2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS WHERE I EXPERIENCED JERKING AND SPUTTERING FROM MY 2001 VW JETTA GLX VR6. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, FOLLOWING THE REDUCED LEVEL OF ENGINE POWER I SMELLED A BURNING AND WAS FORCED TO STOP THE CAR. BOTH TIMES, MY CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR TO TWO DIFFERENT VW DEALERSHIPS. EACH TIME, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE VW IGNITION COIL PACK HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. APPARENTLY, THE MALFUNCTION OF THIS PART CAUSED OTHER SENSORS TO MALFUNCTION AS WELL. ALSO, THESE PARTS APPEAR TO DAMAGE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. IN ONE INCIDENT DESCRIBED ABOVE, MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO EVENTUALLY BE REPLACED. NOTE THAT THE FIRST INCIDENT, WHICH IS DOCUMENTED, OCCURRED AT 34,560 MILES. THE SECOND INCIDENT, WHICH WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THE FIRST, OCCURRED AT 46,391 MILES AND IS ALSO FULLY DOCUMENTED. THE MATTER WAS REPORTED TO VWOA AND I WAS INFORMED THAT ANY PORTION OF THE NEARLY $2,000 I INCURRED OUT-OF-POCKET WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED AND THERE SEEMED TO BE NO CONCERN BY VWOA REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING ANY DAMAGE TO EMISSIONS DEVICES AND/OR POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS, I BELIEVE EXIST DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE IGNITION COIL PACK. VWOA, IN MY OPINION, IS WELL AWARE OF THE MANY (POSSIBLY THOUSANDS) OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS ACROSS THE US AND STILL SEEK TO MARGINALIZE IT. *JB

MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS GONE BAD AND VW HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS HOWEVER BECAUSE MY CAR HAS THE V6 ENGINE I AM TOLD THAT I AM NOT COVERED WHEN MY VIN NUMBER IS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN. DEALER HAS VERIFIED THE PROBLEM BUT DECLINED SERVICE BASED ON ENGINE SIZE. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2001 JETTA, I NOTICED A CRAYON/WAX SMELL THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. EVERY ONE OF MY PASSENGERS HAS COMMENTED ON THE PUNGENCY OF THE CRAYON SMELL. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER, I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO BE SERVICED AND NOTIFIED THE DEALER OF THIS SMELL, AND HE RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS THE "STANDARD VOLKSWAGEN SMELL". OTHER SUBSEQUENT DEALERSHIPS HAVE CLAIMED THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS SMELL BEFORE. ON HOT DAYS, THE SMELL BECOMES GROSSLY PUNGENT AND HAS CAUSED ME AND MY PASSENGERS HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. THE SMELL EVEN STAYS IN MY CLOTHES FOR DAYS. I AM AFRAID WHETHER THIS SMELL IS TOXIC. *JB

2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA VR6 1. COIL PACK. MODELS BEFORE THIS HAD INDIVIDUAL COIL PACKS THAT WERE RECALLED DUE TO CRACKING. THIS COIL PACK IS ENDURING THE SAME PROBLEMS IN MANY JETTA'S AND HAS YET TO QUALIFY AS A RECALL. WHY?? 2. WIPER BLADES STOPPED WORKING. I HAVE ENCOUNTERED MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENDURED THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE THE MOTOR STOPS WORKING. *JB

LIKE MANY OTHER VW JETTA 01 OWNERS, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS KEEP FAILING TO COME DOWN. HAD IT REPAIRED, THEN HAPPENED AGAIN. VW NEEDS TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. *JB

I RECEIVED LAST MONTH A RECALL NOTICE DATED MAY 2007 FROM VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA FOR THE 2001 JETTA V6. IT WAS FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) SOFTWARE FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MONITORING SYSTEM. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER FOR REPAIR. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND BROUGHT THE CAR YESTERDAY TO THE LOCAL DEALER, SANTA MONICA VOLKSWAGEN. THE SERVICE TEAM INFORMED ME THAT VOLKSWAGEN, HAD UNANNOUNCED TO OWNERS, CLOSED THE RECALL BECAUSE IT HAD YET TO WORK OUT A PERMANENT FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA SHOULD HAVE SENT OWNERS WHO'D RECEIVED THE ORIGINAL RECALL NOTICE A LETTER INFORMING THEM NOT TO ACT ON THE RECALL, NOT TO BRING THEIR CARS IN. THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ECM SOFTWARE HAS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE FOR YEARS, HAVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PERMANENTLY ILLUMINATED. VOLKSWAGEN NEVER INFORMED OWNERS OF THIS. AS A RESULT, I SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS WITH MY OWN MECHANIC, NOT VOLKSWAGEN DEALER, TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. OVERALL, I HAVE BEEN HIGHLY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS RECALL. I CONTINUE TO DRIVE A CAR WITH THIS DEFECT. WASTED A MORNING YESTERDAY AT THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER BECAUSE OF AN ERRONEOUS RECALL NOTICE SENT TO ME BY VOLKSWAGEN, AND I HAVE ALREADY INCURRED SIGNIFICANT EXPENSES TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS KNOWN ABOUT, EVIDENTLY, FOR MANY YEARS WITHOUT ACTING.*AK

THE CAR WOULD INCREASE/DECREASE SPEED INCONSISTENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WOULD SMELL HORRIBLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BE ON/OFF INTERMITTENTLY AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL WORK. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL AND THAT IT WAS ALREADY DONE UNDER ANOTHER RECALL. TURNS OUT THAT IT WASN'T DONE UNDER A RECALL- I PAID FOR IT OUT OF POCKET AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED FEBRUARY 03 BY VOLKSWAGEN. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN TO FIND OUT IF I COULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COILS THAT I PAID TO INSTALL AND WAS TOLD THAT "MY VEHICLE DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL." THE PRESS RELEASE CLEARLY STATES THAT"ALL VOLKSWAGENS EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.8L ENGINE" QUALIFIES. NOW- I'M STUCK. I NEED TO PAY FOR NEW IGNITION COILS AGAIN AND NEITHER SET QUALIFIES FOR THE RECALL. A WEB SEARCH HAS TURNED UP MANY OTHER CONSUMERS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS SAME ISSUE WITH VW. IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD FOR THOSE OF US DRIVING VW AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD WITH US. THIS IS MY FOURTH JETTA AND MAY BE MY LAST BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCES IN GETTING THIS RESOLVED.*AK

INADVERTENT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT: WHILE DRIVING ALONG ON THE EXPRESS WAY (I-495 W, LONG ISLAND, NY), MY PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. I DID NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE NOR DID I NOTICE ANY DEBRIS HITTING MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. BOTH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR CURTAIN AND PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE CUT OFF. UPON PULLING OVER, I WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ISSUE, AND DRIVE HOME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND THE SECOND FAILURE, WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN SMOKE. HE WENT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER RECALL NOTICE # 02V031000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK). SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, HE HAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,000.

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN I40 WEST BOUND ON THE APPOXIMATE DATE. THE PAVEMENT WAS WET, BUT NOT RAINING. I HAVE NOTICED MY JETTA'S STEERING A LITTLE SQUIRRELLY OVER THE LAST MONTH. WHEN I HIT A "LUMP" IN THE ROAD THE CAR DRAGGED TO THE LEFT. I STEERED TO THE RIGHT WHICH SENT THE VEHICLE INTO A SPIN. I SPUN OUT BUT DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. WHEN I TOOK MY JETTA TO THE SHOP, THE OWNER SAID IT WAS A CONTROL ARM AND BUSHING PROBLEM. HE STATED THIS WAS A NOTORIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAD REPAIRS DONE TO THE LEFT SIDE WHICH AMOUNTED TO $275.44 AND STILL NEED TO GET THE OTHER SIDE DONE. *TR