2003 Volkswagen Jetta

WHEN I START MY CAR, THE ENGINE IDLES INCONSISTENTLY AND THE CAR SHAKES OR STUTTERS. IF I BEGIN DRIVING NORMALLY ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN, EITHER THE ENGINE WILL STALL (HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY LATELY) OR THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE IDLING PROBLEMS UNTIL IT WARMS UP. IN THE SECOND CASE, THE CAR WILL DRIVE NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES UNTIL I COME TO THE FIRST HILL. IF THE CAR DOWN SHIFTS WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL AT LOWER SPEEDS, THE ASR LIGHT WILL COME ON AND FROM THIS POINT ON THE CAR HAS A DIFFICULT TIME SHIFTING GEARS. THE SHIFTING IS ABRUPT AND THE ENGINE DOES NOT SOUND NORMAL. IF I STOP, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON THE CAR APPEARS TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. TO AVOID THE ABOVE PROBLEM, I DO THE FOLLOWING WHEN FIRST STARTING MY CAR. I START THE CAR, TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND REV MY ENGINE TO ABOUT 3000 RPM'S. I HOLD THIS RPM FOR ABOUT 30-60 SECONDS AND THEN I NOTICE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ONCE AND BECOME STRONGER AND THE ENGINE WILL THEN REV UP ANOTHER 500 RPM'S ON ITS OWN. AT THIS POINT I USUALLY DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE ASR PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. PROBLEM FIRST STARTED IN 2007 AND PERSISTED UNTIL 2010 WHEN IT WAS FINALLY REPAIRED. *TR

2003 VW JETTA: DIGITAL DISPLAY WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN KEY WAS REMOVED FROM IGNITION. UNABLE TO LOCK VEHICLE DOORS WITH REMOTE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE RESTARTED FOR DIGITAL PANEL TO APPEAR (RE-SET) AND FOR DOOR TO LOCK WITH REMOTE. ENGINE WOULD ALSO SHUT OFF WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. POSSIBILITY TO CAUSE A CRASH. ALL DIGITAL PANELS STILL ILLUMINATED, KEY WOULD BE LOCKED IN INGNITION, UN-ABLE TO TURN OR BE REMOVED UNTIL CAR PLACED BACK IN PARK AND HAND BRAKE PULLED UP. ISSUES OCCURED BI-WEEKLY, WEEKLY, AND NOW DAILY. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD THAT IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY (WARRANT JUST EXPIRED LAST MONTH). AFTER TRYING TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM PRIOR TO BRINGING TO DEALERSHIP, I'VE FOUND ON SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE/REPAIR FOR VW CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS/EXPERIENCES, ALL OF WHICH WERE TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. VEHICLE IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD AND IS AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD SERVICE FOR THE FOLLOWING RECALLS: CATALYTIC CONVERTER, FAILED IGNITION COILS, FAILED REAR WINDOW/DOOR LOCKS. THIS CAR IS A LEMON! *TR

2003 JETTA GLS; TWICE WHEN RUNNING THE AC THE CAR SUDDENLY OVERHEATS, FUSE BLOWS. THE ENGINE TEMP GAUGE GOES FAR INTO THE RED ZONE. I TURNED ON THE HEATER TO DRAW HEAT AWAY FROM ENGINE, AIR WAS SO HOT IT LITERALLY MELTED THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE IN THE CUP HOLDER. (DIDN'T HELP MY COMFORT THAT THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS NEAR 100 DEGREES AND I'M DRIVING ALONG WITH SUNROOF OPEN, WINDOWS OPEN, AND HEATER TURNED ON HIGH!) I WAS CONCERNED THAT MY LEG WAS BURNED AS WELL BECAUSE THE AIR BLOWING FROM VENT WAS SO HOT. I HAD TO IDLE THE CAR EVERY FEW THOUSAND FEET TO ALLOW CAR TO COOL ENOUGH TO LIMP TO SERVICE STATION. FIRST TIME (JULY 06, CAR W/I WARRANTY @ 32K MILES), VW TOLD ME THAT THE FUSE WAS BLOWN; THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE AND INDICATED THAT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN THEY WOULD NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHY. SECOND TIME (NOV. 2007, CAR OUT OF WARRANTY @ 51K)), NON-VW MECHANIC ABLE TO REPLICATE AND SAID THAT FUSE BLEW BECAUSE "COOLING FANS ARE DRAWING TOO MANY AMPS (UP TO 100 AMPS) WHEN STARTING. WHEN RUNNING THEY ARE STILL DRAWING 37 AMPS AND SHOULD BE LESS THAN 20 AMPS." ALTHOUGH THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY TWICE, AND I HAVE YET TO REPAIR (TOO EXPENSIVE AT $800+ AND I'M UNEMPLOYED), I LIVE IN GREAT FEAR AS WARM WEATHER APPROACHES THAT I WILL BE "BURNED" BY THIS ISSUE AGAIN. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. *TR

I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT FAILURE OF THE IGNITION COILS ON A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA ( ) WITH THE 1.8 LITER TURBO ENGINE. VW HAS ALREADY RECALLED A NUMBER OF JETTAS OF THIS VINTAGE AND WITH THIS ENGINE FOR REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE COILS ON THIS CAR. ONE FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN POORLY. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL FOUR COILS AT A COST OF $384.48. THE CAR ONLY HAD 23,726 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THIS DEFECT CAN CAUSE IMMEDIATE ENGINE FAILURE. CLEARLY, THE VW DEALER BELIEVED THAT THE COILS ARE SUBJECT TO UNEXPECTED FAILURE AT LOW MILEAGE EVEN THOUGH VW OF AMERICA REFUSES TO RECALL THE PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE HAD 27 THINGS BREAK OR FAIL ON MY 03VW JETTA 1.8T. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 01/06 WITH 32,000 MILES. AFTER BUYING THE CAR THE FIRST FIVE MINS THE WINDOW SHATTERED. FIRST TWO MONTHS 2 TIRES BLEW OUT, FRONT RIM CRACKED, BACK TIRES OUT OF ALIGNMENT. DEALER PAID TO FIX RIM BROKE 2 WEEKS LATER THE DEALER PAID FO USED SET OF SIMILAR RIMS. EVERY LIGHT INSIDE AND OUT WENT OUT BY 05/06 DRIVER SEAT WONT RAISE UP CARGO NET IN TRUNK FALLS APART DEALER WONT COVER. GAS AND TRUNK RELEASE BUTTONS FELL DOWN INSIDE OF DOOR. RADIO STOPPED WORKING FRONT DOOR SPEAKERS ARE SHORTING OUT. DRIVER WINDOW SWITCH GOES UP WHEN YOU PUSH DOWN AND DOWN WHEN YOU PUSH DOWN HAVE TO FIDDLE WITH IT FOR IT TO GO UP. EXHAUST HANGER BROKE CAUSING CHATTER. SWAYBAR BUSHING FELL OUT CAUSING GRINDING AND SHAKING WHEN EVER MOVING. NOT COVER BY WARRANTY ALL THESE HAPPENED BY 05/07. NOW ITS 10/08 AND I HAVE 84,000 MILES. CURRENT PROBLEMS ARE REAR SPOILER BRAKE LIGHT HANGS DOWN(DEALER JUST GLUED IT IN PLACE LASTED ABOUT 4 MONTHS) CAM AND CRANK SEALS LEAKING OIL CAUSE ODOR INSIDE OF CABIN. IF I DRIVE FOR MORE THEN AN HOUR I GET SICK AND LIGHT-HEADED. SEAT, CARGO NET IN TRUNK, IS STILL BROKEN. RADIO STILL ISN'T FIXED SO I JUST WENT AND BOUGHT AN AFTER MARKET. SPEAKERS STILL SHORTENING OUT ONLY WHEN ITS COLD OUT. KEYLESS ENTRY ONLY WORKS WITHIN 4FT OF THE CAR. IN THE WINTER THE CAR ONLY GETS 18MPG ON THE HIGHWAY AND ABOUT 14 IN THE CITY AND THE CAR IS PARKED IN A HEATED UNDERGROUND GARAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OVER THE YEARS HER VEHICLE SPORADICALLY OVERHEATS. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND HAD THE OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED TWICE, THE THERMOSTAT, THE BATTERY, THE WATER PUMP, AND THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP. RECENTLY, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RADIATOR FAN, SECONDARY AIR PUMP, AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF OVER $2,000. THE TECHNICIAN ADDED THAT IF THE REPAIR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN REMEDYING THE FAILURES, THEY MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,126 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

MY 2003 VW WOLFSBURG EDITION JETTA CONTINUES TO LOSE POWER. WHILE I AM DRIVING THE CAR WILL ALMOST STALL THE POWER CATCHES AND POWERS BACK UP PRIOR TO STALLING. THE LIGHTS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR GO OUT, THE RADIO TURNS OFF, THE CLOCK LOSES POWER, THE ENGINE LOSES ENOUGH POWER TO NOT ACCELERATE, BUT STILL DOES NOT STALL. THE POWER LOSE LAST FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ALSO FLICKER. THIS HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES EVERY DAY. SO FAR I HAVE REPLACED THE COOLANT FANS AND CENSOR (1ST DIAGNOSTIC FROM VW DEALERSHIP), REPLACED THE 2ND COIL (2ND DIAGNOSTIC FROM VW DEALERSHIP) REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH (LESUEUR CAR CO), & REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE (3RD DIAGNOSTIC LESUEUR CAR CO) WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM LESUEUR CAR CO I DIDN'T GET A MILE AWAY WHEN THE CAR LOSE POWER AGAIN. I BOUGHT THIS 2003 VW JETTA FROM CARDINALE WAY OF SCOTTSDALE LAST SEPT. (2007) I ASKED FOR A BUMPER TO BUMPER EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER AND WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC I FOUND OUT MY WARRANTY IS NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR. IT'S JUST A POWER/TRAN WARRANTY WHICH DOESN'T COVER ANYTHING! I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $1300 IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS TRYING TO FIX THE POWER LOSE PROBLEM AND NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR?!?! EVERYTIME IT GIVES A DIAGNOSTIC ERROR, WE FIX THE ERROR, AND THE CAR STILL CONTINUES TO LOSE POWER! IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 6 TIMES, TWICE AT A VW CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP AND THE 4 OR 5 TIMES AT LESUEUR CAR CO WHICH IS THE LARGEST NON-CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP IN AZ. I HAVE CONTACTED CARDINALE WAY AND THEY ARE UNWILLING TO HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO??? I HAVE 3 MORE YEARS TO PAY ON A CAR THAT NO ONE CAN FIX!! AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP FIXING THINGS THAT AREN'T THE PROBLEM EITHER! IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP IT WILL BE VERY APPRECIATED. THANKS *TR