2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVE AT WORK. I SMELT SOMETHING, LIKE BURNING. I PUT CAR IN PARK. FELT BURNING SENSATION ON UPPER LEFT THIGH/ BUTT. LOOKED DOWN AND THERE WAS A GROWING HOLE WITH SMALL FLAME. I TURNED OFF MY CAR, NOTICED MY JEANS WERE BURNT, JUMPED OUT, AND THE SMALL FLAME WAS STILL VISIBLE IN THE HOLE. ONCE I FIGURED OUT IT WAS THE SEAT HEATER I TURNED OFF THE SWITCH WICH WAS ONLY SET AT 2 OUT OF 5 LEVELS. ONLY THEN, WHEN BOTH MY CAR AND SEAT HEATER SWITCH OFF DID IT DIE OUT. TOOK DIRECTLY TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT AND USED "UPDATED PART" BUT WOULD NOT EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THIS MEANT OR WHAT THEY DID. THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME INFORMATION OR CLAIM THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.*AK

REPEAT INCIDENTS LEADING TO CONSUMER'S LONG TERM DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS. WORRISOME PANEL INDICATOR LIGHTS -- FLASHING: ENGINE WARNING AND GLOW PLUG (DIESEL) LIGHTS WITHIN CURRENT LEASE PERIOD. AFTER FIRST TWO INCIDENTS, THE THIRD (THEN UNDER WARRANTY) WAS FOUND TO BE DUE TO A FACTORY DEFECT. AND REPAIRED?...DEC 7 '04, AT ABOUT 55K -- BLINKING LIGHTS AGAIN. DEALER DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED NO ENGINE PROBLEM (THIS WAS THE SAME RESULT OF THE TWO PREVIOUS BEFORE THE THIRD RESULTED IN A MAJOR WARRANTY REPAIR). THIS HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS AN ACCELERATOR SENSOR FAILURE. (THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR THREE (3) DAYS; WE ARE ADVISED TO DRIVE "CAREFULLY UNTIL THE PART CAN BE REPLACED.) THIS SENSOR FAILURE IS THEN ONE OF SEVERAL OTHERS IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE: THE FUEL GUAGE HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE OR TWICE; THE SEAT HEATER SENSOR JUST, AND OUT-OF-WARRANTY, BURNED A HOLE IN THE FRONT SEAT (THREE WEEKS AWAITING FACTORY REPS 'GET-BACK.'). AN AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEM (LEAK) WAS ALSO NOTED AND REPAIRED AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES.*AK

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2002 JETTA GLS 1.8T WITH HEATED SEATS. WHILE DRIVING I FELT MY LEG GETTING EXTREMELY HOT AND I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I PULLED OVER AND FOUND A HOLE IN MY PANTS AND A HOLE IN MY DRIVER'S SEAT. THE SEAT WAS STILL SMOKING WHEN I PULLED OVER. MY WIFE TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEATS AND THE SEAT STOPPED SMOKING. I CONTACTED TWO VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIPS AND THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING TOVOLKSWAGENS BEFORE. THIS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE CAR, MY PANTS, A MINOR BURN TO MY LEG, AND CAUSED ME TO QUESTION THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE.*AK

THE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER WERE DEFECTIVE. WHEN TOUCHING THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP.*AK. BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER ARE GOOD, BUT SHAFT BETWEEN THE TWO MISALIGNED AND HANGS UP. CANNOT REALIGNED. *AK....MANUFACTURER INSISTED THAT BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER WERE GOOD, BUT SHAFT BETWEEN THE TWO WAS MISALIGNED, COULD NOT REALIGN IT. HAS TO REPLACE IT AT $640.00. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER WIRING CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNING THE FABRIC. VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK

FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE THROUGH THE NYLON FABRIC, BURNING THE PASSENGER. NEW SEAT WILL BE REPLACED BY MANUFACTURER.*AK

ENGINE FAILURE, RADIO FAILURE, WINDOW WOULDN'T ROLL BACK UP, VIBRATING SPEAKERS. W SERVICE SHOP FAILED TO CORRECT CONDITIONS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *AK

1. DRIVING DURING A EARLY WINTER SNOW STORM IN NORTHERN IN. DRIVING AT CONSTANT SPEED ON INTERSTATE IN 4TH GEAR. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED TO BLINK. IT THEN BLINKED ON AND OFF FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS TILL I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION 2. AFTER I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I LOOKED UP WHAT THE BLINKING GLOW PLUG LIGHT COULD MEAN ON THE INTERNET. A VW CHAT PAGE SAID TO CHECK MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS. I WENT OUT SIDE AND RESTARTED THE CAR, SAME LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK AND THE TAIL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. EMERGENCY FLASHERS WORKED AS WELL AS TURN SIGNALS BUT NO BRAKE LIGHTS. WITH THE HEAVY SNOW FALL AND AT NIGHT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LARGE DISASTER IF A VEHICLE BEHIND ME HAD NOT SEEN THAT I WAS STOPPING. 3. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED AFTER I READ THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH WAS UNDER RECALL FOR FAILURES. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY MODEL VW WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL BUT THE BRAKE SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY REPLACED FOR $97. NOW BRAKE LIGHTS WORK AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT MY AUTOMOBILE SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER THE RECALL SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THAT OTHER VW JETTAS ARE GETTING FIXED FOR FREE UNDER A RECALL.*AK

I TURNED ON MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES, THERE WAS A NOTICABLE SMOKE IN THE CAR AND EXTREME HEAT COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER. AFTER PULLING IN THE GARAGE, THERE WAS A SMALL BURN ON MY PANTS AND A 1/4" HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE FABRIC ON THE SEAT. VOLKSWAGON STATES THAT THE HEATER ELEMENT SHORTED OUT, HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.*AK

ENGINE COIL FAILED-LOST EMPOYMENT. ONE DEALER STATED FIXED PROBLEM, MONTHS LATER ANOTHER DEALER STATED NEVER FIXED THEN THEY REPLACED. ALL REAR LIGHTS OFF-NEAR ACCIDENT, DEALER FIXED, ENGINE NOISE -DEALER NOT FIXED YET FEAR FUTURE ENGINE LEAK AS READ IN OTHER CAR OWNER REVIEWS 2002 VW JETTA 1.8T. *AK