few good times while it's cranked up. I have had other problems with my beetle, such as the clear coat on the front bumper peeling insanely bad, and the entire lens cap on the passenger side headlight fell completely off!! My airbag light has also come on and has not gone off yet, I guess I have to go get it looked at. I am so ready to trade this thing in, you don't even know! At first, my beetle was great!! It was fun to drive, got great gas mileage, and is still really cute, but now my gas mileage has slowly but surely been getting worse! I still owe more on it than I can trade it in for, but I hope I can get it paid off soon so that I can trade it in on something that I hope will be better in the long run!!
My car has been in for new sensors eight times since it went off warranty. No real equipment problems, just sensors. Replacement costs vary. I have paid between $50 and $400 per visit. Now a break light is out. One would think it would be an easy repair. However, you cannot get to the break light without taking the car apart. It must be done by an authorized dealer; again, with labor costs and much wasted time involved. Having owned a 1971 Volkswagen for many years, and having no mechanical problems with it, I was very excited about my new 2002 Beetle. What a disappointment it has been. I am terribly frustrated with the number of things that have gone wrong. I have also experienced getting stuck in park, however, I was able to get out with the help of a dealer on my cell phone. When driving in snow, often my ABS light comes on or the break light flashes. Again, a dealer has told me that the sensor gets covered with snow. Their advice was to take it to a car wash. It worked, but seems a bit silly to have to take a car to the car wash in the middle of a snowstorm in order to be sure you have breaks. My door handles also began peeling within a year of getting the car. Currently, my check engine light is on. It came on six months ago, as I was leaving the parking lot of the dealer, getting a sensor repaired. When I was told to make another appointment because they were booked for the day, I chose to ignore the light. Probably a sensor, but at least it's still running and hasn't cost me anything for six months. My advice is to buy a Honda or Toyota, anything, but a Volkswagen.
I have had the same problem with the EPC light and not being able to go.. I called to schedule an appointment and it wasn't able to take it in until 3 days later.. So I called to get it towed and called the dealer back to tell them they were going to drop it off early.. Another guy had answered the phone and said why? I told him that it wouldn't go anywhere, and he told me how to bypass the situation, why the first girl couldn't tell me, I have yet to find out.. I take the car in, tell them to fix the recall nothing else, because my check engine light has been on 6 months and I'm out of the warranty. (When is was in warranty the light always came on and it was a sensor malfunction, so I assumed it was the same thing.) Low and behold they decide to fix the reason why the light has come on. $93 later I leave the VW place and the check engine pops back on. The next day its back in and $188 later, I have a new sensor somewhere in the car.. The next day the light came back on, the car has been in and out of the shop for 5 to 6 times in a month, all for the check engine light. They said it's a coolant temp sensor, things have been repined, replaced, and even a "special" sensor was made for my car.. The check engine light is still on! So after endless I'll call you back's from the service manager, I'm stuck and out almost $300.. I bet they are wishing they would have listened the first day and just fixed my recall! Sincerely, Stuck with a Volkswagen.
I am currently taking all steps to sell my 1999 Beetle. I am buying a Toyota. The main problem with my Beetle (luckily it doesn't get stuck in park) is with the brake lights. Apparently, there was a brake light switch recall on many Beetles so I went to the dealership and had it repaired (after replacing the bulb a dozen times) only to have it go out again a few months later. I just put $800 into my car yesterday, $500 a month and a half ago, and another $5-600 over the last year. The seat handle has been broken for years, and don't even get me started on all the design flaws (cup holders only allowing for short cups, the wicked blind spots... who puts side mirrors right at eye level???!!, the trunk has to be manually opened because the switch rarely works, difficulty changing the headlight bulb, etc). I know I have had this car for a while and many of the repairs are for routine wear and tear blah blah blah, but I never had problems like this with many of my older cars. Hell, I have a 1964 Dodge Dart that is more reliable than my VW and I use it as my backup car to the Beetle. Go figure!
To the latest poster, I agree with the design flaws. The cup holder is so dumb. My glove box door fell off. The stupid visors are so high it doesn't cover the sun for a normal person. 2003, doesn't have a key for your trunk to be opened on the electric button on the car or key, that yes has stopped working for a day or two. I seriously would hate to sell mine to anyone else because they will be faced with nothing but trouble!!! Good luck at selling yours!! Sincerely, STILL STUCK WITH A VOLKSWAGEN!! P.S. The customer service at my dealership is horrible!!
I have an 04 Beetle and I wish I never got it! I've gone to the car dealer so many times already for the same stuff all the time.
First, it's my windows. I press the tab so that they can roll up, and it rolls back down by itself.
Second, the air bag light always turns on. Even after I took it into the dealer about 10 times!
Third, I pull the tab that is on my door for my trunk to open, and it doesn't even open. I have to pull it twice before it even opens.
Fourth, the cup holder in the back seat always gets jammed. I had to get that fixed about 3 times already.
Last of all, the lever to lift the seat up always comes off... it's so lame.
I also had a problem with the EPC, it was replaced once under warranty, and then it went all to heck a second time. It turns out VW had a bad manufacturer of the part and all registered VW owners should have been sent a safety recall about a year ago for this part. Your dealer should be replacing it for free in Passatt's and Beetles (both our cars were affected).
My car is a 2000 bug and has not cost me a penny in repairs, just maintnence. Right now though my ABS light is on so I need to get a diagnostic run and replace the sensor myself.
My 2003 Bettle gets stuck in Park when it is cold. VW they are the worst. I hate my car, the only way for it to get unstuck is rev the engine up for about 10 minutes and then will shift. I don't know why, my dealer keeps on telling me they are unable to replicate this issue, after brining it in about 10 times.
My beloved beetle:
3 days after purchase, the airbag light came on.
The driver side window button broke off.
The side mirror adjustment button broke off.
The rear window defrost button is broken.
The windshield leaks---and I live in rainy Oregon!
My beetle GUZZLES oil.
But you know, what it lacks in performance and reliability it makes up for with cuteness...
I have to agree... while VW Beetles are the cutest car... they sure are high maintenance.
I too now have brake lights that are stuck on. Even when I park the car, take the key out, lock it up, and walk away, the lights remain on, all day and all night. In fact, just now, at 10:03 pm, someone knocked on my condo door, to let me know that my lights are on! I took all of the fuses out, but this did nothing at all. So far it has not drained my battery, but I am sure this is coming.
My beetle loves oil, it drinks a bottle a month atleast!
My beetle's temperature indicator / clock, which is located in 2000 / 2001 (and maybe other years) models in the roof, above the rear view mirror, actually stopped working after my car was parked outside on a hot day. My car must have gotten too hot, and the clock / temp indicator melted? And ofcourse who wants to pay $700 to have that fixed?
Various indicator lights have gone on, but I usually ignore them, and they seem to go away, or I give it more liquids and this sometimes helps.
I also have a hard time opening my rear trunk using the button on the driver side door. Either I have to push it 2 times or I push it once, get out of the driver's seat to go to the trunk, and by the time I've gotten there, the trunk door has re-locked itself!!!
On the good side, I did have 2 attempt break ins, with someone using a screw driver, and damaging the driver side door lock, but never being able to get into my car.
And... it is very cute.
But, it is time to sell it, and given the issues with VW, maybe I'll have to look at another maker? : (
But first I am going to get my brake lights fixed and ask my mechanic why I never received the recall notice for this issue!
I have a 2003 manual transmission Beetle. Luckily I don't have a park, so I haven't experienced that problem; seems to be a major hassle.
The passenger side seat lever did break off and a friend of mine lost it (thanks!), so I'm going to try and rig up something to get in there that will work.
YES THE TRUNK IS ANNOYING, but I can deal with it. The trick is you have pop it then get to it quick before it locks, and then you have to pop it again.
The whole front grille of my car fell off probably because it is so low to the ground, and I pull up in parking spaces too far, and after paying 400 to get it fixed, it just fell off again. I'm not getting it fixed again; I think it gives a very raw look which I enjoy.
The car is low in general. I have to watch out for heightened terrain. My splash guard under the car has fallen off a lot and had to be replaced.
Oh yes, and the windows are loud and need oil! They squeak when I roll them down and occasionally go back down on their own. I still love my Beetle though. Bye ya'll!
I have a 2007 beetle... and it has the worst gas mileage I've ever seen in a car... and I have to hit the trunk button twice as everyone else does for the trunk to open... with the stupid cup holders.. they have changed the design so my new 2007 beetle has better cup holders yay..
Wow! Crazy. I have a 03' Beetle too - I thought my stupid trunk was just messed up. But I'm glad to know everyone else has the same problem!
Anybody have problems with the OIL PAN?!! I have cracked/broke mine like 3 times and they are such a pain in the butt to get fixed and cost way too much!
Oh and I have a headlight that just never wants to work, I have to get out and beat the living crap out of it before it will come on.
Um, oh and the window problem, yep they are very squeaky and roll back down occasionally. I think HERBIE is taking over! LOL.
I have had my 2003 Beetle for 1 year and 1/2, and have had no problems whatsoever. (If I had read the comments on this site first, I may not have bought it.)
I got mine at a Carmax dealer. They say they really check the cars out, and so far so good.
And it really is a cute car!