2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

LOST POWER, RADIO STOPPED WORKING, A/C STARTING BLOWING HOT AIR, EPC LIGHT CAME ON, BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT CRANK. I THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD SO I JUMPED THE CAR. I MADE IT HOME THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START THE NEXT MORNING. AFTER EXAMINATION I FOUND THAT THE FUSE BOX ON TOP OF THE BATTERY HAD MELTED. THE WIRE FROM THE FUSE BOX TO THE ALTERNATOR OVERHEATED. WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIPS IN BIRMINGHAM, AL THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. IF IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? *TR

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED AND MY CAR IS STUCK IN PARK BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS FAULTY. THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED (N4), BUT I AM FORCED TO PAY FOR A TOW TRUCK TO GET ME TO A DEALER 20 MILES AWAY BECAUSE THE CAR IS INOPERABLE RIGHT NOW. WARRANTY IS OVER BUT IF IT'S A RECALL AND THE PART IN QUESTION IS CAUSING ME TO BE STUCK, WHY SHOULD I BE THE ONE PAYING FOR THE TOW? *TR

MY 2003 VW JETTA HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS THAN IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. THE LATEST TWO PROBLEMS WERE; 1) THE ENGINE COIL (WAS REPLACED ONCE BY RECALL) AND 2) MY FUSE BOX ON TOP OF MY BATTERY MELTED. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1,500 IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS ON THE CAR. WAS TOLD THAT ONLY ONE ENGINE COIL WAS ALLOWED UNDER THE RECALL, AND WAS TOLD THE FUSE BOX MELTING WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT EVER FIND THE "REAL" REASON FOR IT TO MELT. *TR

WITHIN 6 MONTHS (4) OF THE (6) IGNITION COILS HAVE FAILED. I HAVE IT IN NOW FOR THE THIRD AND FOURTH ONES. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. HAS MADE TWO STOPS. ON THE WAY TO MY HOME MY ABS AND AIRBAG LIGHTS CAME ON, RADIO FROZE, THEN CAR SHUT OFF. WAS ADVISED FUSE PANEL ON THE TOP OF THE BATTERY HAD MELTED. MECHANIC FOUND NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. NO OTHER ISSUES. *TR

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING A 2003 JETTA GLS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 35MPH WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS "CURTAINS AND SEAT AIRBAGS" SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. AFTER CONDUCTING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON 2002-2004 JETTAS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE THAT IS NOT BEING RECOGNIZED BY VW OF AMERICA.

I HAVE A 2003 VW JETTA GLI VR-6. THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING AFTER IT WAS NICE AND COLD FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. HOT AIR WAS BLOWING OUT OF THE VENTS. ENGINE (COOLANT) LIGHT CAME ON AFTER ABOUT A 10 MINUTE DRIVE. THE ENGINE (COOLANT) GAUGE WAS ALMOST IN THE RED 260 DEGREES. I SWITCHED OFF THE AIR, AND THE GAUGE WENT DOWN A LITTLE, BUT DIDN'T REALLY COOL OFF. THE GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED IF THE ENGINE STARTS OVERHEATING, THE FAIL SAFE FOR THE CAR IS TO AUTOMATICALLY TURN THE A/C OFF IN ORDER TO SAVE ITSELF FROM OVERHEATING TO THE POINT WHERE DAMAGE WOULD OCCUR. AFTER ALL DAY DIAGNOSTICS, THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE FUSE BOX IS MELTED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THIS, CONVENIENTLY, IS NOT COVERED BY MY GOLD PLUS EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON. REPAIRS SO FAR WILL COST ~$800. THEY HAVE TO FIX THAT BEFORE THEY CAN TEST TO SEE IF THE ALTERNATOR IS DAMAGED. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE WARRANTY REP SAY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGEN CARS. IF IT IS COMMON IT SHOULD BE RECALLED!! *TR

ON MARCH 1, 2004, I PURCHASED AND FINANCED A 2003 JETTA TDI FROM THE VW DEALERSHIP IN CHICO, CA. I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH MY NEW VEHICLE IN LATE NOVEMBER 2005, WITH MILEAGE AT 47399. I SUFFERED INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO THE FREEWAY AND IN TRAVELING UP HILLS. DURING THE LOSS OF POWER, I ALSO NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT HEAR THE WHINE OF THE TURBO AND ASSUMED THAT THE PROBLEM MUST BE RELATED TO MY TURBO. THE CHICO DEALER TEST DROVE THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WITH A SCAN TOOL BUT WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY MY COMPLAINT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO PERSISTED. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE CHICO DEALERSHIP ON JANUARY 7, 2006, WITH MILEAGE AT 50856. ONCE AGAIN, THE CHICO DEALER WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE THEIR SCAN TOOL DID NOT PULL A CODE. THE CHICO DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE MY COMPLAINT REGARDING THE LOSS OF POWER. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY THE CHICO DEALER ON JANUARY 7, 2006. FEELING DEFEATED AND FRUSTRATED, I SUFFERED THROUGH THE TURBO PROBLEM FOR ANOTHER YEAR. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS FORCED TO TAKE EXTRA SPECIAL PRECAUTION WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY IN CASE MY TURBO FAILED TO RESPOND UPON ACCELERATION. IN ADDITION, WHEN I EXPERIENCED A LOSS POWER TRAVELING UP-HILL, I WAS FORCED TO UTILIZE MY HAZARD SIGNAL AND MOVE TO EITHER THE SLOW LANE OR THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO ALLOW OTHER VEHICLES TO PASS ME. WHEN MY TURBO FAILED TO RESPOND PROPERLY, MY VEHICLE WOULD ONLY TRAVEL AT A MAXIMUM OF 45-55 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO THE FREEWAY AND 35-45 MPH WHEN TRAVELING UP-HILL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, EVEN LARGE SEMI-TRUCKS PASSED ME TRAVELING UP-HILL. THE PROBLEM WITH MY TURBO JEOPARDIZED MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY PASSENGERS' AS WELL AS THOSE TRAVELING AROUND US. THIS HAS GONE ON TOO LONG WITHOUT THE PROPER ATTENTION TO MY CONCERNS AND I FEEL UNSAFE WHILE TRAVELING IN MY VW. *TR

THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS WHICH SEEM TO BE A CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CAR WILL SIMPLY DIE WHEN YOU STOP AT A RED LIGHT, STOP SIGN, ETC. IT WILL TRY TO DIE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE DIGITAL DISPLAY CONSTANTLY RESETS ITSELF, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF, BUT ALSO WHILE DRIVING. THE RADIO DOES THIS TOO. THE BACK BRAKE LIGHT ALSO HAS SOME TYPE OF SHORT IN IT. IT GOES OUT AND COMES BACK ON. WE HAVE REPLACED IT TWICE IN AS MANY MONTHS. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 61,000 MILES ON MY 2003 VW JETTA GLX (V6), I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS THAT SEEMED TO BE TRANSMISSION RELATED. THIS INITIALLY OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2007. ALL EXCEPT ONE OF THE ISSUES WERE RESOLVED BY THE WRAY VW IN COLUMBIA SC. THE ONGOING AND CURRENT PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE CAR CHANGES GEARS HARD BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. THE HARD GEAR SHIFTS HAPPENS 95% OF THE TIME THE CAR CHANGES BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO DUE TO THE FACT THE 2 VW DEALERSHIPS DEEMED THE TRANSMISSION TO BE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING. *TR