NHTSA Complaint #10542130 — 2009 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

SUBJECT: SAFETY ISSUE I OWN A 2009 VW BEETLE/2 DOOR COUPE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER SHIELDS TWICE. THESE SHIELDS, BAFFLES AND COVER PLATES ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE AND ADD UP TO MY GREATEST REPAIR COST FOR THIS VEHICLE. AS YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT REPAIRABLE. MY MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE IS WHAT HAS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE YOU. I DROVE MY CAR FROM MY HOME IN OZARK, MO TO DUBUQUE, IA THIS PAST JUNE THE ENTIRE TRIP IS ON GOOD TWO LANE OR FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. DURING THE TRIP, AFTER CROSSING A BRIDGE, I NOTICED A TERRIBLE SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS DRAGGING. IT WAS. THE SHIELD UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS DRAGGING. THE SHIELD MADE OF PLASTIC WAS ONLY ATTACHED TOGETHER WITH SMALL RUBBER CLIPS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO REPLACE THE CLIPS. THERE WERE NO SCREWS OR ANY OTHER ATTACHMENT TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE SHIELD HAD COMPLETELY DISLODGED I DO NOT KNOW WHAT DAMAGE MAY HAVE OCCURRED TO THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR, BUT I DO KNOW THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WOULD HAVE BEEN FACED WITH A RUBBER SHIELD TOSSING DOWN THE ROAD AT HIM. THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS ONE INCIDENT WAS $357.32. I HAVE NOW PAID A TOTAL OF OVER $700 IN THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR THIS ONE ITEM ON MY CAR. THIS REPAIR EXPENSE IS ENOUGH MONEY TO CONVINCE ME TO BUY A DIFFERENT CAR. I LOVE THE WAY THE CAR HANDLES, BUT A $700 REPAIR BILL IN TWO YEARS IS TOO MUCH TO LIVE WITH. *JB