1998 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Exterior Lightingbrake Lightsswitch Problems

I AM REPORTING THE SECOND FAILURE OF A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON MY 1998 VW BEETLE. THE FIRST SWITCH WAS REPLACED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO UNDER A FACTORY RECALL -- IT FAILED, LEAVING THE BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERATIVE. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED WITH A "REVISED" PART WHICH HAS ALSO FAILED, LEAVING THE BRAKE LIGHTS STUCK ON. I HAVE HEARD OF COUNTLESS REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE WITH THESE CARS; SOME USERS ARE REPORTING THAT THEIR SWITCHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR OR MORE TIMES. I WILL BE SEEKING ANOTHER REPLACEMENT AND WILL KEEP THE OLD PART. *NM

IN EARLY MAY I HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH OUR 1998 VW BEETLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PART. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE, AND I PUSHED DOWN THE BRAKE PETAL. THEN I CHANGED GEARS TO REVERSE AND GENTLY STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED AND HIT A TRAILER AT MY PLACE OF WORK CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH THE BEETLE AND TRAILER. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING AT VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN (1401 SONOMA BLVD, VALLEJO CA) THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY, SO IT WAS SURPRISING THAT THE CAR WOULD MALFUNCTION SO DANGEROUSLY AFTER HAVING JUST BEEN SERVICED. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO VALLEJO VOLKSWAGEN MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHTS SWITCH AND THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I LEFT THE CAR THERE OVERNIGHT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE...

I"VE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES WITH MY 1998 BEETLE. THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING--FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE FUSES WERE MELTED OVER THE BATTERY TERMINAL. MY REVERSE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING--NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THAT YET, MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS DON'T USUALLY WORK, BUT SOMETIMES WILL COME ON ALL BY THEMSELVES. GOT LOCKED IN MY CAR TWICE. THE ALARM SOMETIMES GOES OFF FOR NO REASON. THE CAR PERIODICALLY DOESN'T START. HAD IT TOWED TO VW TWICE FOR THIS. THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. ALSO, SOMETHING IN THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IS DROWNING THE BATTERY--HAVE TO BUY A NEW BATTERY EVERY SIX MONTHS. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH WINDOWS ONCE . I HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED THREE TIMES AND WAS REAR -ENDED ONCE BEFORE VW FINALLY DID A RECALL ON THAT PART. I'M SURE I HAVE LEFT SOMETHING OUT--THERE IS SO MUCH IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER. BOTTOM LINE--THIS CAR IS...

DT: HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINING ON. THIS OCCURRED WHEN BOTH BRAKE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED AND EVEN WHEN IT WAS NOT. CONSUMER REMOVED BRAKE LIGHT FUSE ON HIS OWN. ALSO, REPLACED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH BUT STILL PROBLEM RECURRED. . CONSUMER WAS C WITHOUT ANY BRAKE LIGHTS . CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. *AK

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED FIVE TIMES FROM DEALERSHIP . WHEN BACKING UP THERE WAS NO LIGHT SHOWING UP. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH CAUSED GEAR SHIFTER TO BE DIFFICULT TO MOVE INTO GEARS/STICKING. *MJS