2004 Volkswagen Jetta

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CLUTCH PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT LIFT BACK UP. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE WEAR TO THE CLUTCH. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 22,000.

MY GIRLFRIEND PURCHASED A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.8T IN 2005, NEW OVERSTOCKS FROM THE LOT. SHE JUST HIT 30000 MILES ,AND THE CLUTCH WENT OUT WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HOME ONE EVENING. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER TO FIND THAT VOLKSWAGEN WAS BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON DRIVER'S ERROR . THE DEALER WANTED $1900.00 FOR REPAIRS ON A JOB THAT CAN BE DONE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE AUTO SHOP. WHEN WE CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE LIMITED RESTRICTION WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ITEM WAS CONSIDERED WEAR AND TEAR, AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, BUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ONLY BY A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP TO KEEP HER EXTENDED WARRANTY VALID. AFTER HEARING THIS ABSURD POLICY I DECIDED TO CHECK AROUND TO SEE IF ANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH VOLKSWAGEN CLUTCH RELIABILITY TO FIND THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE KNOWN TO VOLKSWAGEN. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE CLUTCH ISSUE AS A FAULTY PART THEY FOUND IT TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL TO BLAME THE MECHANICAL FAILURE ON USER ERROR. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DISTURBING TO ME AFTER READING SEVERAL VOLKSWAGEN OWNER REVIEWS THAT STATED THE FAULTY CLUTCH LEFT THEM STRANDED WHILE TRAVELING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AS IT WAS MY STRONG BELIEF THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS VEHICLES WITH IMPENDING KNOWN MECHANICAL ERRORS ON THE ROAD, BUT THEY CHOOSE TO NEGLECT THE ISSUE. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 2004 VW JETTA GLI 1.8T LAST AUGUST. IT HAD 21,000 MILES WHEN I PURCHASED IT. AT ABOUT 23,000 TO 24,000 MILES I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS THE CLUTCH POPPED. THINKING THAT IT WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NON VOLKSWAGENS DEALER THINKING THAT IT WAS NOT STILL UNDER WARRANTY( WHICH IT WASN'T). THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS "DRIVER ERROR" THAT CAUSE THE PROBLEM AND I ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER. I PAID THE $1500 FOR THE REPAIRS AND ABOUT 25,000 TO 26,000 MILES LATER IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I ONCE AGAIN HAD IT TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS ONCE AGAIN TOLD THAT IT WAS "DRIVER ERROR" THAT CAUSE THE PROBLEM. I PAID THE $1500 AGAIN AND KEPT DRIVING. THEN ABOUT 200 OR 300 MILES LATER THE CLUTCH WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS TIME I SENT IT TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF WITHOUT A CAR THEY FINALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND ONCE AGAIN BLAMED IT ON "DRIVER ERROR." BY THIS TIME I WAS SURE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT BOTH DEALERS WERE MISSING SO I CALLED THE FIRST REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SENT THE SERVICE MANAGER TO TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE VW DEALERSHIP. BOTH HAD REPLACED THE EXACT SAME THREE PARTS AND BOTH THINK THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF "DRIVER ERROR." IF IT WAS DRIVER ERROR THEN WHY IS THE TIME BETWEEN EACH CLUTCH GETTING SHORTER BUT ITS THE SAME PROBLEM EVERY TIME? SO I PAID MY $2000 AND LEFT AND NOW HAVE SPENT $5000 ON A CAR I EXPECTED TO LAST ME OVER 100,000 MILES. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VW CLUTCH.

ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I PURCHASED A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.8T WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION (4 YEARS/48,000 MILE WARRANTY). A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THAT I HAD LESS AND LESS POWER TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN IT WAS IN GEAR. ON DECEMBER 7, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH HAD WORN OUT AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THUS, THE COST OF THE REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO BE $1,800! MY CAR HAS 30,700 MILES ON IT, I AM 34 YEARS OLD AND THERE ARE CERTAIN DAYS WHEN I DRIVE IT LESS THAN 5 MILES A DAY! OF COURSE, I WAS TOLD BY MY CAR-SALESMAN, THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE TELEPHONE OPERATORS AT VOLKSWAGEN AND THE GENERAL MANGER AT THE PLACE WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT I (THROUGH POOR DRIVING HABITS AND LITTLE EXPERIENCE DRIVING A CLUTCH) WORE IT OUT. I REQUESTED TO PERSONALLY SPEAK TO THE AREA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM VOLKSWAGEN YET, I WAS NEVER GIVEN HIS/HER CONTACT INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, I GAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM REACH THE VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE THEM CONTACT ME. OVERALL, I WAS NEVER ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS INDIVIDUAL. I HAD 6 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE ON A FORD WITH NO CLUTCH PROBLEMS. I ALSO DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND AN INTERESTING WEB SITE HTTP://WWW.MYVWLEMON.COM/UBB/FORUM1/HTML/000155.HTML IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE (SOME DIFFERENT YEAR DATES THAN MY CAR)! *NM

VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI. WAS RUNNING FINE AND I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE VEHICLE. DURING A ROUTINE STOP AT A STOP SIGN I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH, A LARGE CLUNKING NOISE OCCURRED AND THE CLUTCH PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO NORMAL POSITION. VEHICLE HAD 62,000 MILES ON IT, THUS MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY EXPIRED. EXTENDED SERVICE WARRANTY (OBTAINED WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW) COVERED TOWING AND INITIALLY INVESTIGATION UNTIL THEY DISCOVERED THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO THE CLUTCH -- A 'WEARABLE' ITEM. APPARENTLY THE CLUTCH PLATE HAD BEEN RUBBING AGAINST THE TRANSMISSION, UNSEEABLE UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCES WITH A VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE CENTER AND THEY NEVER INSPECTED THE CLUTCH, NOR IS DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CLUTCH OR THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY COVERED IN EITHER THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY OR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I BELIEVE IF IT IS A 'WEARABLE' ITEM IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE STANDARD SERVICE PROGRAM (WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE FOR VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES) OR IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

MY 2004 JETTA HAD TO HAVE THE FLYWHEEL, PRESSURE PLATE AND CLUTCH REPLACED AT 32,000 MILES. VW WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THESE REPAIRS AS THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY ALSO STATED THAT I MUST BE DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE FREEWAY WITH THE CLUTCH PUSHED IN. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THE WAY VW STATES AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH GO OUT ON ME. *NM

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2004 VW JETTA GLI (VR6), PURCHASED IN FALL '04. THE CAR WAS DELIVERED OFF THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE (NEVER DRIVEN BY OTHER CUSTOMERS). IT CURRENTLY HAS 37,100 HIGHWAY MILES ON IT. I AM A PREVIOUS OWNER OF A '03 VW JETTA GLI AND TRADED IT IN (47K MI.) FOR MY CURRENT CAR. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON 6/6/06, I EXPERIENCED SERIOUS PROBLEMS SHIFTING GEARS. THE CAR STARTED TO REV, EVEN THOUGH I WAS METHODICALLY LETTING THE CLUTCH OUT, SHIFTING ACCORDINGLY, TO SEE IF I COULD TROUBLESHOOT. UNFORTUNATELY AFTER 4 MI., EACH SUBSEQUENT GEAR STARTED BREAKING-I COULD NO LONGER SHIFT INTO 2ND, THEN 3RD, UP TO 6TH. THEN REVERSE FAILED. SMOKE ALSO CAME UP FROM UNDER THE HOOD WITH A FUEL SMELL. I TOOK MY CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED VW DEALER (STILL UNDER WARRANTY) & THE ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS (WITHOUT REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION) WAS THE CLUTCH HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. IT IS CLEAR THERE IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE WITH THE VW CLUTCHES. THEY SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 37K MI. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT COULD BE FROM NORMAL WEAR-TEAR OR "USER ERROR". I'M NOT NEW TO DRIVING MANUAL; I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STICK SHIFT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS. TO HAVE A CAR THAT IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY (80% OF TRAVEL) ON THE HIGHWAY HAVE CLUTCH FAILURE IS UNFATHOMABLE. ADDITIONALLY, I HAD THE 30K MAINTENANCE COMPLETED & THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF CLUTCH PROBLEMS. WHILE WAITING FOR FINAL DIAGNOSIS FOR THE FAILURE, I CONDUCTED RESEARCH & FOUND THIS IS NOT AN USUAL PROBLEM WITH VWS OR VW CORPORATION. ACCORDING TO VW OWNERS, THE CLUTCHES ARE FAILING STARTING AT 19K MI., EVEN AFTER NOT DRIVING THE CAR HARD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE & FOR THE COMPANY TO KNOW THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, COSTING OWNERS THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS & SUBSEQUENT BILLS, ENDANGERING PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING DURING FAILURE (WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS FROM THE CAR), TO NOT COVER SUCH ISSUES UNDER WARRANTY, & AUTOMATICALLY DEFAULT THE PROBLEM BEING "USER ERROR" IS UNETHICAL & UNSAFE. *NM