2006 Volkswagen Jetta

AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.9L TDI AUTOMATIC DSG WITH 87,000 MILES. A VIDEO OF IT IN ACTION: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=7LSEX_-B_O0 WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL AND ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL COME ON WITH DIFFERENT SOUNDS. CHANGING THE SHIFTER INTO P, N, D, R, S (SPORTMODE) DOES NOTHING. CHANGING INTO THE TIPTRONIC MODE DOES NOTHING. THIS IS ONE INCIDENT OF A SERIES OF INCIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SPORADICALLY FOR THE PAST YEAR, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF SINCE BEFORE THANKSGIVING 2009. WE'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA AND THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. THE DEALERSHIP (PARADISE VOLKSWAGEN 760-200-4000) HAS DONE NUMEROUS "REPAIRS" TO THE CAR INCLUDING: MISC DIAGNOSIS 12/28-?? NEW STEERING RACK 12/6-12/22 SENSOR AND ELECTRICAL MODULE 12/1-12/16 MISC DIAGNOSIS ON 11/16-11/20 WE FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THE CAR - WHAT IF IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY? *TR

DRIVING ON I-95 IN JACKSONVILLE, FL, IT WAS RAINING WITH SOME POUNDING (APPROX. 1 INCH OF WATER) ON THE ROADWAY. I WAS MAINTAINING A SPEED OF 35-45 MPH WHEN THE EPC AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. AT FIRST THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY BUT AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES IT LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 1500 RPM. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY TAKE AN EXIT RAMP OFF THE FREEWAY AND COAST INTO A GAS STATION, THE CAR CONTINUING TO REFUSE TO ACCELERATE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. I STARTED UP AGAIN AND DROVE AROUND THE GAS STATION AND THINGS SEEMED NORMAL AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THE EPC LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. STOPPED AGAIN AND WAITED ANOTHER 5 MINUTES. UPON STARTING UP AGAIN, BOTH WARNING LIGHTS WERE GONE AND THE CAR BEHAVED AND ACCELERATED NORMALLY. THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO GET STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY FREEWAY POSSIBLY CAUSING A CRASH AND INJURIES. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED WHERE IT DID AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO SAFETY. *TR

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I PURCHASED A 2006.5 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI IN SEPTEMBER OF 2006. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE FOUND A MAJOR MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE FIRE, AN ACCIDENT, OR BOTH. IT SURELY IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, A DANGER TO THE DRIVER, ALL PASSENGERS, AND OTHER CARS AS WELL. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE CAR HAS TOTAL LOSS OF POWER . AFTER A FAILED REPAIR ATTEMPT BY MY DEALER, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT THE MAIN ENGINE FEED HARNESS HAS MAJOR WIRE CHAFING CAUSING WIRES TO CONTACT EACH OTHER, POTENTIALLY CAUSING FIRE. THIS ALSO CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL WITH ALL POWER LOST. I DIRECTED MYSELF TO THE TDI FORUM WHERE MANY VW ENTHUSIASTS AND SERVICE TECH'S GATHER TO TALK ABOUT THEIR CARS. I QUICKLY FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS FINDING THE SAME PROBLEM. BARE WIRES RUBBING TOGETHER. I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT VW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS WELL. THE ONLY WAY TO PROPERLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM IS A NEW ENGINE HARNESS, WITH A LARGER LOOM, OR PADDING AROUND THE WIRES. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY AND A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION WHILE DRIVING. I DROVE FOR A HALF A DAY WITHOUT KNOWING THE LIGHT WAS STAYING ON. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HONKED AT ME, BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHY. I ALSO COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY MY CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK. I FIGURED OUT THE BRAKELIGHT SWITCH WAS NOT WORKING WHEN I CAME OUT OF HOME DEPOT AFTER DARK AND I THOUGHT I LEFT MY LIGHTS ON. IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE BRAKELIGHT SWITCH. I CALLED A VOLKSWAGON REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. WHEN I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SERVICE TO REPAIR IT, THEY DENIED ANY RECALL. I DID A LITTLE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I NOW SEE THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF BRAKELIGHT SWITCH FAILURES ON JETTAS AND BEETLES. THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY ALSO AS IT HAS 59,400 MILES ON IT AND IT IS A 2006 JETTA TDI. I BOUGHT THIS CAR THINKING IT WILL GO 250,000 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS AND AM SADDENED BY THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT FOR A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS OVER 250,000 MILES WITHOUT A BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. IT SEEMS VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REMEDY THE FAILURES ON THE MEXICAN MADE VEHICLES ON SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WHICH SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR A NEAR INFINITE LIFE SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS NOT LIKE A FAN SWITCH. I AM PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO SEE THE FAILURE AS I HAVE PUT ON AN UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNT OF MILES, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE HIGHWAY MILES. WHEN I GET IT REPAIRED, I CAN GET THE OLD PART. I HOPE TO GET IT REPAIRED TOMORROW. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 VW JETTA TDI WITH APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON IT. THIS AUTO WAS PURCHASED TO BE USED PRIMARILY AS A COMMUTER CAR FOR MY WIFE AND I. LAST WEEK WE SUDDENLY STARTED SEEING THE DASHBOARD WARNING "AIR BAG FAULT". UPON TAKING IT TO THE LOCAL VWOA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS INVESTIGATED WE WERE INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A VWOA TECHNICAL BULLETIN (THAT EVIDENTLY HAD BEEN OUT FOR SOME TIME) WHICH INDICATED THAT SOME CONNECTOR(S) LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT THAT ARE RELATED TO THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ITEM NOR ANYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE CAUSED BUT VWOA IS INDICATING THAT DUE TO THE AUTO NOT BEING WITHIN THE WARRANTY (4 YEAR AND/OR 50,000 MILES AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD) THAT WE WILL NOW HAVE TO PAY APPROXIMATELY $400 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. WE WERE FURTHER INFORMED BY THE VWOA SERVICE THAT WITHOUT THIS REPAIR THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS CONSIDERED TO BE IN AN "UNSTABLE STATE" AND COULD POTENTIALLY NOT ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG WHEN NEEDED OR POSSIBLY ACTIVATE AT AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME. THE VW DEALER ALSO SAID THAT VWOA CONSIDERS THIS TO BE SO UNSAFE THAT THEY ISSUE A FREE RENTAL AND REQUIRE THE REPAIR TO BE MADE BEFORE RELEASING THE AUTO AGAIN....BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE UNDER WARRANTY. VWOA DID MANAGE TO COME THROUGH WITH SOME "GOOD WILL ASSISTANCE" (THEIR WORDS) BY PROVIDING $200 TOWARDS THE REPAIR. THIS AIRBAG ISSUE HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2006 VW JETTA (MAYBE OTHER YEARS AS WELL I'M NOT SURE) FOR SOME TIME. VWOA INDICATES THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN AND IS THEREFORE NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA AND OTHER SITES THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS A LARGER ISSUE THAN VWOA STATES. I THINK A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS INVOLVED WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE BEFORE ANY INJURIES AND/OR FATALITIES OCCUR. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 JETTA ATTRACTED BY AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF FEATURES AND CONVENIENCES THAT I WANTED AS A CONSUMER. ONE OF THIS FEATURES INCLUDED THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW OPENING VIA REMOTE CONTROL, FEATURE THAT IS NOT NORMALLY SEEN ON VEHICLES OF ITS CLASS AND PRICE. VOLKSWAGEN DID AN UPDATE TO THE SOFTWARE TO THIS VEHICLE AND WITHOUT MY CONSENT TOOK THAT OPTION OUT. I PAID FOR THAT CONVENIENCE AND VW CANT EVEN TELL ME WHY IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE COMPUTER. THE DEALER CANT TELL ME EITHER BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THEM THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S ON THE SOFTWARE UPDATE. IN ANY CASE I NEED TO BE COMPENSATED BY THIS INCONVENIENCE OR THE SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE RETROFITTED TO GET ME THIS OPTION BACK. *TR