1996 Volkswagen Jetta problems

“DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL (12 MINUTE DRIVE) AT NIGHT AND THE AIR COMING FROM THE VENTS SMELLED FUNNY, LIKE COOLANT. I TURNED OFF THE FANS BUT STILL SMELLED FUNNY. I TURNED THE FANS BACK ON AND WHITE 'SMOKE' WAS COMING OUT OF THE VENTS AND IT SMELLED HEAVILY OF COOLANT. MY WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO FOG UP WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOWS AND SUNROOF AND TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD TO GET THE WINDOW TO DEFOG, BUT IT ONLY GOT WORSE. I COULD BARELY SEE AND FELT LIKE I WAS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SO I PULLED OFF ON THE NEAREST COUNTY ROAD. THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND I STILL COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO I OPENED THE DOOR AND DROVE TO A SAFE SPOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. FOUND OUT LATER THAT THERE WAS COOLANT ALL OVER ON THE FLOORBOARDS AND THAT THE HEATER CORE HAS FAILED. *JB”

“WHEN THE VDO ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER "TOTAL" ODOMETER READING CROSSED FROM 299,999 MILES TO 300,000 MILES . . . THE WORD "TOTAL" DISAPPEARED AND MILEAGE DROPPED TO "0". THE "TRIP" SIDE OF THE ODOMETER WORKS OK. NOW (05/06/2010) THE JETTA IS ABOUT TO CROSS 350,000 MILES, BUT THE ODOMETER ONLY SHOWS 50,000 MILES. *TR”

“ON SEPT 2, 2005 AND SEPT. 6, 2005, UNDER TWO CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVING QUICK ACCELERATION WITH MODERATE LOAD (TWO ADULTS AND ONE KID. ABOUT 50 LB LOAD IN TRUNK), THE ENGINE KEPT HIGH REVVING AFTER THE GAS PADDLE HAD BEEN FULLY RELEASED, THUS PULLING FORWARD HARD UNINTENTIONALLY; IT KEPT SO DOING FOR SECONDS, EVEN AFTER BRAKING WAS APPLIED FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS, AND PUMPED. IT RECOVERED BACK TO NORMAL RESPONSIVENESS AFTER HARD BRAKING FOR AT LEAST FIVE SECONDS IN THE FIRST INCIDENT AND ABOUT THREE SECOND IN THE SECOND. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE CRUISE CONTROL NEVER WORKED SINCE THE PURCHASE IN 1996.”

“IT SEEMS THAT ON A VERY RAINY DAY OR A DAMP DAY THE CAR STALLS OR DOESN'T START AT ALL. I GET A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT THAT COMES ON AS WELL. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO KOPPELL VW IN NYC AND THEY ALWAYS BLAME THE HEATED O2 SENSOR FOR THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. THEY ALSO HAVE CHANGED THE IGNITION WIRES, ROTOR AND ROTOR CAP FOR THE STALL. IT HAS BEEN AN ON AND OFF PROBLEM SINCE THEN. THE O2 SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED 4 TIMES AND THE IGNITION WIRES, ROTOR AND CAP HAVE BEEN CHANGED 6 TIMES. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. THE CAR IS STILL PROTECTED UNDER THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY BUT IT SEEMS THEY (KOPPELL VW IN NYC OR VW THEMSELVES) DON'T WANT TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. THANK YOU.*AK”

“WELL, ITS AN OLD CAR YES AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY SEVERE MALFUNCTIONS EXCEPT ON PRETTY MUCH EVERY LATCH MECHANISM ON THE CAR. CURRENTLY, THE TRUNK DOES NOT OPEN. THE LATCH IS BROKE AND WILL NOT OPEN WITH KEY PLACED IN IT OR WITH RELEASE BUTTON. TO OPEN IT, I HAVE TO LAY THE BACK SEATS DOWN AND CRAWL INTO THE TRUNK AND ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY RELEASE MANUALLY. TO ADD TO THE MESS, BOTH REAR DOORS WILL OPEN BUT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CLOSE AGAIN. I'VE HAD TO RIG A WIRE TO PULL THE LATCH INTO ITS LOCKED POSITION TO KEEP BOTH DOORS CLOSED. (RESULTING IN THE ONLY 4 DOOR COUPE I KNOW OF!) *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AGGRESSIVE AND FORCEFUL ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES. THE AMBULANCE AND POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER AND THE OCCUPANTS IN THE PARKED VEHICLES WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUSTAINED MODERATE INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND EXTENT OF THE VEHICLE DAMAGE HAVE NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.”