Two problems related to battery have been reported for the 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Volkswagen overheat with fuse block electrical fire. Fire was contained to the fuse block of 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle. The fuse block on top of the battery caught fire.
I"ve had multiple failures with my 1998 beetle. The car was overheating--found out that the engine fuses were melted over the battery terminal. My reverse lights stopped working--no one has been able to correct that yet, my daytime running lights don't usually work, but sometimes will come on all by themselves. Got locked in my car twice. The alarm sometimes goes off for no reason. The car periodically doesn't start. Had it towed to vw twice for this. They could find no problems. Also, something in the car's electrical components is drowning the battery--have to buy a new battery every six months. I have replaced both windows once . I had the brake light switch replaced three times and was rear -ended once before vw finally did a recall on that part. I'm sure I have left something out--there is so much it's hard to remember. Bottom line--this car is a hazard on the road for the person driving and other motorists.