2004 Volkswagen Jetta

AFTER DRIVING 800 HIGHWAY MILES FROM FLORIDA, WITH 400 MILES LEFT TO GO WE STOPPED FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR WAS BUCKING AND REFUSED TO RUN. WE ADDED A FUEL ADDITIVE AND MANUAL SHIFT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING AND GET IT HOME. ON AUG. 27TH WE CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER AND TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST DRIVE. THE CAR STALLED WHEN GOING UP A HILL APRROX. 500 FT FROM HOUSE. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ON AUG. 28TH AND IS STILL THERE ON SEPT. 20TH. SO FAR THEY HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL IN THE TANK AND THE FUEL FILTER, AND THE EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED. THE CAR IS STILL RUNNING SLUGGISH AND BUCKING. THEY CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. NEXT THEY WANT TO TAKE APART THE INTAKE MANIFOLD EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT SURE THAT IS THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS A 2005 AND HALF JETTA DIESEL WITH 63,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND IS THE CAR I DEPEND ON TO TAKE MY CHILDREN BACK & FORTH TO SCHOOL (A 20 MILE TRIP ONE WAY). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND COOLANT LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED OVER AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AS ENGINE OIL SLUDGE AND STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

ON 1/25/2007 OUR VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REPAIR OF AN ENGINE VIBRATION. INITIAL DIAGNOSIS WAS THE TIMING BELT AND IT WAS ADJUSTED APPROXIMATELY 4 DEGREES AND PROMISED TO BE READY ON 1/27/07. BELT ADJUSTMENT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND CAR WAS NOT PICKED UP. ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSIS WAS PERFORMED, INCLUDING COMPRESSION TEST OF ENGINE, AND TECHNICIAN CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN FOR ASSISTANCE. AFTER WEEKS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING WE WERE TOLD THAT THE IN TANK FUEL PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED AT A DIFFERENT VW DEALERSHIP ON 9/11/06 HAD FAILED. RESEARCHING NHTSA I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A RECALLED PUMP. BECAUSE THE MILEAGE WAS ALMOST 3K OVER THE WARRANTY OF THE PART AND VW ALREADY SATISFIED THE RECALL VW WOULD NOT COVER A REPLACEMENT. THE NEW FUEL PUMP ALSO DID NOT FIX THE VIBRATION PROBLEM. DEALERS DIAGNOSIS WITH VOLKSWAGEN'S ASSISTANCE CONTINUED UNTIL 2/8/07 WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT A VALVE LIFTER IN THE CAM ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED CAUSING THE VIBRATION. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED A COMPLETE "CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT" AT A COST OF ABOUT $4,500. MY HUSBAND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE MECHANIC AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS ONLY TO ONE VALVE LIFTER. MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO FIX WHAT WAS BROKEN AND ONLY FIXED THE DAMAGED LIFTER WHICH WAS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $500. THE DEALER AGREED TO PERFORM THIS REPAIR, BUT WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE WORK BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT CYLINDER HEAD MIGHT BE FAULTY. OUR VEHICLE WAS FINALLY REPAIRED AND ABLE TO BE PICKED UP ON 2/19/07. COST OF REPAIRS WAS NEGOTIATED WITHIN OUR SATISFACTION, HOWEVER, THE SERVICE WAS NOT TIMELY AND FEEL THAT THE PARTS IN THE VEHICLE ARE BELOW STANDARD. NOW WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM WE DID NOT HAVE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR REPAIR. TWO DAYS AFTER WE RECEIVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP WE FIGURED OUT THE FUEL GAUGE IS NO LONGER WORKING PROPERLY AND HAS A FALSE READING OF APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TANK WHEN THE TANK IS EMPTY. *JB

CAR BEGAN MAKING LOUD POPPING NOISE. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER THREE DAYS OF EVALUATION, THE DEALER HAD TO CONTACT VW TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VW TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE DEALER TO CHECK THE CAMSHAFT AS THEY HAVE BEEN NOTICING PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD IN VEHICLES WITH 80,000 - 150,000 MILES. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE METAL BEING TOO THIN AND WEARING TOO QUICKLY. *JB

1. COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON (1ST TIME). 2. BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY PRESSURE TESTED THE SYSTEM AND REPORTED NO LEAKS. THEY TOPPED THE SYSTEM AND CHARGED ME $100 3. COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON (2ND TIME). 4. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY NOW REPORT THAT PROBLEM AS THE EGR COOLER. THEY SUGGESTED I CONTACT VW OF CANADA TO DISCUSS THIS FAILURE AS IT IS BECOMING VERY COMMON. 5. CALLED VWOC AND THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. JB