Problems with 2006 Volkswagen Jetta ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was sitting in traffic in minneapolis mn. the light turned green, traffic moved and when i pressed on the accelerator, the engine sped up as if it was in neutral. the shift selector was in d for drive. the prndl indicator on the dash flashed red with all five letters illuminated. i tried turning off the ignition and turning it back on with the same results. no movement with engine accelerating. after being pushed into a parking lot by passersby, i tried again and the transmission worked as it was supposed to. after researching the problem on the internet, i find that it is a common vw problem and the nhtsa action number is pe09035 opened july 17, 2009 covering 2008 and 2009 models. my tdi is a 2006 model purchased in may 2007 because vw kept selling 2006 tdis in 2007. there were no 2007 vw jetta tdis. *tr

At 130,623 miles our jetta had to have the camshaft and lifters replaced. the lobes on the camshaft had completely worn off and the lifters had pitted. i feel like our diesel motor has aged prematurely and there is an underlying problem that vw is ignoring. this is a common problem for this model and year. we are having both replaced, but until the root of the problem is found there will be an issue again. vw must know of this problem. they stopped production of the tdi jetta in 2006. the 2006 was the last year before stopping production. why would they stop making a car that was in such high demand with the rising cost of diesel and gas. they knew of an issue in the car that they couldn't figure out. now they ignore the problem and continue to blame the customer for poor maintenance. the car is defective and vw needs to address the problem. *tr

The driver's side window in my vehicle stopped working completely. when i took the vehicle to the dealer they told me the cause was a faulty driver's side door harness. there were several wires that were broken or about to break, and they suggested i replace it immediately. i was quoted over $400 for parts and labor. this issue was recalled on the earlier models, and then fixed on the 2008 and later models during production. however the 2006 and 2007 models are still affected by the problem. volkswagen has not issued a recall for this crucial part and continues to let its customers pay for the dangerous design flaw in these vehicles. warning to potential buyers: before purchasing a 2005.5 (newer body style), 2006, or 2007 jetta check to make sure this problem has been fixed. otherwise, you could wind up with your power windows, locks, mirrors, gas door, and trunk release no longer working when you need them to. also, i was told the vehicle would not pass inspection with this problem. it is a risk and a safety concern that should be recalled immediately. *tr

Drivers side door wiring harness has design flaw as reflected in numerous complaints documented on-line. representative examples may be found at following link. http://repairpal.com/volkswagen-jetta-2006. the design flaw poses an rescue hazard in event of accident, as non of the electrical door locks can be unlocked and windows cannot be lowered. access to gas tank to fill requires dismantling of trunk compartment for manual latch manipulation, which carries risk of cuts and bruises. repair costs $677.00. should be repaired or replaced by volkswagen at no cost to consumer. *tr

The car alarm randomly arms itself while parked. the repair shop sees no error codes but we can see that the door ajar indicator randomly lights up while driving. oddly, the door open chime does not sound. *tr

The drivers side door electrical system does not work. the locks, windows, mirrors, trunk latch, gas tank latch, mirror defroster et al. in speaking the vw service reps they knew right away that the issue was a broken harness. they indicated it had failed in many other vehicles. however, in speaking with vw customer care they are not willing to accept responsibility for the known issue. but the doors can not be locked or unlocked, the door ajar light remains on and dings all the time, the interior lights are on night and day making visibility at night difficult and last but not least the windows cannot be put down. please address this as vw does not appear willing and this issue is everywhere with this model year and make. thanks! *tr

We were driving in a residential neighbor hood at about 25mph and the car suddenly stopped accelerating as if the car was in neutral. luckily, we were able to pull over and park. the car went into fail safe mode (which i now know). about 5 different error lights were on as well as the gear lights flashing. put the car in park and shut off the engine, let it rest and then proceeded to restart with the same engine error. the car wouldn't reverse or go over 2nd gear. i can't even imagine if this happened on the freeway it has been serviced regularly at my local vw dealer on time and is now out of warranty. prior to this specific engine failure, i have had numerous problem with my gli, from interior, electrical, to the turbo. i started having problems very early on with this car, some were covered by the warranty and some were not. incredibly disappointed in the quality of my gli all around. *tr

About 4 years ago ,i took my jetta to the volkswagen dealer in regard to front airbags recall. the light would not go off. they repaired it, but after a year the light came back on and stayed on. when i call the dealer, i was told i would have to pay for an inspection of the car before they can determine if it is defective or not. it seems to me they did not fix the problem and i should not have to pay for it. also my horn want off, one day, and the only way i was able to stop it , was to pull the fuse out. when i put the fuse back , the horn would not work. nothing wrong with the fuse. . my yellow engine light keep coming on , especially when i use my a/c and there is a very strange smell in the car. i only have 55000 miles on this car. and to top it all, while driving the car, i got a icon lighting up in regard to my coolant. the little black tube that connects to the reservoir had slipped off and all the antifreeze fell out of it onto the engine. owning a volkswagen is a real nightmare, had honda before, put over 130000 miles on it and never had any problem.will definitely never buy volkswagen again and will not recommend it. to anyone

While traveling in rain at 70 mph with cruise control engaged the speedometer dropped to zero, the brake and abs/esp warning light came on and there where three chimes. a second later all went back to normal. this happened 6 times that day, and has happened at irregular intervals since at least 7 times. there is no correlation anymore between wet and dry conditions, cruise control does not have to be engaged, i do not have to be traveling at a constant speed. there are no trouble codes stored in the vehicles computer, and the local dealership is unable to help. *tr

I have a 2006 vw jetta sd w/ 93,000 miles. i use this vehicle for work. the air bag fault light has been on for almost two years. i initially took the car to the david maus vw in south orlando. i was told by the repair rep kevin it would cost $400 to repair the connector located under the driver seat that relate to the air bag system. since my car was out of the warranty period, i was told i would have to bear this cost. i asked [xxx] how the connectors would become faulty since there is nothing ever stored under my driver seat and no one goes under the driver seat. [xxx] said that ??it just happens.?? i told him i was disappointed vw had made such a faulty car because of the many prior problems i had that fortunately were covered under warranty, e.g., esp light continually on; ignition coils recalled/replaced; asr light continually lit; trunk latch replaced, air conditioning vents broke, driver side door would not lock/unlock; and driver side button stopped working. after the warranty ended, the air bag light came on. i paid to replace the button for the side view mirrors because it broke off. [xxx] told me the button was cheap and they always break. a recall for the side air bag harness on seats were repaired on both sides on 3/30/11. in october, 2011 i told [xxx] i did not believe i should be responsible to pay for the repair of the air bag light as i believed it was a defect on vw part. i could not have caused the light to come on by driving the vehicle. i was informed by [xxx] that without this repair the airbag system was considered to be inoperable and unsafe. after review of the nhtsa complaints and an internet search, this airbag issue with this vehicle has been a known one for some time. vw has not issued a recall because they do not believe it is a large concern. i believe a recall should be issued due to the obvious safety concerns. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The wiring harness that runs from the engine compartment to the drives side door has cracking and broken wires. the service department states it needs to be replaced. they suggest it is not an isolated incident. wires with broken insulation after 6 years in a door harness that is designed to open and close multiple times daily seems to be a significant safety issue. are there other wire issues? is the wire (car built in mexico) an issue overall?

My wife was getting ready to go to work, when she opened the door of our jetta, smoke started coming out from under the drivers front seat. she bent down to see where it was coming from but all she saw was a red glow coming from under the seat. this thing must have set and smolder all night because she didn't unlock the car that morning because she had left the car unlocked do to where we live no one is around for miles. inspector said that it was fault of (vw) the seat, but it will cost to much to sue vw. we almost lost our home, garage and our lives. we had the seat recall repaired but i think the repair was never made, the video is on youtube under "jetta fire". one of my questions is why didn't a fuse blow before the car burnt to the ground. *kb

Electrical harness in passenger side door leads to intermittent electrical failures that can lead to safety issues. *tr

Originally, the turbo would lose boost and the engine would lose power. after some time, particularly during wet weather, the car will suddenly vibrate, jolt, and then the engine warning chime sounds. the tachometer drops to zero, the oil pressure light comes on, the stability control shuts off, the glow plug lights flash, rear window defroster will not work, cruise control wont work, and if the car is shut off it will not restart. this is particularly dangerous during snow or rain, as the car loses traction control during weather in which it is most important to have. also, if the car dies and is on the shoulder of the road, during rain or snow, there is poor visibility and it increases the risk of someone hitting the disabled car. i have seen many mentions of this same effect happening on other 2006 tdi models, and it seems to be a recurring issue with this particular model and engine type. the root cause appears to be an electrical harness that runs in the engine compartment chafing over time, which happens outside of the warranty period, but causes significant safety concerns with its failure mode.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated the windows and doors failed to unlock, and the windows would not roll up or down. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test that indicated the failure was caused by the drivers door wiring harness. the wires were to short and caused the wiring rubber boot, door locks, and windows to fail. the dealer replaced the driver and passenger door wiring harness. the failure mileage was 76,000 and the current mileage was 83,000.

Driver's side wiring harness failure - several wires in the wiring harness between the passenger compartment and driver door have failed, making it impossible to operate windows, door locks, release fuel door, and release trunk from driver door. the failed wiring also results in a constant door ajar indication on the instrument panel and illumination of the front dome and entry lamps. safety systems may be compromised if the onboard computer believes the door is ajar. vw states that this is a problem that they are familiar with, yet the cost for repair is over $400. *tr

Add one more 2006 jetta at 70000 miles in which the driver's side door harness broke losing electrical power to all systems controlled by door controls. *tr

Our 2006 volkswagen jetta definitely has electrical problems they all do!!!! when we purchased ours 1 year ago it was winter and our trunk latch wouldn't work the 1st night we got it. we brought it back to the vw dealer and they replaced it - and the next day it did it again - then they told me it was because it was cold out that is why my trunk did not close. now after countless lights changed and the cadillac converter changed. my drivers side door light does not recognize my door is open and does not come on and it immediately got worse my two front windows are going up and down - my window lock switch is still on when the car is off - so i have to look up close and push again until the light is off. **********************took to vw they want $92 just to look at************recall recall my vw dealer told me today that there is an airbag recall on my 2006 jetta 2.5 why were we not notified that is definitely a safety issue especially with my children!!! need to investigate electrical issues that is a safety concern. *tr

Ignition key will not go in the key hole. it is as if you are trying to start some other car. it happened at parking lot without any warning. *tr

I am the owner of a 2006 vw jetta tdi sedan. i purchased the vehicle used in a private sale in 2009. by 2011 i was having numerous problems with the vehicle. the dual mass flywheel failed just after i had my car at the dealership for the timing belt service (approximate mileage 106,000). i had to have it towed (at my expense) to the dealership since it wasn't safe to drive the 130 miles. dealership said it was a known problem but volkswagen of america has not offered any assistance. apparently someone has to die to get their attention. approximate cost of repairs: $1,800. 2nd big problem is electrical. wiring harness in the driver door failed soon after i purchased it. it started with the driver window switch not working. then the lock/unlock button quit working. then the interior/exterior safety lights. i have heard that it will progress to the trunk lid, the other windows, the fuel door, ect. once again an extremely common problem due to a poor design. once again volkswagen of america has refused to offer assistance - the dealership quoted me just under $500 in parts and labor. why would a harness cost $205!!! third problem is cosmetic issues. the paint is flaking off especially near the seams and at the wheel wheels. rust formed where the paint bubbled up at two of the four wheel wheels. there is a service bulletin for paint problems in the generation before this vehicle and a 10-12 year corrosion warranty that vw refuses to honor. additionally, problems with poor manufacturing practices and materials abound in this vehicle. the headliner pulls away from the pillars at the seams in the rear due to defective materials. it will separate from the roof and become a hanging visibility hazard. the plastic dash pieces don't fit together - shrinking and pulling away at the seams. stereo buttons (as well as door switches) bubble and flake off. *tr

My 2006 vw jetta 2.5 l has had the passenger side seat warmer catch fire and cause holes in my seat. as i dropped off one of my children to school today i noticed a black hole with glowing orange embers in the seat! i touched it and realized my seat had caught on fire! thank god my child was already out of the car and was wearing a heavy coat and wasn't burned by it. definitely a huge safety issue and i'm lucky no one was injured! *tr

In the past year we have felt nothing but disappointment and frustration with our jetta. the most concerning issue to us is that all controls and power on the driver side door do not work. we are unable to put down any windows from the driver's side door, unlock or lock any doors, open the gas cap or open the trunk. the blinker on the driver's side mirror does not work, the safety light at the bottom of the driver's side door does not work when the door is opened, there is no control of the child safety locks, and the driver's side and passenger side mirrors cannot be adjusted. i know that volkswagen takes great pride in the safety of its vehicles, and as one can see, with the loss of power to the driver's side door a substantial amount of these features are useless. i shutter to wonder if the airbags in the car are also on same wiring as the driver's door. these are all huge safety concerns to us. and now, within the past two weeks the trunk sporadically won't close and the battery is loosing its charge, which we know may be a normal maintenance issue, but it is just one more thing. it feels as if there is a new issue every week! . we now feel 'stuck' with this vehicle that we are unable to afford to fix. so we avoid driving it as much as possible because we don't believe it is safe to drive our family with two young children around in. in addition to the safety concerns, the car cannot be driven through a drive through restaurant or a tollbooth since the driver's side window will not come down. i'm sure this is not the reputation volkswagen wants for its vehicles. we are very disappointed and feel helpless. i have read this complaint repeatedly on this website and wonder why this has not been recalled? please help! *tr

Driver's side wiring harness failure - several wires in the wiring harness between the passenger compartment and driver door have failed, making it impossible to operate windows, door locks, release fuel door, and release trunk from driver door. there is no manual release for the fuel door. the failed wiring also results in a constant door ajar indication on the instrument panel and illumination of the front dome and entry lamps. safety systems may be compromised if the onboard computer believes the door is ajar. *tr

I got into the car and went to open the rear doors for my two children and put them in the car. they got in the car and the door open alarm continued even after the door was closed. i reopened and closed the door and it finally stopped. the next time i opened the door the windows would not go down, the locks did not work and i could not adjust the mirrors. i went to the dealership and they have said it was the wiring harness between the door and the car. a wire had broken and they ordered a replacement harness. after investigating the issue, i see their are a lot of people with the 2006 vw jetta tdi with the same issue. i see this as a safety issue, due to the fact that in an emergency i would struggle with exiting the car with my two children. it also means an exposed wire is a regular occurrence with the vehicle. *tr

Brake light switch failure. *tr

I recently purchased a used, low mileage 2006 vw jetta and soon after i noticed the headliner began to bubble, sag, and tear away from the c-pillars i knew that this was not normal for a four-year-old car and that this could quickly turn into a safety hazard if left ignored. should the headliner continue to bubble and sag into the driver's line of sight this could become a serious motor vehicle hazard. i began to read around online and discovered, to my shock, news about the commonality of this issue to hundreds of owners. so, surely volkswagen is already aware that this is a mass issue and would certainly want to take action to correct it, right? i am writing because i genuinely love this car, but feel that there is a serious motor vehicle defect within the headliner assembly, glue or the way the fabric liner was cut, possibly too short. i want to get my headliner repaired, but honestly do not feel that i should be fully responsible for low quality craftsmanship put into the headliner of a four year old vehicle. i'd like for volkswagen to petition to have this item recalled citing the potential safe hazards it can cause due to loss of sight while driving. also, i'd like for you to contact me in order to make the proper arrangements to have mine replaced. i am also sending this letter to volkswagen's consumer complaints department, consumer affairs, and the national highway traffic safety administration for their review. the consumer stated within one week of owning the vehicle, he noticed a vibration in the steering wheel. it was determined the rotors needed to be replaced. soon after, the radio and window buttons began to peel as if they had been sitting out in heat. updated ivoq 12/22/10*jb *tr the consumer also stated the wiring in the driver's side door was defective. the exterior side mirror turn signals did not function properly. the wiring harness inside the boot of the driver's door showed signs of wear. the consumer stated 2 out of the 11 wires were broken, including the ground wire. updated 06/

My volkswagen jetta tdi regularly stopped working, about once every six months beginning when it was less than 6 months old. under warranty the dealership fixed it the first time by "replacing a relay" they said, but not really because it continued to happen. the second time when it was about a year old and still under warranty, the dealership said by the time it was towed to them it had begun working again so they couldn't fix it. they said unless it was not working when they had it in their shop they couldn't fix it, although they could see something had happened. it would simply stop working or not start. after the warranty ran out i began taking it to a vw trained mechanic who also told me he couldn't fix it because it was intermittent and would start working again before the tow truck got it to his shop. he said it was due to "one of the several computers not talking to one of the other computers". he could see a record in the car that something had been not working, but the car ran by the time it got to him. toward the end, it would die on the highway and i feared for my life and that of the children who rode in my car. i traded it in, already not working again, for a new car that i felt i could trust. through out all this, i could not contact anyone at vw except someone who told me they were sorry, but vw could not do anything for me. the problem started happening when the car was new and continued to happen and was never resolved. it was dangerous to drive. the date below is merely the latest incident. *tr

The car doesn't recognize that the door is open. the interior lighting does not come on and the notification that the headlights remain on is not functional. this has left me with a dead battery twice. also, the car alarm rearms itself if the engine is not started within 30 seconds. i believe this is a safety issue in that the lighting is not functional which is a security concern at night. *tr

I have a 2006 .5 vw jetta tdi which i purchased new in summer 2006. starting in sept 2010 we have had an endless problem with door ajar sensor. while driving the dome lights and ajar light come on and off constantly. the alarm system arms itself and goes off when parked and the sensors stop working. i have had both door sensors changed along with latch assembly to no avail , now the shop indicates it is the wiring harness. yesterday i received a letter from vw about other wiring harness problems associated with the side impact airbag system. (service action 97u3/t3) though they don't call it a recall. *ln

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that the headliner fabric detached, which distorted the contact's vision whenever the vehicle was being driven. in addition, the doors would only unlock manually. the contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously and the horn would not activate when engaged. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that the check engine light and a light indicated that the headlights were not functioning were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and the dealer stated that sensors needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were not available.

Bought used volkswagen jetta turbo. after one year of perfect functioning, the interior lights and air conditioning have totally stopped functioning. mechanic can't figure it out. additionally, trunk latch would not latch upon opening trunk. *tr

2006 jetta tdi 58,229 miles today / purchased from 2nd owner at 53k miles 34mpg in town / 42.5mpg highway wife driven with light foot. oil change and fuel filter replaced at 53k miles background: car was purchased early dec 2009, with in 2 weeks it was at the dealer for a non start issue. car was garaged over a 3 day weekend and not driven at all. monday my wife goes to start it and it will not start, after telling me i try for 3 minutes to get it started and it finally starts. taken to dealership and they find no issues, they blame cold start as the culprit. this is a bs call as the car was and is always garaged at 50+ degrees f. roughly 3 weeks later the same situation happens and the car goes back to the dealer. to no avail they still could not replicate the issue nor find a solution. the no start issue/ hard start issue seemed to progress from sitting for 3 days and not starting to randomly multiple times a week not starting. they still cannot find a solution. i firmly believe this is a fuel issue. on to today's issue: first noticed 3 weeks ago while attempting to pass a car on the interstate at 70mph (around 4k rpm), the car down shifted and stuttered rather then increasing speed. i thought it was a 1 time issue until i started noticing it more and more. now it happens frequently and more pronounced starting at even 35mph/3400 rpm in 3rd gear. from 10am tuesday to 5pm friday our jetta was back at the dealership because of a stutter/power loss issue. they did replace the fuel filter today as well as test the fuel (which tested fine), the egr valve was cleaned with a carb cleaner. the service manager drove the car often and has been able to replicate the power loss / stutter, however they cannot find anything wrong. they called the vw tech line multiple times and still no fix once again. car died several times today. turning onto the highway the car stuttered and then .5 miles later it died at 45mph in traffic. pulled over and cranked ...

Bought new vw jetta sedan on 08/17/06. on 05/13/10 took the car to the dealer because of car decelerating while driving i.e. dropping in seconds from 60 miles to 20 miles. it was taken to the dealer multiple times for the same problem. dealer answer "unable to replicate problem" until warranty of four years expired. the problem continues even after the carbon accumulated on the throttle was cleaned and the fuel pump was replaced. due to unsafe to drive, requested for the dealer to buy the car back as a lemon. the dealer refuses because the four yr warranty is over. other problems experienced with this vehicle during this period: air bags lights going off, air bag cover falling off, trunk opening on its own while driving, rain water leaking inside the lining of the car, screws coming off a door panel, doors falling off the hinges, emergency switch falling inside panel, fuel cap not locking, recalls. dealer recommending to replace the steering wheel column for 2,340.

There is a defect within the wiring harness that causes most of the vehicle electronics to shutdown and occasionally stops the vehicle while driving. i can provide pics of the wiring issue if needed. the issue usually occurred when driving in very wet conditions. after the first time it happened, the problem grew worse as the wiring was chafed more & more over time. the jetta tdi's should be recalled to have the harness checked & repaired before someone dies in a car crash. *tr

Brittle wiring insulation located in the doors. wiring on a 2006 vw jetta, after 50,000 miles the use of electronics and lights on drivers door failed. inspection of the wiring harness showed cracked wiring insulation, chaffed wiring and broken wires where the electrical harness were subject to movement from the door operation. *tr

The drivers side door electrical system does not work. the locks, windows, mirrors, trunk latch, gas tank latch, mirror defroster et al. in speaking the vw service reps they knew right away that the issue was a broken harness. they indicated it had failed in many other vehicles. however, in speaking with vw customer care they are not willing to accept responsibility for the known issue. i will let the safety experts determine the severity of this design failure but the doors can not be locked or unlocked, the door ajar light remains on and dings all the time, the interior lights are on night and day making visibility at night difficult and last but not least the windows cannot be put down. please address this as vw does not appear willing and this issue is everywhere with this model year and make. thanks!

Several wires in the wiring harness between the passenger compartment and driver door have failed, making it impossible to operate windows, door locks, release fuel door, and release trunk from driver door. there is no manual release for the fuel door. the failed wiring also results in a constant door ajar indication on the instrument panel and illumination of the front dome and entry lamps. the wire insulation and strands appeared to be brittle, which raises concerns about other wiring in the vehicle. this wiring was inside a protective rubber boot, integral to the harness, between the cabin and door. there was no moisture or debris within the boot when it was opened to inspect the wiring. *tr

Driving on i-95 in jacksonville, fl, it was raining with some pounding (approx. 1 inch of water) on the roadway. i was maintaining a speed of 35-45 mph when the epc and traction control warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. at first the car behaved normally but after about 5 minutes it lost power and would not accelerate above 1500 rpm. fortunately i was able to quickly take an exit ramp off the freeway and coast into a gas station, the car continuing to refuse to accelerate. i turned the car off and waited for about 5 minutes. i started up again and drove around the gas station and things seemed normal again, although the epc light was still illuminated. stopped again and waited another 5 minutes. upon starting up again, both warning lights were gone and the car behaved and accelerated normally. this defect could have caused me to get stopped in traffic on a busy freeway possibly causing a crash and injuries. i was very lucky that it happened where it did and i was able to pull off to safety. *tr

To whom it may concern: i purchased a 2006.5 volkswagen jetta tdi in september of 2006. i believe that i have found a major manufacturing defect that can cause fire, an accident, or both. it surely is a major safety issue, a danger to the driver, all passengers, and other cars as well. when driving the vehicle, the car has total loss of power . after a failed repair attempt by my dealer, i took it upon myself to investigate the problem. i found that the main engine feed harness has major wire chafing causing wires to contact each other, potentially causing fire. this also causes the car to stall with all power lost. i directed myself to the tdi forum where many vw enthusiasts and service tech's gather to talk about their cars. i quickly found many other owners finding the same problem. bare wires rubbing together. i have reason to believe that vw is aware of the problem as well. the only way to properly correct the problem is a new engine harness, with a larger loom, or padding around the wires. *tr

Steering wheel is failing electrically. air bag fault in passenger side, no horn or other wheel controls. real/unrealized safety hazard(s) due to non working electronics in steering wheel. *tr

The brake light stays on and will not turn off resulting in a dead battery and a very unsafe condition while driving. i drove for a half a day without knowing the light was staying on. a couple of people honked at me, but i did not know why. i also could not figure out why my cruise control did not work. i figured out the brakelight switch was not working when i came out of home depot after dark and i thought i left my lights on. it turned out it was the brakelight switch. i called a volkswagon repair shop and they said there was a recall on it and i should not have to pay. when i called volkswagen dealer service to repair it, they denied any recall. i did a little search on the internet and i now see they have a history of brakelight switch failures on jettas and beetles. they told me my vehicle is out of warranty also as it has 59,400 miles on it and it is a 2006 jetta tdi. i bought this car thinking it will go 250,000 miles with no problems and am saddened by this type of treatment for a safety issue which they have a history of. i have driven many cars over 250,000 miles without a brake switch failure. it seems volkswagen does not know how to remedy the failures on the mexican made vehicles on something as simple as a brake light switch which should be designed for a near infinite life since it is a safety issue. it is not like a fan switch. i am probably one of the first to see the failure as i have put on an unusually high amount of miles, but most of them are highway miles. when i get it repaired, i can get the old part. i hope to get it repaired tomorrow. *tr

I purchased a 2006 jetta attracted by an extensive list of features and conveniences that i wanted as a consumer. one of this features included the automatic window opening via remote control, feature that is not normally seen on vehicles of its class and price. volkswagen did an update to the software to this vehicle and without my consent took that option out. i paid for that convenience and vw cant even tell me why it was removed from the computer. the dealer cant tell me either because according to them they don't even know what's on the software update. in any case i need to be compensated by this inconvenience or the software needs to be retrofitted to get me this option back. *tr

I have a 2006 vw jetta tdi with approximately 70,000 miles on it. this auto was purchased to be used primarily as a commuter car for my wife and i. last week we suddenly started seeing the dashboard warning "air bag fault". upon taking it to the local vwoa dealership to have this investigated we were informed that there was a vwoa technical bulletin (that evidently had been out for some time) which indicated that some connector(s) located under the driver's seat that are related to the air bag system would need to be replaced. this is not a maintenance item nor anything that we could have caused but vwoa is indicating that due to the auto not being within the warranty (4 year and/or 50,000 miles as we've been told) that we will now have to pay approximately $400 to have this repaired. we were further informed by the vwoa service that without this repair the airbag system was considered to be in an "unstable state" and could potentially not activate the airbag when needed or possibly activate at an inappropriate time. the vw dealer also said that vwoa considers this to be so unsafe that they issue a free rental and require the repair to be made before releasing the auto again....but only if you're under warranty. vwoa did manage to come through with some "good will assistance" (their words) by providing $200 towards the repair. this airbag issue has been a known issue with the 2006 vw jetta (maybe other years as well i'm not sure) for some time. vwoa indicates that this issue is not a major concern and is therefore no recall has been issued. i have read several complaints on nhtsa and other sites that seem to indicate that this is a larger issue than vwoa states. i think a recall should be issued due to the obvious safety concerns involved with the airbag system. hopefully there will be before any injuries and/or fatalities occur. *tr

I couldn't put my keys in the ignition. i tried all spare keys and they didn't work. if your window is open, you can close it by putting your key in the driver side door to use the window switch.....dealer did not know this...??? go figure (sales) 2006 jetta tdi. *tr

My radio/navigation system on my 06 vw jetta has stopped working and resorted to "safe mode" after four attempts of the dealership attempting repair, they have stated that they will supply and install a new radio. this is still yet to happen. also, the instrument panel clock does not keep correct time, resets back to 12:00 each time i get in the car. the weather indicator on the instrument panel dings with a snowflake, when there is no precipitation. *tr

My speedometer is reading fast (when i am going 75 it reads 80) when compared to radar and gps. i took my vehicle in to my dealer and they informed me that the unit was ok, but that up to a 10% tolerance is allowed by federal regulations. *tr

Vehicle failed to start on multiple occasions due to insufficient battery charge. owner observed brake lights including chmsl would come on independently while the vehicle was parked, shut off, and unoccupied with no brake pedal application. no other lights were on at the same time interior, headlights, turn signals were on. this was presumably the cause of the battery drain issue. on multiple occasions after jump starting the vehicle owner observed loss of power while trying to accelerate. input to the accelerator was momentarily ineffective and had trouble maintaining highway speed. the engine did not stall and no fault codes were generated. power was restored after a few seconds, but the symptoms would occur several times during a drive. vehicle was brought to a volkswagen dealership service facility (lindsay vw in sterling, va) on 7/13/2007. the owner described the above symptoms to the service advisor. the owner was called later on the same date and told that the dealership could not verify the claim and that no repair was performed. took car to a different dealer (fairfax vw) who correctly diagnosed the problem as a faulty brake light switch. the repair part is the same part used in the recall. the car was fixed under warranty and the repair invoice even states "recall" on it but the dealer says my car is not part of the recall and i never received notification.

I have a 2006 vw jetta tdi with an automatic. the speedometer reads 5 mph fast and they refuse to fix it. i believe this is a safety issue. *tr

Vehicle trunk unlatches while vehicle is standing or in motion, with or without the engine running. items in trunk may spill onto highway, causing accident or injury. *tr