NHTSA Complaint #10622277 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

THE LIGHT ON MY DASH CAME ON FOR THE DRIVERS AIRBAG AND HAD IT CHECKED BY THE DEALER MARCH, 2010 FOR MY 2001 VW BEETLE 1.9 DIESEL. I WAS TOLD THE CHIP IN THE SEAT BELT HAD GONE BAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. APPROX. $175.00 THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED VW AND THEY COULD NOT TELL ME IF MY DEFECTIVE CHIP IN THE SEATBELT WILL DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. 50% CHANCE IT MIGHT. I HAVE NOTICED ALL THE $ I HAVE PUT INTO THIS CAR VW GENERALLY IS NOT ON THE RECALL LISTS FOR ANYTHING. ALSO, THE HEADLIGHT BULBS GENERALLY BURN OUT EVERY YEAR AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. VW DOESN'T TELL HOW TO CHANGE THE BULBS IN THE MANUAL. HAD TO GO TO THE DEALER TO SHOW HOW TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB WHICH I FEEL IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER VW BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT. ALSO I KNOW THIS MY BE OLD INFORMATION BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I COULD REPORT THIS UNTIL I SAW SOMETHING IN THE PAPER. I DON'T KNOW MANY OTHER VW'S OUT THERE ARE WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM BUT I HAVE TALKED TO VW COMPLAINT DEPT. AND ALL THEY TOLD ME IS THAT THEY GO OFF OF DEALERS RECORDS. I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD EITHER DOES N'T CHANGE FOR FIXING OR VW FIXES SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE NEXT MODELS COMING OUT OF WHICH I AM STUCK WITH THE PROBLEM. NO HELP FROM VW. *TR