2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

OUT OF NO WHERE MY RADIO ON MY 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON STOPPED WORKING. ALL I GOT WAS STATIC ON MY RADIO. AFTER REVIEWING SEVERAL VW FORUMS, I FOUND OUT THAT MY RADIO ANTENNA HAD CORRODED INSIDE. I TOOK IT APART AND CLEANED ALL THE CORROSION AND FOUND THAT THE MAIN WIRE ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS BROKE. I HAD TO SOLDER A NEW WIRE ONTO IT. MANY VW OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. A ANTENNA SHOULD NOT GO BAD IN A THREE YEAR OLD CAR. *JB

MY SITUATION IS VERY SIMILAR TO ODI ID NUMBER : 10136903. I HAVE A 2003 JETTA. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH, MY ABS WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON, AND MY RADIO TURNED OFF. AFTER STOPPING MY CAR, IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT MY FUSE PANEL (ABOVE THE BATTERY) HAD MELTED AND HE WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT MY CAR HADN'T CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE REPLACED THE FUSE PANEL. A FEW DAYS LATER, MY CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN. A JUMP START STARTED IT. NEXT DAY, MY CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN. A JUMP START STARTED IT. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO MECHANIC. MY ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS FINE LAST WEEK, IS NOW FRIED (AFTER TWO DRIVES), MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE FUSE PANEL BURNT IT OUT. THE ALTERNATOR IN MY 2003 JETTA IS A 90 AMP ALTERNATOR. VW STOPPED MAKING THESE BECAUSE THEY AREN'T POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR THE CARS. I REPEAT, 90 AMP ALTERNATORS ARE NO LONGER MADE FOR MY CAR BECAUSE IT REQUIRES 120 AMP ALTERNATOR. HMM. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI GLS. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN FAITHFULLY SERVICED BY THE DEALER FOLLOWING THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE LISTED IN THE USER MANUAL. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 109,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED ON THIS COMPLAINT, THE A/C CEASED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO COOL AIR COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. ALSO, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTDOWN, THE RADIATOR FANS WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN UPWARDS OF 15 MINUTES. NEITHER EVENT HAS OCCURRED BEFORE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN TO A VW DEALERSHIP ON THE INCIDENT DATE TO HAVE ITS NORMAL 110,000 MILE SERVICE AND TO HAVE THE ISSUES (NOTED ABOVE) DIAGNOSED. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP LATER IN THE DAY ON THE INCIDENT DATE STATING THAT A FAILURE IN THE COOLANT LEVEL SENSOR CAUSED COOLANT FLUID TO BE WICKED INTO THE VEHICLE'S WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO CONTAMINATION / CORROSION OF THE ENGINE AND BODY HARNESS. THE QUOTE TO REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $6,000. THIS PROBLEM IS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UN-DRIVABLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS ARE MADE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE HARNESS ITSELF, ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT COULD BE AFFECTED SUCH AS THE AIRBAGS, ABS, SRS, ETC. ALSO, FROM MY OWN RESEARCH I FOUND SOME PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM HAVE ALSO HAD SMOKE OR FIRES INSIDE THE VEHICLE. VW ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (ID# C 97-01-01) FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE ON 1999.5 - 2001 MODEL YEAR JETTAS, BUT NEVER FOR THE 2003 AND NEVER A RECALL CAMPAIGN ON THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN. VW HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST IN THE COST OF REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE AS WELL. *NM

TIRE RIMS ON 2003 JETTA WOLFSBURG EDITION MODEL CORRODE AND CAUSE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LEAKS. MY DAUGHTERS HAVE CALLED CRYING SEVERAL TIMES WITH NEARLY FLAT TIRES. HAD THEY NOT NOTICED, WE COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS AND VW USA ABOUT THE UNSIGHTLY CORROSION. THE HAVE DISMISSED IT AS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN NORTHERN WEATHER WERE THIS SALT ON THE ROAD. IT'S NOW A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANYONE WHO DRIVES THAT CAR. *NM

GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRE FAILED DUE TO CRACKS ON THE INTERIOR SIDEWALL LEADING TO A BLOWOUT AND NEAR SEPARATION OF THE TIRE FROM THE WHEEL. *NM

CONTINUOUS LEAKING OF WATER INTO INTERIOR OF CAR FROM CURRENTLY UNDETERMINED SOURCE(S) CAUSING MOLD/MILDEW PROBLEMS. OCCURS DURING/AFTER RAIN EVENTS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITION PROBLEMS WERE NOTICE WITH THE TRACTION BUTTON FOR THE ESP SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE BLACK BRAKE SWITCH FAILED. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THE PURPLE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TWICE. THE BLACK BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAD A RECALL FOR 2002 MODEL BUT DOES NOT COVER THE 2003 MODELS. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAKE SWITCH, WHICH INCLUDES THE TRACTION BUTTON FOR THE ESP SYSTEM AND THE PARK POSITION LEVER WHICH LOCKS OFTEN. ALSO THE CONTACT ONCE BECAME STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL. ALL REPAIRS MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN COVERED BY THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT BRAKE LIGHTS BECAUSE REPRESENTS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO THE RECALL ON 2002 VW JETTA'S WITH FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT. EXCEPT I HAVE A 2003 MODEL. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DURING WORK OUT OF STATE. DIAGNOSIS AT A SERVICE STATION INDICATED BOTH ELECTRICAL COOLING FANS HAD FAILED. I REPLACED THEM WITH AFTERMARKET FANS IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO THE DEALER. DEALER REPLACED BOTH FANS AND FOUND THE COOLING TEMP SENSOR HAD BEEN SHORTING OUT. I WAS CHARGED OVER 900.00 FOR THE FANS AND TOLD THEY WERE NOT COVERED SINCE I HAD PUT AFTERMARKET FANS ON THE CAR. I OFFERED TO GIVE THE DEALER THE STOCK FANS SO THEY COULD VERIFY THEY WERE NOT WORKING BUT THEY REFUSED. GIVEN I DID NOT CAUSE THE OEM PARTS TO FAIL AND MADE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAR OR IT'S WIRING WITH THE TEMPORARY FANS I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. ALSO, A SEARCH OF ONLINE VW USER GROUPS INDICATES THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON, (HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL REPORTS ON ONE SITE). I WAS ALSO CHARGED FOR THE OEM COOLING PARTS WHICH HAD FAILED SUCH AS TEMP SENSOR, TEMP SWITCH AND FAN CONTROL MODULE. FOR THE RECORD, I CALLED VW AND REQUESTED A TOW TO SERVICE AND WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR IN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS BOTH DEPLOYED. AFTER THE DEPLOYMENT, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO DEPLOYMENT. THE DRIVER WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIRBAG SENSOR HAD ACTIVATED AS IF IN A CRASH HOWEVER NO CRASH OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. *AK