general problems of the 2000 Volkswagen Beetle

Terminal box above battery has a black wire that get extremely hot and melts in its receptacle in the terminal box. Have replaced the terminal box and that one was also melted within a few days after installation of the new box.

Electrical surges. . . Blows fuse block. . . Melts down fuse block. Replaced fuse block above the battery three times since owning the car. Car was being used in the city.

His complaint consists of a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle, in which it doesn't apply to any warranty whats so ever. Whether it's a new vehicle or not. The problem is with the switchblade programmable type key with remote. Volkswagen has known about the problem with these type keys for sometime but has failed the consumers and the government to provide a solution to the problem. They instead take the approach, which profit outweighs the consumers, they put profit before consumers, and safety. These keys produce a ''danger'' to not only the consumers but everyone on the highways around them the safety and marksmanship of the key can break off during use, so if this happens during a crash, the consumer would be unable to turn off the vehicle which again produces an immediate ''danger''. The remote switchblade key is only secured by a very cheap made plastic. It's very poorly designed and made. If the encasing that holds the key was made out of metal or aluminum this would solve the problem. Another problem with the key, is that Volkswagen made the key programmable with a chip, so the key has to be cut down the middle, and programmed, which means the vehicle has to be connected to a computer at the dealership and usually takes about one hour at a cost of $245. 00. It's very obvious that the manufacture does this for pure profit, and to deter the consumer from going elsewhere to have such key made. I urge NHTSA to take immediate action to eliminate anyone from being injured or killed. These emails will be kept as proof and for the record that this very ''important and safety issue'' has been sent to you as evidence, for future lawsuits etc concerning this matter. Happened while driving.

I was driving this car and just stalled on an intersection and smoke just came out under the hood and I smelled it too, opened the hood and fuse box had melted which is located on top of battery and fire inside the engine compartment, under the battery has been burning and also melted the wires.

Fuse box on top of battery melted.

I bought this car for my grandson to drive to work. . The guy I bought it from swore it was in excellent shape, that his daughter drove it to school etc. . . . . . When we got it, I took it to the volkswagon dealer to make sure it was safe for my grandson to drive, they began to find things wrong and the cost was mounting up and up and they even had us take it home only to take it right back because it had no heat (and its very cold here) so they worked on it some more. . . Bottom line is so far they have charged me 3 times what I payed for it and when I looked it up on line, every thingh they did was a recall. . . . My question to you is. . How long are the recalls good for and I find it hard to believe the guy was appraised of them or he wouldnt have let his daughter drive it like that . . . . I have the paperwork right here where it shows 9 recalls and 62 service bulletins. . . Please advise me of my option as I could have bought him a much nicer car for what I have in this!!! thank you so much for your time sharon willis williss2@yahoo. Com 625 la placita st. . . Greenwood, indiana. . . . 46143.

The transmission mechanically failed on 3 June 2013. Prior to it failing I had taken the vehicle to three different vw repair shop over a four year period, due to the car suddenly downshifting all the way to first gear. The car will drive normally for about 30 minutes, then start having this downshifting issue, I pull over and let the car cool a few minutes then all is normal again for a short period of time. Of course with the downshifting the tranny tends to overheat quickly. I wanted to get the oil changed in the tranny, but all repair centers said, "it's a sealed system and never needs and oil change;" also the vw repair techs test drove the car and analyzed it, could find nothing wrong. My experience with vw service on everything is, their mechanics are parts changers only and don't have any real diagnostic capability to find the problem, just replace parts until they fix the problem at the customers expense; I've spent about $10,000 on repairs for a/c, brakes, transmission, etc. Finally, the car failed fortunately across the street from a mr. Transmission shop. Per mr. Transmission specialist, the tranny failed due to lubrication failure probably from over heating and high milage; so much for the "never needs an oil change policy. " mr. Transmission rebuilt the tranny (out $3400), and state the problem is electrical not the transmission, and vw is famous for electrical issues and always have been. Needless to say mr. Transmission has not been able to find the problem, and they have rebuilt the tranny twice just to make sure the problem is not in the transmission. Word to the wise, never buy a vw; I'll never own another one.

Headlights keep going out. I have to replace them about every three months.

We have a 2000 new vw Beetle that we bought new in 2000. It has become a high maintenance vehicle that seems to have a lot of defective parts that has to be replaced. Mostly electrical. Window once fell inside of door. Fog light that has water in them. Today a week after taking the car into vw service to repair another thing for around $200. 00. I had returned to the shop again because with in a day after car was out of the shop a new problem cropped up. The seat belt light was staying on. I took it into the shop to have the seat belt light repaired. It has been in the shop for most of the day. I just received a call from vw service dept. And was told the seat belt denser was the problem. It controls all the seat belt air bags and some other safety things. It is drivable and seat belt may be ok. I was also told it would cost approximate over $700. 00. Our vw Beetle only has 69,000 miles on it and we have spent thousands of dollars on it for repairs. It over heated last summer and was in the shop for a couple of weeks before they could find what was wrong with it. . I think this was the air conditioner compressor and sensors. We have replace may\NY sensors it seem s several times. Most of these repairs was no under a recall. This is a very high maintenance car. It has been in the garage many times and cost is starting drain us. I am a retired iowa police officer on a fixed income. . So this car is a strain on our budget. So many problems. . All our vehicles are paid for as well as our home.

The fuse box atop the battery melted on 2/18/2009 causing a fire in the engine compartment. Repairs including new fuse box and other damaged parts cost me $1500. 00. On 7/15/2011 the fuse box melted causing a/c to stop working. The outside temperature at the time was in the high 90's during a prolonged heat wave in the north east. Cost to repair $400. 00. On 5/18/2014 once again the fuse box melted, cost to repair and replace $700. Two days later the repair (5/20/2014) the car went dead in traffic caused by a drained battery cost of towing $150. 00 + new fuse box melted. In checking vw owners forums available on the internet, this is a common problem and complaint (fuse box melting) in the vw product line. Why hasn't vw been fined and ordered to recall their defective cars?.

Water inside automobile damaged electonics. Appeared to be a common problem.

I purchased my vw Beetle in 2005 with the carfax - no accidents or major repairs. Within months, the engine light and airbag light came on. The windows stopped working. I've probably spent more than what I paid for it. I just spent over $1800 at vw springfield in virginia and the engine light is back on again after only a few months. In addition, the transmission codes were discovered by other repair shops, but they told me I had to go to the dealership for the repair. Neither vw springfield or vw woodbridge ever checked the transmission. In fact, woodbridge told me to trade it in and purchase a new one from them. Some kind of light or problem occurs in my car every time I've taken my car to this dealership and vw woodbridge in virginia. They continue to claim that it is a different problem every time with the same components. What is the purpose for diagnostics? every time I take my car to any of the vw dealership, I will have to bring the car in multiple times within months. Something is not right. Hundreds of people are complaining about the same issues, and no one is investigating this. It appears that vw is being protected from selling us poorly made vehicles with hefty repair costs, because it doesn't make since that it's the same problem for hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. Is it that these repairs are major and brake lights aren't. A recall for these vehicles from 99 on should be processed. The fact that vw was in the news recently as selling people cars they knew had engine, airbag, abs, transmission, electrical, and window major problems is astonishing, because nothing is being done. I'm disgusted with Volkswagen and they should be held accountable for all this. I understand that the economic situation, but people are in just as much a situation as manufacturing companies. We don't have the money to keep giving away to vw. It's a moral shame.

Faulty electrical system in 2000 Volkswagen Beetle.

Consumer states the headlights will burn out without warning while driving. Has happened twice over last 2 months. Consumer has to replace entire headlight unit.

Due to electrical system problems power windows and door locks intermittently lose operation. Emergency warning lights come on, and alarms intermittently sound off. Dealer is having a hard time correcting the problem because cannot duplicate it.

Contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact states since day one of owning his vehicle he has had nothing but problems. The contact was driving at about 35 mph when his dash lights blew out, his power door locks also stopped working. The contact states while his vehicle is parked outside and is not running his alarm would just go off on it's own. The vehicle was under warranty at the time so the contact didn't have to pay as much. The contact states he has spent about 353. 00 on miscellaneous, on normal maintenance there was 5,182 paid and on repairs there was 5,579. 00 paid. The contact states he also had a new computer put in the vehicle about 3 years ago. There has been electrical problems back to back and the contact also states the check engine light is still coming on and off. The failure mileage was 1 mile and the current mileage is 58,000. Ar.

Consumer states that all electrical components keep illuminating and giving a false reading. Dealer has been contacted.