1999 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

1) SEAT BELT!!! CENTER SEAT BELT IN BACK SEA DOES NOT WORK. VW REFUSED TO FIX EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE! 2) MUSTY SMELL FROM A/C!! IT HAPPENS EVERY SUMMER. I TREAT IT WITH LYSOL BUT THAT ONLY LASTS A WEEK. HAS IT DONE PROFESSIONALLY, THAT ONLY LASTED ONE MONTH. 3) WINDOW REGULATORS NOT WORKING. DRIVER SIDDE WINDOW WILL ONLY GO ALL THE WAY UP OR ALL THE WAY DOWN. NOTHING IN BETWEEN. 4) GLOVE BOX LATCH BROKE. 5) RUBBERCOATING IS RUBBING OFF OF ALL HANDLES.*AK

DRIVER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE DIESEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT THREE TIMES. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

THE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE A TENDENCY TO BREAK. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE PLASTIC AND IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY BREAK FREQUENTLY.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, UNDER ANY ACCELERATION, ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILS AND THE VEHICLE'S THROTTLE DOES NOT RESPOND. ONCE WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE E-WAY, VEHICLE BEGAN DECELERATING AS IF GAS PEDAL WERE NOT DEPRESSED AND I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER TO SHOULDER TO AVOID BEING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF E-WAY. ANOTHER TIME I PULLED OUT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED, NEARLY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BOTH TIMES, EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN DASH CLUSTER - I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE PROBLEM BY SHUTTING VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING ENGINE. DEALER DIAGNOSED A FAILED VALVE IN THE THROTTLE BODY. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, HE REPLIED "WELL, NOT ALL OF THEM FAIL." TO ME THIS IMPLIES A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY WOULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING A PART THAT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE - THIS SHOULD NEVER FAIL! VW ALSO WOULD NOT HELP ME WHEN I WENT THROUGH 3 BRAKE SWITCHES (PART NOW SUBJECT TO RECALL). VEHICLE NEEDS NEW THROTTLE BODY. PART IS APPROX. $800 + LABOR. WHY WOULD THE THROTTLE FAIL ON A VEHICLE WELL UNDER 100,000 MILES? PRIMARY SYSTEMS (BRAKING, ACCELERATING) SHOULD NEVER FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER AND TACHOMETER HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. *SC THE CONSUMER WAS REFUSED SERVICE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TC

VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE, CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT. TIRE WAS CHANGED, BUT THE TIRE LEANED INWARD INTO THE VEHICLE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE REAR AXLE BROKE WHEN TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.*AK

MID-1999 VOLKSWAGEN INTRODUCED THE JETTA IV SERIES. THE COILS SUSPENSION SPRINGS ON THE 4-CYLINDER TDI DIESEL ARE TOO TALL AND TOO SOFT, LEADING TO EXTREME OVER STEER AND BODY ROLL IN CURVES AND EXTREME INTOLERANCE FOR WIND TURBULENCE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CREATED BY NATURE, TRACTOR TRAILERS AND (EVEN) SMALL CARS. THIS IS (NEARLY) AN ADMITTED DEFECT, AS VOLKSWAGEN OFFERS A SPRING UPGRADE KIT FOR 4-CYLINDER JETTAS IN ITS AFTERMARKET CATALOG! NESTLED RIGHT THERE BETWEEN THE CUSTOM KEY FOBS AND FLOOR MATS! FURTHERMORE, REVIEWS OF THE 2005 MODEL REVEAL A COMPLETE OVERHAUL TO THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I HAVE TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH STIFFER AND WIDER TIRES, TO NO AVAIL. THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN TO TASK ON THIS ISSUE. I AM REPORTING TODAY, AS IT IS ONLY MODERATELY WINDY AND (YET) I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING STABILITY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS COULD BE AN UNDETECTED FACTOR IN MANY INCIDENTS.*JB

MY FRIEND HAD AN AUTOMOBLE ACCIDENT LAST WEEK AND HIS CAR'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY HE DID HIT THE GUARDRAILS HEAD-ON AND THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED HE WANTED ME TO CHECK TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ABOUT THIS HIS CAR WAS A VW JETTA '99 I'M SURE THE CAR WAS TOTALED IN THIS WRECK . *AK

HAZARDS WILL CEASE TO FLASH AFTER BEING ON FOR APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE. MUST TURN OFF THEN ON AGAIN, BUT STILL STOPS WORKING. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM, YET.*AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE TWICE IN WHICH THEY HAVE CLEANED THE THROTTLE . THIS PROVIDED A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, BUT THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON WITHIN AN HOUR. A MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED.*AK