Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| TB-94-10-02 | 08/09/2010 | 10036467 | Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. the headlamps or inside lights intermittently dim slightly at idle speed. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the f | 03/16/2011 | |
| 0502 | 01/14/2005 | 10012457 | Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1603 (18011) stored in dtc memory. *tt | 03/02/2005 | |
| 0420 | 10/27/2004 | 10010538 | Malfunction indicator light is on in the instrument cluster. *tt | 11/30/2004 | |
| 0402 | 04/08/2004 | 0401 | 10007205 | Malfunction indicator light (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303, or p0304 stored. ignition coil overlay harness, installing. *tt | 06/03/2004 |
| 010103 | 06/27/2001 | 622406 | A condition may exist where diagnostic trouble codes p1297 or p1557 are stored in diagnostic trouble code memory. may be caused by intake hoses leaking due to clamps incorrectly torqued or improperly placed, worn / torn intake hoses etc. | 10/17/2001 | |
| 260101 | 06/06/2001 | 621618 | A condition may exist where the power surge on the secondary air pump blows 40 amp. fuse. *tt | 09/27/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||||
| TB-09-10-02 | 08/09/2010 | 10035204 | Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the fluctuations. some electric consumers come on in cycles or have no constant | 02/11/2011 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||||
| TB-09-10-02 | 08/09/2010 | 10035204 | Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the fluctuations. some electric consumers come on in cycles or have no constant | 02/11/2011 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||||
| SAC-28F3/P1-REV | 08/01/2010 | 10036496 | Volkswagen: gasoline engine vehicles inspect, and if necessary, replace ignition coils. vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. models passat and wagon; golf; gti; jetta a | 03/23/2011 | |
| 0401 | 03/31/2004 | 10007016 | Ignition coil overlay harness, installing. malfunction indicator light (mil) on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303, or p0304 stored. *tt | 05/21/2004 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||||
| TB-94-10-02 | 08/09/2010 | 10036467 | Volkswagen: headlights may intermittently dim slightly at idle. the headlamps or inside lights intermittently dim slightly at idle speed. at idle speed the alternator voltage can fluctuate, as the alternator cannot fully compensate the f | 03/16/2011 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||||
| 0103 | 08/15/2001 | 0102 | 626970 | Some vehicles may experience instrument cluster malfunction. *slc | 02/04/2002 |
| 900101 | 06/27/2001 | 621623 | Subject regarding malfunctioning instrument cluster. *tt | 09/27/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | ||||||
| DP05004 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 08/11/2005 | 12/08/2005 | ENGINE STALLING | ||
| By letter received on june 24, 2005, mr. ronald m. strickland of raleigh, nc, submitted a petition requesting that the agency investigate the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (my) 2000-2003 volkswagen jetta, golf and passat sedans.the petitioner alleges that he had experienced multiple stalling events as a result of one or more ignition coil plugs malfunctioning on his 2002 vw jetta sedan.as a result of the engine stalling, the petitioner experienced a loss of power steering and increased braking efforts when he pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road to control the vehicle.after a few minutes parked on the shoulder he was able to restart the vehicle although the engine operated at reduced power.vw issued a customer satisfaction campaign (csc) on january 31, 2003 to instruct their dealerships to inspect the vehicles for any malfunctioning ignition coil packs and to replace them at no cost to the consumer.consumers were notified to bring their vehicles to their dealerships via owner letters mailed out on june 6, 2003.while vw initially instructed the dealerships to only replace the malfunctioning ignition coil packs, a revised csc was issued to dealerships in december 2003 and january 2004, instructing dealerships to replace all ignition coil packs regardless of their performance.a reminder to the dealerships was sent by vw on april of 2004.although the concerns of the petitioner could theoretically create a safety problem, the risk is very small, due to the engine still running on either 3, 5, or 7 cylinders.there are no reported crashes or injuries due to the alleged defect.once drivers are aware of the problem (loss of power due to one of the ignition coil packs malfunctioning), drivers are able to take precautionary and compensatory measures and still maintain control of their vehicles.in addition, four fires were reported to odi.these were ignition coil burnouts with no additional damage to the vehicle and were localized on top of the engine. during the last 24 months the number of stall and drivability complaints reported to odi has greatly diminished from a peak of 195 in january of 2003 to only 3 in august of 2005.this coincides with the csc released by vw.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 09/18/2010 | 195050 | ||
| A plastic burning smell in cabin was noted at highway speed. upon exiting the highway, smoke was seen coming from the hvac control panel. recirculation fan was switched from high speed setting to off. the smoke continued to intensify, until all dc power was removed from the car. maintenance found the hvac controller, rotatory fan speed switch to have melted in the off position due to the heat of the electrical arching in side the switch. damaged limited to the hvac control panel p/n 1j0 820 045f manufactured by valeo. | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 90000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen golf. while driving approximately 60 mph on normal road conditions, the engine experienced low power, rough idling, and hesitation. the check engine and air bag warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the indicators remained lit until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failures were related to the coil pack. the vehicle was repaired. on two separate occasions after the repair, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for identical failures with no resolutions. the vehicle currently is inoperable and has not been repaired for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 150,000. | |||
| 09/02/2008 | 112000 | 1 | |
| Vw 2001 golf tdi spontaneously combusted while driving. auto was a total loss due to fire. *tr | |||
| 03/07/2005 | 25000 | 1 | 07/01/2001 |
| 2001 volkswagen golf experiencing problems with glove compartment lock, driver's side window, ignition coils, and instrument panel.*mr the glove box lock and driver's side window were replaced under warranty. the instrument cluster was not replaced free of charge due to the age and mileage of the vehicle. *nm | |||
| 10/21/2001 | 51000 | 1 | 02/01/2001 |
| I have a 2001 volkswagen golf with the tdi engine (engine code alh). last night and this morning i had problems with the ecu power relay (relay 109). symptoms are sudden stalling of the engine with the inability to restart for 3-5 minutes. this morning during my morning commute my engine stalled 4 times, 3 of which were on an extremely busy freeway during rush hour traffic. this is a known and well documented problem with the tdi engine. there have been a large number of reports of this problem (see http://forums.tdiclub.com and search for relay 109 for examples). volkswagen has released an updated relay which fixes this failure mode. luckily i was aware of this problem so i was able to purchase a replacement and install it myself. vw knows about this problem and it is a severe safety issue... the engine will stop running without warning and may not be restarted for several minutes. luckily this morning i was only traveling at approximately 15 mph when the first stall happened. i recognized the problem and after i was able to restart my engine and continue on, i got into the right-hand lane, assuming that it would happen again. the next time it happened i was traveling at about 55 mph, and fortunately i was prepared to stop the car safely. this happens to vws with tdi engines up to and including the 2001 model year. the old relay part number is 357906381a and the new replacement is 1j0906381a. this situation may not be considered serious since the replacement part is only about $25 and installation takes less than 10 minutes, but i feel that it is a serious safety issue. *la | |||
| 9000 | 2 | 04/07/2001 | |
| The ignition coil failed, which resulted in vehicle loosing power. dealer had been contacted and replaced the coils.*jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 07/18/2006 | 1 | ||
| I own a 2001 vw golf. last year i had replaced the alternator (failure) at gunther vw dealership (in coconut creek, fl), the date is 07/21/2005. i have paid for the service and parts. i want to mention that in spite of the fact i have paid for a new part they installed a re-manufactured one. this year in july the alternator seemed to give me problems once again. it happened on july 17 2006. the next day 7/18/2006 i called gunther vw to schedule an appointment. i was asked what is the problem and i told them is the alternator (i have the expertise, holding a bs and ms in engineering with an automotive major). they could not schedule this appointment earlier than july 29, 2006. on that date (7/29/06) i took the car to the dealership and they confirmed it was the alternator, but they could not replace it under warranty (1 year from 7/21/06) because they claimed the warranty had expired and suggested to call vw - the manufacturer. they denied the warranty. the fact is that specific part (the alternator failed prior that date and i called the dealership prior the expiration date, but because of the scheduling availability they told me to bring the car after almost 2 weeks). i explained this issue to vw, but they don't want to do anything about this problem and the dealership has the same position (because they back up the manufacturer). i consider that this treatment is absolutely no fair, and i feel robbed (paid over $700 for that service + re-manufactured part, thinking is vw does quality), and now because their own system i am turned down, when i ask for that part replacement under warranty. please help me to overcome this injustice, and have my vehicle restored to a safe condition. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 12/17/2005 | 99500 | 2 | 11/26/2001 |
| Complete failure of engine at highway speeds. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 104000 | 6 | 11/24/2005 |
| Check engine light flashed while car urged/stalled/surged/stalled. check engine light remained on. brought vehicle to mechanic, coded category non performance. cat replaced with o2 sensors at $900. light/ surged/stalled and returned to mechanic immediately. he replaced genuine volkswagen plugs, wires, and ignition coil. no cracks were found, but replaced anyway at $300. light continued to illuminate, t and remained lit within 40 miles of reset, codes category, bank 1. ran rough and smelled of raw gas once light went on. recall did not cover this model although the failure was identical. only 2.0 aeg motors covered not 2.0 azg to 120000. quirky operation will result in an accident. self limiting use of vehicle until problem diagnosed and repaired- o2 sensors at $187 each x 2 in exhaust were next. *ak | |||
| 01/12/2006 | 70896 | 2 | 04/09/2004 |
| I just found out that there is a recall for vw golf for ignition coil. i had problems with that last year and i took it to a dealer but instead of replacing the coils they replaced my battery and starter... exactly a year after that the same thing happen (this january). i had to get my car towed and took it to a garage cause it was close to my house. my ignition coils had to be replaced. so i was wondering if there is a way i can be reimbursed for what i paid, at least for the parts. the first time this happened i can't believe that they didn't replace the coils at the dealership cause exactly the same thing happened, exactly year after. is there anything i can do? thank you jana. *jb | |||
| 12/02/2002 | 22700 | 2 | 08/02/2001 |
| 2001 volkswagen golf gls 1.8t on monday, dec 2, 2002, the vehicle experienced a flashing check engine light (indicating the vehicle should not be driven), engine stuttering, and loss of power. upon inspection by the dealer the cause was found to be a faulty ignition coil. a replacement was ordered but due to the national shortage of ignition coils for vw/audi 1.8ts it was not known when the part would arrive. the replacement ignition coil was received and installed by the vw dealer on thursday, dec 5, 2002. due to the parts shortage only one of four ignition coils was replaced. after replacement all previous symptoms were gone and the vehicle ran normally. on thursday, dec 12, 2002, the symptoms (flashing check engine light, stuttering engine, and loss of power) returned. again the problem was diagnosed as an ignition coil failure by the same vw dealer. one of the ignition coils that had not been replaced after the first incident was faulty. i am very pleased with the dealers handling of the situation. i am not pleased with vw's usage of a part that has shown to be as failure prone as these ignition coils. ts | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/15/2006 | 79900 | 4 | 07/20/2001 |
| Multiple issues regarding vehicle reliability: replacement (twice) of oil transmission lines, repair to turbo system, and now replacement of diesel glow plugs, cabling and failure of starter motor. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 1 | 08/15/2001 | |
| The driver's side window failed to respond, the hazzard lights would flash when the defroster was turned on, the gas tank cover would open when the car was started, the remote control would not work... a bunch of random problems were intermittent at first -then became permanant. the service manager at barry volkswagon (dartmouth ma) insisted that it was not related to an advisory report on window clips but offered to fix it for $1000. tracy volkswagon (hyannis, ma) took a look at the same car and fixed the problem under warranty. it was the window clips service bulletin number: 640101. *ak | |||