2003 Volkswagen Jetta

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN A RURAL AREA GOING 50 MPH, THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. BEFORE THE CONTACT COULD GET THE CALL MADE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONTACT DETECTED A FAINT SMELL OF RUBBER BURNING. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THEM SOON. UPDATED 10/17/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS CROSSING THE UNITED STATES BORDER FROM CANADA DUE TO A REQUIRED CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY FROM VW OF AMERICA STATING THAT THE VEHICLE CONFORMED TO US FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS, CALIFORNIA AIR EMISSION REGULATIONS AND US EPA EMISSION REGULATIONS. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE VEHICLE MET ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCEPT THE SPEEDOMETER MUST BE KEPT IN READING MPH (WHICH IT DOES), THE ODOMETER MUST BE LABELED (IT IS LABELED IN KM), THE DASHBOARD BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND ANTILOCKING BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT MUST BE MARKED BRAKE AND ABS IN LETTERS AT LEAST 1/8 OF AN INCH HIGH. THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE AND ABS INDICATORS ARE IMAGES , WHICH THE CONTACT CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS HAVING DRIVEN THE VEHICLE FOR 3 YEARS, AND THE CONTACT DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CHANGING THE IMAGES TO WORDS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THE COST FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RANGES FROM $500-700. THE VEHICLE WAS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON TDI.

BOUGHT A VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS IN 2003. SEVERAL THINGS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. FOR EXAMPLE THE GLOVE BOX COVER, WHEEL BEARING. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ON MOST NEWER VEHICLES THAT WHEEL BEARINGS DO NOT REQUIRE MAINTENANCE. MY CAR HAS 74,000 MILES. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING AND MY MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE CAR IF GOING OVER 30 MPH CUT OUT. THERE WAS A ROTTEN EGG SMELL. IT IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND 2 COILS WERE FAULTY. THEY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IGNITION COILS FOR CYLINDERS 1&3 AND CLEARED FAULT CODES. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. BUT SAID VOLKSWAGEN FEELS THE IGNITION COILS ARE A REGULAR MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND AM FINDING THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE COILS. IN MY RESEARCH I FOUND THAT VW HAD A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT TO VW OWNERS TO BRING CAR INTO DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE COILS. VW REPRESENTATIVE IN MICHIGAN TOLD ME THAT THEY STOPPED DOING THAT IN 2005. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE NOT HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COILS. VW KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS. I LOVE MY VW BUT I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS THIS CAR THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I TRADE VEHICLES EVERY 3-4 YEARS BUT WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER VOLKSWAGEN. NOT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SO MANY THINGS GO WRONG BECAUSE THE STRANGE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THE CAR AND VOLKSWAGEN DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR DRIVERS. *JB

A WEEK BEFORE THIS INCIDENT SPEEDOMETER QUIT. NON VW REPAIR SHOP REPLACED SPEED SENSOR, THIS DID NOT FIX SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM SO THEY SENT ME TO NY VW DEALER WHO REPLACED CRANK SENSOR. COULD NOT EVEN DRIVE CAR OUT OF THEIR LOT AFTER THE REPAIR AS CAR WAS STALLING AND HESITATING. THEY THEN SAID I NEEDED TO REPLACE NEEDLE LIFT SENSOR. I BEGGED THEM AT THAT POINT TO LOOK FOR A WIRING PROBLEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT 3 SENSORS COULD ALL GO AT ONCE WITHOUT A SYSTEM CAUSE. I WAS TOLD TO "TRUST THEM" AND THAT THEY HAD CHECKED WITH VW AND VW SAID THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO. "THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER SAID THAT IS ALL THAT IS WRONG" . AFTER WEEK IN REPAIR SHOP VW DEALER TOLD ME CAR WAS "ALL FIXED". 3 DAYS AND 300 MILES LATER ON I-83 SOUTH OF HARRISBURG CAR BEGAN JERKING AND LURCHING OUT OF CONTROL, THEN STALLED. I WAS NEAR EXIT 32 AND WAS ABLE TO GET OFF SAFELY, FORTUNATELY. HAD TO BE TOWED TO VW DEALER. NOW VW DEALER IN PA TELLS ME CAR HAD "COOLANT MIGRATION" WHICH WAS SOURCE OF ALL PROBLEMS, THEY THINK DEALER IN NY SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT. VW IS BACKING NY DEALER THAT THEY FIXED CAR CORRECTLY DESPITE OTHER DEALERS COMMENT AND MY NEAR MISS WITH BEING CRASHED INTO BY OTHER DRIVERS ON I-83. I FAIL TO SEE HOW COOLANT MIGRATION HAPPENED IN 3 DAYS AND 300 MILES. PA VW DEALER SAYS NY DEALER SHOULD NOT HAVE MISSED THE COOLANT MIGRATION, AND SHOULD NOT HAVE REPLACED THE EXPENSIVE SENSORS BEFORE REPAIRING THE COOLANT MIGRATION PROBLEM. I CERTAINLY AGREE SINCE I TRAVELED LESS THAN 300 MILES AND I WAS JUST LUCKY THAT I WAS SO CLOSE TO AN EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP RESTARTING THE CAR AND COAST OFF I-83. HAD I BEEN FURTHER AWAY FROM AN EXIT OR IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC I COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN RUN INTO BY ANOTHER DRIVER AS THE CAR LURCHED AND JERKED AND STALLED. I ALSO FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY VW IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY THIS PROBLEM STARTED WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL IN WARRANTY -PA DEALER SAID ENGINE WAS "VERY CORRODED" AND THE WIRING WAS "FULL OF COOLANT". *JB

MY SITUATION IS VERY SIMILAR TO ODI ID NUMBER : 10136903. I HAVE A 2003 JETTA. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH, MY ABS WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON, AND MY RADIO TURNED OFF. AFTER STOPPING MY CAR, IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT MY FUSE PANEL (ABOVE THE BATTERY) HAD MELTED AND HE WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT MY CAR HADN'T CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE REPLACED THE FUSE PANEL. A FEW DAYS LATER, MY CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN. A JUMP START STARTED IT. NEXT DAY, MY CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN. A JUMP START STARTED IT. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO MECHANIC. MY ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS FINE LAST WEEK, IS NOW FRIED (AFTER TWO DRIVES), MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE FUSE PANEL BURNT IT OUT. THE ALTERNATOR IN MY 2003 JETTA IS A 90 AMP ALTERNATOR. VW STOPPED MAKING THESE BECAUSE THEY AREN'T POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR THE CARS. I REPEAT, 90 AMP ALTERNATORS ARE NO LONGER MADE FOR MY CAR BECAUSE IT REQUIRES 120 AMP ALTERNATOR. HMM. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI GLS. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN FAITHFULLY SERVICED BY THE DEALER FOLLOWING THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE LISTED IN THE USER MANUAL. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 109,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED ON THIS COMPLAINT, THE A/C CEASED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO COOL AIR COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. ALSO, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTDOWN, THE RADIATOR FANS WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN UPWARDS OF 15 MINUTES. NEITHER EVENT HAS OCCURRED BEFORE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN TO A VW DEALERSHIP ON THE INCIDENT DATE TO HAVE ITS NORMAL 110,000 MILE SERVICE AND TO HAVE THE ISSUES (NOTED ABOVE) DIAGNOSED. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP LATER IN THE DAY ON THE INCIDENT DATE STATING THAT A FAILURE IN THE COOLANT LEVEL SENSOR CAUSED COOLANT FLUID TO BE WICKED INTO THE VEHICLE'S WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO CONTAMINATION / CORROSION OF THE ENGINE AND BODY HARNESS. THE QUOTE TO REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $6,000. THIS PROBLEM IS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UN-DRIVABLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS ARE MADE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE HARNESS ITSELF, ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT COULD BE AFFECTED SUCH AS THE AIRBAGS, ABS, SRS, ETC. ALSO, FROM MY OWN RESEARCH I FOUND SOME PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM HAVE ALSO HAD SMOKE OR FIRES INSIDE THE VEHICLE. VW ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (ID# C 97-01-01) FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE ON 1999.5 - 2001 MODEL YEAR JETTAS, BUT NEVER FOR THE 2003 AND NEVER A RECALL CAMPAIGN ON THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN. VW HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST IN THE COST OF REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE AS WELL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITION PROBLEMS WERE NOTICE WITH THE TRACTION BUTTON FOR THE ESP SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE BLACK BRAKE SWITCH FAILED. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THE PURPLE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TWICE. THE BLACK BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAD A RECALL FOR 2002 MODEL BUT DOES NOT COVER THE 2003 MODELS. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH, WHICH INCLUDES THE TRACTION BUTTON FOR THE ESP SYSTEM AND THE PARK POSITION LEVER WHICH LOCKS OFTEN. ALSO THE CONTACT ONCE BECAME STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL. ALL REPAIRS MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN COVERED BY THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT BRAKE LIGHTS BECAUSE REPRESENTS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM

AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, MY 2003 JETTA GLI VR6 BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD STAY LIT OR START BLINKING AS I TRIED TO DRIVE HOME. I CONTACTED VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ALONG WITH MY VW DEALERSHIP (STRONG VW, SLC UT), AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT I MUST BRING IT IN. SEEING THAT I WAS BARELY GOING TO MAKE IT HOME I CONTACTED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHICH WAS PROVIDED WITH MY JETTA AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD TOW IT TO THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP (NOT WHERE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED OR HAD MY CAR SERVICED) TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS ACTUALLY CLOSER FOR ME TO DROP OFF THE JETTA AT THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP RATHER THAN TAKE IT HOME, SO I DID THAT. I FOUND OUT THE FOLLOWING MORNING THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THAT WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY AND APPARENTLY EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THREE DAYS LATER, EACH AND EVERY TIME I STARTED MY JETTA A NOXIOUS SMELL WOULD FILL THE CABIN. I REPORTED THIS TO MY ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER 5 DAYS OF TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THEY INFORMED THAT SINCE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IRONICALLY IT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE. MY MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT IN THE YEAR AND A HALF THAT I HAVE OWNED MY JETTA, I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR NON-TRADITIONAL OR NON-SCHEDULED SERVICE MORE THAN 3 TIMES. MY MAJOR FEAR IS THAT WHEN THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL VW CUSTOMER FOR 20+ YEARS AND HAVEN'T HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY PREVIOUS 4 VW VEHICLES COMBINED. SADLY ENOUGH, I POSSIBLY MAY NEVER BUY OR LEASE A VW AGAIN! *JB

NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON MY 2003 JETTA. FIRST VISIT WAS 9/12/02. THE OTHERS WERE: 2/21/03, 6/13/03, 10/21/04, 1/6/05, 12/14/05, 12/21/05, 1/9/06, 1/13/06. IT IS CURRENTLY ON AND IS WAITING FOR A CAT. CONVERTER. THEY CHARGED ME TO HOOK UP TO COMPUTER, REPLACED ALL COILS & SPARK PLUGS AND THE LIGHT IS STILL ON. *JB