2001 Volkswagen Golf Visibility Problems

A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL IN CABIN WAS NOTED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. UPON EXITING THE HIGHWAY, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE HVAC CONTROL PANEL. RECIRCULATION FAN WAS SWITCHED FROM HIGH SPEED SETTING TO OFF. THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY, UNTIL ALL DC POWER WAS REMOVED FROM THE CAR. MAINTENANCE FOUND THE HVAC CONTROLLER, ROTATORY FAN SPEED SWITCH TO HAVE MELTED IN THE OFF POSITION DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE ELECTRICAL ARCHING IN SIDE THE SWITCH. DAMAGED LIMITED TO THE HVAC CONTROL PANEL P/N 1J0 820 045F MANUFACTURED BY VALEO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10356703

Incident

Sep 18, 2010

Mileage

195,050 mi

2001 VW GOLF WITH 192285 MI EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO SYSTEMS THAT ARE MOUNTED ON THE REAR HATCH BACK DOOR, (THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, REAR DEFROSTERS, AND WIPER). UPON INSPECTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS FOUND THE WIRING CHAFFED AND OR BROKEN AT POINT WHERE THE HARNESS PASSES THROUGH THE HARNESS SHIELD. (WHERE THE HARNESS PASSES FROM THE CAR BODY TO THE LIFT GATE) *TR

NHTSA ID

10344990

Incident

Jul 20, 2010

Mileage

192,285 mi

I HAVE A 2001 VW GOLF GLS. ONE DAY MY CAR'S TRUCK DOOR CAN NOT BE LOCKED, I TOOK IT TO VW DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. INITIALLY I THOUGH IT WAS JUST SOME WIRING PROBLEM, BUT AFTER THE CERTIFIED VW TECHNICIAN CHECKED EVERY POSSIBLE THINGS THAT CAUSED THE TRUCK LOCK MALFUNCTION, IT WAS SO CALLED "COMFORT CONTROL MODULE" NOT SENDING SIGNAL AND ELECTRICITY TO THE TRUCK LOCK. NO BIG DEAL, IT'S JUST A TRUCK LOCK, NO NEED TO WORRY, SO I REFUSED THE $900 ESTIMATED REPAIR AMOUNT FOR A NEW COMFORT CONTROL MODULE (CCM) REPLACEMENT. THE VW TECHNICIAN FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS OK NOT TO REPLACE IT IF IT IS JUST THE TRUCK LOCK MALFUNCTION, BUT IF ANYTHING THAT IS ACTING FUNNY SUCH AS WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT MOVING, DOORS LOCK BY ITSELF, POWER WINDOWS CAN NOT ROLL DOWN, OR DASHBOARD LIGHT GOING ON AND OFF BY ITSELF, THEN IT IS IMPORTANT TO REPLACE IT. NO MAJOR PROBLEM FOR A YEAR, THEN SUDDENLY DRIVING IN THE RAIN AT NIGHT, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTION, THEY WILL NOT MOVE AT ALL. I CAN BARELY SEE WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME IN HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAY IN THE RAIN. I TRIED TO OPEN THE WINDOWS SO I CAN SEE BETTER SO THAT I CAN PULL OVER SAFELY. I TRIED TO LOWER THE WINDOWS , BUT THE WINDOWS DIDN'T COME DOWN. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER BY GUESSING, LUCKILY NO CAR WAS BEHIND ME OR NEXT TO ME. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG OR WHAT OBSTRUCTING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I FOUND NOTHING, IT JUST SIMPLY STOP WORKING ALONG WITH MY POWER WINDOWS. I WENT TO THE DEALER AFTER THE RAIN AND AGAIN THEY WERE CAUSED BY THE MALFUNCTION CCM. SINCE IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE A CAR WITHOUT A PAIR OF FUNCTIONAL WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WINDOWS, I WAS RECOMMENDED TO HAVE THE CCM REPLACED. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY VW OWNERS HAVE SOME SIMILAR CCM COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS AND I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THE CCM IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN, THIS IS WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO SEE IF IT CAN MINIMIZE THE DANGER AND SAFETY. THANK YOU FOR READING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10300336

Incident

Dec 20, 2009

Mileage

72,000 mi

WINDOW REGULATOR MADE OF PLASTIC CLIP IS KNOWN TO BREAK AND VW EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS. HOWEVER, THEY ONLY SPECIFIED FOR AUTOMATIC WINDOW, WHEN BOTH USES SAME PLASTIC REGULATOR CLIP THAT IS DEFECTIVE ON BOTH AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL. WHEN I CONTACTED VW DEALER HQ, THEY BOTH DENIED ON WARRANTY. HQ STATED THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, THEY WILL NOT COVER MANUAL WINDOW REGULATOR, EVEN THOUGH THEY USE SAME DEFECTIVE PLASTIC CLIP. *JB

NHTSA ID

10136012

Incident

Sep 9, 2005

I PURCHASED THIS CAR BACK IN THE FALL OF 2001. IT WAS A "DEMO" CAR AND ONLY HAD 7000 MILES ON IT. THE NEXT SUMMER MY BACK DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NO LONGER WORK. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS WINDOW TO NOT WORK. IT WAS NOT DAMAGED BY ANYONE. MY WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT SO I DIDN'T BOTHER TO CALL THE DEALER. I'M NOW LEARNING THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS AND HAVE BEEN HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR WINDOWS. THE DEALER DOESN'T WANT TO FIX IT FOR FREE AND I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE HOT-LINE FOR VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE EITHER. THEY BOTH ADMITTED TO ME THAT YES THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOWS ON MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES.....UPDATED 07/23/15 *BF

NHTSA ID

10127857

Incident

Aug 20, 2002

NICE DAY, HAD WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN. WAS ABOUT TO GET ONTO THE HIGHWAY SO I HIT THE WINDOW UP SWITCH AND THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW SLAMMED INTO THE DOOR. OBVIOUSLY CAME OFF TRACK, TAKING TO THE DEALER TODAY TO SEE IF WINDOW SMASHED AS WELL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116523

Incident

Apr 5, 2005

MY REAR PASSENGER WIDOW WILL NOT ROLL DOWN BECAUSE OF A FAULTY WINDOW REGULATOR. VW KNOWS THE PROBLEM EXISTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE FRONT WINDOW REGULATORS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR DESING USING PLASTIC WINDOW CLIPS. *JB I HAVE CHILDREN THAT TRAVEL IN THE CAR FREQUENTLY AND IF WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE CAR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I REALIZE THAT THE GTI VERSION OF MY CAR DOESN'T HAVE WINDOWS THAT ROLL DOWN IN THE BACK BUT I DIDN'T BUY THAT CAR BECAUSE I HAVE KIDS THAT NEED TO RIDE IN THE CAR. THEREFORE I NEED WINDOWS THAT ROLL DOWN TOO. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VW DEALER BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT UNDER THE EXTENDED SERVICE THING THAT THE FRONT WINDOW ARE FIXXED UNDER. AFTER THEY TOOK THE CAR, THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT IT DOESN'T COVER THE REAR WINDOWS. SO, I DECLINED GETTING IT FIXXED BY THEM AND WILL REPAIR IT MYSELF. THE PART COSTS $120 FOR THE REAR WINDOWS. THE FRONT WINDOW HAVE A REPAIR KIT THAT SELLS FOR ABOUT $20 (IT JUST REPLACES THE FAULTY PART, NOT THE WHOLE UNIT AS THE REAR WINDOWS DO). AT A MINIMUM THEY SHOULD SELL A REPAIR KIT FOR THE REAR WINDOWS.

NHTSA ID

10100320

Incident

Oct 29, 2004

Mileage

44,000 mi

DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW "EXPLODED" WHILE PARKED - TOTALLY FRACTURED AND A SECTION "BLOWN OUT" WITH THE GLASS ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10064142

Incident

Mar 25, 2004

Mileage

30,000 mi

PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FELL OFF ITS TRACK ON TWO OCCAISIONS. RENDERS WINDOW TOTALLY INOPERATIVE. FAILURE FIRST OCCURED AROUND 40000 MILES AND THEN AT 50000. *AK

NHTSA ID

10058435

Incident

Feb 17, 2001

Mileage

40,000 mi

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

766653

Incident

Sep 26, 2001

CONSUMER STATES THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOISY.*YH

NHTSA ID

562822

Incident

Jul 16, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

747721

Incident

Jul 1, 2001

WIFE'S 1999 VOLKSWAGEN GETTA ALSO HAD A WINDOW REGULATOR FAIL AND THE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

746885

Incident

Jun 14, 2001