2000 Volkswagen Golf

WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 VW GOLF, WITH 78000 MILES, I SQUIRTED MY WINDSHIELD WITH FLUID TO CLEAR IT, AND THE WIPERS, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 2-WIPE CYCLE SLOWED DOWN, STRUGGLED AND THEN, WITHOUT WARNING, CEASED TO OPERATE, STOPPING HALFWAY ON THE UPSWING. I WAS UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY MOVE THE WIPER BACK TO REST POSITION. LUCKILY, IT WAS NOT RAINING AND I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD WHERE I COULD PULL OVER SAFELY TO THE CURB. I DID DRIVE THE CAR HOME THAT DAY, AS IT WAS CLEAR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO USE THE CAR FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AS RAIN THREATENED, AND OBVIOUSLY I COULD NOT AFFORD TO BE DRIVING IN EVEN A LIGHT RAIN AS THE FRONT WIPERS WERE NON-OPERATIONAL. I HAD THE WIPERS REPAIRED AT MINUTEMAN VW, BEDFORD MA, ON SEPTEMBER 14. THEY FOUND THAT THE WIPER LINKAGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS COMPLETELY IN A BIND AND WERE PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO MOVE IT, WHILE THE DRIVER'S SIDE MOVED FREELY. THEY REPLACED THE WIPER LINKAGE, PART # 1J1-955-603-B, AT A TOTAL COST OF $169.64. THEY FOUND NO SIGNS OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCE, AND HAVE NOTED SUCH IN WRITING ON MY SERVICE SLIP. I AM IN POSSESSION OF THE OLD PART. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD THAT "VW DOES NOT CONSIDER WIPER OPERATION TO BE PART OF THE SAFETY OPERATION OF THE CAR",AND THAT I WAS TOO FAR OUT OF WARRANTY. I DISAGREE. I FEEL THAT THE MECHANICAL OPERATION OF THE WIPER IS DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO SAFE OPERATION, AND SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR. HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN A RAIN STORM, HAVING THE WIPERS BECOME SUDDENLY INOPERATIVE WOULD WELL HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY. *NM

ONCE AGAIN, INCONVENIENCED BY WINDOW SLIDER/REGULATOR FAILURE. FIRST IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION WITH ONLY A GRINDING NOISE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO POWER THE WINDOW BACK UP. I IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THE PHONE AND ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS COULD OFFER ME AN APPOINTMENT THAT WOULD GET MAKE BACK ON THE ROAD IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THUS, I JUST SHOWED UP AT ONE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT OPENED AND MANAGED TO GET MY CAR SERVICED QUICKLY AND THE REPAIR WAS BILLED AS A WARRANTY ITEM. FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE THIS IS THE SECOND WINDOW ON MY CAR AND THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS INVOLVED. THANK YOU.*AK

1. RUST ON BRAKES PAD GUIDES BLOCKED THE PADS ON THE ROTORS. ROTORS WERE WARPED FROM THE HEAT, BRAKE PAD ON LEFT REAR SIDE WORE FROM 1/2" ALL THE WAY TO THE METAL IN SHORT TIME. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED TO THE DEALER FOR 30K SERVICE 25 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. VW CUSTOMER SERVICE CONSIDERS THE INCIDENT DUE TO "ELEMENTS AND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". COST OF REPAIR: $418.74 NOT COVERED BY MANUFACTURER. 2. WINDOW CLAMPS AND CABLE DEFECTIVE, REPAIR COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, NO RECALL ON PARTS, HUNDREDS OF CASES EXPERIENCED BY THE DEALERSHIP, AS PER DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES. NLM

ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AS I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR WORK, I POWERED DOWN MY FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW. WHEN I WENT TO POWER BACK UP, THE WINDOW WOULD NOT MOVE AND IT MADE A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. THE WINDOW WAS FROZEN IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE WINDOW WAS RARELY POWERED UP/DOWN IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF USE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH A LOCAL DEALERSHIP (NOT NIELLO), I COULD NOT BE SEEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. DUE TO MY BUSY WORK SCHEDULE, ONE FORTY-FIVE DOLLAR CAB RIDE TO WORK, AND A RECENTLY EXPIRED AUTOMOBILE WARRANTY, I ASKED MY HUSBAND TO REPAIR THE CAR. AFTER CAREFULLY REMOVING THE GLASS, THE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL, AND ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS, HE REMOVED THE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL/LIFTER ASSEMBLY. THE PROBLEM WAS IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE. A POORLY DESIGNED, CHEAPLY MANUFACTURED, INFERIOR PLASTIC SLIDER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO RESIST THE WEIGHT OF THE WINDOW, THE RESISTANCE OF THE RISER, OR THE PULL OF THE CABLE WHEN POWERED BY THE WINDOW REGULATOR. ON MAY 29, 2002, I VISITED ROSEVILLE VOLKSWAGEN'S PARTS DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE CANNOT PURCHASE JUST THE PLASTIC SLIDER (THE DEFECTIVE PART). THIS PART IF SOLD ALONE, COULD NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH MORE THAN $20. INSTEAD, THE WHOLE INTERNAL DOOR PANEL PART MUST BE PURCHASED AT $160. ACCORDING TO THE PARTS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, VOLKSWAGEN IS COVERING THIS REPAIR UP TO 40,000 MILES. THUS, I SUBMITTED THE INVOICE FOR THE $160 PART, THE DEFECTIVE SLIDER, AND A LETTER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PART TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA. MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS DENIED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I WAS NOT IN AN UNSAFE PLACE WHEN THE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION. CONSIDERING ALL OF THE LISTINGS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE ALONE, I WOULD HOPE THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THIS FLAWED DESIGN. I WOULD ALSO EXPECT THAT VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD MAKE THE SLIDER AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS AN INDIVIDUAL PART. THANK YOU.*AK

I HAVE HAD 3 OUT OF 4 POWER WINDOWS (ONE TWICE) GO DOWN AND FAIL TO COME BACK UP. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS OCCURING WITH SUCH REGULARITY MY DEALERSHIP CAN NOT KEEP THE PART IN STOCK. I AM JUST WAITING FOR WINDOW #4 TO BREAK WHILE I AM AT WORK WHICH IS NOT THE MOST SAVORY NEIGHBORHOOD.*AK

POWER WINDOWS ON THREE OCCASIONS ON BOTH FRONT WINDOWS, WITH NO CAUSE FELL DOWN IN WINDOW WELL. THIS OCCURRED ONCE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, AND TWICE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. OWNER STATED WHILE TRYING TO GET THIS REPAIRED THREE OTHER PEOPLE WERE AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WAS BACKED UP DUE TO NUMEROUS REPLACEMENT REQUESTS. *AK

ALTHOUGH MY POWER WINDOW REGULATOR AND CLIPS HAVE NOT FAILED YET, THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM TO VW. THEY HAVE RECENTLY DESIGNED A "KIT" WHICH HAS UPGRADED METAL PARTS, AND NOT PLASTIC PARTS. THEY ARE REPLACING THE PIECES AFTER THEY BREAK, AFTER WINDOW FALLS DOWN INTO THE TRACK. SOME DEALERS COVER PART OF THE COST ($200!?), SOME DON'T. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND I THINK VW SHOULD BE RECALLING THE CARS BEFORE FAILURE TO REPLACE THE WINDOW CLIPS AND REGULATORS. THE YEARS AFFECTED ARE 2000 - 2002, THE GOLF AND JETTA (AND MAYBE THE BEETLE). PRESENTLY REPAIR PARTS ARE BACKORDERED DUE TO THE DEMAND.*AK

1. PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW DROPS DOWN IN DOOR. HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THERE WERE FOUR OTHER PEOPLE AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME TIME I WAS THERE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN "ARIZONA" PROBLEM AND THAT THE PART THAT HOLDS THE WINDOW UP MELTS AND BREAKS. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY WINDOW FELL DOWN CAUSING ME TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY THE INCIDENT AND NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. 2. AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON FOR NO REASON. COST TOM ME WAS $618 TO REPLACE A FAULTY AIRBAG AND WIRING HARNESS. I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED EVEN OUT OF WARRANTY SINCE THERE IS NOTHING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DONE TO CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO BECOME DEFECTIVE. 3. CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES WHEN THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS APPLIED. THIS HAPPENED FOR MONTHS UNTI THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I HAVE HEARD THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO A RIBBON CABLE WHICH GETS BROKEN IN THE STEERING COLUMN. MY FIRST ONE BROKE JUST BEFORE THE 24K WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE SECOND ONE BROKE ON SCHEDULE AT ABOUT 50K. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IF YOU PAS SOMEONE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON AND THEN USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL TO GET BACK OVER THE CRUISE IS DEACTIVATED CAUSING THE CAR TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN IN FRONT OF THE CAR YOU WERE TRYING TO PASS.*AK