2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

ON 9/17/2005 I WAS PULLING INTO MY ASSIGNED PARKING SPOT AT MY CONDO. I WAS APPROXIMATELY TRAVELING ABOUT 3 MPH AND HAD MY BRAKES APPLIED TO MANEUVER INTO MY PARKING SPOT. UPON REACHING THE CURB, I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND EXPECTED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. HOWEVER, MY CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND ENDED UP IN MY NEIGHBOR'S LIVING ROOM. MY CAR ONLY STOPPED AFTER TAKING OUT THE BRICK STRUCTURE AND FRONT WINDOW OF HER CONDO. BEFORE MAKING IMPACT WITH THE OUTSIDE STRUCTURE I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE. THE IMPACT WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND YET THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE THAT MY INSURANCE APPROVED AND NOT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO HAS SERVICED MY CAR FOR ALL THE CURRENT RECALLS AND VARIOUS PROBLEMS. THE RECALLS AND PROBLEMS INCLUDE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL IGNITION, ARMREST BREAK, ALARM SOUNDING FOR NO REASON, AND THE WINDOW FALLING INTO THE DOOR FRAME. THIS ACCIDENT CAUSED SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE AND THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE POLICE ACKNOWLEDGED MY SKID MARKS AND MY ATTEMPT AT APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE SITUATION WAS TREATED/CITED AS A CAR ACCIDENT SO THAT MY NEIGHBOR AND I COULD GO THROUGH THE PROPER PROCEDURES OF HER DAMAGES BEING REIMBURSED. I PLAN TO PROVE MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND A LEMON. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK, ADVICE OR SUGGESTIONS REGARDING MY SITUATION. *NM *GEM

DT: IN AUGUST 2005 TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED, AND IT DID NOT WORK. THEY PUT IN ANOTHER ONE. NHTSA RECALL 04V096000 WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. NOTICED WHEN GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON. THIS WAS ON JULY 1, 2005. *AK

PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG AND SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WITH NO COLLISION. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR TOO SENSITIVE. SLIGHT SWERVE AND BRAKE TO AVOID SMALL ANIMAL. NO COLLISION INVOLVED. CAR HAS NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE. NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING VWOA. *NM

2 TIMES I HAD TO REPLACE A FAULTY 02 SENSOR 1ST TIME ENGINE TEMP SENSOR. REAR LEFT LIGHT BURNED OUT 3-4 TIMES WITHIN 80 000KM. SAID IT'S EASIER TO REPLACE THEN FIND THE PROBLEM AT DEALERSHIP. HAVE DONE OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS 1 LITRE OF OIL PER 3161KM. SAYING THAT THIS NORMAL. THIS DEALERSHIP HAVE RECOMMENDED FLUSHING THE ENGINE. CHANGING THE GRADE OF OIL. DO NOT DRIVE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. MOST OF THE CONSUMPTION OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT IN TRAFFIC. CHANGE THE OIL INSTEAD OF 8000 KM AT 5000KM??? THIS IS WHAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS RECOMMENDED. THE MOST INTERESTING PART WAS WATCHING THE MECHANIC WHEN IT CONSUMED THE MOST AMOUNT BETWEEN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. HE STARTED LOOKING FOR LEAKS AGAIN & ADDED OIL. RATTLING IN DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND WINDOW FELL INTO DOOR PASSENGER SIDE. FIXED WINDOW AND RATTLING STILL SEEMS TO BE NOTICABLE. *JB

I PURCHASED MY JETTA IN MARCH 2002, AND EXPERIENCED NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FIRST 30,000 MILES. ON JULY 19, 2003, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO VW AFTER HEARING A RATTLING NOISE WHEN MAKING TURNS AND IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT (MILEAGE: 33,996). THE MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, HOWEVER AT THE SAME TIME, THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED DUE TO A VW RECALL, THE FIRST OF SEVERAL. I CONTINUED TO CONTEND WITH THE RATTLING FOR SEVERAL MORE MONTHS, AND FINALLY BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO VW ON NOVEMBER 14, 2003 (MILEAGE: 39,038). AT THIS POINT, THE PRESSURE HOSE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. MY CAR FUNCTIONED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL JULY 2004, WHEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING WORKED SPORADICALLY. I DID NOT REALIZE THE CONNECTION TO THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM UNTIL AUGUST 25, 2004, WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST VW SERVICE SHOP IN, WHERE I WAS CHARGED $4 FOR A COOLING FAN FUSE AND $90 IN LABOR (NOT TO MENTION THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED DUE TO ANOTHER PRODUCT RECALL). I WAS CHARGED $101.76, AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT SOLVED! ON AUGUST 27, 2004, I SPENT $659.04 IN PARTS AND LABOR TO HAVE BOTH THE AC AND RADIATOR COOLING FANS REPLACED (MILEAGE: 52,650). I DROVE MY CAR WITH NO PROBLEMS UNTIL NOVEMBER 16, 2004, WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I SPENT ANOTHER $93.28 FOR A NEW COOLANT SENSOR, COOLANT REFILL, AND LABOR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON IN APRIL 2005, AND RESULTED IN ANOTHER TRIP TO THE MECHANIC, COSTING ME ANOTHER $45.53. ON AUGUST 5, 2005 (MILEAGE: 68K), MY CAR OVERHEATED YET AGAIN. THE CURRENT SITUATION I AM FACED WITH IS $450 IN PARTS AND LABOR TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP AND $150 TO REPLACE A VACUUM HOSE. I AM HESITANT TO DRIVE MY CAR, FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL OVERHEAT AGAIN, OR WORSE, WHILE I AM DRIVING IT. *NM

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN MY 2002 VOKLSWAGEN JETTA HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD/POTHOLE AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WENT OFF. I GOT OUT TO INSPECT IF I HIT ANYTHING SINCE I WASN'T SURE BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG GOING OFF. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROAD BESIDES A POTHOLE THAT EVERYONE ELSE HIT AS WELL ON THE OFF RAMP. THERE WAS NOT A SCRATCH OF DAMAGE OR ANY IMPACT AT ALL. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR A LITTLE OVER 2 MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS ALREADY BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A BROKEN POWER WINDOW AND TWICE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I AM FED UP WITH THIS CAR. THERE IS ONLY 25,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND AN AIRBAG SHOULD NOT GO OFF FOR A POTHOLE. I WENT TO A DIFFERENT VW DEALER AND THEY SAID IT'S NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND IT WOULD COST $800 - $1,000 TO FIX. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR NORMAL USE OF THE CAR. *JB

ON 7-30-2005 I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES AND WHILE STOPPED REFUELING NOTED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON DESPITE THE VEHICLE BEING OFF AND THE LIGHTS OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ON CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE BRAKE SWITCH WAS REPLACED AT CHAPLIN'S VOLKSWAGEN IN BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON ON 8-2-05. VW HAS INFORMED ME THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT WITHIN THE RECALL THEY HAD ON BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES. HOWEVER, WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TWO OTHER NEWER VW JETTAS WERE ALSO THERE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY. OBVIOUSLY THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF THROUGH 2004 (NEWEST MODEL PRESENTED AT THE DEALERSHIP). FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REAR ENDED EN ROUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP. *JB

THE ASL (AUTOMATIC SHIFT LOCK) ON MY 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA MALFUNCTIONS, KEEPING MY CAR LOCKED IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, I WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED, AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. I MISSED WORK AND BLOCKED TRAFFIC THE FIRST TIME, AND I'LL HAVE TO MISS WORK AGAIN AND I'M PARKED IN A TEMPORARY PARKING ZONE THIS TIME. SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *JB

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY WITH AN INTERMITENT PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. PERIODICALLY THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 10-15 MILES AN HOUR RESULTING IN THE CAR GOING INTO OVERDRIVE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TWICE IN TWO WEEKS. AFTER THE FIRST TOW, THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME EVEN THOUGH I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME, THE CAR WAS MOVING AT 40MPH AND THEN DROPPED TO 5 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, WHERE I WAS CLOSE TO CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I DEMANDED THAT THE DEALERSHIP KEEP THE CAR AND CONTINUE TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THEY DETECTED THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY FINALLY FOUND. THEY FOUND A DEFECT IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM WHERE THE BRAKES WOULD CEASE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER SYSTEM AND BRAKE PEDDLE, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED WAS DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS A RARE OCCURANCE. APPROX. $700., THE CAR IS RETURNED ALTHOUGH I CONTINUE TO FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THE CAR. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT, IT REQUIRED ME TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS X2 IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL OF SOME KIND. PLEASE ADVISE.

DT: BEGINNING THREE YEARS AGO THE OWNER NOTICED THAT WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, THE CAR WOULD JERK AND JOLT. AFTER 2ND GEAR THE SHIFTING WAS FINE. WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE THERE WAS ALSO A JERK AND JOLT. THE FIRST TIME THE OWNER NOTICED IT WAS IN TOWN ON A MAIN ROAD. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT FREQUENT. DEALER EVALUATED THE VEHICLE AND THEY TEST DROVE IT AND FOUND THE CONDITION NORMAL. THEN LAST THURSDAY JULY 7 2005 THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD MECHANICAL NOISE LIKE A GRINDING SOUND WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND, ALSO WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. THEN THE OWNER CONTACTED A MECHANIC AND THEY TEST DROVE IT, AND THEN THEY REPORTED IT IS A SERIUOS PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. THEN THE DEALER INSTRUCTED OWNER TO BRING IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP. IT IS NOW 2000 MILES PAST WARRANTY. DEALER ADVISES THAT THERE IS A BROKEN PART IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BECOME LODGED. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO DEALER AT A COST OF $4,500. ONWER CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA AND THEY REPORTED SINCE IT IS PAST WARRANTY, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP WITH THE REPAIR COST. OWNER SENT A FAX TO DEALER STATING THAT HE NEEDS DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT IS EXACTLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE RETURN FAX STATED THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION IS TAKEN APART. SO OWNER WONDERS WHAT DID DEALERSHIP TELL THE VOLKSWAGEN COMPANY . THE VEHICLE IS BEING TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. THE DEALER LEFT A MESSAGE THAT THERE IS A TOW TRUCK THERE TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE BUT THE DEALERSHIP HAS DENTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND IT NEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT THE TRANSMISSION SHOP.*AK