Problems with 2002 Volkswagen Jetta AIR BAGS

Simply wanted to let you know that my daughter rear ended another car at 40mph and completely crunched in her front end (car is totaled), but the airbags did not deploy. we didn't think anything of it until the state farm agent mentioned that she had airbags on the car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving at any speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag module was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not provided. the failure mileage was 49,706. updated 08/22/16*lj *cn

Oil light is blinking, i was told by several mechanics that jettas as well as volkswagens in general are known for having terrible sludge issues. i took the car to the dealership, they charged me over $150 to diagnose my car, after diagnosing it they said that the engine needs new oil bearings due to sludge issues, they said that the oils pressure is fluctuating and that soon my engine will blow up, they said that this was not covered under similar recalls that they've had on other models of theirs and that to fix my problem i would need a new engine which would cost me over seven thousand dollars. it seems to me that this is a very well known problem for vw, they've known about it for years but just like the problem they're having right now with the software, they've kept this quiet.

While driving our jetta at approximately 30 mph the drivers side curtain airbag and side seat airbag spontaneously deployed. there was no impact. there was no pothole. it was the only car on the road. going straight.

Stopped at a light, when the driver side seat airbag deployed. subsequently put on flashers, and pulled over to a curb. passenger side seat airbag then deployed (approximately 1 minute later after the first). seat airbag deployment resulted in abrasions on driver and passenger. checked the exterior of the car, but there was no damage. approximately an hour and a half later, the side curtain airbags on both sides spontaneously deployed while again stopped at another red light. third passenger in rear was uninjured during incidents. *tr

I was leaving a parking lot that had a slight curve and i hit some black ice. the car went straight into the curb and with the impact, which in my opinion, was not a great amount, caused the side curtain and passenger seat airbag to deploy. with how the wheel hit the curb, it also damaged the alignment of the wheels. *tr

Traveling at 70mph under normal driving conditions on interstate the roof and seat airbags and seatbelt lockdown on the driver's side spontaneously deployed causing temporary loss of control of vehicle and neck strain. repairs to fix airbags cost over $4,000. volkswagon investigated and were no help. gave no reason for spontaneous airbag deployment. very unsafe experience! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact was driving 35 mph and crashed into the rear of a preceding vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries as a result. the vehicle was towed from the scene and was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 91,000.

When backing out of my driveway my drivers side airbag deployed for no reason. i didn't hit anything. now the engine starts then stalls. all dash lights are now out. *js

I was driving my 2002 vw jetta, my 6 year old was riding in the backseat in the passenger side when the passenger side curtain airbags spontaneously went off!!! it sounded like a shot gun went off in the car, scared both of us!! i did not hit anything, anyone, no one was even driving around me! it was crazy! i thought the car was on fire due to the smoke coming out of the airbag.... no on was hurt but it was terrifying and it could have been a lot worse!! i am the original owner of the car, bought it new in 2002. it's been a great car, i've owned vw's for years and over all, they are great vehicles but this has really freaked me out! i took it to the dealer and they ran a diagnostic, turns out the computer in the car said there was a crash - this is no physical evidence of any damage on the car to justify this happening! the cost to repair it is 5300.00!!! the care likely isn't even worth that. the next step is to contact vwoa. i just read of some other instances this happened and looks like vw did repair the airbag at no charge. i'm hoping they do it for me, otherwise, i'm out of a vehicle. there's no way i can sell it like that, i've just lost what ever money i might have been able to sell that car for..... how many other complaints have been filed pertaining to this issue?? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that the air bag fault warning light illuminated intermittently, followed by a beeping noise. both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure who offered no assistance to the contact. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was approximately 32,500. the failure mileage was approximately 32,400.

Tl-the driver owned a 2002 volkswagen jetta. while driving approximately 60 mph the vehicle was involved in a multi vehicle crash in which only the front passenger side air bag deployed. the police appeared on the scene and the driver was injured. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance company lot. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed that whenever the seat belt was held intact the air bag would not deploy in the event of a crash. the failure and current mileages were 50,000. sm.

Passenger side air bags in a 2002 vw jetta deployed after hitting a pothole on a city street at approximately 25 mph. the adult in the passenger seat received bruises on his arm from the deployment. *tr

Was driving along a graded dirt road when passenger side airbag and side curtain airbag deployed suddenly. there was no side impact whatsoever, and was not able to determine any cause of airbag deploying. two passengers in the car suffered temporary ringing in their ears and headaches, but no significant injuries occurred, thank goodness. have contacted dealer for information about repairs, but nothing has been done to fix it yet. *tr

I have a 2002 volkswagen jetta this morning while driving my car to work in houston texas on interstate 59 south my driverside window airbag deployed as well as the seat airbag. after getting to the side of the road my car cranked back up and i got out to inspect if there was any damages. i found no damages on the car and the air bag deployed for no reason. i am lucky i did not swerve or there would have been a huge wreck. i believe there should be a recall on all of these 2002 jetta since there have been so many occurrences of this happening. *tr

Side curtain and seat airbag deployed while driving at 35-40 mph. no damage to the car other than that caused by the airbags deploying. no potholes in the smooth paved road near the intersection of fl sr70 and us301. no debris in the road or any reason for the airbags to have deployed. driver received welt and bruises on the ribs from the seat airbag. *tr

2002 vw sedan wa broad sided by a motorcycle. it hit the right front door and buckled the center post and bent the roof and the dash was pushed in. the vw has front and side airbags. none of the air bags deployed. my son was covered with glass and the right hand mirror just missed him. *tr

I purchased a certified used vehicle in 2006 from a volkswagen dealer in virginia (volkswagen of dulles). two months after the vehicle purchase, we noticed the car electrical system shut down while approaching a stop sign in reston, va. the local dealer attributed it to a fuel system problem and charged us for a throttle body cleaning.? over the course of two years, we had multiple electrical shutdowns, some at high speed on the highway at night when the vehicle's headlights would go out and the engine would die. at one point the dealer reported a ??loose ignition switch?? and replaced that switch. after several more scary events, i emailed vw america with a description of the problem and our fears about the vehicle being unsafe to drive. in march 2009 i called vw customer service and talked to a regional case manager. on that day, the car had shut down in the middle of an intersection narrowly avoiding a collision. vw replaced the alternator and battery. three months later, driving on memorial parkway (rt. 66) at night when the vehicles lights failed, the electrical system shut down and the engine died. i once again called vw customer service and was returned a call from a representative who said they would not address the problem further, that the warranty on the vehicle was over and that i had no recourse with volkswagen for further investigation of the problem. i recently asked vw america customer service for copies of their records relating the case. they refused to give them to me, saying they were proprietary.? *tr

I own a 2002 volkswagen jetta. on february 15th i was driving just outside of madison, wi on 1-94 heading east and hit a disk size piece (about the size of a hockey puck) of debris which flew up into the under carriage of my car. at the same time, my side curtain and passenger seat airbags deployed. there is no apparent damage to the exterior of my car and i was able to drive it home. upon inspection there is no apparent damage or markings to the under carriage, body - both metal and plastic. in researching airbag recalls, i came across the nhtsa action number pe04081. this description most accurately describes this incident. of the 499 vehicles who experienced the problems i am having now - no notice of recall or notice of potential defect were provided. i feel this matter should be reopened for those vehicles who continue to have unintentional airbag deployment. most notable is the body style for this vehicle has remained unchanged from model years 1999.5 - 2005. yet only 2001 - 2003 vehicles seem to be affected. this would indicate that some manufacturing trend is the causative factor in these unintentional deployments. *tr

Car information: 2002 volkswagen jetta #: while exiting driveway, rear tire became caught on curb. airbags deployed on passenger side (side curtain protection airbag and backrest side airbag). no collision had occurred. car immediately died in street but later started. contacted insurance company, as well as vw dealer. *tr

2002 vw jetta,husband ran over pothole, passenger side airbags deployed. had to tow car and get rental. no impact or accident. waiting for vw to look at car. am sure they will say it's our fault just from what i'm seeing on web. how can government have 499 plus incidents of investigation and not make vw recall?? maybe not until someone dies and they get sued. *tr

I was driving my 2002 volkswagen jetta and hit a pot hole in the road causing my passenger, side and head air bags to deploy. there was no impact. my passenger side tire hit the pot hole. there were hundreds of reports of this occurring. i researched online and probably many more since then. i was wondering if there was a recall made, and if not, why not? yes, these are good if a real crash occurred, but dangerous to no crash occurrences. something should be done and i, nor any other volkswagen owner, should be responsible for this. thank you. nhtsa action number : pe04081 nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a make / models : model/build years: volkswagen / golf 2001-2003 volkswagen / gti 2001-2003 volkswagen / jetta 2001-2003 manufacturer : volkswagen of america, inc component : air bags:side/window date investigation opened : december 16, 2004 date investigation closed : april 1, 2005 this investigation identified a total of 499 reports (482 owners reports and 17 warranty claims). the crash sensing system's algorithm may recognize certain non-crash impacts (wheel, tire and undercarriage impacts) as deployable events. *tr

Was driving down the street and my side air bags deploy for no reason. i did not hit anything there is no damage done to my car nor been in a accident. went to vw southern states and was told that my car only has a 50,000 mile warranty and that i have to pay for the car to get fixed. about 3,000 dollars he said..... *tr

I inadvertently hit a pot hole. the pot hole was probably a little deeper than most. the driver's side-curtain airbag, the seat side airbag and the seatbelt tensioner were deployed. there was no damage to the car. there was no immediate danger to me. i did not lose control of the car even with the startling deployment of the safety systems. i was told by the guy in one of the body shops that i went to to get estimates that vws and bmws are known for their "touchy" airbag systems. i do not think that it is reasonable to have a $2700 repair bill, the inconvenience of all of the legwork to get my car fixed or the temporary non-functioning of my car's safety system just from hitting a pot hole! i am working on a claim and have not yet had the car repaired. parts listed as being necessary to replace are: side curtain airbag, seat side airbag, seat belt/tensioner assembly, seat cover, a-pillar trim, headliner, sail panel trim, airbag sensor and airbag control module. also, the car will need to be plugged into a computer analyzer in order that the airbag codes be reset. *tr

While driving down the road at about 30 mph the side curtain airbags and the seat airbags wrongfully deployed. there was no reason whatsoever for this to happen. *tr

As i entered a parking garage and picked up a parking ticket my passenger side rear tire hit the curb and my passenger side seat and curtain airbags deployed. i just got my parking ticket and was turning from a dead stop so i could not have been traveling more than 2 miles per hour. the dealer said it was an accident but there is not damage to the tire or wheel other than a scuff mark on the tire where it rubbed on the curb. i have contaced vw of america and the initial response is that they consider it an accident not a mechanical failure. the initial repsonse from my insurance company is that it is a mechanical failure and vw is at fault. based on research, more than 500 similar incidents have been reported to the nhtsa, and it is common knowledge that only a small portion of the population report problems to the nhtsa. i welcome any additional insight that you can provide. thank you. *tr

The 2002 volkswagen jetta was involved in a accident and none of the air bags deployed. the car contains a lot of air bags. front passenger and driver and side curtain airbags. none of the airbags deployed in the crash even though the car was totaled. the car had been hit from the side and then the car hit a concrete barrier from the front after the car had spun. *tr

I was driving less than 10 mph through a parking lot, pulling into a spot when my side air bags deployed. i saw that there is an existing complaint (nhtsa action number : pe04081) outlining this exact problem. when i got out of my car to inspect i found that i had hit nothing. there was no impact, not even a scratch. the repair is pending with my local vw dealer. i am not yet sure who will financially be responsible. *tr

I was driving the car normally and at the speed limit on a road close to my home when i drove over a small bump or pothole in the road. normally, this impact would have been so small as to barely cause any extra motion in the car. however, on this occasion, after i ran over the bump, the driver's side seat and driver's side front and back curtain airbags deployed. i was startled when this occurred and accidentally jerked the steering wheel, hitting off of the divider with the front tire. i inspected the car to make sure nothing hit the vehicle, and to check that prior to the airbag deployment, i had not hit anything , i had not, three days after this incident, after filing a claim, insurance company called me to inform me that the manufacturer had notified them that when the airbags had deployed a report was sent to the manufacturer with data from the incident. the insurance company suggested i contact nhtsa to file a report. the report showed that the airbags did not deploy due to a collision. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer from which i purchased it to have the airbags reinstalled, and to repair damage done during the aftermath of the incident. the front driver's side tire was damaged and needed to be replaced. *ak

The passenger side air bag/ curtain on 2002 volkswagen jetta, deployed while turning right on a winding road. i was traveling under 20 mph. the engine shut off, and because it was on a blind turn i was almost hit by a car behind me. after 30 seconds i turned the engine on, and pulled over to a safe area to inspect the car. i travel the road everyday and no pot holes exist. the dealer said that the computer did not register an accident. the manufacturer, engineer, looked at pictures sent by the dealership, and said that there were scrapes under the car which must have caused the deployment. asked the dealership and manufacturer if the side air bag/curtain was not replaced would the other air bags be effected. they told me they did not have any public information on the effect one deployment has on the rest of the system, and i would have to replace it for the other air bags to provide protection. i called the manufacturer customer service, and they called the dealership, who now reported that the computer read an accident occurred. i was told to contact the insurance company. *ak

Left side air bags deployed without warning on my 2002 volkswagen jetta on 1/30/07. vw claims there is crash data in the onboard computer. however no accident / crash occurred. the air bags deployed on their own. i see according to nhtsa #pe04081 that the investigation is closed on this. i'll bet this inadvertent air bag deployment continues to happen and only after someone gets killed and law suits fly will something get done about it. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 35 mph over a pothole, the passenger side curtain airbags deployed. the dealership was alerted. updated 12/01/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle hit a small pothole and both side air bags on the driver side deployed. no warning light was illuminated prior to the deployment. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who kept the vehicle for one month. the dealership informed the contact the manufacturer would send a technician for inspection however, the contact never knew if such inspection ever happened. the contact was very concerned that an unexpected deployment could cause a serious accident. 1/31/2007 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph the driver and side curtain air bag deployed without warning. the dealer determined by computer diagnostic that a crash occurred although no crash actually occurred. the dealer can give no other reason for the deployment.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph the vehicle in front slowed without warning, the contact swerved to the right to avoid the vehicle. the left front impacted with the right rear of the slowed vehicle. the driver side air bag deployed with extreme force causing the contacts hands to be removed from the steering wheel while the vehicle was still in motion. the deployed air bag also obscured the contacts view. the vehicle then became airborne over a ditch and came to rest in a field. the vehicle was totaled. seat belts were in use by both driver and passenger however injuries were sustained. there was a police report filed at the scene. the manufacturer was contacted and stated the airbag deployment was normal for this type of impact.

Dt*: the contact stated the driver's side air bag deployed unexpectedly while driving at 60 mph. there was a police report filed. the police determined there was no debris in the road at the time of the incident. a representative from the manufacturer inspected the vehicle and discovered a dent in the metal in the rear of the vehicle. this was determined to be the cause of the premature deployment.

The '02 jetta 1.8t 4-door was stopped at a red light. the jetta proceeded into intersection. jetta was hit (t-boned) on drivers side door and rear passenger door by 1995 grand marquis, mercury in excess of 45 mph. ticket was issued for failing to stop at a red light, no braking on part of the mercury. extensive damage to the jetta - the front door was driven into the drivers cage which moved the front seat and bent the steering wheel. the front windshield formed a large crack, probably from a side stress point and did not shatter, the drivers side windows in both door shattered. severe frame damage could be seen and none of the drivers side doors could open, nor the passenger side either after the accident. the drivers side airbags (2), located between the two damaged doors and also the airbag between the drivers side door and windshield failed to deploy. vw claims that the car decided because the seat belt was in use, the car made an intelligent decision not to deploy the airbags. this is either false or an error in how the car is designed. airbags should deploy and not decide that the seat belt was sufficient - it was not sufficient, as there were medical injuries. jetta is totaled, but being held by usaa, pending anyone who will investigate this issue on my behalf. others should not have to suffer if a problem can be identified here and resolved. *jb

The front, side and side-impact airbags in my 2002 volkswagen jetta all failed to deploy when i was struck on the passenger side by a truck traveling at 40-50 miles per hour. the paramedics and responding officer encouraged me to file this complaint, saying that i was fortunate to be riding alone because a passenger would not have survived the accident without airbag protection. i have already contacted vw and submitted the forms and photographs they requested for validation of my claim, but - as expected - they have not responded. i have no intention of suing, but i am disturbed by volkswagens' recent campaign to market the jetta based on its safety. in the 3 1/2 years i owned the car, i had to return it for recalls/repairs 14 times, so i believe the airbag failure to be yet another symptom of the jetta's poor manufacturing. i would greatly appreciate your investigation into this matter and would be happy to provide documentation and photographs. *nm

My wife was in a car accident on 12/2/05 in her 2002 vw jetta gls. a lady had ran a red light and collided with the front driver side of the car at approx: 40 mph. the car was equipped with front and side airbags; neither of which airbag deployed. my wife hit her head on the front driver side window because the airbags did not deploy. *nm

My husband was driving down manchester road (a busy 4 lane road) getting ready to make a right hand when the passenger airbags deployed. he said it sounded like a gunshot went off in the car. he was able to pull the car into a walgreens parking lot. my 4 year old son was suppose to be in the car with him. he would have been injured if he was. this is a serious defect and needs to be acknowledged and dealt with. there was no impact and not a mark on the car indicating an accident. vw is refusing to pay for the repair because they state that an accident had to occur because air bags don't just go off. my car insurance company is also not paying because there is no visible damage on the car to be fixed therefore there is no claim to be filed. *jb

We own a 2002 vw jetta 2.0l. we were driving through an intersection and the passenger side curtain and passenger seat airbag deployed without cause. we pulled off to the side to check for any exterior damage that could of caused the deployment but could not see any. we drove it home (@ 1 mile) and had it towed to the dealership where we will hear about their course of action to repair the issue. is this a occurrence that is under investigation? if so it might be helpful to know since this will be a very costly repair and haven't had the best of luck with vw even though it's still under warranty. *nm

After making a right turn getting up to a speed between 25-30 mph my driver side airbags deployed for no apparent reason even with the roads in good condition. 30-40 seconds more and i would have been merging on to on a busy interstate in which could have resulted in personal injury to myself and other drivers, along with car damages. luckily this happened before time. vw rep refuses to solve the issue by replacing the seat and all side and side curtain airbags (as i suspected due to reading other complaints on here and other internet sources). they found the sensors had reason to go off what reason they haven't been able to establish the cause making this a mechanical issue and not a driver issue. i am in a loaner vw jetta and still fret the side airbags will go off. after being a loyal buyer of vw since 1987, they can count one less in the family. i have already contacted a lawyer and will be contacting my local news station to try and "out this problem" and make sure that this information be known to the public of vw's lack to investigate these issues and lack of compassion and customer service in severe issues like this. *jb

On 9/17/2005 i was pulling into my assigned parking spot at my condo. i was approximately traveling about 3 mph and had my brakes applied to maneuver into my parking spot. upon reaching the curb, i applied pressure to the brakes and expected to come to a complete stop. however, my car lunged forward and ended up in my neighbor's living room. my car only stopped after taking out the brick structure and front window of her condo. before making impact with the outside structure i attempted to brake twice with no response. the impact was substantial and yet the airbags never deployed. my car was towed to a garage that my insurance approved and not to the dealership who has serviced my car for all the current recalls and various problems. the recalls and problems include the brake light switch, replacement of the coil ignition, armrest break, alarm sounding for no reason, and the window falling into the door frame. this accident caused serious property damage and the police were called to the scene. the police acknowledged my skid marks and my attempt at applying the brakes. the situation was treated/cited as a car accident so that my neighbor and i could go through the proper procedures of her damages being reimbursed. i plan to prove my car is defective and a lemon. i would appreciate any feedback, advice or suggestions regarding my situation. *nm *gem

A car pulled over in front of me trying to turn left. i had the right of me with no stop of traffic light at this intersection. i hit the left side of that car with the front/front left corner of my car at 45 mph and none of the air bags deployed. i would expect that at such a speed at least one airbag would have deployed. please advise. *nm

Passenger side curtain airbag and seat airbag deployment with no collision. passenger side airbag sensor too sensitive. slight swerve and brake to avoid small animal. no collision involved. car has no visible signs of damage. never in an accident. currently in the process of contacting vwoa. *nm

I was driving to work when my 2002 voklswagen jetta hit a bump in the road/pothole and the passenger airbag went off. i got out to inspect if i hit anything since i wasn't sure because of the airbag going off. i got out of the car and there was nothing in the road besides a pothole that everyone else hit as well on the off ramp. there was not a scratch of damage or any impact at all. i just bought this car a little over 2 months ago and it was already back to the dealer for a broken power window and twice for the transmission. i am fed up with this car. there is only 25,000 miles on the car and an airbag should not go off for a pothole. i went to a different vw dealer and they said it's not a warranty issue and it would cost $800 - $1,000 to fix. this is ridiculous that i will have to pay for something like this for normal use of the car. *jb

While driving on an interstate highway with my girlfriend in the pass seat, the driver's side curtain airbags deployed for no reason. there was no impact or pothole hit. i was able to maintain control of the vehicle and get off to the shoulder. i received burns and deep bruises on my upper left arm and left side ribcage. car was driveable from there, however the pre-tensioners for the seat belt also fired and could not use the seat belt. upon talking with a local vw dealer, they advised that this would be an insurance claim, as the airbag would not just go off, and they mentioned that there have been no instances of random deployment...all have been due to something causing the deployment.?. i could have easily lost control of the car, and things could have been much worse. still dealing with the medical. *jb

Vehicle was on the road at 5 mph when all of a sudden the passenger side air bag deployed on its own. manufacturer was contacted by the consumer.*ak

I am very concerned about the reports i have read about sudden airbag deployments for no reason on volkswagen models jetta, gti and golf, year 2001-2003. as a 2002 jetta owner, i do not wish to suffer from airbag injury from inappropriate airbag deployment. please investigate this matter for the consumers behalf and recall if necessary. thank you.*ak

My daughter was exiting i-4 onto i-95 in daytona beach, fl. she was traveling about 45 mph, when the michilen tire on the right front wheel came off. this caused her to lose control of the 2002 vw jetta (30,000 miles) and roll the vehicle. she was injured and the only car involved in the accident. none of the airbags deployed. i am concerned that the side airbag should have deployed lessening her injuries, as her head hit the side of the car and has caused great problems. *jb