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.
This morning, 4/5/05, i turned on my heated leather seats in my 2003 jetta gls and in a matter of about a minute, i felt something extremely hot on my leg. i immediately lifted myself up from the seat but it was too late. i looked down and there was a hole burnt into my leather seat, smoke coming from the seat and a burn in my pants...not to mention my skin. what i find disturbing is not that it happened but the fact that i took my car in last thursday and was not told about the problem even though a recall had already been issued. if vw had been proactive, i would not have had this injury and property damage.*ak
While driving/parking driver's seat heater burned a hole in the seat when in use. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak
While driving consumer had the heater seat on and it burned through consumer's coat and burned her pants. consumer did not sustain any injury. manufacturer was contacted, and the part for repair was on order.*ak
On march 24,i turned my seat warmer to level 2,all of a sudden i felt a burning sensation. i kept driving thinking maybe i was bit by a bug or something. about a minute later,i saw and smelled alot of smoke. i had to pull over and when i looked down at my seat,it was dark and rainy so i turned on my dome light,there was a dime size hole in my seat. i had turned off the seat warmer when i realized what had happened. i got home and there was a burn on the back of my left leg. we contacted the dealership and they fixed our car in about 10 days. there had been an electrical short and they replalced the seat and fixed the electrical.*ak
2003 vw jetta wagon heated seats malfunction. driver received a strong shock from the seat followed by a strong burning odor.*ak
Failure in the driver side heated seat element resulted in a smoking hole burnt through the seat leather. the incident resulted in a small burn to the passenger.
Seat heater on driver's side became very hot in one spot, started to smell and smoke and burned through the seat material, my jacket and to my leg (no burn to skin noted).*ak
Noticed the seat wsa hotter than normal a few days before incident. i was on my way to work and i smelled burning, then noticed my leg was hurting, then noticed smoke. i pulled over and jumped out of the car. i patted out the fire/smoke with my hand. there was a burned hole through the leather in the side of my seat. there was also a small burn in my pants and on my upper leg. i immediatly called the dealer. they could take my car that day, they kept it for a day and a half and replaced the heater and cover. i was not pleased with the look of the seat, it is not tight and does not look like the passenger side. i took the car back and they said i needed to wait for the leather to get tighter. it has been two months and it is not any tighter. i am happy they fixed the seat but i would like it to look like it used to.
On early morning start-up, the seat heater was turned on. within about 1 minute it began to smolder, melting the seat foam cushion and burning a hole in the upholstery fabric and my trousers. had i not quickly turned off the heater, it may have started a fire. i contacted vw of america. they took my information and repaired it at their expense through my local vw dealership. *jb
On monday morning i noticed that my seat warmer was burning the left side of my butt. i didn't notice anything at that time. on tuesday morning, my seat was smoking and it burned a whole in my leather. when i called the dealership, they told me they had seen a couple of these incidents. said i would need to bring my car in and leave it or wait 45+ minutes for them to take a look at it. i complained that i can't miss work, and i need a car that i can rely on to get me back and forth. i asked for a loaner for the day, to which they responded no. at this time, nothing has been done, and i am still driving with a defective seat warmer. *nm
Drivers side seat heater malfunctioned wile set to level (2) two. results were burn hole to seat, smoke erupting form seat, burn to driver?s jeans, pain and discomfort to driver this was during normal vehicle operation on public streets. *jb
Passenger side seat heater malfunctioned. seat heater turned on to level 3. passenger and driver noticed smell of something burning, then passenger felt pain under left thigh. turned seat heater off. when stopped, examined seat to discover brown hole in seat where heater had burned through. no repairs have been made yet. *nm
(1) driving on ih-35, seat started burning and smoke filled the car, seat heater had burned through the seat. *ak
While driving the seat caught on fire. consumer smelled a burnt odor. the seat became very hot; burning completely through the leather. also, burning through consumer's jeans. the seat burned consumer's legs and her backside. it wasn't until she got out of the vehicle she could see the smoke coming from under the seat. *ak
The consumer stated the seat warmer caused the seat to catch on fire when the vehicle was being warmed up. *jb
2003 vw jetta front passenger heating element (heated seats) failure; fire burned through seat fabric. *jb
While driving consumer turned on the seat heater and seat burned through completely; burning consumers buttocks and hand. contacted the dealer. *ak
The heater on driver seat overheated and burned a hole through driver's seat, and it also caught on fire. consumer was able to extinguish the fire with his hand. dealer and manufacturer were not notified. *ak
Consumer was driving to work when suddenly the passenger felt heat coming from the driver's seat. the seat started to burn. conumer exited the vehicle, and it was towed.*ak
This car is equipped with electric seat heaters. after driving this vehicle for approximately 25 miles, the driver seat heater burnt through the seat, burning my butt. the seat quit burning after turning the heater off. i have spoke to two vw dealers and vw directly and it sounds like this is not an isolated incident by any means.*ak
I was driving down the road and had just cut on my heated seats in my 2003 volkswagon jetta and noticed that my seat was getting very hot on the left hand side. i could not figure it out and could not see b/c it was dark. i started filling around in my seat and felt a whole and it burned my finger. i had no idea what it was. i started smelling smoke and so i turned on my light in my car and pulled over immediately. my seat started smoking out of the whole. i tried to see closer what was going on and noticed sparks coming out of the whole. the only thing i could think of at that moment was my heated seats. i turned them off and the sparks went away. i now have a whole in my seat the size of a nickel. it is still under warranty and i am taking it in on monday, however after reading many websites about this particular problem in 2002/2003 jetta's i am not so sure that volkswagen will stand behind this problem and that they try and blame it on the driver messing around with the grid which is next to impossible. i am writing in advance and calling as well so it is on file that this happened. i found the coil in the seat that was not protected by anything and looks to be what was causing the sparks in my seat. *jb
Seat heater in 2003 volkswagen jetta shorted out causing small hole to burn in leather seat and inflicting minor pinpointed burn to driver while vehicle was in operation. seat heat turned off returned vehicle to dealer for repair. to date the parts for repair are not available. condition is still active if switch is turned on.*ak
While driving 10 mph heater in the driver seat caught on fire and burned through the driver's seat. consumer extinguished the fire with her hand. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who ordered a new seat.*ak
While driving the consumer's seat caught fire. the consumer contacted the dealer and took the vehicle in for repair. *jb *nm
While driving seat heater started to burn. consumer felt the heat through her coat. pulled over and exited the vehicle. the leather seat was melted. consumer contacted the manufacturer.*ak
We purchased a brand new 2003 vw jetta in june of 2003. i have had no problems with the vehicle until yesterday, 11/28/04. we could smell something "hot" and burning. the drivers seat caught on fire from the heated seats, there is a hole in the seat and my boyfriend burnt his hand. within minutes of that happening, the passenger side door window just fell down. i've never seen anything like this before. somehow, the window is no longer in it's track. i have been doing some research online and finding many more instances with the windows falling and the seats catching on fire? what is the deal? this is very unsafe. i have my appointment tomorrow with our local vw dealer in erie pa to see what they will do to correct this. i want both seats looked at....i do not feel safe in my car any longer!!!*ak
I currently own a 2003 volkwagen jetta and have been driving it for 2 years. i live in michigan and as a result use the seat warmers regularly during the cold winter months. i have never had a problem or any complaints until yesterday. i drove about 1 mile and had the seat warmer on 3, which isn't the highest setting, and my seat caught fire. i had to pull over to the side of the road, get out, and proceed to stomp out the small ember burning. i know have a dime to nickel size hole in my driver side seat.*ak
A hole was burnt into my velour driver seat from the seat heater on my 2003 diesel jetta. i cannot use the seat heater as it continues to produce a burning smell when the heat is turned on. *ak
Consumer noticed that driver's side seat heater became extremely hot, burning the plastic of the seat. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat needed to be replaced. *ak
2003 volkswagen jetta gls with cold weather package had seat heating element burn hole in seat. *jb
Sunday evening i left my house to run out to the local convenient store when the driver seat of my 2003 vw jetta caught on fire. the heat settings run as high as five, my setting at the time was on two. i felt heat generating beneath my rear-end and when i lifted my leg to look below me, i saw and felt the flames beneath me. trying to put the fire out, which by the time i'd got pulled over to the side of road had burned through my jacket and pants, i'd burnt my hand in an attempt to squoosh the fire between the seat and the cushioning. not a pleasant experience. the seats are 'velour'. this is my third and last jetta. my previous jetta had the heated 'leather' seats package and i'd never had this experience. the dealer was kind enough to replace the heating components, cushioning and seat cover. (sarcastically speaking) however, i do not feel confident in my vehicle, much less volkswagen. very disappointed. *ak
2003 volkswagen jetta gls velour heated seat malfunction. burned a hole in car seat, through my coat and scorched my pants. also burned finger. volkswagen is fixing the problem and has offered to reimburse for coat and pants. all is done at no charge.
During first use in cold weather turned on heating seat on driver's side after about thirty seconds the car began to fill with smoke, i felt a sharp pain in my left rear butt cheek. opened the door & got out of the car .reached in and turned off the seat heater. noted a hole in the leather seat, found one in my trousers and a small burn mark on my butt. took the car to the local dealer, and they ordered the parts. am now waiting to see if it will be paid for by volkswagen. the car is 5000 miles over warranty. *ak
In december of 04 the drivers seat caught on fire in my 2003 volkswagen jetta glx. i had the heated seat on when i noticed the seat was getting extremly hot and started smoking. i was on a busy four lane road and unable to pull over at the time. once i did pull over i jumped out of the car to survey the damage. i had managed to burn the tips of my fingers and my "rear end". vw replaced the seat under warranty after i waited almost a month for the seat to come in. needless to say i was very irate at the dealership and was told by the service advisor that "i was over reacting". i called vwoa and reported the problem but they too did not seem concerned. i did my own little research and was able to come up with a couple hundred other cases of seats catching on fire in volkswagens. this is a serious problem and volkwagen doesnt seem to care, someone can get seriously injured if not killed by this problem.*ak
Upon turning on the drivers side heated seat element to strength 2 out of 5 a strong burning odor was released and a section of the heating element proceeded to burn through the seat cover and sligtly burned my leg. i turned off the heating element to stop the problem and am bringing the vehicle in to the dealers service department to inspect it.*ak
Heated seat warmer on drivers side front seat of my 2003 volkswagen jetta caught fire while i was driving, burning both the seat and my body. no repair as of yet.*ak
I was driving my leased, 2003 volkswagen jetta, (equipped with cold weather package), on a very busy road in late afternoon on a cold autumn day just outside of boston. i turned my driver side seat warmer on the highest level, (5) and in about 5 minutes i felt a sharp pain on the backside of my left thigh and thought something had stung me at first. i repositioned myself in the seat, and could smell something burning. i looked down and saw dark brown smoke pouring from the seat and realized the seat was actually burning me. i immediately turned the seat warmer off, pulled over, (again in very busy traffic in watertown, ma), and got out of the car to find a dark brown, dime-sized burn mark in the seat!!! the heat actually went through the seat and burned a small brown mark into my blue jeans and subsequently, left a small welt on the backside of my thigh. i am scared to drive the car now because i am not sure if there are other electrical defects with this car that may put my life, and my passengers lives in danger. i have contacted the dealership i leased the car from and they seem very eager to replace the seat and to clear this matter up immediately.
The driver's seat heater burned through the seat. the dealer was contacted. the dealer informed the consumer that problem was not covered under a recall. *jb. *ak
Heated seat (driver side) overheated to the point where it burned through the seat material, and burned the driver of the vehicle. small hole visible in material of seat where it burned through, and smoke could be smelled. this occured within 10 minutes of the seat being turned on.*ak
1- turned on the driver's side seat heater 2- felt hot spot, and saw smoke coming from left side of seat. a small hole was burned in leather, and padding inside seat was black. no fire, just smoke.*ak 3- turn off seat heater, put water on smoking hole in leather seat.
Driver seat heater overheated and caused damage to seat. *jb
Drivers heated seat burned a hole in the seat and burned the driver.*ak
My jetta's seat heater has shorted out and burned through the cover. volkswagens reply is that there are no replacements seat covers anywhere in the country, and that they have no idea when they will get some. i have been in contact with them regularly since mid-december, and the hole with exposed electrical wiring has been there since then. the only response that vw gives, when told about smoke and sparks shooting through the hole burned in their seat, is to shut it off; the smoke should stop. they don't know when new seats covers will arrive, but claim that eventually there will be . the vehicle is leased and under warranty. *nm
We own a 2002 jetta tdi wagon and the driver seat heating device burned a hole in the seat and straight through my overcoat. this all happened within 1 mile of driving the vehicle. if i did not have a thick jacket on, i certainly would have been burned and if i did not catch it in time, a fire could have started. *ak
2003 vw jetta 1.8t gls w/ leather has heated seats. seats malfunctioned and burnt a hole through the leather. if i had been driving i would have been scorched, luckily i was still in my driveway. see here for similar incidents. *ak http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1113071&page=1
I own a volkswagen 2003 jetta wagon. the drivers side seat warmer burned a hole through the seat cover. when brought in for service i asked them to check the passenger side for the defective part and they said there was no problem. one month later i started smelling the same synthetic burning smell, and noticed a discoloration on the seat where the hot section is. *ak
On the evening of october 30, my 2003 volkswagen jetta vehicle driver seat and my coat caught on fire, beginning to melt my pants to my skin. once i realized the problem, i moved through traffic to find a safe place to park my car. i turned off the seat heater and engine heater, and waited some time to reenter the car. on friday morning, i showed a mechanic the problem and he said i must take the car into the dealerhsip immediately. after several calls to dick hannah volkswagen (dhvw) dealership and volkswagen usa, dhvw fixed the seat heater defect and provided a contact to volkswagen usa. dhvw provided mediocore customer service, lacked willingness to fully discuss the problem without repeated prompts, had no idea whether this defect has been found in other volkswagen vehicles and would not provide any compensation. ultimately, i am a very unhappy dick hannah volkswagen customer, with a car that makes afraid to drive with the seat heater feature, no compensation for my winter coat and pants, time from work and stress. *la
Driver's side heated seat became extremely hot, burning the leather, and burning through the consumers pants, slightly burning consumer's leg. dealer and the manufacturer have been notified.*ak *ph *nlm