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 | |||
| 01/01/2010 | |||
| Air bag sensors failure. in event of a crash air bags will not deploy. there are 1000's of similar complaints on the internet | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 126000 | ||
| Headed west on i70 in eagle county and hit an ice bridge and went head on to a concrete barrier. 03 tdi jetta was totalled. air bags did not deploy at all. | |||
| 04/20/2010 | 100500 | ||
| My husband was driving my car over railroad tracks when the passenger side airbags deployed and the car shut off. fortunately my husband was driving slow and no one was injured. my vw dealership instructed me to contact my insurance agent. they conducted an investigation and found no evidence of collision and refused to cover damages. then i brought the car to vw and they discovered some undercarriage damage and informed my insurance agency. upon re-investigation of the car the insurance decided that they would now cover the damages that are estimated at around $5,000 but i have a $500 deductible and my premiums will now go up. as far as i am concerned railroad tracks should not deploy airbags and i should absolutely not be responsible for any costs related. | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 118000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the front driver's side of the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle traveling 45 mph. none of the air bags deployed and the driver sustained back injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 118,000. | |||
| 05/03/2009 | 89000 | 1 | |
| I was in a rear end incident in which my 2003vw jetta was struck almost dead-on in the rear by a 2009 bmw sedan. both my wife, seated in the front passenger seat, and i, driving, were wearing three point seat belts. the airbags in our vehicle did not deploy. both the drivers seat and the front passenger's seat were reclined almost completely as a result of the impact, to the point that any rear seat passengers we might have had in the car would have been pinned by the reclined front seats. *tr updated 05/20/09 *bf updated ivoq 05/27/09.*jb | |||
| 11/02/2007 | 47112 | 1 | 01/27/2007 |
| Was driving to a movie theater and a was doing about 25 mph and i hit a small pot hole in the road and my passenger side seat and curtain airbags deployed there no dents no crash nothing at all. *jb | |||
| 03/23/2007 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. while driving at 35 mph the driver's side air bag deployed without warning. there were no air bag warning indicators prior to deployment. however, the light illuminated after it deployed. there were minor injuries to the driver's ears. there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the failure. the current and failure mileage were 60,000. *ak | |||
| 11/22/2006 | 56948 | 1 | 04/11/2006 |
| I purchased a 2003 vw jetta this past april. on november 22, 2006 at 6:00 am on interstate 395 ct, my side driver airbags, back seat airbag and driver seat airbag deployed. i did not hit anything on the highway nor was my car struck by any object. i brought the car to the service department that day to have it looked at assuming that they would find a defect and fix the problem. instead of being helped by the service manager i was accused of hitting something. they said there was damage underneath the car. i brought the car to my insurance branch and they found no damage. vw again refused my claim. i then had the insurance company come to the dealership to look at the car. later that week the insurance company hired an investigator to examine the car and he found no damage to deploy the airbags. my insurance will not pay the $3,000 to fix the car and vw will not pay. i have 3 deployed airbags and one broken driver side seat belt. *jb | |||
| 02/12/2007 | 35000 | 2 | 04/14/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 jetta jls. while driving at 60 mph the contact's vehicle was cut off by a truck and lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle proceeded down an embankment, flipped over sideways, and end over end, landing upside down in a canal. the driver was pulled from the wreckage and it became submerged. there was damage to the doors, the rear and the front. the air bag side/curtain, frontal airbags failed to deploy, and the seat belt failed to work properly during the crash. the failure and current mileage were both 35000. the driver sustained a broke nose, as well as, other injuries. *ak | |||
| 01/28/2005 | 31000 | 1 | |
| Ford pickup truck was stopped to make left turn. my attention was diverted and i failed to stop. hit truck in rear. passenger air bag deployed. driver air bag or side air bags did not. seat belt prevented personal injury. *nm | |||
| 07/07/2005 | 03/14/2002 | ||
| No accident has occurred. however, who or what company do i email to get information on why volkswagen will not put forth a recall on the sunroof of the jetta model 2001 and 2002? i am waiting to hear back from this company. however, from the consumer reports i see that they have not recalled this part on these cars. can you please direct me to the email address that i might get an answer? it is a serious issue with the airbags that are located in the colulms of this vehicle. if they get wet they will not work. therefore it is a hazard that volkswagen should address.thank you | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 30150 | 2 | 09/30/2003 |
| I was driving my 2003 vw jetta under normal road conditions. i stopped at a red light in an intersection, continued when it turned green. i hit a small sized pothole at the other end of the intersection at speeds below 15mph, which caused the wrongful deployment of the side curtain and seat airbags as well as locking the seatbelt tensioner making it inoperable. i inspected the vehicle after the incident and found no damage whatsoever to all body panels and wheels/tires. the following morning i had a mechanic inspect the car for any suspension or steering problems and none were found. i took the vehicle to the dealer where i purchased it to have it fixed under warranty and the dealer and vw of america have denied warranty repairs and have not yet done anything to fix the problem. i did research on the internet for similar incidents with this make and model and have found that there have been 500 similar incidents of spontaneous airbag deployment in 2002-2004 vw jettas, golfs, gti and new beetles around the country. | |||
| 04/08/2005 | 20000 | 1 | |
| Motor vehicle accident in residential area with moving 2003 vw jetta and parked honda/toyota? driver of jetta came around the corner, looked down & away from the road momentarilly while driving apx. 30 mph when she hit the other vehicle without any breaking. this full frontal impact and the entire front end of this jetta was taken out and the other vehicle was totaled. none of the 4 airbags deployed. we are currently being told no changes or alterations will be made with regard to the airbags. | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Re ford windstar (my) 2001-2003, 2nd & 3rd row seat recall. *bf recall number 03v459000. *tc | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 1 | 12/01/2002 | |
| While driving 5 mph, the passenger air bag deployed. the vehicle was taken to two repair shops for an inspection. *ak the consumer had just accelerated from a red light when the passenger side air bag deployed for no apparent reason. the service dealer refused to repair the vehicle stating it was a manufacturer's defect. *sc *jb. | |||
| 03/31/2004 | 18000 | 1 | |
| While driving at 25 mph and talking on the phone consumer's vehicle collided with the rear of another vehicle. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. no injuries were reported, but consumer was citied by the police. *ak | |||
| 05/08/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the air bags deployed without any impact. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 12/11/2005 | 34700 | 1 | 04/01/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling at 60 mph on a slush covered highway, the vehicle started to fish tail and hit the retaining wall in the median. this was a frontal impact, the driver side air bag did not deploy. the passenger side air bag deployed without a passenger in the seat. the contact was wearing a seat belt, but sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. the vehicle has not been inspected to determine why the air bag did not deploy. the vehicle was deemed totaled. the manufacturer has been contacted. a police report was taken at the scene. *nm | |||
| 04/08/2005 | 20000 | 1 | |
| Motor vehicle accident in residential area with moving 2003 vw jetta and parked honda/toyota? driver of jetta came around the corner, looked down & away from the road momentarilly while driving apx. 30 mph when she hit the other vehicle without any breaking. this full frontal impact and the entire front end of this jetta was taken out and the other vehicle was totaled. none of the 4 airbags deployed. we are currently being told no changes or alterations will be made with regard to the airbags. | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 35561 | 1 | 12/31/2003 |
| While driving 65-70 mph both frontal air bags inadvertently deployed. vehicle is at the dealer. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 27000 | 5 | |
| Consumer stated air bag cover shook while vehicle was in motion. dealer indicated that it was normal. *ak | |||
| 10/21/2004 | 1 | 09/08/2003 | |
| Making a right turn driver and passenger air bag deployed.*ak | |||
| 08/28/2004 | 1 | 03/03/2003 | |
| The vehicle's air bags did not deploy during an accident. the consumer sustained multiple injuries as a result. *nm vw refused to investigate the problem. the consumer requested an exchange for a most recent model at no cost or penalty under the same remaining terms of the existing lease. *sc | |||
| 06/28/2004 | 22000 | 1 | |
| While backing out of a driveway driver's frontal air bag deployed. manufacturer offered to buy the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 07/19/2004 | 25000 | 1 | |
| Consumer's vehicle was going 40 mph when it was hit by another vehicle which had cut in front of consumer. upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained whiplash. vehicle was not totalled, but it did suffer over $8,000.00 in damages. *ak *tc | |||
| 01/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving 25 mph in inclement weather consumer applied the brake pedal and the brakes failed. this caused the vehicle to crash into a tree. upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. *ak | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 13000 | 1 | |
| While driving 25 mph and rolling over a small pothole airbag deployed inadvertently. *ak | |||
| 03/31/2004 | 7000 | 1 | |
| While driving between 65 and 70 mph and without any warning front and window passenger air bags deployed. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 17000 | 1 | |
| While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and none of the front air bags deployed upon impact. *ak vw suggested that nothing was wrong with the air bags upon inspection. *sc | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 01/27/2006 | 53502 | 1 | 08/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light on the dash illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. the dealer reset the air bag light and no further repairs were required. updated 3/20/2006 - *nm | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 30150 | 2 | 09/30/2003 |
| I was driving my 2003 vw jetta under normal road conditions. i stopped at a red light in an intersection, continued when it turned green. i hit a small sized pothole at the other end of the intersection at speeds below 15mph, which caused the wrongful deployment of the side curtain and seat airbags as well as locking the seatbelt tensioner making it inoperable. i inspected the vehicle after the incident and found no damage whatsoever to all body panels and wheels/tires. the following morning i had a mechanic inspect the car for any suspension or steering problems and none were found. i took the vehicle to the dealer where i purchased it to have it fixed under warranty and the dealer and vw of america have denied warranty repairs and have not yet done anything to fix the problem. i did research on the internet for similar incidents with this make and model and have found that there have been 500 similar incidents of spontaneous airbag deployment in 2002-2004 vw jettas, golfs, gti and new beetles around the country. | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 03/05/2011 | 99000 | ||
| I was driving up olney st. in providence, ri when all of a sudden without notice the side airbag curtain and waist side seat air bag deployed without and impact. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 202220 | ||
| 2003 vw jetta tdi spontaneous/unintended passenger side airbag (seat) and side curtain air bag (window) deployment. while driving on freway s880 hayward,ca at 65mph on mar 01 2011. passenger side, side curtain airbags deployed. there was no collision, impact with road debris or rough pavement involved. it will be reported to dealership. seeking repair ears ringing, smoke, engine shut off coast to side of road air out smoke and engine was able to start. stopped one mile down road and report to chp on side of road at a street. this happened at 9:25pm on my way to work. | |||
| 03/05/2011 | 99000 | ||
| I was driving up olney st. in providence, ri when all of a sudden without notice the side airbag curtain and waist side seat air bag deployed without and impact. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 202220 | ||
| 2003 vw jetta tdi spontaneous/unintended passenger side airbag (seat) and side curtain air bag (window) deployment. while driving on freway s880 hayward,ca at 65mph on mar 01 2011. passenger side, side curtain airbags deployed. there was no collision, impact with road debris or rough pavement involved. it will be reported to dealership. seeking repair ears ringing, smoke, engine shut off coast to side of road air out smoke and engine was able to start. stopped one mile down road and report to chp on side of road at a street. this happened at 9:25pm on my way to work. | |||
| 12/18/2010 | 145000 | ||
| Driver started from a stopped position, ran over curb between 5-10 mph, side airbags deployed | |||
| 08/12/2010 | 155000 | ||
| My husband was driving on route 87 in new york when without warning the driverside airbags in our 2003 jetta deployed without warning. no lights where on or any impact or crash. | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 97500 | ||
| 2003 vw jetta: spontaneous/unintended passenger side, side curtain air bag deployment. while driving subject car on may 5, 2010, passenger side, side curtain airbags deployed. there was no collision, impact with road debris or rough pavement involved. reported to dealership. seeking repair of same. | |||
| 01/21/2010 | 79749 | 1 | |
| 2003 vw jetta - side and window airbags deployed on passenger side while car was parked overnight. no visible signs of impact to cause airbags to deploy. will have to have new airbags put back in at approximate cost of $2,500. if deployed while vehichle moving could be a dangerous situation. vw told us going over a pothole can also cause them to deploy. *cn | |||
| 03/12/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle passenger side curtain and seat airbags deployed unexpectedly when driver encountered minor pot hole in road. there was no exterior damage to the car or wheels due to the pot hole. driver paid out of pocket (and via insurance) to replace airbag system. volkswagen acknowledges no responsibility for faulty system or repairs. driver suffered potentially permanent hearing damage due to blast of airbag deployment. *tr | |||
| 04/02/2009 | 92788 | 1 | |
| Driving home from work when the passenger seat air bag and the passenger window air bag just went off for now reason while i was driving. i did not hit anything and nothing hit my car. *tr | |||
| 06/18/2008 | 76962 | ||
| The consumer was driving a 2003 jetta gls traveling at a speed of about 35mph when the driver side airbags curtains and seat airbags spontaneously deployed. there was no impact to the vehicle that would have caused the airbags to deploy. after conducting extensive research on 2002-2004 jettas, this seems to be a major issue that is not being recognized by vw of america. | |||
| 01/25/2007 | 1 | 07/04/2006 | |
| While driving on interstate, driver side airbag deployed for no reason. this was not preceded by a pothole, flat tire, swerve, or any other event. driver was hit in head by airbag, but managed to control car and bring to halt in breakdown lane. only damage to car is the airbag. no other vehicles involved. *tr | |||
| 11/02/2007 | 47112 | 1 | 01/27/2007 |
| Was driving to a movie theater and a was doing about 25 mph and i hit a small pot hole in the road and my passenger side seat and curtain airbags deployed there no dents no crash nothing at all. *jb | |||
| 05/16/2007 | 91000 | 1 | 03/06/2007 |
| The 2003 volkswagen jetta station wagon was parked in a parking lot which was landscaped with 3.5-inch high belgian block curbs. from a parked position and at a dead stop the car was driven at almost no speed so that the right front tire climbed one of the belgian block curbs. the driver was alone in the car. as the right front tire climed the belgian block curb the passenger's seatback side-thorax airbag and the passenger's side airbag deployed. there was significant airbag which caused damage to the interior of the car, but there was absolutely no evidence of any damage to any part of the car arising from the contact between the front right tire and the belgian block curb. *ak | |||
| 12/09/2006 | 57000 | 1 | 03/10/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph through an intersection, the vehicle was t-boned on the passenger side. the side and curtain air bags did not deploy. five people sustained minor injuries and a police report was taken. the dealer was not contacted. | |||
| 05/08/2006 | 37922 | 1 | 05/26/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph the passenger side and curtain airbags both deployed. after the deployment, the steering column locked and the vehicle was maneuvered to the emergency lane. the airbag light was not illuminated prior to deployment. the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle and was wearing a seat belt. the vehicle was towed to the dealership for inspection. it was determined the airbag sensor had activated as if in a crash however no crash occurred. the manufacturer was alerted. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2006 | 125900 | 1 | 03/20/2003 |
| I have 126,000 miles on my 2003 jetta. i was driving down the highway on my way home from work and the driver side impact airbags deployed for no reason.*jb | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 1 | 03/16/2003 | |
| Dt:the contacts stated while driving the passenger's side/curtain air bag deployed. the vehicle was not in an accident prior to the deployment. there was no warning prior to the incident. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the manufacture stated the vehicle must have been in a previous accident because the black box contains crash data and there was damage to the undercarriage. the manufacturer will not repair this vehicle. there was an investigation nhtsa action number pe04081.*ak | |||
| 05/08/2005 | 1 | 12/10/2003 | |
| I was on my way to florida, driving south on i-95 (going through the town of st. marys) when i ran over a grey metal grate (the same color as the road) that was in the middle of the left lane (i was driving 70 mph). the grate was approximately 1ft x 1ft and about 1 inch thick. as soon as i ran over it, the side curtain and the side seat airbags (on the driver's side) deployed causing damage to the seat, seat belt, and my left arm was burnt. *jb | |||
| 07/03/2004 | 45000 | 1 | 09/01/2002 |
| Dt: on july 3, 2004 the passenger's side/curtain airbag deployed without cause. the passenger sustained minor injuries. there was damage to the vehicle. when the vehicle was inspected by the volkswagen field technician he said that there were some small dents that caused the deployment. when someone from transport canada inspected the vehicle he said that there was no reason for the side curtain airbags to have deployed. he said that the dents were there before the clear coat was even put on the vehicle. there was no collusion. | |||
| 08/31/2005 | 1 | 03/01/2003 | |
| Dt: the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the driver's side air bag deployed for no reason. the speed at this time was about 60 mph. the contact was unaware of any debris that may have been on the road. the contact did not lose control of the vehicle. the air bag warning light was not on prior to the incident. there were no injuries. the dealership was contacted and the contact was to take the vehicle to the dealership tomorrow, and the vehicle was covered under a warranty. this occurred on august 31, 2005.*ak | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 30150 | 2 | 09/30/2003 |
| I was driving my 2003 vw jetta under normal road conditions. i stopped at a red light in an intersection, continued when it turned green. i hit a small sized pothole at the other end of the intersection at speeds below 15mph, which caused the wrongful deployment of the side curtain and seat airbags as well as locking the seatbelt tensioner making it inoperable. i inspected the vehicle after the incident and found no damage whatsoever to all body panels and wheels/tires. the following morning i had a mechanic inspect the car for any suspension or steering problems and none were found. i took the vehicle to the dealer where i purchased it to have it fixed under warranty and the dealer and vw of america have denied warranty repairs and have not yet done anything to fix the problem. i did research on the internet for similar incidents with this make and model and have found that there have been 500 similar incidents of spontaneous airbag deployment in 2002-2004 vw jettas, golfs, gti and new beetles around the country. | |||
| 02/11/2005 | 1 | 11/25/2003 | |
| Very simple: i was driving and the passenger side airbag exploded. something needs to be done!! this car needs to be recalled. the deploying of the airbag scared me so much that i almost crashed over this!*ak | |||
| 09/24/2003 | 39500 | 1 | 08/09/2003 |
| 1. accident where the car was struck at 90deg between driver door and rear passenger door by pick up truck 2. side impact airbags did not deploy 3. dealer did not want to get involved, manufacturer ignored the issue, stating that the air bags do not deploy in all circumstances. *jb | |||
| 06/24/2004 | 30000 | 2 | 07/24/2003 |
| In june 2004, i was driving down joplin rd near quantico, va and driver-side airbag deployed. while its a winding road, i didn't feel any impact. the dealer said that although there was no physical damage to the outside of the car, something hit the inside of the car on the passenger side telling the airbag to deploy. they said my insurance company will have to cover the airbag/seat replacement (about $2500). this is the second time an airbag deployed in this vehicle for no apparent reason. (note: i previously reported this complaint in july 2004 but had included both incidents in one complaint.)*jb | |||
| 12/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| The driver was making a right turn out of the parking lot when all of a sudden the air bag deployed inadvertently. manufacturer was contacted by the owner. *jb | |||
| 01/08/2005 | 17700 | 1 | |
| Complaint received via e-mail. my brother was driving my 2003 volkswagen jetta on route 17 in new jersey and passed over railroad track at a speed between 20-30 mph (on 50 mph highway). after clearing the tracks the drivers side curtain airbag and side airbag deployed. luckily, no one was hurt... immediately he came to my job (i work at a car dealership) for one of the technicians ,for me to look at.vehicle. we could not find any damage or any signs of a collision. so, i took my car to volkswagen so this could be fixed. then, i was informed because driving over the railroad tracks triggered my crash sensor causing it to register a crash or collision, this was not covered. the dealership then informed me to call my insurance company and file a claim. now i would like your advice is this suppose to happen, and since it happened to me, should it happen to everyone if the warranty doesn't cover it. wouldn't a faulty sensor rather then a busy road traveled by thousands a day cause this.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Inadvertent air bag deployment in the 2002-2003 volkswagen jetta and 2003 honda accord. *mr *nm *tc | |||
| 04/18/2004 | 15485 | 1 | 07/17/2003 |
| I hit a pothole and my side curtain airbags deployed. vw states that the airbags should have deployed in this situation and that i am responsible for the cost of repairs ($2196.85 in parts plus whatever they charge for labor). *ak | |||
| 06/24/2004 | 2 | 07/24/2003 | |
| In december 2003, i was driving on i-495 in the dc area and hit a small rock (felt similar to hitting a pothole). my passenger-side airbag deployed...after inspection, the dealer said that, although there was no damage to the outside of the car, there was a small scratch on the airbag sensor. it was considered a collision and my insurance had to cover the bill (around $2500). six months later (june 2004), i was driving down joplin rd near quantico, va and driver-side airbag deploys. while its a winding road, i didn't feel any impact. i just got a call from the dealer's service dept. saying that (again) while there is no visible damage to the outside of the car, it appears that something hit the inside of the car on the passenger side telling the airbag to deploy. again, they said my insurance company will have to cover the airbag/seat replacement. *nm | |||
| 06/05/2004 | 26500 | 07/01/2003 | |
| While exiting the baltimore harbor tunnel north bound at 55 miles per hour i hit a pothole. the pothole slightly damage the right front(passenger side) rim and broke the tire seal. the driver side curtain and seat airbag deployed unexpectedly. *ak also can not retract or adjust my seat belt. minor medical injures ocurred. decided to check for others who have had this problem and it seems volkswagen in all those cases will not take responsibility, so i decided to file a complaint. will speak to my dealer asap. | |||
| 05/06/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving 25 mph consumer ran over a rock. this caused the driver's side seat air bag to deploy. consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that a cause had not been determined. a representative would inspect vehicle and then make a determination. *ak | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 20000 | 1 | 01/12/2003 |
| While backing out of my driveway, at no more than 1 or 2 mph, the drivers side, side curtain airbags deployed. vw has thus far claimed the vehicle hit something causing them to deploy. *ak | |||
| 03/14/2004 | 7630 | 1 | 05/18/2003 |
| The consumer was driving down the freeway and without notice or cause the curtain air bag and passenger air bag deployed, injuring the passenger. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. however the dealer said they will not cover it. *ak there were minor scratches found under the vehicle which could have been proof of a previous accident but there was no damage on the passenger's side of the vehicle which would have been the cause of the air bag deployment. (model-gls tdi wagon) *sc *jb | |||
| 03/31/2004 | 7000 | 1 | |
| While driving between 65 and 70 mph and without any warning front and window passenger air bags deployed. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 02/08/2004 | 3100 | 11/15/2003 | |
| Passenger side and curtain airbags deployed upon driving over a pothole. volkswagen of america has refused to acknowledge this as a defect in the vehicle and has refused to repair the interior damage caused by the deployment under the limited new vehicle warranty. a memorandum from my insurance company notes that both they and an employee of vw have seen this occur with other vw jettas. my insurance company also seems to be of the opinion that the sensors are too sensitive as it detected a crash when there was neither a crash nor an accident.*ak | |||
| 12/27/2003 | 21000 | 1 | 09/14/2002 |
| I was driving down a city street and stopped at a red light. i proceeded to make a right hand turn; about midway through the turn my drivers' side front and rear side curtain air bags as well as the drivers' seat airbag deployed. there is a pot hole at that intersection, however i do not remember hitting it, i only remember getting hit in the head by the airbag. if i had hit the pot hole, the airbags still should have not deployed because i was only going at most 10mph, the rims nor the tires were damaged. there was no damage to the car at all besides the airbags. the police were contacted, they would not fill out a complaint since there wasn't actually an accident. i then contacted the local dealership and they said they would fix it since it's under warranty. however vw america had a different idea. they told the dealership not to fix it and that we would have to file with our insurance because there were crash data codes. they did not bother reading the codes to see how fast i was driving, but they decided it was my fault since the alignment was off, therefore i must have hit a pothole. after 3 weeks of fighting with vw america, we filed a complaint with the better business bureau, after 2 weeks of waiting to hear from them, they also said they could not help, they stopped helping airbag deployment accident victims over a year ago. we filed a claim with our insurance and had to pay the deductible. we are currently filing a complaint with the state for the pothole that allegedly caused the airbag deployment. i have constant headaches as a result of getting hit in the head by the airbags. i will never again own a volkswagen, they are unsafe vehicles and the way they treat their customers is unacceptable! *ak | |||
| 03/07/2004 | 18292 | 1 | 09/09/2003 |
| Driving along a bad road hit a pot hole going around 45 miles per hour and the passenger side air bag went off. this happend on march 7 of 2004 around 1:30am. no visable damage to the car. dealership said its not covered by the warenty. air bag went off by going over a pot hole. that is no reason for an airbag to deploy, need dealership to replace the airbags. *ak | |||
| 02/04/2003 | 1 | 07/03/2003 | |
| While turning into the parking deck at one of my satellite offices, my passenger side curtain and seat airbag deployed. i immediately contacted the manufacturer as there was no evidence of an impact anywhere on the vehicle. once the vehicle was towed to the local vw service center, i was informed that they could not begin work on the vehicle until they contacted a vw representative due to a technical bulletin. it took 3 days before the vw representative returned a call to the dealership. it took several days longer before the named representative from vw customer relations contacted me. the service center at vw advised me that there was crash data and a mark on the underside of my vehicle. after several more days and after involving my insurance company, vw finally responded advising me that i must have hit a curb or speed bump which caused my airbags to deploy. it is now over three weeks later and i have just today been informed that the parts to fix the vehicle are backordered and no other parts are available in country. in the short 7 months that i have owned this vehicle, this is the second time that there has been an incident (malfunction) and both times the parts have been backordered from overseas causing a delay in servicing the vehicle of more than three weeks.*ak | |||
| 12/28/2003 | 1 | ||
| My daughter-in-law was driving her vw jetta 2003 on a city street when the driver side (window curtain) air bags burst open. she had not hit anything, not even a pot hole when it went off. however, the bag hit her leaving her with bruising, a strained neck, and muscle aches. she is also quite afraid to drive the car. vw of america refuses to do anything about it.*ak odi#10061865 | |||
| While making a left hand turn side curtain and side air bags inadvertently deployed. driver sustained minor burns to arms and hands. *ak | |||
| 07/27/2003 | 11000 | 1 | 08/17/2002 |
| I drive a 2002 vw jetta, with 11000 plus miles on the car. my side and passenger curtain airbags deployed without a crash. there was spontaneous deployment of the airbags. vw of america sent an engineer who found no damage to account for this, just as i had reported. the vw dealership also found no evidence for this. now, without any explanation, nor guarantee that this will not re occur, vw expects me to drive this vehilce and risk my own safety and possibly the safety of others on the road. *la | |||
| 09/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 40 mph, and no warning air bags deployed. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 04/28/2003 | 3459 | 02/08/2003 | |
| My son was driving his 2003 volkswagen jetta when the drivers side airbags deployed for unexplained reasons. the local volkswagen dealer read the sensors in the car and it registered crash data. there was no impact when the airbags deployed. *jb | |||
| 03/24/2003 | 3 | 09/11/2002 | |
| As my family an i were driving down teh freeway, the passenger side airbags including the ine in the seat deployed for no apparent reason. we did not even hit a bump, the bags just deployed. we just wanted to report this to help track a problem, if there is one with this type of car. | |||
| 11/14/2002 | 1500 | 1 | 08/31/2002 |
| I was backing out of my parking spot and my driver side tire hit the curb. there was a scratch on my muffler. my side curtain air bag and the air bag in my seat deployed. i was told my first time of contacting the manufacturer (before i made a claim) that the sensors were in the front of the car and the air bags should not have deployed. after i filed a claim all of a sudden they lost all ties with me ever talking with that specialist but all my other conversations with the manufacturer were recorded. after arguing with them for months i decided to go ahead and file a claim through my insurance company. doing that i had to wait 3 weeks before my air bags would come in because they did not have any in the whole country. a gentleman at my office his son also was driving down the rode went over a steel plate and the same air bags went off. they again told him 3-4 weeks for the air bag. the air bags went off due to a scratch under the door.*jb | |||