Air Bag Light On Problems of Volkswagen New Beetle - part 1

Airbag light came on. Took it to the dealer to diagnose. Dealer stated that the drivers side (seat) side impact airbag (the one built into the side of the seat nearest the door) was not communicating with the airbag system and stated that it would cost $680 to fix. Less that a year ago I spent $500 on the drivers seat belt latch replacement to cure the airbag light.

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Airbag light came on and stay on(concerned about not working properly in event of accident) taken into dealership for code read: airbag module shorted. Front passenger seat and carpet need to be removed for replacement of airbag because wire under the seat is too short that it torn when the seat was moved forward to allow access to rear seat. This should be a manufactural fault.

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After starting the car, air bag light continues to stay on. This is the second time in one year this has happened. This first time the air bag light came on the driver side sensor under the seat was replaced at dealer.

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Air bag light came on due to a faulty seat belt buckle.

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My 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle has the same bad window regulators as the rest of the recalled ones. The airbag light is also on without any wrecks to my auto VIN # [xxx]. I've reported it twice to stevens Volkswagen of wichita,KS and once to Volkswagen of America reference number: 810010103. I have not received any answer from Volkswagen of America . The only reply I got from stevens Volkswagen of wichita,KS is that they will charge me 130. 00 just to decide if I'm covered under the window regulator recalls and or the airbag light malfunctions.

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Air bag light on.

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1. 2000 vw beetle worked fine. 2. One day I started the car up and the airbag light came on. It didn't come on the next time I started it, but it did the time after that and it comes on and stays on now every time I start the car. 3. Tried to have a mechanic check it out but they were unable to read the code. I went online and found out that many, many people have this same problem with the airbag light. (according to my research, almost all the beetles have this problem, as the wiring harness under the seats that connects the side airbags to the buckles on the seat belt was made about 3" too short and gets pulled forward or out completely when the seats are brought forward to gain access to the back. ) this obviously should be a recall.

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Vw dealer advises that airbag light indicates airbags are disabled and caused by a malfunction in the seatbelt assembly costing over $500 to repair. D. O. T. Requires manufacturers to insert airbags as safety measures, but fails to enforce auto manufacturers maintenance requirements for this defect. Failure of safety equipment should be an automatic recall and manufacturers should be required to repair defects at their costs and not cost to the consumer.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle [xxx] air bag light has came on twice and Volkswagen service department advises anytime the air bag light comes on it is a safety hazard. I have had to replace the drive & passenger seat belt latch to make the air bag light go off at a cost of $600. 32. If this is a safety issue, why is there not a recall?.

Air bag light is on at all times. Please refer to complain odi 10279199. Called vw recall center 800. 822. 8987, there is a recall #08v178000 for exact same issue. Vw said my car has never been recalled for that issue. Asked if they would take my car for inspection, request denied unless I paid for the inspection. My concern is that airbag may deploy unexpectedly and cause an accident to my family, besides the actual issue of not deploying properly. Even if my vehicle has no dual stage airbag, the issue of an airbag light on may be caused by the same quality/poor design root cause. Below is the actual recall description and remedy: "Volkswagen is recalling 76,900 my 2004-2005 New Beetle and my 2003-2005 New Beetle convertibles equipped with an advanced (dual-stage) air bag system. This system may have air bag frontal crash sensors that contain a solder joint on the circuit board that may crack under certain high temperature conditions. If this occurs, the air bag indicator light will illuminate and the fallback algorithm will ensure that the front air bags always deploy in a frontal crash in which the vehicle's deceleration is high enough to activate the frontal air bags. Consequence: in low-severity frontal impacts, the front air bags may deploy more forcefully than designed, increasing the possibility of injury to out-of-position front seat occupants. Remedy: dealers will inspect each vehicle to determine that the specific defect crash sensor is present on one or both sides of the vehicle. All of the defect crash sensors will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before July 31, 2008. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987".

Air bag light is on, does not turn off.

Vw New Beetles have a susceptibility to constant airbag light coming on due to poor quality wiring under the seat and in the seat belt harness. Volkswagen of american does not want to take responsibility for the poor quality workmanship. Parts are too expansive and only a dealer item. There are a lot of vw beetle owners out there that have the some problem with the air bag light.

Airbag light always on even after the 6 second rule that the manual explains.

The checkered flag vabeach va dealership actually told me my check engine light was on because of a malfunction of an airbag fuse. If this is true, the airbag light does not work on 2001 New Beetles. I suggest you follow up on this dealership for faulty information and consumer negligence . All they did was reset the code in the computer. T. Forgey, customer.

Air bag light remains on (concerned about not working properly in event of accident) possible wire that is too short under the seat breaking when it is moved forward to allow access to rear seat.

The contact owns a 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle. When the contact started the vehicle, he noticed that the air bag indicator was illuminating on the instrument panel. The indicator did not dim once the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that the driver's side seat latch for the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed a failed wire by the latch of the seat belt on the driver's side. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they were not liable for the repairs. The current mileage was 27,888 and failure mileage was 27,858.

Air bag light came on. I have done a lot of research on the internet and I have found alot of people have had the same problem with vw New Beetle. I feel that this could be a major problem due to the fact that while this light is on the air bags will not work in case of an accident. This is a major safety issue.

Problem: chronic failure of driver's air bag circuit purchased February 2000. Since July 2004 we have had repeated (eight) repairs done in response to the airbag light illuminating continuously, indicating the air bag circuit is faulty and the air bag won't fire should an accident occur. Despite repeated repairs, twice completely replacing the wiring harness, and once replacing the airbag itself, the airbag light has illuminated again this week and a ninth repair is needed. All repairs have been done and documented by our vw dealer. To date repair costs exceed $1500. The problem continues to occur.

Airbag light came on. I took it in and they said it is caused by a bad wiring harness in the drivers seat, something to do with the seatbelt latch. It is my understanding that the airbags will not work if the light is on. There should be a recall. Consumers should not have to pay for a manufacturer defect! there have been numerous complaints, yet vw has yet to recall this part. Are they waiting until someone dies?.

2003 vw beetle air bag light came on and stays on, will not go off. Vehicle has never been involved in an accident. Nhtsa campaign id number 08v178000, investigation pe08-012, NHTSA action number pe08012 lists model yeas 2003-2005 however, 2003 model with this VIN number not listed. Believe to be same problem.

The airbag system of this vehicle constantly keeps failing and causes the airbag light to come on. The vehicle was brought to a Volkswagen dealership numerous times over the years to fix this issue but the dealer has not been able to fix the issue and the the airbag light keeps coming on with different things being the issue. First the airbag light came on and the seat occupied recognition module was defective and an update was preformed. After that the airbag light came on and the side front crash sensor was faulty and replaced. After that the airbag light came on and the seat belt buckle was found to be faulty and replaced. Now the airbag light is on and an independent service center advises me the front crash sensor is faulty again and needs replacement. I contacted Volkswagen north America claiming the system has numerous faults but they do not want to accept any responsibility. They advise me to bring it to the dealer and get it replaced for the full cost of the part and repair. The model year 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle has a faulty airbag system and Volkswagen should recall these vehicles to fix the issues and offset the expensive repair costs consumers have to pay.

Airbag light came on. I took it to the dealer service department and they said it is caused by a bad wiring harness in the drivers seat. It is my understanding that the airbags will not work if the light is on. Vw of America refuses to cover the cost of the repair (almost $400) because it is not under warranty. The problem began at about 52,000 miles. There should be a recall. Consumers should not have to pay for a manufacturer defect!.

The contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle. When the vehicle is turned on the air bag indicator light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The dealer stated that the air bag was deactivated and the seat belt latch system needed to be repaired in order for the air bag system to function properly. The contact would have to pay for the repair because air bag was not covered under warranty. The vehicle needs to be repaired. The failure mileage was 51,000 and current mileage was 52,000. Updated 02/14/08. The brake light bulb and right rear tail light was inoperative. Updated.

On the 2000 beetle, you can telescope the driver steering column. Well, the airbag spring coil uncoiled on my car when I telescoped the column and the only way I know this is because the airbag light came on. The dealer and other mechanics are saying the whole airbag needs to be replaced which will cost anywhere from $600 to $800. Now, I don?t feel as if this is a problem I should have to pay for. The vehicle was designed to have the steering column telescope so why would the coil uncoil when I use the feature? also, they have told me that the airbag will not work if something where to happen. Is this something vw should look into and replace for me free of charge?.

I'm in the process of replacing my second driver's side seat belt latch (the female end that the belt attaches to) on my 2002 vw New Beetle. This failure triggers the air bag light on the instrument panel. The first seat belt latch was replaced in April of 2007; now, three years later, the air bag light is on again and the error code indicates the same issue, so I'm forced to replace the same part again. From my reading vw New Beetle forums, this is a chronic problem for this model year. At the very least you'd think vw would re-design the part to eliminate the issue so it only has to be replaced one time.

The contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle. The contact stated that the air bag light remains illuminated. The mechanic repaired the failure on several occasions, however, it always recurs a few days later. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 37,000.

Air bag light came on and stayed on, 4 trips to two different vw dealers. They are unable to fix the problem, leaving me without functioning air bags.

Air bag dashboard light came on. Only a Volkswagen dealer has the equipment to diagnose the problem and tell me what needs to be done. The dealer will not look at my car unless I give them $100. Is this not price gouging? no automobile diagnosis with that expensive. It will not take but a few minutes to hook the computer up to the car and spit out a reason for the airbag light. So, I can pay them $100 to tell me what the problem is or I can ride around without airbags. This type of extortion should not be allowed.

Purchased brand new. Problems I have had with this car: 1. Rear power windows have both taken turns falling down into the body. Will not power up. One has been replaced. Dealer now won't fix second one because they 'don't see it as a known problem. ' 2. Headliner around rear window has come undone. 3. Headlights have to be replaced constantly. For example; a light bulb was installed on a Saturday, and had stopped working by the following Wednesday. 4. Rubber coating on glove box and on interior doors is peeling off. Dealer would not even condsider fixing or addressing. 5. Key assembly for arm console broke almost immediately. It took approximately 8 months, and several reminders, to get dealer to replace. 6. Sometimes radio stays on after key has been removed from ignition. 7. Air bag light stays on. Won't go off. 8. Hand release on front passenger seat often gets 'stuck' and will not work. 9. Cup holder has come off track. I only drive this car to-and-from work. No kids/passengers ride in it. It has not had any owner abuse. I will never buy another Volkswagen product.

4th electrical failure, 3rd airbag light/malfuction. 5 days after servicing car for airbag safety issue, same repeated problem. (see complaint 10148516, 10148511).

3rd electrical failure, 2nd airbag light/malfunction. Continued issue with airbag light on/malfunctioning spontaneously.

2003 New Beetle convertible. The car is less than two years old and the airbag light has turned on for no reason three times. (it stays on. ) in sept '04 dealer replaced a crash sensor; in oct '04 dealer replaced the airbag; in may '05 dealer replaced crash sensor again. Srs. Pco.

In April 2005, the airbag light came on. I immediately brought it to the nearest vw dealer/shop. I was told that they needed to order a part, but that all was fine. In the next few months I called many times and the airbag light had come back on. By August 2005 they finally received the part (passenger airbag sensors under/in the seat). They were unable to fix it even when they received the part (three more errors came up and the wires did not connect properly) and they sent the information to the manufacture for assistance. On 12 September 2005, they had me bring the car back in because they had received repair instructions from the manufacture. I was told that the airbag system was fixed and would have no further problems with it. I do not know if the old parts are available, I will ask. On 17 September 2005 (five days later), the airbag light came back on.

Bought new 2004 vw beetle in 9/04, 2 weeks later, airbag light came on, took to dealer. They had the car over 8 weeks trying to fix. Finally agreed to replace with identical new one. Less than 2500 miles later, airbag light comes on again. They reset but did not do any repairs. Don't know if that fixed the problem as shortly after, steering went out causing the vehicle to run off road and hit guard rail. Vw has now, waiting to see if they take responsibility, it doesn't appear as they will from what I am hearing from service manager. Final verdict not in yet.

Air bag light malfunctioned first on 2/2005 , was brought in 4 times to be fixed and was not fixed until sept. Let me drive around with air bag lite on.