2008 Volkswagen Jetta

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED TO LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOOR, ALARM HORN FAILS TO SOUND WHEN ALARM IS ACTIVATED. REAR DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED TO LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE REAR DRIVERS DOOR DOESN'T HAVE AN EXTERNAL KEY HOLE TO UNLOCK DOOR AND THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR IS FROM THE INSIDE. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT WITH A CHILD IN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT, THIS COULD RESULT IN A DELAY OF REMOVING THE CHILD FROM A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER/DEALERSHIP CHARGES BETWEEN $450 TO $550 PER ACTUATOR. AFTER AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH OF THE INTERNET AND NUMEROUS FORUMS, THIS ACTUATOR REPAIR IS MORE COMMON THAN VOLKSWAGEN WOULD LIKE ANYONE TO BELIEVE. THIS PART IS KEPT IN STOCK AT DEALERSHIPS AND THEY ARE VAGUE WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF REPAIR. THIS APPEARS TO BE MORE A PROBLEM WITH NEWER MODELS. I'VE OWNED A USED 2003 VW JETTA FOR OVER 5 YEARS NOW AND HAVEN'T NEEDED AN ACTUATOR YET. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ONE MORNING AND IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST A WEIRD SMELL IN MY VENTS BUT WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING A CLOUD OF SMOKE FILED THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR. LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY YET AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. NOT KNOWING WHERE THE SMOKE CAME FROM I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF THE CAR. IT WHEN THEN THAT I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE, THERE WAS A QUARTER SIZE HOLE IN MY DRIVER SEAT. I HAD BEEN DRIVING WITH THE SEAT HEATER ON AND IT CAUGHT FIRE. LUCKILY I WAS NOT INJURED AND WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY GET OFF THE ROAD AND DISCOVER THE ISSUE HOWEVER I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR EVENTS AND YET NO RECALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 JETTA AND I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH 1 DOOR. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THE LOCK WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEN ONLY MONTHS LATER I STARTED HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS RANDOMLY (THE LOCK WOULD WORK SOME TIMES BUT NOT OTHERS). EVERYTIME I STOPPED AT THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED THE LOCK WORKED- THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE WHICH DOOR HAD A PROBLEM. THE LOCK FAILED EVERYTIME AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE LOCKS CAN GO BAD AND QUOTED ME A COST OF $400 TO REPAIR. AFTER HAVING ONE DOOR "FIXED" ONLY TO HAVE ANOTHER LOCK FAIL AFTER MONTHS LATER SEEMS EXCESSIVE. AT THIS POINT I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE SECOND LOCK. IT IS FRUSTRATING TO SEE A CAR WITH FOUR DOORS HAVE PROBLEM WITH TWO OF THE DOORS! AT A COST OF $400 TO REPLACE I FELT THERE MUST BE A LARGER ISSUE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION. WE KEEP OUR CAR IN THE GARAGE, THE DOOR THAT IS NOW IN NEED OF REPAIR IS RARELY USED. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AS THE LOCKS SERVE AS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IN PERSONAL PROTECTION AND ANTI-THEFT. AFTER SEARCHING ON LINE AND SEEING OTHERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES, I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REPORT THIS. I TRUST YOU WILL PROMPTLY FOLLOW UP AND ASSIST ME IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE CAR'S OWN KEYS COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THE DUST CAP INSIDE THE IGNITION CYLINDER/ SWITCH WAS BLOCKING THE KEY FROM ENTERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED BECAUSE OF THE IGNITION KEY NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT BE MOVED FROM PARKING BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE REASON. AS A RESULT, WE WERE ALL STRANDED ON THE ROAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS BECAUSE THE CAR KEYS COULD NOT BE INSERTED TO THE IGNITION. HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO VW DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERS WANTED TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE IGNITION SWITCH. LATER FOUND OUT THAT IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY VW JETTA BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE CYLINDER HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY VW AND VWOA DOES NOT WANT TO MAKE ANY RECALL AND CHANGE THIS DESIGN. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD, USED ONLY BY ME VERY GENTLY, AND THE IGNITION SWITCH DESIGN IS FAULTY. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT INSERT INTO THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE CYLINDER LOCK WAS BLOCKED AND THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY TOOK A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER 2008, AND TO DATE HAS EXPERIENCED FIVE (5) FAILURES OF THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISMS OF THREE OF THE FOUR DOORS OF THE VEHICLE AND IN SOME CASE MULTIPLE FAILURES. I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING FAILURE NUMBER SIX (6). THE FAILURE OF THE LOCKING/UNLOCKING MECHANISMS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THESE FAILURE HAVE AT TIME PREVENTED BEING ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IT IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO MY SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY, I'M UNABLE TO LOCK THE VEHICLE WHENEVER I GO ANYWHERE THUS PUTTING ANYTHING IN THE VEHICLE AT RISK OF LOSS FROM THEFT. THE DEALER'S SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE LOCKING MECHANISMS AS THEY FAIL AND AS THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY IT'S COST ROUGHLY $370.00 PER INCIDENT. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE FAILURES EXPERIENCED THUS FAR. I HAVE COPIES OF THE SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE. 2008 JETTA DOOR LOCK FAILURES: DATE RO # ITEM RESPONSIBLE PARTYCOST 11/16/09 116190DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 03/02/10 118212LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 08/03/10 121525RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK DIAGNOSED WARRANTY 08/06/10 121609RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED WARRANTY 06/01/11 129079LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK DIAGNOSIS CUSTOMER PAID $69.00 06/01/11 129247LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK REPLACED CUSTOMER PAID $303.09 10/18/11 132986DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR LOCK REPLACED CUSTOMER PAID $367.25 03/15/12 RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK BEGINNING TO FAIL. DOOR LOCK FAILUREOCCURANCES DRIVERS SIDE FRONT 2 LEFT REAR 2 RIGHT REAR 2 *TR

I FIRST TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP JUNE 1ST FOR AN OBVIOUS RATTLING NOISE IN BETWEEN MY FRONT TIRES. ON JUNE 15TH BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO REPLACE MY BUSHINGS BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED SO THEY ORDERED PINS FOR CALIPER BRACKET. IN JULY AFTER REPLACING STRUTS THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. AUG 31ST THEY REPLACED THE SWAY BAR AND DECLARED THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED AND THEY HAD LEFT MY CAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. SEPT 14TH I RETURNED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED BOTH SWAY BARS. THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY RESOLVED AFTER LOSING MY CAR FOR 6 FULL DAYS, HOWEVER MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON. THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE, THE SERVICE GUY DISCOVERED THE TECH HAD FORGOTTEN TO CONNECT MY BRAKES BACK. I DID NOT FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I WAS SO RELIEVED THEY HAD FINALLY FIXED MY SUSPENSION ISSUE. IVE HAD TO BUY 2 BRAND NEW SETS OF TIRES SINCE JUNE BECAUSE OF ALL THE WARE ON MY TIRES FROM MY MESSED UP SUSPENSION. TODAY, JAN 3RD 2012 MY CAR IS BACK IN THE SHOP YET AGAIN. THIS TIME FOR A REAR PASSANGER SIDE DOOR LOCK THAT HAD BEEN SET ON CHILD LOCK WILL NO LONGER LOCK. ORDERED THE PART, SINCE MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THE PART WITH LABOR 360. IN THE MEANTINE THE TECH DISCOVERED AN OIL LEAK. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOW SAYING MY VACCUM PUMP IS LEAKING AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY FOR THEM TO FIX IT. THEIR QUOTE 960. I CHECKED ON THE PART ITS 257 NEW. EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T FILE A COMPLAINT OR COST THEM MONEY WHEN THEY FORGOT TO CONNECT MY BRAKES BAKE THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME 700 DOLLARS IN LABOR. MY CAR IS ONLY A 2008 AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE IN ONE YEAR THAN ANY OF MY OTHER CARS COMBINED. IT IS DAILY A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE LINGERING OF FIXING MY CAR RIGHT THE VERY FIRST DAY I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP JUNE OF 2010. *TR

DECEMBER 13, 2010. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. METRO VW SERVICE DIAGNOSED AN IGNITION MISS. THEY REPLACED (1) IGNITION COIL ON CYLINDER #2 WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF IGNITION COIL THAN THE ORIGINAL. THE "NEW VERSION" IGNITION COIL HAS INSULATION WHERE THE ORIGINAL COIL DID NOT. FEBRUARY 8, 2011, APPROXIMATELY, TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AT LEAST ONE OF THE THREE ORIGINAL IGNITION COILS IS FAILING, CAUSING AN IGNITION MISS, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE ORIGINAL IGNITION COILS ARE NOT PERFORMING AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. THE ORIGINAL IGNITION COILS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH THE NEW VERSOIN IGNITION COILS AT THE MANUFACTURERS EXPENSE. *TR