2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 VW JETTA TDI. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT SERVICED ON TIME AND HAVE KEPT IT WELL MAINTAINED, I HAVE 78,000 MILES ON IT. THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AND VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO FIX IT. I WORRY BECAUSE THE DOORS NOT LOCK CORRECTLY BECAUSE OF THIS AND I AM NOT AWARE AT THE SPEED I TRAVEL BECAUSE THE GAUGES HAVE FAILED. MY BIGGEST WORRY IS THAT IF I WERE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT WORK BECAUSE THE CAR DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST IT IS GOING. IF THIS WERE A NORMAL ITEM LIKE BREAKS, TIRES OR SOMETHING THAT HAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR I WOULD UNDERSTAND BUT ITS NOT. IT IS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WHAT I VITAL FUNCTION OF THE CAR. I REALLY FEEL THAT VW SHOULD COVER THE COST OR AT LEAST SPLIT IT WITH ME. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? *TR

I AM A RESIDENT OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND IN THE SUMMER OF 2007 , DUE TO THE FACT MY CAR HAS BEEN RELIABLE I DECIDED TO DRIVE CROSS COUNTRY TO LOS ANGELES , I TOOK ALL PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO LIVING, FROM OIL CHANGES , BRAKES , TIRE ROTATION AND SO FORTH. IN OCT. OF 2007 , I WAS IN A FENDER BENDER IN LOS ANGELES , WHICH DELAYED MY RETURN TO SOUTH FLORIDA IN THE ACCIDENT THEY HAD TO REPLACE FRONT END LIGHTS AS WELL AS MY RADIATOR. I ONCE AGAIN TOOK ALL PRECAUTIONS ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO MY JOURNEY. AS OF MID NOVEMBER I WAS BACK IN MIAMI , NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR , ALL IS GOOD AT THAT POINT THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 72,000 OR SO . IN MID MARCH I NOTICED THAT WHEN I STARTED MY CAR AND TRY TO ACCELERATE THE CAR , IT WOULD NOT SURPASS 15/20MPH AND IT MADE A VERY STRANGE SOUND. IT WOULD ONLY FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS @ 190. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY BOTH HAVE INFORMED ME THAT MY CLUTCH IS WORN OUT. I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT IS? I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO KEEP THIS CAR UP TO PAR , AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE . THE DEALER QUOTED ME $5600 AND THE OTHER MECHANIC $2500. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD BEEN AMAZING TO ME TILL NOW, I HAVE A LITTLE LESS THEN 80,000 AND WOULD LOVE TO DRIVE IT TOO AT LEAST 160,000 , BUT THE WAY THIS IS GOING I'M AFRAID THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN . I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE. VW JETTA STATION WAGON - 2003 , TURBO GLS TIPTRONIC - 80,000. *TR

I HAVE A PIECE OF JUNK VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.8T THAT IS A LEMON. AT 64,000 MILES THE FAN SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS TO THE TUNE OF $800. THEN AT 70,000 MILES THE AIR TUBES MELTED MAKING THE CAR RUN TERRIBLE. THAT WAS ANOTHER $600 DOLLARS TO FIX. NOW AT 71000 MILES THE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I HAVE HAD IT TALKING TO THE DEALER AND CONSTANTLY WRITING VOLKSWAGEN. THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS AND THEY DO NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS. THANK YOU, GEORGE AND LAURA BOGDAN *TR

I TURNED ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER TO 5 (HIGHEST SETTING) ON MY 2003 VW JETTA TDI WHEN LEAVING MY HOUSE AT 7 AM. I USED THIS REGULARLY TO WARM THE SEAT FOR A FEW MINUTES ON COLD MORNINGS, THEN WOULD TURN IT OFF (LOWER SETTINGS NEVER PRODUCED NOTICEABLE HEAT). WITHIN ONE MINUTE I FELT A BURNING/ELECTRICAL SENSATION IN MY UPPER LEFT THIGH. I WAS DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD AND THE PAIN MADE ME JUMP IN MY SEAT AND NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER (HAVING HEARD OF PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER). THE LEATHER SEAT HAD A BLISTER ABOUT THE SIZE OF A CIGARETTE BURN BUT HAD NOT BURNED COMPLETELY THROUGH. WHILE I STOPPED THE HEATER BEFORE IT BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT (AND MY PANTS), THE REAL DANGER WAS IN A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT FROM THE BURN/SHOCK THAT CAUSED ME TO MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE SEAT HEATER IS NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM READING SIMILAR POSTS HERE AND ELSEWHERE IS THAT THE WIRING IS NOW BROKEN IN THE SEAT (AND MANY HAVE HAD IT BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT). IF I HAD NOT GUESSED THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM QUICKLY, OR IF SOMEONE WERE TO UNKNOWINGLY USE THE HEAT SETTER IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, PERSONAL INJURY, AND CAR FIRE. SIMILARLY, THIS POSES A SERIOUS RISK FOR OTHER DRIVERS OF THESE VEHICLES WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REACT TOO LATE. I REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA URGE VW OF AMERICA TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS AND PERVASIVE PROBLEM (MANY REPORTS HERE AND ELSEWHERE, SUCH AS TDICLUB.COM AND VWVORTEX.COM). VW HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM IN CANADA BUT NOT IN THE U.S. THEY ALSO HAVE A VOLUNTARY REPAIR FOR PASSATS OF SIMILAR YEARS, BUT NOT JETTAS OR GOLFS. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IT RESTARTED THREE HOURS LATER. ONE WEEK LATER, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V375000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP) WAS REFERENCED CONCERNING THE 2003 PASSATS. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46,000. UPDATED 5/6/08 *CN UPDATED 05/06/08 *TR

IGNITION COIL FAILED, WAS TOLD THE O2 SENSOR WAS BAD AND NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS, I HAD JUST REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS 5 DAYS EARLIER, THEY ONLY HAD 11 MILES ON THEM, SO IT CANNOT BE SPARK PLUGS, QUESTION WHETHER THE O2 IS TRULY BAD, HAVING IGNITION COIL REPLACED BUT WAS UNABLE TO TELL WHETHER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS ALSO BAD UNTIL OTHER PROBLEMS ARE CORRECTED. *TR

THE CLUTCH ON MY VW JETTA BURNED OUT ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE AND WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CAR HAD 46,604 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD HAVE LASTED MANY MILES ABOVE THAT BUT I HAVE LEARNED OF 100'S WHO OWN THE SAME CAR WITH THIS SAME SITUATION. *TR

I DROVE TO WORK THE CAR RAN FINE. AFTER WORK I STARTED THE CAR IT BEGIN TO SHAKE. IT LOST HALF ITS POWER..THE DEALERSHIP WAS THREE MILES AWAY. IGNITION COIL WENT BAD AT 46,158 MILES AND TODAY 3-10-08 ANOTHER ONE WENT BAD AT 49,036. MY BEST FRIENDS PASSAT IGNITION COIL WENT BAD AT 19,367. I THINK THESE IGNITION COILS ARE LEMONS AND THEY NEED TO MAKE BETTER ONES. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. THE CALL IS UNDRIVABLE IN THIS CONDITION AS IT IS AROUND 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE CAR CANNOT BE LOCKED SECURELY DUE TO ABSENCE OF WINDOW. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE US $456 FOR A WINDOW REGULATOR AND MOTOR. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE HEAT SEATER FAILED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. IT GOT HOTTER THAN NORMAL WHEN ON SETTING #3, I TURNED IT OFF, AND FROM THAT POINT ON IT DIDN'T WORK. TWO DAYS AGO, I HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER REPLACED AT THE KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY VW DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE SEAT BECAME EXTREMELY HOT WHILE ONLY ON SETTING #2. IT WAS SO HOT, THAT I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND COULD NOT SIT DOWN WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME PAIN TO MY BUTTOCKS. I REACHED DOWN WITH MY HAND TO CONFIRM THE HEAT AND ALSO BURNED MY HAND. NOTE THAT I WAS ONLY RUNNING THE SEAT HEATER ON LEVEL 2 OF 5 FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES. UPON INSPECTION OF THE SEAT, THERE IS NOW A HARDENED PLASTIC FEELING AREA WHERE THE LEATHER ON THE SEAT WAS THE HOTTEST. HAD I NOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEATER, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FLAMES. ADDITIONALLY, SINCE THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AND I WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY SIT IN THE SEAT, AN ACCIDENT COULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE OCCURRED ON THE SPOT. I IMMEDIATELY SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WILL REPLACE THE HEATER BUT NOT THE SEAT. THEY SAY THE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT IS NOT EXTREME ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE THING. HOWEVER, I FEEL IT IS THEIR OBLIGATION TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THEIR INSTALLATION OF A FACTORY ITEM THAT HAS ALREADY FAILED ONCE. *TR