2005 Volkswagen Jetta

MY FUEL TANK EXPLODED ON MY 2005 JETTA WAGON TDI. I WAS FILLING THE TANK UP WITH DIESEL AND ALL OF SUDDEN DIESEL FUEL STARTING GUSHING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THE BACKSEAT BULGED UP SO MUCH THAT I COULD NOT LIFT IT UP. THE UNDERNEATH PART OF THE CAR HAS BEEN DAMAGED AS WELL. I CONTACTED VW AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR TO A LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP. VW HEADQUARTERS HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL COVER THE COST OF PARTS, $900, BUT THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE CONSEQUENT DAMAGES WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $4,000, DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE EXPANSION OF THE FUEL TANK. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE CAR IS WORTH ONLY ABOUT $5,000, BUT THAT WAS WITH A WORKING FUEL SYSTEM, I'M SURE. VW HEADQUARTERS ALSO GAVE ME THE OPTION OF RECEIVING A $1,000 LOYALTY VOUCHER SHOULD I CHOOSE TO PURCHASE/LEASE A NEW CAR THROUGH THEM. I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT THESE TWO OFFERS ARE GOOD FOR 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF 6/19/2014. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE NHTSA IN THE PAST BY ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL IN NORTH CAROLINA. THIS INDIVIDUAL'S CLAIM TO VW WAS ORIGINALLY DENIED BY VW, BUT LATER, VW REIMBURSED HIM FOR ALL EXPENSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH AND EXITING A HIGHWAY RAMP, A VERY A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY TO AN AUTO SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE TWO ALUMINUM BOLTS USED FOR THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE MOTOR TO FALL ONTO THE SUB-FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,362.

I WENT TO PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE REMOTE TO UNLOCK THE. CAR, BUT ALL DOORS UNLOCKED EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. I MANUALLY HAD TO UNLOCK CAR DOOR. WHEN I WAS INSIDE I SHUT THE DOOR BUT THE CAR KEPT INDICATING THAT IT WAS OPENED. THE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN, SIDE MIRROR CANNOT BE ADJUSTED, CANNOT OPEN TRUNK OR POP THE GAS TANK. DOORS ARE SUP POST TO AUTO LOCK AT A CERTAIN SPEED WHICH THEY NO LONGER LOCK WHILE DRIVING. THE SWITCHES ON EVERY OTHER DOOR ARE STILL OPERATING PROPERLY EXCEPT FOR SPEED LOCKS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE CHILDREN MAY ATTEMPT TO OPEN CAR DOOR WHILE IT IS IN MOTION. I SEARCHED ONLINE FOR SAME VEHICLES THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT INDICATE WHAT THE ISSUE IS, THE WIRES ARE TO SHORT FOR THE DOORS TO OPEN AND CLOSE WHICH PULLS ON THEM AND WILL CAUSE THE CONNECTION TO BREAK LEAVING THE DOOR POWERLESS. *TR

SWITCHES IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR HAVE BECOME GRADUALLY (AND INTERMITTENTLY) INCREASINGLY INOPERABLE. DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK, WINDOWS UP/DOWN, WINDOW LOCK, SIDE-VIEW MIRROR ADJUSTMENT, AND TRUNK RELEASE ALL HAVE STOPPED WORKING EITHER ENTIRELY OR INTERMITTENTLY. THE MAJOR SAFETY RELATED ISSUES ARE: 1. NON-FUNCTIONAL SWITCHES ARE A DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING - CAN'T CLOSE WINDOW AT TOOL BOOTH, ETC. 2. THE INABILITY TO ADJUST SIDE-VIEW MIRRORS. 3. THE INABILITY TO LOCK REAR WINDOWS COMBINED WITH HAVING SMALL CHILDREN RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT. 4. THE INABILITY TO UNLOCK REAR DOORS (WITHOUT USING THE KEYLESS REMOTE - ONE OF WHICH HAS ALSO STOPPED WORKING) TO GET TO THE KIDS IN THE BACK IS A CHALLENGE AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. 5. THE DOOR SWITCH THAT INDICATES TO THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER WHEN THE DOOR IS OPEN OR CLOSED ALSO IS NOT FUNCTIONAL, CAUSING NIGHTTIME LIGHTING ISSUES WHEN PARKED AND OPENING DOOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THE TRUNK FAILED TO CLOSE. THE CONTACT HAD TO SLAM THE TRUNK SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER FOR IT TO CLOSE PROPERLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LOCK AND THE OPEN DOOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,375. ... UPDATED 02/28/13 *BF UPDATED 03/11/13

FOR CLARIFICATION, MY CAR IS A MARK 5 2005.5 NEW JETTA, NOT A MARK 4 2005 JETTA. WHEN YOU SHUT THE TRUNK, IT SEEMS TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. IT STAYS IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND CANNOT BE PULLED OPEN. HOWEVER, ONCE YOU DRIVE OFF, THE TRUNK MAY OPEN SUDDENLY AND YOU CANNOT SEE ANYTHING BEHIND YOURSELF BECAUSE THE TRUNK HOOD OBSTRUCT YOUR REAR WINDOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES TO ME, AND MANY OTHER JETTA OWNERS CAN BE SEEN SAYING THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON ONLINE FORUMS. SOMETIMES, THE TRUNK CANNOT BE CLOSED AT ALL. YOU CAN STAND THERE AND SHUT THE TRUNK OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND IT WILL NOT LATCH. *TR

THE TRUNK LATCH IS EASILY DEFECTIVE CAUSING INABILITY TO SHUT TRUNK OR OPENING OF TRUNK WHILE DRIVING. SEARCH FORUMS ONLINE AND YOU WILL SEE PLENTY OF HITS AS A RECURRING PROBLEM. OURS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME AND HAS OPENED WHILE ON THE ROAD. THANKFULLY THE TRUNK WAS EMPTY AND NOTHING FLEW OUT AND THE ROAD WAS EMPTY. *TR

THE CAR INTERIOR HAS A CRAYON SMELL MOST NOTICEABLE ON HOT DAYS. I AM CONCERNED THAT I AM BREATHING IN POSSIBLY TOXIC FUMES FROM THE EVAPORATION OF CHEMICALS THAT WERE USED WHEN THE CAR WAS BUILT. AFTER TYPING INTO GOOGLE ONLY THE 2 WORDS "CRAYON SMELL" I GET MANY MANY HITS FOR VW CARS THAT HAVE THE EXACT SAME SMELL AS MINE, SO THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS A LARGE GROUP OF VW VEHICLES. *TR