2002 VOLKSWAGEN GTI Complaints

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FIXED THREE TIMES SINCE NEW. NOW TRANSMISSION DESTROYED AT 33K MILES WITHOUT WARNING.*AK

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2002 VOLKSWAGEN GTI WHEN SUDDENLY THE SIDE AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON AT ALL. I DID NOT HIT A POTHOLE, ROCK, OR ANY OBJECT OF ANY KIND. THE ENGINE THEN SHUT OFF BUT I MANAGED TO SAFELY MOVE MY CAR TO THE RIGHT LANE. AS A RESULT OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT I SUFFERED MINOR BURNS AND A SORE BACK. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA AND THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TELLING ME IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT AND THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING. THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING THE GTI INTO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE AIRBAGS TO HAVE DEPLOYED. HE THEN SENT THAT INFORMATION TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA. TWO DAY LATER THEY CALLED ME TO ASK ME TO ONCE AGAIN BRING THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP SO THAT A REPRESENTATIVE COULD INSPECT THE CAR. I WILL BE BRINGING THE CAR IN TOMORROW. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER 400,000 TIMES. IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS GOING TO PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I AM NOW PURSUING A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA. I AM ABSOLUTELY STUNNED THAT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR MANUFACTURE DEFECTS. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER VW AGAIN, AND I WILL DO ALL THAT I CAN TO DISCOURAGE ANYBODY I KNOW FROM PURCHASING A VOLKSWAGEN. THESE CLAIMS NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT BEFORE SERIOUS INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH, OCCURS. *JB

REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED CAUSING ALL REAR BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL. THIS CAUSED EXTREME DANGER AS IT CAN EASILY CAUSE A REAR-END COLLISION. PART SEEMS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS FAILURE-PRONE SINCE OTHER OWNERS ALSO HAVE REPORTED FAILURES. VW JETTA'S WERE RECALLED, GTI'S WERE NOT, EVEN THOUGH CHASSIS AND PART ARE THE SAME. SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT A COST OF APPROX. $110.00 *JB

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM VISITING MY PARENTS IN LOUISIANA OVER THE HOLIDAYS. I WAS GETTING ONTO 45/75 GOING NORTH FROM INTERSTATE 30W HERE IN DALLAS, TX. AS I CROSS OVER THE LANES, I HEAR A REALLY LOUD POP. THERE WAS A LARGE FLASH AND THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. I WAS REALLY SURPRISED, WHICH CAUSED ME TO SWERVE TO MISS ANOTHER CAR. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WENT WRONG. MY FIRST ASSUMPTIONS WERE THAT EITHER I BLEW A TIRE OR THAT SOMEONE HAD SHOT A FIREARM AT MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER DOWNTOWN AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE EXTERIOR OF MY VEHICLE (TIRES WERE FINE AND I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING). FOR SOME REASON MY PASSENGER SIDE UPPER FRONT AND REAR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AS DID THE SIDE AIR BAG IN THE SEAT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS HAPPENED AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS. I AM VERY HAPPY AND FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT HAVE A PASSENGER IN MY CAR AT THE TIME AND THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I AM REPORTING THIS TO VWOA. *NM

"SWITCHES" OR SENSORS IN BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT LATCHES FAILED AT THE SAME TIME REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH LATCH MECHANISMS. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT LATCH MECHANISMS WAS DEFECTIVE. THESE DEVICES COMMUNICATE WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM AS TO WHETHER A SEAT BELT IS IN USE. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAG(S) MAY NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY AS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY "SWITCH" OR SENSOR LEADING TO UNINTENDED INJURY OR DEATH (VIS-A-VIS A PROPER DEPLOYMENT) TO THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGER.. *NM

I OWN A 2002 JETTA VR6 AND MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS GONE OUT. I HAVE READ THE LATEST RECALL NUMBER 06V183000, HOWEVER, VOLKSWAGEN WANTED TO CHARGE ME FOR THE REPAIR STATING MY CAR WAS NOT FOUND TO HAVE ANY RECALLS ON IT. MY BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AND I DID NOT KNOW IT. SOMEONE ALMOST RAN INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. *NM

DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, MULTIPLE FAILURES (4) IN GTI/GOLF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 06V183000 THE ABOVE RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE THE GOLF/GTI SINCE IT IS THE SAME PART THAT FAILS REPEATEDLY. *NM

BOTH DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS (POWER) "FELL" DOWN INTO THE DOOR. INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION REPAIRED WITH A WINDOW REPAIR KIT. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. *JB

LEFT WORK AFTER SUNSET. ON MY WAY HOME MY HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. I THEN NOTICED THAT MY TURN SIGNALS, WIPERS, AND DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. LUCKILY I AM A MECHANIC SO I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AS SOON AS I GOT HOME. THAT WAS AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN I TOOK EVERYTHING APART I NOTICED THAT THE WIRE AND CONNECTOR WAS MELTED. I REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH, MELTED WIRE, AND CONNECTOR. I HAVE THE OLD PART AND THE RECEIPT. MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT MY CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. *JB