2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

OUR 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI HAD SPARKS COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER THAT BURNED TWO HOLES IN THE SEAT.

EVERYDAY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS. WHEN THE CAR GOES TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND, THE CAR JERKS. THIS HAPPENS AGAIN GOING FROM 3RD TO 4TH. BETWEEN GEARS IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR THE NEXT GEAR TO CATCH AND WHEN IT FINALLY DOES, IT JERKS THE WHOLE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THIS NORMAL AND THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I HAVE DONE MANY SEARCHES AND HAVE FOUND THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.**AK

UPON TURNING ON THE SEAT HEATER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THROUGH THE SEAT CLOTH, FOAM, AND DRIVER'S CLOTHING.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY VW JETTA TDI (2002) FAILED AT ~71,000 MILES WITH NO WARNING. I DRIVE IN NON-CITY, OPEN HIGHWAY CONDITIONS WITH NO STRESS TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION IS SEALED, SO THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A WAY TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. DEALER SAYS SINCE THE UNIT IS SEALED, NO REPAIRS CAN BE MADE...ONLY REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT FOR ~ $4,300. I'M 40 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A TRASMISSION FAILING SO SOON AND WHEN THEN VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN IN CONDITIONS STRESSFUL TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRY AT A VW PRODUCT AND MY LAST. THE MANUFACTURER HAS PATHETIC CUSTOMER SERVICE AS I CALLED TO SEE IF THIS WAS NORMAL FOR VW TRANSMISSIONS AND TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR A PART OF THE COST AND WAS TOLD "NOTHING VW CAN DO, THE WARRANTY ENDED AT 60,000 MILES." THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME I BUY FROM A COMPANY THAT MAKES ME PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A FAILED TRANSMISSION THAT CLEARLY WAS FAULTY. I DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION IS STILL AT THE DEALER AS I HAVE NOT YET PICKED UP THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING THERE UNTIL I FEEL LESS ANGRY OVER THE FACT OF THE COST AND VW'S POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ATTITUDE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT VW WOULD HAVE RATHER PAID FOR THEIR DEFECTICVE TRANSMISSION (E FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS IS NOTHING TO A LARGE CORPORATION) RATHER THAN ALL THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY FROM ME AND MY FAMILY TO EVERYONE WE EVER TALK TO ABOUT VW AS A COMPANY AND THEIR PRODUCT.*AK

1 & 2. MY 2002 VW JETTA'S DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT STARTED ON FIRE. I NOTICED THE FIRE WHEN I FELT A BURNING SENSATION AS MY PANTS WERE CATCHING FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE SEAT OFF & PULLED OVER. THE SEAT HAD A DIME TO QUARTER SIZE BURN HOLE IN IT AND IF I TURNED THE HEATED SEAT BACK ON I COULD SEE THE WIRE ARCING.3. THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT 5 DAYS LATER.*AK

BOUGHT NEW 2002 JETTA HAD NO BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEMS UNTIL I RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING SWITCH RECALL. TOOK CAR TO DEALER W/ RECALL LETTER AND THEY REPLACED SWITCH. NO PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS, THEN BRAKE LIGHTS BEGAN STAYING ON AND ACCELERATION OCCASIONALLY CUTS OUT. DEALER HAD CAR OFF AND ON FOR A MONTH AND A 1/2 PROBLEM W/ LIGHTS AND ACCEL. CONTINUES. *JB

MY CAR STARTED TO CLUNK AND JERK WHEN I WAS TURNING CORNERS. IT STARTED JUST CLUNKING ONCE AND GOT WORSE AND WORSE WITHIN THE SAME DAY. IT WOULD JERK GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT JUST QUIT. I COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR PUT IT INTO GEAR. I GOT IT OFF THE ROAD AND HAD TO PUSH IT INTO A PARKING LOT UNTIL I COULD HAVE IT TOWED. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO LATER SAID MY CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. THEY QUOTED ME $1640.00. THAT'S RIDICULOUS FOR THAT TO GO OUT SO EARLY. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUALS FOR YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. THEY SAID I WAS EITHER "RIDING THE CLUTCH" OR "DRIVING HARD". I STARTED LOOKING AROUND AND ALL THE MECHANICS I TALKED TO WERE VERY SURPRISED IT WAS OUT ALREADY AND THAT IS WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND A TON OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND TOLD THE SAME THING. OUR CLUTCHES SHOULD NOT BE GOING OUT THIS EARLY. *NM

VOLKSWAGEN 2002 JETTA FAULTY SEAT WARMERS. ON THE MORNING OF OCT 11, 2004 I TURNED THE SEAT WARMER ON TO SETTING NUMBER 2. ROUGHLY 1-2 MINUTES LATER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT BEGAN TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. I FELT A BURNING ON MY LEG AND BEGAN TO SEE SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. THERE WAS A DIME SIZE HOLE IN THE SEAT WHERE THE SEAT HAD BURNED THROUGH. THERE WAS ALSO A BURN ON MY PANTS FROM WHERE THE SEAT HAD MELTED TO MY PANTS. THERE WAS ALSO A RED MARK ON MY SKIN. I HAVE CONTACTED THE COMPANY AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO SEE THE CAR AND POSSIBLY REPLACE THE PARTS. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED LARGE FIRE OR A SERIOUS BURN TO MYSELF. *NM

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, COOLANT LEAKED IN MECHANICAL SYSTEM, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. REQUIRING REWIRING OF ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *BF THE COIL SPRING FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE NO POWER, THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FAILED, THE CONSUMER DID HOWEVER RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE MATTER, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD ALREADY OCCURRED. THE REAR PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT WAS OUT. *JB

2002 JETTA TDI DEVELOPED ODOR ON THE INTERIOR AT 20000 MILES. NATIONAL VOLKSWAGEN IN JACKSONVILLE, NC HAS SERVICED PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT CORRECTION OF ODOR PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM ODOR WILL GO AWAY SINCE THEY CLEANED OUT AIR CONDITIONER BOX BY REMOVING THE ENTIRE DASH. NATIONAL ALSO DISCOVERED PROBLEM IN A NEW 2004 PASSAT. ODOR STILL EXISTS. CAR HAS BEEN DETAILED, SPRAYED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. VARIOUS PEOPLE HAVE SAT IN CAR AND WITNESSED ODOR. CUSTOMER SERVICE AT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TAKES WORD OF THE DEALER THAT PROBLEM IS FIXED AND ODOR WILL GO AWAY ONE DAY. *AK