2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AT 70 MPH, THE CONTACT PLACED THE CLUTCH IN AND IT FAILED TO RELEASE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED AND THE DEALER DID NOT CHARGE FOR LABOR. THE PART COST $1,800. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT YET DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF THE SECOND FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

20K MILES, NOTICED REAR GRINDING SOUND WHEN BRAKING. SOUND SEEMED TO DISSIPATE AFTER A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF BRAKING. HOWEVER, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE GRINDING SOUND WAS THE REAR PADS HAVING BEEN WORN DOWN TO THE RIVETS. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR ROTORS AND REAR PADS, AT 20K MILES. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL. SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO 60K MILES ON REAR PADS, PERHAPS AS SOON AS 30K ON FRONTS. *TR UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07

CLUTCH COMPLETELY FAILED AT 35,000 MILES, SUDDENLY ON A HIGHWAY (THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, IT WOULD JUST REV REALLY HIGH). I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL VW DEALER. THE VW DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAULTY VW PARTS; FAILURE WAS DUE TO A WORN CLUTCH, WHICH I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VW OF AMERICA. I WAS SUSPICIOUS OF THIS DIAGNOSIS, SINCE THE CLUTCH FAILED SO SUDDENLY & IN ALL OF MY YEARS OF DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS (16 YEARS), I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO REPLACE A WORN OR DAMAGED CLUTCH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH COST ME $2,070. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, & THAT HE WOULD SHOW ME THE WORN CLUTCH WHEN THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED. WHEN I PICKED UP THE REPAIRED CAR, I ASKED TO SEE THE CLUTCH & FLYWHEEL (FOR SIGNS OF WEAR & HEAT MARKS). THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION; THEY WERE ALREADY DISPOSED OF & IN THE GARBAGE DUMPSTER. AFTER READING SO MANY COMPLAINTS MADE BY EXPERIENCED MANUAL TRANSMISSION DRIVERS ABOUT VW CLUTCHES WEARING PREMATURELY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS CASE MAY BE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I'VE READ ON VW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS THAT FAULTY PRESSURE PLATES AND/OR FLYWHEELS IN THESE NEWER JETTAS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE DAMAGE & EXCESSIVE PREMATURE WEAR TO THE CLUTCH. IN MY CASE, I WASN'T ABLE TO INSPECT THE OLD CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FOR OTHER SIGNS OF MECHANICAL FAILURE (SINCE THE DEALER DISPOSED OF THE OLD PARTS BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THEM). SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT VW CLUTCHES, I HOPE THEY ISSUE A RECALL & REIMBURSE THE MANY CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE NEEDED TO REPLACE THEIR CLUTCHES SO SOON. I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT HAVING TO SPEND $2,070 TO REPAIR A FAULTY CLUTCH IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY 2 YRS OLD. FOR MY NEXT CAR PURCHASE, I AM CONSIDERING BUYING FROM A DIFFERENT CAR COMPANY. *JB

MY CAR A 05.5 VW JETTA TDI HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALER SINCE MAY 24,07 WITH THE SAME TROUBLE. LOSS OF POWER. INTERMITTENTLY, MOST OF THE TIME WITH OUT ANY INDICATION OR NOTICE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET. IF CARS ARE COMING AND YOU PULL OUT INTO THE STREET AND YOUR CAR HAS LOST ITS POWER AND YOU DO NOT EXPECT IT. YOU END UP CROSS WAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH ON COMING TRAFFIC HAVING TO BRAKE AND WAIT FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY SO YOU CAN'T PREPARE FOR IT. IT ALSO WILL LOSE POWER WHILE YOU ARE CRUISING DOWN THE ROAD AND NEED TO PUSH YOUR ACCELERATOR DOWN, AND FIND OUT THAT NOTHING IS HAPPENING, AND YOU MAY HAVE TRY SOME OTHER EVADECIVE MOVE. I NO OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME THE CAR, HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AND DEALER HAVE NOT FIXED THEIR CARS EITHER. *TR

I OWN A 2005.5 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. JUST PRIOR TO THE 40K SERVICE THE CAR DEVELOPED A DANGEROUS POWER LOSS PROBLEM WHICH RENDERED THE CAR POWERLESS AND THE ONLY WAY TO CLEAR THE PROBLEM WAS TO PULL OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE SHOP FOR OUR 40K SERVICE AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. IN JULY WE TOOK THE CAR ON A ROAD TRIP TO SANTA FE NM AND THE PROBLEM BECAME CHRONIC. WE TOOK THE CAR TO PREMIER MOTORCARS IN SANTA FE 505-428-5521 ON JULY 5TH, AND AS OF TODAY, AUGUST 24TH THE CAR IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. I HAVE ALSO JOINED A FORUM WHERE I HAVE MET OTHERS WITH THE CAME CAR, HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEIR CARS ARE NOT BEING REPAIRED. I HAVE THEIR NAMES, RO NUMBERS AND VW CLAIM NUMBERS UPON REQUEST. THERE APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT SO FAR APPEARS TO AFFECT THE 05.5 JETTA TDI MODELS. THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE CAR TO ENTER A "LIMP MODE" WHERE BASICALLY THE HORSEPOWER IS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY AND CAN HAPPEN UNSUSPECTINGLY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO NOT BE AWARE OF AN UNSAFE CONDITION ENTERING TRAFFIC. TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE THE FIRST TIME IT DID THIS TO ME I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY HIGHWAY. I HAD SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO CROSS BUT UNKNOWN TO ME MY CAR HAD LOST POWER BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL ENTERING THE INTERSECTION CAUSING ME TO BARELY MISS AN ONCOMING CAR. VW HAS BEEN VERY UNCOOPERATIVE WITH ALL OF US AS FAR AS LETTING US SHARE OUR INFORMATION WITH THEM. I HAVE COMPILED THE SERVICE INFO FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AND SHARED IT WITH EACH AND WHEN WE SPEAK TO VW THEY REFUSE THE INFORMATION. IT APPEARS THAT VW HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM LEAVING MANY OF US WITHOUT OUR CARS FOR MONTHS. *TR

FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2005.5 VW JETTA TDI HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN; THUS IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU GO TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. MY CAR, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER'S CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, HAS BEEN IN THE "SHOP" SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO *FIX* AS OF YET. THOUGH VW AND THEIR NUMEROUS TECHNICIANS KEEP *GUESSING* AND REPLACING PARTS, THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. FOR THOSE OF US DRIVING THESE AUTOMOBILES, WE ARE VERY LUCKY IF WE GO WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR BEING THE CENTER OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN YOU HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT LEASES A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO SECOND GEAR. SHE ACCELERATED TO 20 MPH, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NEGLIGENT DRIVING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 15,500. WHILE TURNING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH WHILE SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PRESSURE PLATE WAS HAD CRACKED INTO 3 PIECES WHICH DESTROYED THE ENTIRE CLUTCH. UPDATED 09/05/07. *JB

MY 2005 JETTA HAS A BROKEN PRESSURE PLATE IN THE CLUTCH. THE INCINDENT MUST HAVE HAPPENED WHILE IT SITTING AFTER BEING DRIVEN, BECAUSE I PARKED IT AND IT WAS ACTING FINE, THEN I GOT BACK IN LATER AND IT WASN'T WORKING. THE CAR HAS ONLY 15K MILES ON IT AND IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR HARD AND ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 10 MILES A DAY, AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL FOR 12 YEARS. VW IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY AND IS TELLING ME THE CLUTCH PROBLEM IS MY FAULT. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CLUTCH GOING IN 15K MILES, EVEN IF I WAS A TERRIBLE MANUAL DRIVER WHICH I AM NOT. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB, AND IT LOOKS QUITE COMMON FOR THESE CHEAPLY MADE VW CLUTCHES TO BREAK DOWN AND FOR VW TO FIND A WAY TO NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I NEED HELP STANDING UP AGAINST THEM. *TR

MY FLYWHEEL EXPLODED EARLIER LAST YEAR AND NOW I KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN DIESEL JETTAS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CLUTCH AND THE FLYWHEEL REPLACED, AND VOLKSWAGEN WOULD NOT DO IT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABS FAILURE. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT 15 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, USUALLY WHEN DECELERATING AND STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER TWICE, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKES MAY CONTAIN DUST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,100, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,300.*AK UPDATE 4/25/07 *TR