The contact owns a 2005 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact stated that the front driver's side air bag failed and the warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the entire driver's side air bag was inoperable and the sensor failed. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 08V178000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module), although the failures were identical. The failure and current mileages were less than 53,000.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

Purchased 2005 VW Beetle with 7,300 miles assured full warranty....guaranteed paint on front bumper would be corrected...did it twice still peeling off....electric windows repaired twice....began making noises when weather was damp...took it to be checked out and was assured it would not always happen but normal...told them transmission seemed to be slipping....one headlight had a short, and then recall on brakelight...they did repair that...but informed me that was all they had time to do that do due to recall...gas cap cover was sticking as well...didn't fix it either....then my air bag light came on...took it in for recall on that...after it was supposedly fixed airbag light did not go off, insisted it had nothing to do with sensor that was recalled...noise in front end began and floorboard flooded during heavy rain....with no obvious entry point....did search for problems with VW Beetles and there are thousands having the very same problems I have been experiencing....now heat gauge light comes off and on, alarm randomly sounds.....but noise in front end concerns me greatly...would not even diagnose car without $98 bucks an hour labor charge to find problems.... this car only has 34,952 miles on it and it is falling apart...no way can all these problems be fixed and me make payments....but thousands are having these very same problems...why has our government not insisted on a recall.....

- Des Arc, AR, USA

Air bag light came on and stayed on, 4 trips to two different VW dealers. They are unable to fix the problem, leaving me without functioning air bags.

- Billings, MT, USA

: the contact stated while parking with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle surged forward and collided with a light pole. A police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and has been inspected. Updated 3/28/2006 - the air bags did not deploy during this accident.

- Smithfield, NC, USA

Air bag system has been defective since delivery of the car. The air bag warning light came on with in days of purchase, the car has been returned to the dealer for repair on at least 5 occasions, has been in the shop for the past 2.5 weeks and they are saying it may be as much as 3 more months before the problem can be resolved because of a software problem with the air bag system. If this is true then all the 2005 VW Beetles would be affected by the same safety issue

- Decatur, GA, USA