Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 28 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Volkswagen Jetta. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 28 · page 1 of 2
1989 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSUMER WANTS DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DISCONNECTED. CUSTOMER STATES THAT SHE WOULD LIKE THE DRIVERS AIRBAG DISCONNECTED BECAUSE OF SEEING SEVERE INJURIES RESULTING WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *KB
I OWN A 1989 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA, VIN WVW PA01G4KW724572. I HAD A LEAK OF MY HEATER CORE (PER A NON-VW MECHANIC). THE NHTSA WEBSITE REPORTS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF 1989 JET'S FOR THEIR HEATER CORE. I CONTACTED WES GREENWAY'S ALEXANDRIA VOLKSWAGEN TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. I DID SO THROUGH AN ONLINE ARRANGEMENT WITH THE COMPANY, IN WHICH I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SITE, MR. TONY HUYNH, IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL INVOLVING HEATER CORES FOR 1989 JET'S. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD SEEN THAT THERE WAS ONE, THROUGH A WEBSITE, HE CHECKED MY VIN ON HIS COMPUTER AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NO "OPEN RECALL" ON MY SPECIFIC CAR. I WENT TO MY OFFICE AND FOUND THE NHTSA NOTICE AND CALLED MR. HUYNH, SO THAT I COULD LET HIM KNOW THAT I FOUND THE RECALL ON AN OFFICIAL SITE, NOT SOMETHING UNOFFICIAL AS HE HAD SUGGESTED WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP (AT WHICH POINT I COULD NOT RECALL THE WEB SOURCE FOR MY INFORMATION). HE CONTINUED TO DENY THERE WAS A RECALL. IN BOTH INSTANCES, HE SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, AND HE GAVE ME AN 800-NUMBER TO CALL. (INCIDENTALLY, WHEN I WAS AT THE VW DEALER, MR. HUYNH SAID I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FOR AN APPOINTMENT RATHER THAN USING THE WEBSITE. I SUGGESTED TO MR. HUYNH THAT THE WEBSITE SHOULD SAY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD CALL IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A VERY SIMPLE PROBLEM. HE SAID THE WEBSITE INSTRUCTED PEOPLE TO CALL IF THEY HAD COMPLEX PROBLEMS. I WENT BACK TO THE GREENWAY VW WEBSITE AND FOUND NO SUCH INSTRUCTION AND HAVE PRINTED OUT THE RELEVANT WEBPAGES.) THANKS FOR ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUE. *LA
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALL (92V-050000) ON THE HEATER CORE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *NLM THE HEATER CORE PLASTIC NECK CRACKED AND ALLOWED THE HOT COOLANT TO POUR ONTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VOLKSWAGEN STATED THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED, BUT THE PART APPEARED TO BE THE ORIGINAL. *SCC *JB
DOOR HANDLES FELL OFF. CAN'T OPEN DOORS FROM OUTSIDE. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK CONSUMER HAS TO USE ROPE TO TIE THE DOORS SHUT SO HIS CHILDREN WILL BE SECURE. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER TO LUBRICATE HANDLES PER OWNERS MANUAL. THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT STATE WHEN OR WHERE TO LUBRICATE THE HANDLES. DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER VOLKSWAGEN CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS OUTLAWS THIS AS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *JG
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE WAIST BELTS; SHOULDER BELTS ONLY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND MAY BE AGAINST REGULATIONS. THE MANAUFACTURER DISAGREES. *AK
NHTSA RECALL# 92 V 050-000 RECEIVED. APPOINTMENT MADE AND LATER ON WAS INFORMED THAT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED PARTS SERVICE DESK AND REQUESTED THE PART. WAS INFORMED THAT PART WAS AVAILABLE AND READY FOR PICK UP. SEEKING NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL- LAP BELTS WERE TO BE INSTALLED. *AK
THE HEATER CORD IS LEAKING ANTI FREEZE INTO & OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE & THE DRIVER / PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE. *YC
I DO NOT HAVE SPECIFICS ON ANY OF THE 5 RECALLS LISTED BUT WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROCEED. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
CARBON MONOXIDE IN BLOODSTREAM OF DRIVER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
WHEN TEMPERATURE IS 5 DEGREES F OR LOWER (COMMON IN MINNESOTA) THROTTLE WILL STICK OPENLY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN ICY AND RPMSAND APPROACHING REDLINE. NOT A RARE PROBLEM IN MINNESOTA, WHERE IT IS OFTEN COLD, WITH 1988 AND 1989 JETTAS (WITH THE DIGIVOX SYSTEM).TEMPORARY FIX BY DIERCK'S REPAIR (BYRON,MN 507-775-2754). VOLKSWAGEN USA CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE BUT DIERCK'S SEES SEVERAL EACH TIME IT GETS COLD. WHEN ENGINE IS COLD, WARM AIR FROM ENGINE IS BROUGHT INTO THE THROTTLE HOUSING, CAUSING CONDENSATION.WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS, INTAKE SWITCHES TO OUTSIDE AIR, WHICH IS VERY COLD, AND CAUSES THE WATER TO FREEZE, LEADING TO THROTTLE STICKING. TEMPORARY FIX CONSISTS OF DISCONNECTING WARM AIR INTAKE IN COLD WEATHER AND PLUGGING PORTS.HOWEVER, THIS LEADS TO SOME EXHAUST COMING OFF THE ENGINE AND INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. VERY PREDICTABLE PROBLEM AND PREVENTABLE IF VOLKSWAGEN WOULD PROVIDE FIX-IT KIT. DIERCK'S REPAIR IS WILLING TO TALK ABOUT PROBLEM (ASK FOR BARD). SUMMER DRIVING IS FINE. TAKES SOME TIME IN COLD WEATHER TO BUILD UP ENOUGH WATER IN THROTTLE HOUSING. COMBINE ENOUGH CONDENSATION OVER TIME AND THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR (ONLY 1988 AND 1989). AS A SIDE NOTE-VOLKSWAGEN DEALER LOOKED FOR PROBLEM AND COULD NEVER PIN-POINT PROBLEM. THUS I WAS CHARGED FOR MANY USELESS REPAIRS. DIERCK'S KNEW WHAT IT WAS OVER THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY AND EVEN ASKED IF IT WAS AN 88 OR 89 BEFORE I TOLD THEM THE YEAR. THEY ARE AS FRUSTRATED AS I AM THAT SUCH A SIMPLE YET DANGEROUS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY VOLKSWAGEN. I WOULD BE WILLING TO TALK WITH ANYONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'M JUST HAPPY THAT I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND COULD PUT THE CAR OUT OF GEAR AND LET THE ENGINE REV TO CONTROL MY SPEED ON ICY ROADS (THROTTLE HAS STUCK AT 6500 RPMS AT TIMES). *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT VEHICLE IS WITHOUT FRONT LAP BELTS. IT DOES HAVE SHOULDER BELTS. DOES THE MANUFACTURER REQUIRE TO UPDATE SEAT BELTS ACCORDING TO FMVSS FOR THIS VEHICLE? DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
SEAT BELT 2-POINT SYSTEMS FAIL IN CRASHES.
THREE SEAT BELTS ARE BROKEN AND THE TWO FRONT ONES ARE SPLITTING AND WILL SOON BREAK.
VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FRONT LAP SEAT BELTS. ONLY A SHOULDER HARNESS CONNECTED TO THE DOOR IS PROVIDED. *AK
THE VEHICLE HAS NO LAP BELTS AND THE SHOULDER BELTS ARE ATTACHED TO THE DOOR. IF DOOR COMES OPEN DURING CRASH THERE WOULD BE NO SUPPORT. DEALER CAN'T PUT ANY LAP BELTS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT CONTAIN LAP BELTS, POTENTIAL HAZARD.
ANTIFREEZE LEAK.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SD
TOOK CAR IN FOR FUEL RECALL. GOT CAR BACK AND THEY SAID RECALL WAS DONE AND IT WAS NOT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
TOOK CAR IN FOR RECALL WORK ON THE HEATER CORE. THEY RETURNED THE CAR SAYING WORK WAS DONE AND IT WAS NOT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
MFG RECALL HEATER CORE; RECALL NEVER PERFORMED W/INVOICE DOCUMENTING ANOTHER NUMBER AND PROCEDURE. ROY RIOX, WESTBORO MA DOCUMENTED INVOICE. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
SHE HAS HAD THE RECALL LETTER FOR THREE YEARS AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT RESPOND TO HER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE, WAS PARKED FOR 20 MIN. FUEL LINE CAUGHT FIRE. TT
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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