1999 Volkswagen Jetta

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO SAFETY RECALLS 06V183000 AND 99V251000. , ONE RECALL WAS FOR THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH ASSEMBLE AND THE OTHER WAS FOR THE B PILLAR MOUNTING CLIPS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN A CRASH WHILE GOING 40 MPH THE PERSON THAT HIT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE SAID THAT HE HIT HIM BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT TURN ON, AND THEN HE FLED THE SEEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN, AND A COMPLAINT MADE TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT SURE IF HE GOT A TICKET OR NOT FOR NOT HAVING BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS COMING OFF OF THE EXPRESSWAY AT 40 MPH, THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, AND THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN DAYLIGHT. THE CONTACT HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE BEFORE BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SWITCHED THE BULBS AND THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT. THE CONTACT'S COMPLAINT WAS THAT HE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL MONTHS LATER ON THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH AFTER HE PAID FOR EVERYTHING. THE CONTACT WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE POLICE REPORT AND AN INSURANCE REPORT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE BOTH 117392.*AK

THIS IS A FOLLOW-ON OF MY NHTSA COMPLAINT #10175337, BECAUSE TODAY, I EXPERIENCED A THIRD WATER INGESTION INTO MY SON'S 1999 VW JETTA, AND VW OF AMERICA SAID, BASICALLY, "SORRY, WE CANNOT COVER THIS WATER DAMAGE ANY MORE THAN WE COULD COVER THE SECOND WATER DAMAGE YOU HAD ON 27 NOV 06 -- UNLIKE THE WATER DAMAGE WE COVERED FOR YOU ON THE 13 OCT 05 DAMAGE!" WITH HUNDREDS OF BLOGS COMPLAINING OF WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE JETTA'S -- INCLUDING THRU 2006 MODELS AND ACKOWLEDGEMENT BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE! -- NOBODY WITH ANY SMARTS SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING ONE OF THESE CARS THAT THE MANUFACTURER DECLINES TO ADMIT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR FROM A DEALER WHO REFUSES TO SIGN A PLEDGE THAT IF ANY FUTURE LEAK OCCURS IT WILL BE COVERED AT THEIR EXPENSE! AS AN ASIDE, NOT A SINGLE HOMEOWNER IN MY 80-HOME SUBDIVISION HAD 1-DROP OF WATER ENTRY DURING RAINS THAT ENTERED MY SON'S CAR! I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY BECAUSE OF WATER INGESTION FOR A THIRD TIME AT THE SAME POINT OF ENTRY IT DID ON THE SECOND TIME FOR AN OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSE OF OVER $1000.00! I'M A DIE-HARD VW OWNER, HAVING OWNED ONE SINCE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1961, BUT MY WIFE HAS JUST DECRIED I OR OUR SON WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER! A RECALL MUST BE ISSUED BY VW AT THE BEHEST OF NHTSA, PERIOD! *NM

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER WILL NOT TURN OFF. WHILE THE KNOB THAT CONTROLS THE SEAT HEATER IS SET AT 0 (OFF), THE SEAT HEATER REMAINS ON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN OVER A YEAR AGO WITH IT JUST BEING WARM, BUT IT IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY HOTTER. IT IS GETTING SO HOT THAT THE LEATHER SEAT IS BURNING AND TURNING BLACK AND BROWN. VW HAS HAD RECALLS ON SIMILAR MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT FIX MY CAR UNDER SIMILAR RECALLS. *NM

MY SON'S 1999 VW JETTA GLS VR6 -- AND APPARENTLY HUNDREDS OF OTHER JETTAS THROUGH MODEL YEAR 2006 IDENTIFIED ON WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG-- HAVE BEEN SEVERELY WATER DAMAGED AFTER RAIN STORMS. IN MY CASE, IT FIRST HAPPENED ON 13 OCTOBER 2005, BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW IN THE COWL-VENT/FRESH-AIR INLET SETUP THAT ALLOWED WATER IN, FLOODING THE CAR FROM UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE; ALL CARPETING AND PADDING WERE COVERED IN RED AND BLACK MOLD REQUIRING TOTAL REMOVAL, CLEANSING, AND REPLACEMENT (NOTE: NOT ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN MY CUL DE SAC, INCLUDING MY 1998 VW PASSAT, ABSORBED 1-DROP). VW OF AMERICA PAID FOR THE RESTORATION, WHICH I GRACIOUSLY THANKED THEM FOR DOING. ONE YEAR LATER, AGAIN AFTER A HEAVY RAINSTORM, WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR ON 27 NOV 06, THIS TIME THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND LEFT REAR PASSENGER SIDE CARPETING WERE FILLED WITH WATER (NOTE: AGAIN, NOT A SINGLE CAR IN MY 80-HOME SUBDIVISION LET 1-DROP OF WATER INSIDE, INCLUDING MY NEW 2006 PASSAT, MERCEDES, FORDS, HONDAS, TOYOTAS, BUICKS, MIATAS, CHRYSLERS, BRONCOS, HIGHLANDERS, VOLVOS, AND 2-CADILLACS). I TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, JUST AS A NUMBER OF OTHER VW OWNERS HAD ALSO DONE, AND NOTIFIED CORPORATE VW OF AMERICA THAT I WAS AGAIN ASKING FOR RELIEF FROM THE $800 CARPET REPLACEMENT. THIS TIME, SO FAR, THEY HAVE REFUSED ANY REIMBURSEMENT -- IN SPITE OF SOME 178 IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME DESIGN FLAW BEING POSTED IN EVER INCREASING NUMBERS ON, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CARSURVEY.ORG WEBSITE. I, MY USAA INSURANCE COMPANY, AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER VW JETTA OWNERS ASK THAT A RECALL BE IMPOSED TO RESOLVE THIS DESIGN FLAW; UNRESOLVED, IT CREATES A HEALTH HAZARD, MECHANICAL RUST DAMAGE, AND ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS (THE RADIO SOUND STOPPED WHILE I WAS EN ROUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP!). *NM

MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY 99 JETTA PASSENGER VEHICLE. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN RECALLED BY THE NHTSA ON MANY OTHER 99 VW JETTAS, HOWEVER MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE DID NOT FIT IN THE VIN NUMBER RANGE OF THE SAFETY RECALL. I SUGGEST THIS SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE OTHER MODELS BECAUSE EVIDENTLY IT IS A PROBLEM AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

I DRIVE A 1999 VW JETTA, STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I WAS INFORMED BY A POLICE OFFICER THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I LEARNED FROM THE NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED MAY OF 2006 FOR CERTAIN VW CARS THAT HAD THEIR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED FOR AN EARLIER RECALL. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS SERVICED UNDER THE LAST RECALL, BUT IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. I HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *JB

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MPH. I STARTED TO HEAR A STRANGE NOISE AND BEGAN TO PULL OVER. AS I SWITCHED LANES THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE FRONT RIGHT PORTION OF THE CAR WAS SCRAPING ALONG THE GROUND. I GOT THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN AND PULLED OVER. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO LOOK WHAT WE SAW AMAZED US. THE ENTIRE STEEL BELTED RADIAL HAD BLOWN OUT OF ONE SECTION OF THE TIRE. IT RIPPED THROUGH ALL THE LAYERS OF THE TIRE ALL AT ONCE. I FEEL VERY UNEASY ABOUT THE OTHER 3 THAT REMAIN. *NM