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.
2002 Volkswagen Jetta engine complaints
Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 110, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Oil light comes on, mostly during turns. Sweet smell in interior cabin. Water entering interior floor level.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
The oil crank case developed a crack, causing oil to leak onto the ground. The cause has yet to be determined.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
Engine failure, radio failure, window wouldn't roll back up, vibrating speakers. W service shop failed to correct conditions on several occasions.
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.
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.
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.
The vehicle's timing belt failed without warning at 52,000 miles. As a result, the vehicle has become inoperative. Please provide additional information.
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