Problems with 2002 Volkswagen Jetta ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Repeat incidents leading to consumer's long term driveability concerns. worrisome panel indicator lights -- flashing: engine warning and glow plug (diesel) lights within current lease period. after first two incidents, the third (then under warranty) was found to be due to a factory defect. and repaired?...dec 7 '04, at about 55k -- blinking lights again. dealer diagnostic indicated no engine problem (this was the same result of the two previous before the third resulted in a major warranty repair). this has been diagnosed as an accelerator sensor failure. (the part will not be available for three (3) days; we are advised to drive "carefully until the part can be replaced.) this sensor failure is then one of several others in this particular vehicle: the fuel guage has been replaced once or twice; the seat heater sensor just, and out-of-warranty, burned a hole in the front seat (three weeks awaiting factory reps 'get-back.'). an air conditioning problem (leak) was also noted and repaired at about 50,000 miles.*ak

The torque arm sheared off. as a result, axle transmission was not bolted to the frame. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle was parked. the vehicle was put in reverse and it started bucking and making a lot of noise. the vehicle would not shift from gear to gear without bucking. the steering wheel was not steering correctly. exhaust became loud. *tc

Engine coil failed-lost empoyment. one dealer stated fixed problem, months later another dealer stated never fixed then they replaced. all rear lights off-near accident, dealer fixed, engine noise -dealer not fixed yet fear future engine leak as read in other car owner reviews 2002 vw jetta 1.8t. *ak

(vr6) my car is a commuter car, and as i approached 60000 miles the hose#1j0121086 that provides water to the water system blew. my vehicle shut down on the freeway, and had to be towed. it was taken to the nearest mechanic to be repaired. the hose that was needed was not available through vw in us or canada. i ordered the hose from germany, and had the coils (which were defective) repaired by a vw dealer immediately after this happened. one week later of driving off the lot the hose blew again. the second time the hose blew i was on the freeway and my car would not start at all. i am paying for a car that i have only used two weeks in the past 2-1/2 months. vw claims this is not their problem and that there is no defect to the original hose that had been installed. help!! this last time my car broke down i was told by vw to tow to the nearest vw dealer to diagnose. being the nearest was not the dealer i always serviced my car they claim that the car has to be towed to the same service center for the history to be applied and considered for my issues. *ak

The vehicle is a used 2002 volkswagen jetta 1.8t, standard transmission, 1) the vehicle was purchased used in 08/2004 and was driven normally for transportation of my family. the check engine light came on several weeks after purchase.*ak 2) the car began stalling frequently at all points of operation. the engine would simply stall at such points as comeing to a stop, accelerating, slowing for turn, or regular driving on freeway and surface streets. 3) we have taken it to the same dealership of purchase four times over five months for this same problem that is covered by the original factory warranty. parts replaced (from earliest to most recent visits): 1) mass air-flow sensor, transmission reset; 2) pipe from pcv to 3-way hose by valve cover, 1/2 moon seal below chain adjuster, cam seals, breather valve; 3) turbo recirc valve; 4) mass air-flow meter.

Was currently deployed in support of operation iraqi freedom for more than a year, my car was at my parents, being driven once or twice a week to keep engine in good shape. some of these things have been since returning in april 2004, others happened prior to leaving in february 2003. it's a 2002 jetta gls. i shouldn't be having these type of problems this soon. 1. oil plug on oil pan is almost stripped from getting oil changes (advised by 3 different garages). currently attempting to get a new plug, an oversized one per 2 garages. 2. patches of paint seem to be almost chipping away (on several spots all over the car). took it to the dealer & they said it was due to bird poop. my car stays in a garage & gets washed bi-weekly. 3. the coating on both inside door handles is peeling. 4. the window mechanism needed fixed. dealer fixed. 5. recall about brake light fixed by dealer. *jb

Purchased car in january 2002 new from dealer, in shop 2 days later tire not installed, causing it to go flat, happened again 2 days after that, and again the next week, finally rims and tires were replaced problem solved. then hand brake failed, in shop to fix, 2 weeks after it was returned failed again, fixed, then 3 weeks after that if failed again, then the window brackets broke, then engine failed that was supposedly on a recall part, was fixed, then it failed a few months later again, supposedly fixed, then it failed again only this time they said it was the catalytic converter, then it failed again this time they said it was the oil pump and hose and blamed that on us, then it failed again, was fixed, and now it is completely down again. *ak

The vehicle's timing belt failed without warning at 52,000 miles. as a result, the vehicle has become inoperative. please provide additional information. *la

The vehicle burns oil prematurely. *ak

I own a 2002 jetta purchased from a vw dealership in towson md in april, 02. i have close to 30000 miles on my car. about two months ago i noticed that my oil light came on. it was about 2000 miles until my next oil change. oil is changed every 5k miles. when i checked my dipstick it was dry. i had to add about three quarts. now about every 1k miles my car consumes about 1.5 qt of oil. this is a big problem. i read the owners manual regarding oil consuption with the jetta and it said it will consume oil when the engine is new. mine is not. there are posts all over the internet regarding this issue and something has to be done.*ak

1) transmission slips, and causes a thud. have taken vehicle to dealership 3 times and nothing has been done to correct this problem. 2) led display disappears. have informed dealership of this problem twice and nothing has been done to correct this problem. 3) brakes are mushy. have informed dealership once and nothing has been done to correct this problem. 4) vehicle is sluggish when accelerating. have informed dealership once. 5) engine light has come on, and there is peculiar smell. have informed dealership once. *nm

I have a 2002 1.8t volkswagen jetta - i have experienced numerous failures. 1)radio has failed twice - in each instance fault was traced to a fuse - following radio failure i experienced repeated dead batteries until the radio was repaired. 2) abs failure detected when i was getting my radio fixed the second time 3)vehicle has failed to start on two occasions - i wait a minute and try again - it worked 4)my window fell into the door 5)i experienced an activation of numerous engine fault lights that reset following engine restart 6)the coating on interior door handle surfaces peels off easily 7)the chrome ring around the shift know is peeling. *ak

Check engine light continuously comes on, completed recall for brake switch, epc light continues to come on, car stalls while waiting for a light to change very dangerous. after a night of rain, leak in passenger side floor mold growing car will have a very hard start or no start at all in the morning, replaced battery 3 times. changed o2 sensor 2x, car burns oil continuously, interior lights go out when they feel like it, brake lights die out fast, changed brake lights and signal lights at least 5x. *tr

Intermittently while driving at 70 mph suddenly speed decreased to 25 mph for 10 seconds. dealer had inspected vehicle several times, but problem still occurring. the problem. *ak

I purchased my jetta in march 2002, and experienced no major problems within the first 30,000 miles. on july 19, 2003, i brought the car to vw after hearing a rattling noise when making turns and idling at a traffic light (mileage: 33,996). the mechanics were unable to identify a problem, however at the same time, the ignition coils were replaced due to a vw recall, the first of several. i continued to contend with the rattling for several more months, and finally brought the car back to vw on november 14, 2003 (mileage: 39,038). at this point, the pressure hose was replaced under warranty. my car functioned without incident until july 2004, when i began to notice that the air conditioning worked sporadically. i did not realize the connection to the engine cooling system until august 25, 2004, when my car began to overheat. the vehicle was towed to the nearest vw service shop in, where i was charged $4 for a cooling fan fuse and $90 in labor (not to mention the brake light switch was replaced due to another product recall). i was charged $101.76, and the problem was still not solved! on august 27, 2004, i spent $659.04 in parts and labor to have both the ac and radiator cooling fans replaced (mileage: 52,650). i drove my car with no problems until november 16, 2004, when the check engine light came on. i spent another $93.28 for a new coolant sensor, coolant refill, and labor. the check engine light came back on in april 2005, and resulted in another trip to the mechanic, costing me another $45.53. on august 5, 2005 (mileage: 68k), my car overheated yet again. the current situation i am faced with is $450 in parts and labor to replace the water pump and $150 to replace a vacuum hose. i am hesitant to drive my car, for fear that it will overheat again, or worse, while i am driving it. *nm

While driving at any speed and with no warning consumer can strongly smell fumes inside the vehicle . dealer notified. *ak

This car has had too many serious problems to be limited to this small space. it is clearly a lemon. these problems substantially impair the use and value of the vehicle. the car received a new transmission yesterday after we had reported 3 previous times that there it remained in reverse after shifting into drive. each time we were told it was unreproduceable and the complaint was never noted on the work orders. finally, the dealership did relent and replace the transmission. we encountered the same type of treatment with the engine burning oil, and it wasn't until the engine ran completely out of oil, that the dealer would address the problem. the first time we had complained about the oil was 2 months after we had bought the car!!!

3 engine coils have failed and have been replaced. now the transmission is gone and they are replacing the whole transmission the left front door latch has failed too.

I have a 2002 vw jetta, automatic, 2.0 engine. i have put 4200 miles on the car and have had it to two different vw dealerships trying to get a problem fixed with no luck. the car will hesitate upon acceleration from time to time. i acts like it is not getting the signal to speed up. the engine does not stall or sputter, it simply remains at an idle for 1 or 2 seconds and the slowly picks ups speed. no engine lights come on when this happens. this has happened at least 30 or more times since i bought it new. it has nearly cause me to have an accident a couple of different times as i am pulling out into traffic. the dealers claim to have never heard of this before, but after some searching i have found very similar complaints from people with the vw passat. i am frustrated that no one can seem to fix it and i am concerned that i may have a lemon car.

Dealer change the faulty coil pack but happen again and dealer refused to change the other two coil. please provide further information. ph

Vw jetta & audi turbo engines have been found to have defective coils. ph

Vehicle suddenly loss engine power and can not be driven. dealer notified. please provide additional information. ts

I have experienced 3 separate incidents in the last 4 months where an engine coilpack in my 2002 vw jetta 1.8l turbo failed while i was driving the car. in each case, i have experienced a sudden, dramatic loss of power and the car begins to shudder. the last time this happened (1/25/2003), i was driving in traffic at ~45 mph and was nearly hit by another car due to my sudden engine trouble. vw continues to replace the coilpacks but acknowledges that they are prone to failing suddenly and without warning. the last time one failed, it was replaced with the newly designed coilpack which wasn't supposed to be failure-prone. i asked that each of the individual coilpacks (4 total) be replaced due to the fact that the older ones were susceptible to failure but was told that vw would only replace them as they failed. this time, the newly designed coilpack failed, as well as one of the other, older ones. i am awaiting 2 replacement coilpacks; however, they are the same design as the 2 which just failed. frankly, i am afraid to drive my car at highway speeds, as there is absolutely no guarantee that the same problem won't happen again without warning.

While driving the engine light goes on and very heavy vibrations are felt coming from the engine, it feels as if the car is shaking apart. after first occurrence vw repaired car and reported the problem as a faulty coil pack. two months later the same problem occurred, engine light goes on and very heavy vibrations are felt from the engine. i have scheduled an appointment to get it repaired again.

This is a complaint about the well known vw 1.8t ignition coil problem

When vehicle was at an idle, it started shaking and the engine light was flashing. consumer had vehicle towed. the dealership indicated that this was caused by the cylinder coil going bad. please provide more details. ts

Consumer stated that while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle will shut off causing consumer to pull over. dealer notified. ts

While driving at any speed and with no warning engine check light would come on; then, vehicle would shut off. dealer notified. ts...*ak

Engine failure, radio failure, window wouldn't roll back up, vibrating speakers. w service shop failed to correct conditions on several occasions. *ak

Engine failure due to complete failure of 2 ignition coils. car does not get power, operates at dangerously low speeds, especially when you're on the highway. acknowledged by dealer as a major problem with 2002 1.8turbo vw/audi engines. manufacturer defect but will only permit replacement of coils that are "bad" even though they know the others may go too.

Vw jetta 2002. car is 21/2 yrs old and has been to dealer 4 times. the ignition coil has failed 2 times. the engine light had to be replaced and the seloniod also had to be replaced. all were under warranty. vw needs to get the quality of their cars up to par. once my lease is done i am turning the car in and will not get another vw. *ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, vehicle shut down and wouldn't restart. please furnish additional information dealer is aware of the problem.*jb

Coilpack failure on the engine. the partial engine failure caused the car to shake violently while driving. it was difficult to bring the car over 25 miles per hour, even on the highway. after a few minutes, the car was smoking and smelled bad. the volkswagen dealer told us that lots of cars, particularly the ones with 1.8t engines, are having this failure. he said that volkswagen is aware of the problem but that the part is on a national backorder. our car was in the shop for almost three weeks.

Ignition coil packs are faulty on 2002 volkswagens with 1.8t engines. there are four of these parts on each 1.8t engine. this problem causes the engine to misfire to the point of the car will stall and can not be driven. my 2002 jetta 1.8t wagon has been towed to the shop twice in the past month for the same problem. the first time only one coil pack was replaced, leaving three faulty ones still installed. a couple weeks after the first coil pack was replaced another one failed. currently my car has been in the shop for 15 days waiting on the part to arrive from europe. my car has been in the shop for 19 days total in the past two months. when the part arrives, volkswagen claims they can only replace one damaged coil pack (not all four faulty ones) because the parts are in such high demand. the vw service garage in durham, nc (southern states vw) told me they have 8 cars waiting on these parts to arrive. the national vw customer service center told me vw is replacing only one coil pack per car, trying to get as many cars back on the road as possible, admitting that any of the other original coil packs may fail again at any time. if there are eight cars on the lot in durham, nc there must be hundreds or thousands of vws across the us in garages across the country with this same problem! vw of america realizes this problem, yet they refuse to do a recall due to limited supply of parts. meanwhile everyone will be still stuck with a car who's engine may fail at any time due to this faulty engine part! this is a dangerous car to own! someone needs to put pressure on vw of america to recall all 2002's jetta and beetles with 1.8t engines. dt

Consumer states the engine does not work,consumer states engine coil is failing. ts

I have been going to board walk volkswagen dealer in richardson and rusty wallace volkswagen in garland, texas for my repair for my car for more than 8 times. the car is still not repaired and i am very frustrated. the problem is that when i start my car, it shakes really bad i would have to warm it up for 5 minutes. sometimes the car dies while i am driving. i wrote a complaint letter to the rusty wallace because i purchased my vehicle there and the service manager (dan turk) seems to be avoiding my phone calls. i need help!! i would like to attach my letter of complaint (that i sent to the dealer) if i could. thank you. *jb

The tubo power in my vw jetta 2002 tdi model failed multiple times over a two year period. vw dealer in manchester, nh was not compident enough to go beyond what the diagnosis machine was telling them to fix. vw manufacturing was more than reluctant to cover costs to fix the problem even though the problems started before the warranty was up

On september 30th, i took my jetta in to valenti volkswagen to have a new and updated ecu installed. the unit was in stock, i received a call from rick in parts and made an appointment to come in that day to have it put it. when i arrived, i was told by the technician the ecu in my car had to be sent to volkswagen to be reprogrammed and that i had to get a rental car while the ecu was out. i got a call from service on october 12th letting me know my car was ready to be picked up. when i arrived, i was told my ecu was still at volkswagen being reprogrammed. the service manager was able to get a new and updated ecu in the mean time. i don''t know why they just didn''t install the ecu they had in stock on september 30th. i had to pay a total of 119.88 to enterprise for the rental vehicle. i''ve called in to volkswagen care numerous times regarding this complaint and nothing was resolved. i told the reps i spoke to i wanted an explanation as to why my car was not repaired on the 30th when i brought it in. it took almost two weeks to fix it and i had to pay for the rental car, which was unnecessary. a copy of this has been sent to j.d. power and associates for their review. sincerely, robert taylor

While driving, the vehicle suddenly decreased in speed. *jb

Engine coils fail while driving loss of power dangerous. vw knows about the problem, refuses to fix all coils, says we have to wait for them to fail that causes accidents. safety related recall of all coils required. dt

When the vehicle accelerated from a stop, the vehicle stalled momentarily and then accelerated. there was approximately a 3-5 second delay in acceleration. dealer was unable to duplicate problem.*jb *ts

My 2002 vw jetta has smelled of melted crayons since the day that i bought it. i am not alone...just doing a google search brings up a lot of posts. vw of america is aware of the problem and is not doing anything to help those of us with this problem. the smell is so bad that it gives me a headache if i can't have the windows down. turning on the heat makes the smell even worse, so i am dreading the cold winter. i don't know what breathing in these fumes is doing to my health. *tr

Vehicle ignition coil is faulty and dealer refuses to repair the coil. please provide additional information. ph

Excessive engine oil consumption. his is my second new jetta that burns engine oil. the car consumes 1 qt of oil per 2000 mi. taking into consideration this car had 7 miles when i lease it, and i drive under _x001c_normal driving conditions_x001d_ this engine oil consumption, for me, is totally unreasonable. if i would not refill the engine oil between oil change intervals (5000 mi), the car would consume 55% of its total engine oil, possibly burning its engine. *ak

I bought the car 3 days later the problem(s) started. and they have been going ever since. shifting hard, display lights, would not start, wondows would not roll down, or iff they did, they made a loud thud. *ak

Oil consumption. volkswagen says "your oil should be changed every 5000 miles" well i have a jetta and have run out of oil completely empty 3 times under 3000. i am currently undergoing an oil consumption with volkswagon. at this point i am at 3000 miles and i am 2 1/2 quarts low and still have 2000 miles till i have an oil change. there are no leaks, no oil on the engine. it is basically just disappearing on me. if i had not caught on to this, i could have blown the engine and it would have been my fault. once volkswagon studies my oil consuption study they will determine what they are going to do with it. i have had it with volkswagon. i feel as if i live there. i am there more than i am at home with all kinds of problems. (slamming of the transmission, feels as if breaks won't catch to stop, broken consult, rip in seat seams, replacement of side door panels because of peeling, broken back ashtray, piece of sun roof broken off hit me in head). *ak

I purchased the 2002 1.8t volkswagen jetta on 1/09/02. my service record begins on 1/23/02. from day one, i have pointed out that this car leaks/has wind noise from doors/windows. seals were replaced on drivers side doors on 6/27/02. leakage/moisture to date, is an issue. now there is visible water damage and mold growing along drivers side. issue- poor quality product. dangerous mold growing-health factor! ignition coil failure twice! radio has blown twice- faulty wiring! car lunges when started or hard to stop once running. my situation is not "special". there are many others that have purchased this product and have their safety compromised. ignition coil is a suppose to be a recall, but only when they fail. volkswagen of america will not replace until you are stranded! this is a severe safety issue. mold growing in my car is a severe safety issue.*ak

Problem with coil packs on 2002 vw jetta 1.8t. problem is widespread and incapacitates vehicle. presents a danger to the safety of anyone driving the car on major public highways. problem is widespread and a manufacturer recall must be made!!!

I had both the passenger side window and the driver side window fall into the door frame within a matter of months. both times the windows were fixed, however, they were reluctant to fix the problem as if it had been my fault. i have a small child and i don't think he appreciates asphyxiation from so much wind in his face on the long drives to the dealer to be replaced. this is just one of the problems on this car, the clutch gets stuck (repaired twice), the sunroof trim broke off and needed to be replaced, the engine makes a rattling noise when shifting (fixed twice), stereo system swallowed my cd (twice before new system installed), and air conditioning releases an awful moldy smell when turned on which dealer refuses to attempt to fix. bought car in valencia volkswagen in valencia, ca. solution simple, traded in my 1yr old car for a better car, one that works! *jb