2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN USING THE HEATED SEATS THE PASSENGER SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CABIN FILLED UP WITH THICK SMOKE AND WE COULD NOT BREATH. WE HAD TO STOP THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MY WIFE JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND WE PUT OUT THE FIRE. THIS IS A KNOWN VW PROBLEM THAT HAD A FULL RECALL IN CANADA. ASTONISHINGLY, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. THE LOCAL VW DEALER DENIED ALL KNOWLEDGE OF ANY HEATED SEATS CATCHING FIRE BUT THEY INSTANTLY GAVE ME A $755.00 QUOTE TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH A FIRM ESTIMATE OF FOUR HOURS TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS IN THE SEAT. ALTHOUGH THE VW DEALER HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM THEY SEEM TO HAVE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF EXACTLY HOW TO REPAIR THE SEAT. VERY CURIOUS INDEED......

MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE PURCHASE AND I HAVE HAD ALL THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE DONE TO PREVENT ISSUES. LAST WEEK WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY MY CARS STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS WELL AS STALLED ALMOST CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHEN I LOOKED IT UP IT SEEMS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN ISSUE WITH CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V621000. ALBEIT THIS IS NOT THE SAME ISSUE BUT MY VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE SAME TIME AND I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE INTERRELATED. BEYOND THAT, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON MANY VW FORUMS. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM. COULD YOU IMAGINE THE LIVES THAT COULD HAVE PERISHED IF I HAD NOT HANDLED THAT SITUATION EFFECTIVELY. I AM NOW TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THIS PART FOR $2000 WHERE I TRULY BELIEVE VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE. THIS COMPANY HAS SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICES AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART. MY CAR WAS BOUGHT IN 2009 AND HAS 76,000 MILES ON IT.

ABS, TRACTION CONTROL & HANDBRAKE LIGHTS TURNED ON IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. NEARLY HAD ACCIDENT BECAUSE ABS DID NOT ACTIVATE WHEN NEEDED. ME AND MY FAMILY WERE IN SIGNIFICANT DANGER. UPON MECHANIC INSPECTION THE ABS MODULE HAS FAILED.

WHILE DRIVING AT A NORMAL SPEED OF 45MPH, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE SLIGHTLY. ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE FUEL GAUGE ALONG WITH THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO FAIL. AS A RESULT, THE CAR NEEDED TO BE PULLED OVER AND STOPPED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM OCCURRING.

IN SNOWY CONDITIONS THE ABS FAILS AND COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN UNTIL I RESTART THE CAR. SEEMS TO BE DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY DRIVING IN SNOWY/ICY CONDITIONS. *JS

LAST MONTH THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK REAR DOOR STOPPED LOCKING, EVEN AFTER PRESSING THE LOCK BUTTON. WE TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND PAID $400+ TO HAVE IT FIXED. A MONTH LATER, THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR DECIDES TO STOP LOCKING. ONE DOOR IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THE FACT THAT BOTH DOORS STOPPED LOCKING WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF EACH OTHER IS PRETTY SUSPICIOUS. SOUNDS LIKE A SOLID CASE OF NEGLIGENCE ON VOLKSWAGENS PART. *TR

THE ABS, BRAKE, AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LAMPS CAME ON DURING A SCARY EVENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD AND QUICKLY TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING A CAR THAT SWERVED ACROSS TWO LANES AND CUT IN FRONT OF ME. THE ABS AND STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS FAILED, BUT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM WORKED LIKE A CAR WITHOUT ELECTRONIC CONTROLS, SO I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR WHILE BRAKING AND STEERING NEAR THE TRACTION LIMIT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE LAMPS STAYED ON UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO ABS OR STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM WHILE THE LIGHTS WERE ON. I CYCLED THE KEY TO TEST THE LAMPS. THE LAMPS FUNCTIONED CORRECTLY DURING THE BULB TEST AND TURNED OFF AFTER A FEW SECONDS. ON THE FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT, THE WHEEL HUBS, BEARINGS, AND WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ROTORS/EXCITER RINGS/TONE RINGS WERE INSPECTED. ANY ROAD DEBRIS, DUST, DIRT, AND MAGNETIC PARTICLES WERE REMOVED. THERE WAS NO LOOSENESS, END PLAY, OR RUNOUT. THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS WERE REMOVED, CLEANED, AND INSTALLED, BUT THE SYMPTOM RETURNED DURING ANOTHER SCARY EVENT. ON THE SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE (ELECTRONIC BLACK BOX COMPONENT, NOT HYDRAULIC CONTROL COMPONENT) HAD A SOFTWARE FAILURE PER VW TECH SUPPORT ANALYZING THE FAILURE CONDITIONS, VISUAL INDICATORS (WARNING LAMPS), AUDIO INDICATORS (WARNING TONES), AND SCAN TOOL CODES. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. *TR

2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SIDE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING DURING CRASH *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HER SON WAS HIT BY A PICK-UP MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER STATED HER SON WAS INVOLUNTARY FORCED FROM THE NORTH BOUND LANE INTO THE CENTER TURN LANE WITH THE DRIVER'S NOSE OF THE CAR SLIGHTLY OVER THE YELLOW DOTTED LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE DAMAGE WAS LOCATED AT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE/DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE THE RIM WAS BENT. *JB

I WANT TO INFORM YOU, THAT THERE MAY BE A DEFECT IN THE FIRST GENERATION TPMS VALVE ADAPTERS USED IN THE 2009 VW RABBIT, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES. IN COLD WEATHER, PART OF THESE VALVES CAN BECOME BRITTLE AND SNAP. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ALUMINUM USED IN THESE VALVE STEMS CORRODES OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, CAUSING THE VALVE ITSELF TO WEAKEN. OVER TIME, THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A SITUATION THAT MAY EVENTUALLY CAUSE ALL THE AIR TO ESCAPE THE TIRE SUDDENLY - SOMETHING THIS SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT. IN ADDITION TO COLD WEATHER, IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, WHERE SAND/SALT ARE HEAVILY USED TO DE-ICE THE ROADS, THIS MAY SPEED UP THE CORROSION OF THE VALVE. I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, AND FOR MY OWN SAFETY, INSTALL THESE SAME POTENTIALLY FAULTY VALVES AT $60/EA BACK ON THE TIRE. I FIXED THE PROBLEM, BY INSTALLING A REGULAR VALVE STEM IN IT'S PLACE FOR $5 INCLUDING LABOR, WHICH SOLVED THE ISSUE. I HAD THIS DONE ON ALL FOUR TIRES, REMOVING THE FAULTY VALVE STEMS COMPLETELY, AND REPLACING THEM WITH STANDARD STEMS THAT WILL NOT CORRODE, AND BREAK. THE VALVE FAILED COMPLETELY WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE, AND I WENT TO CHECK ONE OF THE TIRES TO MAKE SURE IT WAS FULL WITH AIR. WHEN REMOVING THE AIR GAUGE, THE VALVE SNAPPED, CAUSING ALL THE AIR TO RUSH OUT OF THE TIRE. THE COST OF REPLACING THESE VALVES IS PROHIBITIVE. THEY COST $60 EACH, AND YOU NEED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR VALVES AT ONCE - DUE TO TIRE ROTATIONS, YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL WHICH TIRE HAD THE NEW VALVE IF YOU REPLACED ONLY ONE. THAT'S $250 EACH TIME TO REPLACE THE VALVES, WHICH PRESENTS A UNREASONABLE, AND UNNECESSARY BURDEN TO THE AVERAGE WORKING PERSON. *TR

I OWN A 2009 VW RABBIT. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER OWNING IT, I STARTED NOTICING A MOLDY SMELL IN THE CAR EVERY TIME I TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER AND/OR THE HEAT. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS MOLD IN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND THEY WOULD CLEAN IT. WHEN I PICKED IT UP, I ASKED WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THEY SAID I NEED TO TURN OFF THE DEFROSTER/AIR CONDITIONER A FEW MINUTES BEFORE TURNING OFF THE CAR SO ANY MOISTURE DRAINS OUT. IN ESSENCE, THERE IS NO CURE, JUST A FIX. I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE. WHEN I ENTERED MY CAR TO LEAVE, IT SMELLED FROM SOME PERFUME THEY USED TO MASK THE MOLD SMELL. I AM ALLERGIC TO MOLD AND MILDEW AND HAVE A VARIETY OF ALLERGIES. I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR WINDOWS OPEN FOR A WEEK TO GET RID OF THAT ODOR. NOW THAT IT'S FALL, THE WEATHER IS COOLER AND I'M USING THE HEATER. ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T NOTICED THE MOLD SMELL YET, I'M NOTICING HEADACHES AND SINUS PROBLEMS SINCE I'VE BEEN DRIVING WITH THE HEATER. I'VE DRIVEN AMERICAN CARS FOR 45 CARS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I LIKE THE CAR OTHERWISE, BUT CANNOT TOLERATE THIS PROBLEM. WHY CAN'T IT BE FIXED PERMANENTLY? I NOTICED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2002. *TR