Problems with 2001 Volkswagen Jetta EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that while traveling 25 mph, the drivers side door indicator sounded throughout the vehicle and the drivers side door ajar warning light illuminated intermittently. the contact mentioned that when activating the headlights there would be an abnormal noise. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was diagnosed that the door latch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 135,000.

The vw jetta vr6 2001 that i purchased last year for $7,000 (financing through my credit union) is a lemon. i have had it less than a year and already spent $2000 on minor repairs and i estimate that right now it needs about $4000 more in the next few months. i believe that sundance improperly sold this car, knowing that a massive amount of things are wrong with it. i had a garage with which they are affiliated look at it and completely misrepresented the shape of the car. since acquiring it i have been plagued with difficulties with it, from head lights mysteriously going out, to the water pump failing, to the serpentine coil failing, now to the air compressor failing, as well as the computer to the a/c, and today it is the epc code (which i believe has something to do with either the catalytic converter, or computer - but the thing is losing power and the brake lights don't work which is a major safety hazard), not to mention the transmission slips and will need to be replaced. having been plagued with these issues, i have come to find out that there are many other vw jetta vr6 2001 owners who are adamant that this car is a manufactured lemon. vw needs to be in some way held accountable - all of us have had nightmarish lives and are paying for the defects every day. *tr

Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) : the malfunction indicator light never go off after started the engine. *tr

I have received a recall notice that only allows me to get a repair at an authorized dealership. i live in a rural area 4 hours from the closest dealership. they will not allow me to repair it locally and get re-imbursed. it is 4 hours to this dealership meaning an overnight stay. the total cost of the trip is more than the repair. is there any option to get this repaired locally? no accident..........yet. the recall is for a defective brake light switch. *tr

I own a 2001 vw jetta. i bought it 3 years ago, used from the volkswagen dealership. the automobile was sold as a "certified" auto, which i found out later does not mean much. my trunk is locked shut and does not open manually or with remote, i've had to replace cv boots, catalytic converter, transmission and numerous headlight, taillight and blinker bulbs. and today one of my headlights is so dim, it doesn't really provide any light when it is dark. i have replaced it and replaced it. it stays fine for about 2 days and then just dims out again. i can't afford to keep taking it to volkswagen. it's a rip off and they don't even fix anything right anyway. my engine fan went out all of the sudden the other day, causing the car to overheat. i had to get it towed. that isn't the first time i have had to pay to have it towed. the interior plastic coating on armrests and all plastic inside is peeling and looks terrible. when i push unlock all doors, the driver's side back seat door will not open unless i reach inside and pull the lock open manually. there is so much more, but i don't want to waste my time. i know nothing will happen, even though it is so obvious that these cars are complete lemons, and they need to stop selling them to people. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen jetta. the contact took her vehicle to the dealer for recall # 04v096000 (exterior lighting:brake lights:switch). she was charged a diagnostic fee. after the recall work was performed, the lights illuminated again. the dealer has not been notified. the contact stated that the dealer gave her a list of repairs that need to be performed on the vehicle. the total cost for the repairs will be $2,000. the purchase date and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage is 36,860.

Turn signal on 2001 vw jetta operates at random or not at all. this condition began occurring following the repair of a malfunctioning brake light switch (recalls 06v183000 & 04v096000). signals failed to turn on, or turned on with sporadic functioning. volkswagen service indicated this was caused by a shorted hazard switch. hazard switch was replaced for a cost of us $131.55. dealer indicated a recall was issued for this problem (recall 04v584000) however indicated vehicle does not qualify under the recall despite having an identical issue. if find it utterly ridiculous that volkswagen will not cover the cost of repairs given that the identical problem is recalled for other jettas. in addition i find it morally unacceptable as volkswagen is putting drivers at risk as intermittent or inoperative turn signals is a safety concern: failure to provide the proper signal when turning or performing a lateral move could lead to a crash without warning. *nm

Tl* - the contact has a recall letter concerning the brake light. there is no dealer in the contact's area, but there is a repair center. the contact currently has not experienced any incidents with his vehicle; however wants to prevent the inciddent before it occurs.

Dt*: the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the brake lights failed to illuminate. a nhtsa recall, #04v096000 was performed on the vehicle concerning, the brake light switch however, the recall did not remedy the problem. the brake light switch was also replaced on five separate occasions in addition to the recall. a revised recall #06v183000 concerning the brake light switch has been issued.

Tl* - the contact stated the brake light switch failed three times . the exterior brake light failed at 23,000, 40,000 & 42,000 miles. when the failure happened the epc light turned on and sometimes it turned on intermittently. the brake light switch has been replaced three times. *ak updated 1/30/2007 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated after driving 35 mph on normal road conditions, the brake lights remained illuminated. there were no warning lights indicating any malfunctions. the manufacturer was contacted who determined the vehicle was not included in recall # 06v183000 nor in # 04v096000 due to the vin. the contact was very concerned because the brake light defect described in the recalls matched the problem the vehicle presented.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the engine intermittently stalled without warning and the brake lights were inoperative. the contact inspected the vehicle, and determined the spark ignition coil and brake light switch had malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. there was a nhtsa recall, # 04v096000, regarding the brake light switch. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. the manufacturer was alerted. *ak updated 10/30/2006 - *nm

After receiving the vehicle from an auto shop the battery was dead. i had them jump start it and the airbag dummy light came on as soon as the car started. it beeped and said airbag fault on the dash. then the turn signal system started to simulate the sound of the turn signal as if it was on. first it was after i completed the turn it would stay on and speed up or slow down the clicking noise. within a month it started doing it while i was driving straight down the road. i am unsure if the turn signal system is working properly. sometimes the flashers don't seem work at random as far as i can tell from the drivers seat. i had a dealer reset the airbag fault but they said that they "think" that we need to replace the multi-function switch on the side of the steering column. i'm not about to spend 500 dollars on something that the dealer isn't even sure of themselves. *jb

The brake switch light in my vw jetta has had to be replaced three times. when this switch is not working, the brake lights of my car are inoperable, leading to a great risk of accident. my jetta is not currently in the recall that has been issued, but i continue having problems with the brake light switch. *jb

I have had my 2001 jetta volkswagen for 3 years bought it used in those 3 years have had the epc light come on 4 different occasions. one of the time that had the dealership fix feel under the recall list. since then it has failed 2 different times the latest of the 2 once in november when the dealership mechanic stated we know about the problem here is the phone to corporate to complain that is all we can do. now in august it has failed again while my wife was driving on the freeway for no reason. when the epc light comes on the brake fail to work at all. luckily my wife was not in a car accident that day but could have been since the brakes do not work. *nm

I own a 2001 volkswagen jetta with a 2.8 ............................................................................................................. lv6 engine and 5-speed manual transmission. on 03 aug 2006 (mileage: 84028) i had the brake light switch replaced at my own expense when the ecl indicator came on. this is the second time in 19 months i have had to replace the same brake light switch. the first time was 10 november 2004 (mileage: 68184) in which the repair was performed under nhtsa recall #04v-09600 (20 february 2004). in both cases the repairs were performed by lithia volkswagen of thornton, colorado. the first switch replacement used part #1j0-945-511-d, which was different from the most recent replacement using part #1j0-945-511-f. this implies a new brake light switch was designed by volkswagen because of flaws with the design used to respond to the nhtsa recall. my complaint is that the second incident of this brake switch failure should have been covered by either the february 2004 recall that repaired the first instance or the new recall 06v183000. since the brake light is a critical safety feature of the vehicle it should be designed to function longer than 19 months. its failure places my family and i at risk of injury or even death due to a rear end collision because of volkswagens inability to properly design a brake light switch. this safety system should be expected to operate the life of the automobile to protect its occupants. volkswagen should make a serious effort to correct this problem permanently or demonstrate their commitment to customer safety by replacing the switch at manufacturer expense. when i discussed this with volkswagen customer service (1-800-822-8987, ref. #60279193) they claimed this service was not covered by either recall and since the part had performed past the manufacturer warranty it was my responsibility to repair the switch at my own expense. *nm

My brake light switch went out in my 2001 vw jetta gls 2.0l. when the brake light switch goes out there is no warning in the dash to let me know it was out. i didn't have any break lights until someone at a stop light yelled out their window to tell me. i took my car to vw dealership and they said i needed a new break light switch. it turns out this is a ongoing problem for vw's of all years and makes. i would like to file a complaint because this seems to be a widespread problem, vw hasn't released information about this and it can be very dangerous. i don't want to see myself or someone else get killed or hurt because of a faulty part. i've already spent the $12 to fix it so this complaint is not about getting my money back. it's about saving lives. *nm

I've experienced several problems with my 2001 volkswagen jetta glx. i still wonder why it's not a lemon. had problems with the brake switch which was a recall. i also had problems with the check engine light. technicians made diagnostic check and said i needed the heat sensor changed so i did. after a week, check engine light lit up again so i brought it back to the dealership and had another diagnostic check which i paid for again 78 bucks. this time the tech's said i needed the sparks and wires changed because it was shooting blanks. pre-paid for the parts and when the parts arrived, i brought my car back to get it fixed so i did. later, i got call from the service reps and said my ignition coil broke so they had to order that again. after everything was said and done. i just wanted to let my financer to just voluntarily repo the piece of trash. one more break down and i'm hiring a lemon attorney. this is too much. *jb

Brake light switch has failed for the 2nd time in 2 years. the brake lights do not work when the brakes are applied. there is no indication in the car to indicate that the brake lights are not working. *jb

Normal operation of vehicle until the failure occurred. no incidents as of yet. both tail lights and window brake lights do not illuminate. car was serviced on a previous recall. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the exterior brake lights became inoperative. there is a nhtsa recall #04v096000 concerning the exterior lighting brake light switch, however the recall did not correct the problem. the vehicle is having the same problems again. the dealer has been alerted who suggested alerting the manufacturer. the manufacturer has been alerted. updated 01/09/07. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated upon inspection, it was noticed the brake light switch was inoperable. the dealership replaced the brake light switch and determined there was a nhtsa recall, # 06v183000, regarding the exterior lighting brake light switch. the vin was not included in the recall. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 6/27/2006 - the switch was replaced by the original owner under recall on 4/26/05 with 44653 miles. the replacement switch failed one year later at 52675 miles. the coolant pump failed and caused the vehicle to overheat. the front woofer in the door failed internally causing the sound to be distorted. *nm

Brake light switch failure on 2001 vw jetta gls tdi sedan, identical to that described in recall campaign 04v096000. brake lights stayed on all the time, even when car was parked & turned off. dealer replaced switch at cost of $193.23 parts & labor, dealer & vw of america state that vin is not included in scope of recall for 04v096000. this is the second time this has occurred on this same car, i believe first was covered as a warranty repair. part number of replacement switch is vwn 1j0 945 511 d. *nm

Dt: the contact stated there is a nhtsa recall campaign id # 04v096000 concerning the exterior lighting: brake light switch. this vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but is not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

Brake light switch (2001 vw jetta gls tdi) researched on internet says there is a recall for this part, but is not in effect yet. driving with brake lights stuck on is really dangerous and speedy recall for this item is essential. i have to remove the fuse in order to turn off the lights, and soon as car is turned on the lights stay on making it impossible for other drivers to know when i am stepping on the brakes. could seriously cause many accidents in the future for all vehicle owners. *nm

2nd occurrence of brake switch failure - 2001 jetta. initial failure occurred on the same day recall letter was received. switch cost was reimbursed by vw at no charge. 2nd failure occurred on 9/17/05. first switch manufactured by eaton. second switch manufactured by delphi. *jb

Dt: 2001 volkswagen jetta tdi diesel. the right front turn signal, shorted out and malfunctioned. there is a burn make on the socket and on the bulb itself, the bulb did not burn out but the socket did. the consumer was able to take the bulb out and then insert the bulb and it worked short period of time. the vehicle is at the dealership now being fixed, they told the consumer they would not cover the cost of replacement of socket. there is a recall on related component, which is a flasher relay, the recall id is vx. *ak updated 11/30/2005 - the dealer would not replace the damaged socket. the turn sign is now working with new bulb but the consumer suspects it will fail again due to the damaged socket. *nm

Earlier this year, there was a recall for the brake light switch on my 2001 vw jetta. the dealership replaced this. however, within the last month, the automatic shift lock (asl) has not allowed me to shift out of park on numerous occasions. usually, i am able to wait a minute and the asl light will go off, or i turn off the car or fiddle with the steering wheel. however, three times this past week i have gotten stuck and have had to abandon the car temporarily. the last time, i was finally able to get it out of park and drive it to my local mechanic (i had an appointment with my dealership, but i couldn't get in for a week). he noticed that my brake lights were out again, and believes that the brake light malfunction may be related to the asl malfunction. this may explain why the electronic power control (epc) light turns on whenever the asl light turns on, as it indicates a problem in the electronics. the local mechanic is currently examining the problem. *jb

Dt: consumer states that on june 15, 2003 brake light switch i malfunctioned. this caused the brake lights to stay on after brakes have been applied. also caused two t bulbs in the brake light to burn out. there was recall 04v096000 on 2001 volkswagen , but consumer's vehicle was not part of the recall due to vin. *ak

Dt: contact stated volkswagen, jetta had defect in the front lights. a plastic housing became amber, reducing the brighteners of the lights. this problem made night driving dangerous. the contact bought the car brand new ,and the problem was continuously getting worst. the police pulled him over once. they verified that the lights worked. the police recommended that the contact repair the front lights. *ak.....*ak

2001 volkswagen jetta developed problems with the turn signals. *mr the consumer experienced the same problem as outlined in recall 04v584000. the emergency light switch was replaced under warranty, however when the problem continued, the dealer told the consumer the turn signal light clicking on without his control was not covered under warranty. *jb *sc

My brake lights are constantly going out. i will replace the left and then a month or so later i have to replace the right, or the center brake light or the license plate light. i am replacing about 4-5 lights per year on the rear of the vehicle. *tr also numerous electrical problems. 1/2 of the interior lights are no longer working, and when i unlock the car it will automatically lock on me within 15 seconds unless i start the engine.

the 2001 v.w. jetta: this vehicle burns an excessive amount of oil, approximately 1 quart per month, in daily, everday usage, city traffic and short highway trips, an exorbitant amount of oil, even with regular oil/filter changes. v.w. has not notified me of this problem, nor corrected it and dealers' will do nothing about it. the driver's side, shoddy, flip-back, plastic arm rest is broken, cheaply made, it will not retain or hold the driver's arm, it is located adjacent and near the auto. transmission gear shift, it could and does fail, a safety hazard. rear tail and brake lights burn-out at excessive rates, often enough for it to be a nuisance, to replace them. please have v.w. correct these problems @ their own expense, not mine, owner.

1.took car to dealer for recall on emergency flasher switch recall. dealer informed me that the brake lights were also not working. he informed me that some models of my car were recalled for the brake light switch failure but not mine because it had a standard transmision and not an automatic transmition. 2. brake light switch failure. 3. dealer diagnosed ($192.00 to repair brake light switch). owner replaced brake light switch switch, lights now working ($15.00). 4. dealer replaced emergency flasher switch (no charge).

Turn signal/emergency flash light failed, airbag warning light turned on and stayed on.*ak

Consumer's vehicle was having the same problems as mentioned recall 04v584000 concerning turn signal switch. the turn signal worked intermittently. dealership will not repair free of charge, because the vin was not included. *ak

I signaled with my right turn signal for a right-hand turn, suddenly the turn signal stopped flashing (not the quick flashing & clicking for a burnt out bulb), the light stayed on. tried the left turn signal and the same thing happened. kept trying them and would not work. suddenly began operating. the hazard lights did not work either. after repeated attempts, the lights unexpectedly began working. i continued driving, when i signaled another right-hand turn the again the signal repeated the previous failure. i immediately contacted the auto repair shop that i use and setup an appointment for service three days later. the problem occurred intermittenly between the first occurrance and the service appointment. the service technician could not duplicate the problem immediately but the headlamps would not go to bright. he did eventually have the problem with the turn signals. the end result was to replace the switch: headlam dimmer/turn signal/cruise switch 8l0953513j01c (part #). this is an integrated switch. i have listed the three components separately on the complaint list. this same shop had changed the same switch on an audi. i do not know if the replaced part would still be available.

Dt: turn signals would not work, taken to dealer, and they said it was the hazard flasher. they replaced this part. this is now working. consumer received recall notice and send in paper work for refund. now they insist that she take her car back to the dealer for inspection before they will refund her. *ak

While turning on the turn signals they failed to come on their own. driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the turn signal flasher needed to be replaced. *ak

The brake light switch on my 2001 vw jetta was replaced by a vw dealer in july of 2004 as a result of a recall notice from vw of america. this same switch was replaced by a vw dealer on 2/28/05 as a result of a failure.*ak

Paaseneger side turn signal malfunction in december was repaired by dealer. all turn signals and hazard lights dead as of february 11, 2005. i saw some postings about a recall on an internet site. the dealer has no knowledge of the recall and the manufacturer has not recalled the vehicle yet . the nhtsa web site lists this problem to be recalled this month. *ak

My 2001 vw jetta, vin 3vwsb69m100479, experienced turn signal failure due to a defective hazard warning flasher/switch. this switch is subject to recall id 04v5840000. volkswagon has told me that there is no recall for my vehicle for this problem. the failure is exactly as described on the web posting for this recall. is there any criteria related to this recall which excludes my vehicle?*ak

The consumer contacted the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that nhtsa recall 04v584000 on the hazard switch does not exist. please provide further details. *jb

Nhtsa campaign 04v584000; volkswagen issued a hazard switch recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin although the hazard switch not functioning. *ak

The flasher and warning lights are inoperative due to the hazard warning switch recall defect 04v584000. the vin is not included. *nm

Nhtsa campaign 04v096000; volkswagen issued a brake light switch recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall, but the brake lights were not operating. the vin was outside the remedy scope. *jb

This summer my left rear door became inoperable. in late october the turn signals began operating intermittently. on a cold and rainy day this november my 2001 jetta with 37000 miles stalled while making a left turn. i restarted and completed my turn, thinking i had just let out the clutch too fast. the car was a bit sluggish and a 1/2 mile down the road the check engine light came on. i took the car to the dealer on november 30 and was shocked not only at the problems but that they were not coverered by any warranty. the total repair bill was over $1000 dollars. the ignition coil pack needs replaced for $740. the hazard light switch needs replaced for $77. just to find out what is wrong with the door requires a charge of $188 dollars. these problems have been mentioned several times on your website. i guess i just hit the trifecta.*ak

Turn signals and flasher operation impacted by cold weather. with the first cold weather of the season the turn signal/flasher unit failed to operate until warmed by the heater (30 minutes of high heater operation). my report matches nhtsa action # pe04073. the vw dealer replaced part # 1j0-953-235-j-01c at a cost of $72. i have the old part in my possession if examination of it is requested.*ak

Despite having a malfunction exactly as defined in nhtsa campaign 04vo96000 on the same model (01 jetta) - volkswagen insisted that my vehicle was not covered because my vin was from a different plant. the dealer diagnosed the problem to be "a defective brake light switch that caused the epc light to stay on, and your brake lights to not work." *ak

The turn signals, once activated, would stop working even though they were in the active mode. i took it in to the dealership on november 5, 2004 and one of the mechanics in the service bay said it sounded like the hazard switch relay and that a lot of people have had a problem with that. they wanted to charge over $100 to replace-- because they said it was not under warranty. i only have just over 33,000 miles on the car. i looked online and it appears that many people have experienced the same issue. furthermore, the part will cost me $19 at a local auto part store and is apparently very easy to replace. *ak