Table 1 shows two common power train related problems of the 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Automatic Transmission problems | |
| Power Train Driveline problems |
My 98 vw New Beetle has 68,000 miles on it. Around 66,000 miles it began to shift real hard. In order to get the car to shift into 3rd gear or higher I have to accelerate enough to get the engine up to 4,000+ rpm's, ease off the gas a little and then it will finally lurch into the next gear. This is a safety issue when accelerating after stopping in intersections due to the high traffic volume in my area. This problem is consistent and happens whenever the car is running. I haven't taken it to be serviced because of the extremely high cost of repairing the transmission. The car is worth less than the necessary repair.
Right side axle failure sept 2000, left side axle failure Dec. 2000. Sept incidentant jammed the front right wheel and could of caused a roll over if the vehicle was going faster.