2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

AT A COLD START, CAR IS SLUGGISH GOING INTO 2ND GEAR. SOUNDS LIKE THE ENGINE IS REVVING UP AT ACCELERATION, BUT IT WILL GO NO FASTER THAN 10 MPH!! ALSO I CANNOT REVERSE! THE CAR MUST BE WARM (190 TEMP) IN ORDER TO REVERSE AND SHIFT PROPERLY! IVE READ OF OTHER VWS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TT

ON COOL DAYS (APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND BELOW), THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTS OUT IN EMERGENCY RUNNING MODE IN THIRD GEAR. IF CAR WARMS UP SUFFICIENTLY, THE IGNITION CAN BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO WORK CORRECTLY. I HAVE READ MANY BOARDS WHERE PROBLEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THIS SEEM WIDESPREAD AND MANY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DO COSTLY REPAIRS. A RECALL MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

DRIVER SIDE LOCK SWITCH, UNABLE TO LOCK MY 02 JETTA WITH REMOTE KEY. INTERIOR LIGHT ON THE DRIVER DOOR CONSTANTLY STAYS ON. *KB

THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND SHIFTING HARD BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. THIS OCCURRENCE IS DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT AND TRANSMISSION SOLENOID. IF NOT PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF THIS MIGHT CAUSE A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND ULTIMATELY A TRANSMISSION CRASH. THIS MEANS A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THE COST CAN RANGE FROM 3000-7000 DOLLARS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY VW OWNERS. ESPECIALLY VOLKSWAGENS BETWEEN 2001-2003. *KB

WHILE DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT, MY SON AND I SMELLED SMOKE. WE EXITED THE VEHICLE, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, BUT FOUND NOTHING. WE CONTINUED HOME AND PARKED IN THE GARAGE. STILL SMELLING SMOKE, WE RE-INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE AN ORIGIN OR ANY VISIBLE EVIDENCE. BOTH SEAT HEATERS WERE ON DURING THE DRIVE HOME, BUT THE SEATS SHOWED NO VISUAL SIGNS OF DAMAGE AFTER PARKING. NEXT MORNING WE OPENED THE VEHICLE TO DISCOVER THE CABIN WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE WITH AN APPROXIMATE 1?HOLE BURNED UP THRU THE PASSENGER SEAT ON THE LOWER RIGHT BOLSTER. APPARENTLY THE SEAT HEATER INITIATED A THERMAL EVENT WHICH ERUPTED IN A SEAT FIRE AFTER WE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE. FORTUNATELY, THE FIRE DID NOT ENGULF THE VEHICLE OR IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT OUR HOME ON FIRE, RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH TO MY FAMILY. I BELIEVE WE DODGED A BULLET BECAUSE THE SEAT FIRE DID NOT SUSTAIN ITSELF AND ENGULF THE VEHICLE. VW HAS AGREED TO REPAIR THE BURNED SEAT AT THEIR EXPENSE AND MAKE A MITIGATION REPAIR. HOWEVER, VW HAS DECLINED MY REQUEST TO COVER ANY SIMILAR MITIGATION REPAIR TO THE OTHER SEAT. IN OCTOBER 2004, THE NHTSA ODI CONCLUDED THAT ?DRIVER-SIDE SEAT HEATER MAY FAIL OR MALFUNCTION DUE TO NORMAL VEHICLE USE? BUT ?SUCH FAILURES DO NOT POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INJURY OR FIRE.? THE ODI STATED THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT CONCLUDE THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST AND THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. (EA04010) EVIDENCE AND REPORTS INDICATE THAT SEAT HEATER CAUSED THERMAL EVENTS IN BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS IN THE VW JETTA HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS NOW. NEAR MISSES CONTINUE TO OCCUR. I BELIEVE THAT A SEAT FIRE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO RE-EXAMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO DETERMINE IF FURTHER ACTION IS WARRANTED. *TR

MY 2002 VW JETTA GLX (AUTOMATIC) HAS SEVERE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WHEN ACCELERATING, IT HESITATES AND THEN POPS INTO GEAR JERKING THE CAR. THIS IS VERY ALARMING AND DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM ON THE ROAD WITH OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME. I ALMOST HAD SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO TRYING TO PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS SO UNRELIABLE AND SLIPS THEREBY CAUSING ME TO STALL IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THEN, TODAY THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL AT ALL. I'VE SEEN SO MANY TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S MODEL AND IT IS SO UNFAIR FOR THE CONSUMER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION-WHEN SHIFTED INTO D-LAGS FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD-TRANSMISSION SHIFTS IN AN ODD MANNER-CAR ONLY HAS 43000 MILES ON IT-ORIGINAL MILES-. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT 35MPH THE TACHOMETER WILL INCREASE AND DECEASE AT 2000RPM'S AND CAR WILL SLIGHTLY INCREASE AND THEN DECREASE IN SPEED. THERE IS A JERKING BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. ALSO THERE IS A SLIGHT DELAY OF MOVEMENT FROM PARK TO REVERSE. BOTH ARE SAFETY HAZARDS WHILE ON STREETS WITH TRAFFIC. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN COLD WILL HESITATE OR NOT CATCH AT ALL WHEN PUTTING INTO DRIVE. PUTTING THE CAR INTO 1ST, THEN MOVING IT TO DRIVE WILL USUALLY WORK. SHUDDERS WHEN COMING TO STOP AFTER HEATING UP AT TIMES. MECHANIC SAYS IT NEEDS A TRANSMISSION REBUILD AT $3000. FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND CASCADING TO THE MASTER CONTROL MODULE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION NOT TO LEAVE THE PARK POSITION, THAT TOW AND REPAIR WAS $300 ABOUT 30 DAYS AGO. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS TRANSMISSION FAILING REPEATEDLY, A FAULTY DESIGN. WE NEED A RECALL FROM VOLKSWAGEN TO FIX THIS DESIGN FAILURE. *TR

2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSUMER WRITES TO EXPRESS DISCONTENT REGARDING REPAIRS AT LOCAL DEALER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THREE DAYS AFTER RETRIEVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, FOR MAINTENANCE WORK, THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE ALTERNATOR. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND RUN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE REAR END IMPACT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 12/08/11