1995 Volkswagen Jetta

1) THERE WAS NO WARNING LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND HAD JUST COME TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY 2) THE HEATER CORE FAILED DEPOSITING ENGINE TEMPERATURE COOLANT (>200 DEGREE) INTO THE FOOT WELLS AND RELEASING COOLANT VAPORS INTO THE CABIN. THE WINDOWS WERE INSTANTLY OBSCURED AND I WAS FORCED TO LEAN OUT THE WINDOW TO REACH THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD I BEEN STILL ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE VERY LIKELY BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AS MY VISION WAS IMMEDIATELY IMPAIRED AND THE HOT COOLANT MADE MANIPULATING THE PEDALS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. 3) THE HEATER HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BYPASSED IN THE ENGINE BAY PENDING THE RESOLUTION OF MY CASE WITH VW OF AMERICA TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. *JB

(1) I WAS OPERATING THE WINDOW NORMALLY AND THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. THE WINDOW DROPPED INTO THE DOOR AND I WAS UNABLE TO PUT IT BACK UP. (2) THIS HAPPENED IN SEVER THUNDERSTORMS AND I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND SIT ON A NARROW SHOULDER UNTIL THE STORM PASSED. MY REAR WINDOW IS ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A WINDOW REGULATOR, AND IS UNABLE TO GO UP AND DOWN. (3) I HAVE TO BUY A REPLACEMENT WINDOW REGULATOR AND INSTALL IT. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL EARLIER MODEL VOLKSWAGENS, YEAR 1995-1997 AND HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON ALL OF THEM. VOLKSWAGEN CHARGES AND OUTRAGEOUS PRICE TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS WAY TOO COMMON. I NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH OF A SAFETY HAZARD IT WAS UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO ME IN A THUNDERSTORM AND I HAD TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF I-95 DURING A STORM WITH TERRIBLE VISIBILITY. *JB

I WAS ON MY WAY BACK TO GALVESTON FROM HOUSTON (ON I-45) WITH MY SPOUSE AND A TEN MONTH OLD SON IN OUR 95 VOLKWAGEN JETTA GLX VR6. AFTER CROSSING THE LAND BRIDGE, I SUDDENLY FOUND A DENSE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM MY VENTILATION PORTS AND A DIFFERENT SMELL STARTED COMING. I COULD HARDLY SEE THE ROAD. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT MUST BE THE HEAVY DEW (HUMIDITY) ADSORBED ON THE WINDSHIELD. THEREFORE, I SLIGHTLY INCREASED THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF THE HEATER BUT THE SITUATION BECAME WORST. THE CAR WAS WITH A SPEED 55 MPH. I SENSED THE DANGER IN CONTINUING TO DRIVE AND I PULLED OVER, OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE CRASHED. I WAS TOO SCARED AS MY FAMILY WAS WITH ME. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I ALSO SAW THAT THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE INDICATOR WAS FLASHING. THEN I REALIZED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT MUST HAVE GONE WRONG. I CLEANED THE WINDSHIELD AND SLOWLY REACHED HOME AS I WAS VERY CLOSE TO GALVESTON. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR ME. I THANK GOD THAT NOTHING WRONG HAPPENED. THE NEXT DAY, I CONTACTED THE AUTO MECHANICS TO ASK WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO FIX IT. HE TOLD THE HEATER CORE BROKE AND REPAIR IS VERY COSTLY. I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THE PRICE. HE ADVISED TO BY PASS THE HEATER. SO I DID. NOW, MY CAR IS WITHOUT HEATER. IN THESE COLD DAYS I CAN''T TAKE MY FAMILY OUT ANYWHERE. I HOPE MY EXPERIENCE WILL HELP THE OTHER DRIVERS IN THE STATES SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO ARE DRIVING SIMILAR CAR AS MINE. I ALSO HOPE THAT THE PART WHICH FAILED ON MY CAR WILL BE RECALLED AND GET FIXED. I PRAY NOBODY SHOULD GET IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION AND MENTAL STRESSES I WENT THROUGH. *JB

I WAS DRIVING A 1995 VW JETTA ABOUT 40 MPH. IN AN INSTANT, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH STEAM AND I COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD. THERE WAS ALSO STEAM COMING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD VENTS WHICH WAS VERY DISTRACTING. I HAD TO BRAKE VERY QUICKLY AND HOPE THAT I DID NOT CRASH OR RUN OFF OF THE ROADWAY. I GOT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DID A DIAGNOSIS AND SAID THAT THE HEATER CORE HAD RUPTURED. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE SINCE THE ENGINE CANNOT BE COOLED BECAUSE THE COOLANT WILL NOT STAY IN THE SYSTEM, I.E. IT LEAKS OUT VERY FAST. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR AS OF 12/16/2005. *NM

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

DRIVING EAST ON I-70 ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF FRISCO, CO, THERE WAS SUDDENLY THICK WHITE STEAM COMING OUT OF MY VENTS, FOLLOWED BY BOILING HOT COOLANT POURING ONTO MY FEET. IT WAS HARD TO SEE, AND HARD TO BRAKE BECAUSE OF THE HOT FLUID. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER. I IMMEDIATLY CALLED VW OF AMERICA, BECAUSE I HAD HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING. MY FEET WERE COVERED IN COOLANT, AND BURNED. I CAN STILL TASTE THE COOLANT IN MY NOSE. THE HEATER CORE WENT OUT, AND CAUSED THE COOLAND TO ENTER THE HEATER DUCTS. THE CAR IS AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TODAY, AND VW HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIR. IT AMAZES ME THAT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PART, EVEN THOUGH THEY ISSUED RECALLS FOR THE OLDER CARS WITH SIMILIAR PROBLEMS. I JUST WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GETTING INTO TROUBLE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART IN THE FUTURE.

WELL LETS START WITH THE WINDOW MOTORS, I HAVE HAD MY CAR SINCE 1998 AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY WINDOW MOTORS FOR EACH WINDOW AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES. I WHICH I HAVE HAD TO PAY $300 OR MORE. ALSO THE SIDE STRIPING WHICH MELTS OFF IN THE SUN HAS BEEN REPLACED ALSO 3 OR 4 TIMES COSTING $100 EACH ROUND. WHY IS IT THAT THESE ITEMS HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED OR REPLACED FOR FREE WHEN IT IS NOT THE USERS FAULT FOR THESE ITEMS GOING BAD OR FALLING OFF!!!!!*JB

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE LOST POWER AT A COLD START. SEVERAL DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT LOSS OF POWER WILL OCCUR WHILE DRIVING OR PULLING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.*AK THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE POWER WHEN THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. *NM