2002 Volkswagen Jetta air bags problems

“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.”

“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…”

“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”