2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

I BOUGHT A 2005 JETTA TDI, BRAND NEW. WHEN IT HAD LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON IT, IT DIED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO COAST OUT OF TRAFFIC, AND AFTER 20 MINUTES IT FINALLY RESTARTED. THEN 6 WEEKS LATER, WITH LESS THAN 4500 MILES ON IT, IT DIED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS GOING 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE FREEWAY. I HAD MY 3 KIDS IN THE CAR. AGAIN, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO COAST OUT OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO A NARROW SHOULDER. I CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, BUT AGAIN, AFTER 20 MINUTES I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RESTART IT. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WITH MY CHILDREN SINCE WE TRAPPED BETWEEN A GUARDRAIL AND THE FIRST LANE. IT WAS TERRIFYING. THE ONLY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS THAT AFTER IT DIED QUIETLY, A LIGHT CAME ON THAT SAID "EMISSIONS WORKSHOP." THE DEALER SAYS IT'S RUNNING TO SPECIFICATIONS. THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY A BRAND NEW CAR HAS QUIT TWICE WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART FOR 20 MINUTES EACH TIME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES DO NOT ALWAYS DEPRESS. THE FIRST 3 TIMES THIS HAPPENED THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ITSELF. THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HIT A VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SEEN THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THE COMPUTER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN AREA REPRESENTATIVE. HE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK UPDATED 02/06/06. *JB

THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. DESPITE USING THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON KEY, THE DRIVERS DOOR, AND THE PASSENGER DOOR, THE DOOR LATCH WILL NOT ENGAGE. EACH TIME ONE OF THE MENTIONED UNLOCK BUTTONS IS PUSHED, YOU CAN HEAR THE ELECTRONIC MECHANISM SOUND LIKE IT IS UNLOCKING THE DOOR, BUT THE LATCH STILL DOES NOT ENGAGE IN ORDER TO OPEN THE DOOR. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER YET, BUT FELT THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED HERE DUE TO THE DANGER OF THIS ISSUE IN CASE OF A CRASH / FIRE IN WHICH IT COULD PREVENT A QUICK EXIT OF THE PASSENGER. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ACCELERATING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LURCHED FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. HOWEVER , THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE WITH OUR 2005 JETTA SINCE PURCHASE. WHENEVER WE START THE CAR FROM COLD WE EXPERIENCE A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT LASTS FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL SOUND. UNFORTUNATELY AT FIRST THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL. ONLY NOW ARE THEY ADMITTING THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR A NEW CAR. THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS AND VOLKSWAGEN ARE STATING THIS IS A NORMAL ISSUE. THE DEALER DID REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP.*JB

THE CAR IS SQUEALING RIDICULOUSLY LOUD WHEN THE CAR COMES TO A STOP OR IN REVERSE. (MOSTLY IN REVERSE) I HAVE CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OR GIVEN ANY INFORMATION ON FIXING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO FIX IT. I HAVE OTHER FRIENDS WITH THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE SAME NOISE. THE SQUEALING NOISE IS SO LOUD, IT SOUNDS LIKE AN 18 WHEELER COMING TO A STOP. WE KEEP GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM VOLKSWAGEN. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE FIXED, I WOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN OUT A LEASE ON THIS CAR. IT IS ONLY WITH THIS MODEL. MY PREVIOUS JETTA HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THE CAR IS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLI 1.8 TURBO. I WANT ANSWERS FROM VOLKSWAGEN ON WHEN THEY ARE PLANNING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I WANT THIS KNOWN THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE OVER $350 A MONTH TO HAVE THE CAR, THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT NEED TO WAIT 1 MORE MINUTE. *JB

ANY TIME THE VEHICLE IS NOT OPERATED FOR A FEW HOURS OR LONGER, THE ENGINE MAKES A VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISE UPON STARTING. THE NOISE LASTS LESS THAN 30 SECONDS, THEN A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE FOLLOWS BEFORE BOTH NOISES CEASE. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THESE NOISES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS DUE TO THIS NOISE, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT ALL NEW VEHICLES ON THE LOT WERE MAKING THE SAME NOISE. THE SALESMAN SUGGESTED THAT THE GRINDING NOISE WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS STARTING UP AND THE HIGH-PITCHED NOISE THAT FOLLOWED WAS THE FUEL PUMP. STILL, IT DOES NOT SOUND NORMAL, AND THE NOISE DOES NOT OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN RESTING FOR A MATTER OF MINUTES. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE SUCH A NOISE, AND THEN ONLY MAKE IT ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS. *JB

WE WERE DRIVING OUR NEW 2005.5 JETTA 5 SPD AT AN INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE STALLED AS A RESULT OF THE CLUTCH BEING LET OUT TO QUICKLY. I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT SUCCESS. I PULLED THE BRAKE UP; PUSHED THE CLUTCH PEDAL COMPLETELY IN AND PUT THE STICK SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. STILL WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER JUST MISSED US BY INCHES. FINALLY GOT THE CAR STARTED MADE OUR WAY HOME. AT HOME WE DUPLICATES WHAT HAPPENED AND DETERMINED WE NEEDED TO TURN THE KEY COMPLETELY TO THE OFF POSITION, THEN WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RESTART THE ENGINE. WE DRIVE MOSTLY MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND CANNOT THINK OF ANY TIME WE HAVE HAD TO TURN THE KEY COMPLETELY TO THE OFF POSITION TO GET OUR VEHICLES STARTED. WE CALLED AND TALKED WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS A NEW FEATURE VW INSTITUTED THIS YEAR TO KEEP DRIVERS FROM TRYING TO RESTART AN ENGINE THAT MAY ALREADY BE RUNNING AND POSSIBLY RUINING THE STARTER. RUINING THE STARTER WAS THE LEAST OF OUR PROBLEMS. WE ARE CONCERNED THE DOCUMENTATION THAT OUTLINES THAT THE DRIVER MUST RETURN THE KEY TO THE 0FF POSITION EVERY TIME TO RESTARTED THE ENGINE IS BURIED ON PG 92 OF BOOKLET 3.1 IN SECTION IGNITION LOCK POSITION OF THE KEY. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT SOMETHING A DRIVER WOULD NORMALLY LOOK FOR OR EXPECT FROM THE VEHICLE THEY ARE DRIVING. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THIS FEATURE BE CHANGED SO THAT IF A DRIVER STALLS THEIR VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN A COMPROMISING SITUATION, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY BEING ANYWHERE IN THE ON POSITION. IN ADDITION, UNTIL THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS INFORMATION BE INCLUDED IN THE JETTA QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE. THIS IS A MORE REASONABLE PLACE THE DRIVER MAY LOOK INSTEAD OF BEING BURIED DEEP INSIDE THE DRIVERS MANUAL. I ALSO RECOMMEND THIS BE INFORMATION THE DEALERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THE DRIVER KNOWS BEFORE LEAVING THEIR LOT. THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING OF A POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING AND HE FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GETTING ANY FUEL. HE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND THEN IT STALLED. HE DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL WHILE TRYING TO RESTART IT, AND IT STARTED SMOKING. HE GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND LIFTED THE HOOD AND IT BURST INTO FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, ACCORDING TO THE AUTO BODY SHOP THE ONLY THING THAT REMAINED WERE THE HEAD LIGHTS. THERE HAS BEEN NO INVESTIGATION AS TO WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. SHE CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN, AND THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS A RECALL FOR A FAULTY FUEL CLAMP. BUT SHE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT 5021483 WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. *AK

DRIVING VW JETTA BOUGHT NEW EARLY 2005 ON A SURFACE STREET IN WESTERVILLE. DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE DISINTEGRATED, CAUSING FOUR OR MORE HOLES (2" X 2") ON OUTER SIDE TIRE WALL. TIRE MADE BY MICHELIN; WE WILL KEEP TIRE OR AT LEAST RETAIN PHOTOS OF IT. CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 35-40 MPH DRIVEN BY MY WIFE. CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL CAR STOPPED. *JB