2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE Electrical System Problems

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 VW NEW BEETLE THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO IDLE VERY ROUGHLY. THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I PULLED THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE ENGINE AND DRIVE THE CAR HOME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE O2 SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE TOTAL COST WAS $1097.00 AND WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS A 2001 MODEL WITH JUST OVER 18000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. A CALL TO THE VOLKSWAGEN "CUSTOMER ADVOCATE" CENTER PROVED HOPELESS AS THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE 2001 VW BEETLE CAME WITH A 2 YEAR 24000 MILE WARRANTY. THE LACK OF WARRANTY LEADS ME TO BELIEVE...

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTION: (PURCHASED THIS USED CAR MARCH 1, 2003. STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DECIDED TO REPORT IT AFTER THE MOST CURRENT INCIDENT AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT FIXING). - WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR, IT WILL START THEN DIE IMMEDIATELY, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN STRANDED A FEW TIMES. I HAD TO KEEP TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR UNTIL THE ENGINE FINALLY STAYED RUNNING (THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 7 TIMES FROM MARCH 1, 2003 AND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE). COULD THIS POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO DIE WHILE DRIVING? - THE SEAT BELT WARNING BUZZER HAS NEVER FUNCTIONED DURING MY OWNERSHIP. - THE DOOR BUZZER HAS NEVER FUNCTIONED DURING MY OWNERSHIP, NOT IF THE LIGHTS ARE LEFT ON OR IF THE KEYS ARE STILL IN THE IGNITION. *JB

I STARTED MY CAR ON 1/31 AND THE EPC, CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR WOULD DRIVE HOWEVER HAD MUCH LESS POWER AND WAS VERY ROUGH. I BORUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 2/3 AND THEY STATED IT WAS A COIL. THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE ALL 4 COILS, ONLY THE FAULTY ONE, AND I WAS TOLD THAT ONLY IF THIS POWER FAILURE OCCURS AGAIN AND IT IS DUE TO ANOTHER COIL...THEN THEY WOULD REPLACE ALL FOUR. I AM QUESTIONING THE RELIABILITY OF MY CAR, SINCE IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WIDE SPREAD THROGHOUT THE US. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN MY YEAR AND HALF OLD BEETLE THAT WAS BOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RELIABILITY RATING AT THE TIME.

COIL PACK FAILURE IIN VW NEW BEETLE WITH 1.8T ENGINE -- LAST WEEK, I HAD MY 2ND COIL PACK FAILURE (THE FIRST BEING IN NOVEMBER 2002) WHILE COMMUTING TO WORK ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKWAY AT ABOUT 45 MPH. THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, AND I NARROWLY AVERTED AN ACCIDENT WHEN I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 30. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO EXIT SAFELY, AND I FOLLOWED SURFACE STREETS TO THE DEALER, WITH THE CAR SHUDDERING WHENEVER MY RPM EXCEEDED 2,500. THE DEALER (ALEXANDRIA VW) REPLACED THE COIL PACK THE SAME DAY, BUT, AFTER CHECKING WITH VW OF AMERICA AT MY INSISTENCE, THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE REMAINING TWO DEFECTIVE COIL PACKS DESPITE THEIR ADMISSION THAT THE OTHER TWO WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY FAIL IN THE FUTURE. I CALLED VW'S COMPLAINT LINE THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT VW COULDN'T ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY...

I AM FRUSTRATED AND SCARED BY A PROBLEM VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI ARE HAVING WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEM ON THEIR TURBOCHARGED FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES. THE SIBLING AUTOMAKERS, PARTS OF VOLKSWAGEN AG OF GERMANY, ADMIT THERE IS A "HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL" FAILURE RATE OF THE FOUR IGNITION COILS ON 2001 AND 2002 TURBOCHARGED, 1.8-LITER ENGINES USED IN ABOUT 300,000 VEHICLES, INCLUDING THE GOLF, NEW BEETLE, JETTA, PASSAT AND AUDI A4. I HAVE ALREADY HAD ONE COILPAC REPLACED, AND FEAR FOR THE TIME WHEN THE OTHERS WILL GO TOO. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE GOING TO FAIL AT SOME POINT. SO WHY DIDNT VW JUST REPLACE ALL OF THE COIL PACKS WITH THE IMPROVED ONES.