Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Volkswagen Golf submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WITHOUT IT, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY, IF AT ALL, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO EVEN HELP WITH THE OVER $1,000.00 REPAIR COST. (THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS.)
MY SON WAS PARKING HIS CAR AT A STATE PARK AND DRIVING LESS THAN 2 MILES A HOUR WHEN THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SEVERAL PEOPLE HEARD THE LOUD SOUND AND RAN OVER TO SEE IF ANYONE WAS HURT. HIS GIRLFRIEND'S ARM BECAME RED, WITH A RASH AND SWOLLEN. THE SEAT AND HEADLINER ARE NOW DAMAGED, AND IT WOULD COST MORE TO REPLACE THE AIRBAGS, SEAT AND HEADLINER THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THE INSURANCE CO WILL NOT COVER THE COST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. NOW, HE WILL NEED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 107 REPORTED COMPLAINTS REGARDING AIRBAGS FOR 2001-2003 VW GOLF AND JETTA. IF MY SON HAD BEEN DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD OR HIGHWAY, THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT, IF THAT HASN'T ALREADY OCCURRED.
DITTO ON THE "NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10252376". MY 2003 BASE MODEL GOLF'S AIRBAGS WERE TURNED OFF (AIRBAG LIGHT ON), AND THE ISSUE WAS ONE OF THE 3 SENSORS IN THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT LATCH STOPPED WORKING. IT'S BEEN MANY YEARS AGO (I BOUGHT IT NEW), AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT YEAR THAT WAS, BUT I DID CONTACT VW ON THIS, AND BELIEVE I ALSO SENT AN E-MAIL TO BOTH NHTSA & IIHS ON THIS. THIS IS AN INEXCUSABLE DESIGN (GM IS HAVING A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH ITS IGNITION SWITCH & AIRBAGS BEING TURNED OFF). THE SEATBELT LATCH WAS REPLACED, AND HAS BEEN WORKING FINE FOR YEARS NOW. IT CURRENTLY HAS 167,000+ MILES ON IT. IT DOES HAVE SOME POSITIVES. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN REPLACED, AND DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES UNTIL 90,000. THE CLUTCH HAS NEVER BEEN REPLACED, AND STILL WORKS GOOD (EVEN WITH A TON OF STOP-N-GO TRAFFIC). THERE SHOULD BE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT ALL OF THE AIRBAGS ARE ALWAYS ON, NO MATTER WHAT, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, WHETHER OR NOT THE IGNITION IS ON, THE SEATBELTS ARE LATCH, ETC. ALSO, THERE SHOULD BE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT ALL REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS MUST BE BRIGHT ORANGE, NOT RED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. A BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHT STANDS OUT AS A TURN SIGNAL, WHEREAS A BLINKING RED LIGHT COULD BE THE DRIVER TAPPING ON THE BRAKES. NOT EASY TO TELL WHEN YOU CAN ONLY SEE ONE CORNER OF A VEHICLE. *TR
DRIVING LATE AT NIGHT, HIT POTHOLE THAT BADLY DENTED RIGHT FRONT RIM, CAUSED PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY, FILLING CAR WITH SMOKE AND CUTTING OFF IGNITION. CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA TO ADVISE THEM OF INCIDENT. WILL CONTACT INSURANCE, LOCAL VW DEALER AND COLLISION SHOP FOR ANALYSIS THIS WEEK. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 22,400.
2003 VW GOLF GL-I BOUGHT NEW & AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF IT. AND JUST OVER 80,000 MILES, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO DRIVE IT AROUND FOR OVER A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE ANY OF THE VW DEALERSHIPS WOULD SCHEDULE ME AN APPOINTMENT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO CONNECT THEIR HAND-HELD DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO FIND OUT WHAT THE EXACT CAUSE OF TURNING ON THIS LIGHT WAS. (I WENT TO 3 SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS IN 3 DIFFERENT CITIES.) IT TURNED OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE SEATBELT LATCH SENSOR. EVEN THOUGH THE SEATBELT LIGHT TURNED OFF INDICATING IT WAS LATCHED, THE SAME LATCH ALSO DETERMINES INDEPENDENTLY ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ENABLE THE AIRBAGS. I JUST HAD THIS PART REPLACED TODAY-12/20/08-AT A COST OF OVER $430. I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN THE LATCH "THINKS" THE SEATBELT IS NOT CONNECTED, THAT IT DISABLES ALL OF THE 6 AIRBAGS, MAKING THE CAR THAT I THOUGHT I HAD AT LEAST MOST OF THE AIRBAGS STILL FUNCTIONING, COMPLETELY AIRBAG-LESS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE, BY VW'S MANUFACTURE DESIGN TO TURN OFF ALL AIRBAGS BASED ON A SEATBELT LATCH, NOT A MALFUNCTIONING AIRBAG. IF THE LATCH IS GIVING VALID FEED BACK TO TURN OFF THE SEATBELT LIGHT, THEN THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE A SEPARATE CONTACT IN THIS LATCH FOR THE AIRBAGS THAT DISABLES ALL OF THE AIRBAGS. SAFETY PARTS LIKE AIRBAGS SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE EXTENDED MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY LIKE THE SEATBELTS THEMSELVES & THE EMISSION EQUIPMENT LIKE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH IS AROUND 150000 MILES, ISN'T IT? THIS IS AN EXTREMELY POOR & DANGEROUS DESIGN, TO TURN OFF ALL AIRBAGS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. BY THE TIME THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON TO WHEN OWNERS CAN GET IT SERVICED, THE OWNERS UNKNOWINGLY ARE DRIVING IN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT HAD ITS WORKING AIRBAGS COMPLETELY TURNED OFF BECAUSE OF A SEATBELT LATCH SWITCH THAT WAS WORKING WELL ENOUGH TO TELL THE SEATBELT LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD TO TURN OFF. THIS ALONE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO KEEP ALL OF THE WORKING AIRBAGS FUNCTIONING. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE CURTAIN AND SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH NO COLLISION. THIS HAPPENED WHERE A SIDE STREET MEETS A MAIN STREET. HE WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND WAS SUFFERING FROM FREQUENT HEADACHES AND HEARING LOSS IN LEFT EAR. HE HAS TO SEE A SPECIALIST FOR THE HEARING LOSS. THE REAR PASSENGER'S HAND WAS PINCHED BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND AIRBAG. THIS CAUSED SWELLING IN HIS HAND. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. NO CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK
CONSUMER STATED WHEN TOUCHING THE CURB WITH THE TIRES DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY.*AK PE04081.*PO...AK
WHILE PROCEEDING FROM A LIGHT AND MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AT ABOUT 25 MPH CONSUMER HIT A BUMP, AND AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
I HIT A MEDIUM SIZE POTHOLE IN THE ROAD AND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS INFLATED. DEALER SAYS THE MODULE SAYS THE CAR WAS IN DANGER OF TIPPING OVER AND THERE WAS NO MALFUNCTION. MY REAR TIRE WAS DAMAGED AS THERE IS A BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL BUT THERE WAS NO UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE CONSUMER SWERVED TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER VEERED OF THE ROAD INTO AN EMBANKMENT YET THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *NLM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .