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Known issues with the new Beetle

21K views 143 replies 46 participants last post by  Vwguy026 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Gang,

Just picked my car up from service as they had it all day working on a laundry list of little things. A few points I thought you all might want to know.

Windows - They've been discussed on these and other forums. VW told my dealer it's a known issue but they don't have a solution yet.

Wind Noise - Another known issue with no solution yet.

Back passenger seat - Mine is hit or miss on if it will fold down at any given time. He tried the other one on the lot and it did the exact same thing. He's waiting to hear back from VW on that one.

Also, just fyi if you want to buy that armrest...they're dealer to dealer, not from a parts warehouse, so they have to get another dealer to give theirs up. Or they have to order it with international freight right from the Mexico plant.

I think that's it. They said they fixed my bad speaker, but didn't :(
 
#3 ·
Just got a call back from the dealer about my wife's Launch Beetle. I took it in last week for a list of issues.

1. Windows not rolling up after closing doors.
2. Passenger window switch fell back into the door card
3. Fog lights come on and off when they want
4. Cloudiness in the paint

They had the car for 8 hours and fixed 1 issue, the Window switch. So the dealer called this morning and sid they needed the beetle on the 24th, they have an engineer from vw coming in to fix the problem with the window.

We will see what happens....
 
#37 ·
Sinc VW has 'specialists' that handle ' individual specific tasks ', I'm sure you'll have to
wait for three of them to address all three of your problem areas. If you're lucky they
should arrive in Puebla no longer than 4 months apart (Jan., May, September) with your car
being problem free sometime shortly thereafter . This will insure that the last of the three will
be back in Germany in time for Oktoberfest.
Do you have any info that might help my local dealer get a hold of the right person regarding the windows?
So just an update on the beetle after getting it back from the dealerfor the second time. They had the car for almost 10 hours to fix just the window issue while the vw "engineers" were there and 2 days later the windows are messing up again. Trying to schedule a time to get it back to the dealer.
 
#4 ·
Sinc VW has 'specialists' that handle ' individual specific tasks ', I'm sure you'll have to
wait for three of them to address all three of your problem areas. If you're lucky they
should arrive in Puebla no longer than 4 months apart (Jan., May, September) with your car
being problem free sometime shortly thereafter . This will insure that the last of the three will
be back in Germany in time for Oktoberfest.
 
#7 ·
Windows and Cabin Noise Unsatisfactory



I have to push up on the area just above the steering column where the flimsy material is. It only goes away temporarily. It sounds like electrical shorting but it's probably some wires or plastic.

The headliner is starting to crackle like popcorn too, you have to push up on the area above your head or pull down on the sunglass space to get it to stop. Very annoying.

The windows are still jacked up. It stopped for a week or so but is back and it won’t close all the way when I close the door. When the rain hits this week I'll have to take a roll of tape with me or find another means of transportation.

My worst noise is the rear hatch. I have a rag in between the window and plastic and two expanding ear plugs in cracks where the plastic meat the metal. The noise created from this area get my blood to boil and I feel like driving the car into a ditch. The radio won’t even drown it out.

I took the car to a dealer in Temple, Tx and they claim to have fix there but here it is a month later and the windows is still jacked and the noise is worse. I'm going to find a different dealer, a bigger one I guess who has dealt with more extensive repairs on new vehicles.
 
#9 ·
I'm sure everyone has been told the same thing, but a friend of mine is a VW rep who advised me the build delay is a direct result of the above problems, and VW felt it needed to realign the build process with the beetle and improve it's fit & finish department. It's good in a way because the newer cars should be a huge improvement, but it sucks if you already own one.
 
#12 ·
Problem Free - almost

Hi gang,

Have a white, 2012 Beetle Launch.
Had the dealer install:
aftermarket sunroof, OEM navigation, monster matts, mud flaps, graphics, and rock shield
Local company did the tint on windows.
Only problem is the guy hired by 3-M to do the graphics didn't do the best job, so they are going to redo one of stripes.
Only wish is a stick was available, but the car is a blast to drive.
The salesman told me that they couldn't get the rear end to slide with the 19" rubber... so I took him for a test drive and showed him how it's done! Wicked fun!:laugh:
 
#16 · (Edited)
I just noticed another issue after a couple of fill-ups. Mileage isn't great. Computer said I had 405 miles to go directly after filling up last week, drove 0.2 Miles (From the pump to turn on the street) and that number fell to 380 and the needle fell 1/8 from "full." Set my trip before leaving, and yesterday when I got close to empty, I only managed to get 290 miles on the whole tank. :thumbdown:

I took pics of the 0.0 and 0.2 1/8 tank difference, on top of the mileage I had when filling up yesterday. I'll come back and edit this with pictures later. Anyone else having this issue?

edit: here are some pics to show what I mean...
Directly after filling up: Shows I have 405 miles:


Barely after taking off (0.2 miles) Needle drops and number falls to 385 miles...


A few days later it's empty and the trip only shows I went 284.4 miles.
 
#18 ·
I had to have the fuel sender replaced a couple weeks ago... The gas gauge often didn't register as "full" and the mileage numbers were crap. I haven't driven the car a whole lot since I had it replaced, but I know that at least the gauge is working properly now - not sure about the mileage numbers yet!!
 
#19 · (Edited)
I got low 20s MPG when my '01 NB was new so the 2.0T should be about the same, +/- 2 miles. It takes a few thousand miles for the engine to break-in.

BTW, for accuracy always calculate your gas mileage manually. Reset trip counter with a full tank, divide Miles/Gallons at next refill... repeat and get a trend. 2.0T with DSG should get 25-26MPG for 50/50 hwy/city driving and a bit more with manual.
 
#20 ·
Today is 4 month anniversary

I calculate MPG the old fashion way by hand, here is after 4months and 2182 miles. The highest MPG is mainly highway driving at 65-70MPH. All the rest is a combination of highway and street driving. 2.0 Black Turbo Launch Edition.

KNEWBUG




:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
 
#22 ·
I took pics of the 0.0 and 0.2 1/8 tank difference, on top of the mileage I had when filling up yesterday. I'll come back and edit this with pictures later. Anyone else having this issue?

edit: here are some pics to show what I mean...
Directly after filling up: Shows I have 405 miles:


Barely after taking off (0.2 miles) Needle drops and number falls to 385 miles...


I have been getting between 25 and 30mpg, depending on how I drive.
My main problem is getting a full tank in: seems no matter how I fill it, it is always 1/16th to 1/8th from full.
Clay
 
#25 ·
Same here. Sometimes it will go to the full line and drop after a few minutes, other times it will just stay at 1/16 or 1/8 off the full line. Annoys me!

Mine is at the dealer for the second time now for the driver window, was finally able to get it in. They are replacing the regulator....we will see how that goes. I am not optimistic.
 
#40 ·
Nav for 2012

Can you give me a few details on what it would take to install a NAV on my 2012 Launch?

What is the total cost?

Thanks!
Check out this site: http://stores.ebay.com/Concept-R-Electronics?_trksid=p4340.l2563
Be careful, there are a lot of "VW Nav,new"... but not OEM. I found several between eBay and Amazon.com. The best guys have warranties. Make sure it comes with everything you need. If you go through VW it is almost $3K (cost them about $1.5) not worth it...
Can do it under a grand, especially if you don't require a VW nav unit.
 
#29 ·
Grinding from front left

Hi all, new to the forum and this is my first post. First VW as well.

I got a 2012 Beetle on 1/23/12 and it's already in the shop. Dealer has been good so far. I too have noticed the quirk with the windows not always wanting to go up when you pull the switch up for auto-up, but figured it was a safety feature of some kind or another.

I put mine in the shop for a grinding sound from the front left. (driver's side, in the US) It only happens when turning right and accelerating. I can turn right with it in neutral or coasting in gear, and it won't make the noise. press the gas and there it is. Speed doesn't matter. The service writer said on Saturday that the rain meant they couldn't identify the source of the noise, so I picked up a loaner 2012 Golf with the same engine/ transmission as my Beetle. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gotten the Golf to begin with. . . :facepalm:

anyway, I love the way the car handles and all the standard features of the base model, (mine has ZERO options, it is base-base) but the sound is weird. It's like a caliper dragging - smooth metal-on-metal, but the sound only coming under load makes me wonder if maybe it's the left-front drive axle. I hate to think of a fault in such a critical part on a brand new vehicle.
 
#31 ·
So the service writer at the VW dealer emails me yesterday and says that the tech "thinks" it's the left-front wheel bearing. I'm not super well versed in automotive technology, but shouldn't a wheel bearing make noise under all conditions, not just under load?
 
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