Problems with 2003 Volkswagen Jetta ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My car got hacked my charlie miller and chris valasek was seen over at my neighbors house on 4/29/2017 and my ex boss chris stutz jr is in charge of all the break in of my house and cars edwardsville police will not do anything because the police are friend of them i hope i don't get killed over these hacks but if that's what it will take to do anything about it

The fuse box on top of the battery melted due to overheating from the alternator cable. no excessive electrical load has been placed on the battery. just normal use of the car causes this to melt.

When i was sitting in the driver's seat with the heated seat option turned to a 5 (high), while the car was warming up, i noticed some smoke coming from the right side of the seat. the heated seat started to burn through the cloth cover directly where my metal jacket zipper was making contact with the cloth seat surface. i immediately poured water on the seat to ensure a fire didn't start. i have not attempted to use the seat heaters since this incident.

Drivers side seat heater ignited burning through seat trim and burning driver while operating vehicle. this occurred in a seat that the dealer indicated they had replaced under the initial recall (however date on seat is 11/25/2002 before car was delivered in 4/2003 - so dealer never actually replaced it . seat retained and photos available for inspection.

Takata recall burned fuse box caused alternator to go bad.

Having worked in vw dealerships my transmission control module is failing at only 130,000 miles on it which has been an ongoing issue and complaint by many. when it acts up it won't upshift or will drop down into low gear and one has to worry about being rear ended when this condition occurs.

Engine battery fuse box melting. replaced twice. found out it alternator wiring is bad. i have a small child. car has left me stranded on side of road several times due to faulty alternator wiring.

I've had multiple issues with my vw jetta 2003 and have put thousands of dollars into the vehicle. my limit was that alternator cable melting the fuse box and the battery. the vehicle is unsafe and could have caught on fire and potentially injured individuals or caused great harm. the sad part able the entire scenario is the fact that i contacted volkswagen customer care that spoke with brea s. which may not be an actual name because she could not provide it and she said that she had spoken to her leadership ashley and that they did not see this as a safety concerns and just because lots of other people had the same issue and mentioned it on a blog they were not able to help me. now for me something that can cause a potential electrical fire for most people is a safety concern and the fact that this is a known issue with the volkswagen jetta and beetle models, it amazes me that vw customer care does not see it as there issue, brea was out of the auburn hills location in michigan. this really needs further attention.

The fuse box in these older jettas melts because it is on top of the battery, which can cause the car to shut off while driving. its very dangerous.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that after the vehicle was parked for a few days, the battery failed to make connection when starting the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 193,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. while driving 50 mph, the contact noticed smoke under the hood that entered the cabin of the vehicle. the contact stopped the vehicle and opened the battery fuse box where he found that there were overheated wires and overwhelming smoke. the contact stated that the failure was recurring and the smoke was emitting from the battery fuse box. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 96,000. the vin was not available.

The alternator cable melted the fuse block and the car almost caught on fire. *tr

There is a fuse box on the top of my battery as there was for all mk4 jettas, golf in all motor trims. the fuse box on top of the battery melted. when opened there was a black wire severed from the box. when turning the battery over the cable wire was arching. the wire was actually sparking. there are fuses in the original box but they never broke, tripped. *tr

Battery fuse box melted. engine overheated and cut off. *tr

Alternator harness wiring and fuse box are under-engineered for electrical conditions and output given by alternator. this is the second time in one year i have to replace the fuse box and alternator harness wiring due to risk of engine bay fire. many other vw owners in this generation and different models also have this problem with their vehicles. i believe this should be recalled and it is extremely dangerous to go unnoticed.

The rear door locks do not work with the key fob or the electrical switch ion the driver's door. this is a serious issue when you have children in the rear seat. *tr

the day before the car quit, it would not start after being parked in the mall parking lot. a battery pack got it started, and it was driven home, with the thought that it needed a new battery. the following day, it was being driven to the local sears, for a replacement battery, when the abs and airbag lights came on. 30 seconds later lots of warning lights came on, and the car sputtered and stopped dead in the lane of travel. it would not turn over, and power accessories would not work. i was stopped on a very busy 2 lane back road, with no shoulders or side streets, uphill, on a blind hill. after 1 1/2 hours of white-knuckle directing traffic, and calls to: my auto club, and the local police; a local police officer, and a local tow truck showed up and gave me a lift to my repair shop. the mechanic's diagnosis of the problem was a partially melted fuse pack, that sits on top of the battery, and an overly resistive cable between the fuse pack and the alternator. the solution was: the cable end linked to the fuse pack was re-terminated, and the melted fuse pack was replaced. between the tow and the repair, it set me back about $300.00. i also found a blog that listed many other vw owners with the same problem: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4986219-fuse-box-above-battery-melting . i also discovered a class action law suit that was filed in 2012, that was based on this problem: http://gotaclassaction.com/volkswagen-named-in-class-action-over-fuse-boxalternator-cable-assembly/ . i hope that the current repair holds for the near future. clearly, a fuse should blow before the overall fuse pack melts. *tr

Air conditioner stopped working . found left fuse on fuse box on top of battery is black and melted. *tr

Car had a burning smell coming from the engine. the engine light came on. while on the highway the car stopped moving forward and stalled in traffic, the battery light then came on. i turned the car off and restarted it. in a 30 mile round trip, this happened 3 times. upon further inspection, the battery mounted fuse block had completely melted and was extremely hot. *tr

The alternator cable got so hot it started a small fire in the fuse box on top of my battery. completely melted/burnt the fuse box. i see there is a good pattern of this happening with these jetta and beetles. *tr

I have a jetta that continually burns out the fuse box, which just happened again. the fuse box to replace costs around $100. everytime. due to this problem i am encountering additional repairs. ignition coil etc. i even went and purchase a new battery for 160.00. car will not run? help. *tr

tl- the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph a burning plastic odor was present inside the vehicle before the passenger suddenly experienced a burning sensation coming from the seated area of the passenger seat. the contact indicated that the passenger side seat heater element had over heated causing a burn hole in the seat and causing a minor burn to the passenger. the contact stated that a small flamed to the passengers right pant leg had to be extinguished during the incident and the passenger seat burn hole measured approximately 1 inch in diameter. the vehicle was diagnosed at the dealer. the contact was informed that the defect was caused by a faulty heat element inside the seat. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 125,000. jft

The thermostat on my 2003 volkswagen jetta failed for the second time. the first time it failed as at approximately 40,000 miles in 2009. *tr

The temp sender on my 2003 volkswagen jetta failed for the second time. the first failure occurred at approximately 38,000 miles in 2007. *tr

One of the two large cooling fans in the front of the engine failed. the part must be replaced to prevent engine overheating. the part number is 6x0-959-445-f. *tr

The car was parked for two days without being driven. while it was parked, neighbors ran over to report it was smoking under the hood. we saw that there were flames coming out from underneath the front of the car. fire department came, but fire had already extinguished itself. fire department disconnected the battery ground and said the wires going to the cooling fan had set on fire. all of this was spontaneous. engine was not on. *tr

Iam the original owner and have always kept my jetta in the garage. i moved 3 and a half years ago and my car is no longer garaged. my headline is starting to detach from the inside of the car and the leather throughout my car is cracking. i noticed there was a classss action lawsuit regarding the sunroof drain getting clogged causing damage to the car. who can i contact to see if i qualify for this action. at the time of the recall i did take my jetta to a dealership and they said everything was fine, is this because my car was garaged and now its outside exposed to the elemets, which has caused this damage? thank you,

Both front seats, the bottom right side bolster burned. the heated front seats will over heat, the failure appears to be confined to the right bolster on the bottom section of the seat. the heating elements get hot enough to burn through the seat material. being the side of the seat i was able to shift my leg away and power off the heated seat. if left on the seats will start to smoke. i consider this a safety issue, i haven't tried , but it seems as though the seat could catch on fire if left on. the local dealer's service rep said just unplug it the option. *tr

All warning indicators (abs, cel, airbag, ecp, battery and other instrument dash panel lights) would flicker repetitively until the car lost all power. after inspection of the engine compartment it was found that the alternator cable that attaches to the fuse box located on top of the battery was melting the fuse box and causing power distribution problems. the volkswagen dealer recommended that they both be replaced as the cable could have become high resistance thereby causing excessive heat at the fuse box. i had the alternator cable replaced with an oem part and the fuse box with an aftermarket part. on 10-9-13 with 104k miles while driving to work at 6am in the morning, the exact same symptoms were experienced again. luckily i was on a side road and was towed to a dealer which said that all oem parts should be used and that this is common as they had just replaced the alternator cable on another jetta of the same generation. i requested the dealer check the entire electrical system including the alternator because the parts that were installed last year should not go bad in 1 year, the dealer said there was no other issue. i am not the only one experiencing a melting fuse box. at the links below are others who have experienced the same thing, even across other vw models. there seems to be a serious problem of melting of fuse boxes which can occur at any time the vehicle is in operation. (with pictures) http://forums.fourtitude.com/showthread.php?4562591 http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4682918-why-s-my-fuse-box-melting http://newbeetle.org/forums/questions-issues-concerns-problems-new-beetle/28982-battery-fuse-box-melting-04-new-beetle.html http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4705261-battery-light-flickering-on-acceleration http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4829541-burnt-black-cable-fuse-box-on-top-of-battery. *tr

Driver's seat heater malfunctioned. right side of seat has small burn marks, is discolored, has exposed elements, and seat foam is melted. two pairs of pants obtained singe marks on separate occasions. i drive the car to and from the city via interstate for 40 minutes each way. seat heaters are typically on for about 20 minutes. beginning in november when i used the seat heaters i could smell a slight burning smell. since it was the beginning of the winter season i figured it was just heated dust on my seats from being inactive all summer. the final time i used the seat heaters (1/26/12) the smell got so bad that i had to open the sun roof for air. i also noticed the seats got hotter than usual and wondered if my seat back was heating at all. as was usual when the seat was hot enough i would manually turn off the seat heater. i did not know what was happening until one day when i noticed brown marks on the right side of my pants. i then looked at the seat and saw the damage to the seat. the driver's seat element was replaced in may 2006, the passenger seat august 2006, due to previous recall/warranty service.

Hola mi hija tuvo una experiencie terrible con su auto.ella se dirigia a la universidad en su auto y de momento comenzo a salir humo pr el area donde esta el guia y el conta milla mas o menos por lo poco que no pudo explicar por lo afectada que estaba.inmediatamente ella se detuvo y se bajo de vehiculo para llamar a su papa y jucto en ese momento se incendio y estamos seguros que fue un problema de fabrica para que se incendiara de esa manera.gracias a dios que mi hija estaba fuera del vehiculo porque por lo que rapido sucedio no le hubiera dado de salir y la historia hubiera sido otra.hago este reporte para que no vuelva a suceder algo asi.porque mi hija esta sumamente afectada. muchas gracias por su atencion. *tr

My 2003 volkswagen jetta has experienced a coil pack failure causing a reduction in power, and the engine to misfire. according to the volkswagen dealer, the housing of the coil pack was cracked which allowed moisture to affect its operation. the dealer also stated that there is no recall or replacement program for 4 cylinder engines experiencing this problem. *tr

The rear o2 sensor on my 2003 volkswagen jetta failed causing the mil indicator to illuminate. the sensor had to be replaced, and is not covered under the extended warranty for emissions. *tr

The safety light on the interior of the front passenger door that lights up when the door is opened failed on my 2003 volkswagen jetta. the dealer stated that the problem was a failure in the front passenger door latch mechanism. the door latch mechanism was replaced, and was not covered under warranty. *tr

My drivers side seat heater doesn't recognize the setting of 0-5. it's either on, or off. meaning, 0-4 the seat heater doesn't heat the seat. but when i turn it to 5 on the setting within 10 minutes the seat gets so hot it burns my legs through clothing. *tr

My seat heater failed in my 2003 vw jetta, burning a hole in the seat under my left [xxx]. i was startled when suddenly there a strong burning smell in the car, then a hot spot in the seat occurred which caused me to have to quickly shift my seating posting and i immediately turned off the seat heater. luckily i was driving slowly in the city and able to pull in the in a parking spot quickly and the seat or my clothing did not catch on fire. the seat was set to 3 on a scale of 1-5. the car has about 125k miles on it. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *ln

I am the owner of a 2003 vw jetta. i was recently burned(11/2010) by the seat heater while driving and the car seat smelled like it was going to start on fire. my car had a recall not long after i bought it for the seat heaters. it is obviously a malfunction in the seat heater that vw has had numerous problems with based on the recall and the plethora of complaints on the internet. i can no longer use the heating unit. i took it to patrick motors in auburn, ma where i bought the car. they said it was out of warranty and they would charge me to look at it to see what the problem was and then maybe ask vwoa if they would help. i was not willing to pay more money for something that is obviously a manufacturing problem and has been documented as problematic. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta wagon. the contact stated that the speedometer failed to provide an accurate speed traveled. the contact also stated that when the cruise control switch was activated, it would cause the vehicle to surge forward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they confirmed that the sensor in the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 170,000 and the current mileage was 211,000. updated 12/14/11 the consumer stated the transmission was exhibiting an intermittent hesitation. updated 12/20/11. *jb

(prior incident) 05/27/08 at 32k miles alternator harness burned and melted fuse panel (while car operating at low speed returning home from local trip). fuse failed to prevent overheating of terminal connector on alternator harness at fuse panel. current incident: 08/06/10 at 47k miles the alternator harness that had been replaced at 32k miles burned and melted fuse panel again, and alternator was also damaged requiring replacement (car failed to start at home after being parked overnight). fuse again failed to prevent overheating of terminal connector on alternator harness at fuse panel. *tr

As we were driving home, all the lights on the dash started blinking. the accelerator pedal stopped working in the middle of a busy intersection. the car engine continued running, but it just stalled in the middle of traffic and could not accelerate to get out of traffic. so we coasted the car for about 1.5 miles to a family members house. when we arrived, we turned off the car and tried to restart it, it would not start. after opening the hood we noticed that the fuse box/harness that sits on the battery was very hot. we opened it and saw the far left black wire/cable was burnt up and melting the plastic in the harness. the black wire was extremely hot. i had this problem before, it was 3 years ago, but i did not know where to look. i spent over $500 fixing what seems to me the same problem as before. on the dealership receipt it said "found generator harness at battery fuse box melted causing high resistance in voltage circuit.....replaced fuse box and generator cable". on that occurrence it was so bad the burns had ruined my battery causing it to leak. i called vw manufacturing, but they were not very helpful and just told me to call my local dealer for assistance. they said it was not a safety issue, even if there was a fire hazard. my car is currently being looked, looking for an underlying cause for this...if it is the cable or something else in the engine. the connection was reset but the wire/cable continued to get excessively hot. *tr

Started car and turned on headlights. started driving home and the dashboard dimmer switch caught fire. fire went out but all dashboard lights were out. *tr

2003 volkswagen jetta gl was found to have fried cable from alternator leading to fuse box on top of battery. problem was found and fixed 3 years prior to being found again at the dealership. both times cable and fuse box were replaced. pictures of the second incident are available. also found that this incident has happened on other jettas as well. worried that could potentially cause a fire. *tr

2003 vw jetta: digital display would shut off when key was removed from ignition. unable to lock vehicle doors with remote. vehicle had to be restarted for digital panel to appear (re-set) and for door to lock with remote. engine would also shut off while at a stop light and while driving on freeway. possibility to cause a crash. all digital panels still illuminated, key would be locked in ingnition, un-able to turn or be removed until car placed back in park and hand brake pulled up. issues occured bi-weekly, weekly, and now daily. vehicle brought to dealership. was told that ignition switch failed and needed to be replaced. would have been covered under warranty (warrant just expired last month). after trying to diagnose problem prior to bringing to dealership, i've found on several forums that this is not a new issue/repair for vw customers with the same make and model. many customers have had similar complaints/experiences, all of which were taken in for repair after warranty expired. vehicle is only 7 years old and is at approximately 85,000 miles. this vehicle has also had service for the following recalls: catalytic converter, failed ignition coils, failed rear window/door locks. this car is a lemon! *tr

Rear passenger doors fail to respond to key fob. stay locked/ unlocked.

Sun roof drain clogs!!! no direction in manual for cleaning nor warning that it can happen. i found nearly three inches of water in the floor and water all over the interior fuse block. my concern is fire related. corrosion can lead to high impedence connections and after water intrusion i have no idea how safe my electrical system is. this is the second or third incident and i finally found out what was causing the problem by doing research on the internet. many others have experienced this problem and it appears that the design of the outlet nipple is the issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the vehicle has a fuse box that is under the hood located on top of the battery. the 150 amp fuse is for the alternator; however, the fuse itself is getting hot enough to melt the box. the dealer stated that there are no existing recalls; however, they have seen this failure occur frequently. the vin is not available. the current and failure mileage were 79,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. the contact stated that there was a burning smell coming from the front of the vehicle as the battery light illuminated. the contact discovered that the fuse panel caught on fire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator, the harness, and the fuse panel needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but failed to remedy the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 43,000.

I have a 2003 jetta gls. i had about 65k miles on it and the speedometer first fluctuated wildly then died, or appeared to be dead. it would randomly start working for a few days and often would die again while i was driving. non functioning speedometer affects function of auto locking doors, odometer, trip computer, and related functions (they do not work when speedometer not working). my mechanic tested the vehicle speed sensor located on the transaxle. it is fine. i had the entire instrument panel replaced (to the tune of almost $700, $500 of which is for the part!). now i am being told it may be a coolant migration issue similar to that of the my 99-01 cars. however there has been no tsb for 2003 jettas and now my car is out of warranty. replacing the wiring harness is a very expensive ($6k has been mentioned) repair. internet research shows that my issue is not unique, many failed speedometers in this model year jetta, although vw to date is silent w/customers. *tr

I have had 27 things break or fail on my 03vw jetta 1.8t. i bought the car used in 01/06 with 32,000 miles. after buying the car the first five mins the window shattered. first two months 2 tires blew out, front rim cracked, back tires out of alignment. dealer paid to fix rim broke 2 weeks later the dealer paid fo used set of similar rims. every light inside and out went out by 05/06 driver seat wont raise up cargo net in trunk falls apart dealer wont cover. gas and trunk release buttons fell down inside of door. radio stopped working front door speakers are shorting out. driver window switch goes up when you push down and down when you push down have to fiddle with it for it to go up. exhaust hanger broke causing chatter. swaybar bushing fell out causing grinding and shaking when ever moving. not cover by warranty all these happened by 05/07. now its 10/08 and i have 84,000 miles. current problems are rear spoiler brake light hangs down(dealer just glued it in place lasted about 4 months) cam and crank seals leaking oil cause odor inside of cabin. if i drive for more then an hour i get sick and light-headed. seat, cargo net in trunk, is still broken. radio still isn't fixed so i just went and bought an after market. speakers still shortening out only when its cold out. keyless entry only works within 4ft of the car. in the winter the car only gets 18mpg on the highway and about 14 in the city and the car is parked in a heated underground garage. *tr

2003 vw jetta gls wagon with 62k miles, abruptly shut down while driving. after towing to local mechanic, it was determined the main fuse holder had shorted out and begun to melt, risking an engine fire. part was replaced and problem repaired for $237. *tr