Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
01 08 1403/27/200810024548Update programming, mil on, dtc's p0420 and/or p0300-p0306 stored in ecm fault memory. *nj04/23/2008
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
040101/23/200410006517Reverse gear, difficult to engage or disengage. *mr05/05/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
12/29/2010870001
 Bought this car october 2010 from berge vw az. i noticed a few months after i bought it that it intermittently would kick into gear. i called the dealer and ask about it and they said it was normal, never brought it in just talked to a friend of mine from the dealer. turns out in nov 2010 they sent all vw owners extended warranty paperwork for the valve body on these jettas for the exact problems i am having. i replaced speed sensors and everything. no now i am being told its the valve body and i never got a letter and i just hit 102k last month but i am outside the 7 years. vw knows this part goes bad. there should not be a year on it for vehicles like mine that have low miles! i can prove it was happening before the 100k miles. help! *tr
12/29/201087000
 Bought this car october 2010 from berge vw az. i noticed a few months after i bought it that it intermittently would kick into gear. i called the dealer and ask about it and they said it was normal, never brought it in just talked to a friend of mine from the dealer. turns out in nov 2010 they sent all vw owners extended warranty paperwork for the valve body on these jettas for the exact problems i am having. i replaced speed sensors and everything. no now i am being told its the valve body and i never got a letter and i just hit 102k last month but i am outside the 7 years. vw knows this part goes bad. there should not be a year on it for vehicles like mine that have low miles! i can prove it was happening before the 100k miles. help!
08/15/2010170000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta wagon. the contact stated that the speedometer failed to provide an accurate speed traveled. the contact also stated that when the cruise control switch was activated, it would cause the vehicle to surge forward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they confirmed that the sensor in the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 170,000 and the current mileage was 211,000. kmj
08/15/2010170000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta wagon. the contact stated the speedometer failed to give accurate vehicle speed.the contact also stated when the cruise control switch was activated it caused the vehicle to surge forward. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they confirmed the sensor in the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 170,000 and the current mileage 211,000 . rds
05/27/20091282501
 Engine casing broke where the motor mount connects, got that repaired. 2 days later while driving on freeway, engine makes loud noise and seizes. undriveable, wont start. *tr
03/04/200846608109/14/2003
 The clutch on my vw jetta burned out on a major interstate and was a very dangerous situation. the car had 46,604 miles on it and should have lasted many miles above that but i have learned of 100's who own the same car with this same situation. *tr
01/01/20035000801/01/2003
 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
01/01/20041
 My 2003 vw jetta constantly gets stuck in park longest time has been 45 minutes my car has been into service 3 times and is still rough coming out of park also my cruise control has never worked i only have 6000 miles. *jb
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
06/15/2007610001
 At approximately 61,000 miles on my 2003 vw jetta glx (v6), i began to experience problems that seemed to be transmission related. this initially occurred in june of 2007. all except one of the issues were resolved by the wray vw in columbia sc. the ongoing and current problem i have is the car changes gears hard between 2nd and 3rd. the hard gear shifts happens 95% of the time the car changes between 2nd and 3rd gear. i had the transmission replaced a couple of months ago due to the fact the 2 vw dealerships deemed the transmission to be the problem. however, changing the transmission did not resolve the problem. my problem is still ongoing. *tr
05/15/2008781261
 I have a 2003 vw jetta tdi. i have always had it serviced on time and have kept it well maintained, i have 78,000 miles on it. the speed sensor in the transmission has failed and volkswagen refuses to fix it. i worry because the doors not lock correctly because of this and i am not aware at the speed i travel because the gauges have failed. my biggest worry is that if i were to have an accident the airbags would not work because the car does not know how fast it is going. if this were a normal item like breaks, tires or something that has normal wear and tear i would understand but its not. it is a mechanical problem what i vital function of the car. i really feel that vw should cover the cost or at least split it with me. what do i need to do? *tr
03/20/2008770001
 I am a resident of south florida and in the summer of 2007 , due to the fact my car has been reliable i decided to drive cross country to los angeles , i took all precautions prior to living, from oil changes , brakes , tire rotation and so forth. in oct. of 2007 , i was in a fender bender in los angeles , which delayed my return to south florida in the accident they had to replace front end lights as well as my radiator. i once again took all precautions on the vehicle prior to my journey. as of mid november i was back in miami , no problems with the car , all is good at that point the vehicle had approximately 72,000 or so . in mid march i noticed that when i started my car and try to accelerate the car , it would not surpass 15/20mph and it made a very strange sound. it would only function appropriately when the engine was @ 190. i have taken it to a dealership as well as another mechanic and they both have informed me that my clutch is worn out. i'm not sure why that is? i have done everything in my power to keep this car up to par , as far as maintenance . the dealer quoted me $5600 and the other mechanic $2500. this vehicle has had been amazing to me till now, i have a little less then 80,000 and would love to drive it too at least 160,000 , but the way this is going i'm afraid that will not happen . i have noticed several complaints on the issue. vw jetta station wagon - 2003 , turbo gls tiptronic - 80,000. *tr
09/28/200636022110/02/2002
 Dt*: the contact stated when the speedometer read 70 mph, the vehicle was traveling 97.3 mph. the dealership determined the gear bushing was bad and needed to be replaced. the part number for the gear was: 01m-409-187. the part number for the bushing was: 095-409-190. the dealership informed the contact, the manufacturer needed to keep the old gear and bushing. the contact did not agree and wanted the old parts. *ak
07/03/2004170008
 The transmission in my 2003 vw jetta has not worked right since the 1st week after i bought the car. it shifts inappropriatley and hesitates when pulling into on oncoming traffic. i have been nearly hit by cars and trucks on several occasions. when going up a hill the car seems to downshift or skip a gear, this is an automatic transmission. going 75 miles an hour recently the car seemed to down shift and i thought the car was going to spin around in the road. i was on the trans canada highway. very scary. when using the cruise control the car accelerates extremley fast. the car has been for transmission repair 6 or more times. volkswagon is aware. *ak
10/17/2003001/29/2003
 Last january i bought myself a 2003 jetta straight off the lot brand new. everything was going great up to october once the cold weather started to set in. the car is an automatic and when leaving it to sit for a period of time i would get in to drive the car and starting out when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear it would slam into gear. it was absolutly horrible and scary felt as if the car was going to bottom out. so i called the dealership and brought it in for a check, they told me there was nothing wrong with the car so i took it home again but the problem kept happening. so again come march i brought it back this time they had it for a whole wk and again told me nothing was wrong, so i brought it home again and again later on not even a week later it started to shift late again so i called again this time the service rep told me there was nothing more he could do for me. i called the vw company and they told me it was the wayi was driving the car i was an aggressive driver. i called the bbb and opened up a claim and now again they have my car and i have a rental but again they are telling me there is nothing wrong with the car. never once has anyone apoligized. no automatic should slam into gear when driving it. they have done nothing to even try to fix the problem. all they keep doing it turning it around on me as if it is my fault the way i am driving the car.. i have done research on myvwlemon.com and i have found a million other customers with the same problem and informed barrys of this and they told me unless it is the exact same car same engine same style there is no case.. this is the absolutly the worst i have ever been treated from a company.
502/27/2003
 When pressing on the accelerator pedal vehicle hesitated. consumer contacted dealership. however, dealership was unable to resolve the problem. *ak consumer's wife spoke to someone at volkswagen of america and said it was an inherent problem of the vehicle. also, dealer said that they can't fix the problem because the transmission is computerized and communicates with the engine. *la
01/23/20044400109/30/2003
 Intermittently, the vehicle would not shift out of park into any gear. the dealer replaced the shift lock solenoid. please provide further details. *jb *mr
8067212/14/2002
 Vehicle experienced hesitation, keyless key battery does not work, epc light illuminated due to lost of power, jack fell while car was on it, and problems shifting the car out of park.*mr when the epc light illuminated for the second time, the dealer replaced the engine control module. the vehicle experienced two flat due to the tires being overinflated. *jb
12/10/200329000104/04/2001
 While driving my 2002 jetta tdi (29,000 miles), the automatic transmission locked up causing whiplash and almost a chain reaction accident to the cars behind me. after having the car towed to the dealership, i looked on the internet and it seems that this has happened to other people. this is a serious life threatening issue in my eyes. i am only seem to be sore, thankfully this wasn't more serious. i have attached my search results below. http://www.myvwlemon.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/search.cgi?action=simplesearch&searchin=all&forumchoice=all&searchterms=vw+transmission&booleanand=yes&searchdate=all&searchuser=&exactname=no&file=temp-2452984-214219-93b9.cgi&total=69&startat=a: *la
09/26/20031
 Transmission will not engage while applying the gear shift. driver was shifting from drive to park and gear were stuck, causing transmission to shut down. also, transmission coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle. dealer was aware of the problem. *ak
07/01/20031
 While applying the vehicle in gear the reverse gear will stick and will not go back into the park intermittently. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
12/12/200640000606/15/2004
 2003 vw jetta at 40k miles trans had to be replaced in feb 06, june 06 same symptoms, told by dealer not to be concerned that the sensors take time to adjust to new trans, emissions light on dealer says not to worry if it does not stay on, continue to call,with same response. dec 06 car loses power on interstate takes two wks to make an appt to get into dealer, told it is now the transmission control module, vw will not warranty although this part was not chkd when trans replaced, told this part is the brain to trans it tells trans when to shift. dealer and vw of no help. looked at consumer affairs on the internet noticed huge amount of people having same problems as i same year same model. the ecm light stays on and is not emitting smoke. *nm
08/08/20038067312/10/2002
 On december 14th of 2002 i purchased a 2003 vw jetta from smith vw on kirkwood highway delaware. although they handled all my transactions and vehicle delivery poorly, i chose to overlook in thinking i will not be dealing with them again. *ak since then, i have had the following problems with my car:
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT
02/08/2005339695003/21/2003
 Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 35 mph on normal road condition problems were notice with the traction button for the esp system. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the black brake switch failed. the brake light switch has been replaced for the purple brake light switch twice. the black brake light switch had a recall for 2002 model but does not cover the 2003 models. additional problems are associated with the brake switch, which includes the traction button for the esp system and the park position lever which locks often. also the contact once became stranded on a highway when the vehicle stalled and could not be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the dealership who replaced the ignition coil. all repairs made by the dealership has been covered by the vehicle warranty. the contact expressed concern about brake lights because represents serious safety problem
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT
03/07/200643000104/30/2003
 Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle would not come out of park when started. the dealership replaced the brake light switch however the problem still exists. the manufacturer was alerted.
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
09/19/2003686108/30/2003
 Dear sir/madam, i bought volkswagen jeeta 2003 wolfsburg edition on 08/30/03 at around 3.30 pm from classic volkswagen dealer whose physical address is 5474 s orange blossom trail, orlando, fl 32839. i paid $1500 (fifteen hundred) as a down payment and traded my old toyota camery le 2002. total dollar value $27060.02 while i was driving back to my home from my work on 09/19/2003 around 6.20 pm (i was driving on all america blvd in orlando, fl). i was driving between 30-35 mile per hour, i heard a loud sound from the engine of the car and car stopped. the mold (metal) which is about 4-6 inches long and 2-3 thick which is connected to the transmission of the engine and car was broken and the transmission damaged left axle (axle was broken) and few other parts are serious damaged. i complained this to the volkswagen manufacturer (volkswagen of america) on 09/19/03 through their website and also on 09/20/03 through their website and got case number assigned (reference number 30430412). i follow-up with them on 09/22/03, 09/23/03 & 09/24/03 to check the status of the case, theyre still reviewing the case. now i seriously worried about my safety while driving my car back on road. i requested volkswagen manufacturer (volkswagen of america) to refund my money back so i can make my own decision to buy another car which i feel safe to drive on the roads. im now totally sacred to drive my car back on road which is serious damage.
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
03/04/200846608109/14/2003
 The clutch on my vw jetta burned out on a major interstate and was a very dangerous situation. the car had 46,604 miles on it and should have lasted many miles above that but i have learned of 100's who own the same car with this same situation. *tr
07/05/200734000106/01/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that she experienced premature clutch failure. the clutch was replaced at 34,000 miles. the current mileage is 34,489 and failure mileage was 34,000. updated 09/17/07 *tr
08/11/200647962110/07/2005
 2003 vw jetta clutch and flywheel out at 47,962 miles. i am an experienced manual transmission driver. this is not my fault, and this is very premature for a clutch failure. the dealership wants $2088.00 plus tax for parts and labor. my dealership quoted me at $1400 back home, but im stuck in colorado waiting for the customer care to get back to me. every independent mechanic i have talked to including vw certified; but not affiliated have told me that even the worst clutch -rider(which i am not) would have clutch failure at about 100,000 miles. vw is too cheap to submit a recall for the clutch assemblies on their 2000-2004 vehicles. with the volume of complaints all over the web and even on this site, there is no doubt in my mind that there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, and im not just speaking about the extremely outrageous replacement and repair costs. plus! they now use non- re-surface flywheels...*jb
07/14/200538116111/24/2002
 * 2003 volkswagen jetta with 38,116 miles / one owner * vw case # 50260581 * repair location: north point vw, sherwood, ar (501) 945-5353 the problem this vehicle's clutch and flywheel both failed (completely worn) at 38,116 miles, well before the average expected life... possible material deficiency. background all service for the vehicle has been completed and documented with vw. this vehicle has not been subjected to any extreme driving in any way. manufacturer's assistance none. the clutch is a wear item and therefore not covered by the warranty. although the local service manager agrees that a clutch should not fail at this low mileage, neither he, or the vw help center (800 411-6688) would help in the $1,600 repair. bottom line after doing a google search for vw jetta clutch failure, i noted numerous reports of premature vw clutch failure. is this a weak link in this vehicle? is vw trying to hide an inferior part?
12/26/200425000107/01/2003
 Driving along, clutch started to slip at about 25,000 miles, when taken to dealer they said the pressure plate is completely worn and its my fault, after much research this is quite common. i have gotten nowhere with customer service or any number of managers.*ak
11/28/200429000104/27/2003
 I have a 2003 vw jetta tdi. at 29,000 miles the clutch failed in the middle of a highway in a blizzard. the vw dealer has not given me any information other than the clutch failed due to my driving and that it will cost $2000. i have driven a jeep wrangler over 100000 and never had a problem with the clutch. my family and i were in danger in the middle of interstate 70 for several hours. in addition to calling the vw dealer, i also spoke with 2 customer service representative who told me there is nothing they can do. i had the car in 2 weeks ago for another problem and the dealer never told me that my clutch was not funtioning properly. vw sold me the car based on quality and reliablity in bad weather. they certaintly cannot back what they are marketing to consumers. i have never had such a terrible experience as this. i will be seeking legal action if i am not remibursed for my troubles. *ak
09/08/200422000306/16/2003
 Repeated complete clutch failure on my 2003 jetta. i am an experienced standard transmission driver and never had problem like this with any other car. the clutch seems to be of low quality and volkwagen is blaiming clutch failure on the driver - easy way out. *jb
08/20/200317000109/10/2002
 Complete clutch failure on my 2003 jetta. i am an experienced standard transmission driver. *ak
08/01/200421453108/05/2003
 Complete clutch failure, (the car will idle in all 5 gears) suddenly that left my car disabled on the highway with my 2 y/o son in his car seat 30 miles away from anywhere.*ak
12/18/20035128006/08/2003
 Complete and sudden failure of clutch, resulting in total loss of power in rush hour traffic.*ak
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT
08/29/20031900207/12/2003
 While proceeding to enter the highway, the driver heard a loud bang. the vehicle started to lose power. took vehicle to mechanic, and he said that the bolts sheared off the from driveshaft to the transmission. *ak the transmission, driveshaft, and the cv joints were replaced due to the incident. the vehicle started to have problems again with the front brakes, where the rotors were replaced again. (the problem returned again) *scc *jb
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
04/25/2009600001
 2003 volkswagen jetta 1.8t wolfsburg edition purchased used at 23,000 miles with a burnt out clutch. the clutch was replaced by the dealership in order to complete sale. at purchase we were assured the clutch would last and not be an issue. this is the only way the sale was completed. within 30,000 miles the clutch has gone out once more. the technician it was taken to reported that he receives at least 2 of the exact same car with the exact same issue per month. vw does not acknowledge that the pressure plate is defective and blames the driver. any clutch is expected to last at least 90,000 miles. both vw and extended warranties will not cover the repair which is being quoted at $1900- $2200. the part has been reported defective in previous models but is still not being corrected or acknowledged as a manufacturer defect, which it is. the pressure plate, flywheel, and clutch disc are under-rated for the vehicles stock horsepower. the identical parts are found in other vw vehicles with up to 80 horsepower less. the vehicle should have been recalled since the previous 2 models. the vehicles need to be recalled. when even a vw technician acknowledges that the parts are defective something needs to be done with vw america, requiring them to replace these parts at their expense with parts qualified to support the vehicles needs. *tr
03/01/20091
 Several problems with this car, and it's unfortunate. started about a year ago, at times my car will start at the turn of the ignition and sometimes it will not. i have also brought to vw's attention about my clutch, in particular is very heavy (i have always driven manuals) and again, at times i have difficulty shifting into 'r' and into '3rd' gear. i would have to return shift into neutral; step on the clutch several times and i am able to get into 'r'. as far as '3rd' gear, its pretty tricky(since i am moving!!!!) sometimes i cannot shift into 3rd gear, and literally have to down-shift and attempt 3rd again!!!! and now, my clutch is completely shot, with only 65,000mi on it. *tr
11/13/20031005010/25/2003
 The clutch on my 03' vw jetta has been failing since day one , i now have 42,000 kms. when i bought the car. reverse, second gear and third gear all have problems. this problem has been going on with every person with a manual jetta, especially a 1.8t. i think vwoa should recall the clutch and transmission and correct this problem. we spend hard earned money on our cars and do not deserve a problem like this on brand new cars. *jb
09/28/200418600301/06/2003
 I began noting transmission problems with my car in february of 04. when i brought it to the attention of my dealership and vw of america, they both dismissed my concerns. the clutch was inspected in the spring but they could find no problem with it. my clutch has now failed at 18,600 miles and vw is refusing to repair it. i have never driven anything other than manual trasmission cars and have never needed to replace a clutch, even after 130k. the dealership has my car and refuses to repair it. i have no transporation as a result as they will not give me a loaner car while i wait for the factory customer service person to inspect the car. i have notified them that i will seek lemon law status if they fail to repair the car by october 8th, 2004. *ak
03/03/2003409/07/2002
 I own a 2003 vw jetta. i bought it on 09/02. since then i have had a variety of problems. first it was my electrical. by brake lights stayed on and the key less remote did not work i could not lock my car and non of the interior and exterior lights worked. i took this problem to vw and the said that i needed to make an appontment before they would help me. so i had to drive home with all these problems and make my appt. this problem was fixed however occasionaly the brake lights still stay stuck on. this was also noted to vw. the second time i took my car in for a rattle in my clutch. i was told i would need to take my car on a test drive with a customer service rep (?). so i did and she stated she did not here anything and i told here that when i take the clutch out it does rattles very loud but when i push the clutch in the rattle stops. customer service rep stated since she did not here this she could not let the actual tech look at it. i demanded the tech to look at it. finally the tech and customer service rep told me i had a rattle in my clutch due to my bald tires.???? since i did need new tires, i replaced all 4. my clutch still rattled. (shocker) i then decided to take my vw to another vw service dealer, and they determined that the rattle was a loose heat plate. vw dealer stated this was fixed. the next day this rattle was still there. i have taken this car in for a total of 3 times for this rattle. i have decided on getting a new non-vw car. not only has the car dissappointed me but the servcie poeple have treated me and my husband like ignorant consumers. on each of these visits to the vw dealer they have ahd to keep my car for numerous days, and never was i able to receive a rental, which resulted in me missing work and costing me more money.*mb*
09/05/200326000308/02/2002
 I'm on 3rd transmission on my 2003 jetta tdi wagon in less than one year. original plus two failures replaced. *la
08/13/200343308/13/2003
 Problems with rear window defogger and transmission.*mr rear defogger didn't turn off. consumer feared it would cause an electrical hazard. transmission locked and wouldn't move to reverse. transmission was repaired and failed again. consumer was informed a new transmission and clutch was installed. on the day of purchase, consumer complained of the problem but the salesman stated he wasn't use to a manual transmission and ignored it. *ph
10/17/200315001007/07/2003
 My vehicle often will not shift into reverse. i have a manual transmission, and it will shift into the other gears, but often upon starting the vehicle, it will not go into reverse. *la
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY
07/07/20031700406/03/2003
 On four separate occasions, my car's manual transmission shifted out of gear . the first incident occurred july 7, 2003 when the car stopped moving in the middle of an intersection. this was repaired. the second incident occurred when i was trying to shift the car into drive - it actually was in neutral (despite the indicator stating drive) and i rolled back in the parking lot. i needed to bring it it, again, because the problem persisted. the third time it would actually go into reverse, instead of park. when i tried to park the vehicle i had to park it in reverse. i while i was driving it it shifted from drive into neutral. it is in the shop for the 3rd time. it has under 4000 miles on it.*ak