2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

AT 70000 MILES, JETTA GLS SEDAN WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STOPPED BEING ABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND STARTED REVVING HARD BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM, THOUGH THESE FORUMS ARE FULL OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. AFTER A SERIES OF EXPENSIVE TESTS (400$ TOTAL) DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDS A NEW TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF 5000$, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THE CAR'S BLUE BOOK VALUE. DESPITE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS VW REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE OR COMPENSATE THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. *TR

WAS DRIVING ALONG A GRADED DIRT ROAD WHEN PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED SUDDENLY. THERE WAS NO SIDE IMPACT WHATSOEVER, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE ANY CAUSE OF AIRBAG DEPLOYING. TWO PASSENGERS IN THE CAR SUFFERED TEMPORARY RINGING IN THEIR EARS AND HEADACHES, BUT NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES OCCURRED, THANK GOODNESS. HAVE CONTACTED DEALER FOR INFORMATION ABOUT REPAIRS, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX IT YET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR COLLAPSED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE FAILURE WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE OWNER'S' EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,995.

I HAVE ALWAYS FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE SCHEDULE FOR MY CAR. THE OWNER MANUAL DOESN'T MENTION REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAS 69500 MILES. THREE DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING UPHILL I ACCELERATED BUT THE CAR DID NOT PICK UP SPEED WHILE THE RPM WENT CONSIDERABLY HIGHER (6000 RPM). I WENT TO SEE MY MECHANIC (A CERTIFIED VW MECHANIC) WHO SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND NOT DOWNGRADING AS IT SHOULD AND I SHOULD CONSIDER CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AS A POSSIBLE REMEDY. HE EXPLAINED THAT A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL COULD BE THE CAUSE. HE ALSO SAID THAT SINCE THE TRANSMISSION IS "SEALED" IT WAS ALL HE COULD DO TO TRY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. HOW CAN A "SEALED" TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRES NO MAINTENANCE BE LOW IN FLUID ? HE DID CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND TOLD ME THAT THE FLUID WAS ALMOST AS DARK AS COFFEE, AN INDICATION THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER CHANGING THE FLUID THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY AND GRADUALLY GOT WORSE. THREE DAYS LATER MY TRANSMISSION IS EXTREMELY NOISY AND I CAN ONLY RUN THE CAR IN "MANUAL"MODE IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE GEARS. I CAN NO LONGER ACCELERATE IN 4TH OR 5TH GEAR AND JUST USE THEM WHILE CRUISING (AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 45 MPH. VW HAS A 60000 MILES WARRANTY ON THE POWER TRAIN BUT A QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE REVEALED THAT A LOT OF 2002 JETTA OWNERS HAD THEIR TRANSMISSION GO BAD AROUND 70000 TO 85000 MILES. VW USED TO HAVE 100000 MILES WARRANTY AND REDUCED IT TO 60000, JUST BELOW THE MILEAGE AT WHICH THE TRANSMISSION SEEM TO BREAK DOWN. I SUSPECT THAT THEY KNOW THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE AND CUT DOWN THE WARRANTY IN ORDER NOT TO HAVE TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF 2002 JETTA OWNER THAT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR "SEALED" TRANSMISSION AROUND 70000 IT SEEMS TO INDICATE A TREND OR AT LEAST A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE PART. I AM NOW LEFT WITH CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF AROUND $5000. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA AND I HAVE A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE (BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND A DCT(P0571) IS SET) THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL/REPLACEMENT, BUT THE VIN GROUP THAT THIS APPLIES TO IS 3VW---9M-YM000089 TO 3VW---9M-2M053565, AS YOU CAN SEE, MINE IS JUST OUT SIDE THE HIGH VIN. THE VIN RANGE SHOULD BE READDRESSED TO INCLUDE ALL 2002 MODEL JETTAS WITH CRUISE CONTROL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR

SITTING AT A LIGHT, FOOT ON CLUTCH PEDAL AND FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL CAR ENGINE BEGAN RACING. PUT IN NEUTRAL AND PUT EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND PUMPED GAS PEDAL, DID NOT GET IT TO STOP. TURNED KEY OFF AND REMOVED KEY, CAR RACED TO FULL AEND STAYED THERE UNTIL ENGINE STOPPED, ABOUT A MINUTE. CAR WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. *TR

I TURNED ON MY SEAT WARMER ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND AFTER A WHILE A BURNT SMELL WAS NOTICE. I COULD NOT FIND THE ORIGIN UNTIL I WENT TO A STORE AND TRIED TO PAID. I TOOK MY WALLET OUT AND IT WAS STUCK TO MY PANTS. THE WALLET HAD THE MYSTERIOUS SMELL. I WENT BACK TO THE CAR AND THE SEAT HAD A BIG BURNT HOLE ON THE LEATHER SEAT. IF I HAD NOT HAD MY COAT AND WALLET ON THE LEFT SIDE I COULD HAVE BEEN ELECTROCUTED OR CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING TWICE, COULD RESULT IN CAR BEING DISABLED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ANY WHERE BECOMING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER AND AN OBSTACLE ON THE ROAD FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO TRY TO AVOID. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP ISOLATED THIS TO A FAULTY HARNESS CONNECTING THE ALTERNATOR TOTHE FUSE LOCATED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY. THE HARNESS AND THE FUSE BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS PROBLEM IS ONLY COMMON TO VW BEATLES AND VW JETTA, BECAUSE THEY SAID THE CAR WAS 2002 IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY NOT COVERED. I WAS MORE CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY THIS PROBLEM WOULD CAUSE. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN KROGERS OFFICE IN OREGON, THEY SENT ME A LETTER STATING THEY HAD FORWARDED THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN IN WASHINGTON DC . I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM BY PHONE, THEY ASKED IF I HAD A CONFIRMATION # . I HAVEN'T AS OF YET RECEIVED A LETTER OR PHONE CALL. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2002 VW JETTA AND JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME HE HAS SEEN MANY 2002 JETTAS WITH THIS PROBLEM. HE SAID IT WAS RELATED TO A PROBLEM WITH A BAD COIL THAT WAS PART OF A RECALL AND CAUSED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO FAIL ABNORMALLY FAST. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT IT APPEARS VW KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IS IGNORING THE ISSUE. THE REPAIR COSTS MORE THAN $1000 AND I AM UNABLE TO PASS STATE INSPECTION WITHOUT GETTING IT DONE. *TR

TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF 02 JETTAS, BUT APPARENTLY NOT FOR THIS PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER. *TR