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Comments
The warranty on wear items is 1 year or 12,000 miles, which ever comes first.
I might have to question the need for rear rotors. The pads are notoriously soft, thus wear pretty quickly, but it really shouldn't have eaten the rotors.
2 good places to shop are
http://www.vwparts.com
http://www.parts4vws.com
What I'd really recommend, however, is to do it yourself. It is quite simple, and you can do the entire front (or rear) for less than $90, maybe less than $80.
You'll like it, really.
I've had many problems with my 00 Jetta over the 3 years I've been driving it (cassette slot damaged, front passenger window stuck, brakes used up at 30K miles, abnormal oil consumption, armrest area peeling off...)
The latest one is a bit strange because the check engine light comes on and the P,R,D,3,2,1 display becomes dark. I feel a slight bump when I change from Park to Reverse and vice-versa. About 75 miles later, everything is clear; 15 miles later, however, the check engine light and the dark display come on again. Also, when the check engine light is on, cruise control does not work but as soon as the light is off, it works again!!!
Should I worry about this? Can anyone tell me what it could be? I recently took the car to a dealer for the 30K mile maintenance but, by then, the light was off and they didn't notice anything.
Thanks guys.
If there's an Autozone nearby, try them instead.
Both were 99's.
1st guy - 60 k auto - tranny going up, 2 starters, 2 alternators, 1 a/c compressor, front-end rebuild, excessive oil consumption.
2nd guy - 66 k manual - clutch needed replacement, 2 starters, 2 alternators, a/c compressor, needs new a/c compressor & evaporator, also needs front end rebuild, 1 power window doesn't work, struts shot.
One bought a Mitsu, the other a Honda.
Both are done with VW.
Sadly, most people I know who own them seem to have an awful lot of problems and to a fault they HATE the dealer sevice network. Both guys above had all work done at the dealer. Parts are expensive.
I hope they have better luck with their new vehicles (the guy with the Honda got an automatic this time and it's already acting up - doesn't like to shift out of second gear).
As far as having AutoZone (aka AutoBone), yes they can retrieve OBD codes out of your PCM, but they can't diagnose what's actually wrong with your car....the morons who work there wouldn't be smart enough to. I've read so many complaints from cheap VW owners that the VW dealer is a ripoff and charges $70.00 to diagnose a CEL. Guess what? That's ANY dealership, but I have a feeling that many people forget that dealers do have the latest equipment, OEM parts, latest software, and the correct diagnostic service manuals that the boneheads at AutoBone don't have. Let's say for example that AutoBone pulled a code for "low catalytst efficiency"...what part are you going to buy for your car?? Are you going to guess by buying a $600 catalytic converter when it could have been either the front or rear O2 sensor that set the code... Dealerships have a lot more overhead than independent garages do, and that is part of why you will pay more at a dealership. I can't believe I'm listening to people who spend $20-26K on a Europen marque(and this is not a discussion of what models are built in Mexico, Brazil, etc....any one who can read a VIN number can tell in what country a vehicle is built), and then complain about spending $70 for diagnosing a check engine light. And for those who claim that their VW is a lemon, you should see how many problems exist with Ford, GM, and Chrysler vehicles before you even begin to say that your VW is lemon. If you stop and consider that the majority of people who will post a message on this website, compared to the number of VW's sold in the US in ONE model year, let alone since 1999 when the current body style came out, the problems are not that widespread. Then to consider the number of vehicles that VWAG builds in one year under the VW, Audi, SEAT, and Skoda names, the problems become even less. Other factors that we don't know include vehicle modifications from OE, maintenance, use and abuse, etc. I was reading that one person on another website has had 16 window regulators on their car. When so many people have had 0,1, or 2 replaced, the person who had 16 may be in question....what the hell does he do to his windows, etc. Reading a group of complaint posts on this site proves nothing, unless you have all of the relevant information. I work at a dealership and hear all kinds of complaints about their vehicles, and many times it turns out there is some information which the person was reluctant to divulge. Examples are: my window regulator broke (as it turns out, the person had been inside the door before to replace speakers and did not have the linkage reinstalled correctly). Or, I can;t believe that the rear end failed on my vehicle (after you see the mud INSIDE the differential and that the diff had not been serviced in the 65,000 miles the vehicle had on it). So I think we need to have all of the relevant info before we begin generalizing that VW's are junk....a lot may have to do with owner abuse...
I have a 93 Jetta GL automatic, 103k miles. I've only had it about 5 months now; before that it had a rebuilt tranny; not too sure on the details of that.
It was running great for a while; then it started to have some problems. Off the line, it got to be a bit sluggish, and seem like it was stuck in gear, around 2nd gear or so. I'd have to hit the gas, then let off, and get back on it, and sometimes it works to get it in gear and sometimes it doesn't, and I'll have to work the gas several times.
It used to only happen when I was pulling out. Now it is starting to be sluggish at all speeds. It used to be a zippy little car but now I'm stuck driving like a grandma. It almost seems like something is plugged up inside, but I don't know what. It's also really loud at 3k rpms; wondered if maybe they put the wrong exhaust or something on it at some point. Gas mileage is also down a little bit. I'm hoping to have a vague clue of what is wrong with it so I can explain it to the shop.
Is it better to take it to a VW dealer or to just a random shop?
Also, does anyone know of a dealer in the Philadelphia area that can be trusted?
The Check Engine light was on around the same time, but AutoZone tells me the low level coolant sensor triggered. The reservoir read just below min. Is this related? Thanks in advance.
Say, 8u6hfd, earlier in this discussion you mentioned that you needed a special VW tool to push the piston back into the caliper when replacing break pads. Where did you get the tool and was it expensive? Thanks.
The problem has them so baffled they are calling in the VW Engineer.
When I turn the car on it hesitates and jerks fwd and back, it is as if it were coughing and sputtering, when it it is placed in reverse it is even worse and has even stalled. If I sit for a couple of minutes in park and rev it up the hesitating /jerking/coughing stops. It also does this when the AC is turned on initially, I have to wait a few minutes.
When I am driving it feels like I am driving against resistance and it is very sluggish. The gear shifts are rough and jerky. Also, the check engine light begins to flash with all the sounds and movements.
Today, just like last week, the check engine light stayed on.
It is usually worse when the car has been sitting for several hours but the sluggish acceleration and rough shifting is always.
They changed the ECM ( the computer) they said it had been misfiring -I guess it is something else.
Also, a lot of VWs at the dealership I use are being brought in b/c the windows are falling down and sticking. My windows are getting tight and squeaking at times. Another person here who has a 1 yr old Jetta had to have the AC replaced.
I thought these cars were supposed to be so reliable. I am very disappointed with my VW experience. My 2000 also had some serious problems... I should've learned my lesson the first time.
It had something to do with some little switch under the break pedal getting stuck.
Now I am dealing with problems on my 2002. I have to laugh to keep from crying when it comes to this car.
I knew I should've gotten a truck.
Meade
you could try searching the internet for your rights regarding repairs in your state.
good luck!!
Because the original problem (engine pinging/sluggish acceleration/low gas mileage) was reported while the vehicle was still under the factory warranty, my dealership, working with Mazda North America, ignored the expiration of that warranty at 50,000 miles and continued working on the problem, at no expense to me, right up until I traded it for another vehicle at over 100,000 miles.
While they never solved the problem, they sure spent a lot of their money trying to find it. Hell, at about 70,000 miles (wayyyy out of warranty), they put me in a loaner car for two weeks so they could take the entire engine out of my truck and inspect, replace and/or remachine nearly everything. I saw that repair order; I would've spent nearly three grand on that job alone -- not counting the two weeks in a rental car.
Like others have said, seek legal advice. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, they should be held responsible for repairing a problem that you reported under warranty. I'll refer you to the following portion of the Magnuson-Moss Act and urge you to pay attention to parts 1 and 4:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/2304.html
Good luck.
Meade
Richmond, VA
Maybe he'll learn from this experience and get his service manager to log all of his complaints in the future. I make sure mine does!
Meade
My uncle says there was a recall on the "02 sensor," and he's had that changed at the dealer. But the "check engine" light keeps coming on, and he's not getting a response from VW about what the problem is. Thanks in advance to anyone who might know.
Does anyone else have a similar problem?
On the 2002+, it's 5 years/60K powertrain no matter what.