2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

I STARTED EXPERIENCING A HOT SPOT IN THE DRIVER'S HEATED SEAT IN THE FALL OF 2012. I HAVE TO PUT A CUSHION BETWEEN MY RIGHT LEG AND THE SEAT OR IT WILL NEARLY BURN. I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH EITHER THE O2 SENSOR OR CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHENEVER IT RAINS AND IT'S COOL WEATHER. THE CAR WILL LOSE POWER, SPUTTER AND LURCH UNTIL IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE THEN IT ACTS NORMALLY. FINALLY, FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS THE REAR DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY OR BY HITTING THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DOOR. I JUST REACHED THE 100K MARK AND KEEP UP REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR SO I'M A LITTLE UPSET THAT THINGS LIKE THIS ARE HAPPENING SO EARLY. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED A BURNING CRAYON SMELL IN MY 2003 VW JETTA FOR A FEW MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR DETAILED AND HAD THE DEALER CLEAN THE AC DUCTS YET THE SMELL REMAINS - AND GETS STRONGER IN HOT/HUMID WEATHER DAYS. I SEE OTHERS HAVE LISTED COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE - AND THE SOUND DEADENER MATERIAL UNDER THE CARPET SEEMS TO BE THE CULPRIT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL AFFECT BREATHING AND COULD BE TOXIC. *TR

THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR TWO DAYS WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. WHILE IT WAS PARKED, NEIGHBORS RAN OVER TO REPORT IT WAS SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD. WE SAW THAT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, BUT FIRE HAD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED ITSELF. FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY GROUND AND SAID THE WIRES GOING TO THE COOLING FAN HAD SET ON FIRE. ALL OF THIS WAS SPONTANEOUS. ENGINE WAS NOT ON. *TR

I OWN A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GL 1.8 T, WHEN I PRESS THE LOCK BUTTON, THE CAR DOORS DO NOT ALL LOCK, OR WILL WORK SOMETIMES, I ALSO AM NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THE TRUNK. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS MORE THEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, IN ORDER TO GET THE TRUNK OPEN I HAVE TO CRAWL THROUGH SPACE AND PULL THE EMERGENCY LEVER INSIDE THE TRUNK, IN ORDER TO LOCK THE CAR I HAVE TO MANUALLY PUSH DOWN THE LOCKS WHEN THE KEY DOESN'T WORK AND 40 % OF THE TIME I OR A PASSENGER GETS LOCKED IN THE CAR, UNTIL IT DECIDES TO GIVE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE THE PASSENGER SIDE OVERHEAD AND SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. *TR

BOTH FRONT SEATS, THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE BOLSTER BURNED. THE HEATED FRONT SEATS WILL OVER HEAT, THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE CONFINED TO THE RIGHT BOLSTER ON THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE SEAT. THE HEATING ELEMENTS GET HOT ENOUGH TO BURN THROUGH THE SEAT MATERIAL. BEING THE SIDE OF THE SEAT I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT MY LEG AWAY AND POWER OFF THE HEATED SEAT. IF LEFT ON THE SEATS WILL START TO SMOKE. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVEN'T TRIED , BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE SEAT COULD CATCH ON FIRE IF LEFT ON. THE LOCAL DEALER'S SERVICE REP SAID JUST UNPLUG IT THE OPTION. *TR

AFTER NOTICING FOR WEEKS THAT MY HEATED SEATS WOULD ONLY WORK WHEN TURNED TO 5 (PASSENGER SEAT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL), MY LEG BEGAN BURNING WHILE DRIVING. I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND LOOKED DOWN TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN MY SEAT AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF IT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE SEAT OFF AND HAVEN'T TURNED IT ON SINCE. WHEN I CONTACTED VW, THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE HEATED SEAT RECALL AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM AS WELL AS FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

BOUGHT THIS CAR OCTOBER 2010 FROM BERGE VW AZ. I NOTICED A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT THAT IT INTERMITTENTLY WOULD KICK INTO GEAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASK ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL, NEVER BROUGHT IT IN JUST TALKED TO A FRIEND OF MINE FROM THE DEALER. TURNS OUT IN NOV 2010 THEY SENT ALL VW OWNERS EXTENDED WARRANTY PAPERWORK FOR THE VALVE BODY ON THESE JETTAS FOR THE EXACT PROBLEMS I AM HAVING. I REPLACED SPEED SENSORS AND EVERYTHING. NO NOW I AM BEING TOLD ITS THE VALVE BODY AND I NEVER GOT A LETTER AND I JUST HIT 102K LAST MONTH BUT I AM OUTSIDE THE 7 YEARS. VW KNOWS THIS PART GOES BAD. THERE SHOULD NOT BE A YEAR ON IT FOR VEHICLES LIKE MINE THAT HAVE LOW MILES! I CAN PROVE IT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE THE 100K MILES. HELP! *TR

SHORTLY AFTER TURNING THE DRIVERS SEAT HEATER ON, OPERATOR SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND FELT HER LEFT LEG BURNING. SHUT HEATER OFF AND TOOK TO DEALER, WHO ACTED SURPRISED THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM!! THEY CHARGED US TO LOOK AT THE SEAT, CLAIMING THE POWER SUPPLY WIRE UNDER THE SEAT HAD BEEN PULLED APART SHORTING OUT THE GRID WIRING. LONG STORY SHORT, THEY CLAIMED SOMETHING MUST HAVE BEEN JAMMED UP UNDER THE SEAT CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THEY OFFERED TO DO THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FOR $630. I THOUGHT THEIR ANSWER WAS CREATIVE, BUT AFTER READING ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS WHICH ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL(QUARTER SIZED HOLE IN THE SEAT COVER), I'M CALLING [XXX]. I AM DISGUSTED WITH HOW VW HAS RESPONDED TO ALL OF US. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BACK IN 2007 RECALL FOR HEATED SEATS IN VOLKSWAGEN'S. ISSUED RECALL FIXED BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SEATS AS NEW ONES WERE ORDERED AND SHIPPED IN FROM OVERSEAS, DUE TO BOTH CATCHING FIRE AND BURNING HOLES IN SEATS ONE SEAT BEING THE DRIVERS BURNT A HOLE IN MY JEANS AND BURNED MYSELF. AS OF 3/5/12 DRIVERS SIDE SEAT IS GETTING SO HOT IT HAS BURNT THE MATERIAL ON THE SEAT AGAIN AS IT STARTED SMOKING. QUICKLY TURNED IT OFF. PROBLEM THOUGHT WAS FIXED AS RECALL IN 2007, NOT FIXED APPARENTLY.