1999 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER WILL NOT TURN OFF. WHILE THE KNOB THAT CONTROLS THE SEAT HEATER IS SET AT 0 (OFF), THE SEAT HEATER REMAINS ON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN OVER A YEAR AGO WITH IT JUST BEING WARM, BUT IT IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY HOTTER. IT IS GETTING SO HOT THAT THE LEATHER SEAT IS BURNING AND TURNING BLACK AND BROWN. VW HAS HAD RECALLS ON SIMILAR MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT FIX MY CAR UNDER SIMILAR RECALLS. *NM

MY SON'S 1999 VW JETTA GLS VR6 -- AND APPARENTLY HUNDREDS OF OTHER JETTAS THROUGH MODEL YEAR 2006 IDENTIFIED ON WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG-- HAVE BEEN SEVERELY WATER DAMAGED AFTER RAIN STORMS. IN MY CASE, IT FIRST HAPPENED ON 13 OCTOBER 2005, BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW IN THE COWL-VENT/FRESH-AIR INLET SETUP THAT ALLOWED WATER IN, FLOODING THE CAR FROM UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE; ALL CARPETING AND PADDING WERE COVERED IN RED AND BLACK MOLD REQUIRING TOTAL REMOVAL, CLEANSING, AND REPLACEMENT (NOTE: NOT ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN MY CUL DE SAC, INCLUDING MY 1998 VW PASSAT, ABSORBED 1-DROP). VW OF AMERICA PAID FOR THE RESTORATION, WHICH I GRACIOUSLY THANKED THEM FOR DOING. ONE YEAR LATER, AGAIN AFTER A HEAVY RAINSTORM, WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR ON 27 NOV 06, THIS TIME THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND LEFT REAR PASSENGER SIDE CARPETING WERE FILLED WITH WATER (NOTE: AGAIN, NOT A SINGLE CAR IN MY 80-HOME SUBDIVISION LET 1-DROP OF WATER INSIDE, INCLUDING MY NEW 2006 PASSAT, MERCEDES, FORDS, HONDAS, TOYOTAS, BUICKS, MIATAS, CHRYSLERS, BRONCOS, HIGHLANDERS, VOLVOS, AND 2-CADILLACS). I TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, JUST AS A NUMBER OF OTHER VW OWNERS HAD ALSO DONE, AND NOTIFIED CORPORATE VW OF AMERICA THAT I WAS AGAIN ASKING FOR RELIEF FROM THE $800 CARPET REPLACEMENT. THIS TIME, SO FAR, THEY HAVE REFUSED ANY REIMBURSEMENT -- IN SPITE OF SOME 178 IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME DESIGN FLAW BEING POSTED IN EVER INCREASING NUMBERS ON, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CARSURVEY.ORG WEBSITE. I, MY USAA INSURANCE COMPANY, AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER VW JETTA OWNERS ASK THAT A RECALL BE IMPOSED TO RESOLVE THIS DESIGN FLAW; UNRESOLVED, IT CREATES A HEALTH HAZARD, MECHANICAL RUST DAMAGE, AND ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS (THE RADIO SOUND STOPPED WHILE I WAS EN ROUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP!). *NM

1999 JETTA'S OIL PAN THREADS WERE STRIPPED AND DRAIN PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TS *NM

MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY 99 JETTA PASSENGER VEHICLE. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN RECALLED BY THE NHTSA ON MANY OTHER 99 VW JETTAS, HOWEVER MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE DID NOT FIT IN THE VIN NUMBER RANGE OF THE SAFETY RECALL. I SUGGEST THIS SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE OTHER MODELS BECAUSE EVIDENTLY IT IS A PROBLEM AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. A NHTSA RECALL, #06V183000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL.

I DRIVE A 1999 VW JETTA, STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I WAS INFORMED BY A POLICE OFFICER THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I LEARNED FROM THE NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED MAY OF 2006 FOR CERTAIN VW CARS THAT HAD THEIR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED FOR AN EARLIER RECALL. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS SERVICED UNDER THE LAST RECALL, BUT IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. I HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *JB

COOLANT LEAKING FROM COOLANT RESERVOIR BOTTLE WIRING CONNECTOR CONTAMINATES THE WIRING HARNESS. *NM

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MPH. I STARTED TO HEAR A STRANGE NOISE AND BEGAN TO PULL OVER. AS I SWITCHED LANES THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE FRONT RIGHT PORTION OF THE CAR WAS SCRAPING ALONG THE GROUND. I GOT THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN AND PULLED OVER. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO LOOK WHAT WE SAW AMAZED US. THE ENTIRE STEEL BELTED RADIAL HAD BLOWN OUT OF ONE SECTION OF THE TIRE. IT RIPPED THROUGH ALL THE LAYERS OF THE TIRE ALL AT ONCE. I FEEL VERY UNEASY ABOUT THE OTHER 3 THAT REMAIN. *NM

THREE OUT OF FOUR DOOR LOCK ALARM SENSORS WENT BAD WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHEREAS WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPEN, THE CAR ALARM WOULD SOUND. THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS SO THAT IF KEYLESS ENTRY IS USED AND COMPUTER DOES NOT SENSE DOORS ARE OPEN, THE VEHICLE WILL RELOCK AFTER AN ALLOTTED TIME. THE VEHICLE SHOULD (AND USED TO) DISABLE THE ALARM AS SOON AS ANY OF THE DOORS OPENED. THE ALARM GOES OFF AFTER THE ALLOTTED TIME TO LOCK THE CAR AGAIN, EVEN WITH DOOR OPEN (EXCEPT FOR DRIVER'S SIDE). THIS PROVES INCREDIBLY INCONVENIENT WHILE PUTTING SLEEPING BABY BACK INTO CAR SEAT. HAVE HAD TWO BACK DOORS REPAIRED AT ABOUT $400 PER DOOR. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR NOT REPAIRED AS VW SERVICE COMPUTER REFUSES TO SEE ISSUE WITH SENSOR. REGARDLESS, ALARM SOUNDS WHILE DOOR IS OPEN. ALSO, LOCK SENSOR IN TRUCK FAILED WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. REPLACED AT $75. WHEN INQUIRED WHETHER ALARM COULD BE DISABLED, WAS TOLD IT IS TIED INTO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND WOULD LOSE FUNCTIONALITY OF HORN AND OTHER SYSTEMS. *JB

VW JETTA'S (1999 AND LATER): DRAIN SYSTEM ORIGINATING AT SUNROOF HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT RESULTS IN WATER BACKING UP INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. IN SEVERE STORMS, THE CAR WILL BECOME INUNDATED WITH WATER. *NM