2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

2003 JETTA'S CLEARCOAT IS PEELING OFF, IT STARTED ON FRONT HOOD AND NOW IT IS PEELING ALL OVER THE CAR. CALLED VOLKSWAGEN THEY SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS!!! *TR

DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT 35 MPH NO APPARENT REASON. INJURED DRIVER WITH BURNS AND RINGING IN EAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AS THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FUSE PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR, THE HARNESS, AND THE FUSE PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT FAILED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

MY WATER PUMP FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE OVERHEAT SIGN LIT UP. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. AFTER A PAINFULLY LONG DRAWN OUT TOW, TAXI, RENTAL CAR, AND RETURN TO PICK UP THE CAR 1 WEEK LATER (DRIVE 200 MILES THERE AND THEN BACK TO DO SO), THE GARAGE WHICH REPAIRED MY CAR INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A BAD "DESIGN FLAW" TO THE WATER PUMP WHERE IT HAD A PLASTIC PART THAT WOULD COMMONLY FAIL DURING THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A "WELL-KNOW" PROBLEM IN THE JETTA, MANY PEOPLE HAD EXPERIENCED & WRITTEN ONLINE ABOUT IT. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I INSTALL AN "AFTER-MARKET" PUMP WITH ALL METAL PARTS SO THAT IT WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN, WHICH I DID. MY CO-WORKER WHO OWNED A JETTA A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN MINE (2001?) FOR 10 YEARS AND LATER TRADED IT IN, INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND IN FACT HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP 3 TIMES DURING THE PERIOD SHE OWNED THE CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE WATER PUMP DESIGN IN THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. IF IT HAD BEEN RECALLED & FIXED PRIOR TO MY BREAKDOWN, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO ENDURE THE WHOLE ORDEAL I WENT THROUGH. *TR

THERE IS A FUSE BOX ON THE TOP OF MY BATTERY AS THERE WAS FOR ALL MK4 JETTAS, GOLF IN ALL MOTOR TRIMS. THE FUSE BOX ON TOP OF THE BATTERY MELTED. WHEN OPENED THERE WAS A BLACK WIRE SEVERED FROM THE BOX. WHEN TURNING THE BATTERY OVER THE CABLE WIRE WAS ARCHING. THE WIRE WAS ACTUALLY SPARKING. THERE ARE FUSES IN THE ORIGINAL BOX BUT THEY NEVER BROKE, TRIPPED. *TR

CAR STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN AT QUARTER TANK OR LESS. PARTS REPLACED, STILL OCCURS. THERE IS NO KNOWN FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT ALWAYS COMES BACK, AND IS MOST LIKELY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT WITH THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM THAT IS BEING IGNORED BY VW OF AMERICA. THIS IS HAPPENING TO HUNDREDS AND MOST LIKELY THOUSANDS OF VOLKSWAGEN JETTA, GOLF, BEETLE AND GTI OWNERS. WE HAVE BEEN CONNECTING THE DOTS THROUGH ONLINE VW FORUMS AND ARE FRUSTRATED! THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS REPORTED DUE TO SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND THEREFORE DECELERATION DUE TO THIS ISSUE. JUST THIS MORNING MY JETTA STALLED IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRUCK DOING 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, IT'S HAPPENING TO A LOT OF OWNERS OF VW'S MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 1999 AND 2005, AND IT NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VW JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE, THE VEHICLE EMITTED SMOKE AND STALLED. THE AIR BAGS ALSO INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED AND THERE WAS SMOKE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 11/12/14*LJ UPDATED 7/27/2015 *JS

AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING . FOUND LEFT FUSE ON FUSE BOX ON TOP OF BATTERY IS BLACK AND MELTED. *TR

THE REAR DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK WITH THE KEY FOB OR THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ION THE DRIVER'S DOOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN THE REAR SEAT. *TR

THE DAY BEFORE THE CAR QUIT, IT WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING PARKED IN THE MALL PARKING LOT. A BATTERY PACK GOT IT STARTED, AND IT WAS DRIVEN HOME, WITH THE THOUGHT THAT IT NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, IT WAS BEING DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL SEARS, FOR A REPLACEMENT BATTERY, WHEN THE ABS AND AIRBAG LIGHTS CAME ON. 30 SECONDS LATER LOTS OF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, AND THE CAR SPUTTERED AND STOPPED DEAD IN THE LANE OF TRAVEL. IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER, AND POWER ACCESSORIES WOULD NOT WORK. I WAS STOPPED ON A VERY BUSY 2 LANE BACK ROAD, WITH NO SHOULDERS OR SIDE STREETS, UPHILL, ON A BLIND HILL. AFTER 1 1/2 HOURS OF WHITE-KNUCKLE DIRECTING TRAFFIC, AND CALLS TO: MY AUTO CLUB, AND THE LOCAL POLICE; A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER, AND A LOCAL TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP AND GAVE ME A LIFT TO MY REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC'S DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM WAS A PARTIALLY MELTED FUSE PACK, THAT SITS ON TOP OF THE BATTERY, AND AN OVERLY RESISTIVE CABLE BETWEEN THE FUSE PACK AND THE ALTERNATOR. THE SOLUTION WAS: THE CABLE END LINKED TO THE FUSE PACK WAS RE-TERMINATED, AND THE MELTED FUSE PACK WAS REPLACED. BETWEEN THE TOW AND THE REPAIR, IT SET ME BACK ABOUT $300.00. I ALSO FOUND A BLOG THAT LISTED MANY OTHER VW OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?4986219-FUSE-BOX-ABOVE-BATTERY-MELTING . I ALSO DISCOVERED A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT THAT WAS FILED IN 2012, THAT WAS BASED ON THIS PROBLEM: HTTP://GOTACLASSACTION.COM/VOLKSWAGEN-NAMED-IN-CLASS-ACTION-OVER-FUSE-BOXALTERNATOR-CABLE-ASSEMBLY/ . I HOPE THAT THE CURRENT REPAIR HOLDS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. CLEARLY, A FUSE SHOULD BLOW BEFORE THE OVERALL FUSE PACK MELTS. *TR