1997 Volkswagen Golf Problems & Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT BRINGING A FRIEND HOME AND AS I WAS APPROACHING AN OFF RAMP, I FELT SOMETHING BURNING ON MY LEGS. I LOOKED DOWN TO TRY TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND WHEN I LOOKED UP, MY WINDSHIELD WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN FOG. THANKFULLY THERE WAS A SHOULDER ON THE EXIT, SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND DID SOME INVESTIGATING. THERE WAS A SMALL STREAM OF COOLANT COMING DOWN FROM BEHIND MY DASH, AND ONTO THE FLOOR. IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE BUT, I HAD TO CALL ANOTHER FRIEND AND COME GET US AT 12:30AM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING ONLINE AND SEARCHED FOR RECALLS, AND I FOUND THAT THE MARK 2 JETTAS AND GOLFS HAD A HEATER CORE RECALL. I DID SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATING AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MARK 2 HEATERCORES AND THE MARK 3 HEATERCORES HAVE THE SAME PART NUMBER - SO WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THE MARK 3'S? THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ONLINE AND ON A FORUM CALLED VWVORTEX.COM WHERE THERE IS AT LEAST 40+ REPORTED ISSUES IN THAT SMALL COMMUNITY ALONE. (HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=1593587&PAGE=9). *TR

AIR CONDITIONING IS LEAKING CONDENSATION INTO THE CAR, FOGGING UP FRONT WINDOW AND COMPROMISING VISIBILITY. FLOORBOARD IS SOAKED WITH WATER, CLOUDING WINDOWS. *NM

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT WHEN NEEDED INTO HIGHER GEARS, AND SOMETIMES FALLS OUT OF THE PROPER GEAR AND INTO A LOWER GEAR WHEN IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO, CAUSING ENGINE TO REV WAY TOO HIGH WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. CAR DOES NOT RUN PROPERLY AS A RESULT, AND I CAN'T REALLY DRIVE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED. I TRIED TO HAVE VOLKSWAGON FIX THE KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT THEY REFUSED. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE SHIFTING. DRIVER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE HOUSING SHAFT. *AK

WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER NOTICED FOUR DOORS' MOLDING SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER GLUED MOLDING ON TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WHEN THE ENGINE IS "COLD" THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR PROPERLY. IT USUALLY GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS, IF YOU STEP ON THE GAS AT THE TIME BETWEEN GEARS THE CAR WILL BUCK VIOLENTLY AS IT SHIFTS. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS HAPPEND MANY TIMES I WILL LIST THE DATE IT HAPPENED LAST. *AK

AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTIONED IN COLD TEMPERATURES. DOOR KNOB POPPED UP, BUT THE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY OR MANUALLY. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER WAS TRAPPED IN OR LOCKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK

COMPLAINT FM ELLEN O'BRIEN LEASED / PURCHASED A VOLKSWAGEN (VW) JETTA 4 DR VEHICLE... ES10003874 RESPONDED TO THIS LETTER..... THE VEHICLE MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS CUPPING. THE NOISE CAME BACK TWO WEEKS LATER AND THEN THE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH CONTINUES TO SEND START SIGNALS TO THE STARTER AFTER THE CAR HAS ALREADY STARTED. THE CAR IS A 97 VW PASSAT VR6. THIS CHOICE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE MODEL TYPE LISTING.

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH MY 97 JETTA SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 1999. IT BEGAN WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN 2000 WHEN THE CAR HAD ONLY 35,000 MILES. THE DEALER IN NAPA REBUILT MY TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE THEN, MY GEARS HAVE SEEMED UNUSUALLY STIFF AND TIGHT. ONLY 3 MONTHS LATER, MY IGNITION FAILED AND THE DEALER IN NAPA REPLACED THAT. THIS PAST SUMMER (2002) I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ONE OF MY AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. IT WAS GETTING STUCK AND LATER FELL INTO THE DOOR WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE IT WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY. WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH TWO OF THE OTHER WINDOWS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE 3 OF THE 4 REGULATORS/LIFTS. THIS COST ME QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AS THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR IS GONE. OVER THIS CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CLUTCH/GEAR BOX/ TRANSMISSION AGAIN. I AM TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALER TOMORROW FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK (12/30/02). NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MY VW JETTA. THIS IS THE FIRST CAR THAT I HAVE PURCHASED AND HOPED IT WOULD BE A GREAT STARTER. I WILL NEVER BUY A VW AGAIN. SCC ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****770794

FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

AIRBAGS IN THE CAR DEPLOYED CAUSING ME TO HIT A CURB MORE THAN ONCE DESSIMATING MY PASSENGER SIDE AND KNOCKING ME THROUGH A LOOP, MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS INVESTIGATING , BUT IM NOT SURE WHAT THE CAN FIND OUT ,I KNOW AUDI(PART OF VW) WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS DEPLOYING BECAUSE OF STATIC CHARGE IN LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS ... THANK YOU . JASON A CULLIGAN. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

AFTER PURCHASE IN 2/1997 ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY BAD IGNITION - IT WAS REPLACED. NOW HAVE TO REPLACE AGAIN B/C ENTIRE IGNITION MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE. BAD WIRING UNDER THE REAR SEATS AND TRUNK CAUSED FUSES TO BLOW OUT REPEATEDLY LEAVING CAR INOPERABLE. THE SIDE MOLDINGS KEEP FALLING OFF.*AK

LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE FOR CHECK UP AND FOUND THAT ALL TIRES HAD CRACKS IN SIDEWALLS THAT MADE TIRES GO FLAT, SIZE 195/60R14, CONSUMER STATES THAT IN 1998 A TIRE BLEWOUT DUE TO SIDEWALL FAILURE. *SLC

THE GOODYEAR EAGLE GA TIRES (195/60R14) EXPERIENCED 2 FAILURES, THE RIGHT REAR SIDEWALL HAD A DEFECTIVE CRACK AND THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING AN ADJUSTMENT FROM ONE OF TIRES THAT WAS PAID FOR AT A PRO-RATED COST. *SLC

THE IGNITION BROKE IN APRIL 2000 & WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. ON 9/1/2000, WHITE, ODORLESS SMOKE CAME FROM LEFT SIDE OF STEERING COLUMN. ON 9/18/2000, BROWN SMELLY SMOKE CAME FROM SAME AREA. CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER KEPT FOR 3 DAYS, COULDN'T FIND PROBLEM, SAID CAR WAS SAFE. ON 9/24/2000, BROWN SMELLY SMOKE CAME FROM STEERING COLUMN ON 3 OCCASIONS. CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER KEPT CAR FIVE DAYS, COULDN'T FIND PROBLEM. THE CAR IS NOW AT ANOTHER REPAIR PLACE. I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I THINK THE PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY CAUSED BY THE IGNITION REPLACEMENT. VERY UNHAPPY WITH DEALER AND VW USA.

WHEN DRIVING AND ACCELERATING THERE IS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. DEALER SAYS PIPE NEEDS TO BE REWELDED OR REPLACED. *AK

EXHAUST DOWN PIPE SHEID OUTSIDE LOOSE BOTTOM & TOP NEED TO BE "RECRIMED" (VW 7/24/00) VW DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT'S A MANAFACTURERS DEFECT BUT MY WARRANTY IS VOID "2 YEARS 24,000 MILES" THE OXYGEN SENSOR/GASKETS/FLEX PIPE ARE ALL EFFECTED TO DO THIS PROBLEM LEADING TO MANIFOLD PROBLEMS ? THE AUTOMOBILE IS 3 YEARS OLD WITH ALL ORIGINAL PARTS. NEW CAR WITH EXHAUST PROBLEMS? THIS PART WAS OF POOR QUALITY ON THE MANAFACTURERS END I FEEL THIS IS A DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY VW. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK BROKE. NLM

I WAS TOLD BY VW THAT THE O2 SENSORS USE TO BE COVERED BY THE EMMISSIONS CONTROLS WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THESE PARTS WERE OF POOR QUALITY AND THAT VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD REIMBURSE ME. MY MECHANIC NOTED THAT O2 SENSOR FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON ON '97 & '98 GOLFS. IF SO, PLEASE CONSIDER INVESTIGATING FOR A RECALL. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURER'S POOR QUALITY. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR HOME IN THE RAIN AND APPARENTLY MY CAR'S ENGINE HYDROLOCKED BY SUCKING IN WATER THROUGH THE AIRBOX. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS DUE TO OUTSIDE THE NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT.

NO SUMMARY

DEALER COMPLICATED ISSUE. REPAIR TECHNICIAN STATED TO SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT CLUTCH CABLE CAUSED PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIRS TO PARTS THAT FALL INTO THE FIELD OF NORMAL MAINTAINENCE. THE REPAIR COST SHOULD BE PRORATED TO THE EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE PART. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT VOLKSWAGEN CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY CLUTCH FAILURE.

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. DASH WARNING LIGHT WENT ON 10/23/98. NO ACCIDENTS, POWER FAILURE, ETC. AIR BAG SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKING. $700 QUOTE FROM DEALER. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

WHEEL LUG:BOLTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE WHEEL TO SEPARATE FROM VEHICLE DUE TO IMPROPER LUG: NUTS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO WHEEL AND VEHICLE. *AK

HORN CAN'T BE LOCATED WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED.

STOVE ON VEHICLE DOES NOT LIGHT AT HIGH ALTITUDES. 1

DRIVER'S SEAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE, THIS CREATES A LOT OF FATIGUE, EVEN ON SHORT TRIPS. *AK