Hey fellow VW owners sorry to say the VW’s do break a lot. It is VW’s lack of quality control commitment. Water pumps fall apart at low miles on the 2.0 4 cyl, (put in the after market Graf metal impeller to solve this)do not let the VW dealer put in another plastic impeller pump this is all they have at the dealer, The water pump takes a good six hours or more to put in what a pain. The electric windows fall in the doors(get the A1Electric window motor kits if this happens allot to your car these A1Electric after market kits fit with a lot of rewiring) or just let VW charge you for their defect and bite the bullet, the best option is they do now have a kit that is supposed to fix it, you could get the kit for like $50 and do it yourself. The ABS systems fails due to really crap wire in the wire looms to the wheels sensors (replace the crap wire, remove the ABS control module from its base, then use the pins left in the ABS base socket and ohm out to each wheel with the sensors unplugged, ohm out the ABS wires flex and bend the wires you will find the bad ABS wires). The igniton systems fail way early, and even earlier if you stick in a platinum, or any fine wire sparkplug(use massive electrodes only, plugs with the three prong NGK is the best for this). The rear brakes wear out before the front brakes. the rear disc calipers some are bad with too much drag (get a different rear wheel caliper if you have one pad failing under say 15000 miles). The MAF sensors fail way too early no fix here just find the part on the WEB and replace it your self for savings any one can change this it’s easy. The engine codes will reset itself after you drive the VW about one to eight times or less after you replace the MAF sensor don’t pay to reset this code. The A/C goes out due to A/C condensor lack of protection and the R134 leaks out slowly eating up the compressor, the oil for the compressor is in the R134 after the A/C system has run, so when the R134 leaves through the condensor leaking so does your compressor oil. You may get lucky if you evacuate the system, check the compresor oil level replace the condensor and recharge if this does not work you have to again bite the bullet and buy the compressor from the rebuild guys in Florida for the best price(cut some of the X shaped expanded metal you can find it at Loews, or Home Depot, and put the X metal in front of your A/C condensor with ty-raps after you replaced it and the compressor)paint the X metal black no one will see it. The ball joints fail way early, (learn how to do it your self, get the small axle tool at Autozone to push out the front axle it make the ball jont job easier, then go get a wheel alignment). Put in fuel injector cleaner every oil change to keep the injectors from failing. The Jetta IV glove box right side hinge breaks (get a strap of steel metal about 3/4 inch by three inches by an eighth inch, drill four 1/8 inch holes in the strap evenly spaced, you have to put a little bend in middle of the metal to match the original hinge shape, then pry the broken hinge out with a big flat screw driver don’t let go, wedge a second screw driver in the hinge to hold it in place, place the strap over the hinge with the broken hinge held where it would be if it was not broken and drill through the exsisting 1/8″” holes in the strap you made and pop rivet), VW’s will cost you and arm and a leg unless you learn how to fix and improve where the factory left off the job and went to sleep. Don’t pay to have your interior air filter changed it is easy enough to do for about every one ( lift up the hood, on the right side under the plastic you will find the interior air filter cover). The manuals form VW are expensive and incomplete unless you go online and get the very expensive subscription. Get a cheap after market service manual sign up for the home version of the Autozone Alldata service and dig though it for the things that break the most and dig, it is hard to use the Alldata service but there is alot of information there if you keep wondering around the Alldata web site. Good luck the VW’s are a pain. Only thing good to the VW’s is if you over heat the engine you usually can just fix the water leak and the engine will be fine, a Toyota 4 banger on the other hand if it overheats needs a head gasket. Done all of the above and more.
D G Hyatt Elyria,Ohio

We were excited when we bought a Jetta TDI in June from Don Valley Volkswagen in Toronto, Ontario. We had to go with a brand new 2006 as they are not selling the 2007 diesels, but there were 52 km on the car when we drove it off the lot.

Our sales person had the knowledge of a nit. We almost ran out of gas on the first test drive and had to lend her $5 for diesel. Then, back in her office, she had us wait for 7 minutes as took a personal call of no relevance from her daughter.

Before we made our final decision this sales person assured us that our ipod would definitely work with the stereo. Not. We show up to pick up the car and when we asked about how the ipod connection works we’re told sorry, you have to pay extra to have your stereo modified for it to work.

What’s more, they don’t have owners manuals for the car, but promise to order them and have them in within the week.

Then our sales person smiled and spoke in a very careful, condescending voice. You know, the kind you use when you tell a 4 year old something very important. She very carefully explained that VW corporate might call and if they did we were to give her a rating of 10 on all the questions, even if they ask a tricky question like “”come on, she couldn’t really be *that* good, could she?”"

We were there for the car, which we were getting for a good price, not this idiot so we sat through this fuming. Then we get the car home and are shocked to see that there is a small ding in the passenger front door.

A week passes. A few weeks pass. No owners manuals yet. We call and get the run around. We call again. And again. Sales person blames the office manager. The office manager claims the manuals are on back order. Nothing gets done other than our time is wasted.

We aren’t sure if there are any special service or care considerations with a diesel. We keep driving the car. Then, at 9400 km (about 5800 miles) the car suddenly starts to lose power. A few seconds later it stalls on the road. This is a new car!!

Of course, since we were given NO information I don’t even know what the warning lights mean. I don’t have the roadside assistance numbers. I’m broken down in a new car and I can’t even tell if it’s safe to drive if a few hundred metres to a nearby gas station. I fumble around and with help from my husband at home finally get a roadside assistance number where my 45 minute wait in cold, miserable weather with no power in the car begins.

The car is towed to Pfaff Motors in Newmarket to get fixed. We call around 10 am to see what is going on and are told that is was dropped off with no instructions so they haven’t looked at it yet. It’s not a busy day, they say, so they should get back to us soon. No loner car unless it will be kept for more than 24 hours and they won’t know that until they look at it. We call back at 1:30 but the service rep, John, is still on lunch and sounds annoyed. He hasn’t looked at the car yet. Finally, around 3:30, we get a call. The car needs a part that has to be ordered, so we should come get a loaner. But they close at 6 so we have to get there before then.

This does get fixed, but now we are nervous. Can we trust our new car not to break down again, especially since the shop could not repeat the problem but fixed a part based on an error log report.

Up until the Jetta we’ve purchased Fords. I like the way the Jetta drives, but what a nightmare compared to dealing with the folks at 2 different Ford dealerships in the area. This has certainly soured any enjoyment I might have had from this new car.

I purchased a used 2004 Jetta from Bob Baker VW in Carlsbad CA 27 months ago. At purchase the car had 22000 miles on it,27 months later it has 44000 miles on it. The car has had to be towed into the dealer 3 times in 27 months. Most recently, the car lost all coolant and the engine fried. The dealer and VW USA say they won’t repair the damage under the warranty. The car has been into Jiffy Lube 4 times in 27 months (22,000 miles) for oil changes. There’s never been a hint of a water leak or oil leak.

My daughter was driving the car at about midnight when the warning light came on. She attempted to drive home approximately 15 miles. No one at the dealer has any explanation for how this happened but they are sure that its my daughters fault.

How do I most effectively go after these guys? What rights do I have? I’d like to cut my losses financially and thankfully this car is an “”extra”" vehicle for my family.

By the way, the service at Bob Baker VW has been terrible each time the car has been in for repair. It was first towed in during the summer of 2006. The car wouldn’t start. It took a week and a half to figure out that the chip in the key was the problem.

I purchased the new VW Jetta in the end of 2005. Since then:
1) I noticed when I took it home that there was a small hole in the passenger seat. I brought it back and they would do nothing about it. I did not ask for a new seat just the leather repaired.
2) The check engine light has come on several times. Each time I bring it back the light is off when I pick if up and a few months later it is back on again.
3) Finally the paint in the passenger door started showing primer. I have to wait months for a Corp person to come down and look at it. They denied fixing it. I am concerned about the paint on the rest of the car.
I have called up the corporate office and the said that their adjuster has the finally say. I am still pursuing this issue.
What happened to the service promise by VW?
There is no doubt about it. VW SUCKS!!!!