Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | ||||||
| PE00006 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 02/02/2000 | 08/10/2000 | LIGHTS AND/OR WINDSHIELD WIPER OBSCURED | ||
| Allege that while driving the lights ( and sometimes, wipers) fail.this failure increase the risk of a vehicle crash due to obscured vision. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| Two wires of the rear defroster do not work which obstructs view--automatic transmission clicks loudly when shifting gears--radio/cassette player becomes extremely hot while driving--wheels make funny vibrating noise at certain speeds--paint job on body of vehicle has been scratching and peeling easily | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||
| 06/22/2006 | 1 | 07/01/2002 | |
| Dt*:the contact stated while driving on an interstate highway at 70mph, there was stinging/burning sensation to the contact's foot. when the foot was removed from the gas pedal, a steaming liquid was observed on the foot and on the floor around the pedals. the liquid was spewing from an area under dashboard above the gas, break and clutch pedals. steam/vapor also appeared to be coming out of the defroster vents on the dashboard. the accessories were immediately turned off and the vehicle was moved over and off the road. the hot liquid continued to spew and burn the contact's foot as the brakes were being applied. the vapor of the liquid filled the vehicle interferring with the contact's vision. | |||
| 01/12/2006 | 114500 | 1 | 04/01/1996 |
| On january 12, 2006, as i was driving my car at 65 mph on the highway an opaque white gas was quickly released from my heater vents and within seconds effectively turned the passenger compartment of my car into a gas chamber. the engine temperature increased after i was able to safely remove the vehicle of the highway. my car was sold with a permanent maintenance free pink vw antifreeze. the documentation that came with the car indicated that other than topping off the antifreeze periodically that no maintenance was necessary. it was determined that my heater core failed; the dealer says it failed because of lack of maintenance. if the system is maintenance free then how can a component fail because of lack of maintenance? i originally thought the vehicle had been vandalized, but the dealer differed. i was unable to find any warnings of the possibility of this occurring in service bulletins or any other vw literature. if the catastrophic failure of a heater core is possible doesn't the manufacture have a duty to warn the purchasers of its products? *nm | |||
| 03/25/2005 | 164493 | 1 | 05/01/1996 |
| Heater core ruptured, causing the coolant to spill over the driver's feet. this eventually caused the windshield to fog up, making the ability to see the road difficult.*ak while consumer was driving the vehicle, he hit a bump and hot coolant fell on his feet. the steam from the hot coolant fogged up the windows and escaped through the vents. the consumer pulled over to parking lot to avoid crashing because of the steam on the window. volkswagen agreed to repair heating core.*sb | |||
| VISIBILITY - GLASS, SIDE/REAR | |||
| 08/15/1997 | 1 | ||
| Manual window crank failed. | |||
| 10/01/1996 | 10 | ||
| Right/rear window not working. dealer could not fix. did not have part. i could not get to the dealership when part came in. went to another dealer for basic service and was told they would put a window motor in, but they would have to charge me, it was out of warranty. | |||
| 11/27/1996 | |||
| At a low speed went over a patch of ice and hit a pole air bags did deploy and the rear window exploded. please describe details. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 09/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer complained that side windows were not going up and down at will. consumer took the vehicle to a dealer, and was told that the motor window regulator was defective. to have them repaired would cost at least $500.00 per window, which consumer did not have.*ak | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 2 | ||
| The rear side windows of my jetta have fallen into the door. *jb | |||
| 06/02/2004 | 90000 | 2 | 04/12/2004 |
| Just purchased my first vw jetta. may be my last vw period. my windows work when they feel like it. after researching the problem, i found out this is a extremely common problem that vw takes no reponsibility for. fixing it myself, it costs me $150 every time it happens. i should charge vw $70 an hour for labor!*ak | |||
| 08/15/2002 | 1 | ||
| Since i have had my 1996 vw jetta gls, all four window regulators and all four window motors have broken. i have spoken to several people who have had the exact same problems with their jettas. *ak | |||
| 07/31/2002 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| All four windows broke in my vw jetta gls. i bought the vehicle used, as that was what i could afford. when the first two broke, i called vw usa (not the dealership) to get an estimate on what they were going to do about it. i told them i found the technical bulletins describing the exact issue i was experiencing. they told me specifically ma'am, we don't know what you've done to the car, therefore we can only pay for 1/2 of the cost of repair. i was furious at the suggestion that all i do all day is sit in my car and burn out the window motors. i ignored it until a few months later when the driver's side window fell into the door as i was entering the parking garage at my place of business. i called vw again and they told me there was nothing they could do since i was a 2nd owner and there was no warranty for me. i got two of the three fixed to the tune of about $900 (which was half off) and left the 3rd (in the rear) broken. now, all four windows have broken and i refuse to pay for the repair of the two remaining broken windows since it is now a 100% failure rate. 50% is unacceptable, but 100% is downright ridiculous and no consumer should have to deal with this frustration over and over again. also, i know two other jetta owners (both own 1997 models) and both of them have had at least 2 windows break. something has to be done about this issue, even for 2nd owners of this particular brand of automobiles.*ak | |||
| 10/11/2000 | 3 | ||
| 3 of 4 windows don't work. motor burned out on rt front, regulator burned on lft front, rt rear does nothing. dealership told me it would cost upwards of $800 to fix. | |||
| 07/12/2001 | 1 | ||
| All problems have reported to manufacturer to no avail. no safety defect listed. *ak | |||
| 04/15/2001 | |||
| Electrical systems failed and caused alarm to go off, power windows not to open or close. took to mechanic, who replaced lock system which helped for awhile. took it back again, and this time mechanic located electrical wires that had fused together under dash and were causing electrical failure.*ak | |||
| 01/30/2001 | 4 | ||
| Electric window operators on this vols jetta have failed on all four windows. in the case of the driver's side window the mechanism failed with only 31,000 miles on the car. the dealer admits that these mechanisms fail regularly but volks usa refuses to discuss the failure. sooner or later someone going to be in an accident and he or she will not be able to get out of the vehicle because this window mehanism has failed without notice. volkswagen usa refuses to discuss the matter or to make partial payment for this design fault. *ak | |||
| 10/31/1996 | 6 | ||
| My car has had continued window motor and regulator problems beginning 3 months after the purchase of the car in july 1996. six times the window motor/regulator has stopped working. currently there are three windows in the car which do not function properly. i consider this safety issue because should there ever be passengers seated by those windows in the case of an accident or fire, and the doors did not work there would not be a way to get out of the car. | |||
| 10/20/2000 | 2 | ||
| Within 4 months both rear windows malfunctioned.this appears to be a common problem w/volkswagen. the part is now made of plastic. it seems this defect should have been recalled or at least replaced when it malfunctioned. the cost of the part is $108.00 through volkswagon dealer. that is without labor charges.*ak | |||
| 10/11/2000 | 3 | ||
| 3 of 4 windows don't work. motor burned out on rt front, regulator burned on lft front, rt rear does nothing. dealership told me it would cost upwards of $800 to fix. | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 3 | ||
| Sun roof and window regulators failed.*et | |||
| 02/18/1999 | 6 | ||
| Left front window motor failed causing window not to open or close. nlm | |||
| 04/16/1999 | 1 | ||
| Faulty window system...had to repair window operator twice! *ak | |||
| 03/28/2000 | 2 | ||
| Power window regulators on all 4 windows have broken. the right rear window mechanism has broken twice. the second time requiring the power motor also be replaced. the failure rate on this vehicle seems to be beyond what would normally be expected. | |||
| Locks freeze in inclement weather. cannot gain access to car. window seals were defective from the first month of lease causing floods in back of vehicle. window motor and regulator defective. cannot bring windows up or down. general motor failure. car slows down when going downhill | |||
| 11/05/1998 | 1 | ||
| Within the last 6 months i have taken by car to have the right front window fixed twice, the right rear window once, tailpipe fell off with no warning, now front left window is broken, dealer said the reason for the failure is that we don't use the windows that much. defective fan belt. | |||
| 300 | |||
| Freezing door locks, broken window regulators, inability to use aftermarket disc brake pads and other items are acknowledged by vw in technical bulletins but customer must pay for their errors. i am happy to provide additional info. about this if contacted. customer should not have to pay for manufacturer errors (acknowledged by manufacturer.) | |||
| 01/27/1997 | 1 | ||
| My windows have repeatedly failed. i am the only person in my car. vw will do nothing to remedy the situation. the back windows are rarely used and have also failed. the faulty parts are always motor and regulator. this represents a dangerous situation for me. i am a frequent user of a river ferry. bad windows are dangerous in this situation. i have received to help from my dealership or vw. please help. sincerely, heller hodge-moore | |||
| 02/21/1998 | 1 | ||
| The rear window motor does not function. when the problem was assessed by the dealer, they said that it was no longer under warranty and that it would cost $350 to fix the motor. the motor was taken out of the door until we decide when or how to take care of this matter. it is a manufacturers defect and the cost should be covered by them. the check engine light comes on frequently and is often taken to the dealership for a check-up. when taken to the dealer, they replied that there was nothing wrong. | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | ||
| Power window motor failed. | |||
| 10/24/1998 | 3 | ||
| Vehicle has been in and out of the shop due to the fact that the consumer had alot of problems with the power windows/power door locks and the signals. the dealer repaired all of the defects, but the consumer took the vehicle in for the windows to be repaired again, and they wanted the consumer to cover the fee. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 1 | ||
| Both right side window assemblies failed. manufacture refused to do anything about these failures. only question asked by manufactures representative was how much money had i spent on previous dealer maintenance. when informed that i had not had them perform the 30,000 mile checkup he told me since i had not spent money with his dealerships he wouldn't even conside spending any money on me. i had not had the dealer perform the 30,000 mile check because i had the engine set to specifications both prior to and after the 30,000 mile mark because the engine failure light had made it necessary to have emergency maintenance performed at those times. i could see no reason to have the 30,000 mile check done additionally. i had checked the vehicle visually for the balance of the 30,000 mile items myself. and yes i am qualifed to check the other items with the exception of the engine. | |||
| 09/12/1996 | |||
| Dealer had to replace the engine due to loud noise coming from the engine and knocking noise. also, motor burned in the window and the window would'nt go down or come up, and the consumer had to take the vehicle back to the dealer. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 3 | ||
| Sun roof and window regulators failed.*et | |||
| 08/01/1996 | 1 | ||
| Sun roof will not close. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 1 | ||
| Reported my defective window motor problem to vw dealer--they charged me $65 to diagnose problem then proceeded to tell me i have a defective motor assembley. it would cost $269 on top of the $65 to diagnose the obvious. i have been in touch with several 1996 jetta owners and they are also having the same problems!! | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 106500 | 2 | 05/28/2004 |
| Smoke from the steering column. after the vehicle was started, a puff of smoke arose from the steering column and i lost use of my windshield wipers. i have been online and have seen numerous similar complaints to the same affect. shouldn't this be a recall item ? ave had quite a few others problems in the 6 months since we have owned our 1996 jetta. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1999 | |||
| Ignition was sticking.driving at 55 going to turn headlights on,there are none. pull over turn car off and keep restarting.wipers the same. brought in for repair. told ignition sticking.replace at my cost. never tried while driving but experimented at a stop. if car is running and you lightly touched ignition...car would shut off.this i assume would also happen when driving. i was quite a few customers were bringing in their car with this problem. | |||
| 10/21/1996 | |||
| Consumer experiencing several problems with vehicle. when driving in wet weather conditions the windshield wipers will cut off. this problem is intermittent. at times, will not function at all. consumer has contacted the dealer . also, replaced transmission/ throttle body and alternator. in addition, front brake rotors failed and front pads cracked/engine idles/bucks and stalls. engine check light comes on/off. *ak | |||
| 07/09/1998 | |||
| Windshield wipers and headlight do not work. | |||
| 34 | |||
| Intermittent brake failure. in addition, front end vibrates and vehicle pulls to the right/passenger's seat came off the track/ steeering wheel bolt cracked twice, causing steering wheel to come loose while driving/windshield wipers failed twice in freezing temperatures and rear brake light bulbs need to be replaced every other month due to premature failure. *ak | |||