2003 Volkswagen Jetta: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jan 3, 2018 · Seats · 109,000 miles · UT

When the seat heater is turned on, the seat catches on fire. When you look at the picture that is smoke coming from the seat, the holes were caused by the seat heater.

Filed Jul 3, 2017 · Electrical, Seats · 162,000 miles · WA · fire

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.

Filed Jun 26, 2017 · Engine · 212,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine suddenly began to rev and caused the vehicle to accelerate. The contact applied the brake pedal in order to slow the vehicle down. The contact pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and heard a banging noise coming from the vehicle and noticed that there were parts on the ground. The contact stated their was also black smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact towed the vehicle to the amb auto dealer where it was diagnosed that the turbo failed and the turbo and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 212,000. Updated 10/24/17*lj

Filed Jan 22, 2016 · 277,000 miles · DC · fire

Seat caught on fire from shorted seat heater and burned a hole through passanger seat cover.

Filed Nov 16, 2015 · Electrical · MI

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.

Filed Nov 21, 2014 · Electrical · 120,000 miles · FL · fire

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

Filed Sep 10, 2014 · Electrical · 43,000 miles · FL · fire

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.

Filed Feb 23, 2014 · Electrical · 175,000 miles · IL

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.

Filed Jun 10, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 145,000 miles · MA · fire

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.

Filed Mar 1, 2013 · Electrical, Seats · 153,000 miles · VT · 1 injury

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.

Filed Dec 9, 2012 · Seats · ME · 1 injury

After noticing for weeks that my heated seats would only work when turned to 5 (passenger seat doesn't work at all), my leg began burning while driving. I smelled something burning and looked down to see that there was a hole in my seat and there was smoke coming out of it. I immediately turned the seat off and haven't turned it on since. When I contacted vw, they told me that my vehicle was not included in the heated seat recall and that I would be responsible for the cost of diagnosing the problem as well as for the repairs.

Filed Mar 6, 2012 · Seats · 95,608 miles · MN · 1 injury

Shortly after turning the drivers seat heater on, operator smelled something burning and felt her left leg burning. Shut heater off and took to dealer, who acted surprised that we had a problem!! They charged us to look at the seat, claiming the power supply wire under the seat had been pulled apart shorting out the grid wiring. Long story short, they claimed something must have been jammed up under the seat causing the problem. They offered to do the necessary repairs for $630. I thought their answer was creative, but after reading all the other complaints which are virtually identical(quarter sized hole in the seat cover), I'm calling [xxx]. I am disgusted with how vw has responded to all of us. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).