NHTSA Complaint #764953 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

MAY 2001 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT A WINDOW (DRIVERS) FELT THRUOUGH DOOR CAVITY ON MY VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED AND THAT WAS IT. THE NEXT MONTH THE PASSENGER WINDOW HAD THE SAME LUCK AND THIS TIME THE SERVICE ADVISORS AT THE DEALER (CAMELBACK VOLKSWAGEN AT PHONEIX, AZ) COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS FAIRLY COMMON ON THE VOLKSWAGENS, AND NOW THAT BOTH OF MY SYSTEMS WHERE REPAIRED I DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ANYMORE. I WAS UPSET AND ASKED HOW COME THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THEY SAID THAT VW DID NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE ONCE THE WINDOW FALLS YOU HAVE NO WAY TO LOCK THE CAR UNLESS YOU TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE!! ON JULY 29, 2002 MY PREVIOULSLY REPAIRED WINDOW FELT INTO THE DOORS CAVITY ONE MORE TIME. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE INSTALLED PART WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT A NEW PART WAS DESIGNED AND BEING INSTALLED ON BROKEN VEHICLES. THIS TIME I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND DEMANDED THAT BOTH OF MY WINDOWS SYSTEMS WHERE TO BE REPAIRED AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE NEWLY DESIGN PART, AND ASKED WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS MATTER AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CASES. WELL THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH 10-15 CASES A DAY AND THEY DO NOT EVEN HAVE THE PART IN STOCK., IT IS ON BACK ORDER AND THEY CAN ONLY PROP THE WINDOW AND LEAVE UNMOBILE UNTIL THE PARTS ARRIVE. IN THE MEANTIME VW REFUSES TO REPLACE THE OTHER PART ON THE DRIVERS SIDE UNTIL IT FAILS, EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW THAT THE INSTALLED PART IS FAILING CONSTANTLY AT LEAST IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA.*AK