2000 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

I OWN A 2000 VW GOLF WHICH I PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM A VW DEALER. IN JANUARY OF 2007 I HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT AIRBAG AND WIRING HARNESS FOR A COST A LITTLE OVER $600. ON 7/14/2008 MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I NEED TO HAVE THE MAIN DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG AND WIRING HARNESS REPLACED. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, YET THIS IS THE SECOND AIRBAG I'VE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP, IF I DO NOT REPLACE THE AIRBAG, IT MAY NOT DEPLOY IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, OR IT COULD DEPLOY WHEN I AM JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I FEEL AS THOUGH AN AIRBAG SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE, OR ONLY NEED TO BE REPLACED WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY DEPLOYED. *TR

CAR WAS HARD PULLING TO RIGHT SIDE DUE TO CRACKED TIRE ON RIGHT SIDE FRONT, THIS IS THE THIRD FAILURE ON THIS SET OF TIRES THEY HAVE LESS THEN 4,000 MILES ON. ALL TIRES CRACKED ON SAME PLACE ON THE OUTER EDGE AIR LOSS IS FAST. 1ST CRACK WAS RIGHT REAR TIRE ( I DID THINK THAT I RUN OVER SOMETHING I GOT NEW TIRE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER AS THEY DID NOT HAVE SAME TIRE AND I DO NOT LIKE FIXED TIRES) 2ND CRACK WAS ON LEFT REAR TIRE ABOUT WEEK LATER I DID TRY TO HAVE IT FIX BUT WAS TOLD AND SHOWED THAT TIRE JUST KEPT ON CRACKING MORE 3RD CRANK HAPPEN MONTH LATER RIGHT FRONT TIRE. ALL CRACKS ARE ON SAME PLACE OUTER EDGE TIRES ARE ULTRA HP MADE BY REPUBLIC. *TR

2000 VW GOLF GLS. AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH DIAGNOSED BY VW AS AN OPEN CIRCUIT - PASSENGER SIDE. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED, NEVER CRASHED. VW WANTED $500 FOR REPAIRS. NUMEROUS SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED BY VW OWNERS INVOLVING RANGE OF AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILURES, SPURIOUS DEPLOYMENTS, ETC. VW CHARGED ME $45 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS.*AK

2000 VW GOLF. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STUCK ON. THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW IF THE BAG WILL DEPLOY OR NOT. IN ORDER FOR THE DEALER TO LOOK AT IT IT WOULD COST ME $100 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND BETWEEN $500 AND $700 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. SO AFTER I PAY $500 OR $600 THEY STILL WONT GUARANTEE THE BAGS ARE SAFE. HOW DO I GO ABOUT FIGURING THIS OUT. IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VOLKSWAGENS AND TO PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER IS UNACCEPTABLE. DO I PAY THE MONEY AND JUST HOPE IT IS FIXED? NO ACCIDENTS YET BUT WHAT IF. I NO LONGER TRUST THE ABILITY OF THE CARS SAFETY. THIS IS MY COMPLAINT. I FEEL I WAS SOLD A CAR AND NOW THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR HAVE BECOME COMPROMISED. HELP! *NM

EVERYTIME IT RAINS, I GET AN INCH OR TWO OF WATER IN MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND REAR FOOT WELL OF MY 2000 VW GOLF. IT BEGAN LAST RAINY SEASON WITH A LARGE RAIN EVENT. SINCE THEN, IT HAS HAPPENED WITH EVERY RAIN EVENT. *JB

1. THIS FAILURE IS A RANDOM SHUTTING OFF OF THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. 2. ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS IDLING AS WELL AS WHEN I AM TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY. ENGINE SHUTTING OFF WHEN TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY IS A GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN AS DRIVERS FOLLOWING ARE NOT EXPECTING SUCH A SHARP DECELERATION FROM MY VEHICLE. 3. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED YET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VW DEALER BUT THE WERE UNABLE TO PINPOINT A SOLUTION. MY OWN RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET LED ME TO A FAILURE OF AN ELECTRIC RELAY SWITCH. I WILL PROCEED TO CHANGE THE RELAY IN QUESTION (RELAY 109)*JB

THE FIRST TIME THE MIDDLE REAR SEAT BELT WAS USED IT GOT JAMMED IN THE OUT POSITION AND WOULD NOT RETRACT. THIS WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2005. PULLING HARD SEVERAL TIMES RELEASED IT SO THAT IT WOULD RETRACT BACK INTO THE SEAT. IN JULY OF 2006 THE SEAT BELT GOT STUCK AGAIN BUT THIS TIME AFTER THE REAR SEAT WAS LOWERED. THE JAMMED SEAT BELT IS PREVENTING THE RETURNING THE REAR SEAT BACK TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THESE ARE THE ONLY TIMES THAT THIS SEAT BELT HAS BEEN USED SINCE PURCHASE. VW REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE START. SINCE IT GOT JAMMED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE IT, I SAY IT WAS DEFECTIVE. NOW THE SAFETY BELT IS STILL JAMMED AND I CAN'T RAISE THE REAR SEAT. *NM

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. LUCKILY A KIND DRIVER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. REPLACED WITH NEW ONE AND IT FAILED AGAIN! GOING ON MY THIRD SWITCH! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE GRAB BAR SCREWS LOOSENED AND THE GRAB BAR FELL OFF IN THE PASSENGER'S HAND. THE GRAB BAR WAS ALWAYS USED TO POSITION THE PASSENGER GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE OR IN TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT DETERMINED THE GRAB BAR SHOULD BE REPLACED.

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT 38247 MILES. THE NOTES ON THE VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE INVOICE STATED: "TESTED MODULE RESPONSE AND WIRING. ALL OK PERFORMED GUIDED FAULT FINDING. DETERMINED THAT THE AIRBAG IN THE DRIVERS SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATE $443.43". I ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN WHY THE AIRBAG HAD TO BE REPLACED. RESPONSE: "A WIRE GOT TO HOT AND FRIED A COMPONENT IN THE AIR BAG." THEN I ASKED HOW A "HOT WIRE" WAS NOT A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND WHY IT WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. RESPONSE: "IT JUST ISN'T COVERED AND IT'S NOT OUR FAULT". THE END RESULT WAS THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH OUT CHARGING ME THE FULL PRICE, THE BEST THEY COULD DO WAS CHARGE ME HALF PRICE ON THE LABOR TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *JB