1998 Volkswagen Beetle exterior lighting problems
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Low beam headlight bulbs fail prematurely causing loss of vision at night. New bulbs only last about 3 months before they burn out. We asked the vw dealership if there is a remedy for the problem, but they answered "no". I know other people that have the same problem. *tr”
filed Jul 5, 2009
“Since I purchased my beetle in 2001, it has been an ongoing money drain. In 6 yrs. I have replaced the manual transmission twice, had the brakes worked on a number of times, been unable to open the gas "door" on the car w/ the gas cap latch, had to replace the hood opening latch, had repeated…”
filed Aug 25, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND CRUISE…Campaign 06V183000 · May 24, 2006
Exterior Lighting problems in other Beetle years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Beetle | 1 | 1% |
| 2014 Beetle | 2 | 4% |
| 2013 Beetle | 3 | 3% |
| 2012 Beetle | 1 | 2% |
| 2010 Beetle | 2 | 7% |
| 2009 Beetle | 6 | 18% |
| 2008 Beetle | 14 | 23% |
| 2007 Beetle | 3 | 5% |
| 2006 Beetle | 9 | 7% |
| 2005 Beetle | 21 | 8% |
| 2004 Beetle | 15 | 4% |
| 2003 Beetle | 8 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.