1998 Volkswagen Beetle defect investigations

Investigations by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation that name the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle. An investigation is how complaints can become a recall: complaints → investigation → (sometimes) TSB → recall.

• BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
  Recall Query RQ06004 · opened Feb 28, 2006 · closed Aug 7, 2006 · led to recall 06V183000

  By letters dated may 24, 2006 and august 4, 2006, volkswagen (vw) notified the agency that it is conducting a safety recall (nhtsa recall no 06v-183) involving model year (my) 1998-2002 volkswagen new beetle and 1999-2002 volkswagen jetta vehicles equipped with cruise control.volkswagen?s recall covers 646,246 vehicles…

• BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH
  Engineering Analysis EA03002 · opened Apr 8, 2003 · closed Aug 20, 2003 · led to recall 03V265000

  The brake light switch used in cruise control equipped my 1998-1999 and all my 2000 and later models has undergone multiple revisions.analysis of warranty and complaint data indicates high replacement rates occurred in vehicles built with brake switch part numbers 1j0 945 511a and 1j0 945 511b, the original and first r…

• BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OPERATION
  Preliminary Evaluation PE02084 · opened Nov 18, 2002 · closed Apr 8, 2003

  The brake light switch used in new beetle is also specified in golf and jetta models.one type of switch is used on cruise equipped models, a second type is used on non-cruise models.vw reports 86 consumer complaints and 2575 warranty claims of inoperative brake lights, the majority of which are related to the brake swi…