2002 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE GOLF IS THE SAME BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE JETTA. THEY HAVE THE SAME PART NUMBER AND EVERYTHING. THEY ALSO FAIL AT THE SAME RATE, BUT ONLY THE JETTA BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS RECALLED. WHEN IT FAILS, YOU CANNOT GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK AND YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

I HAD AN OIL CHANGE DONE ON MY CAR AND THE DRAIN PLUG STRIPED OUT THE THREADS. THE OIL PAN IS MADE OF ALUMINUM AND THE PLUG IS MADE OF STEEL. *NM

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE PARKS HIGHWAY NEAR TALKEETNA, ALASKA IN MY 2002 VW GOLF AND HAD THE SIDE-CURTAIN AND PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOY SUDDENLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. 5 PERSONS WERE IN THE CAR, ALL EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG AND A CAR FULL OF ACRID SMOKE, TWO WERE STRUCK AS THE BAG DEPLOYED. I STOPPED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CHECK OUT THE PASSENGERS AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, AND IT WAS IN NO WAY IMPACTED OR SUBJECTED TO EXTREME DRIVING FORCES. I BELIEVE MY CAR TO BE DEFECTIVE AND AM SEEKING PAYMENT FROM VOLKSWAGEN. *JB

SPONTANEOUS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT ON RIGHT SIDE OF MY 2 DOOR 2002 VW GOLF TDI WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH BLACKTOP ROAD. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE LEFT SIDE CURTAIN AND SEAT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED BY THEM SELVES. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE OR ANYTHING ELSE IN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HIT BY ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO OR DURING THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. MY WIFE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND WAS HIT BY THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG. SHE HAD A RED SORE ON HER RIGHT ARM AND HAD HEARING PROBLEMS IN HER RIGHT EAR FOR ONE DAY. HER HEARING RETURNED TOO NORMAL THE NEXT DAY AND ALL SORENESS IN HER RIGHT ARM WAS GONE WITHIN TWO DAYS. *NM

HELLO, MY WIFE HAS A VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. HER VOLKSWAGEN IS HAVING CERTAIN PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE SUNROOF IS OPERATING WHEN THE CAR IS ON OR OFF BY ITSELF. RAIN IS SOME HOW GETTING INTO THE CAR AND INTO THE OVERHEAD LIGHT. HER TAIL LIGHTS HAVE A MIND OF THERE OWN. SO DAYS THE TAILS WILL WORK AND OTHERS THEY WON'T. I HAVE PHYSICALLY CHECKED THE BULBS AND HAVE PUT NEW ONES IN AND STILL THEY DO NOT WORK. HER RADIO WILL NOT WORK. AND HER TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LOOKED AT SEVERAL OF TIMES AND STILL CONTINUES TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IS THERE ANYWAY YOU CAN CHECK THESE PROBLEMS? *JB

THE CAR HAS A TILT/TELESCOPE STEERING COLUMN, AFTER ADJUSTING THE COLUMN THE TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING. COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR AFTER TURNING IT OFF BECAUSE IMMOBILIZER WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY. MULTIPLE FUSES WERE BLOWN OUT, INCLUDING THE ONE FOR THE HAZARD FLASHER. UPON INVESTIGATION THE FAILURE WAS FROM THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE STEERING COLUMN, THE INSULATION ON MOST OF THE WIRES WAS CRACKED AND THE TURN SIGNAL WIRES SHORTED OUT. THE INSULATION FOR THE MAIN POWER WIRES RUNNING INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH ALSO WERE CRACKED, IF THESE SHORTED OUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. MOST OF THE INSULATION IN THIS AREA HAS HARDENED AND IS NOT VERY FLEXIBLE, MAKING IT PRONE TO CRACKING. TEMPORARY REPAIR HAS BEEN TAPING UP ALL THE EXPOSED WIRES WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. HAVE NOT YET CHECKED INTO THE AVAILABILITY OF A REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS. *JB

BURNING SMELL OCCURRED ON OFF-HIGHWAY ROAD, TRAVELING AT SPEEDS UNDER 5 MPH. HOT SENSATION ON THIGH PROMPTED QUICK ACTION TO TURN OFF VEHICLE / SEAT HEATER WHILE GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE A 1/4" HOLE WAS FOUND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. HARNESS WAS DISCONNECTED AND SERVICE WAS SCHEDULED. *NM

1. TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO START. WAS TOWED FOR REPAIR. THIS CHIP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. 2. CAR BEGAN MAKING SEVERE JERKING MOVEMENTS, RANDOMLY. USUALLY THESE JUMPS OCCUR WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE BUT CAN OCCUR LATER. THE SEVERITY OF THE JERKS IS ALSO VARIABLE. 3. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED. 4. THE CAR CONSUMES AN UNUSUAL HIGH AMOUNT OF MOTOR OIL (MORE THAN A QUART APPROXIMATELY EVERY 1,000 MILES). 5. VW WAS RUNNING A OIL CONSUMPTION TEST BUT THEY INSISTED THE CONSUMPTION LEVEL WAS NORMAL FOR THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SOON AFTER PURCHASE IN 2002. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO NEGOTIATE WITH VW. I HAVE WRITTEN LETTERS AND THEY HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM IN A SATISFACTORY WAY. I HAVE READ ABOUT THE LEMON LAW BUT MY TIME ALLOWANCE HAS EXPIRED. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL JANUARY 2006. IN ADDITION TO THE ENGINE/ TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH ALL MY WINDOWS ROLLING DOWN AUTOMATICALLY AS I TRY TO CLOSE THEM. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS. THIS HAS BEEN EXAMINED OVER 5 TIMES. THE PANELS WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I AM NOT ABLE TO GIVE AN EXACT DATE OF AN INCIDENT BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY. ALL OF THESE DATES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. I AM GIVING A DATE OF JANUARY 2002 AS THE INCIDENT DATE (WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED). I FEEL VW HAS EVADED RESPONSIBILITY IN CORRECTING THE PROBLEMS AND HAS CREATED AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. THE NUMBER OF FAILURES AND THE INABILITY TO CORRECT THEM IS UNACCEPTABLE. I FEEL MY PROBLEMS WERE NOT ADDRESSED SERIOUSLY AND WERE DISMISSED WITHOUT CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN GENERAL. *JB

DT: THE ROD THAT CONNECTS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER BROKE AT THE WELLED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ON 8-20/21-205. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FACIAL INJURIES, AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK UPDATED 11/4/2005 - WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND BRAKE BOOSTER WERE REMOVED THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE ROD BETWEEN THE PEDAL AND BOOSTER WAS HOLLOW. *NM

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS OBTAINING A VALET KEY FROM THE DEALERSHIP FOR 2002 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS COMPLAINING OF THE SERVICE RECEIVED AT WILLIAMSON VOLKSWAGEN OF LINCOLN. *SC *JB