1998 Volkswagen Jetta

I OWN A 1998 VOLKSWAGON JETTA, WOLFSBURG EDITION. I'VE BEEN STRANDED A TOTAL OF 6 OR 7 TIMES (LOSING COUNT) ON THE INTERSTATE BY THIS VEHICLE. PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE OWNER LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS MYSTERIOUS PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. I WORK FOR THE STATE OF INDIANA, COMMUNTE INTO INDIANAPOLIS 5 DAYS A WEEK, I AM AN INTERSTATE TRAVELER. I HAVE FORGIVEN MOST OF THE PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD, BUT RECENTLY HAVE REACHED THE LIMIT. JUST LAST WEEK I WAS ONCE AGAIN STRANDED ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR AND MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING AND SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM MY STEERING COLUMN. THIS SITUATION TERRIFIED ME. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO URGENTLY COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE, BUT I WAS IN FEAR THAT THE CAR WOULD BE ON FIRE DUE TO SEEING THIS SMOKE. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND THE IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED; ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE MAN DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE FROM MY STEERING COLUMN. I KNOW FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THE BAD IGNITION COIL IN THESE VEHICLES IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE ARE EXISTING RECALLS ON SOME VOLKSWAGON IGNITION COILS. THIS SEEMS UNJUST CONSIDERING THEY USED THE SAME IGNITION COIL IN THE 1998 THAT THEY DID IN OTHER VEHICLE YEARS. THIS REPAIR COST ME $400, WHICH IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE FOR ME RIGHT NOW. NOW MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE SERVICEMAN WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL SAYS ALL IS CONNECTED AND HE THINKS THE SMOKE IN THE CAR WAS COMING FROM THE AIRBAG WIRING. HE SAID THERE'S NO WAY TO DISCONNECT THE AIRBAG (TO STOP ANY CHANCE OF IT EXPLODING OUT ON ME WHILE DRIVING). IF IT COMES OUT WHILE DRIVING..I AM DEAD.IF IT FAILS IN AN ACCIDENT.I COULD BE DEAD. I AM AFRAID TO EVEN HAVE MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. I HONESTLY THINK IT'S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS WIRED INCORRECTLY. PLEASE ASSIST ME IN GETTING JUSTICE SERVED. I'VE HEARD OF SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE MISTREATED AND IGNORED BY VOLKSWAGON. THIS VEHICLE'S REPEATED FAILURE SHOULD BE NOTED. I APPRECIATE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO. *AK

WE HAVE A 98 JETTA AND IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRIC WINDOW MECHANISMS. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, HOWEVER THEY ONLY REPAIR THE DEFECT ON 99 AND NEWER MODELS. WHY? THE DEALER AGREES THAT IT IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. WE STARTED TO REPLACE THE MECHANISM OURSELVES, HOWEVER THE ONLY REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE WAS THE SAME DEFECTIVE MECHANISM. THE CABLE SAWS THROUGH PARTS WITHIN THE MECHANISM WHICH BINDS THE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE, OVERHEAT, BLOW FUSES, ETC. WE HAVE TO JUST LEAVE THE WINDOWS UP AND NOT USE THEM AT ALL. WE NOTICED AN IRREGULARITY WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE DEALER TOLD US THAT IT WAS A PROGRAMMABLE CONTROL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LEARN TO USE IT. *LA

THE IGNITION SWITCH IN MY CAR IS GETTING WORSE. THE FIRST TIME IT MALFUNCTIONED WAS ON A COLD AND SNOWY NIGHT. I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE WIPERS STOPPED, THE DEFROSTER FAN STOPPED AND THE ABS LIGHT WENT ON. IT WAS A LITTLE UNSETTLING. THE VW DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A BAD INGNITION SWITCH AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $300.OO DOLLARS TO REPLACE. WHEN I ASKED THE PARTS DEPARTMENT IF THEY HAD THE SWITCH IN STOCK HE LAUGHED AND SAID "OH YEAH". I AM NOW DRIVING MY CAR ONLY IN THE DAYTIME WHILE I SAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE SWITCH. I HAVE OWNED OVER 30 CARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN IGNITION FAIL.*AK

THE LOCKING LUG NUTS END PIECES ON MY 98 JETTA BROKE OFF ON ROUTINE TIRE ROTATIONS. THE DEALER WAS INITIALLY UNABLE TO REMOVE THE LUGNUTS UNTIL HE REMOVED THE WHOLE WHEEL ASSY AND WELDED TOOLS ONTO THE LUGNUTS. I HAVE THE WELDED-ON TOOLS WITH THE LUGNUTS - TOTAL COST WAS 600.00. IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELLING I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE TO JUST CHANGE A TIRE. WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL? THE DEALERS IN GERMANY SAID THEY RECALLED THE GERMAN MODELS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK

THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PAIN IN THE A-- ALMOST SINCE PURCHASE. THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS HAVE INVOLVED WHAT SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE WIRING WITH RESPECT TO THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS. THESE HAVE BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENCE CITED ABOVE,TO THE TUNE OF $250, THE LAST TIME BEING 6 MONTHS AGO. NOW I AM TOLD THAT IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR ASSEMBLY TO THE TUNE OF $650 PARTS AND LABOR! OTHER ASSORTED DOOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. OTHER PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN: DOOR MOLDINGS FALLING OFF (THIS MUST BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH '98 JETTAS, BECAUSE I'VE NOTICED THAT MOST OF THOSE THAT I SEE ON THE ROAD HAVE MISSING MOLDINGS). BOTH FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF EACH OTHER AFTER AN INAPPROPIATELY SHORT USAGE. MUCH LOWER GAS MILEAGE THAT ORIGINALLY PROMISED. MOST OF THESE PROBLEMS STARTED WELL WITHIN WARRANTY.

MY 98 JETTA TDI ENGINE BLEW APPROXIMATELY 11,000 PAST ITS WARRANTY. THIS WOULD BE THE EQUIVENT OF 5 MONTHS DRIVING AT THE RATES I DRIVE PER YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP (AV NISSAN/VW) TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIND WHAT CAUSED IT AND THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD VW OF AMERICA, A DIFFERENT STORY THEN EITHER HAD BEEN RELATED TO ME (THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN WITH WARNINGLIGHTS ON & WITH DAMAGE). UNFORTUNATELY WHEN TALKING TO VW OF A. THEY RELATED THE STORY BACK TO A NON-EXISTENT EMPLOYEE OF THE DEALERSHIP. I PAID FOR THE TROUBLESHOOTING AND TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER (TED'S SERVICE AND REPAIR) THAT SPECIALIZES IN GERMAN VEHICLES. HE NOTED THAT THE VALVE SEAT DROPPED INTO THE CYLINDER, WHICH CAUSED THE VALVE TO BREAK IN THE CYLINDER DOING MASSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. HE NOTED THAT WHEN SEATS DROP THEY ARE TYPICALLY DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. VW REFUSED TO COVER ANY DAMAGES DUE TO THE RECENTLY EXPIRED WARRANTY. HELP!

MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN (VW) JETTA HAS AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM. WHEN DRIVING, IT FALLS BACK, TURNING OFF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (INCLUDING LIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS). VW HAS IDENTIFIED THIS AS A PROBLEM IN THE 1996 AND 1997 JETTAS (AND SENT OUT A RECALL ON THE PART) BUT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS A PROBLEM FOR THE 1998 MODELS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A VW SERVICE PERSON THAT THE 1998 MODELS USE THE SAME IGNITION SWITCH AS THE 1996/1997'S. VW REPRESENTATIVES CLAIM THAT THEY DO NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE 1998'S. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY VW. *LA