Problems with 2002 Volkswagen Jetta ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that the engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a repair center, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the independent dealer who sold the contact the vehicle did not verify if the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14e007000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 91,677. .. updated 12/22/16 *bf the consumer stated one hose was replaced and there is a hole in another hose, and also missing brackets. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact was getting an allergic reaction from the interior of the vehicle. the contact stated there was an odor emitting from the vehicle, which caused the reaction. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

The car takes 15 minutes to heat up to 190, otherwise the car won't drive forward in proper gear without jerking. it drives like it is a stick shift instead of an automatic changing gear on it's own. the car stops without me pressing the brakes and sometimes just turns off unexpectedly. it smells like gasoline in the car. the cd player, clock and vehicle electrical malfunctions on and off. the engine light stays on. autonation performed a multi point inspection and says the car needs a timing belt, coolant flange and after run pump, and rollers. *tr

Check engine light came on. dealership confirmed it is do with mass air flow sensor. it turns out that this is a common problem with vws that the manufacturer does not acknowledge as a mass recall issue. i am dumbfounded that this can become an issue with such low mileage on the car. *tr

We were traveling 70 mph on a highway in our 2002 volkswagen jetta wagon (gls 1.8t) when, without warning, an loud "poof" sound was heard, the car lost all power, and we smelled burning plastic. the car regained power, then a second "poof" sound was heard, and the power flickered in the car, at which point the car began filling with smoke. we rolled down the windows, pulled over to the shoulder, and evacuated the vehicle. we pulled out what belongings we could, but retreated from the car once flames appeared on the driver's side interior. approximately 1 minute later, the entire car was engulfed in flames and was a total loss. we are thankful to have escaped with our lives. here are the specifics of our vehicle: model:jetta trim:gls body style:4 door wagon engine:1.8l i4 20v mpfi dohc turbo transmission:automatic. *tr

First issue, the engine is burning oil. i've noticed that my car engine started burning oil when it had about 50,000 miles on it. it took me almost two years to prove to the vw dealership mechanics that the engine is burning oil. at 73,000 miles the vw dealership mechanics rebuilt the engine. my oil consumption normalized. now, at around 115,000 miles, i've noticed that the engine started burning oil again. 1,800 miles after an oil change, jiffy lube mechanic had to add 2.5qt of oil. shouldn't the engine last at least 100,000 miles after rebuild? it seems that this engine only lasts 45,000 miles. this feels like a major defect and vw has to recall the engine. second issue, my car is only 8 years old but it's on its third transmission. i had to replace transmission at 32,000 miles and again at 73,000 miles. i'm at 115,000 and i'm getting very worried because i'm starting to feel little jerks. this looks to be a 40,000 miles transmission. how can vw do this to consumers? it would seem reasonable to me if this transmission gets recalled. i'm not even mentioning many other malfunctions. one of which includes getting flooded during rainy season. i can't believe my car, 2002 vw jetta 2.0l gls was allowed to be on the market. *tr

Was driving while it was raining when all of a sudden my car started jerking and wouldn't let me go faster than 15mph. the asr and check engine lights went on. i was lucky enough to be driving at 6am with no one on the streets. i have had problems with this happenings in the past but i read online you just turn off the car and restart it. i tried it this morning and the lights were still on. this was at 6 am it is now 9:49 pm and still no luck. i also heard it might be due to engine coils but i had mine replaced less than a month ago. *tr

Loss of power on freeway, without warning. vehicle lost power, then, while attempting to restore power by 'pumping' the accelerator, shifted into second gear, resulting in a very rapid deceleration from 70 mph to 45 mph. this occurred twice in one hour, at both times requiring following motorists to swerve severely to avoid. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving between 15-20 mph, the engine completely stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle as it resumed normal operation. the failure occurred twenty times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on ten times for the same failure. the crank position sensor was replaced with no additional repairs performed on the vehicle. the failure continued after the repair. the contact stated that there was a voluntary manufacturer recall associated with the catalytic converter. the dealer was notified and they informed the contact that the recall defect could possibly be related to the engine failure. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive and planned to sell the vehicle. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

I recently purchased a 2002 vw jetta and just found out that the catalytic converter needs replacement. i was very surprised when my mechanic informed me he has seen many 2002 jettas with this problem. he said it was related to a problem with a bad coil that was part of a recall and caused the catalytic converters to fail abnormally fast. i am very disappointed that it appears vw knows about this issue and is ignoring the issue. the repair costs more than $1000 and i am unable to pass state inspection without getting it done. *tr

Abs warning light and check engine light lit up in 2002 jetta. *tr

Our volkswagen jetta developed transmission issues just after the warranty period ran out. the transmission jerks at low speeds, when you hit the accelerator. mechanics have said there is no saying when this will conk out. the water pump also conked out recently. replacing the tranny is about $6000. replacing the water pump cost us around $900. i hear dealerships charge a lot more for this service. the volkswagen jetta is too expensive a car, for it to have such poor quality. hope someone can help make them pay for ripping customers off in this way. this outrageous. *tr

2002 vw jetta 2.0 stopped and sputtered on main highway because of ignition coil failure. the car has 7500 miles and vw acknowledges the problem for 1.8 liter engines but not for 2.0 liter. they are recalling 90000 1.8 cars but are charging $600 for the 2.0 fixes. surely, they bought them from the same supplier. *tr

2002 vw jetta vr6 with cylinder no. 5 misfiring, rough idle and check engine stays on. vehicle taken to the dealer where it was purchased, they replaced the coil pack injectors and the car has been tuned, however, the tech's at the dealer can not pinpoint the problem and the car will not pass the state inspection. *tr

My driver's side window suddenly stopped working. i took it to a repair shop and the mechanic said that piece that holds the window in place was stretched and about to break. when i spoke with a friend who used to own a jetta of the same year, make, and model as mine, he said that the same thing had happened to his vehicle. he said that there had been a recall on this part. when i checked the nhtsa's web site, however, i could not find this recall. *tr the consumer had problems with the engine and the sterring column was defective. the engine light illuminated right after the vehicle was purchased. updated 06/01/09.*jb

I bought a 2002 volkswagen jetta gls from a used car dealer last april. i have had a couple problems that i thought was unique to my specific car, however, after hours of research i've found that numerous other jetta owners are having some of the same problems. 1. the vehicle smells like crayons 2. the heater stops working and only blows out hot air. 3. the engine eats oil and has a problem with sludge. this is inappropriate and no one is taking any responsibility or has a remedy for these problems. i'm afraid the fumes from the vehicle may be toxic and am unable to get rid of the car. *tr

Volkswagen jetta 2002 cooling fan failure/ inoperative i've been trying to locate the problem for about 2 months with no luck and i also did research on the web and there are quite a few people that have this same exact issue someone please help. *tr

I have two problems, one with temperature coolant sign. many jetta's have this problem, it occurs every time i turn on the car, sign always comes on. this causes signals and computer programs in the car to be confused, and is always a dangerous light because i never know if there is something wrong with my car's coolant or radiator. i have replaced this part about two times through a mechanic shop with a vw part twice. still is a failure, and i read most jettas have this problem and it is ridiculous that vw can not fix this expensive part for its customers. also i had a problem with my alternator one day ago. my vehicle was forced to stall on the middle of the highway causing me almost to get into an accident. for some reason my car lost all its power, battery was only one or two weeks old, and now my alternator died. my car has only 71,400 miles on it, it is not very old, it is a major concern to see an alternator die that early in the car, makes me wonder what other major problems i have in the future, let alone what i had in the past. now i have to fix this car, and will take one week to fix and get the part ready, costing me almost $600 in repair. not only did my car break down on the highway but the car smelt like it was burning, very dangerous!!this a vw defect, and should be addressed to all vw owners about their alternators, it doesn't feel safe if this car keeps breaking down, tired of this car.other recalls about this vehicle make me want to question whether to drive it not, if it has a country wide brake problem in this car. *tr

Timing belt was replaced at 89,000 miles per my request at vw dealership motor mount bolts failed at 136,000, motor dropped onto crossmember and steering components. only one of two horizontal bolts was present at failure, remaining one bolt sheared off at block. *tr

I purchased the 2002 volkswagen jetta in august of 2006. the first set of repairs was on 3/2007 at 64,332 mi check engine light mulitple misfires: p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303, p0304 replaced ignition coils cost: $200.11 second repair took place in april of 2007 took car in for recall - replacement of brake light switch check engline light was back on - replaced temp. sensor cost: $199.33 car was jerking into gear, downshifting hard and sluggish. brought car into dealserhsip in april 2008 worn strut brushings needs rear pads needs rotors check engline light on again needs new coils again spark plugs temp sensor again new t-stat fans not working hoses under intake broken needs new transmission diagnosis cost: $149.21 estimated cost of repair: $6,500.00. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving less than 10 mph in the driveway, the vehicle drove very roughly and felt as if it would shut off. minutes later, the engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that the engine coil failed. the vehicle was repaired and worked fine for a month before the failure recurred. she took the vehicle back to the local mechanic and had the vehicle repaired for a second time. the vehicle worked normally temporarily, but three weeks later, the engine light illuminated again. the mechanic stated that the engine coil failed again and they replaced it with a different part. since the most recent repair, the vehicle has been working properly. the contact researched the failure and discovered numerous consumers with the same vehicle, who also experienced this same failure. the failure mileage was 121,000 and current mileage was 122,000.

I have a 2002 jetta gls tdi. i am constantly replacing glow plugs. have a coolant temp code reading for quite some time and also fuel injection pump, which is probably what is causing glow plugs to go bad. *tr

Vehicle is a 2002 tdi jetta gls 4 door sedan manual transmission. at about 29,000 miles the check engine light illuminated with and obd 2 code of (p0128 coolant thermostat-coolant temperature below thermostat regulating temperature). took the vehicle to dealer which replaced the coolant temperature sensor and coolant fluid. this did not correct the problem which recurred. i then did research and found vw tech bulletin 4-04 which addresses this problem and is intended to guide technician troubleshooting. i feel this is either a parts design defect, engineering flaw, or vehicle wiring assembly defect. it is not a normal maintenance or wear and tear issue. dealer is attempting second round of troubleshooting for this problem. request nhtsa assess other vehicle owners similar complaints and pursue a recall for this vw known problem/defect as vehicle is no longer under warranty but this problem is known to occur for this vehicle. *tr

Volkswagens use of cheap plastics on the oil stick of my 2002 volkswagen jetta caused plastic from the oil stick to fall into my motor and cause motor damage including an oil leak and eurasian auto service in panama city already has a vw product that is broken down in their shop, and even volkswagens own service manager in panama city, mike boatwright, told vw they should authorize him to make the repairs but they refused, the ostensibly lowest bid plastics used for the 2002 vw's also caused mike boatwright to ask that vw replace my headlight lenses as they are creating a traffic hazard, and not only is this nationwide, but mallory horne of the florida dmv who referred me to you wrote to me that " your complaint has not fallen on deaf ears, i just got rid of my volkswagen jetta for the same headlight problem" and i will be happy to mail you a copy in support of my complaint, also walmart's service manager in callaway florida is the person who found that my car is now leaking oil due to volkswagen failing to repair the motor and he says that he saw the same volkswagen problem in new england at his previous job (scott). also the cheap plastics used on my car that caused these safety traffic violations, were used on the glove box lock which is broken and the radio aerial which is broken. the first 2002 vw i was given broke down in traffic in the dark and was exchanged the following day. so there are more than enough witnesses that the 2002 volkswagen jettas should be recalled, me, jerry p carroll, mike boatwright, reggie at eurasian, mallory horne, and scott at walmart, in addition there are many students at my college with the same problem who are in hope that you will help them also. breaking down in traffic with limited headlights is a national safety crisis, as far as deaths and injuries, entering zero only means that vw has managed so far to conceal any. *tr

Car stalled without warning. usually happened when slowing down for a stop or while at a stop. sometimes stalled when starting up from a stop. this was very dangerous as car stalled and cars behind were beginning to speed up or when trying to cross a busy road and making a left turn. i had about $1000 of service at the local volkswagen dealer in the past 6 months. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that the vehicle failed inspection due to the catalytic converter. he had an extended warranty, but was informed that the mileage exceeded the warranty. the mil light has been illuminated since may of 2007 due to the catalytic converter. the vehicle has been inspected and diagnosed twice. the contact was informed both times that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 118,500. updated 12/12/07

2002 tdi vw jetta . had for 1.5 years engine blew at 70k on it .. took to seacoast vw in nh first said might be sludge later said was a chain that slipped caused engine to blow and metal pieces to be throughout. called vw first said i would have to pay for it and then send them receipts. when not able to afford the thousands it would cost talked to them again spoke to alicia at vw and she called seacoast vw in nh then called and state it would be covered. went about having it towed to vw dealership to get fixed. when called again was told wouldn't cover it but would give me 1000 dollars off the price of the repair valid for 30 days .. engine still blown car still sitting in garage been trying to get fixed since april of 2007 .seems to be a common thing with vw that have major engine problems without lots of mileage. *tr

On april 22, 2007 my son was returning to college in the 2002 volkswagen jetta 1.8t when the engine siezed without warning as he accelerated to enter a busy interstat 80. fortunately, he was able to coast off to the side of the road. interstate 80was heavily used by trucks, and had my son not been in a position to get off to the side the engine failure could have caused a very serious safety hazard not only to my son but to many other vehicles using this highway. *ak i understand that this is not an isolated instance of failure of the vw 1.8 t engine. from what i have seen on the internet it appears that is fairly common for these engines to fail and vw tends to blame the owners for improper maintenance. my jetta was purchased in april 2006 with 31,000 miles, in the year that we had the car we put approx. 10,000 miles on it and we had the oil changed at least two times. we purchased this car based on vw advertising about the quality and safety of these cars and i feel that vw should take responsibility for their poorly engineered engine and issue a recall to correct deficiencies with this engine. i order for me to correct this problem i have to replace the engine, i also have just been informed that when the engine suddenly froze the transmission was also damaged. the cost of to make this car usable again will be in excess of $7,000. while i don't feel that it is right that i am stuck with the cost of repairs that are the result of a serious design problem with this engine, i am much more concerned with putting lives in jeopardy when an engine stops without warning at high way speeds

The cabin of the 2002 volkswagen jetta emits a waxy odor that i am concerned represents engine fumes. i have had the car inspected by several mechanics, and, while they could identify the odor, they could not identify the source. this odor caused me and my passengers to suffer burning eyes and nausea. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle near the exhaust pipe. the mechanic stated that the failure was electrical and caused the catalytic converter to malfunction. the manufacturer stated that it was the contact's responsibility to repair the vehicle. the current mileage was 80,260 and failure mileage was 79,000.

Oil light comes on, mostly during turns. sweet smell in interior cabin. water entering interior floor level. *ak

(1) many electrical anomalies. loss of air condition. dealership advises it is coolant migration causing electrical/power problems. coolant migrating from coolant bottle into the electrical harness and into all electrical systems. (2)coolant migration has caused severe electrical problems and the vehicle must be re-wired. cost to me $310.-to be determined(probably 6-10,000$) (3)dealership refused to assist with getting vw of america to correct the problem at their cost. vw of america refused to correct the problem at my request. vw has known since 2001 (see technical bulletin 97-01-01) that the coolant bottle is defective and has not recalled it, or provided technical bulletins as to how to prevent it. dealer advises the car is not safe to drive in its present condition. *jb

2002 volkswagen jetta customer states that the catalytic converter warranty claim was denied for the second time and this is an appeal letter**cc the consumer stated the first denial lacked an actual reason and the second denial stated the repair to his vehicle was not considered an emergency. the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor were replaced. *jb

in april 2006 we purchased a 2002 vw jetta from a private party. the car had 65,000 miles. she was the original owner of the car and had taken meticulous care of the car. we have all the service records dating back to it's original purchase. it had been in for all scheduled tuneups. vw offers a 60,000 mile or 5 year warranty on the drive train. in november 2006 the radiator warning appeared on the dash. we took it in to the dealership and they claimed the radiator and transmission were mixing and caused significant damage to he transmission. estimated cost of replacing the transmission $5,890. the dealership mechanic never stated what caused the mixing fluids and would not speculate. we took the car to our local mechanic. he was able to isolated the problem within 20 minutes. the transmission cooler is leaking allowing the two fluids to co-mingle. as a result of the mixing fluids, the belts, hoses, radiator, and transmission are all severely damaged. according to the mechanic the transmission cooler is sealed within the transmission housing and is never meant to be changed. it's position is protected from any road debris and no quality of how the car was driven would effect the performance of this part. it's his opinion that the part had a manufactured defect. since the car was originally diagnosed in november it has not been driven. we are currently awaiting an appeal to the vw america.

The oil pan is made of aluminum and the drain plug is metal. when my mechanic changed it out it was stripped causing me to have to pay for a new oil pan, screw and labor of about 440.00. i am requesting a full refund and asking vw to replace the drain plain with an aluminum screw or replace the oil pan. after reviewing vw blogs other cars are having this same issue. the second thins is the transmission service. i had been requesting over the last 3 years from the dealer that my transmission be serviced but they told me it was not serviceable. even my mechanic who called to fix the oil they also told him that because my transmission was not changing gears properly. he pulled it any and found that the fluid was black and the filter was clogged not allowing in fluid to flow through. had i waited two weeks more i would have had to replaced the entire transmission. another coast of about 120.00...total request from vw is 1000 for replacement cost and labor. *nm

Engine revs high when accelerator is depressed, but does not accelerate. this happened a number of times when attempting to merge into high speed traffic. *nm

I have had several problems with my mil light since my 5 yr/50,000 mile warranty expired-in fact, i have lost count as to how many times i've had to take my car in (the number of failures listed below is just an estimate). the first time this light came on, the car had 52 or 54 miles on it. it was only a few days old. apparently something had cracked. in march of this year, three of the cables broke, then not two weeks later the other three broke. the problems just kept adding up. i have tried to be patient with this dealership, but simply cannot understand why on average, i end up back at the dealership, getting my car serviced on average, two weeks after the car's initial appointment. the last time i went in, i spoke with the manager. first, he disparagingly asked me if i was making sure to fill the gas tank with premium gas, as is written on the gas flap. he then proceeded to ask if i was tightening the gas cap. he reassured me that i should not have further problems with this specific part, because all the parts pertaining to this specific light have been replaced. lo and behold, two days ago, my mil light went on. on average, each time i visit this particular dealership service department, i end up paying $350-600 dollars. somehow, that does not seem right. i have been following the service department's instructions, and to my dismay, this long-standing, extremely expensive problem has not been resolved. *jb

Way to many to list here. i have had problems from the start. more than $7000 worth of repair (plus more that was covered by warr) the final item that caused me to say i would never consider another vw product was the engine damage caused by a timing belt failure. all services were performed at the dealership. the users manual states inspection of the belt at services (that i paid for) and replacement at 120,000 miles. i only had 92,000 miles. it will cost $5,000 to repair the engine. it is not cost effective to repair this car. it was a great car to drive but quality control is poor at best. *nm

While driving in the afternoon, my vehicle suddenly lost power and acceleration capability with the "check engine" light coming on and blinking. i took it to the dealer immediately. i am informed my 2002 vw jetta 1.8t has "3 faulty coils." the failure was sudden and without warning. i maintain my car according to vw specs. in 02/2003 vw acknowledged a problem with this in over 530,000 2001 to early 2003 vehicles. i feel the failure was premature (as to what could be typically expected of an engine/vehicle for reliability), and a danger. obviously the fact that it has remanifested in such a short period of time shows that it was not properly addressed with the original fix only 2 years ago. my vehicle was unable to adequately maintain itself within the flow of traffic. i was lucky to get to the 'slow lane' without incident. vw disclaims any responsibility for defect or otherwise and says that because the vehicle is out of its warranty period i am responsible ($454.00). i will pay this, but how can i drive knowing that these coils could stop all or any one cylinder from correctly firing? this could kill me and the manufacturer does not care.. as they quite bluntly stated. *nm

My wife's 2002 jetta station wagon turbo has been nothing but trouble. only 30 k and today a $2,600 repair. valve for air conditioner pump broke and sent metal fragments through the system necessitating replacement of ac pump. cooling fan not working- that's $800.00. last repair was auto windows- idiot designers put in plastic components. my wife takes excellent care of her vehicle (oil change, etc.) and this inferior bit of workmanship just costs her more money. she will shortly be dumping this piece of crap for toyota corolla. *nm

I'm not positive this constitutes a safety issue, but it may in the event of an accident since an aluminum oil pan could be severely damaged and could cause an oil spill, but below is a portion of the letter i submitted to volkswagen using their online form. if this is not under your office's responsibilities, can you tell me who i should contact next? basically they told me it could take them 2 to 3 years to issue a recall if ever. thank you. i took my 2002 jetta in on wednesday, may 10th for what should have been a routine oil change, but $330 dollars later was obviously not. my mechanic informed me that i needed a new oil pan. something that is 99% of the time only replaced after an accident or after 15 years or so if it's rusted out. the reason: the oil pan itself is made of aluminum and the drain plug is made of steel. anyone with half an ounce of engineering or materials knowledge (something i would hope and assume a volkswagen parts designer has) knows that you don't manufacture a part out of a soft metal which has something screwed into it made out of a harder metal. the threads eventually get completely stripped after repeated oil changes. according to the service schedule in my owner's manual, oil changes are mandatory service required to keep the car under warranty. also this could very well present a safety issue in the event of an accident due to leaking oil if the pan was damaged since it's made of aluminum. what has angered me the most about this is that volkswagen obviously knows about this design defect and has not issued a recall. when my mechanic called the local volkswagen dealer (and where i purchased my car) the parts department told him "oh yeah, we know about that problem. in fact we stock the redesigned part". the bottom of my new oil pan is now made of steel which it should have been in the first place. *nm

Purchased car on 1-30-06 took it back on 2-3-06 because of check engine light, took it back again on 2-7-06 because of check engine light, and took it back again on 2-14-06 because of check engine light was told it was catalytic converter but is not covered under warranty for me to have it fixed it will be 1100 dollars but part is on a massive back order. *jb

I own vw jetta 1.8 turbo 2002, at 2005 had a coolant bottle leaking into connection,cluster, coolant found at connector. since my car was under extended warranty by masterguard they just did a patch work overlaying horns to cluster and replacing the coolant bottle and cap leaving all major work which need to be done at this case to prevent following damage of entire wiring system causing complete failure of the car. so i would pay from my wallet $ 6000 or more when warranty expires. my car now started having all this problem due to that coolant migration left there. it's a manufacturer defect and needs to be repaired by manufacture. so,who is going to pay now for that? class action need to be taking against vw!!! *tr

A 2002 jetta volkswagen, 2.0 ltr engine, catalytic converter gone bad. engine light came on in october, right around 78,000 miles. had it checked in december and found faulty o2 sensors. changed those. engine light still on. had technician do a thorough car check, found original fuel filter (at 80,000 mi.), new spark plugs, checked electrical to make sure not shorting out, changed wires, made sure o2 sensors operating correctly, checked with other technicians on internet to do all possible checks, changes, and fixes. nothing else can be done. technician checked with his dealer and found catalytic converters are on backorder until christmas 2006 for the exact same part, car, and type. *jb

I have taken my 2002 vw jetta turbo to the dealer numerous times in the past year that i have owned it, including two days after i purchased it for a "check engine" light. in the past two months, my car has been at the dealer's service dept more than i have driven it. i just picked up my car last wednesday, and the light came on again today. *nm

2 times i had to replace a faulty 02 sensor 1st time engine temp sensor. rear left light burned out 3-4 times within 80 000km. said it's easier to replace then find the problem at dealership. have done oil consumption tests 1 litre of oil per 3161km. saying that this normal. this dealership have recommended flushing the engine. changing the grade of oil. do not drive in rush hour traffic. most of the consumption occurs on the highway and not in traffic. change the oil instead of 8000 km at 5000km??? this is what volkswagen has recommended. the most interesting part was watching the mechanic when it consumed the most amount between oil consumption test. he started looking for leaks again & added oil. rattling in driver side door and window fell into door passenger side. fixed window and rattling still seems to be noticable. *jb

2002 jetta wagon, bought with 16k miles; now has 23000. inspection report provided by sales dealer noted there were no sights of oil leaks, no visible smoke, normal oil pressure readings, etc. the oil was changed and the level checked just prior to purchase. car has used 4 quarts of oil in 7000 miles, with no leaks or spray and no visible smoke. vw dealership says to have the warranty cover this problem (60000 mi/4 year warranty), that they would have change the oil, then i must bring it in every 1000 miles for the next few thousand miles to get oil checked, despite the fact that i have receipts that establish that the car burned 2 quarts of oil in approximately 3500 miles of driving. they say it is "normal" for this vehicle to burn 1 quart every 3000 miles. no vehicle with only 22000 miles on it should be burning oil. i have discovered many other jettas have the same problem, and that owners are routinely told by vw it is "normal" to burn as much as 1 quart per 1000 miles. even if the car was "only" burning 1 quart every 3000 miles, i would consider this a defect, not "normal." it's burning twice that. my concern is that vw has manufactured an engine that is inherently defective, and is telling customers that it is "normal" for low-mileage jettas to be burning oil to avoid honoring the warranty. i am also concerned that this process of bringing it in every 1000 miles is just designed to delay addressing the problem until the warranty expires. i only have until september to resolve this issue before the warranty expires; i wanted to have a record of the fact that the problem developed prior to the end of the warranty.

The coolant temperature sensor warning light comes on during cool and cold weather and stays on till the engine is warmed up. at which time, if the engine is turned off and then restarted, the warning light will remain out. there are no codes listed in the ecu. this issue has occurred continuously since the car was purchased in june 2005. *tr

September 2002 - leased 2002 vw jetta 1.8t. july 2003 - check engine light came on, ignition coils had to be replaced per recall. november 2003 - plumes of black smoke came out of tailpipe - they determined the oxygen sensor needed replacing. november 2003 - (a day later) smoke still coming out of tailpipe, they determined there was oil in the turbo, they had to remove and install new turbo charger and there was an oil leak, they had to remove and install oil line. november 2003- car making whoosing noise, had to rescure loose intake hose. may 2004 - replace breaklight switch per recall. july 2004 - drivers side window fell - had to have both windows and clamps replaced per recall. (if this had happened after hours, my car could have easily been vandilized, fortunately it was during the day and i was near the dealer so they were able to get them wedged shut before they could get the car in to be fixed.) july 2004 (a day later) - battery died, got jumped and was towed to shop, it was determined i needed a new battery. no problems for almost a year, thought i was homefree... may 2005 - clacking noise in engine, sludge on dipstick and in oil fill cap. no oil light or check engine light ever came on. had to also have hazard switch replaced per recall. i am currently waiting to see if they will cover the repairs under my warranty. my car needs to have the oil pan removed to see if there is any further damage. i was never told to you use synethic oil in my car and that apparently is the cause of the sludge problem. from looking online, it seems many more people than just myself have had this problem. vw needs to recall this.

The oil crank case developed a crack, causing oil to leak onto the ground. the cause has yet to be determined.*ak