2008 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER 2008, AND TO DATE HAS EXPERIENCED FIVE (5) FAILURES OF THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISMS OF THREE OF THE FOUR DOORS OF THE VEHICLE AND IN SOME CASE MULTIPLE FAILURES. I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING FAILURE NUMBER SIX (6). THE FAILURE OF THE LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISMS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THESE FAILURE HAVE AT TIME PREVENTED BEING ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IT IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO MY SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY, I'M UNABLE TO LOCK THE VEHICLE WHENEVER I GO ANYWHERE THUS PUTTING ANYTHING IN THE VEHICLE AT RISK OF LOSS FROM THEFT. THE DEALER'S SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE LOCKING MECHANISMS AS THEY FAIL AND AS THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY IT'S COST ROUGHLY $370.00 PER INCIDENT. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE FAILURES EXPERIENCED THUS FAR. I HAVE COPIES OF THE SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE. 2008 JETTA DOOR LOCK FAILURES: DATE RO # ITEM RESPONSIBLE PARTYCOST 11/16/09 116190DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 03/02/10 118212LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 08/03/10 121525RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK DIAGNOSED WARRANTY 08/06/10 121609RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 06/01/11 129079LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK DIAGNOSIS CUSTOMER PAID $69.00 06/01/11 129247LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED CUSTOMER PAID $303.09 10/18/11 132986DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR LOCK REPLACED CUSTOMER PAID $367.25 03/15/12 RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK BEGINNING TO FAIL. DOOR LOCK FAILUREOCCURANCES DRIVERS SIDE FRONT 2 LEFT REAR 2 RIGHT REAR 2 *TR

ON 10 FEBRUARY 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:45 AM, I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 395 NORTH , WASHINGTON, DC. IN THE HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) LANE WHEN I HEARD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND I SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE INDICATOR LIGHTS AND NO LIGHTS WERE ON THAT INDICATED THERE WAS A PROBLEMS. AT THE STOP SIGN NEAR THE ENTRANCE NEAR THE NAVY ANNEX OFF COLOMBIA PIKE, I NOTICED A SMELL SIMILAR TO BURNING OIL. FIRST, THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY JACK TAYLOR TOYOTA IN ALEXANDRIA, VA. TOYOTA STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN THE AREA AND INDICATED THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BY CONDUCTING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. ACCORDING TO THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THE REAR MAIN SEAL, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE FLYWHEEL OF FLEX PLATE/TORQUE CONVERTER WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. I LEARNED LATER VIA AN INTERNET SEARCH THERE WAS A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I CONSULTED WITH A TECHNICIAN AT VOLKSWAGEN WHO INDICATED THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED BY TOYOTA WAS CONFUSING AND WAS POSSIBLY AN ERROR WAS ASKED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR A CERTIFIED VOLKSWAGEN TECHNICIAN TO INSPECT FURTHER. PRESENTLY, THE CAR IS AT THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN ALEXANDRIA, VA FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THEY CONFIRMED THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ORDERED THE PART WHICH WAS PROJECTED TO ARRIVE ON OR ABOUT 13 FEBRUARY 2012. THE CAR WAS SERVICED FOR 50K TUNE UP AT VOLKSWAGEN IN SPRINGFIELD, VA AND THIS PROBLEMS WAS NOT IDENTIFIED. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT IN-WHICH I HAVE ENCOUNTERED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN PREMATURELY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000. UPDATED 07/06/12 *BF UPDATED 07/12/12.*JB

I FIRST TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP JUNE 1ST FOR AN OBVIOUS RATTLING NOISE IN BETWEEN MY FRONT TIRES. ON JUNE 15TH BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO REPLACE MY BUSHINGS BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED SO THEY ORDERED PINS FOR CALIPER BRACKET. IN JULY AFTER REPLACING STRUTS THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. AUG 31ST THEY REPLACED THE SWAY BAR AND DECLARED THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED AND THEY HAD LEFT MY CAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. SEPT 14TH I RETURNED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED BOTH SWAY BARS. THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY RESOLVED AFTER LOSING MY CAR FOR 6 FULL DAYS, HOWEVER MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON. THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE, THE SERVICE GUY DISCOVERED THE TECH HAD FORGOTTEN TO CONNECT MY BRAKES BACK. I DID NOT FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I WAS SO RELIEVED THEY HAD FINALLY FIXED MY SUSPENSION ISSUE. IVE HAD TO BUY 2 BRAND NEW SETS OF TIRES SINCE JUNE BECAUSE OF ALL THE WARE ON MY TIRES FROM MY MESSED UP SUSPENSION. TODAY, JAN 3RD 2012 MY CAR IS BACK IN THE SHOP YET AGAIN. THIS TIME FOR A REAR PASSANGER SIDE DOOR LOCK THAT HAD BEEN SET ON CHILD LOCK WILL NO LONGER LOCK. ORDERED THE PART, SINCE MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THE PART WITH LABOR 360. IN THE MEANTINE THE TECH DISCOVERED AN OIL LEAK. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOW SAYING MY VACCUM PUMP IS LEAKING AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY FOR THEM TO FIX IT. THEIR QUOTE 960. I CHECKED ON THE PART ITS 257 NEW. EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T FILE A COMPLAINT OR COST THEM MONEY WHEN THEY FORGOT TO CONNECT MY BRAKES BAKE THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME 700 DOLLARS IN LABOR. MY CAR IS ONLY A 2008 AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE IN ONE YEAR THAN ANY OF MY OTHER CARS COMBINED. IT IS DAILY A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE LINGERING OF FIXING MY CAR RIGHT THE VERY FIRST DAY I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP JUNE OF 2010. *TR

BELIEVE IT IS THE AIRBAG SENSOR THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. HAVE HAD IT RESET ABOUT FIVE TIMES AND WITHIN A FIVE TO SIX WEEKS, THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AGAIN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE VW HAS HAD ISSUES WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. OF COURSE, THE WARRANTY IS OVER. *TR

VEHICLE LOSES MOTIVE FORCE, SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN MOTION. SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHTS ON DASH FLASH AND GREEN "APPLY BRAKE" ICON LIGHTS UP. *TR

EVERY MORNING MY 2008 VW JETTA 2.0T IS VERY HARD TO START. SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS TRYING TO START IT STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF STARTING. HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=_TGW53YVLQA&FEATURE=YOUTUBE_GDATA_PLAYER. *TR

DSG TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP WHEN COLD, OR FROM DEAD STOP OR UNDER KICK DOWN ACCELERATION. *TT

THE CAR HAD BEEN PROPERLY LOCKED; THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT TURNED AFTER PARKING TO ACTIVATE THE WHEEL LOCK; ON RE-ENTERING THE LOCKED CAR, USING THE CORRECT KEY, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE KEY COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE STEERING COLUMN IGNITION KEY SLOT. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO DAMAGE THE SLOT; OUR 2ND KEY WAS ALSO USED, BUT IT ALSO COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION KEY SLOT. VW SERVICE ADVISED THEY HAD ONLY SEEN THE PROBLEM ONCE BEFORE, AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER 6 MILES AWAY. MY REASON TO CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY MATTER IS THAT SUCH A PROBLEM COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT A DANGEROUS TIME (SUCH AS A ZERO DEGREE DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE; OR A MIDDLE OF THE DESERT SCENARIO; OR WHEN NEEDING TO GET AWAY FAST --- E.G., BRINGING SOMEONE TO A HOSPITAL). THANKS YOU.

IN TAKE OFF HARD CLUTCH KICKING, DURING DRIVE HARD SHIFTING, PROBLEMS WITH REVERSE AND GEARBOX NOT RESPONDING. THE MECHATRONIC UNIT WAS CHANGED IN MY VEHICLE AFTER IT WAS WORKING FINE DUE TO A RECALL AND NOW THE CAR HAS SEVERE PROBLEMS. *TR