1995 Volkswagen Jetta

I BOUGHT MY JETTA III GLS IN 1995 BRAND NEW. WITHIN A YEAR THE MOLDING ON THE DOORS STARTED PEELING OFF AND EVENTUALLY FALLING OFF. THE DEALER SENT IT TO A BODY SHOP TO HAVE IT GLUED AND IT NEVER STUCK. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR YEARS WITH ONE MOLDING MISSING. I HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE POWER WINDOW MOTORS AND PARTS. FAILURE OF THESE POWER WINDOWS ARE CONSISTANTLY FAILING ONE AFTER THE ANOTHER. I HAD SMOKE AND AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND FAILING BLINKERS WHICH WERE BOTH RELATED. I REPLACED THE BLINKER SYSTEM AND PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. THE LOCK FREEZE EASILY IN COLD WEATHER AND I HAVE HAD THE DRIVER SIDE LOCK COMPLETELY FALL APART WHILE UNLOCKING THE CAR. THE SEAL ON FRONT WINDSHIELD IS WEARING AWAY CAUSING LEAKING OF RAIN AND THIS WILL BE FIXED WITH $100 RESEALING OF WINDSHIELD. RUSTING IS OCCURRING UNDER CAR AND ON UNDERSIDE OF DOORS, VW SAID IT MUST BE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT TO BE COVERED (WOULDN'T THAT BE BIGGER PROBLEM IF IT OCCURRED FROM THE INSIDE??). THE OIL SEAL IS LEAKING. THE OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN. THE MIDDLE CONSOLE WAS PERMANENTLY LOCKED AND DEALER TOOK IT LOCK OUT SAYING IT WAS BROKEN. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID CONTAINER HAS BROKEN TWICE. THIS IS ALL WITH 85,000 MILES. THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH JETTA BUT WINDOW MOTORS AND MOLDING ARE BY FAR TWO MAIN PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED WITH A RECALL, ASK ANY JETTA OWNER. *NM

WHERE TO START? PROBLEM WITH THE LOCK CYLINDERS, WHICH BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS BLOWN OUT, REPLACED THE BULBS AND 1 MONTH LATER THEY ARE BLOWN OUT AGAIN, WINDOW REGULATORS FAILED, THE STEEL CABLE SNAPPED INSIDE THE HOUSING FAULTY DESIGNED WHEEL AND MOTORS BLOWN, CAN NOT BUY MOTORS SEPARATELY NEED TO BUY THE WHOLE REGULATOR WHICH COSTS OVER $200, PAINT PEELED AND CRACKED, SIDE MOLDING FELL OFF HAD TO RE-GLUE, AND THAT IS ALL I CAN THINK OF OFF HAND I AM NOT INCLUDING THE NUMEROUS SUSPENSION AND EXHAUST PROBLEMS.*JB

THE DOOR LOCK PROBLEM IS ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY INTO THE CAR AND VW CLAIMS THAT IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT. A WOMAN, ME, WALKING ALONE IN A DARK PARKING LOT AT NIGHT WHO CAN'T GET INTO HER CAR COULD BE ROBBED OR RAPED. A CHILD, MINE, WHO MIGHT LOCK THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE AND ACCIDENTLY PUSH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DOWN COULD SET THE CAR IN MOTION, ROLLING AND I WOULD NOT EASILY BE ABLE TO UNLOCK OR GET INTO THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND VW SHOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING THIS. THEY CLAIM THERE IS A 2-YR WARRANTY ON THE DOOR LOCK CYLINDER. TO THIS, I SAY, RIDICULOUS. THAT MEANS THEY DO NOT INTEND FOR THEIR DOOR LOCKS TO LAST THE LIFE OR EVEN HALF THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD A SAAB AS MY LAST CAR AND I PROBABLY HAD TO REPLACE EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THAT CAR DURING IT'S 10 YR LIFETIME, BUT...I NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE DOOR LOCKS. PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS VENDOR TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PRODUCT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, ANDREA COHEN. *AK

THESE PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE PAST 4 YEARS, AND HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED WITH THE DEALER. WHEN MY LEASE WAS UP, MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MOULDINGS HAVE BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN STATES THAT HAVE WARM WEATHER BECAUSE THE GLUE STARTS TO MELT WHICH CAUSES THE MOULDING TO FALL OFF. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS SEEMED TO SHORT OUT. NOW THEY COME ON SOMETIMES IF IT IS COLD, BUT GO OFF ONCE THE CAR STARTS TO WARM UP. WE DRIVE WITH A SMALL FLASHLIGHT ON THE LEDGE OF THE ODOMETER SO WE CAN TELL HOW FAST WE ARE DRIVING. THE DOOR LOCKS ARE FROZEN, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THE KEY CANNOT BE INSERTED ALL THE WAY INTO THE LOCK, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THE KEY GOES IN BUT DOES NOT TURN.