2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

MY 2001 VW GOLF REPEATEDLY HAS WARNING LIGHTS POPPING UP IN ERROR. THIS WEEK MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON, EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO BE DEPLOYED. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND ANNOYANCE AMONG VW USERS. THE ONLY REMEDY OFFERED BY TWO DEALERSHIPS I WENT TO IS TO REPLACE THE AIRBAGS AT A COST OF MORE THAN $750/$900 PER (THERE ARE 4 OF THEM). THE REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS ONLY HAVE A 6,000 MILE WARRANTY, WHICH MEANS I COULD CONCEIVABLY HAVE TO PAY $3000 EVERY 5-6 MONTHS TO HAVE NEW AIRBAGS INSTALLED, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM AND THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE WARNING LIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF IN ERROR. HELP! *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT A PRIVATE MECHANIC. REPAIRS WILL BE MADE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. *AK

2001 VW GOLF TDI. MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND CONTINUES TO REMAIN ON. I HAVE HEARD OF SOMEONE ELSE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME MODEL CAR. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE SPEED WAS ABOUT 45 MPH. CONTACT DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ON PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT, BUT IT WAS ON NOW. THERE WAS SOMEONE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT. CURRENTLY, THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. IT WAS STILL THE SAME WAY AS IF SOMEONE WERE SITTING IN THE SEAT. ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES, HAD BURN MARKS ON HER ARMS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS THIS INCIDENT ON FILE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT SINCE CONTACT DROVE VEHICLE AWAY FROM THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A DO IT YOURSELF PART, AND SHE HAD NOT GOTTEN A CHANCE TO DO SO YET. *AK *NM

DT: THE CALLER SAID BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS FAULTY. HE HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE CALLER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SAME BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE JETTA, BUT NOT ON THE GOLF.*AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 2001 VOLKSWAGEN WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH. THE BRAKES WERE NOT COMING ON WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED. THERE WAS A LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD THAT RED GLOWING PLUG WARNING. THIS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN, AND THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. THEREFORE, THEY COULD NOT HELP THE CONSUMER WITH THE PROBLEM. THIS STARTED ON 9-22-2005. THE CONSUMER HAD NO BRAKE LIGHT OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED , AND THEY STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE.*AK

WINDOW REGULATOR MADE OF PLASTIC CLIP IS KNOWN TO BREAK AND VW EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS. HOWEVER, THEY ONLY SPECIFIED FOR AUTOMATIC WINDOW, WHEN BOTH USES SAME PLASTIC REGULATOR CLIP THAT IS DEFECTIVE ON BOTH AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL. WHEN I CONTACTED VW DEALER HQ, THEY BOTH DENIED ON WARRANTY. HQ STATED THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, THEY WILL NOT COVER MANUAL WINDOW REGULATOR, EVEN THOUGH THEY USE SAME DEFECTIVE PLASTIC CLIP. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF TDI. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED CAUSING NO BRAKE LIGHTS TO BE LIT WHILE BRAKING. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE CAR COULD EASILY BE REAR-ENDED. THE ODD THING IS THAT VW HAS RECALLED THEIR OTHER MODELS BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT, BUT NOT THE GOLF. MY GOLF EVEN USES THE IDENTICAL PART TO THE ONE THAT WAS RECALLED. IF OTHER MODELS ARE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THIS PART DEFECT, WHY WASN'T THE GOLF RECALLED?*JB

I BOUGHT A USED 2001 VW GOLF IN APRIL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ON WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A VW DEALER AND PAID $85 FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT THE AIRBAG HAD HIGH RESISTANCE AND MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THEY SAID THE HARNASS OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST ME $700. THIS IS NOT A WEARABLE PART OF THE CAR, AND IS A DESGIN FAULT THAT MAY ENDAGER THE LIFE OF THE DRIVER. I AM WONDERING WHY I SHOULD PAY FOR THIS. SHOULDN'T IT BE THE RESPONBSIBILITY OF VW TO ENSURE THAT NON-WEARABLE PARTS REMAIN WORKING FOR QUITE A LONG TIME? ESPECIALLY IF IT IS SAFETY RELATED?

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. CALLER HAS BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES, AND SOON AFTER THEY REPAIRED IT, IT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM. *AK *JB