2006 Volkswagen Jetta

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI 5-SPEED WITH 39,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN MEXICO IN JANUARY OF 2006, AND I PURCHASED IT IN JUNE OF 2006. THIS WEEK, THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING AND IT WARRANTED A VISIT TO THE LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT MANY 2006 VW JETTA TDI 5-SPD VEHICLES WERE MADE WITH A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH PLATE, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE MY TRANSMISSION TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MY VEHICLE HAD THE DEFECTIVE PART. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IF MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART, THEY WOULD CHARGE ME NEARLY $500 IN LABOR FEES FOR REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION FOR INSPECTION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE MY VEHICLE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT HAS THE DEFECTIVE PART, NOR SHOULD I HAVE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE WHEN THIS CLUTCH HAS BEEN FAILING PREMATURELY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CLUTCH PLATE ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. I ALSO FOUND 88 PAGES ON ONE FORUM ALONE (HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=137014) ABOUT THIS PART AND THE CLUTCH/FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY FAILING PREMATURELY. MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR A NEW CLUTCH AT A COST OF OVER $2000.00. SOME WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS CLUTCH PLATE AND THE CORRESPONDING ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS IN MANY COUNTRIES EXCEPT FOR THE UNITED STATES. I FEAR HAVING MY CLUTCH FAIL WHEN I NEED THE ENGINE TO BE ENGAGED. IF I WERE TO HAVE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, IT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND ENDANGER MYSELF AND THE OCCUPANTS OF MY VEHICLE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO BRING THIS PROBLEM TO THE SURFACE, AND PROMPT AN INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE? THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS NEED TO BE RECALLED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. IT SEEMS THAT NHTSA IS IGNORING THIS MATTER AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE, AND THE AUTOMAKERS BENEFIT. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE SEATBELT LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYED ON. THE FIRST TIME VWOA REPAIRED WIRING UNDER MY SEAT AT 49,000 MILES. THE LIGHT IS NOW ON AGAIN, LESS THAN ONE YEAR LATER AND THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAVE MORE THAN 12,000 MILE SINCE REPAIR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE COVERED REGARDLESS OF TIME. SAFETY IS THE PRIORITY AND IF VWOA HAS A SAFETY DEFECT THEY NEED TO STAND BEHIND IT. *TR

BRAKES/STEERING/ESP-VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AFTER MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS OR U-TURNS. SOMETIMES SO AGGRESSIVELY THAT IT HAS CAUSED INJURY TO THE DRIVERS AND DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S RIM AND TIRE. VEHICLE MOVES AFTER PUT IN PARK AND THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES, IT MOVES AFTER GETTING OUT AND WALKING AWAY. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO DEALERSHIPS THAT THIS IS NORMAL. I DON'T FEEL THAT MOVING 6 INCHES OR MORE IS SAFE, ESPECIALLY AROUND CHILDREN AND SMALL PETS. SEAT MEMORY-SEAT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS AS IN THE MIDDLE OF BRAKING, THE SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY BACK WHERE I COULD NOT REACH THE PEDALS. MEMORY HAS NOT BEEN RIGHT EVEN AFTER REPLACING SWITCHES AND I AM STRESSED AND WONDER WHEN THE SEAT WILL START MOVING ON ITS OWN AGAIN. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2006 VW TDI USED, WITH 33K MILES. AFTER ONE DAY OF OWNERSHIP THE CLUTCH PEDAL WENT THE FLOOR. I PULLED THE PEDAL UP WITH MY TOE, AND GOT IT TO ENGAGE ONE MORE TIME, THEN BACK TO THE FLOOR. AFTER THAT, THE CAR WOULDN'T PULL ITSELF IN ANY GEAR. THE CAR NEVER SLIPPED, VIBRATED, ETC., NO SYMPTOMS OF A WORE CLUTCH, JUST INSTANT FAILURE. I CALLED VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, AND VW TOWED IT TO A DEALER 3HOURS AWAY. BEFORE THE DEALER TORE INTO IT THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THAT IF IT IS DUE TO CLUTCH WEAR/ABUSE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH HERE ON TDICLUB, I FOUND THAT DMF, AND CLUTCH FAILURES WERE VERY COMMON AND GENERALLY WARRANTED. I TOLD THE DEALER TO GO AHEAD AND TEAR INTO THE CAR TO FIND OUT MORE. TODAY I GET A CALL AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE CLUTCH IS WORE OUT, AND THAT IT IS NOT COVERED. THE ADVISOR ON THE PHONE SAID THAT HALF THE CLUTCH ON ONE SIDE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, AND THE OTHER SIDE IS COMPLETELY GONE. AND IF I COME PICK IT NOW, I WILL ONLY BE OUT $550, OR I CAN HAVE THEM DO THE REPAIR FOR $1800. I TOLD HIM TO NOT DO ANYTHING YET, AND THAT I WOULD CALL HIM BACK TOMORROW WITH AN ANSWER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS VERY NICE, AND AS HELPFUL AS HE COULD BE, BUT COULD NOT WARRANTY THE CLUTCH OR REPAIR. *TR

I AM LEASING A 2006 VW JETTA SINCE JAN. 2006. EVER SINCE, PERIODICALLY ONE OF THE DAYLIGHT HEADLIGHTS (MOSTLY THE RIGHT LIGHT) DOES NOT TURN OFF AFTER TURNING OFF THE MOTOR. I THEN TURN THE MOTOR BACK ON, MOVE THE CAR AND TURN IT OFF AGAIN. THE LIGHT WILL THEN TURN OFF. VW SERVICE IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT COULD NEVER DETECT ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. 6 WEEKS AGO, MY BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT AND THE BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON FEB 3RD, THE DAYLIGHT HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE TOAS HAD A SNOWSTORM AND THE SUPPORTING HEADLIGHTS (SMALLER) WERE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH. I CALLED VW HEADQUARTERS ON 2-3 AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. I WANTED VW TO START A CASE ON IT, REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT BULBS AND CREDIT ME FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT I REPLACED EARLIER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE LIGHTING ISSUE COMES FROM ONE SOURCE. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH VW SERVICE FOR 2-5, BUT HAD TO RESCHEDULE FOR 2-12 DUE TO A SNOWSTORM. HOWEVER, MEANWHILE THE DAYLIGHT HEADLIGHTS TURNED BACK ON AGAIN (AFTER TWO DAYS OF NOT FUNCTIONING). I BROUGHT THE CAR TO HAVE THE LIGHTS CHECKED AND VW SERVICE WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT STARTED A CASE ON IT. MEANWHILE, VW HEADQUARTER CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. YESTERDAY AGAIN, THE LIGHTS DID NOT TURN OFF AFTER PARKING, AND I ALMOST HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP JUST TO PROVE THAT I AM NOT MAKING ANYTHING UP! IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO DEAL WITH SUCH INCOMPETENT PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND VW HEADQUARTER. I AM WORRIED THAT MY CHILD AND MY SAFETY IS AT STAKE. *TR

NO SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO FAILURE. WHILE EXITING FREEWAY, CLUTCH STOPPED OPERATING BETWEEN GEARS, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING. COULD NOT GET CAR BACK INTO GEAR AND HAD TO STOP IN MIDDLE OF MULTI LANE OFFRAMP, POINTING SLIGHTLY UPHILL. CLUTCH PEDAL WOULD COME ONLY HALF WAY UP. CLUTCH COULD NOT BE ENGAGED ENOUGH TO START ENGINE. AAA WAS CALLED AND ARRIVED AFTER 20 MINUTES, DURING WHICH TIME CAR REMAINED IN OFFRAMP. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND LEFT OVER LONG NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME, ONCE THEY LOOKED AT IT, THAT THE CLUTCH HAD FAILED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AS IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AGREED TO THE SERVICE SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE. I WAS CHARGED $1,863. FOR THE SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF THE FLYWHEEL. I COMPLAINED THAT THE FLYWHEEL WAS PART OF THE ENGINE, AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS DIRECTED TO CALL VOLKSWAGEN AND SUBMIT A COMPLAINT. I ASKED TO RETAIN THE PARTS SO THAT I COULD SEE WHAT HAD GONE WRONG. THE NEXT DAY, BEFORE CALLING VOLKSWAGEN, I DISCOVERED FROM AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THE CLUTCH SINCE NOVEMBER 2007. AFTER VERIFYING FROM THE PARTS THAT I WAS COVERED, I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY ARE CUTTING ME A CHECK TO REPAY WHAT I SPENT ON THE REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL CONTI PRO CONTACT, SIZE 225/45R17 (NA) TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMP. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE TREAD ON BOTH FRONT TIRES HAD SEPARATED. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED BY HER FATHER. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 26,000.