1996 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

HEATER CORE RUPTURED, CAUSING THE COOLANT TO SPILL OVER THE DRIVER'S FEET. THIS EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO FOG UP, MAKING THE ABILITY TO SEE THE ROAD DIFFICULT.*AK WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, HE HIT A BUMP AND HOT COOLANT FELL ON HIS FEET. THE STEAM FROM THE HOT COOLANT FOGGED UP THE WINDOWS AND ESCAPED THROUGH THE VENTS. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO PARKING LOT TO AVOID CRASHING BECAUSE OF THE STEAM ON THE WINDOW. VOLKSWAGEN AGREED TO REPAIR HEATING CORE.*SB

WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND HEAD LIGHTS WERE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECK UP, AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

SMOKE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, A PUFF OF SMOKE AROSE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND I LOST USE OF MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I HAVE BEEN ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS TO THE SAME AFFECT. SHOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL ITEM ? AVE HAD QUITE A FEW OTHERS PROBLEMS IN THE 6 MONTHS SINCE WE HAVE OWNED OUR 1996 JETTA. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT SIDE WINDOWS WERE NOT GOING UP AND DOWN AT WILL. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MOTOR WINDOW REGULATOR WAS DEFECTIVE. TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED WOULD COST AT LEAST $500.00 PER WINDOW, WHICH CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE.*AK

THE STEERING IN THIS 1996 JETTA IS JUST HORRIBLE, NO MECHANIC HAS BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR IT. IM TOLD THERE IS SOMETHING ON THE WHEEL BASE TORN (REAR) AND ITS GOING TO COST ME 800 TO FIX. YET, THE STEERING HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE IVE HAD THE CAR AND I HARDLY NOTICED UNTIL I RENTED A CAR (BECAUSE THE CRANK SHAFT IN THE JETTA BROKE TOO). THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN A COLLISION OR ANY MAJOR TRAMA TO HAVE ANYTHING TORN, IT ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT, YET IVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CRANK SHAFT, LAST WEEK THE ENTIRE COMPUTER, 2 YEARS AGO THE ENTIRE ENGINE FELL TO THE GROUND (MY LAND LORD DISCOVERED) AND NOW THE STEERING. I THOUGHT VWS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WELL BUILT CARS. *AK

JUST PURCHASED MY FIRST VW JETTA. MAY BE MY LAST VW PERIOD. MY WINDOWS WORK WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND OUT THIS IS A EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM THAT VW TAKES NO REPONSIBILITY FOR. FIXING IT MYSELF, IT COSTS ME $150 EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS. I SHOULD CHARGE VW $70 AN HOUR FOR LABOR!*AK

SINCE I HAVE HAD MY 1996 VW JETTA GLS, ALL FOUR WINDOW REGULATORS AND ALL FOUR WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BROKEN. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR JETTAS. *AK

ALL FOUR WINDOWS IN MY '96 JETTA HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. PROBLEMS INVOLVE THE WINDOW REGULATORS AND THE MOTORS. AS IT IS TODAY, MY VEHICLE HAS THREE OPERATING WINDOWS WITH DEFECTS (MAKES LOUD CRUNCH SOUND WHEN ROLLED ALL THE WAY DOWN) TO A STUCK-HALF-WAY WINDOW THAT WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. *JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS DAMAGED DURING A COLLISION. THE DOOR WAS REPAIRED AND PAINTED. THE PAINT FUMES ARE VERY STRONG IN THE PASSENGER CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

1996 VW JETTA - DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE WHEN TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 0 C OR 32 F. THIS MATCHES TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 57 9702 NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 53643. *LA