Two problems related to gasoline engine have been reported for the 2001 Volkswagen Beetle. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Most of the engine was replaced during the beginning of January. On Jan 22nd, traveling on a highway, engine lost power and was almost involved in a multi-car accident. I was in the middle lane and the power cut from 55 to about 10 miles an hour in the matter of seconds. Other cars were swerving around me and I was finally able to pull off the road. Car was towed back to dealership and the throttle body was cleaned out. On Jan 30th the same thing happened again, only this time I was not on a highway but a side street. Car was towed away again andis in the dealership waiting for repairs. During this month not only was an engine replaced but it malfunctioned twice. It is dangerous to travel on any highway with this car. The engine malfunctioned twice in one week. I can not safely return to driving this car. I was almost killed once and was very lucky not to have been involved in a seriuos accident. The Beetle has engine problems and very major ones. For a car that is 8 months old, this should not be happening.
Vehicle experiences delay in acceleration almost causing several accidents, dealer informed consumer that this vehicle has a design using a stepping motor that can create a lag time during acceleration.