2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

OPENED DRIVERS DOOR AND THE LOWER OF THE TWO BOLTS ON THE LOWER DOOR SECURE HINGE SHEARED OFF. THE DOOR HAS NEVER BEEN REMOVED OR REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY. THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IS IF THE BOLT WERE OVER TIGHTENED UPON INSTALLATION. THE VEHICLE IS PAST WARRANTY AND VW AMERICA WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS REPLACEMENT. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF MORE BOLTS SHEAR BECAUSE OF IMPROPER TIGHTENING. WE BASE THE OVER TIGHTENING SUGGESTION ON THE OPINION OF THREE INDEPENDENT BODY REPAIR SHOPS, ONE OF WHICH SPECIALIZES IN VOLKSWAGEN REPAIRS. *JB

THE CLUTCH OF MY 2001 JETTA (1.8 LITER TURBO MANUAL 5-SPEED) STARTED GOING OUT LAST JULY, WHEN THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN 4 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 30K MILES. (I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER.) IT IS GETTING WORSE. TWICE NOW I'VE TAKEN IT TO MY VW SERVICE DEALER ONLY TO BE MET BY BAFFLED STARES. THE VW MECHANICS THERE KEEP SAYING THAT THE CLUTCHES ON THESE CARS ARE FINE, AND THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. BUT TONIGHT I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A TERRIBLE PATTERN OF BAD CLUTCHES ON THE JETTAS, ESPECIALLY THE 2001 1.8 TURBOS, WITH EXACTLY THESE SAME SYMPTOMS! HOW ABOUT A RECALL? IN THE MEANTIME, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME GET THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT MY CAR? MY CHILD AND I I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN THE CLUTCH FAILED THIS MORNING ON A CROWDED, FAST-MOVING FREEWAY! THANK YOU, CELESTE WISER, M.D. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED VOLKSWAGEN, JETTA HAD DEFECT IN THE FRONT LIGHTS. A PLASTIC HOUSING BECAME AMBER, REDUCING THE BRIGHTENERS OF THE LIGHTS. THIS PROBLEM MADE NIGHT DRIVING DANGEROUS. THE CONTACT BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW ,AND THE PROBLEM WAS CONTINUOUSLY GETTING WORST. THE POLICE PULLED HIM OVER ONCE. THEY VERIFIED THAT THE LIGHTS WORKED. THE POLICE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT REPAIR THE FRONT LIGHTS. *AK.....*AK

2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA VR6. IGNITION COIL FAILURE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH IN THE FAST LANE OF THE FREEWAY - NEAR COMPLETE POWER FAILURE. JUST ENOUGH POWER TO STRUGGLE OVER TO THE HARD SHOULDER. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FROM READING THE WEBSITE 'VW VORTEX' A FORUM SITE DEDICATED TO VW OWNERS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS VW AND AUDI MODELS AND ONE WHICH COULD CAUSE (IF IT HASN'T ALREADY) A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE CAR COST $1,200 TO REPAIR. MY WIFE'S NERVES WILL TAKE A LOT LONGER TO FIX!!!! *JB

A 2001 VW JETTA HAS AN ISSUE WITH A METAL SPRING THAT IS PART OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE SPRING SEPARATES FROM THE MECHANISM THAT KEEPS THE SEAT FROM SLIDING FORWARD. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC REASON THE SPRING BECOMES LOOSE FROM THE CAR SEAT AND ONE WOULD NEVER KNOW IF THE SPRING IS NOT ATTACHED, IT COULD CAUSE MAJOR HARM TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE SEAT REMAINS LOCKED IN A POSITION, BUT IF THE CAR IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THE SEAT COULD SLIDE FORWARD, CAUSING INJURY. VW REFUSES TO COVER THE PART AS A SAFETY RECALL AND IS CHARGING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. OTHER ISSUES ARE : CARS PLASTIC PART ARE GETTING BROKEN . IN MY CAR : GLOVE COMPARTMENT HANDLE IS BROKEN RIM FELL OFF FROM SUN ROOF . IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN ON ME OR PASSENGER AND CAUSED DISTRACTION TO DRIVER. *NM

THE IGNITION COILS ON MY 2001 V6 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA FAILED. WHILE VOLKSWAGEN HAD ANNOUNCED A RECALL ON ALL V6 2001 JETTAS, MY CAR'S VIN WAS FOR SOME REASON NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I SPENT $845 FIXING THE PROBLEM AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO CHANGE THE IGNITION WIRE SET - SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT ON BY THE FAILURE OF THE COILS. THE CAR WAS VERY UNSTABLE AND I WAS VERY SCARED TO EVEN DRIVE IT UNTIL MY APPOINTMENT WITH THE AUTO MECHANIC. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS VR6. IN APRIL OF 2003 I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR WHERE ESPECIALLY IN WET CONDITIONS, THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND MISFIRE THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT WAS LOSING POWER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS THE IGNITION COIL PACK WAS BAD. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE PART AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $1300.00 TO REPAIR AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY SIMILAR VOLKSWAGENS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD A RECALL OUT ON THE COIL PACK. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY CLAIMED THAT MY ENGINE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL BUT THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME A COURTESY AND COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. IN OCTOBER OF 2005 I BEGAN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR AGAIN. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THEY DIAGNOSED THAT MY IGNITION COIL PACK WAS BAD. I AGAIN DID RESEARCH AND READ SEVERAL ARTICLES ONLINE THAT VW WAS RECALLING THE COIL PACK FOR MY PARTICULAR MODEL. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IN THEIR SYSTEM, MY CAR DIDN'T QUALIFY. I EXPLAINED THAT THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ABOUT 20,000 MILES PUT ON THE CAR SINCE THE LAST OCCURANCE AND TO NO AVAIL WOULD THEY HELP ME OUT. THEY SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON MY CAR THEY WOULD NOT DO ANOTHER COURTESY AND BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE COIL PACK RECALL, IT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER FRIENDS WITH VW JETTAS THE SAME YEAR AS MINE AND THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T VW LISTED MY CAR IN THE RECALL. HAVING THIS ISSUE TWICE IN THE SHORT LIFESPAN OF THE CAR SIGNALS THAT THERE IS A DEFAULT IN THE PART AND IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MANUFACTURER. *NM

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH (2001 VW JETTA GLS TDI) RESEARCHED ON INTERNET SAYS THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PART, BUT IS NOT IN EFFECT YET. DRIVING WITH BRAKE LIGHTS STUCK ON IS REALLY DANGEROUS AND SPEEDY RECALL FOR THIS ITEM IS ESSENTIAL. I HAVE TO REMOVE THE FUSE IN ORDER TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, AND SOON AS CAR IS TURNED ON THE LIGHTS STAY ON MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO KNOW WHEN I AM STEPPING ON THE BRAKES. COULD SERIOUSLY CAUSE MANY ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE FOR ALL VEHICLE OWNERS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM WITH THE EMISSION CONTROL AND THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, A MONTH LATER THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AGAIN. SINCE THE SECOND REPLACEMENT THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, AND THE CONTACT PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

MY 2001 VW JETTA HAS BEEN IN THE VW SHOP 7 TIMES FOR FAILED COILS THEY FIX IT AND ABOUT 4 MONTHS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE RUNS ROUGH. THEY ALWAYS SAY IF THE PART FAILS THEY WILL REPLACE FOR FREE, SEEMS EVERYTIME WE TAKE IT IN THEY CLAIM SOMETHING ELSE CAUSED IT. *JB