NHTSA Complaint #10056548 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON MORE OFTEN THAN NOT SINCE 22,000 MILES. ON 8/28/01 O2 SENSOR REPLACED BY DEALER (#1). ON 1/20/03 DEALER (#3) TOLD ME THAT ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR AN ESTIMATED COST TO OWNER OF $1306.25. CAR BROUGHT TO NONDEALER AND REPAIRED FOR $36.00, ALBEIT TEMPORARILY. INCIDENTALLY DEALER HAD COMPLETELY RUN DOWN BATTERY, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. ON 5/8/03 CAR BROUGHT TO DEALER (#4) FOR OVERHEATING DUE TO A PUNCTURE IN OIL PAN, THOUGH OWNER WAS NOT AWARE OF HITTING ANYTHING. OF COURSE ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN ON AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME. AGAIN INCIDENTALLY TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 5 MILES OF DEALERSHIP AFTER OIL PAN HAD BEEN "FIXED". ON 1/15/04 OWNER IS NOT ABLE TO PASS EMISSIONS TESTING AND THEREFORE NOT ABLE TO RENEW REGISTRATION OF VEHICLE BECAUSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. ON THAT DAY, VACUUM LEAK WAS REPAIRED BUT LIGHT RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS. ON 1/21/04 A HOSE IN AIR INJECTION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED BUT LIGHT RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS. MECHANIC HAS NOW REFUSED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE CAR. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR - NEVER EVEN CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT BUYING A VW!! THIS IS THE WORST CAR THAT I OR ANYONE I'VE EVER KNOWN HAS OWNED. VW SERVICE IS ATROCIOUS AS WELL. THEY ARE INCOMPETENT, IRRESPONSIBLE AND RUDE TO BOOT. THE FACT THAT VW WILL NOT PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRENTY AND PROBLEMS OCCUR THAT HAVE KNOWN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT THESE CARS POSE. SEE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS THAT OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED UNDER "OTHER".*AK