2006 Volkswagen Jetta

THE REAR BRAKES PREMATURELY WORE OUT ON MY 2006 VW JETTA TDI. THIS OCCURRED AT 27,000 MILES AND THE BRAKES WERE DOWN TO METAL WITH NO BRAKE MATERIAL LEFT ON THE PADS WHICH IN TURN RUINED THE ROTORS. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS AT A COST OF $341 TO ME PLUS TAX. SINCE FRONT BRAKES DO 70-80% OF THE WORK THE REAR BRAKES SHOULD NOT HAVE WORN OUT THIS EARLY, CERTAINLY NOT BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES. THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT BRAKES THAT THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I COULD SEE THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKES OR INCREASED BRAKING FORCE ON THE REAR BRAKES BEING THE POTENTIAL CAUSE FOR AN ACCIDENT AND POTENTIALLY INJURY. *TR

MY 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2.5L STARTED MAKING STRANGE NOISES FROM MY REAR BRAKES AT 23,000 TOTAL VEHICLE MILES. WHEN I REMOVED THE REAR BRAKE PADS, THEY WERE ALREADY WORN TO THE STUDS AND ETCHING THE REAR BRAKE DISCS. BRAKING EFFORT AND STOPPING DISTANCES WERE INCREASING. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR WITH BRAKES THAT WORE OUT IN 20,000 MILES, AND IF I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, I WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE BRAKES ENTIRELY AND/OR HAD A FAILURE. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS BECAUSE THE HAND BRAKE IS NOT FULLY RELEASED. *TR

IN JANUARY SOMETHING BROKE OFF FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND KILLED THE ENTIRE ENGINE. IT GOT A NEW ENGINE AND A NEW TRANSMISSION. THAT HAS LED TO A SLEW OF OTHER DIFFERENT PROBLEMS FROM MINOR RATTLES TO DANGEROUS EXHAUST LEAKS AND OIL LEAKS. CORPORATE VW WAS ONLY ABLE TO GIVE ME TWO MONTHS CREDIT ON MY LOAN WHICH FROM READING EVERYWHERE IS JUST THEIR WAY OF GETTING US TO SHUT UP. NOW MY REAR BRAKES ARE METAL TO METAL AND I HAVE A BEARING PROBLEM. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT MY SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES THAT I CAUSED IT BY HITTING A CURB WHICH IN TURN RUINED THE BEARING. I THINK THE BEARING WAS RUINED WHEN THEY PUT IN THE NEW ENGINE AND SCREWED WITH THE TORQUE. *TR

WIFE STATED THAT WHEN SHE HIT BRAKES IT WAS HARD TO STOP CAR ,DID NOT SLOW, REAR ENDED A SUV AT ABOUT 30 MPH WHICH PUSHED FRONT END UP TO WINDSHIELD ABOVE BUMPER, PUSHED ENGINE INTO FIREWALL. SHE INCURRED MAJOR SEAT BELT BRUISING WITH NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. AFTER INSPECTION THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOUND THAT TWO SENSORS HAD BEEN DISTORTED ALONG WITH CRACKED ENGINE MOUNTS AND BENT CRADLE. THEY TOTALED THE CAR DUE IN PART TO NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT,T AND FELT THAT THE CAR WOULD BE UNSAFE AFTER REPAIRS. AFTER CONTACTING VOLKSWAGEN, THEY SAID THAT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. BUT WHAT IF MY WIFE HAD JUMPED INTO THE CAR AND FORGOT TO PUT THE SEAT BELT ON SHE WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT SINCE MOST ACCIDENTS WOULD OVER RIDE THE BUMPER DUE TO LOW BUMPER HEIGHT. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM FROM THE PICTURES I SENT THEM AND OUR TALK ON THE PHONE. *AK

1) VEHICLE IS A 2006 VW JETTA, PACKAGE 1 MANUAL TRANSMISSION; DRIVING VEHICLE NORMALLY; NO ABNORMAL BRAKING INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS WHATSOEVER. 2) REAR BRAKE PADS ON DRIVER'S SIDE WORN DOWN TO RIVETS AT AROUND 11K MILES; THIS RESULTED IN SCORED REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ROTOR; PASSENGER SIDE REAR PADS ALSO WORN DOWN BUT NO DAMAGE TO ROTOR YET; FRONT BRAKE PADS STILL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION FOR BOTH SIDES. APPARENTLY FOR THE 2006 VW JETTA, THE REAR PADS WEAR OUT BEFORE THE FRONT PADS. I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT ESPECIALLY SINCE THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE THE PRIMARY BRAKE LOAD CARRIER, AT LEAST BASED ON THE SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROTORS: A) FRONT ROTORS ARE 25MM VENTILATED B) REAR ROTORS ARE 12MM UNVENTILATED THE REAR BRAKES WEARING OUT BEFORE THE FRONTS FOR THE VW JETTA IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. SEARCH THE VW FORUMS AND YOU WILL FIND MANY CASES OF THIS. 3) VW WILL BE REPLACING BOTH REAR ROTORS AND PADS UNDER WARRANTY; NOT SURE ABOUT KEEPING THE OLD PARTS SINCE THE WORK WILL BE DONE UNDER VW WARRANTY. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS IS GOOD BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THIS SOLVES THE ULTIMATE ISSUE OF THE REAR BRAKE BIASING WHICH IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. EITHER THE ENTIRE VW JETTA BRAKE SYSTEM AND/OR THE BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *NM

I LEASED MY 2006 JETTA 2.0 IN JANUARY 2006. CURRENTLY THE CAR HAS STALLED ON ME 4 TIMES AND I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS FAILED STARTS. THE VEHICLE FAILS TO START WHEN I USE THE MAIN KEY AND THE VALET KEY. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME PRETTY CONSISTENT NOW THAT I HAVE PUT MORE MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I AM NOW AT 20K AND ITS BEEN A HEADACHE ALL THE WAY. I CAN ONLY BE THANKFUL THAT WHEN THE CAR STALLED ON ME ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT I WAS NOT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THEY CAN NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. SUPPOSEDLY, THE CAR STARTS WITHOUT A PROBLEM WHEN IT IS IN THEIR SERVICE BAY. IN ADDITION, WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, MY BACK SEAT LATCHES WERE BROKEN CAUSING THE BACK SEAT TO LUNGE FORWARD DURING HARD STOPS AND TURNS. THIS MADE MY JETTA A TWO PASSENGER VEHICLE! ALSO, THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND SWITCHES WERE MALFUNCTIONING. THE FRONT SUSPENSION OR THE BRAKES MAKE A GRINDING NOISE OR THEY HAVE A LOOSE FEEL, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PUT MY FINGER ON IT YET. IM TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN TOMORROW! MY STEERING COLUMN MAKE A FAINT SQUEAKING NOISE DURING TURNS, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT PROBLEMS IS. IN THE MORNING AFTER I CAN GET THE CAR STARTED THE ENGINE IS LOUD FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES. THE DEALER FIXED THE LATCH PROBLEMS BUT THE OTHER PROBLEMS GO UNFIXED AND REMAIN A HUGE MYSTERY. *JB