2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

FUEL LINE BROKE WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD AND FILLING CABIN. TOOK VEHICLE STRAIGHT TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE I WAS TOLD THE #2 INJECTOR LINE BROKE. ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SOAKED WITH FUEL, DIESEL WAS DRIPPING FROM ALL PARTS UNDER HOOD. I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE DIESEL DETERIORATING THE RUBBER HOSES AND COMPONENTS UNDER HOOD. VW DEALERSHIP CHANGED #2 INJECTOR LINE, AND RECOMMENDED CHANGING THE REST AS WELL AS THE ENGINE COVER. I OPTED TO NOT CHANGE THE REST, ONLY THE CRACKED ONE. IT DUMPED ABOUT A HALF TANK OF FUEL IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. *TR

MY 2009 VW JETTA TDI BURST INTO FLAMES 15-20 MINUTES AFTER BEING PARKED. NO ONE WAS IN OR NEAR THE CAR AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR EXTENDED FIRE DAMAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE HOTSPOT IS IN THE FRONT LEFT OF THE CAR, WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO ALL COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD AND FRONT INTERIOR OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD BEEN IN LIKE-NEW CONDITION WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON-TIME BY A VW DEALER; THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY MAINTENANCE OR PERFORMANCE ISSUES THAT I KNEW OF PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I CONTACTED VW ON 9/20/2011 ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEIR FIRE INSPECTOR STUDIED THE REMAINS OF THE CAR ON 9/22/2011 AND DEDUCED IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, AND THE LEAK/FIRE PROBABLY STARTED AS I WAS STILL DRIVING. THERE WAS NO RECOURSE OR FURTHER ACTION. AT THE TIME, THE VIN # OF MY CAR HAD NOT BEEN A PART OF ANY RECALL. I BELIEVE MY CAR MIGHT/SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A RECENT RECALL ANNOUNCED ON 10/5/2011 ON TDIS DUE TO FIRE HAZARD. *TR

DURING THE SNOW STORM THE CLUTCH AND THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DID NOT ENGAGE. I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY ALONG WITH THE TRAFFIC AND THE AS THE CAR STARTED TO ASCEND AN INCLINE IN THE ROAD, IT STARTED TO SKID; AND WHEN I ENGAGED THE BRAKES, ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE GEARS, THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP,THERE WAS A ODOR OF BURNING RUBBER. I CONTACTED VW AMERICA ABOUT THE FAILURE, THEY COVERED THE COST OF THE PART AND NOT THE SERVICE AS A CUSTOMER APPRECIATION GOOD WILL GESTURE. *TR

I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALER ON FRIDAY SEPT. 30 FOR REPAIRS FROM THE EARLIER INCIDENT AND DROVE THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 95 MILES. ON SAT. OCT 1 I DROVE 5 MILES AND AS I TURNED INTO MY DRIVE WAY THE CAR SHUT OFF IN THE SAME MANNER AS BEFORE, THE DOORS UNLOCKED AND THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS WENT BLACK. ONLY THIS TIME IT DID NOT RESTART AFTER WAITING. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN, AND THIS TIME IT WAS A FAULTY CLIMATE CONTROL SWITCH IN THE ELECTRICAL UNIT. I CONTACTED VW AMERICA AGAIN ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THE CAR. SEE COMPLIANT #10428913. I EXPRESSED MY ISSUES THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND THAT THE CAR WAS SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF. VW AMERICA COVERED THE COST OF THE SECOND REPAIRS BUT NOT THE FIRST. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ALONG THE OUTER LOOP OF 495 BELTWAY IN THE RIGHT CENTER LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15AM WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE DOORS LOCKS CLICKED UNLOCK AND THE DASH LIGHTS WENT BLACK. THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES THE CAR STARTED AND I DROVE 1/2 MILE AND SHUT OFF AGAIN IN THE SAME MANNER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO VOLKSWAGEN OF WALDORF WHERE THEY CITED A ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT IN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FAULTY. *TR

THIS CONCERNS A 2009 VW JETTA TDI (CLEAN DIESEL VERSION). CAR DASHBOARD PUT OUT WARNING MESSAGE "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" THEN CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER. ELECTRONIC DASHBOARD SHOWED THERE WAS PLENTY OF DIESEL GAS IN THE TANK (ENOUGH TO CONTINUE DRIVING 250 MILES). (THE CAR HAD BEEN FILLED UP WITH DIESEL GASOLINE ON THE DAY BEFORE, FRIDAY, AND DRIVEN ON A SHORT TRIP THAT SATURDAY DURING THE DAY HOURS; DRIVER HAD FILLED UP AT THAT STATION REGULARLY ACROSS THE LAST 2 YEARS SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED.) ELECTRONIC DASHBOARD ALSO SHOWED ALL OTHER SYSTEMS FUNCTIONING REGARDING BATTERY, TEMPERATURE SENSOR, ETC. DRIVER WAS ON BUSY CITY AVENUE IN FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN SPUTTERING BEGAN. CAR POWER SLOWLY DECREASED TO ABOUT 20 MPH, BUT FORTUNATELY DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH SEVERAL GREEN LIGHTS TO A COMMERCIAL AREA. FORTUNATELY SATURDAY NIGHT TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY, SO A LANE CHANGE TO THE RIGHT WAS POSSIBLE WITHOUT AFFECTING OTHER DRIVERS WHO WISHED TO GO AT A FASTER SPEED. CAR SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MPH AS DRIVER MANEUVERED CAR FOR THE LAST 500 FEET INTO A GASOLINE STATION PARKING LOT. CAR ENGINE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS WAS LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" WARNING ON THE ELECTRONIC DASHBOARD. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; A CLICKING SOUND IN THE IGNITION WAS HEARD. CAR ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND HAD TO BE TOWED SATURDAY NIGHT. *TR

30 SEPT 2011. WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION WE NOTICED A RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM OUR 2009 JETTA TDI. COULD ALSO FEEL A SLIGHT VIBRATION THROUGH THE SHIFT LEVER AND STEERING WHEEL. INITIAL THOUGHT WAS AN A/C CLUTCH ISSUE DUE TO A SQUEALING SOUND THAT STARTED. PROCEEDED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE "ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP" LIGHT CAME ON AND THE SOUND BECAME VERY LOUD. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO INVESTIGATE. LOUD METALLIC NOISES APPEARED TO BE INTERNAL TO THE ENGINE NOT EXTERNAL. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED TO MOSSY VW (CLASSIC VOLKSWAGEN) IN ESCONDIDO, CA AT CLOSING TIME AND WILL BE TROUBLESHOOT IN THE MORNING. 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. GREAT DEALER SO FAR, SERVICE STAYED LATE TO ASSIST AND ENSURED WE HAD TRANSPORTATION HOME. A QUICK ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED HPFP FAILURES FOR 2009 VW TDI CARS ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON AND UNFORTUNATELY THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING AND SOME DEALERS ARE BLAMING ON FUEL CONTAMINATION WITH UNLEADED GAS. OWNERS ARE REPORTING $10,000 REPAIR BILLS. WE HAVE OUR DIESEL FUEL RECEIPT FROM YESTERDAY, 29 SEP 2011, CONFIRMING CORRECT FUEL WAS USED. *TR

DRIVING ON MOUNTAIN ROAD AT NIGHT. SUFFERED ABRUPT LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER. CAR STALLED AND CAME TO STOP AT SIDE OF NARROW ROAD (PARTIALLY BLOCKING ROADWAY). TOWED TO MODESTO CALIFORNIA AND THEN TO VW DEALER IN MODESTO CA THE NEXT MORNING. DIAGNOSED AS FUEL PUMP FAILURE. WIFE WAS DRIVING, I WAS A PASSENGER. *TR

FLASHING GLOW PLUG WARNING LIGHT AND LOSS OF POWER WHILE GOING 70 MPH ON TURNPIKE. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" ALLOWING EXIT FROM TURNPIKE. CAR TRAVELED SEVERAL BLOCKS THEN STALLED AT STOP LIGHT AND WOULD NOT START. CAR WAS TOWED TO VW DEALER AND DIAGNOSED WITH FAILED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND METAL PARTICLES CONTAMINATING DIESEL FUEL. DEALER TO REPLACE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. *TR

WAS TOLD BY VW THAT MY ENGINE HAD FAILED. THIS IS LESS THAN 1 YEAR AFTER MY HPFP "EXPLODED" AND MY ENTIRE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM WAS REPLACED DUE TO CONTAMINATION. *TT