2001 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO Complaints

FAILURE: DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE ON A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. I WAS ENTERING A CAR WASH, HAD PUT THE WINDOW DOWN ON THE CAR TO CODE IN MY INFO, AND WAS PUTTING THE POWER WINDOW BACK UP. IT CRASHED DOWN LOUDLY, SO I BACKED IT OUT OF THE WASH, RISKING DAMAGE TO THE TIRES RATHER THAN FLOOD THE CAR. MY LOCAL REPAIR PLACE REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS UNDER RECALL SINCE IT SOUNDED LIKE A KNOWN VW PROBLEM. BEFORE LOOKING AT THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP REP SAID THEY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND SAID THEY WOULD CHARGE ME $125 TO FIX THE WINDOW. AFTER CALLING THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY HADN'T OPENED UP THE CAR YET, I FINALLY RECEIVED A CALL BACK TELLING ME IT WAS INSTEAD THE WINDOW REGULATOR, THAT THE PART WAS ON INDEFINITE BACKORDER, AND THAT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE OVER $600 JUST FOR THE PART. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED A "7 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY" ON VOLKSWAGEN JETTA AND GOLF MODELS FROM 2001 FOR THE WINDOW REGULATOR, BUT REFERRED ME TO THEIR NATIONAL CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE 2001 CABRIO. CABRIO IS THE SAME AS A GOLF (WHICH THE DEALER SALES REP TOLD ME WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR), BUT VW CUSTOMER RELATIONS SAYS THEY WILL DO NOTHING EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME FAULTY PART THEY PUT IN THEIR OTHER CARS. THE CAR WINDOW IS STILL STUCK DOWN IN THE DOOR, WHICH RENDERS THE CAR UNDRIVABLE HERE IN THE SF BAY AREA -- WHERE FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, YOU DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR OUTSIDE WITH THE WINDOW DOWN. BASED ON A REVIEW OF THE VW OWNERS FORUM ONLINE, IT SOUNDS LIKE MANY OTHER CABRIO OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT AFTER REPAIR, ONE OR MORE OTHER WINDOW REGULATORS ON THE CAR BREAK, REQUIRING ADDITIONAL TRIPS TO THEIR DEALERSHIPS. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR -- IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, THE LOUDNESS OF THE WINDOW CRASHING DOWN MIGHT HAVE CAUSED ME TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THE 2001 VW CABRIO HAS THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE AS THE 2001 VW JETTA AND GOLF MODELS. *NM

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR QUITE SOMETIME NOW, HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM SO AFRAID THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THE CAR IS IN AN ACCIDENT ! THERE IS NO DEALERSHIP IN MY TOWN AND I HAVE HAD NO TIME TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP 3 HOURS FROM HERE DUE TO MY WORK SCHEDULE. *JB

I WAS CHANGING TIRES AND THE BRAKE PADS OF 2001 VW CABRIO USING VW ISSUED JACK THE JACK COLLAPSED BECAUSE IST SLIPPED FROM IT GROVE. IT HAPPENED IN THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I THINK IT IS UNIVERSAL JACK FOR VW CARS. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT HURT BECAUSE THE THE WHEEL WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE CAR WITH THE WHEEL NUTS LOOSENED. THIS JACK IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I CAN SEND THE JACK TO YOU TO BE EXAMINED IF NEEDED

I OPENED THE WINDOWS PART WAY TO COOL THE CAR OFF, AND WHEN I TRIED TO RAISE THE DRIVER'S WINDOW, IT DROPPED INTO THE DOOR AND WOULD NOT COME UP. I COULD HEAR THE MOTOR WORKING, BUT THE WINDOW WOULD NOT COME UP. HAVING HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT. IT NEEDED A NEW REGULATOR, $370 FOR THE PART + LABOR + TAX.

CONSUMER STATES: HAD 2ND ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON THE ENGINE, THE WIRING HARNESS BURNT UP. UNDER WARRANTY THE DEALER REPLACED PARTIAL WIRING OF THE HARNESS. ALSO 3 IGNITION SWITCHES PUT IN. MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR,OXYGEN SENSOR, AND COOLANT TEMPERATURE FAILED. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE NEEDS TWO HOLE WIRING HARNESSES, AN ORIGINAL HARNESS AND MAIN ENGINE HARNESS. *AK

LOCK MODULE FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR LATCH DOES NOT CATCH. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN, SHE HEARD A NOISE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO TOLD HER THAT SHE HAD THREE (3) WHEEL BEARINGS GOING BAD AT ONCE. THEN SHE STATES THAT LAST WEEK SHE HEARD A SIMILAR NOISE, SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER IN HER HOME TOWN, THIS TIME THE DEALER TOLD HER THE SAME THING, THAT SHE NOW HAS THE 4TH WHEEL BEARING GOING BAD. SHE STATES SHE HAS CALLED VW, AND HAS ALSO WRITTEN THEM. SHE SAID VW REFUSED TO RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATES THE FIRST 3 WHEEL BEARING STARTED TO GO AT 57,000 MILES, THEN THE OTHER ONE STARTED TO GO AT 59,200 MILES. *JB *SC

WHEN STARTING CAR 75% OF THE TIME ABS AND (HAND) BRAKE LIGHT WOULD SWITCH ON THOUGH BRAKE NOT ENGAGED; AT THE SAME TIME HEADLIGHTS AND A/C DIDN'T WORK. WAS TOLD IT IS AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM. ALSO, WINDOW AUTOMATIC CLOSE MALFUNCTIONING WHICH DEALER SERVICE SAYS IS UNRELATED. NECESSITATED ABOUT $1,800 PARTS AND LABOR. ALSO, UNFORTUNATELY AT THE MERCY GENERALLY OF VW DEALER SERVICE SINCE MANY MECHANICS DO NOT STOCK THE COMPUTER NECESSARY TO DIAGNOSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SERVICE PROBLEMS WITH TWO VW DEALERS IN MY AREA (NORTHERN VIRGNIA). ONE DEALER (ALEXANDRIA VW) FAILED TO TIGHTEN WHEEL NUTS AFTER A ROUTINE CHECK-UP AND CLAIMED AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR THAT NOTHING WAS AMISS. ANOTHER (STOHLMAN IN VIENNA, VA.) REPLACED THE IGNITIION SWITCH BUT BROKE A PART WHILE DOING SO, SO THAT THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. *AK

VEHICLE FIRST SUFFERRED SERIOUS POWER AND IGNITION PROBLEMS ONE RAINY DAY. ON TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER WE WERE INFORMED THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND IT WOULD BE $750.00 FOR NEW SPARKPLUG WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR CAP, AND ROTOR. I AM AN ENGINEER AND FOUND THAT PRICE OFFENSIVE WRT THE WORK ASSOCIATED. I REPLACED THESE ITEMS AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF DEBUGGING THE IGNITION SYSTEM I FINALLY FOUND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AT THE CONTROL LINES TO THE DISTRIBUTOR WHEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER WAS APPLIED. I SEALED AND WATER PROOFED THIS ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH SILICON AND COULD THEN DOUSE THE ENGINE IN WATER WITHOUT ANY MISFIRES. MY WIFE REPORTED CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH ACCELLERATION AND MISSING ON HUMID MORNINGS. I TOOK THE CAR FROM HER ONE DAY AND IT RAINED. SINCE THEN THERE IS A MASSIVE MISFIRE AT THE COIL. THIS MAKES STARTING DIFFICULT AND RUNNING IMPOSSIBLE. AS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENETS IN THIS VEHICLE ARE AMATURE BORDERING ON RETARDED. SOMEONE PLEASE TRANSLATE THIS TO GERMAN AND FORWARD IT TO BOSCH AND VOLKSWAGEN. *AK

ON 4/21 I TOOK MY 2001 CABRIO IN TO BE SERVICED AT ESSERMAN IN MIAMI. THEY ORDERED THE WIPER FLUID CONTAINER BECAUSE IT WAS CRACKED AND THEY COULDN'T REPAIR IT. I PHONED EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT OBTAIN A DATE FROM THE NAT'L PARTS CENTER ON WHEN IT WOULD ARRIVE AND FINALLY SUGGESTED THAT I PHONED VW ADVOCATE. I PHONED VW ADVOCATE 800-822-8987 ON 6/1 AND THEY WERE GOING TO CHECK TO SEE WHEN THE PART COULD SHIP TO THE DEALER AND PHONE ME BACK. NO CALLS RECEIVED. ON 6/7 I PHONED AGAIN AND THE PART IS STILL ON ORDER WITH NO PROJECTED DATE. I'VE HAD THIS CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR ISSUES DURING THE 3 YEARS OF MY LEASE AND NOW THEY CAN'T TELL ME WHEN THEY CAN HAVE THE CONTAINER IN SO I CAN CLEAN MY WINDSHIELD? I WOULD AT LEAST EXPECT A DATE TO BE GIVEN. I AM IN THE MFG. BUSINESS AND WHEN AN ORDER IS PLACED YOU GIVE A DELIVERY DATE -EVEN IF IT HAS TO BE PRODUCED. I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO GET AN ANSWER AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP. MY LEASE EXPIRES NEXT APRIL AND I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE PART PRIOR TO THEN AND I'M TIRED OF GOING TO GAS STATIONS TO CLEAN MY WINDSHIELD. *AK