2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

DT: CONTACT STATES THE DRIVERS' SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT A COLLISION. THE SEAT BELT JAMMED AND COULD NOT BE LATCHED AFTER THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT (#05-5207) STATES THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN IMPACT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER AND TOLD TO CONTACT VW OF AMERICA. SHE DID FAX THE POLICE REPORT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WITHOUT COST. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT FIND WHAT CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER IS STILL DRIVING A RENTAL CAR BECAUSE THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *NM A WHEEL AND TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. *JB

(1) NORMAL DRIVING, REGULAR SCHEDULED DEALER MAINTAINANCE BEFORE THE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION BECAME DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO GEAR AND NOISE STARTED TO COME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. (2) CLUTCH FAILED AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION. DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR RECOMMENDED LOOKING AT TRANSMISSION AND THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE CLUTCH HAD FAILED. IMMEDIATE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT IT WAS DRIVER ERROR. LATER THAT DAY, AFTER EXAMINING THE PARTS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THE CAR IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE SPRINGS OF THE CLUTCH PLATE HAD COME OUT OF THE METAL BRACKETS OF THE CLUTCH. DEALER CLAIMED THEY HAD ONLY SEEN THAT AS A RESULT OF MISUSE BUT DECIDED TO PARTIALLY WARRANTY THE PARTS AFTER DETERMINING THAT I HAD TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF THE CAR AND HAD EXHIBITED NO ABUSE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS FIRST INCIDENT TOOK PLACE WHEN THE CAR HAD 23K MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND I HAD OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS AT 73 K MILES IN MARCH OF 2005. THE SAME PARTS FAILED AND THE SAME DIAGNOSIS WAS MADE BY A DIFFERENT VW DEALERSHIP. THE CLUTCH FAILED IN THE SPRINGS BUT SHOWED NO OUTWARD SIGNS OF ABUSE OR EXCESSIVE WEAR. THE CLUTCH HAD APPROXIMATELY 50 K MILES OF USE BUT STILL HAD SIGNIFICANT MATERIAL LEFT ON THE CLUTCH PADS. THE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH SPRINGS DAMAGED THE FLYWHEEL. AS RESULT I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW FLYWHELEL, THROWOUT BEARING AND CLUTCH PLATE. AN APPEAL TO VW WAS REJECTED AND THEY SAID THAT THE DECISION WAS THE DEALERSHIP'S AND THAT THEY WOULD STAND BY THAT. I CONSIDER THIESE FAILURES TO BE CAUSED BY WEAK PARTS PROVIDED BY VW OF AMERICA. THIS SECOND FAILURE COST ME $1600.00 IN REPAIR COSTS.

2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA (COMPLAINT NUMBERS 30291114,30343786 AND 03092183) OUR 2001 JETTA STARTED CLICKING AND BLOWING WHITE SMOKE. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE TURBO AND WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE TOWED THE CAR TO THEM ON MAY 19, 2003 AND THEY DID REPLACE THE TURBO. HOWEVER, THEY ADVISED US THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE IT WAS STILL CLICKING. THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE WE HAD NOT BEEN CHANGING THE OIL WHICH IS WHY THE ENGINE WAS CLOGGED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEN GAVE US THE RUN AROUND FOR A FEW MONTHS. THEY WANTED OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS, WHICH WE PROVIDED. THE MECHANIC TOLD US THE TURBO REPLACEMENT WAS DENIED BY VW AND THEY ATE THE COST. HE TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT DO ANY MORE WORK ON THE CAR. ON JULY 09, 2003 WE HAD THE CAR TOWED FROM THE DEALERSHIP.I WENT TO VW AND SPOKE WITH THE NEW SERVICE MANAGER, DONNIE FIELDER. THE NEW SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THEY HAD JUST REPLACED A GUYS ENGINE THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS OURS. HE SAID THEY MESSED UP AND REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY NO QUESTIONS ASKED AND LATER DECIDED HE HAD NOT CHANGED THE OIL. HE SAID THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR ANOTHER ENGINE AND WOULD NOT TOUCH OUR VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO ALTERNATIVE IMPORTS ON CHARLOTTE AVENUE. SAM (A.I.) SAID THE ENGINE WAS FULL OF SLUDGE. HE FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR CASES ON A MECHANICS WEB SITE. HE ALSO FOUND THAT VW DID NOT PROPERLY COMPLETE THE TURBO REPLACEMENT. THE ENGINE IS THE SAME ONE (1.8L TURBO) THAT VW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED, AT LEAST IN THE PASSAT, HAS A SLUDGE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE JETTA EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME ENGINE. THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE PASSATS TO 8 YEARS UNLIMITED MILEAGE.

INSIDE OF HEADLAMP LENS COVERS BECOMING CLOUDY/CONTAMINATED DUE TO MISTURE BUILDUP FROM DRL (DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS) USE. THE CONTINUAL DEGRADTION TO THE LENS COVERS FROM INSIDE THE LENS RESULTS IN A CONTINUOUS LOSS OF PROJECTED LIGHT DURING NIGHT DRIVING CONDITIONS.

YESTERDAY MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA VR6 STARTED SHAKING SLIGHTLY WHEN I STARTED IT AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT, BUT AS SOON AS I GOT OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT I WAS IN THE MIL LIGHT (MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT) CAME ON AND EMISSION WORKSHOP STARTED BLINKING ON THE LITTLE SCREEN ON MY DASH. THERE WAS A MAJOR LOSS OF POWER WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, I HAD TO NURSE IT HOME! I HAVE BEEN READING UP ON THESE ISSUES AND APPARENTLY FOR VWS AND AUDI'S (CERTAIN MODELS) OF THE YEARS 2001-2003 HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION COIL. THE SAD THING IS, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY CALL THE VW SERVICE NUMBER THEY ASK FOR YOUR VIN AND IF YOUR VEHICLE ISN'T IN THE SPAN FOR THAT RECALL THEY DO NOTHING TO HELP YOU. YET THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON FIXING THE IGNITION COIL PROBLEM WITH ALL 2001-2003 MODELS. *JB

THE WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. I UNDERSTAND THAT LITIGATION WAS FILED IN AUGUST 2003 IN REFERENCE TO THIS MATTER. *JB

EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON MY 2001 VW JETTA. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THIS. HOWEVER, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT LOCK (ASL) HAS NOT ALLOWED ME TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. USUALLY, I AM ABLE TO WAIT A MINUTE AND THE ASL LIGHT WILL GO OFF, OR I TURN OFF THE CAR OR FIDDLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, THREE TIMES THIS PAST WEEK I HAVE GOTTEN STUCK AND HAVE HAD TO ABANDON THE CAR TEMPORARILY. THE LAST TIME, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF PARK AND DRIVE IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC (I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALERSHIP, BUT I COULDN'T GET IN FOR A WEEK). HE NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OUT AGAIN, AND BELIEVES THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION MAY BE RELATED TO THE ASL MALFUNCTION. THIS MAY EXPLAIN WHY THE ELECTRONIC POWER CONTROL (EPC) LIGHT TURNS ON WHENEVER THE ASL LIGHT TURNS ON, AS IT INDICATES A PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRONICS. THE LOCAL MECHANIC IS CURRENTLY EXAMINING THE PROBLEM. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS STAYING ON. ALSO HAD A LOSS POWER ISSUE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. AFTER THE CAR LEFT THE DEALERSHIP IT RAN FINE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. THEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED. . THE LIGHTS WERE COMING BACK ON, AND THE CAR WAS STILL LOSING POWER. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. THE WAS KEPT IN THE SHOP FOR THREE WEEKS. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY BOTH TIMES WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT FIXING THE CAR CORRECTLY. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 5 MPH. THEN SECOND TIME IT WOULD NOT GO OVER 60 MPH, THEN IT TOOK MORE TIME THAN USUAL TO GET UP TO 60 MPH. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED AT THIS POINT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL . *AK

2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLX VR6. VW RELEASED A RECALL ONLINE STATING RECALL ON ALL 2001 COIL PACKS. MY COIL PACK ARC'ED AS DEALER CALLS IT. ARC BURNED UP IGNITION WIRES, SPARK PLUGS AND ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. DEALER WANTED $900 TO REPLACE FAULTY COIL PACK AND IGNITION WIRES AND PLUGS. COIL PACK NOT ONLY WENT OUT BUT TOOK OUT MULTIPLE PARTS. DEALERSHIP DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEM NOR DID VWOA. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE I HAVE READ 1,000 OF SIMILAR CLAIMS FROM JETTA OWNERS ONLINE. RECALL SHOULD BE MADE AND DRIVERS SHOULD BE REPAID FOR REPAIRS MADE. *NM

BOTH WINDOWS ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S DOOR COLLAPSED AND NO LONGER WORK WITHIN 2 DAYS OF EACH OTHER. I HAVE READ ON MANY SIMILAR CASES ON VOLKSWAGEN JETTAS. IT APPEARS THAT VW USED PARTS WHICH DO NOT HAVE MUCH DURABILITY WHEN CONSTRUCTING THE WINDOW SUPPORTS. *JB