2000 Volkswagen Jetta

2000 VW JETTA, VR6 ENGINE, 49,3331 MILE. WHENEVER MY CAR WAS IDLE FOR MORE THAN 6-8 HOURS AND WAS EXPOSED TO RAINY\WET WEATHER, THE ENGINE WOULD EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE ISSUES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE CAR UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ENGINE WOULD SPUTTER AND SOUND LIKE IT WAS ON THE VERGE OF STALLING. IF I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT LETTING IT FULLY WARM-UP, THE ENGINE WOULD EXPERIENCE A SEVERE PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION, CHARACTERIZED BY POOR, ROUGH ACCELERATION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE, AND I WOULD RECEIVE THE EMISSIONS WORKSHOP WARNING MESSAGE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 1-2 YEARS. AT FIRST THE PROBLEM WAS MILD, BUT OVER TIME IT WORSENED. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION COIL AND IGNITION LEADS NEEDED REPLACEMENT TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, AND THUS FAR THE ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE HAS NOT REAPPEARED. VW ISSUED AN IGNITION COIL RECALL FOR VARIOUS OTHER 2001, 2002 AND 2003 MODELS. IT APPEARS THE IGNITION COIL RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER MODEL YEARS AS THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF PART THAT SHOULD NEED REGULAR REPLACEMENT. IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS THERE'S A DEFECT WITH THIS PART.

1) VEHICLE COMFORT MODULE SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR! 2) A MAJORITY OF THE FUNCTIONS CONTROLLED BY THIS MODULE FAILED, INCLUDING ALARM GOING OFF WHILE DRIVING, FUEL CAP RELEASE NOT WORKING, DOOR LOCKS, TRUNK RELEASE, ETC. ALL FAILED. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY, THE ALARM WENT OFF AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO TURN IT OFF. CALLED EMERGENCY ROADSIDE SERVICE AND THEY SHOWED ME HOW TO DISABLE THE ALARM (TURN THE KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK ON AND OFF SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES). HOWEVER NONE OF THE OTHER FUNCTIONS WORKED, MOST SERIOUS WAS THAT THE FUEL CAP COULD NOT BE OPENED. I HAD TO GET THIS FIXED BEFORE I RAN OUT OF FUEL! 3) TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE COMFORM MODULE AND MOST OF THE SYSTEM OPERATIONAL AGAIN. 4) HOWEVER OVER TIME, ONE BY ONE VARIOUS SYSTEMS STARTING MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN. WITHIN WEEKS, ONE OF THE REAR DOOR LOCKS WOULDN'T CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY. LATER THE TRUNK RELEASE DIDN'T WORK WITH THE REMOTE. THEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULDN'T GO OFF AUTOMATICALLY. OTHER DOOR LOCKS STOPPED FUNCTIONING, ETC. 5) SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THESE WERE NOT CRUCIAL FUNCTIONS, I LIVED WITH THESE FAILURES. BUT NOW I'M UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR, NOT KNOWING WHERE AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, EVERYTHING STOPS WORKING AGAIN. 6) I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND DESCRIBED THIS. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND FIXED AT MY OWN COST. THEY SAID THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY COULD NOT HELP FIX THIS. I ARGUED THAT THIS WAS A CORE COMPONENT THAT FAILED - NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR OR MISUSE, BUT THEY STILL SAID SORRY!*AK

NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. PERIODICALLY THE BRAKING PRESSURE WAS RELEASED AND A PEDAL PULSE WAS FELT WHILE STOPPING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM TO THE ABS PUMP LEAKED INTO THE ABS MODULE. *JB THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN A PARKING LOT AS A RESULT OF THE BRAKES RELEASING CAUSING HER TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PERSON IN THE OTHER VEHICLE SOUGHT MEDICAL TREATMENT. *SC

WHILE DRIVING, MY 2000 JETTA GLS, VEHICLE HESITATES AND STALLS (ENGINE LIGHT ALSO WOULD COME ON AT TIMES). ON SIX OCCASIONS TO SERVICE, VW CLAIMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. THE SEVENTH TIME, CONVENIENTLY AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION, THEY FOUND A BAD IGNITION COIL...WHICH OBVIOUSLY, I HAD TO PAY FOR. SPEAKING TO FOUR ACQUANTAINCES THAT HAD SAME VEHICLE, ALL REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE HESITATION AND STALLING. THE KICKER CAME FROM MY FRIEND WHO RECEIVED A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE (IGNITION COIL RECALL) FOR HIS 1.8T JETTA. A CALL TO VW (1800-822-8987) TO INQUIRE ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY EXPENSES REVEALED THAT MY JETTA VIN DID NOT MATCH THE RECALLED VIN'S!!! HOW CAN A PART THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED NOT BE COVERED FOR MY VEHICLE THAT HAS THE SAME PART? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT OWNERS OUT THERE THAT ARE BEING TALKED INTO UNNECESSARY REPAIRS AND SIDETRACKED FROM THE REAL ISSUE AND ARE NOT AWARE OF THE RECALLS OR SIMPLY DO NOT FILE COMPLAINTS. A LITTLE BIT OF INFO...TO TEST FOR THE PROBLEM, RUN YOUR VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF GAS (ONE OR TWO GALLONS WILL REVEAL THE PROBLEM), AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!!! SINCE THE IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED, NO PROBLEMS...HMMMMMM! I URGE ALL TO CALL VW AND FILE COMPLAINTS WITH AAA AND NHTSA IF YOU HAVE BEEN DUPED. EVENTUALLY, THE TRUTH WILL WIN.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND THEN STAYED ON, FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE SPUTTERING. THEN IT STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, IN WHICH THE FAILURE WA A FAILED IGNITION COIL. THE IGNITION COIL HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, BUT THE FAILURE HAS RECURRED. THIS FAILURE OCCURS EVERY 20,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT INDICATE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. *JB

FROM STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD SOMETIME STALL. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD A BAD MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR (MAF) AND WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK DID NOT ALWAYS LOCK AUTOMATICALLY AND WOULD CAUSE THE ALARM TO SOUND. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. THE VEHICLE ALARM WOULD SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. *SC

BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN DECEMBER 2000. AT 5,390 MILES W/WARRANTY TOOK MY CAR IN B/C THE A/C WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. 7,255 MILES-A/C IS NOT COLD- FOUND SYSTEM LEAK-EXPANSION VALVE LEAK. 13,247 MILES-AC NOT COLD AGAIN. FOUND EXPANSION VALVE LEAKING- FREON-REPLACED O RING RECEIVER AND DRIER AND EXPANSION VALVE. 34,684- A/C LOUD AGAIN. 60,760 MILES- FAULTY AIR FLOW VALVE-REMOVED AND INSTALLED AIR FLOW SENSOR- WARRANTY. 88,850 MILES-A/C PROBLEMS AGAIN! 88,850MILES- A/C NOT COLD BLOWING WARM AIR, CUSTOMER TURNED A/C ON AND SQEAKING NOISE HEARD, TURNED BACK OFF, STOPPED NOISE, TURNED BACK ON BLOWING WARM AIR AND SQEAKING NOISE HEARD AGAIN. TOOK CAR IN FOR THE A/C PROBLEM A TOTAL OF 8 TIMES! WROTE OFFICIAL COMPLAINT LETTER TO VW DEALERSHIP. MANAGER FOUND THE WHOLE A/C SYSTEM WAS LEAKING! MANAGER SAID IT WOULD COST $3,725 DOLLARS! ( B/C WARRANTY HAS BEEN EXPIRED) TO FIX THE A/C UNIT. THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR 50% OF THE PRICE. WE ARE NOT SATISFIED. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING B/C THE VW "QUALIFIED" TECHNICIANS ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE CAR, ENTRUSTED THE CAR INTO THEIR CARE, BUT EVENTUALLY LED THE CUSTOMER TO BIGGER PROBLEMS! THE CAR HAD ALL THE MAINTENANCE SERVICES DONE ON TIME! FAILURE OF THE TECHNICIANS BEING ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM DOES NOT SHOW THAT THEY ARE QUALIFIED..WHAT DID THEY CHECK??? WHY TELL THE CUSTOMER THAT JUST BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED THAT THERE IS NO OLBIGATION BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ANYMORE WHEN THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TOUCHED THE SYSTEM AND ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT?? BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE! UNACCEPTABLE! ALREADY NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE PRESIDENT OF TAKING LEGAL ACTION. NO CAR BUYER SHOULD HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THIS KIND OF HORRIBLE TIME CONSUMING PROBLEM. AFTER PAYING THE FULL VALUE OF THE CAR. INVESTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A NEW VW CAR THIS RESULT IS NOT GETTING WHAT WE PAYED FOR. THE CAR DOES NOT MEET UP TO THE STANDARD OF THEIR MOTTO "VW DESIGN AND INTENT".

TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART. HOWEVER, TWO WEEKS LATER THE PART FAILED AGAIN. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE HAD RUN INTO A POLE AT A GAS STATION ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. THIS PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. OTHER PROBLEMS WERE: THE TIRE PRESSURE HAD TO BE RESET ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, REAR PADS, A/C WAS NOT COOLING, GLOVE BOX, POWER WINDOWS, CONSOLE, POWER SUNROOF, INTERIOR TRIM, STEERING/SUSPENSION, DRIVEABILITY, TRIM ELECTRICAL, SOUND SYSTEM, AND HEATING/COOLING. *SC THE CONSUMER DID NOT REPORT ANY DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WHEN SHE HIT THE POLE. *JB