2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGAN JETTA. AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES, I HAD MY EPC LIGHT SWITCH CAME ON ON THE DASHBOARD. EACH TIME, I HAD TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKETS TO GET IT FIX. WHEN THE EPC LIGHT COMES ON, I CANNOT GET THE GEAR OUT OF PARK. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY PUMP ON MY BRAKES TO GET IT OUT OF PARK. THIS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 3 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. I SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS PRODUCT. I ASK OTHER VOLKSWAGAN OWNERS AND THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEIR EPC LIGHT COMES ON OCCASIONALLY. *NM

THE BRAKE SWITCH LIGHT IN MY VW JETTA HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES. WHEN THIS SWITCH IS NOT WORKING, THE BRAKE LIGHTS OF MY CAR ARE INOPERABLE, LEADING TO A GREAT RISK OF ACCIDENT. MY JETTA IS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE RECALL THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED, BUT I CONTINUE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *JB

I HAVE HAD MY 2001 JETTA VOLKSWAGEN FOR 3 YEARS BOUGHT IT USED IN THOSE 3 YEARS HAVE HAD THE EPC LIGHT COME ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONE OF THE TIME THAT HAD THE DEALERSHIP FIX FEEL UNDER THE RECALL LIST. SINCE THEN IT HAS FAILED 2 DIFFERENT TIMES THE LATEST OF THE 2 ONCE IN NOVEMBER WHEN THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC STATED WE KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM HERE IS THE PHONE TO CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN THAT IS ALL WE CAN DO. NOW IN AUGUST IT HAS FAILED AGAIN WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR NO REASON. WHEN THE EPC LIGHT COMES ON THE BRAKE FAIL TO WORK AT ALL. LUCKILY MY WIFE WAS NOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT THAT DAY BUT COULD HAVE BEEN SINCE THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK. *NM

CONDITIONS: NORMAL DRIVING, APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES PER HOUR ON A CITY STREET. FAILURE: FRONT LEFT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED THROUGH. THE LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR DROPPED, THE CAR JERKED SUDDENLY TO THE LEFT. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IF OTHER VEHICLES WERE PRESENT. VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN IT'S CURRENT STATE DUE TO THE LEFT CORNER BEING NOT LEVEL, SPRING MISSING PART OF IT'S LENGTH, STEERING (STRUT) BINDING. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA WILL NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART AND IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE POTENTIAL LIFE SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THIS FAILURE. I DIRECTLY CONTACTED THE O.E.M. SPRING MANUFACTURER (EIBACH). THIS MAY RESULT IN A REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE SPRING AND FAILURE ANALYSIS OF THE PART, TO BE DETERMINED. *JB

I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE BEEN DETERIORATING IN THE PAST MONTHS. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A VW DEALER BACK IN APRIL TO SEE WHY MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE STUTTERING. THEY SAID THE WINDSHIELD MIGHT BE ON TOO TIGHT OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BLADES. I CHANGED THE BLADES AND GOT A NEW WINDSHIELD SINCE I HAD A CRACK IN IT ANYWAYS. BOTH DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND I WAS NEVER TOLD IT COULD BE THE WIPER MOTOR. I HAVE HAD A FEW INSTANCES WHERE I WAS DRIVING NOW ON THE HIGHWAY OR JUST ON A SIDE STREET AND IT WAS RAINING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WIPERS WOULD JUST STOP!!! I ALMOST GOT INTO A FEW ACCIDENTS NOW, AND I FEEL IT IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD THAT I SHOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEED, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE BRAKES MAKE A RATTLING NOISE, AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME DIFFICULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS ALSO UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 02V031000 WHICH PERTAINS TO THE HYDRAULIC ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I'VE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLX. I STILL WONDER WHY IT'S NOT A LEMON. HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH WHICH WAS A RECALL. I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. TECHNICIANS MADE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND SAID I NEEDED THE HEAT SENSOR CHANGED SO I DID. AFTER A WEEK, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT UP AGAIN SO I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WHICH I PAID FOR AGAIN 78 BUCKS. THIS TIME THE TECH'S SAID I NEEDED THE SPARKS AND WIRES CHANGED BECAUSE IT WAS SHOOTING BLANKS. PRE-PAID FOR THE PARTS AND WHEN THE PARTS ARRIVED, I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO GET IT FIXED SO I DID. LATER, I GOT CALL FROM THE SERVICE REPS AND SAID MY IGNITION COIL BROKE SO THEY HAD TO ORDER THAT AGAIN. AFTER EVERYTHING WAS SAID AND DONE. I JUST WANTED TO LET MY FINANCER TO JUST VOLUNTARILY REPO THE PIECE OF TRASH. ONE MORE BREAK DOWN AND I'M HIRING A LEMON ATTORNEY. THIS IS TOO MUCH. *JB

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 2 YEARS. THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THERE IS NO INDICATION IN THE CAR TO INDICATE THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. *JB

CEL LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. CAR STARTED TO IDLE BAD, SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN COLD EVEN WITH GAS FULLY DEPRESSED. THEN THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE MAF BUT THE SYMPTOMS ARE STILL HERE AND THE CAR IS RETURNING TO THE SHOP TODAY. I HAVE READ MANY, MANY ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN SLOW ROAD REPAIR TRAFFIC ON I90 NEAR KIRTLAND/MENTOR OHIO, MY CLUTCH SYSTEM FAILED. WAS DRIVING JUST FINE KEEPING CAR IN 1ST GEAR AND AT A STOP IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR WAS STAYING IN GEAR EVEN WHEN REMOVING FOOT FROM CLUTCH PEDAL. CLUTCH PEDAL WAS STUCK IN FULL DOWN POSITION. -- COULD NOT EASILY SHIFT GEARS OR GET CAR OUT OF GEAR ONCE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, AND WAS FORCED TO KEEP STARTING AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE FOR APPROX. 2 MILES UNTIL I COULD EXIT. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO CLASSIC VW ON TYLER BLVD IN MENTOR. HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS THE CLUTCH MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDERS MUST BE REPLACED AND THEN THE BRAKE LINES MUST BE BLED AND REFILLED. REPAIR COSTS WILL BE BETWEEN $700 AND $1000. *NM