2000 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

ALTHOUGH MY POWER WINDOW REGULATOR AND CLIPS HAVE NOT FAILED YET, THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM TO VW. THEY HAVE RECENTLY DESIGNED A "KIT" WHICH HAS UPGRADED METAL PARTS, AND NOT PLASTIC PARTS. THEY ARE REPLACING THE PIECES AFTER THEY BREAK, AFTER WINDOW FALLS DOWN INTO THE TRACK. SOME DEALERS COVER PART OF THE COST ($200!?), SOME DON'T. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND I THINK VW SHOULD BE RECALLING THE CARS BEFORE FAILURE TO REPLACE THE WINDOW CLIPS AND REGULATORS. THE YEARS AFFECTED ARE 2000 - 2002, THE GOLF AND JETTA (AND MAYBE THE BEETLE). PRESENTLY REPAIR PARTS ARE BACKORDERED DUE TO THE DEMAND.*AK

1. PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW DROPS DOWN IN DOOR. HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THERE WERE FOUR OTHER PEOPLE AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME TIME I WAS THERE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN "ARIZONA" PROBLEM AND THAT THE PART THAT HOLDS THE WINDOW UP MELTS AND BREAKS. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY WINDOW FELL DOWN CAUSING ME TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY THE INCIDENT AND NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. 2. AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON FOR NO REASON. COST TOM ME WAS $618 TO REPLACE A FAULTY AIRBAG AND WIRING HARNESS. I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED EVEN OUT OF WARRANTY SINCE THERE IS NOTHING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DONE TO CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO BECOME DEFECTIVE. 3. CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES WHEN THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS APPLIED. THIS HAPPENED FOR MONTHS UNTI THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I HAVE HEARD THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO A RIBBON CABLE WHICH GETS BROKEN IN THE STEERING COLUMN. MY FIRST ONE BROKE JUST BEFORE THE 24K WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE SECOND ONE BROKE ON SCHEDULE AT ABOUT 50K. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IF YOU PAS SOMEONE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON AND THEN USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL TO GET BACK OVER THE CRUISE IS DEACTIVATED CAUSING THE CAR TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN IN FRONT OF THE CAR YOU WERE TRYING TO PASS.*AK

MY WINDOW, WHILE DRIVING, JUST DROPPED INTO THE DOOR. I WAS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND NOT ABLE TO FIX IMMEDIATELY DUE TO NO DEALERS. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY --AND THE SECURITY OF MY CAR/BELONGINGS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AND THEY WOULD COVER COST OF PARTS ($150) IF I COVER LABOR ($156). I HAD NO CHOICE--AND I APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP. VW DEALER TELLS ME THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. I HAVE SINCE HAD 3 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN. I CALLED CORPORATE -- THEY SAID, "IT HAPPENS" AND "CARS AREN'T PERFECT". MY CAR IS JUST 2 YEARS OLD...AND SHOULDN'T PRESENT THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS. I SURE HOPE VW IS PREPARED FOR THE DAY THAT SOMEONE IS ATTACKED, ROBBED, ETC. B/C THEIR WINDOWS BROKE! WHAT CAN I DO???*AK

CONSUMER ACTIVATED POWER WINDOW ON DRIVERS SIDE. WINDOW FELL DOWN INSIDE DOOR, VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER SINCE THEN, PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER.*AK *SLC

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM KEPT BRAKE PADS PUSHED AGAINST ROTORS, BURNED OUT ALL 4 BRAKES,IN ADDITION THE COMPUTER SYSTEM DESIGNED TO INDICATE BRAKE FAILURE FAILED TO REGISTER ANY WARNING OF THE IMINENT FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAD A NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION ONLY ONE MONTH EARLIER AND LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND MILES BEFORE THE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE!*AK

WHILE ROLLING UP THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW OF MY 2000 GOLF THE WINDOW FELL BETWEEN THE DOOR PANELS. I LIVE AND GENERALLY DRIVE ALONE, HENCE THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW IS RARELY USED. SINCE DISCOVERING YOUR SITE AND THE CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM WEB SITE ON JETTA WINDOWS WITH REPEATED COMPLAINTS ABOUT JUST THIS PROBLEM IT IS CLEAR THAT VW HAS A PROBLEM THAT THEY NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIX.*AK

OPEN WINDOW THAT WAS STUCK CAUSED RAIN TO ENTER VEHICLE AND MADE FOR UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. *AK

THIS COMPLAINT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VEHICLE. IT IS SOLELY RELATED TO A REPLACEMENT TIRE FAILURE. TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL TIRES I PURCHASED AND HAD INSTALLED A SET OF FOUR BRIDGESTONE TIRES FROM WHITTIER TIRE AND WHEEL IN WHITTIER CA ON JANUARY 29, 2002. TEN DAYS LATER, ON FEBRUARY 8, 2002 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A SURFACE STREET. THE ENTIRE TREAD PORTION OF THE TIRE SEPERATED FROM THE SIDEWALLS ( THE TREAD DID NOT SEPERATE FROM THE TIRE - THE ENTIRE 'TOP' OF THE TIRE SEPERATED INTACT FROM THE SIDEWALLS). ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 11,2002, I RETURNED WITH THE DEFECTIVE TIRE TO WHITTIER TIRE. THEY IMMEDIATELY BLAMED THE TIRE FAILURE ON THE CAR BEING DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES WITH LITTLE OR NO AIR IN THE TIRE. THEY REFUSED TO EVEN CONSIDER ANY OTHER CAUSE. WHILE THERE A CALL WAS PLACED TO BRIDGESTONE WHO TOOK THE SAME POSITION. THEY DID INSPECT THE TREAD PORTION OF THE TIRE AND COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF A PUNCTURE, AND THEY INSPECTED THE VALVE STEM AND CONCLUDED IT WAS OK. THE STAATED THAT THE TIRE MUST HAVE HAD A SIDEWALL PUNCTURE, BUT THE SIDEWALLS WERE PRETTY "CHEWED UP" BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT THAT THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WITH A VERY LOW OR FLAT TIRE. MY SON WAS DRIVING IT AT THE TIME AND RELATED THAT PRIOR TO THE TIRE FAILURE THE CAR WAS NOT HANDLING IN ANY UNUSUAL MANNER, NOR DID HE HEAR ANY NOISE. HE STATED HE WAS DRIVING NORMALLY, THE CAR ABRUPTELY STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY AND THE TIRE DISINTEGRATED. THE DEALER;S AND THE MANUFACTURER'S REFUSAL TO EVEN CONDISER OTHER FACTORS OR MAKE WHAT I FELT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENT PROMPTED ME TO CONTACT YOU. CHARLES S. MIDDLETON. *AK (TIRESIZE: 195/R65-15)

PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG HAS SANK DEEP INTO PANEL AND DENTED AIR BAG COVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE PASSENGER REAR DOME LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING. THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF. THE CONSUMER INSTALLED CD IN THE CD CARTRIDGE AND A CD ERROR CAME ON THE SCREEN OF THE RADIO. *YH

ENGINE OIL/FILTER HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE, ORIG. MILEAGE 15500, OIL TOPPED OFF SEVEN TIMES. *AK