2007 Volkswagen Jetta

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WITH THE SEAT HEATER ON. I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND THEN A BURNING SENSATION. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER, THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT COVER, EXPOSING THE WIRING AND FOAM. MY COAT AND CLOTHING WERE BURNED, AS WELL AS MY BACK. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING/BURNING IN ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS OF THE SEAT COVER, BUT IT ONLY BURNED THROUGH IN ONE LOCATION. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DISCONTINUE USE OF THE SEAT HEATER. THIS OCCURRED ON 3/8/19 WITH LESS THAN 95K MILES ON THE CAR.

WHILE DRIVING AROUND, DOING SOME SHOPPING, I HAD THE THE SEAT WARMER TURNED ON LEVEL 3-4 ON THE DRIVER SEAT AND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME I STARTED SMELLING SMOKE IN THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT MY SEAT BURNED ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY JACKET. I WENT TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND QUOTED ME OVER $1000 TO REPLACE MY SEAT. I CANNOT USE MY SEAT WARMER ANYMORE, IT'S A FIRE HAZARD. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? ANY RECALL ON THIS ISSUE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WITH THE SEAT WARMERS ACTIVATED, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WARMER IMMEDIATELY OVERHEATED AND BURNED THE CONTACT. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED EVEN AT THE LOWEST SETTING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON ONE OTHER OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 AM IN THE MORNING, MY SEAT WARMERS HAD BURNT OUT. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK; IT WAS A CHILLY MORNING SO I TURNED THE SEAT WARMER ON TO 4. THE HIGHEST IT GOES UP TO IS 5. SOON AFTER, I FELT IT WAS A BIT TOO HOT. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN, I SAW SMOKE! I COULD NOT STOP ANYWHERE SO I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER. I REMAINED CALM UNTIL I ARRIVED TO A STOP LIGHT. WHEN I LOOKED BEHIND ME I NOTICED 3 HOLES IN MY SEAT. TWO LITTLE ONES AND ONE BIG ONE. YOU CAN SEE THE BURNT WIRES. I WAS SO ANGRY BY THE TIME I GOT TO WORK. I DROVE OVER TO VW NEMER IN LATHAM, NY TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT AND MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO ENGINE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP. WAS NOT SYMPATHETIC AND NOT VERY POLITE. HE KEPT SAYING I SHOULD HAVE CALLED AND I SHOULD HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT. I TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO STAY THERE AND WAIT TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS. HE CAME BACK TO TELL ME THAT THE SEAT WARMER BURNT OUT AND THAT WAS ALL. HE ALSO TRIED TO GET ME TO FIX MY BRAKES (I DID NOT COME IN FOR BRAKES). HE TOLD ME I WOULD NEED NEW WIRING AND SEAT COVERS (LEATHER) TO FIX IT. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAD TO PAY A $100 DEDUCTIBLE. I AM NOT PAYING THAT DEDUCTIBLE. HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT MATTER, BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON MY WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT MY CAR HAS NOT REACHED 100,000 MILES YET... I HAVE WRITTEN A COMPLAINT TO VW DEMANDING SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION. THEY NEED TO CHECK THEIR CARS VERY THOROUGHLY. I READ THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER SEAT WARMER INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN CANADA AND VW DID NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. I AM AFRAID TO TURN ON ANY HEATING SYSTEM IN THE CAR NOW, BECAUSE IT TOO MIGHT FAIL AND SHOCK ME. I HAVE PICTURES TO SHOW MY TORN SEATS. I CAN SEND THEM IF NEEDED.

A LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD WITH THE ICON OF THE AIRBAG. I LOOKED IT UP AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A WARNING LIGHT TELLING ME THAT THE SENSORS IN THE SEAT THAT DETECT SOMEONE SITTING IN THE SEAT WERE FAULTY AND COULD RESULT IN AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING IN THE EVENT OF AN IMPACT. OTHER OWNERS OF VW JETTAS FROM 2007 AND YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ALTHOUGH MANY OWNERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, THINK THERE SHOULD BE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BEGAN MOVING BACKWARD ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT THEY REPLACED A SENSOR TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXACT SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I DID NOT SEE SMOKE OR FIRE BUT WHEN I PULLED OVER I FOUND THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT HAD STARTED BURNING THE SEAT. IT ACTUALLY MELTED A HOLE IN THE SEAT IN ONE SPOT. THE BURN MARKS ARE VISIBLE RUNNING VERTICALLY 13 INCHES ON THE BACKREST OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

THE DRIVER HEATED SEAT GOT SO HOT THAT THERE IS NOW A BURN MARK ON MY SEAT AND CAUSED INJURY TO MY BACK. I HAVE A BLISTER, THAT TURNED NOW INTO A SMALLER BLISTER AND IS BLACK. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW BACK IN 2007 AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. IF I LOWER THE HEAT SETTING FOR THE SEAT THE SEAT IS STILL VERY HOT. SOMETIMES I CAN SMELL SOMETHING BURNING, WHICH SMELLS ELECTRICAL. I HAVE PICTURES FOR EVIDENCE OF WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE. *TR