Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 11292005 | 11/29/2005 | 10018786 | Engine pre-heater installation. calix. *tt | 01/17/2006 | |
| 0508 | 05/26/2005 | 10015989 | Update programming flashing engine control module ecm. vw 2002-2003 gti, jetta, jetta wagon with 1.8 eng. code awp *sc | 08/18/2005 | |
| 004 | 11/09/2004 | 10011567 | Engine coolant temperature (ect) sensor. *tc | 01/26/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 010702 | 01/11/2007 | 10021315 | Dtc's p1297 (17705) or p1557 (17965) stored in dtc memory. this may be caused by intake hoses leaking (during boost conditions) due to incorrect torque on clamps or improper placement, worn or torn intake hoses. *kb | 04/03/2007 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TB-01-12-04 | 02/10/2012 | 10043602 | Volkswagen: gasoline engines have rough idle, have significant loss of power or stalling with reduced performance. *pe | 04/13/2012 | |
| SAC-28F3/P1-REV | 08/01/2010 | 10036496 | Volkswagen: gasoline engine vehicles inspect, and if necessary, replace ignition coils. vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. models passat and wagon; golf; gti; jetta a | 03/23/2011 | |
| 0405 | 12/03/2004 | 10011901 | Hybrid oil pan, installing. *tt | 02/03/2005 | |
| 0403 | 07/12/2004 | 10008913 | Engine, fluctuating idle or idle speed too low. *mj | 08/31/2004 | |
| 0402 | 06/22/2004 | 10008086 | Engine, fluctuating idle or idle speed too low. *mj | 07/21/2004 | |
| 0409 | 05/10/2004 | 10007711 | Evaluating fuel mixture diagnostic trouble codes- how to perform effective diagnosis related to fuel system adaptation - system too rich/too lean. volkswagen. *mj | 07/08/2004 | |
| 0304 | 04/29/2003 | 10001569 | Update programming (flashing) engine control module (ecm). various models including the jetta wagon. *tt | 06/06/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 2015831 | 08/28/2008 | 10026848 | Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced. *pe | 12/29/2008 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| SAC-28F3/P1-REV | 08/01/2010 | 10036496 | Volkswagen: gasoline engine vehicles inspect, and if necessary, replace ignition coils. vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. models passat and wagon; golf; gti; jetta a | 03/23/2011 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/11/2011 | 61190 | ||
| Rattling noise in the engine, oil pump was not pumping oil and camshaft chain tensioner (timing belt) rattling from lack of oil. i was informed i needed to replace engine due to metal particles and carbon in the oil pan. | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 67491 | ||
| After taking my 2003 vw jetta 1.8l turbo to the vw dealership for a broken dipstick and ignition recall, i was told there was sludge in the engine in which the car had under 68,000 miles. the dealership stated it was not under the manufacters warranty and would cost at least $900 to clean out the engine. upon deciding to take it to a mechanic for a 2nd opinion, the car seized up and ceased to work while driving. the mechanic informed me that the entire engine was blown from the sludge build up when oil changes had been preformed at 3,000 mile intervals though the manufacters owners manual stated it only had to be changed every 5,000 miles. the dealership stated there was nothing they could do about it other than for me to purchase a new engine or a rebuilt engine. after having a used engine installed from a salvage yard, i discovered from the car pouring smoke and making a high pitched whining noise.apparently when the original engine went it also damaged the turbo as a result of sludge build up. ive further discovered after doing some research that this is a common problem to vw cars with 1.8 liter turbo engines from models following 2000.unfortunately because the turbo is considered an accessory to the engine, the turbo was not covered under the salvage yards engine warranty i just had installed and would require the turbo being replaced as well. the vw dealership informed me that a rebuilt turbo would cost $1700 alone not including small parts and labor after i had already spent $2800 on a used 1.8l turbo engine and small parts and labor.the used engine had 46,000 miles on it so it is highly likely that it will also go due to engine sludge. | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 25000 | 1 | |
| When i start my car, the engine idles inconsistently and the car shakes or stutters. if i begin driving normally one of two things will happen, either the engine will stall (happening more frequently lately) or the car will continue to have idling problems until it warms up. in the second case, the car will drive normally for about 15 minutes until i come to the first hill. if the car down shifts while going down a hill at lower speeds, the asr light will come on and from this point on the car has a difficult time shifting gears. the shifting is abrupt and the engine does not sound normal. if i stop, turn the engine off and turn it back on the car appears to function normally. to avoid the above problem, i do the following when first starting my car. i start the car, turn on the headlights and rev my engine to about 3000 rpm | |||
| 02/22/2010 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 2003 vw jetta: digital display would shut off when key was removed from ignition. unable to lock vehicle doors with remote. vehicle had to be restarted for digital panel to appear (re-set) and for door to lock with remote. engine would also shut off while at a stop light and while driving on freeway. possibility to cause a crash. all digital panels still illuminated, key would be locked in ingnition, un-able to turn or be removed until car placed back in park and hand brake pulled up. issues occured bi-weekly, weekly, and now daily. vehicle brought to dealership. was told that ignition switch failed and needed to be replaced. would have been covered under warranty (warrant just expired last month). after trying to diagnose problem prior to bringing to dealership, i've found on several forums that this is not a new issue/repair for vw customers with the same make and model. many customers have had similar complaints/experiences, all of which were taken in for repair after warranty expired. vehicle is only 7 years old and is at approximately 85,000 miles. this vehicle has also had service for the following recalls: catalytic converter, failed ignition coils, failed rear window/door locks. this car is a lemon! *tr | |||
| 09/21/2009 | 84342 | 1 | |
| 2003 volkswagen jetta 1.8 turbo, engine failure due to sludge formation. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2008 | 67500 | 1 | |
| 2003 vw jetta - fuse box inside engine compartment melted! *tr | |||
| 10/30/2008 | 84000 | 1 | |
| I have had 27 things break or fail on my 03vw jetta 1.8t. i bought the car used in 01/06 with 32,000 miles. after buying the car the first five mins the window shattered. first two months 2 tires blew out, front rim cracked, back tires out of alignment. dealer paid to fix rim broke 2 weeks later the dealer paid fo used set of similar rims. every light inside and out went out by 05/06 driver seat wont raise up cargo net in trunk falls apart dealer wont cover. gas and trunk release buttons fell down inside of door. radio stopped working front door speakers are shorting out. driver window switch goes up when you push down and down when you push down have to fiddle with it for it to go up. exhaust hanger broke causing chatter. swaybar bushing fell out causing grinding and shaking when ever moving. not cover by warranty all these happened by 05/07. now its 10/08 and i have 84,000 miles. current problems are rear spoiler brake light hangs down(dealer just glued it in place lasted about 4 months) cam and crank seals leaking oil cause odor inside of cabin. if i drive for more then an hour i get sick and light-headed. seat, cargo net in trunk, is still broken. radio still isn't fixed so i just went and bought an after market. speakers still shortening out only when its cold out. keyless entry only works within 4ft of the car. in the winter the car only gets 18mpg on the highway and about 14 in the city and the car is parked in a heated underground garage. *tr | |||
| 05/14/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 vw wolfsburg edition jetta continues to lose power. while i am driving the car will almost stall the power catches and powers back up prior to stalling. the lights interior and exterior go out, the radio turns off, the clock loses power, the engine loses enough power to not accelerate, but still does not stall. the power lose last for a few seconds. the interior lights also flicker. this happens several times every day. so far i have replaced the coolant fans and censor (1st diagnostic from vw dealership), replaced the 2nd coil (2nd diagnostic from vw dealership) replaced the ignition switch (lesueur car co), & replaced the control module (3rd diagnostic lesueur car co) when i picked up my car from lesueur car co i didn't get a mile away when the car lose power again. i bought this 2003 vw jetta from cardinale way of scottsdale last sept. (2007) i asked for a bumper to bumper extended warranty at the time of purchase. my car started losing power and when i took it to a mechanic i found out my warranty is not what i asked for. it's just a power/tran warranty which doesn't cover anything! i have spent almost $1300 in the last 2 months trying to fix the power lose problem and no one can figure out exactly what is wrong with my car?!?! everytime it gives a diagnostic error, we fix the error, and the car still continues to lose power! it has been in the shop at least 6 times, twice at a vw certified dealership and the 4 or 5 times at lesueur car co which is the largest non-certified dealership in az. i have contacted cardinale way and they are unwilling to help me with this matter. i do not know what to do??? i have 3 more years to pay on a car that no one can fix!! and i can't afford to keep fixing things that aren't the problem either! if there is anything you can do to help it will be very appreciated. thanks *tr | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 vw jetta has been in the shop more in the past 6 months than in the last 5 years. the latest two problems were; 1) the engine coil (was replaced once by recall) and 2) my fuse box on top of my battery melted. i have spent over $1,500 in the last two months on the car. was told that only one engine coil was allowed under the recall, and was told the fuse box melting was a common occurrence even though they did not ever find the real reason for it to melt. *tr | |||
| 11/28/2005 | 47423 | 1 | |
| On march 1, 2004, i purchased and financed a 2003 jetta tdi from the vw dealership in chico, ca. i began to experience problems with my new vehicle in late november 2005, with mileage at 47399. i suffered intermittent loss of power when accelerating onto the freeway and in traveling up hills. during the loss of power, i also noticed that i could not hear the whine of the turbo and assumed that the problem must be related to my turbo. the chico dealer test drove the car for approximately 25 miles with a scan tool but was unable to verify my complaint. unfortunately, the problem with the turbo persisted. i brought my car back to the chico dealership on january 7, 2006, with mileage at 50856. once again, the chico dealer was unable to verify my complaint because their scan tool did not pull a code. the chico dealer stated that they would replace the mass air flow sensor in an attempt to resolve my complaint regarding the loss of power. the mass air flow sensor was replaced by the chico dealer on january 7, 2006. feeling defeated and frustrated, i suffered through the turbo problem for another year. during this time, i was forced to take extra special precaution when entering the freeway in case my turbo failed to respond upon acceleration. in addition, when i experienced a loss power traveling up-hill, i was forced to utilize my hazard signal and move to either the slow lane or the shoulder of the road to allow other vehicles to pass me. when my turbo failed to respond properly, my vehicle would only travel at a maximum of 45-55 mph when accelerating onto the freeway and 35-45 mph when traveling up-hill. needless to say, even large semi-trucks passed me traveling up-hill. the problem with my turbo jeopardized my safety and that of my passengers | |||
| 05/11/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I have a piece of junk volkswagen jetta 1.8t that is a lemon. at 64,000 miles the fan shorted out and caused some problems to the tune of $800. then at 70,000 miles the air tubes melted making the car run terrible. that was another $600 dollars to fix. now at 71000 miles the heating and cooling system stopped working along with other electrical components. i have had it talking to the dealer and constantly writing volkswagen. there customer service sucks and they do not stand by their products. thank you, george and laura bogdan *tr | |||
| 11/07/2007 | 27234 | 2 | 05/21/2003 |
| A) 1) drove vehicle for about 2 miles on the morning of 05/21/07 when the failure happened. 2) vehicle lost engine power and vehicle started to vibrate a lot. 3) failed ignition coil #3 was replaced under warranty. b) 1) drove vehicle for about 1 miles on the morning of 11/07/07 when the failure happened. 2) vehicle lost engine power and vehicle started to vibrate a lot. 3) failed ignition coil #4 was replaced. *tr | |||
| 11/29/2007 | 39046 | 2 | 03/04/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. on two separate occasions, while driving approximately 30 mph with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. the contact drove home and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the coil inside the cylinder failed and had to be replaced for the second time in one month. the current mileage was 39,890 and failure mileage was 39,046. updated 03/14/08. *lj the coil pack was replaced | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 5000 | 8 | 01/01/2003 |
| I have owned a volkswagen jetta (turbo - 2003) and have had one horrible problem after another. without fail, i have taken my vehicle in for random mechanical repairs every few months since purchasing the vehicle. i found out the car was manufactured in mexico and that vw was aware of how bad their car's manufactured in mexico were. if that is the case, how can so many car owners with so many mechanical issues continue to sell in this country? i would like to report vw for lackluster performance and for continuing manufacture in an area well known for its below average standards and for continuing to bleed the consumer when it is fully aware of the issue. *tr | |||
| 05/27/2007 | 35000 | 1 | 11/24/2003 |
| Vw jetta 2003 oil leakage from oil pan screw according local service guy: alumin pan and steel screw theard on oil pan loose grip. vw need to recall this. http://www.auho.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1613.html *tr | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 26000 | ||
| The oil pump quit, causing the oil pressure lamp to come on. the vehicle is still under warranty, but since i cannot produce all of the receipts for oil changes since i purchased the vehicle, they will not cover the warranty. the dealer says that the failure was due to oil sludge. i was not informed that i had to keep receipts for oil changes durring the lifetime of the vehicle. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/29/2006 | 32584 | 1 | |
| 2003 jetta gls; twice when running the ac the car suddenly overheats, fuse blows. the engine temp gauge goes far into the red zone. i turned on the heater to draw heat away from engine, air was so hot it literally melted the plastic water bottle in the cup holder. (didn't help my comfort that the outside temp was near 100 degrees and i'm driving along with sunroof open, windows open, and heater turned on high!) i was concerned that my leg was burned as well because the air blowing from vent was so hot. i had to idle the car every few thousand feet to allow car to cool enough to limp to service station. first time (july 06, car w/i warranty @ 32k miles), vw told me that the fuse was blown; they were unable to replicate and indicated that if it happened again they would need to figure out why. second time (nov. 2007, car out of warranty @ 51k)), non-vw mechanic able to replicate and said that fuse blew because cooling fans are drawing too many amps (up to 100 amps) when starting. when running they are still drawing 37 amps and should be less than 20 amps. although this has happened only twice, and i have yet to repair (too expensive at $800+ and i'm unemployed), i live in great fear as warm weather approaches that i will be burned by this issue again. it's only a matter of time. *tr | |||
| 03/13/2003 | 63126 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that over the years her vehicle sporadically overheats. she took the vehicle to the dealer on numerous occasions and had the oxygen sensors replaced twice, the thermostat, the battery, the water pump, and the auxiliary water pump. recently, while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle overheated and was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the radiator fan, secondary air pump, and the power steering pump needed to be replaced at the cost of over $2,000. the technician added that if the repair was unsuccessful in remedying the failures, they may have to replace the catalytic converter. the manufacturer would not assist. the failure mileage was 63,126 and current mileage was 76,000. | |||
| 07/15/2006 | 108841 | 2 | 11/01/2002 |
| I have a 2003 volkswagen jetta tdi gls. i should note that this vehicle has been faithfully serviced by the dealer following the maintenance schedule listed in the user manual. the vehicle currently has 109,000 miles. while driving the vehicle a few days before the incident date listed on this complaint, the a/c ceased to function properly. there was no cool air coming out of the vents. also, when the vehicle was shutdown, the radiator fans would continue to run upwards of 15 minutes. neither event has occurred before. i brought my vehicle in to a vw dealership on the incident date to have its normal 110,000 mile service and to have the issues (noted above) diagnosed. i received a call from the dealership later in the day on the incident date stating that a failure in the coolant level sensor caused coolant fluid to be wicked into the vehicle's wiring harness leading to contamination / corrosion of the engine and body harness. the quote to repair was approximately $6,000. this problem is a latent defect in the design. the service department told me that the vehicle was un-drivable until the repairs are made. the service advisor also confirmed that because the problem was with the harness itself, any electrical component could be affected such as the airbags, abs, srs, etc. also, from my own research i found some people who experienced this problem have also had smoke or fires inside the vehicle. vw issued a technical service bulletin (id# c 97-01-01) for a similar issue on 1999.5 - 2001 model year jettas, but never for the 2003 and never a recall campaign on the defective design. vw has refused to assist in the cost of repair to the vehicle as well. *nm | |||
| 03/30/2004 | 1 | 12/01/2002 | |
| Problems with air conditioner on 2003 volkswagen jetta. *mr the air intake duct leaked which caused white smoke to emit from the vehicle when parked after a 75 mile trip. the part had to be ordered. the a/c condenser leaked which caused the a/c not to cool the vehicle properly. the dealer surmised that the damage to the condenser was from an outside source therefore refused to replace it under warranty. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 05/15/2006 | 45000 | 4 | 05/13/2003 |
| Check engine light during work out of state. diagnosis at a service station indicated both electrical cooling fans had failed. i replaced them with aftermarket fans in order to drive the car home and immediately took to the dealer. dealer replaced both fans and found the cooling temp sensor had been shorting out. i was charged over 900.00 for the fans and told they were not covered since i had put aftermarket fans on the car. i offered to give the dealer the stock fans so they could verify they were not working but they refused. given i did not cause the oem parts to fail and made no modifications to the car or it's wiring with the temporary fans i feel this should be covered. also, a search of online vw user groups indicates the problem is very common, (hundreds of identical reports on one site). i was also charged for the oem cooling parts which had failed such as temp sensor, temp switch and fan control module. for the record, i called vw and requested a tow to service and was told i would have to drive the car in. *jb | |||
| 08/18/2005 | 61000 | 1 | 11/22/2002 |
| A/c fan siezed, causing enough heat to start a fire. the shroud, upper radiator modlings, a/c hose, hood insulation and paint were damaged. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 06/15/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the catalytic converter has failed again after being replaced under the warranty previously. the vehicle will not pass emission inspection because the catalytic converter has burnt out again. the vehicle went to the dealer for repair two years ago and they replaced the catalytic converter under the warranty and now they stated they are not replacing it he has to pay for the repairs. the manufacturer was contacted and stated they are not responsible for this failure he has to pay for the repairs. vin is unknown. the failure and current mileage was 100,000.....mw | |||
| 03/19/2010 | 61000 | ||
| We purchased an 03 vw jetta wagon approx. 2.5 years ago. we changed the oil at the dealer every 5000 miles. we missed one oil changed and the engine stalled on the road. it was towed to a vw mechanic. we were told it a had total engine failure do to sludge-which they said was lack of maintenance. we paid 16,000 for the car, it had 40,000 miles on it, we put 20,000 miles on it. we contacted a lawyer and we were told there isn't anything we can do-it was sold as is. we contacted vw america and they told us jettas' don't have the sludge problem, it's the passat with the 1.8t engine that has the problem. my research shows it's the 1.8t engine that is the problem regardless of the car it's in. we have no recourse. the car now sits in our drive way with new tires and a broken engine. a new motor plus installation would cost more than the car is worth. once again the working people get screwed. | |||
| 03/20/2009 | 62000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that his vehicle stalls intermittently and the dealer cannot diagnose the cause of the failure. he has paid over $500 in repairs. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 62,000. | |||
| 11/30/2008 | 23726 | 1 | |
| I am complaining about failure of the ignition coils on a 2003 volkswagen jetta ( ) with the 1.8 liter turbo engine. vw has already recalled a number of jettas of this vintage and with this engine for replacement of defective ignition coils. however, they have refused to pay for replacement of the coils on this car. one failed causing the engine to run poorly. the dealer recommended replacing all four coils at a cost of $384.48. the car only had 23,726 miles at the time of the failure. this defect can cause immediate engine failure. clearly, the vw dealer believed that the coils are subject to unexpected failure at low mileage even though vw of america refuses to recall the particular vehicle. *tr | |||
| 03/26/2006 | 47000 | 1 | 06/13/2003 |
| 2003 volkswagen jetta caught on fire while driving. a vehicle following my sons car on a major interstate (my son was out of state returning home) noticed smoke coming from under the car and blow horn and flickered lights. my son looked in his rear view mirror and saw smoke and immediately pulled off the road. the fire department was called by vehicle following. the jetta never lost power and when he pulled off the road and he had to turn the ignition off. the jetta was smoking and the fire started immediately and with in minutes full flames. there was a loud boom and it came from the front of the jetta. the fire department could not get the fire out and had to break through the hood. the whole front (engine area) was burned. the jetta was still under warranty therefore we personally went to the dealership to report (thinking still under warranty they would provide a rental and want to investigate) all they did was refer us to volkswagen. i contacted volkswagen on march 27, 2005 and to make a long story short i had to report to my insurance. volkswagen also told me that if it was a manufacturer defect.... they would only pay what insurance would pay??????? my son also talked to the owner of the dealership and all that was said is he (the dealership owner) was sorry and good thing he (my son ) had insurance. the dealership didn't even offer to try and help us get back into a vehicle. there was no indication (no engine warning, no power lose, smell etc.) there was anything wrong. the smoke was going up under the jetta and out under the back. the blessing is the vehicle behind my son.... what if he hadn't caught my sons attention?????????? the auto insurance didn't cover for what was lost in the vehicle, just the jetta. all scheduled maintenance were done as recommended by volkswagen????? *nm | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 18048 | 1 | 04/13/2003 |
| The check engine light stayed on while the car was in motion. when the car was idling, the check engine light blinked. i was able to drive it to fairfax volkswagen in fairfax, va to have the car checked out. apparently there was a recall on the ignition coils, which had been out for over a year. i had no idea about the recall -- even after i took the jetta to stohlman vw for service on my audio speakers in the fall of 2004. they never told me about the recall and it should have been repaired at that time. fairfax vw told me that checking for recalls is their first priority, and that is how the recall was brought to my attention. i am very displeased with stohlman, and the service, or lack thereof, i received. *ak | |||
| 11/22/2003 | 1 | 08/27/2003 | |
| My 2003 jetta tdi was parked in front of my apartment building for approximately 40 minutes. when i went back out to the car to get in it, i found it with smoke billowing out from under the hood. as i started to pull the hood release to investigate, i noticed flames. i did not open the hood and instead quickly called the fire department and they responded asap. by the time they started putting out the fire, flames were engulfing the whole windshield from under the hood. after the flame was extinguished in reignited and had to be put out again. the car is inoperable. i only owned this car for three months and it was not even due for its first oil change. now volkswagen (vw) is stalling and has not even been to the dealership to perform its investigation. i am very upset that after two weeks no one has given me a progress update. i am seriously considering seeking legal advice. *la | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 84000 | 2 | 06/09/2003 |
| Excessive buildup of carbon in the exhaust manifold leading to the failure of the car to start. this is a known issue among vw dealers with tdi diesels and there is nothing vw is doing about it. cost $700 to repair this. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 2 | 08/01/2003 | |
| Check engine light illuminated and there was no power to the vehicle. at highway speeds there was a severe vibration in the steering wheel. *mr this resulted in a complete lost of power and a replacement of the injector system. the consumer was told that there was muddy diesel fuel but couldn't produce the fuel filter to back up the claim. there was another incident where there was a puff of smoke and a lost of power down to 25 mph on the road. the engine had a #3 valve go through the piston and run up and down the crankshaft. the engine was replaced along with another injector system and fuel pump was added. several weeks later, a high pressure oil line broke from the weld and spewed oil everywhere. the axle assembly and the transmission slave cylinder were replaced as well. *sc *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 05/12/2003 | 10198 | 0 | 01/29/2003 |
| 10,000 miles, mil (malfunction indicator lamp) came on solid. after i was told that if the light was solid, the car was safe to drive. took car home and drove to dealership next day. after princeton volkswagen looked at the car, turned out to be that my 2003 jetta gls 1.8t that was less than 3 months old had a fuel leak! i was told that the fuel sender clamp was loose and hose was smoking. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER | |||
| 08/12/2007 | 71000 | 1 | 11/15/2002 |
| While driving from pa to boston my car's engine broke down in what appears to be a common issue with the vw 1.8 liter turbo engines. the passat (from '98-'04) had an extended warranty on the issue because of this defect. i drive a '03 jetta with vw's 1.8 turbo engine, but because it's not a passat the warranty was not extended. i still have several months of payments on this car and it only has 70,000. all vw can/wants to do to help me is offer $1,500 in repairs or trade in. i'm looking at $7,200 and owe $1,600 on the car. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 75300 | 09/26/2005 | |
| There was a large amount of smoke from the tailpipe right after the 75,000 mile cpo warranty ended. the smoke was caused by a faulty turbo. the turbo had been replaced at 49,000 miles and vw and an independent verified that the turbo was faulty. the dealership was asked to check the engine (under warranty) five times throughout the time after the first turbo was installed, they reported that all was fine. as soon as the warranty ended, they said that the turbo needed to be replaced. vw has shifted all responsibility to me. even though the car is burning oil, and affecting the catalytic converter, no warranties apply. the turbo needs to be replaced again, however, no one (including vw) can explain why it keeps failing, despite perfect maintenance. *tr | |||
| 09/10/2003 | 70000 | 2 | 07/19/2002 |
| Vehicle being driven on a highway and motor blew up. towed to dealership and told that it was faulty turbo due to sludge in the turbo. dealership denied any responsibility claiming it was owner's problem because synthetic oil was not used. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 47715 | 2 | 04/28/2006 |
| Purchased a used 03 vw tdi on 04/05, had the warranty transferred and registered to me at vw. brief random incidents occurred where throttle would not respond for 1-3 seconds when starting from a stop sign. (this could be detrimental to your health) vw dealer could do nothing without a fault code. this continued for 2 years and 24000 miles. on 02/04/08, i shut the engine off, did an errand, came out and restarted the engine only to have it idle rough then die out, during this time there was no throttle response. i restarted engine 6-7 times, on the 8th time it ran normally. next day same happened to wife. i loaded car onto a flatbed and delivered to vw dealer 60 miles away. they found the egr throttle valve stuck, removed it, cleaned out built-up carbon. this cost $370.00 we do not know if these incidents are related. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 08/01/2006 | 74000 | 2 | 02/15/2003 |
| Bought a volkswagen jetta gls in 2003. several things have had to be replaced. for example the glove box cover, wheel bearing. my mechanic told me that on most newer vehicles that wheel bearings do not require maintenance. my car has 74,000 miles. last week i was driving and my malfunction indicator light started flashing and the car if going over 30 mph cut out. there was a rotten egg smell. it immediately went to the dealership and they said the catalytic converter and 2 coils were faulty. they replaced the catalytic converter and ignition coils for cylinders 1&3 and cleared fault codes. the catalytic converter was replaced under warranty. but said volkswagen feels the ignition coils are a regular maintenance issue. i have done some research and am finding that volkswagen has numerous complaints on the coils. in my research i found that vw had a customer satisfaction letter that was sent out to vw owners to bring car into dealership to replace the coils. vw representative in michigan told me that they stopped doing that in 2005. i believe that i should have not had to pay to replace the ignition coils. vw knows that they have had numerous problems with this. i love my vw but i have had problems this car that i have never had in any other vehicle. i trade vehicles every 3-4 years but will not purchase another volkswagen. not because i have had so many things go wrong because the strange problems i have had with the car and volkswagen doesn't take care of their drivers. *jb | |||
| 09/12/2002 | 59400 | 9 | 08/18/2002 |
| Numerous times that the engine light has come on my 2003 jetta. first visit was 9/12/02. the others were: 2/21/03, 6/13/03, 10/21/04, 1/6/05, 12/14/05, 12/21/05, 1/9/06, 1/13/06. it is currently on and is waiting for a cat. converter. they charged me to hook up to computer, replaced all coils & spark plugs and the light is still on. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 05/27/2005 | 47300 | 1 | 06/20/2003 |
| Car stared putting out alot of blue smoke from tail pipe on start up and gas milage was dropping 5-6 mpg and i thought that was alot for a diesel engine. car lost power at freeway speeds and would barely run. entire intake system to the head was full black sticky carbon choking the engine for clean air. intake system had to be completly disassembled (maniflod,egr vavle,ccv tube) and cleaned of carbon, which by searching the internet is a very common problem with vw tdi 1.9 engine. | |||