2004 Volkswagen Jetta

I HAVE A 2004 VW JETTA. IT HAS ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON IT. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, IT DEVELOPED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. IT PROGRESSES FROM THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKERING INITIALLY & THE TRIP MILEAGE GOING AWAY, TO BEEPING 3 TIMES, AND EVENTUALLY TO STALLING WHEN I STOP. IT'S PROGRESSIVE, THE LONGER IT HAPPENS THE MORE FREQUENTLY IT HAPPENS. THIS MAKES THE CAR UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES. THE FIRST 2 TIMES, THEY SAID IT WAS A SHORT. I WAS CHARGED FOR THE SERVICE. THE NEXT TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I PAID FOR THE PART BUT NOT THE LABOR. THE LAST TIME, THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP RELAY SWITCH. I WASN'T CHARGED. I GOT THE CAR BACK THURSDAY. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED SATURDAY. I SPOKE TO VW CORP. PRIOR TO THE THIRD & FOURTH TIMES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE FOURTH TIME, I ASKED FOR OTHER OPTIONS, BUT ALL THEY WOULD DO IS TELL ME TO TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIRS. I SPOKE TO THEM AGAIN TODAY. THEY SAID TO TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALER ONCE MORE. I POINTED OUT THAT I HAD JUST DONE THAT LAST WEEK. THEY STILL INSISTED I RETURN IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID EVENTUALLY, THEY MIGHT GIVE ME CREDIT FOR THE CAR TOWARDS A NEW CAR. THEY WOULDN'T SPECIFY HOW MANY MORE TIMES I'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT IN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE CREDIT. THEY DIDN'T SAY HOW MUCH CREDIT THEY WOULD OFFER. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER VW. I ASKED THAT, AS THE CAR WAS UNRELIABLE & THEY COULDN'T FIX IT, THAT THEY BUY IT BACK FROM ME AT THE BLUE BOOK PRICE. THEY SAID THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. DO YOU HAVE REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH 2004 VW JETTAS? DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT MY RIGHTS ARE RELATIVE TO THIS SITUATION? *TT

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SOMEWHAT FREQUENT ROUGH OR HARD SHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS, AND REVERSE GEAR HAS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING MOST OF THE TIME - WILL NOT ENGAGE REVERSE, BUT INSTEAD ACTS AS IF CAR IS IN NEUTRAL (MAKES A SLIGHT ELECTRONIC SOUND WHEN SHIFTED). RENDERS CAR HIGHLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO DRIVE IN REVERSE. CAR HAS ONLY 83,000 MILES, AND THIS IS CONSIDERED A "SEALED" TRANSMISSION BY VOLKSWAGEN; ONLY MAINTENANCE REQUIRED TO THIS POINT IS CHECKING FOR LEAKS (PER MULTIPLE DEALERS AND OWNER'S MANUAL). VERY SIMILAR TO PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED IN MANY OTHER AUTOMATICS W/ THE TIPTRONIC FEATURE IN VOLKSWAGEN (SEE NEW BEETLES OF SIMILAR MODEL YEARS, WHERE VW ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE VALVE BODY). HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NUMEROUS VW-COMPETENT TECHS THAT THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT IS THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY, AND THAT VW AUTOMATICS ARE WIDELY KNOWN FOR HAVING THESE PROBLEMS. *TT

IN APRIL OF 2005 VW INITIATED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS ISSUES CAUSED BY OVERHEATING SEAT HEATERS. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED ON JUNE 24TH 2006 BY COOK VOLKSWAGEN IN FALLSTON MARYLAND, AND PARTS FOR REPAIR WERE ORDERED (INVOICE [XXX]). ON JULY 8TH 2006 THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO HAVE THE SERVICE PERFORMED. THE INVOICE (268548) STATES: RECALLS COMPLETED, VV1 CHECKED SEAT HEATER ' NO REPAIRS REQUIRED. ON JANUARY 3RD 2011, WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, WITH THE COMFORT SEAT HEATER TURNED ON AT LEVEL 2, THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED STRONG PAIN, FOLLOWED BY STRONG ODOR OF BURNING PLASTIC. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT WAS DISCOVERED. VW SUGGESTED THE OWNER PAYS $170.00 TO NORTHTOWN VW ON AMHERST NEW YORK TO DISASSEMBLE THE SEAT AND TAKE DETAILED PICTURES OF THE FAILURE BEFORE PERFORMING ANY WORK TO REPAIR THE SEAT HEATER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THERE IS A TERRIBLE SMELL THAT MY CAR HAS ON THE INTERIOR NOW. IT SMELLS OF MELTING BURNT CRAYONS. IT IS WORSE IN THE SUMMER OR WHEN I RUN THE HEAT. THE SMELL STAYS ON MY CLOTHES AND OTHER PEOPLE SMELL IT ON ME. IT GIVES ME HEADACHES. (I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE). APPARENTLY IT IS FROM THE SOUND-PROOFING AND FIREWALL? I READ THIS IN A FORUM. THE SMELL IS SOMETHING THAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER TIME AND DID NOT EXIST WHEN I FIRST PURCHACED THE VEHICLE, USED (NOT NEW), IN 2006. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS IN FORUMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND IT SEEMS THAT VW SHOULD JUST FIX THE PROBLEM OR MAYBE NOT CREATE THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN, THEN I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS CAR. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VW AND I HAVE EVEN TALKED SOMEONE ELSE OUT OF BUYING A VW BECAUSE OF THIS. MAYBE IF VW CARED A LITTLE MORE ABOUT FIXING THE PROBLEMS AND LESS ABOUT FATTENING THEIR WALLETS! *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME ON FRIDAY JANUARY 6 AT AROUND 230PM, MY VW JETTA WAGON'S DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER, SET ON "4," OVERHEATED AND IGNITED THE SEAT MATERIAL, WHICH BURNED THROUGH AND BEGAN TO BURN MY PANTS. SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN; LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM HOME. WHEN THE SMOKE BEGAN, I SMELLED A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL, AND VEERED SHARPLY OFF THE ROAD, THINKING THE CAR MIGHT BURN. I SHUT OFF THE SEAT HEATER CONTROL, THEN DROVE TO MY HOME, ONE BLOCK AWAY. I SHUT OFF THE CAR, GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM INSIDE, THEN RETURNED TO THE CAR. THE SMOKE HAD JUST ABOUT STOPPED; A DIME-SIZED BURNED HOLE WAS IN MY SEAT, AS WELL AS A SLIGHT BROWNED AREA ON MY PANTS. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, AND HAVE FILED A CASE WITH VW OF AMERICA CASE # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE WERE STOPPED IN THE TRAFFIC AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS TRUCK [2001 CHEVY] REAR ENDED US AT THE SPEED OF 45 MILES PER HOUR AND OUR CAR GOT PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. IN OUR CAR, PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COVER CAME OUT BUT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE WE HAD GREAT TRUST IN VW [GERMAN CARS] IN MAKING STRONG AND RELIABLE CARS WHICH CAN SAVE LIVES WHICH COULD NOT BE PROVED IN THE ACCIDENT WE GOTTEN INTO. HAD THE IMPACT BEEN LITTLE HIGHER WE COULD HAVE DIED IN THE ACCIDENT. I'M SAD TO SAY THAT OUR TRUST IN VW HAS BEEN SHATTERED AFTER THE ACCIDENT. *TR

BOUGHT NEW IN 2004. STARTING AT 60K MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME-ON SAYING MISS FIRE ON #1 CYL WHEN ITS WET OUTSIDE; RAINING OR SNOW. SPARK PLUG AND WIRE REPLACED REGULARLY AND CHECKED WITHIN SPECS. THE ACCELERATION STARTED TO DETERIORATE AND FLAT SPOT IN THE ACCELERATION CAN BE DANGEROUS IN DRIVING CONDITIONS. 86K THE ORIGINAL VW COIL WAS REPLACED; #1 TERMINAL WAS CORRODED. *TR

I BOUGHT A SET OF 215/50R-17 91V ZEXIUS XI-427 ALL SEASON RADIAL TIRES ON 07/26/2010 FROM LES SCHWAB TIRES IN CALIFORNIA. ON MEMORIAL DAY 5/30/2011 I HAD A BLOWOUT ON I-215 IN LAS VEGAS NV CALLED EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE AND THEY PUT ON SPARE. I CALLED LES SCHWAB TO TELL ABOUT INCIDENT THE NEXT DAY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS TIRE SEPARATION BY AN COMPETITOR TIRE SHOP. ON 6/11/2011 TWO WEEKS AND 282 MILES LATER I WOKE UP TO FIND I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON A DIFFERENT ZEXIUS TIRE, SO I PUT AIR IN THE TIRE AND DROVE THE CAR TO TIRE WORKS A TIRE SHOP A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. TIRE WORKS CHECKED THE TIRE FOR ANY OBJECTS IN THE TIRE BUT FOUND NONE. THEY FOUND THE SIDEWALL HAD A CRACK WHERE AIR WAS LEAKING THROUGH AND DETERMINE IT WAS TIRE SEPARATION. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THEY FOUND CRACKS IN THE OTHER TWO ZEXIUS TIRES WHICH THE TIRE SPECIALIST SAID WAS CAUSED BY DRY ROT! I REPLACED THE ZEXIUS TIRE WITH ANOTHER SET OF TIRE'S DUE TO THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THESE TIRES. I AM IN CURRENT DISPUTE WITH LES SCHWAB TIRES FOR A REFUND FOR THE TOTAL COST OF TIRES. PARTIALLY THE DISPUTE IS WHOM WILL PAY FOR SHIPPING THE ZEXIUS TIRES BACK TO CALIFORNIA AS I LIVE IN HENDERSON,NV CURRENTLY. I NEED HELP TO SETTLE THIS DISPUTE AND EXPOSURE TO THESE FAULTY TIRES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME RESISTANT TO STARTING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V586000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL). THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER REGARDING THE RECALL AND THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,500. UPDATED 06/24/11 *BF THE CONSUMER DISPUTED THE DEALERS RESPONSE SINCE HE BELEIVED HIS VIN FELL IN THE PUBLISHED VIN RANGE OF THE RECALL DESCRIBED IN VW'S DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED TO NHTSA. UPDATED 06/30/11