NHTSA Complaint #10138046 — 1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

THE LOCK MECHANISM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OF MY 1998 BEETLE JUST FELL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS MISSING AND WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP TO GET IT REPLACED, ONLY TO LEARN THE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BEETLES BECAUSE THE LOCK IS HELD IN BY ONLY ONE TINY SCREW. THIS DEFECT WILL COST ME $350.00 TO REPAIR, IN A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT. I ALSO RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE A FUSE THAT POWERED THE RADIATOR FAN BECAUSE THERE IS NO EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN THE CAR TO INDICATE THAT THE FAN IS NOT WORKING. I WAS ONLY AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN THE CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, BY WHICH TIME THERE COULD HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR. THE FUSE ITSELF HAD GOTTEN SO HOT IT HAD VIRTUALLY MELTED. THIS PROBLEM COST ME NEARLY $370.00 TO FIX. THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS HAPPEN WITH BEETLES SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THERE IS NO TEMPERATURE INDICATOR ON THE DASH -- YOU HAVE NO IDEA THERE IS A PROBLEM UNTIL THE CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *NM