Service Brakes Problems of Volkswagen Beetle - part 1

The 2015 Volkswagen Beetle was in a minor accident that was rear-ended by another vehicle. No one was injured. The other party claimed responsibility and the vehicle was repaired and the other party paid for the repairs. The problem is with Volkswagen not having the oem safety equipment available to complete the repairs. The specific part is a spoiler attached to the rear trunk lid that increases the visibility of the brake light built into the rear trunk lid. In traffic this vehicle has only two brake lights within the rear fenders lower to the ground. The spoiler attached above the brake light that is attached at the top of the rear trunk lid, sits above the tail lights and the brake light can be seen by the driver in the vehicle behind the vw. Vw claims that this part is on backorder. It is not available within the united states. I believe Volkswagen is refusing to manufacture this critical safety part for repairs of their vehicle. I have been told by several dealers that this part is not available and is on back order. I have tried to locate this part from vw dealers in texas and out of state also. They all tell me the same thing. Its on back order. I understand this vehicle model is out of production but is being reintroduced again in 2025. Volkswagen should be responsible for providing original parts, especially critical safety parts. Hopefully the ntsa can bring this problem to Volkswagens attention and they will make the responsible safety decision and provide a critical safety component of this vehicle to the customers of their company. Thank you.

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This complaint involves the failure of the abs control module. Upon starting the car, audible warnings as well as dash warning lights indicate urgent brake failure, abs failure, airbag failure and stability control failure. In my particular case, the rear brake calipers do not activate fully when braking resulting in increased stopping distance. Vehicle was scanned at dealer on 11/16/24 indicating failure of abs control module. Repair estimate, $5379. This is apparently a common issue when searching on-line vw forums. The abs module was the subject of a recall for 2009 and 2010 models but appears to still affect later model years. Vw is forcing its customers to choose between an exorbitant repair bill or driving an unsafe vehicle knowing they have installed defective modules. Dealer states unable to predict future brake and other issues if not repaired. Evidence of how common this problem occurs is their own admission that the parts are back ordered.

See all problems of the 2014 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.

On sept. 21, 2023, I was in my 2019 Beetle and pulled into a parking place at a store. When parked, I pressed the electric start button to shut off the vehicle. When the vehicle was shut off, I got out of the car to go into the store. Luckily, I turned my head in the direction of my vehicle and saw it rolling backwards out of the parking space. In a panic, I raced back to the vehicle and jumped into the car. At that point, I had realized that I had not placed the vehicle in park when I parked the car and it was still in drive. At that point, I reparked the car, this time placing it in park before I shut off the vehicle. When I came home, I told my husband what happened. He said it should be impossible to shut off a vehicle when it is in drive. We went outside and recreated the scenario. In summary, we were able to shut off the vehicle while it was in drive - and - when the car was placed on a slight incline, it rolled backwards all by itself. There is no alarm warning the driver that the vehicle was left in drive. The only warning is a small message that shows up on the dash that reads " move selector lever to position p1". It is very easy not to notice this mesage. As I had an appointment scheduled at the dealer on oct. 4, 2023 for my nys inspection, I expressed my concern to basil Volkswagen in lockport, NY. They investigated my concern and concluded that the car can be shut off when in drive and, if parked on an incline, it will roll backwards. They stated it was my fault as I left the car in drive. On oct. 5, 2023, I called Volkswagen customer care. Candace stated I would receive an email responding to my complaint in 24 hrs. No email was received. I think this is a serious safety issue as when the car was rolling backward, it could have hit someone or another vehicle. In my eyes, there should be a mechanism in place to prevent the driver from shutting off the vehicle if it is in drive. At a minimum, there should be an audible alarm.

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I was driving down the road an the car started accelerating all by it's self so I pulled over but every time I let off the break it acted like I had the gas to the floor. The O2 sensor wire's shorted and burnt up the ecm making the cpu light to come on.

See all problems of the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.

Had the takata air bag recall completed at vw dealership in cc, TX. Shortly after the air bag kept giving errors and then it would include low air pressure, abs and anti skid warnings. . Contacted the dealership, had the system check with no issues. . Had the system checked locally at repair shop with no issues. . Went to leave and air bag warning stated error,, they rechecked and found no issues. . Computer showed no errors. . I was informed that apparently the only issue is "possibly" the air bag needs to be replaced again but the dealership refuses to without a recall requests.

See all problems of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.

2019 Volkswagen Beetle. Consumer writes in regards to defective brakes. The consumer stated while driving the vehicle, on 3 different occasions, the brakes went out. The consumer requested that the vehicle be bought back or replaced.

The driver was driving the speed limit (55 mph) and tried to slow down as they approached a red light. The brakes failed to work, and the driver rear-ended the vehicle waiting at the stoplight. The airbags did not deploy.

See all problems of the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.

Intermittent the vehicle is turning on several lights in the cluster ( brake,abs,track,airbag) scanning the vehicle code 16352 (module) this intermittent occurs since it iin the morning, vehicle moving (driving) stopped in a traffic light , at any time.

Don't work.

(aa - dealer info inadequate) tl the contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. While driving into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed, traveled to the floorboard, and failed to engage. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was able to coast to a stop in the parking space. The contacted called a local dealer in orange, CA to schedule an appointment and to inquire of why no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be inspected for further failure information. The contact stated that the vehicle would be towed to the local Volkswagen dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.

Tl the contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle. While the vehicle was at a stop light, the brake pedal was applied; however, the vehicle failed to stop and rolled back. In addition, while driving at unknown speeds, the accelerator pedal was applied; however, the vehicle failed to respond and the safe mode engaged. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 133,437.

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Abs traction control system malfunctioning, told by dealer and mechanic that the control module is defective. The abs kicks in even when not braking and no light on. Car abruptly swerves as brakes engage one wheel only. The dealer said there is no recall for my VIN number but the part is the same number as the one for other listed recalls. I called vw America and they are unwilling to take responsibility. The cost to replace and reprogram the new module is $2,000.

The car was driven in the morning then parked at my home. When I went to use it again it will not come out of park. The light will not go out so that I can pull the gear shift out of park.

Tl- the contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle. While driving 55 mph, smoke appeared from the rear of the vehicle and the abs warning indicator illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the road. The contact noticed that the rear driver side tire was smoking and there was an odor of coolant. The contact waited a few minutes and was able to drive. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the vehicle accelerated between 40 and 60 mph. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing or repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

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Break light.

Tl the contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen Beetle. While driving 60 mph, the abs main control unit indicator illuminated. An independent mechanic stated that the abs was malfunctioning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer (Volkswagen of oakland, 2740 broadway, oakland, CA 94610) who stated that there were no active recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 89,605.

Esp light will come on and critical error will flash when first starting vehicle. Vehicle will sutter and will not start. When vehicle is taken to have the error message read no record is found in the car's computer. This has happened several times. Most recently an error message flashed on the screen and the whole car went dead.

Safety recall 23r1 was received yet vw and local dealership will not make repairs stating that their needs to be an investigation and/or I need to wait until I have issues. The notice states that it can "lead to a crash without warning". However, they insist that I continue to drive my car they have determined to be unsafe. The dealer says they have no knowledge of the recall and vw refuses to send parts to my local shop to have it fixed stating again that I need to wait until I have an issue. We have spent hours on the phone trying to get this resolved and vw continues to brush us off and telling us they will resolve it tomorrow. I drive 200-500 miles a day for work around the state and do not feel safe driving my car that could unknowingly crash at any moment. If this was not a safety concern, vw would not have issued a safety recall. Per their documents sent to national highway traffic safety administration: the camshaft lobe that can break off drives the brake vacuum pump, and if the problem occurs drivers would lose power assistance and suffer reduced engine performance.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v705000 (engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Part distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v705000 (engine and engine cooling, services brakes, hydraulic); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirm parts not available.

Stopped at red light lose brake pressure on '14 Beetle tdi. Brake pedal popping to top and can not depress, car starts rolling. Happened 3 times called for service. Will see what outcome brings.

At 7am on a 5 degree above zero morning, my vw pulled out of my parking space fine, I drove one block, fine, at the second block's stop sign, by brakes did not respond. For the remainder of my commute to and from work I had to drive very slowly, brake very hard for the car to come to a stop. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as an issue with the power brake booster. Research indicates that although never part of a recall, that this situation has occured before, and has potential to be dangerous. For example, my knee is very sore from pressing on the brakes, and if I had been going at a higher speed when I first discovered the issue - I would have inherently slid into the car(s) ahead of me, possibly creating a bad situation. The mechanic also told me the parts are on back order due to an unexpected demand. This is a situation that should be addressed by vw of America, for safety issues on a relatively new vehicle (less than 55,000 miles / 4. 3 yrs old).

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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 contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle continued to slide. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred multiple times. Also, the contact indicated that while operating the windshield wipers the wiper blades would not clear rain from the windshield. In addition a chemical type odor was present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 100.

The contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the driver depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle would not stop. The driver forced the gear shift into the park position and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The brake pedal is so close to the gas pedal that my wife and I have had our right shoes while on the gas pedal get stuck under the brake pedal. My shoe sole has repeatedly got caught under the right edge of the brake pedal and it is scary trying to get the shoe loose to brake the car. I sent an email to vw of America and they state they have never heard this before. I have a friend at church who just bought an identical Beetle to ours and he said he has also had the same issues.

Driving down a long two-lane road, I decided to put on the cruise-control for the first time since purchasing the vehicle. As my intersection came up, I hit the brakes to take the car out of cruise-control and began my turn, but the car did not slow, no matter how hard I hit the brakes. The malfunction caused me to take the turn too fast and I headed straight into a 4 foot decorative rock wall that bordered the road. The airbags deployed, the car was completely totaled, and I had to spend the night in the hospital.

See all problems of the 2005 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.

After exiting the freeway and completing a curve to the right I was on a straight section of the off ramp going approx. 35 mph. I applied the brakes and a moderate vibration was felt in the front end/brakes. The car spun out and hit a sign then a wall with the rear of the vehicle.

Volkswagen of orange park is not following safety standards. They replace carpet after flood. Damage by sliceing the carpet under the dash and not removing the dashboard as they are paid. This could result in the carpet becoming lodged under control pedals as its compromised.

No brakes pedal would not go down got hard could not push it went through a red light hit 2 trucks.

My fiancee and I purchased this Beetle in November of 2010 and have had nothing but problems with it. It has been in the shop a number of time (5-7) and we have spent hundreds in trying to fix it. Yet no luck. It is a danger to my fiancee and new born baby. On day it will run fine but then after driving for ten minutes the epc light come on and the brakes barely work if at all, and it wont speed up even if she has her foot to the floor. So now we have a $6000 dollar car that not even the vw dealership can fix. It sits on our road. I have seen so many complaints about people having the same problem and I believe its only a matter of time before some one gets seriously injured or even worse. Please do something about this monstrosity that vw refuses to admit.

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact stated that the engine shuts off when the brakes are applied. The failure began on October 8, 2008 and occurs intermittently. The engine indicator illuminated only once prior to the failure. The vehicle has been to the dealer three times and they cleaned the carburetor, checked the fuel line, and power flushed the coolant; however, the failure still persists. The dealer stated that nothing could be done because the diagnostic could not produce a failure code. A report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that they have not received any complaints concerning the failure. The failure mileage was 900 and current mileage was 54,500. Updated 01/08/09. The consumer stated Volvo fixed the problem and no further assistance is needed. Updated 01/12/09.

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Since I purchased my Beetle in 2001, it has been an ongoing money drain. In 6 yrs. I have replaced the manual transmission twice, had the brakes worked on a number of times, been unable to open the gas "door" on the car w/ the gas cap latch, had to replace the hood opening latch, had repeated electrical failures, problems w/ front & rear light wiring, had door locks/alarm fail & subsequently had my laptop stolen from the car, the radio has not worked for 1+ year, & it's cover panel is loose & falling back into the dash, the rear-view mirror switches have failed, the power window switches have had to be replaced, the drivers side door fell off (!) of its top hinge when the hinge broke while opening the door normally at a gas station, the air compressor has failed many times, the a/c is currently not working, the drivers side door lock fell out of the handle(!!!!), the catalytic converter has been replaced twice, & the list goes on. Currently I have not been driving the car for several wks b/c though only a week or two out of the shop, again it is having transmission problems. I am at my wits end with this car & having recently graduated from college, am not in the greatest position to have to buy a new car. Moreover, I am so displeased w/ the car that I would literally feel guilty about trading it in to be sold to some other unsuspecting person. Vw should be so ashamed of themselves, & should be reimbursing owners of the 1998 Beetle in full for all of the strife & trouble that they have caused. In fact, after writing this & realizing how many problems this car has had, I may try to take legal action - this is totally unacceptable! finally, our local vw dealer is terrible, keeping my car for wks. Longer than expected, one time leaving a candy bar stuck to my passenger side seat!!!, and acting like they could care less about the poor quality of their products & labor.

1998 Beetle. After the vehicle was purchased it was driver 120 miles to the consumer's home. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop because the consumer heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The technician determined that eh vehicle's brakes and clutch were bad. The consumer contacted the dealer but the refused to provide any assistance.

Problems with vehicle's brakes. The consumers had placed there vehicle in the shop for repairs it was approximately 11 days before returning. The consumer felled it was seriously a defective vehicle, either and accident would occur or in event breaking the lease. Please help in resolving matters.

See all problems of the 2001 Volkswagen Beetle 🔎.