2003 Volkswagen Gti

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR 40,000 MILE SERVICE. AT THAT TIME, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OIL PAN LEAK. THE OIL PAN WAS ALUMINUM AND THE OIL PAN DRAIN BOLT WAS MADE OF STEEL, WHICH HAS BECOME STRIPPED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THE STRIPPED BOLT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE OIL LEAK. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE OIL PAN AT HER EXPENSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,218.

(1) CAR OVERHEATED AUGUST 2007 (2) ORIGINALLY ASSUMED THERMOSTAT WAS THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER BOTH RADIATOR FANS WERE DETERMINED FAULTY (DID NOT OPERATE IN LOW SPEEDS) AND REPLACED (PARTS COVERED BY CORPORATE, LABOR BY CONSUMER). PROBLEM DETERMINED RESOLVED. NEXT MONTH (SEPTEMBER 2007), CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, BUT CAR NOT OVERHEATING. SERVICE TECHNICAL SAYS THERMOSTAT SHUT OPEN AND ECT TEMP SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE ($546). ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM COULD OVERHEAT IN HOT WEATHER. WILL DETERMINE OUTCOME WITH VW CORPORATE AND/OR SERVICE CENTER. *TR

(1) CAR ENGINE OVERHEATED WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ON WITH 35K MILES (4 YEAR OLD CAR). (2) DEALER REPAIR SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED BOTH AUXILARY FANS (290" AND 345") FAILED TO SPIN AT LOW SPEEDS AND OPERATE ONLY AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHEN CAR IS BETWEEN 0 TO 30 MPH. DEALER DIRECTED CONSUMER PARTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (4 YEARS, 50,000 MILES) AND CONSIDERED ELECTRICAL PARTS AND TO REPAIR AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE ($918). CORPORATE OFFICE EVENTUALLY COVERED PART AND CONSUMER COVERED LABOR EXPENSES. SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAVE OCCURED WITH THE CAR INCLUDING BULB REPLACEMENTS ON A/C CONSOLE, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND BATTERY FAILURE AFTER 4 YEARS POINTING TO POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL DESIGN OR INTEGRATION FLAW. (3) FANS WERE REPLACED AND PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. *JB

I HAVE TAKEN MY '03 GTI VR6 TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME COMPLAINT. WHEN IT IS RAINING, THERE IS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM EACH TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE THE BELT BUT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I REPLACED THE BELT MYSELF AND I STILL GET THE SQUEALING NOISE, EVEN WITH BELT DRESSING. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER WHEN THE SQUEALING NOISE IS OCCURRING. MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM NOW IS MY SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THE SPEEDO WILL BE READING MY CURRENT SPEED AND THEN DROP TO ZERO, BOUNCE BACK UP AND BACK DOWN TO ZERO, UP A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN STAY AT ZERO UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. SEEMS TO DO THIS ONLY ON TRIPS GREATER THAN 20 MINUTES. *NM

COOLANT LEAKAGE FROM HOSE ON RIGHT HAND SIDE OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS HAS HAPPEN A LEAST 3 TIMES ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AT LEAST 3 TIMES. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO VW SERVICE THEY RESET THE ENGINE LIGHT AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR WHICH THEY CLAIM THEY CHANGE BUT A MONTH LATER SAME THING HAPPEN AGIAN. I'M SCHEDULE AGIAN FOR OCT 11 2004 FOR COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE SAME HOSE THAT I BROUGHT TO THEM SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. AFTER READING A POST HERE I'VE ALSO NOTICE THAT MY 03 VR6 GTI FEELS FAST SOME DAYS AND SLOW OTHERS WONDERING IF I MAY HAVE A COIL PROBLEM.*AK