2003 Volkswagen Jetta

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT I NOTICED THAT MY CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERATIVE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM WHEN I GOT HOME ON A VW RELATED WEBSITE AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER NEAR THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS NOT WORKING IT CAUSES THE CRUISE CONTROL TO ALSO STOP WORKING. WHAT I ALSO FOUND OUT IS THAT SINCE THIS SWITCH WAS BROKEN ALL MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY FOR ME TO BECOME AWARE THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING UNLESS I HAD CONNECTED THE PROBLEM BY RESEARCHING IT ONLINE. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK FOR THOSE WHO WOULD NOT ASSOCIATE A CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH AND THEREFORE BE DRIVING AROUND UNKNOWINGLY WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY NOT HAVING THE PROPER BRAKE LIGHTS OPERATIONAL. FORTUNATELY IN MY SITUATION IT DID NOT RESULT IN A REAR END COLLISION. I UNDERSTAND THAT VWOFA HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR 1999-2002 MODELS AND I HAVE A 2003 JETTA. IT FRUSTRATES ME THAT VW IS NOT RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO EXTEND THIS WARRANTY TO LATER MODEL YEARS AS THE PART HAS NOT CHANGED. IN MY OPINION THEY WAIT UNTIL THEY GET ENOUGH COMPLAINTS FOR THE NEWER YEARS BEFORE THEY AUTHORIZE RECALLS FOR THOSE YEARS. (THE 2004'S WILL FAIL LATER AND SO ON AND SO ON). THE PART NUMBER THAT FAILED ON MY CAR IS 1J0 945 511 C (ON MY CAR, BUT CURRENT PART NUMBER IS F REVISION). I HOPE THAT THIS COMPLAINT WILL GET VWOFA TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY RELATED ISSUE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER READ 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 97.3 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE GEAR BUSHING WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE GEAR WAS: 01M-409-187. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE BUSHING WAS: 095-409-190. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT, THE MANUFACTURER NEEDED TO KEEP THE OLD GEAR AND BUSHING. THE CONTACT DID NOT AGREE AND WANTED THE OLD PARTS. *AK

2003 VW JETTA BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH BECAME INOPERABLE. THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS A PERSON TRAVELING BEHIND BE DID NOT KNOW I WAS STOPPING. EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THERE IS NO INDICATION LIGHT TO LET THE DRIVER OF THE JETTA KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED. VW HAD A RECALL ON THE 2002 MODEL OF THIS CAR FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. WHY NOT THE 2003? IT USES THE EXACT SAME PART! TO SEE JUST HOW RAMPANT THIS PROBLEM IS JUST LOOK AT HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=1158315&PAGE=6. *NM

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 WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE EPC ENGINE PROTECTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER WHO DETERMINED WHEN THE EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED; THIS WAS INDICATING THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V096000, REGARDING THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

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.

I PURCHASED A 2003 VW JETTA TDI WAGON ABOUT A YEAR AGO, USED. THIS CAR HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT TO ME THUS FAR, UNTIL MY GLOW PLUG LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AT ME THE OTHER DAY. AFTER CHECKING THE MANUAL, WHICH BASICALLY SAID THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ERROR, AND NOT MUCH MORE, I DECIDED TO CHECK THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION. THE SEARCH RESULTS MENTIONED THAT IT IS MOST LIKELY A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH PROBLEM AND EITHER THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON, OR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. SO, AFTER MY WIFE CHECKED THE BACK OF THE CAR WHILE I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES, SURE ENOUGH, MY BRAKE LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK! I CHECKED THE WEB SOME MORE, AND IT LOOKS AS IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 98-02 JETTAS FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. BEING THAT MINE IS A 2003, MY CAR DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL! I DID SOME MORE SEARCHES, AND HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM I FOUND THIS THREAD, WHICH DETAILS A DIY METHOD OF REPLACING THIS $10 PART. I'D RATHER DO THIS MYSELF IF I HAVE TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP TO WHAT AMOUNTS TO AN EXTORTION FEE FOR THIS 5 MINUTE JOB. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I THINK VW SHOULD REPLACE THIS PART, FREE OF CHARGE. I REALLY THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON MY JETTA MODEL BECAUSE THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF PEOPLE BEHIND YOU AREN'T WARNED WHEN YOU BRAKE. THE FACT THAT THE WARNING LIGHTS DO NOT MENTION WHAT TYPE OF A PROBLEM THIS IS WOULD FURTHER LEAD TO MORE CONFUSION. THE FACT THAT THIS PROBLEM MAKES MY CAR ILLEGAL TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS FURTHER COMPLICATES THE PROCESS OF BRINGING IN THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 JETTA WAGON TDI, 3.5 YEARS OLD WITH 63K MILES. I WAS DRIVING IN A NARROW RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH MY WINDOWS DOWN. I BEGAN TO RAISE THE WINDOWS AND I HEARD A LOUD POP AND A STRANGE NOISE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT TURNS OUT THE WINDOW MECHANISM HAD BROKEN AND THE WINDOW WAS HANGING THERE 1/3 CLOSE IN A STRANGE ANGLE. I TRIED TO LOWER IT OR RAISE IT, BUT INSTEAD IT JUST WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN. THE SOUND STARTLED ME AND I MOMENTARILY SWERVED AND HIT THE CURVE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR OTHER PROPERTY. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH WET COLD AIR BLOWING IN, WHICH WAS VERY DISTRACTING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION BOTH BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL SOUND IS STARTLING, AND BECAUSE THE CONDITION BECOMES A DISTRACTION FROM DRIVING. *JB

2003 VW JETTA CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL OUT AT 47,962 MILES. I AM AN EXPERIENCED MANUAL TRANSMISSION DRIVER. THIS IS NOT MY FAULT, AND THIS IS VERY PREMATURE FOR A CLUTCH FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $2088.00 PLUS TAX FOR PARTS AND LABOR. MY DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME AT $1400 BACK HOME, BUT IM STUCK IN COLORADO WAITING FOR THE CUSTOMER CARE TO GET BACK TO ME. EVERY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC I HAVE TALKED TO INCLUDING VW CERTIFIED; BUT NOT AFFILIATED HAVE TOLD ME THAT EVEN THE WORST CLUTCH -RIDER(WHICH I AM NOT) WOULD HAVE CLUTCH FAILURE AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES. VW IS TOO CHEAP TO SUBMIT A RECALL FOR THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES ON THEIR 2000-2004 VEHICLES. WITH THE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB AND EVEN ON THIS SITE, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND IM NOT JUST SPEAKING ABOUT THE EXTREMELY OUTRAGEOUS REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR COSTS. PLUS! THEY NOW USE NON- RE-SURFACE FLYWHEELS...*JB

MY WIFE'S 2003 VW JETTA TDI BRAKES WILL AGGRESSIVELY LOCK-UP WHEN LIGHTLY DEPRESSED FOR SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A SLOW STOP. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND WILL OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE BRAKES LOCK UP THEY CAN ONLY BE RELEASED AFTER PLACING YOUR FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL AND FORCING THE PEDAL BACKWARDS. IN THE EVENT ANOTHER DIVER FOLLOWS TOO CLOSE, THE FAILURE WILL RESULT IN A REAR END COLLISION POTENTIALLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO BOTH PARTIES. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE DEFECT THE CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO THE VW DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WE RECEIVED A "NO FAULT FOUND REPORT". NOW THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME SEVERE AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY WIFE AND I. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE ALTERNATOR PULLEY BEARINGS SEIZED AND THE PULLEY WAS EJECTED FROM THE ALTERNATOR CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS IN THE SERPENTINE SYSTEM. *NM