NHTSA Complaint #728228 — 1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FROM THE START. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTERWARDS, IF YOU HIT A BUMP THE HUBCAPS WOULD COME FLYING OFF. THIS WOULD HAPPEN GOING AT THE SPEED OF 25MPH. I'VE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY SAID THAT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW MODELS. THEY REPLACED THE HUBCAPS, BUT THE PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUOUSLY HAPPEN. FINALLY I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN FOR SERVICE AND DEMANDED THAT THIS PROBLEM BE FIXED. SO FAR THEY ARE ALL CHANGED AND IT HASN'T OCCURED AGAIN. BETWEEN THESE PROBLEMS A TOTAL OF 5 HUBCAPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE OTHER PROBLEMS, ARE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD KNOCK AND MAKE LOUD NOISES. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS BROUGHT IN, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND THAT THE CAR WAS CLASSIFIED AS SAFE. IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN, AND THEY LOOKED AND SAID IT WAS A "DEFECT" IN THAT YEARS MODEL. SO THEY REPLACED IT, "BECAUSE MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER GUARANTEE". THIS PROBLEM HAS STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN, I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE JUST RECENTLY AND THEY SAID IT'S BECAUSE OF THE DAMP WEATHER WE'VE BEEN HAVING. JUST YESTERDAY I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR TURNING OFF ON THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT HELPFUL. THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE ME A RIDE HOME OR WORK BECAUSE I WORKED IN THE BRONX. MY CAR IS STILL NOT READY, AND THE COMMENT WAS WHEN I CALLED IF MY CAR WOULD BE READY TODAY WAS, "WELL YOU COULD TAKE IT BACK THE WAY YOU BROUGHT IT IN." GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I'VE HAVE BEEN VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE CAR AND THE SERVICE CENTER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTHING THAT I HAD CAUSED, IT IS AGAIN ANOTHER "DEFECT" AND IT WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE ONLY BECAUSE I'M STILL UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 8/27/00. HE SAID I WAS LUCKY IT HAPPEND NOW THAN LATER. BUT, EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME, IF IT IS WHAT THEY CALL A "DEFECT" AREN'T THEY SUPPOSED TO FIX IT ANYWAY?