2000 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL PUMP CRACKED RESULTING IN A FUEL LEAK AND A STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE THE CAR. THE DEALER MECHANIC WHERE THE PART WAS PURCHASED, REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE DONE 15 TO 20 OF THESE RECENTLY. THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. NLM

ONCE AGAIN, INCONVENIENCED BY WINDOW SLIDER/REGULATOR FAILURE. FIRST IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION WITH ONLY A GRINDING NOISE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO POWER THE WINDOW BACK UP. I IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THE PHONE AND ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS COULD OFFER ME AN APPOINTMENT THAT WOULD GET MAKE BACK ON THE ROAD IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THUS, I JUST SHOWED UP AT ONE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT OPENED AND MANAGED TO GET MY CAR SERVICED QUICKLY AND THE REPAIR WAS BILLED AS A WARRANTY ITEM. FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE THIS IS THE SECOND WINDOW ON MY CAR AND THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS INVOLVED. THANK YOU.*AK

1. RUST ON BRAKES PAD GUIDES BLOCKED THE PADS ON THE ROTORS. ROTORS WERE WARPED FROM THE HEAT, BRAKE PAD ON LEFT REAR SIDE WORE FROM 1/2" ALL THE WAY TO THE METAL IN SHORT TIME. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED TO THE DEALER FOR 30K SERVICE 25 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. VW CUSTOMER SERVICE CONSIDERS THE INCIDENT DUE TO "ELEMENTS AND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". COST OF REPAIR: $418.74 NOT COVERED BY MANUFACTURER. 2. WINDOW CLAMPS AND CABLE DEFECTIVE, REPAIR COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, NO RECALL ON PARTS, HUNDREDS OF CASES EXPERIENCED BY THE DEALERSHIP, AS PER DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES. NLM

ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AS I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR WORK, I POWERED DOWN MY FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW. WHEN I WENT TO POWER BACK UP, THE WINDOW WOULD NOT MOVE AND IT MADE A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. THE WINDOW WAS FROZEN IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE WINDOW WAS RARELY POWERED UP/DOWN IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF USE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH A LOCAL DEALERSHIP (NOT NIELLO), I COULD NOT BE SEEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. DUE TO MY BUSY WORK SCHEDULE, ONE FORTY-FIVE DOLLAR CAB RIDE TO WORK, AND A RECENTLY EXPIRED AUTOMOBILE WARRANTY, I ASKED MY HUSBAND TO REPAIR THE CAR. AFTER CAREFULLY REMOVING THE GLASS, THE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL, AND ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS, HE REMOVED THE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL/LIFTER ASSEMBLY. THE PROBLEM WAS IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE. A POORLY DESIGNED, CHEAPLY MANUFACTURED, INFERIOR PLASTIC SLIDER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO RESIST THE WEIGHT OF THE WINDOW, THE RESISTANCE OF THE RISER, OR THE PULL OF THE CABLE WHEN POWERED BY THE WINDOW REGULATOR. ON MAY 29, 2002, I VISITED ROSEVILLE VOLKSWAGEN'S PARTS DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE CANNOT PURCHASE JUST THE PLASTIC SLIDER (THE DEFECTIVE PART). THIS PART IF SOLD ALONE, COULD NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH MORE THAN $20. INSTEAD, THE WHOLE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL PART MUST BE PURCHASED AT $160. ACCORDING TO THE PARTS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, VOLKSWAGEN IS COVERING THIS REPAIR UP TO 40,000 MILES. THUS, I SUBMITTED THE INVOICE FOR THE $160 PART, THE DEFECTIVE SLIDER, AND A LETTER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PART TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA. MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS DENIED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I WAS NOT IN AN UNSAFE PLACE WHEN THE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION. CONSIDERING ALL OF THE LISTINGS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE ALONE, I WOULD HOPE THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THIS FLAWED DESIGN. I WOULD ALSO EXPECT THAT VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD MAKE THE SLIDER AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS AN INDIVIDUAL PART. THANK YOU.*AK

ON MARCH 27, 2002, AT 26,795 MILES, I REQUESTED A 30,000 MILE SERVICE FROM ROSEVILLE VOLKSWAGEN. ROSEVILLE VOLKSWAGEN IS LOCATED AT 830 AUTOMALL DR., ROSEVILLE, CA 95661-3023 AND THE PHONE NUMBER THERE IS (916) 774-2777. DURING THE 30,000 MILE SERVICE, THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED ON THE MAINTENANCE WORKSHEET THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD 95% REMAINING WHILE THE REAR BRAKE PADS HAD ONLY 25% REMAINING, INDICATING A SERIOUS BRAKE SYSTEM ANOMALY. THE TECHNICIAN "INSTALLED NEW BRAKE PADS DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR" AS NOTED ON INVOICE #VWCS28623. I WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THE BRAKE PADS EVEN THOUGH I WAS OVER MY 24,000/2 YEAR WARRANTY. THE PREMATURE REAR BRAKE PAD WEAR NOTED COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS HAZARD FOR ME, MY FAMILY, AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. I BELIEVE THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN THE PREMATURE BRAKE PAD WEAR WAS NOT ADDRESSED AT THE TIME OF SERVICE AND THAT THIS REMAINS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN IN THE FUTURE. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE MORE VW GOLF VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT MAY BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THIS IRREGULAR BRAKE PAD WEAR. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO EXPLANATION FOR THE IRREGULAR BRAKE PAD WEAR AT THE TIME THE SERVICE WAS COMPLETED. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY PHONE AND IN WRITING IN AN EFFORT TO FIND OUT HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM IS, WHAT THE EXPLANATION FOR THE IRREGULAR BRAKE PAD WEAR IS, ETC. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA HAS RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS WITH A LETTER SUGGESTING THAT I TAKE MY QUESTIONS UP WITH MY PREFERRED VOLKSWAGEN DEALER. AS I HAVE NOT MADE ANY PROGRESS IN THIS MATTER, I AM FORWARDING THE INFORMATION TO YOU. IF ANY FURTHER INFORMATION IS REQUIRED, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME. THANK YOU.*AK

REAR ROTORS AND PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 27,830 MILES. WHILE THESE ARE PRIMARILY CIT/LOCAL MILES, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH A PREMATURE FAILURE OF A BRAKE COMPONENT. THIS IS POSSIBLY A DSIGN FLA AND I WAS WONDERING IF THE NHSTA HAD A SECTION OF THEIR DATABASE THAT REFLECTED A SERIES OF THHESE FAILURES.*AK

I HAVE HAD 3 OUT OF 4 POWER WINDOWS (ONE TWICE) GO DOWN AND FAIL TO COME BACK UP. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS OCCURING WITH SUCH REGULARITY MY DEALERSHIP CAN NOT KEEP THE PART IN STOCK. I AM JUST WAITING FOR WINDOW #4 TO BREAK WHILE I AM AT WORK WHICH IS NOT THE MOST SAVORY NEIGHBORHOOD.*AK

I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT MY ABS TO MY DEALER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I HEARD THERE MAY BE A HIDDEN RECALL ON THEM NOW. PLEASE ADVISE. *AK

POWER WINDOWS ON THREE OCCASIONS ON BOTH FRONT WINDOWS, WITH NO CAUSE FELL DOWN IN WINDOW WELL. THIS OCCURRED ONCE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, AND TWICE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. OWNER STATED WHILE TRYING TO GET THIS REPAIRED THREE OTHER PEOPLE WERE AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WAS BACKED UP DUE TO NUMEROUS REPLACEMENT REQUESTS. *AK

THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY OR RESEARCH THE PROBLEM. THERE WERE THREE VHEICLES IN FRONT OF MINE IN THE SERVICE BAY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THE SERVICE WRITER STATED HE HAD NEVER HEARD THAT THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE SIDE WINDOWS.*AK