2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN; ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE TURN MY DRIVERS' SIDE FRONT AND REAR SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS AS WELL AS THE DRIVERS' SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE IS A POT HOLE AT THAT INTERSECTION, HOWEVER I DO NOT REMEMBER HITTING IT, I ONLY REMEMBER GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD BY THE AIRBAG. IF I HAD HIT THE POT HOLE, THE AIRBAGS STILL SHOULD HAVE NOT DEPLOYED BECAUSE I WAS ONLY GOING AT MOST 10MPH, THE RIMS NOR THE TIRES WERE DAMAGED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR AT ALL BESIDES THE AIRBAGS. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED, THEY WOULD NOT FILL OUT A COMPLAINT SINCE THERE WASN'T ACTUALLY AN ACCIDENT. I THEN CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT SINCE IT'S UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER VW AMERICA HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA. THEY TOLD THE DEALERSHIP NOT TO FIX IT AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FILE WITH OUR INSURANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE CRASH DATA CODES. THEY DID NOT BOTHER READING THE CODES TO SEE HOW FAST I WAS DRIVING, BUT THEY DECIDED IT WAS MY FAULT SINCE THE ALIGNMENT WAS OFF, THEREFORE I MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE. AFTER 3 WEEKS OF FIGHTING WITH VW AMERICA, WE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, AFTER 2 WEEKS OF WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM, THEY ALSO SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP, THEY STOPPED HELPING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ACCIDENT VICTIMS OVER A YEAR AGO. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE AND HAD TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE. WE ARE CURRENTLY FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE STATE FOR THE POTHOLE THAT ALLEGEDLY CAUSED THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I HAVE CONSTANT HEADACHES AS A RESULT OF GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD BY THE AIRBAGS. I WILL NEVER AGAIN OWN A VOLKSWAGEN, THEY ARE UNSAFE VEHICLES AND THE WAY THEY TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS IS UNACCEPTABLE! *AK

DRIVING ALONG A BAD ROAD HIT A POT HOLE GOING AROUND 45 MILES PER HOUR AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF. THIS HAPPEND ON MARCH 7 OF 2004 AROUND 1:30AM. NO VISABLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR. DEALERSHIP SAID ITS NOT COVERED BY THE WARENTY. AIR BAG WENT OFF BY GOING OVER A POT HOLE. THAT IS NO REASON FOR AN AIRBAG TO DEPLOY, NEED DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE AIRBAGS. *AK

MY 2003 VW JETTA CONSTANTLY GETS STUCK IN PARK LONGEST TIME HAS BEEN 45 MINUTES MY CAR HAS BEEN INTO SERVICE 3 TIMES AND IS STILL ROUGH COMING OUT OF PARK ALSO MY CRUISE CONTROL HAS NEVER WORKED I ONLY HAVE 6000 MILES. *JB

I OWN A VOLKSWAGEN 2003 JETTA WAGON. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT COVER. WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE PASSENGER SIDE FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. ONE MONTH LATER I STARTED SMELLING THE SAME SYNTHETIC BURNING SMELL, AND NOTICED A DISCOLORATION ON THE SEAT WHERE THE HOT SECTION IS. *AK

GAS GAUGE INACCURATE DESPITE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTED CORRECTIONS (FUEL SENDING UNIT X2, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, GAS TANK ALL REPLACED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT). *JB

WHILE TURNING INTO THE PARKING DECK AT ONE OF MY SATELLITE OFFICES, MY PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AND SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AS THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT ANYWHERE ON THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL VW SERVICE CENTER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT BEGIN WORK ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL THEY CONTACTED A VW REPRESENTATIVE DUE TO A TECHNICAL BULLETIN. IT TOOK 3 DAYS BEFORE THE VW REPRESENTATIVE RETURNED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS LONGER BEFORE THE NAMED REPRESENTATIVE FROM VW CUSTOMER RELATIONS CONTACTED ME. THE SERVICE CENTER AT VW ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS CRASH DATA AND A MARK ON THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER SEVERAL MORE DAYS AND AFTER INVOLVING MY INSURANCE COMPANY, VW FINALLY RESPONDED ADVISING ME THAT I MUST HAVE HIT A CURB OR SPEED BUMP WHICH CAUSED MY AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. IT IS NOW OVER THREE WEEKS LATER AND I HAVE JUST TODAY BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PARTS TO FIX THE VEHICLE ARE BACKORDERED AND NO OTHER PARTS ARE AVAILABLE IN COUNTRY. IN THE SHORT 7 MONTHS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCIDENT (MALFUNCTION) AND BOTH TIMES THE PARTS HAVE BEEN BACKORDERED FROM OVERSEAS CAUSING A DELAY IN SERVICING THE VEHICLE OF MORE THAN THREE WEEKS.*AK

WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS JACKING UP THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THE JACK COLLAPSED AND THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. CONSUMER MAINTAINED THAT THE JACK WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THE THREAD STRIPPED.*AK *JB

MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WAS DRIVING HER VW JETTA 2003 ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE (WINDOW CURTAIN) AIR BAGS BURST OPEN. SHE HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING, NOT EVEN A POT HOLE WHEN IT WENT OFF. HOWEVER, THE BAG HIT HER LEAVING HER WITH BRUISING, A STRAINED NECK, AND MUSCLE ACHES. SHE IS ALSO QUITE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. VW OF AMERICA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.*AK ODI#10061865

VEHICLE HAD SENDING UNIT REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN UNIT TO ADDRESS COLD WEATHER OPERATING CONDITION. MFG,R HAS TSB ACKNOWLEDGING PROBLEM. WAS CHARGED FOR REPAIRS CAR IS 4 MOS OLD. 2003 JETTA PURCHASED IN SEPT.2003. *AK

WHILE USING THE LIFTING JACK SUPPLIED WITH THE AUTOMOBILE TO LIFT THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE A TIRE, THE JACK COLLAPSED. IT COLLAPSED BECAUSE THE JACK SCREW CARRIER THREADS FAILED. THE CARRIER THREADS NUT IS PLASTIC. PLASTIC DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF A 3000 POUND AUTOMOBILE.*AK