2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY ELECTRICAL BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MALFUNCTION AND THE BRAKE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALERS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED ONLINE TO CHECK ON RECALLS PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLE'S SYMPTOMS, RECALL #04V096000 IDENTIFIED SIMILARITIES. THE DEALERS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE PART FOR A COST.

TURN SIGNAL UNIT CLICKING AT TWICE THE SPEED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURN SIGNAL IS NOT EVEN TURNED ON. LIGHTS HAVE NEVER BEEN ACTUATED YET, BUT VW DEALER TOLD ME IT COULD HAPPEN AS MALFUNCTION PROGRESSES. VEHICLE ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH 88 000 KMS. NO RECALL BY MANUFACTURER YET, ALTHOUGH DEALER TOLD ME IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. COST OF REPLACEMENT FOR STEERING STALK FLASHER UNIT IS 250 DOLLARS. *NM

7TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. CAR IS IMMOBILIZED BY A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH - HAS HAPPENED EVERY SIX MONTHS SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO ILLUMINATE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THEY DETERMINED THE RECALL REMEDY REPAIR FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, # 04V096000, WERE PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE. THE DEFECT HAS REAPPEARED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK WHILE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V183000, REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT SLOWED WITHOUT WARNING, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE VEHICLE. THE LEFT FRONT IMPACTED WITH THE RIGHT REAR OF THE SLOWED VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH EXTREME FORCE CAUSING THE CONTACTS HANDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN MOTION. THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG ALSO OBSCURED THE CONTACTS VIEW. THE VEHICLE THEN BECAME AIRBORNE OVER A DITCH AND CAME TO REST IN A FIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE BY BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER HOWEVER INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED AT THE SCENE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS TYPE OF IMPACT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE DRIVER AND SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER DETERMINED BY COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC THAT A CRASH OCCURRED ALTHOUGH NO CRASH ACTUALLY OCCURRED. THE DEALER CAN GIVE NO OTHER REASON FOR THE DEPLOYMENT.

I'M NOT POSITIVE THIS CONSTITUTES A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT MAY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT SINCE AN ALUMINUM OIL PAN COULD BE SEVERELY DAMAGED AND COULD CAUSE AN OIL SPILL, BUT BELOW IS A PORTION OF THE LETTER I SUBMITTED TO VOLKSWAGEN USING THEIR ONLINE FORM. IF THIS IS NOT UNDER YOUR OFFICE'S RESPONSIBILITIES, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO I SHOULD CONTACT NEXT? BASICALLY THEY TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE THEM 2 TO 3 YEARS TO ISSUE A RECALL IF EVER. THANK YOU. I TOOK MY 2002 JETTA IN ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH FOR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, BUT $330 DOLLARS LATER WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW OIL PAN. SOMETHING THAT IS 99% OF THE TIME ONLY REPLACED AFTER AN ACCIDENT OR AFTER 15 YEARS OR SO IF IT'S RUSTED OUT. THE REASON: THE OIL PAN ITSELF IS MADE OF ALUMINUM AND THE DRAIN PLUG IS MADE OF STEEL. ANYONE WITH HALF AN OUNCE OF ENGINEERING OR MATERIALS KNOWLEDGE (SOMETHING I WOULD HOPE AND ASSUME A VOLKSWAGEN PARTS DESIGNER HAS) KNOWS THAT YOU DON'T MANUFACTURE A PART OUT OF A SOFT METAL WHICH HAS SOMETHING SCREWED INTO IT MADE OUT OF A HARDER METAL. THE THREADS EVENTUALLY GET COMPLETELY STRIPPED AFTER REPEATED OIL CHANGES. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE SCHEDULE IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL, OIL CHANGES ARE MANDATORY SERVICE REQUIRED TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO THIS COULD VERY WELL PRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LEAKING OIL IF THE PAN WAS DAMAGED SINCE IT'S MADE OF ALUMINUM. WHAT HAS ANGERED ME THE MOST ABOUT THIS IS THAT VOLKSWAGEN OBVIOUSLY KNOWS ABOUT THIS DESIGN DEFECT AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. WHEN MY MECHANIC CALLED THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER (AND WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR) THE PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD HIM "OH YEAH, WE KNOW ABOUT THAT PROBLEM. IN FACT WE STOCK THE REDESIGNED PART". THE BOTTOM OF MY NEW OIL PAN IS NOW MADE OF STEEL WHICH IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. *NM

2002 VW JETTA WITH LEATHER SEATS - SEAT HEATER BURNED DAUGHTER'S LEG AND MADE BURN MARK ON THE SEAT, SMOKE, BUT NO FIRE. IS THIS A RECALL? *NM

TURN SIGNAL STALK IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING A FULL ELECTRICAL LOOP CAUSING A FAST CLICKS AS IF THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER WAS ON, BUT IT'S NOT. AT TIMES IT HAS CAUSED THE FLASHER LIGHTS TO COME ON WHEN I HAD NOT EVEN TOUCHED THE TURN SIGNAL STALK. *JB