2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER SMELLED AND COULD SEE SMOKE AND REALIZED DRIVERS SEAT WAS ON FIRE. DRIVER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND PUT OUT FIRE ON SEAT. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DID NOTHING - TOLD OWNER THEY HAD NOTHING TO SAY. DEALER REPLACED SEAT. *JB

AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, MY 2003 JETTA GLI VR6 BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD STAY LIT OR START BLINKING AS I TRIED TO DRIVE HOME. I CONTACTED VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ALONG WITH MY VW DEALERSHIP (STRONG VW, SLC UT), AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT I MUST BRING IT IN. SEEING THAT I WAS BARELY GOING TO MAKE IT HOME I CONTACTED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHICH WAS PROVIDED WITH MY JETTA AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD TOW IT TO THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP (NOT WHERE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED OR HAD MY CAR SERVICED) TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS ACTUALLY CLOSER FOR ME TO DROP OFF THE JETTA AT THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP RATHER THAN TAKE IT HOME, SO I DID THAT. I FOUND OUT THE FOLLOWING MORNING THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THAT WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY AND APPARENTLY EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THREE DAYS LATER, EACH AND EVERY TIME I STARTED MY JETTA A NOXIOUS SMELL WOULD FILL THE CABIN. I REPORTED THIS TO MY ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER 5 DAYS OF TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THEY INFORMED THAT SINCE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IRONICALLY IT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE. MY MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT IN THE YEAR AND A HALF THAT I HAVE OWNED MY JETTA, I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR NON-TRADITIONAL OR NON-SCHEDULED SERVICE MORE THAN 3 TIMES. MY MAJOR FEAR IS THAT WHEN THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL VW CUSTOMER FOR 20+ YEARS AND HAVEN'T HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY PREVIOUS 4 VW VEHICLES COMBINED. SADLY ENOUGH, I POSSIBLY MAY NEVER BUY OR LEASE A VW AGAIN! *JB

2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. A VEHICLE FOLLOWING MY SONS CAR ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE (MY SON WAS OUT OF STATE RETURNING HOME) NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND BLOW HORN AND FLICKERED LIGHTS. MY SON LOOKED IN HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW SMOKE AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BY VEHICLE FOLLOWING. THE JETTA NEVER LOST POWER AND WHEN HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND HE HAD TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF. THE JETTA WAS SMOKING AND THE FIRE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND WITH IN MINUTES FULL FLAMES. THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM AND IT CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE JETTA. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT GET THE FIRE OUT AND HAD TO BREAK THROUGH THE HOOD. THE WHOLE FRONT (ENGINE AREA) WAS BURNED. THE JETTA WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEREFORE WE PERSONALLY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO REPORT (THINKING STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEY WOULD PROVIDE A RENTAL AND WANT TO INVESTIGATE) ALL THEY DID WAS REFER US TO VOLKSWAGEN. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN ON MARCH 27, 2005 AND TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I HAD TO REPORT TO MY INSURANCE. VOLKSWAGEN ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.... THEY WOULD ONLY PAY WHAT INSURANCE WOULD PAY??????? MY SON ALSO TALKED TO THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP AND ALL THAT WAS SAID IS HE (THE DEALERSHIP OWNER) WAS SORRY AND GOOD THING HE (MY SON ) HAD INSURANCE. THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T EVEN OFFER TO TRY AND HELP US GET BACK INTO A VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION (NO ENGINE WARNING, NO POWER LOSE, SMELL ETC.) THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG. THE SMOKE WAS GOING UP UNDER THE JETTA AND OUT UNDER THE BACK. THE BLESSING IS THE VEHICLE BEHIND MY SON.... WHAT IF HE HADN'T CAUGHT MY SONS ATTENTION?????????? THE AUTO INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER FOR WHAT WAS LOST IN THE VEHICLE, JUST THE JETTA. ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WERE DONE AS RECOMMENDED BY VOLKSWAGEN????? *NM

2003 JETTA GEARS WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THIS IS CAUSED BY A PLASTIC SUBMITTER THAT CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFT AND BRAKES. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL FOR THE 2002 MODEL BUT NOT 2003. *JB THE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIS PAID BILLS PAID THAT WERE ACCIDENTALLY PLACED IN AN ENVELOPE. UPDATED 07/11/06. *JB

I HAVE 126,000 MILES ON MY 2003 JETTA. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND THE DRIVER SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK WHEN STARTED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 4DR SEDAN BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT AND THROUGH MY WIFE'S JACKET. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER RESET THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE REQUIRED. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - *NM

ON FEB. 14, 2006, I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON FREEWAY, EXPERIENCED LOUD EXPLOSION-TYPE NOISE - AFTER COMING TO REALITY AND OUT OF SHOCK REALIZED SUNROOF WAS BLOWN OUT - AND I WAS COVERED IN GLASS - FIRST REACTION WAS TO BELIEVE THAT I HAD BEEN SHOT WITH GUN OR THAT SOMETHING WAS THROWN FROM OVERPASS - AFTER POLICE INVESTIGATION, PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEALERSHIP AND DOZENS OF EYEWITNESSES VIEWING THE REMAINING OUT GLASS OF THE SUNROOF (THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT SHATTERED) WAS POINTED IN AN UPWARD POSITION TOWARDS SKY - NOT INTO VEHICLE AS IF IT IMPLODED FROM THE INTERIOR TO EXTERIOR - EVERYONE DETERMINED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN STRUCK BY ANYTHING BUT RATHER JUST BLEW OUT. THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS - I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED BY THE GLASS OR BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT FROM THE INCIDENT. EVERYONE SENT PHOTOS AND SPOKE TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA - THEY DO NOT CARE - AND REFUSE TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY OR EVEN QUESTION ME ABOUT INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH - I HAVE INFORMED THAT I AM FEARFUL TO EVEN DRIVE VEHICLE NOW - EVERYONE THAT SAW THE CAR IN PERSON - IS IN AWE AND THINKS THIS IS WEIRD - HOWEVER, VW AMERICA THE ONLY PARTY WHO DID NOT SEE THE VEHICLE IN PERSON - IS STILL STICKING BY THEIR ANSWER THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY SOMETHING STRIKING THE CAR - THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WITH OTHER TYPES OF CARS ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS SAME EXPERIENCE AND THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THEY WERE NOT STRUCK - I HAD A POLICE REPORT AND PHOTOS WITH PROOF THAT THE GLASS BLEW FROM THE INTERIOR OUT - VW IS SHOWING NEGLIGENCE TOWARDS ME AND OTHER DRIVERS. THIS IS THE 10TH ODD INCIDENT THAT I HAVE HAD WITH VW - AND THE SECOND SAFETY HAZARD - I AM TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE LEASE BECAUSE I AM TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW. THEY NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE - AND I AM APPALLED THAT THEY WERE NOT EVEN CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY OR IF I HAD INJURIES. *NM

JETTA BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH (ON OUR INVOICE IT IS PART NO. 1JO-945-511-E") ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPT AT COMMONWEALTH VW, THIS SWITCH HAS BEEN RECALLED AS DEFECTIVE IN OTHER VW'S, BUT NOT THE JETTA. WHEN IT FAILS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW FOR MY DAUGHTER, M. B., THE REGISTERED OWNER, AND I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA THAT SHE IS DRIVING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE TO AND FROM OUR HOME IN VILLA PARK, CA. TO SCHOOL IN RIVERSIDE, CA. (ABOUT 60 MILES ROUND TRIP) DAILY, AND AT NIGHT! THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED FROM ALL VEHICLES. *NM