Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | ||||||
| PE04081 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 12/16/2004 | 04/01/2005 | INADVERTENT SIDE-AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT | ||
| The subject vehicles are equipped with side-thorax and side-head curtain airbags to protect the front and rear outboard occupants in a side-impact crash.this investigation identified a total of 499 reports (482 owners reports and 17 warranty claims).the crash sensing system | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 07/04/2012 | 91000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact was driving 35 mph and crashed into the rear of a preceding vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries as a result. the vehicle was towed from the scene and was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 91,000. | |||
| 07/04/2012 | 91000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact was driving 35 mph and crashed into the rear of a preceding vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries as a result. the vehicle was towed from the scene and was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 91,000. kmj | |||
| 07/04/2012 | 91000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated while driving 35 mph the contact crushed in the rear of the vehicle in front of her. the air bags did not deploy. she was the only person injured. the vehicle was towed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 91,000.jp | |||
| 04/19/2012 | 108154 | ||
| When backing out of my driveway my drivers side airbag deployed for no reason. i didn't hit anything. now the the engine starts then stalls. all dash lights are now out. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 32400 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact noticed that the air bag fault warning light illuminated intermittently, followed by a beeping noise. both the dealer and the manufacture was notified who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was approximately 32,500. the failure mileage was approximately 32,400. bw | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 32400 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact noticed that the air bag fault warning light illuminated intermittently, followed by a beeping noise. both the dealer and the manufacture was notified who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was approximately 32,500. the failure mileage was approximately 32,400. bw | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the driver owned a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving approximately 60 mph the vehicle was involved in a multi vehicle crash in which only the front passenger side air bag deployed. the police appeared on the scene and the driver was injured. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance company lot. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed that whenever the seat belt was held intact the air bag would not deploy in the event of a crash. the failure and current mileages were 50,000. sm. | |||
| 07/28/2009 | 103256 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 volkswagen jetta this morning while driving my car to work in houston texas on interstate 59 south my driverside window airbag deployed as well as the seat airbag. after getting to the side of the road my car cranked back up and i got out to inspect if there was any damages. i found no damages on the car and the air bag deployed for no reason. i am lucky i did not swerve or there would have been a huge wreck. i believe there should be a recall on all of these 2002 jetta since there have been so many occurrences of this happening. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2009 | 162500 | 1 | |
| I own a 2002 volkswagen jetta. on february 15th i was driving just outside of madison, wi on 1-94 heading east and hit a disk size piece (about the size of a hockey puck) of debris which flew up into the under carriage of my car. at the same time, my side curtain and passenger seat airbags deployed. there is no apparent damage to the exterior of my car and i was able to drive it home. upon inspection there is no apparent damage or markings to the under carriage, body - both metal and plastic. in researching airbag recalls, i came across the nhtsa action number pe04081. this description most accurately describes this incident. of the 499 vehicles who experienced the problems i am having now - no notice of recall or notice of potential defect were provided. i feel this matter should be reopened for those vehicles who continue to have unintentional airbag deployment. most notable is the body style for this vehicle has remained unchanged from model years 1999.5 - 2005. yet only 2001 - 2003 vehicles seem to be affected. this would indicate that some manufacturing trend is the causative factor in these unintentional deployments. *tr | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 55000 | 2 | 01/19/2002 |
| As i entered a parking garage and picked up a parking ticket my passenger side rear tire hit the curb and my passenger side seat and curtain airbags deployed. i just got my parking ticket and was turning from a dead stop so i could not have been traveling more than 2 miles per hour. the dealer said it was an accident but there is not damage to the tire or wheel other than a scuff mark on the tire where it rubbed on the curb. i have contaced vw of america and the initial response is that they consider it an accident not a mechanical failure. the initial repsonse from my insurance company is that it is a mechanical failure and vw is at fault. based on research, more than 500 similar incidents have been reported to the nhtsa, and it is common knowledge that only a small portion of the population report problems to the nhtsa. i welcome any additional insight that you can provide. thank you. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2007 | 1 | 11/03/2005 | |
| The 2002 volkswagen jetta was involved in a accident and none of the air bags deployed. the car contains a lot of air bags. front passenger and driver and side curtain airbags. none of the airbags deployed in the crash even though the car was totaled. the car had been hit from the side and then the car hit a concrete barrier from the front after the car had spun. *tr | |||
| 10/02/2006 | 37000 | 1 | 07/09/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle hit a small pothole and both side air bags on the driver side deployed. no warning light was illuminated prior to the deployment. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who kept the vehicle for one month. the dealership informed the contact the manufacturer would send a technician for inspection however, the contact never knew if such inspection ever happened. the contact was very concerned that an unexpected deployment could cause a serious accident. 1/31/2007 - *nm | |||
| 01/17/2006 | 28000 | 4 | 05/08/2002 |
| The front, side and side-impact airbags in my 2002 volkswagen jetta all failed to deploy when i was struck on the passenger side by a truck traveling at 40-50 miles per hour. the paramedics and responding officer encouraged me to file this complaint, saying that i was fortunate to be riding alone because a passenger would not have survived the accident without airbag protection. i have already contacted vw and submitted the forms and photographs they requested for validation of my claim, but - as expected - they have not responded. i have no intention of suing, but i am disturbed by volkswagens' recent campaign to market the jetta based on its safety. in the 3 1/2 years i owned the car, i had to return it for recalls/repairs 14 times, so i believe the airbag failure to be yet another symptom of the jetta's poor manufacturing. i would greatly appreciate your investigation into this matter and would be happy to provide documentation and photographs. *nm | |||
| 12/02/2005 | 44000 | 1 | 03/11/2003 |
| My wife was in a car accident on 12/2/05 in her 2002 vw jetta gls. a lady had ran a red light and collided with the front driver side of the car at approx: 40 mph. the car was equipped with front and side airbags; neither of which airbag deployed. my wife hit her head on the front driver side window because the airbags did not deploy. *nm | |||
| 10/30/2005 | 30500 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| We own a 2002 vw jetta 2.0l. we were driving through an intersection and the passenger side curtain and passenger seat airbag deployed without cause. we pulled off to the side to check for any exterior damage that could of caused the deployment but could not see any. we drove it home (@ 1 mile) and had it towed to the dealership where we will hear about their course of action to repair the issue. is this a occurrence that is under investigation? if so it might be helpful to know since this will be a very costly repair and haven't had the best of luck with vw even though it's still under warranty. *nm | |||
| 09/14/2005 | 29900 | 1 | 01/12/2002 |
| A car pulled over in front of me trying to turn left. i had the right of me with no stop of traffic light at this intersection. i hit the left side of that car with the front/front left corner of my car at 45 mph and none of the air bags deployed. i would expect that at such a speed at least one airbag would have deployed. please advise. *nm | |||
| 08/04/2005 | 25500 | 2 | 05/18/2005 |
| I was driving to work when my 2002 voklswagen jetta hit a bump in the road/pothole and the passenger airbag went off. i got out to inspect if i hit anything since i wasn't sure because of the airbag going off. i got out of the car and there was nothing in the road besides a pothole that everyone else hit as well on the off ramp. there was not a scratch of damage or any impact at all. i just bought this car a little over 2 months ago and it was already back to the dealer for a broken power window and twice for the transmission. i am fed up with this car. there is only 25,000 miles on the car and an airbag should not go off for a pothole. i went to a different vw dealer and they said it's not a warranty issue and it would cost $800 - $1,000 to fix. this is ridiculous that i will have to pay for something like this for normal use of the car. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer request for reimbursment regarding repairs for the air bag equipment which inadvertently deployed when the vehicle ran over a curb.***no answer required***. *mr *bf *nm | |||
| 12/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving at approximately 60 mph the front and side air bags inadvertently deployed. consumer avoided a crash by pulling to the side of road. *ak *nm | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 79900 | 1 | 03/16/2002 |
| My airbag warning light went on just prior to my 80000 mile service. i informed my vw service dept of this. when i picked up my car i was informed that to repair the problem would cost $800-$900. this is equipment that has no moving is factory installed. this is obviously a manufacturing defect. is this common? what are my options? do i have any recourse?*jb | |||
| 02/08/2005 | 1 | ||
| I am very concerned about the reports i have read about sudden airbag deployments for no reason on volkswagen models jetta, gti and golf, year 2001-2003. as a 2002 jetta owner, i do not wish to suffer from airbag injury from inappropriate airbag deployment. please investigate this matter for the consumers behalf and recall if necessary. thank you.*ak | |||
| 12/28/2003 | 24000 | 1 | 06/27/2002 |
| I was involved in an accident in my 2002 volkswagen jetta gli. the reason i purchased the car was because of how safe they were supposed to be. they have airbags that come from the sides of the seats, down from the headliner, and from the dash. i hit a cement wall and totaled my car, and none of the airbags went off. nobody was injured, but the airbags should have still deployed. | |||
| 01/06/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving 45 mph driver applied brakes and pedal went to the floor. this caused the vehicle to skid into a tree. both air bags did not deploy. *ak | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 1 | 06/26/2002 | |
| Vehicle air bags deployed for no apparent reason. *mr the two right inside air bags deployed for no reason while driving between the speeds of 45 to 55 mph. *scc *jb | |||
| 07/14/2002 | 35000 | 1 | |
| While driving passenger side curtain airbag deployed prematurely. vehicle was not in an accident.*ak | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 35000 | 1 | 06/26/2002 |
| While driving at normal speed, the passenger side and curtain air bag deployed over the consumer. dealer notified. *ak the two right air bags deployed without warning. *scc *jb | |||
| The vehicle was involved in a head on collision at 55 mph yet the air bags did not deploy. *nlm | |||
| While driving 20-25 mph the vehicle was involved in a side impact collision yet the side impact nor the frontal air bags deployed. *nlm | |||
| 09/23/2002 | 3 | 09/01/2002 | |
| While driving down a street at speed limit of 55 mph, an object came through the windshield hitting driver in leftside of face. this cause driver to veer off to rightside of road into a ditch, where the car jumped a curb head on. when this happened, the driver side seat airbag deployed along with the driver side front and back curtain airbags deploying. there was no collision w/exception of the curb involved in this accident. the airbags would have no reason to deploy like this. this accident was very short of being a fatality. the impact from the side airbags shattered all of the bones on the leftside of the drivers face, and the glass from the windows shattering cut his left eyeball in 3 places causing the eye loss of his eye. the driver had to be rushed to a local trauma unit to undergo emergency surgery to try to save his eye. unfortunately it was not successful, as well as having to have reconstructive surgery to try and put the bones in his face as close to back together as possible. thanks to someone watching over him he is still alive. but it is far past time to have something done about these airbags! we will not stop until it is successful! dt | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 07/17/2002 | 1 | 09/15/2001 | |
| I was driving in downtown boston in a construction area traveling about 10-15 mph, when my airbags deployed. i contacted vw, they told me it was an accident that i hit something and that i would have to go through my insurance. i did not hit anything as there was no physical damage to my vehicle. i don't know the exact date, i would have to look it up in my records as it happened 4 years ago. *nm | |||
| 05/28/2006 | 48000 | 1 | 01/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph the vehicle in front slowed without warning, the contact swerved to the right to avoid the vehicle. the left front impacted with the right rear of the slowed vehicle. the driver side air bag deployed with extreme force causing the contacts hands to be removed from the steering wheel while the vehicle was still in motion. the deployed air bag also obscured the contacts view. the vehicle then became airborne over a ditch and came to rest in a field. the vehicle was totaled. seat belts were in use by both driver and passenger however injuries were sustained. there was a police report filed at the scene. the manufacturer was contacted and stated the airbag deployment was normal for this type of impact. | |||
| 06/03/2006 | 24000 | 1 | 04/18/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph the driver and side curtain air bag deployed without warning. the dealer determined by computer diagnostic that a crash occurred although no crash actually occurred. the dealer can give no other reason for the deployment. | |||
| 02/23/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 08/02/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the driver's side air bag deployed unexpectedly while driving at 60 mph. there was a police report filed. the police determined there was no debris in the road at the time of the incident. a representative from the manufacturer inspected the vehicle and discovered a dent in the metal in the rear of the vehicle. this was determined to be the cause of the premature deployment. | |||
| 09/17/2005 | 42995 | 1 | 09/02/2001 |
| On 9/17/2005 i was pulling into my assigned parking spot at my condo. i was approximately traveling about 3 mph and had my brakes applied to maneuver into my parking spot. upon reaching the curb, i applied pressure to the brakes and expected to come to a complete stop. however, my car lunged forward and ended up in my neighbor's living room. my car only stopped after taking out the brick structure and front window of her condo. before making impact with the outside structure i attempted to brake twice with no response. the impact was substantial and yet the airbags never deployed. my car was towed to a garage that my insurance approved and not to the dealership who has serviced my car for all the current recalls and various problems. the recalls and problems include the brake light switch, replacement of the coil ignition, armrest break, alarm sounding for no reason, and the window falling into the door frame. this accident caused serious property damage and the police were called to the scene. the police acknowledged my skid marks and my attempt at applying the brakes. the situation was treated/cited as a car accident so that my neighbor and i could go through the proper procedures of her damages being reimbursed. i plan to prove my car is defective and a lemon. i would appreciate any feedback, advice or suggestions regarding my situation. *nm *gem | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 6000 | 1 | |
| While driving 60 mph front air bags deployed without warning. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 08/04/2004 | 205000 | 3 | |
| Airbag unit light came on for a third time. vehicle was taken to the dealer on two occasions for repairs. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states while traveling 60 mph passenger's side air bag deployed without any indication. *ak | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 98000 | 1 | |
| Consumer was involved in accident, in which the airbags failed to deploy, consumer was informed by the manufacturer that the force was not strong enough for the air bags to deploy. ts *scc *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had a minor accident which caused minor damage to the front spoiler on the drivers side of the vehicle. six(6) hours later, the passenger side air bag exploded. volkswagen service dept. couold not explain why it happened. *jg | |||
| 07/12/2002 | |||
| Passenger's airbag cover popped off while driving.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 11/09/2001 | 6261 | 1 | 02/09/2001 |
| Tl*-the contact took the 2002 volkswagen gls wagon 1.8 turbo with failure mileage: 6,261 to the dealership due to problems dealing with the air bag indicator. the technician at the dealership stated that there was no particular problem. however, they have continued to diagnose the contacts vehicle. he paid a great deal of money for the service. the dealership technician stated that there may be an airbag deployment problem, but the technician was not sure. the contact stated that ever since november 9, 2001 the airbag indicator remained illuminated on his dashboard. he reported this problem to volkswagen numerous times, but they have not offered him any explanation for the problem. the current mileage of the contacts vehicle was 82,500 miles.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 12/30/2010 | 134200 | ||
| I was driving my 2002 vw jetta, my 6 year old was riding in the backseat in the passenger side when the passenger side curtain airbags spontaneously went off!!! it sounded like a shot gun went off in the car, scared both of us!! i did not hit anything, anyone, no one was even driving around me! it was crazy! i thought the car was on fire due to the smoke coming out of the airbag.... no on was hurt but it was terrifying and it could have been a lot worse!! i am the original owner of the car, bought it new in 2002. it's been a great car, i've owned vw's for years and over all, they are great vehicles but this has really freaked me out! i took it to the dealer and they ran a diagnostic, turns out the computer in the car said there was a crash - this is no physical evidence of any damage on the car to justify this happening! the cost to repair it is 5300.00!!! the care likely isn't even worth that. the next step is to contact vwoa. i just read of some other instances this happend and looks like vw did reapair the airbag at no charge. i'm hoping they do it for me, otherwise, i'm out of a vehicle. there's no way i can sell it like that, i've just lost what ever money i might have been able to sell that car for..... how many other conplaints have been filed pertaining to this issue?? thanks, kristen holzer | |||
| 06/24/2010 | 158700 | ||
| Was driving along a graded dirt road when passenger side airbag and side curtain airbag deployed suddenly. there was no side impact whatsoever, and was not able to determine any cause of airbag deploying. two passengers in the car suffered temporary ringing in their ears and headaches, but no significant injuries occurred, thank goodness. have contacted dealer for information about repairs, but nothing has been done to fix it yet. | |||
| 07/28/2009 | 130005 | 1 | |
| Side curtain and seat airbag deployed while driving at 35-40 mph. no damage to the car other than that caused by the airbags deploying. no potholes in the smooth paved road near the intersection of fl sr70 and us301. no debris in the road or any reason for the airbags to have deployed. driver received welt and bruises on the ribs from the seat airbag. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 105000 | 1 | |
| 2002 vw sedan wa broad sided by a motorcycle. it hit the right front door and buckled the center post and bent the roof and the dash was pushed in. the vw has front and side airbags. none of the air bags deployed. my son was covered with glass and the right hand mirror just missed him. *tr | |||
| 07/28/2009 | 103256 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 volkswagen jetta this morning while driving my car to work in houston texas on interstate 59 south my driverside window airbag deployed as well as the seat airbag. after getting to the side of the road my car cranked back up and i got out to inspect if there was any damages. i found no damages on the car and the air bag deployed for no reason. i am lucky i did not swerve or there would have been a huge wreck. i believe there should be a recall on all of these 2002 jetta since there have been so many occurrences of this happening. *tr | |||
| 01/19/2008 | 58000 | 1 | |
| While driving down the road at about 30 mph the side curtain airbags and the seat airbags wrongfully deployed. there was no reason whatsoever for this to happen. *tr | |||
| 09/12/2008 | 76702 | 1 | |
| Car information: 2002 volkswagen jetta #: while exiting driveway, rear tire became caught on curb. airbags deployed on passenger side (side curtain protection airbag and backrest side airbag). no collision had occurred. car immediately died in street but later started. contacted insurance company, as well as vw dealer. *tr | |||
| 09/08/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 2002 vw jetta,husband ran over pothole, passenger side airbags deployed. had to tow car and get rental. no impact or accident. waiting for vw to look at car. am sure they will say it's our fault just from what i'm seeing on web. how can government have 499 plus incidents of investigation and not make vw recall?? maybe not until someone dies and they get sued. *tr | |||
| 07/21/2008 | 61500 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2002 volkswagen jetta and hit a pot hole in the road causing my passenger, side and head air bags to deploy. there was no impact. my passenger side tire hit the pot hole. there were hundreds of reports of this occurring. i researched online and probably many more since then. i was wondering if there was a recall made, and if not, why not? yes, these are good if a real crash occurred, but dangerous to no crash occurrences. something should be done and i, nor any other volkswagen owner, should be responsible for this. thank you. nhtsa action number : pe04081 nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a make / models : model/build years: volkswagen / golf 2001-2003 volkswagen / gti 2001-2003 volkswagen / jetta 2001-2003 manufacturer : volkswagen of america, inc component : air bags:side/window date investigation opened : december 16, 2004 date investigation closed : april 1, 2005 this investigation identified a total of 499 reports (482 owners reports and 17 warranty claims). the crash sensing system | |||
| 04/15/2008 | 1 | 11/12/2007 | |
| Was driving down the street and my side air bags deploy for no reason. i did not hit anything there is no damage done to my car nor been in a accident. went to vw southern states and was told that my car only has a 50,000 mile warranty and that i have to pay for the car to get fixed. about 3,000 dollars he said..... *tr | |||
| 02/19/2008 | 90700 | 9 | |
| I inadvertently hit a pot hole. the pot hole was probably a little deeper than most. the driver's side-curtain airbag, the seat side airbag and the seatbelt tensioner were deployed. there was no damage to the car. there was no immediate danger to me. i did not lose control of the car even with the startling deployment of the safety systems. i was told by the guy in one of the body shops that i went to to get estimates that vws and bmws are known for their touchy airbag systems. i do not think that it is reasonable to have a $2700 repair bill, the inconvenience of all of the legwork to get my car fixed or the temporary non-functioning of my car's safety system just from hitting a pot hole! i am working on a claim and have not yet had the car repaired. parts listed as being necessary to replace are: side curtain airbag, seat side airbag, seat belt/tensioner assembly, seat cover, a-pillar trim, headliner, sail panel trim, airbag sensor and airbag control module. also, the car will need to be plugged into a computer analyzer in order that the airbag codes be reset. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 120000 | 1 | 02/24/2002 |
| I was driving less than 10 mph through a parking lot, pulling into a spot when my side air bags deployed. i saw that there is an existing complaint (nhtsa action number : pe04081) outlining this exact problem. when i got out of my car to inspect i found that i had hit nothing. there was no impact, not even a scratch. the repair is pending with my local vw dealer. i am not yet sure who will financially be responsible. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 60000 | 1 | 09/15/2005 |
| I was driving the car normally and at the speed limit on a road close to my home when i drove over a small bump or pothole in the road. normally, this impact would have been so small as to barely cause any extra motion in the car. however, on this occasion, after i ran over the bump, the driver's side seat and driver's side front and back curtain airbags deployed. i was startled when this occurred and accidentally jerked the steering wheel, hitting off of the divider with the front tire. i inspected the car to make sure nothing hit the vehicle, and to check that prior to the airbag deployment, i had not hit anything , i had not, three days after this incident, after filing a claim, insurance company called me to inform me that the manufacturer had notified them that when the airbags had deployed a report was sent to the manufacturer with data from the incident. the insurance company suggested i contact nhtsa to file a report. the report showed that the airbags did not deploy due to a collision. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer from which i purchased it to have the airbags reinstalled, and to repair damage done during the aftermath of the incident. the front driver's side tire was damaged and needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 04/04/2007 | 129900 | 1 | 08/25/2002 |
| The passenger side air bag/ curtain on 2002 volkswagen jetta, deployed while turning right on a winding road. i was traveling under 20 mph. the engine shut off, and because it was on a blind turn i was almost hit by a car behind me. after 30 seconds i turned the engine on, and pulled over to a safe area to inspect the car. i travel the road everyday and no pot holes exist. the dealer said that the computer did not register an accident. the manufacturer, engineer, looked at pictures sent by the dealership, and said that there were scrapes under the car which must have caused the deployment. asked the dealership and manufacturer if the side air bag/curtain was not replaced would the other air bags be effected. they told me they did not have any public information on the effect one deployment has on the rest of the system, and i would have to replace it for the other air bags to provide protection. i called the manufacturer customer service, and they called the dealership, who now reported that the computer read an accident occurred. i was told to contact the insurance company. *ak | |||
| 01/30/2007 | 60000 | 1 | 07/10/2004 |
| Left side air bags deployed without warning on my 2002 volkswagen jetta on 1/30/07. vw claims there is crash data in the onboard computer. however no accident / crash occurred. the air bags deployed on their own. i see according to nhtsa #pe04081 that the investigation is closed on this. i'll bet this inadvertent air bag deployment continues to happen and only after someone gets killed and law suits fly will something get done about it. *nm | |||
| 10/23/2006 | 83000 | 1 | 12/09/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 35 mph over a pothole, the passenger side curtain airbags deployed. the dealership was alerted. updated 12/01/06. *jb | |||
| 06/03/2006 | 24000 | 1 | 04/18/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph the driver and side curtain air bag deployed without warning. the dealer determined by computer diagnostic that a crash occurred although no crash actually occurred. the dealer can give no other reason for the deployment. | |||
| 02/20/2006 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The '02 jetta 1.8t 4-door was stopped at a red light. the jetta proceeded into intersection. jetta was hit (t-boned) on drivers side door and rear passenger door by 1995 grand marquis, mercury in excess of 45 mph. ticket was issued for failing to stop at a red light, no braking on part of the mercury. extensive damage to the jetta - the front door was driven into the drivers cage which moved the front seat and bent the steering wheel. the front windshield formed a large crack, probably from a side stress point and did not shatter, the drivers side windows in both door shattered. severe frame damage could be seen and none of the drivers side doors could open, nor the passenger side either after the accident. the drivers side airbags (2), located between the two damaged doors and also the airbag between the drivers side door and windshield failed to deploy. vw claims that the car decided because the seat belt was in use, the car made an intelligent decision not to deploy the airbags. this is either false or an error in how the car is designed. airbags should deploy and not decide that the seat belt was sufficient - it was not sufficient, as there were medical injuries. jetta is totaled, but being held by usaa, pending anyone who will investigate this issue on my behalf. others should not have to suffer if a problem can be identified here and resolved. *jb | |||
| 11/03/2005 | 48000 | 1 | 11/17/2001 |
| My husband was driving down manchester road (a busy 4 lane road) getting ready to make a right hand when the passenger airbags deployed. he said it sounded like a gunshot went off in the car. he was able to pull the car into a walgreens parking lot. my 4 year old son was suppose to be in the car with him. he would have been injured if he was. this is a serious defect and needs to be acknowledged and dealt with. there was no impact and not a mark on the car indicating an accident. vw is refusing to pay for the repair because they state that an accident had to occur because air bags don't just go off. my car insurance company is also not paying because there is no visible damage on the car to be fixed therefore there is no claim to be filed. *jb | |||
| 09/21/2005 | 40340 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| After making a right turn getting up to a speed between 25-30 mph my driver side airbags deployed for no apparent reason even with the roads in good condition. 30-40 seconds more and i would have been merging on to on a busy interstate in which could have resulted in personal injury to myself and other drivers, along with car damages. luckily this happened before time. vw rep refuses to solve the issue by replacing the seat and all side and side curtain airbags (as i suspected due to reading other complaints on here and other internet sources). they found the sensors had reason to go off what reason they haven't been able to establish the cause making this a mechanical issue and not a driver issue. i am in a loaner vw jetta and still fret the side airbags will go off. after being a loyal buyer of vw since 1987, they can count one less in the family. i have already contacted a lawyer and will be contacting my local news station to try and out this problem and make sure that this information be known to the public of vw's lack to investigate these issues and lack of compassion and customer service in severe issues like this. *jb | |||
| 08/13/2005 | 32000 | 1 | 05/15/2002 |
| Passenger side curtain airbag and seat airbag deployment with no collision. passenger side airbag sensor too sensitive. slight swerve and brake to avoid small animal. no collision involved. car has no visible signs of damage. never in an accident. currently in the process of contacting vwoa. *nm | |||
| 04/19/2005 | 32800 | 1 | 09/15/2001 |
| While driving on an interstate highway with my girlfriend in the pass seat, the driver's side curtain airbags deployed for no reason. there was no impact or pothole hit. i was able to maintain control of the vehicle and get off to the shoulder. i received burns and deep bruises on my upper left arm and left side ribcage. car was driveable from there, however the pre-tensioners for the seat belt also fired and could not use the seat belt. upon talking with a local vw dealer, they advised that this would be an insurance claim, as the airbag would not just go off, and they mentioned that there have been no instances of random deployment...all have been due to something causing the deployment.?. i could have easily lost control of the car, and things could have been much worse. still dealing with the medical. *jb | |||
| 01/16/2005 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I have 2002 jetta while driving down interstate hit small object in road with passenger front tire this caused both side curtain and seat airbag to deploy. impact was not enough to blow front tire or cause me to loose control of vechile. was told by insurance company they have seen this before have contacted volkswagen and have appointment to get estimate on repair cost and if they will cover or insurance will have to cover.*ak | |||
| 01/12/2005 | 4500 | 1 | |
| While driving 40 mph, the front/rear side air bags inadvertently deployed. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. the cause was not determined. please provide more information. *nm | |||
| 02/09/2005 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was on the road at 5 mph when all of a sudden the passenger side air bag deployed on its own. manufacturer was contacted by the consumer.*ak | |||
| 02/06/2004 | 30000 | 1 | 04/06/2002 |
| I was driving on the freeway at around 2:00p.m. in the afternoon and all of a sudden the passenger side front air bag,side seat air bag and the rear air bag deployed without any collision. my car was not damaged at all. the supervisor technician at trans ocean vw refused to cover the cost to repair three of the airbags even though my car was still under warranty. they claimed that the computer sensor detected an impact which triggered the deployment of the airbags. it was lucky that the deployment of the airbags wasn't on the driver's side, otherwise, i would have lost my control on the steering wheel leading to more serious consequences. i was just in shock at that time but the highway patrol was managed to guide me off the freeway. at last i claimed my insurance and paid $500 deductible from my pocket to fix the airbags. the insurance premium increased a lot after this so-called accident. i hereby ask vw of america to recall all defective vehicles to prevent future accidents from happening. *nm | |||
| 08/06/2004 | 60000 | 1 | |
| While driving air bags deployed. after being inspected by the manufacturer, they stated that there was crash damage. however, vehicle was not damaged. insurance company inspected vehicle, and stated there was no damage, but there was a defect in the air bags.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2004 | 14795 | 5 | 08/01/2002 |
| After i was pulled out of a parking spot, the doors clicked as if they were going to lock automatically as they normally do at 10 mph. the click sounded funny, so i looked at the door locks and noticed that they hadn't locked. soon thereafter, the battery on the car stopped, which i noticed because i couldn't accelerate and i couldn't turn the steering wheel. i started the car again, without a problem. the airbag light went on and stayed on and i noticed that the lights in the back seat over the doors stayed on though. i traveled to my next stop and the lights in the back seat went out. i then started toward my next stop and had reached 25 mph when the side airbag in the driver's seat exploded. i called the dealer to see if the car was safe to drive, they said it was. i then started driving to the dealer when the battery cut out again; i could tell because i could not steer and i could not accelerate. i pulled over to a safe spot and called for a tow truck. while i was sitting in the parked car with the a/c on waiting for the tow to arrive, the passenger-side curtain and seat airbags deployed. the car is currently at the dealer so they can investigate if there was a malfunction. no, i'm not kidding, that's what they said. *jb | |||
| 08/05/2004 | 1 | 05/01/2004 | |
| I was driving along highway 50 and all of a sudden the passenger side, door and seat air bags deployed. the elk grove volkswagon dealership is accusing me of running over something and i know that i didn't. i was going 65 mph and if i would have ran over something to jolt my car enough to deploy my airbags, i'm sure all of them would have deployed, as well as, i would have been aware of some type of collision. | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 01/23/2004 |
| Was in an automobile accident and was hit square in the side of the car at 45 mph. damage was done to entire left side of vehicle. no air bags deployed. i have front and side air bags. called volkswagen to determine where sensors are, and the sensor on the side is where i was hit. i did some research through nhtsa reports on volkswagen, seems there are a sufficient amount of consumer complaints with the airbags, many of which state volkswagen didn't want to discuss or take care of. i am concerned with for my own safety while driving this volkswagen. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Problems with air bag system resulted in unnecessary deployments. *mr vw refused to discuss the matter with the dealer or the consumer. there was an intermittent air bag deployment of the head and side passenger air bags during normal travel. the vehicle was still under warranty. the consumer discovered that 40 other 2002 jetta owners experienced this same problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 07/04/2004 | 34000 | 1 | |
| Curtain airbag on passenger's side, seat airbag on the passenger's side , and the dashboard airbag cover fell off. dealer refused to repair it. *ak while drivign the consumer heard aloud bang. the passenger side air bag had deployed although there was no imppact. no injuries were stated. *nm | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 12000 | 1 | |
| Request for information and complaint (ref tis request #7094 dgd).*mr *cb the passenger-side side-impact andside-curtain air bag deployed without an impact *aaj | |||
| 05/14/2004 | 25000 | 1 | |
| While driving between 30 and 35 mph consumer hit a pot hole and front passenger and side curtain air bags deployed. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 04/06/2004 | 48500 | 1 | 11/01/2002 |
| Passenger side/window airbag deployed. dealer stated that computer was reading crash damage. consumer indicated vehicle was not involved in a crash. *ak the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer pulled data off the computer that indicated that there was a crash and damage to the right front wheel. due to their findings the manufacturer refused to cover any repairs under warranty. the consumer's insurance company also performed an investigation and they concluded that there was no evidence of a crash. the insurance company and manufacturer are trying to schedule a time to get together and take the air bags apart to determine what caused them to deploy. *nm | |||
| 03/12/2004 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| While driving at 35 mph passenger side airbags deployed after hitting a small bump in the road. *ak | |||
| 03/13/2004 | 1 | 05/15/2002 | |
| Unintended deployment of airbag at 55 mph. no crash involved. *ak | |||
| 03/06/2004 | 19800 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| While accelerating from a stop at 10 mph the side impact air bags on the passenger side inadvertently deployed. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *nm | |||
| 02/17/2004 | 29000 | 1 | 08/05/2003 |
| While drive my 2002 jetta about 55-60mph the driver side window and seat airbags deployed without impact. i drove my car right to the dealership i purchased it from. they had the car for 4 days to tell me that the computer system states that the car was in a collision, i do not have any damage on my car and i was not is an accident. they (camelback volkswagen) or volkswagen of america will not repair the damage.*ak | |||
| 12/29/2003 | 1 | 03/07/2002 | |
| I own a 2002 vw jetta that i have had numerous problems with. the most recent incident occurred on december 29, 2003. my passenger side panel air bag deployed while i was driving. there was someone in the passengers seat and i am thankful that he was not injured. the dealer has had my car for 5 days now. they are waiting for vw to investigate because they don't see how the airbag could deploy on its own. there is some rear damage that is over a year old and they are trying to relate the airbag issue with the old dents. i don't feel safe in my vw and i certainly don't trust it. *ak | |||
| 12/05/2003 | 1 | 12/05/2002 | |
| While driving on i 75 s from chattanooga, i heard a loud pop and saw smoke. thinking a tire had blown, i pulled over. i realized the passenger side airbags had deployed. triple a took the car to the dealership as i was terrified to drive it. it has been two weeks and i still have not got my car back or even been told if they will fix it. the dealer is having to e mail pictures to vw to show that no damage was done. they are saying a sensor went off. no doubt! it is obvious to me and my witnesses that this is a manufacture defect that should be covered. i have researched and found that i am not the only person this has happened too. i plan to investigate it further to find out what can be done, before someone is killed in a jetta. *ak | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| Was driving 15-20 mph, when the vehicle ran over a pothole. the side air bags deployed inadvertently. the manufacturer and the dealership were contacted. consumer didn't take the vehicle to dealership to have mechanic check. please provide further information. *ph | |||
| 08/27/2003 | 25000 | 1 | |
| I was driving down i-64 in richmond, va and my driver side airbags spontaneously deployed.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 12700 | 1 | 08/26/2002 |
| While driving the side and curtain air bags deployed inadvertently. there was no collision of any kind involved.*ak the dealer refused to fix the air bag problem. *ph *nlm | |||
| 06/17/2003 | 1 | 12/14/2001 | |
| I own a 2002 volkwagen jetta which has side impact airbags. i have a one month old baby which sits in a rear facing carseat behind the passenger. i am concerned about the side impact airbags harming my child if i were in a motor vehicle accident. i am unable to put my child in the middle backseat position because then i do not have enough room in the driver seat to drive the car. right now the passenger seat is so far up due to the carseat behind it that no one is able to even sit in this seat. i have contacted volkswagen and they were unable to tell me exactly how far out or down the side airbags go when inflated and also refuse to turn the side airbag off.*ak | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 35000 | 1 | 06/26/2002 |
| Consumer states while traveling 45-55 mph and without any indication passenger side air bag deployed. because the airbags deployed it cost the consumers over $2000.00 worth of damages. consumer dealer notified because they were concerned about the defective airbags and they should not be held responsible for cost of repairs.*ak *cb | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 17500 | 1 | 01/25/2002 |
| While driving down a dirt road between 45-55 miles an hour, my drivers side passenger airbags deployed. managing to pull over to the side of the road, i got out of the car fully expecting to see a cow or horse embedded into the side of my car. however, there was no damage - a professional investigative engineer has verified that. volkswagen is taking no responsibility due to the fact the sensor reads crash data stored. from the looks of the number of similar complaints, i can see this is not the first time a vw jetta has had this happen. vw needs to own up to this defect.*jb | |||
| 06/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| While traveling 55-65 mph and without any indication v passenger side air bag deployed.*ak | |||
| 05/04/2003 | 1 | 10/18/2001 | |
| On the morning of sunday, may 4th, 2003, i made a sharp right hand turn and inadvertently drove over the curb with my passenger side front wheel. i immediately heard a loud noise and the two driver's side airbags went off. i suffered only bruises from the impact of the airbags. this incident was reported to my insurance company on monday, may 5th. on tuesday, may 6th, i called the dealer to get my car in for work. as of today, friday, may 9th, i still have not heard back from the dealer, who needed to order the parts. when i'm able to schedule the appointment to take my car in, my insurance company asked to have them check to see if there was a jolt to the floor pan or suspension that might have caused the airbags to go off. there is no visual damage to the wheel, and the car is drivable. (i've been driving it to and from work this week). i don't believe the airbags should have went off in this particular situation. i'm now very afraid to drive it with the fear of hitting a speed bump or a pot hole!!!! if there had been a lot of traffic at that time of the morning, a very bad accident could have resulted. *jb | |||
| 12/18/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving within the city, the front driver and passenger air bags deployed. the vehicle was taken to a volkswagen dealership which diagnosed the problem. dealer stated the computer had indicated and accident had occurred. please describe details.*jb | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2002 | |
| While driving our two month old jetta on route 80 our driver's side air bags went off without any type of impact. there is no visible damage to the car which was confirmed by the closest volkwagen dealer we drove it to. volkswagen says the computer says there was an impact though no damage what so ever is visible. they said we must report the claim to our insurance company. they will assume no responsibility. we are afraid this will keep happening until volkswagen decides to take responsibility. we are afraid to drive our new car. dt | |||
| 10/02/2002 | 1 | ||
| While traveling on the highway without prior warning the side airbags went inadvertently deployed. the dealership is aware of the problem. *mr | |||
| 07/21/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| Passenger's side airbags accidentally deployed without any accident, deceleration or apparent contact the road bed.*ak | |||
| 08/08/2002 | 4 | 06/01/2002 | |
| Lower side air bags depolyed while driving down street. upper side airbags deployed after driver and two passengers exited vehicle at curb and vehicle was stopped.*ak | |||
| 06/27/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving, consumer swerved to the right to avoid hitting an object in the road, when doing so the passenger air bag deployed, claim 59-y129-766. *slc | |||
| 03/10/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle hit something, causing the passenger side air bags to deploy, there is no evidence of collision damage, claim 33-0397-972. *slc | |||
| 07/05/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| While driving and for no reason, the passenger side air bags deployed, the passenger sustained some aches and burns, the dealer stated that the computer indicated that the vehicle was in a collision, however after inspection it was obvious that the vehicle had no signs of damage anywhere, it is uncertain as to if the air bags were front or side. *slc | |||
| 07/05/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2002 | |
| Passenger front airbags deployed without cause while driving on the freeway. this is the second safety problem with this jetta, the first being unintentional accelleration.*ak | |||
| 05/27/2002 | 1 | 04/16/2002 | |
| While driving 55 mph, passenger side window curtain and passenger seat air bag inadvertently deployed without cause. dealer and manufacturer were notified. there was no impact that caused the air bags to beploy, the passenger sustained injury to arm when air bag deployed *ak *nlm | |||
| 05/13/2002 | 03/01/2002 | ||
| Driving on the turnpike, the driver side air bag deployed without any sort of impact. there is no visible damage to the vehicle, which was only 2 months old at the time. fortunately the only injury was a burn from the airbag on the side of my arm. my biggest fear is knowing relatives and friends who drive jettas and who have young children in their car. this incident could have easily been fatal. hopefully your establishment can encourage vw, where i have failed, to do something about this defect.*ak | |||
| 01/02/2002 | 3 | 11/01/2001 | |
| Driving @ a below avg. speed 3 side airbags deployed w/o any sort of impact. there was no visible damage (i have pics) to the body of my brand new car (w/less than 2500 mls) the utterly random deployment of these airbags is enough to cause an accident on its own. fortunatly, that wasn't the case here- but it's only a matter of time until somebody dies. hopefully your establishment can persuade vw to give this 'major defect' the attention that it needs! thank you for your time.*ak ie04-078*po | |||