Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 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.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
THE WINDOWS IN THE DOORS ARE FALLING DOWN AND NEEDING THE MECHANISM REPLACED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 3 OF THE DOORS SO FAR. HAS THIS BEEN A PROBLEM-WAS THERE EVER A RECALL FOR THIS-THIS SEEMS LIKE A WEIRD THING TO HAVE HAPPEN. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT ROLL THE WINDOW UP OR DOWN, AS WELL AS THE INTERIOR GETTING WET FROM THE WEATHER. THANK YOU. REBECCA *TR
I HAVE 1998 VW JETTA--I PRESENTLY HAVE THREE ELECTRIC WINDOWS WHICH DO NOT GO UP OR DOWN. TWO OF THEM HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT OR NEEDED RECALL. CAUSE OF PROBLEMS IS MOTORS OR REGULATORS. THESE SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY VW. OF ALL THE VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED IN THE PAST 40 YEARS WITH ELECTRIC WINDOWS I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEMS EXCEPT WITH THE VW JETTA. *TR
LIKE OTHERS, I HAVE HAD THE IGNITION COIL REPLACED. THIS HAPPENED AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, OF COURSE. I HAVE ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOWS (REGULATOR AND MOTOR) FOR ALL OF THEM. NOW, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS FLASHING AND THE CAR IS SPUTTERING. I KNOW THE SECONDARY AIR INTAKE VALVE NEEDS REPLACING BUT IT DID NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS. NOW I'M WONDERING IF SOMETHING NEW IS WRONG??? ALSO, I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH LOSING COOLANT AND HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY REPLACE ANTIFREEZE. AFTER FIXING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SMALL LEAK THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WILL NOT PRODUCE COOL AIR! THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND VW SHOULD LOOK INTO ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS. *JB
I BOUGHT A USED 1998 VW JETTA FOR MY DAUGHTER. GOOD CAR FUN TO DRIVE BUT ONE DAY AS SHE WAS DRIVING THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. MOST RECENTLY DURING THE SUMMER THE DRIVER'S FRONT WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD STARTLE A DRIVER OR SHATTER THE WINDOW. CURRENTLY SHE HAS THE WINDOW TAPED UP ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND IT HINDERS HER VISIBILITY. VW SAID IT WOULD COST $485 PER DOOR!!!! YOU KNOW THE DRIVER'S REAR DOOR WILL GO SOON AND IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO INVEST ANOTHER CLOSE TO $2000 JUST TO KEEP THE WINDOWS UP! THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT WHEN I CALLED VW THEY THANKED ME FOR BEING A LOYAL VW CUSTOMER AND ASKED ME IF I NAME MY CARS...VW KNOWS THAT THE PLASTIC BOTTOM ON THE REGULATOR FAILS AND THEY REPLACE THEM WITH METAL ONES. THEY SHOULD DO THIS FOR EVERYONE THAT HAS THESE CARS. I BELIEVE IN 2001 THE REGULATORS WITH METAL BOTTOMS ARE OEM. *NM
I PURCHASED A USED 1998 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLX SEVERAL YEARS AGO. WITHIN A YEAR OF PURCHASE, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED TO OPPERATE PROPERLY. I HAD THE REGULATOR REPLACED. A YEAR LATER THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW FAILED. THAT REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. A YEAR LATER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FAILED AGAIN. BEFORE I COULD GET IT FIXED, THE REAR DIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED AS WELL. BOTH REGULATORS ARE BEING REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST OF THESE REPAIRS WILL BE OVER $2000. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM CAN OCCUR MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE SAME VEHICLE. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR VW VEHICLES AND YET NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT IT - BE IT A DESIGN FLAW, MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, ETC. FAILED REGULATORS ARE BOTH A SAFETY AND SECURITY PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT NHTSA TAKES THESE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY AND INVESTIGATES THE PROBLEM. *NM
1998 JETTA GLX. ANOTHER WINDOW REGULATOR DEFAULT. I'M ORIGINAL OWNER, THIRD TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. BACK PASSENGER WINDOW TWICE, NO ONE EVER SITS BACK THERE AND THE WINDOW IS HARDLY EVER USED. SAT. DRIVER'S WINDOW, KER-PLUNK. REALLY ANNOYING, WINDOW DOWN AND IT'S RAINING. HAD TO TAPE THE OPENING CLOSED. I'M PAYING FOR THE REPAIR, I KNOW VW OF AMERICA WILL NOT. BETWEEN THIS ISSUE AND THE BODY MOLDING CONSTANTLY FALLING OFF, I DOUBT I'LL BUY ANOTHER VW.*JB
I HAVE A 1998 VW JETTA GLS. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED A WINDOW REGULATOR AT A COST OF $450, NOW THE REMAINING 3 HAVE FAILED WITHIN A WEEK. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VW AND VW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IT WITH SERVICE BULLETINS,ETC. VW USA CUSTOMER CARE HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR. *JB
THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY SAME VEHICLE, ALL HAPPENED THE SAME WAY. EACH TIME A DIFFERENT WINDOW. THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON WILL START MAKING NOISE WHEN YOU RAISE/LOWER THE WINDOW, THEN THE WINDOW WILL ONLY CLOSE HALF WAY. IF YOU PRESS THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON AGAIN THE WINDOW WILL DROP INTO THE DOOR. IN THE PAST IT HAPPENED TO MY 2 BACK PASSENGER WINDOWS. EACH TIME VW TOLD ME IT WAS THE WINDOW REGULATOR AND IT COST ABOUT $350 TO FIX IT. SINCE THEY ARE BACK PASSENGER WINDOWS THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY COULD JUST PROP THE WINDOW UP WITH A PIECE OF WOOD MUCH CHEAPER. TODAY THE EXACT SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS HAPPENED TO MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, SINCE ITS A DRIVER WINDOW I MOST LIKELY WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT THE $350 TO REPLACE THE FAULTY REGULATOR. LOOKING AT WWW.MYVWLEMON.COM I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH ALL MAKES OF VW YET VW ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR A FAULTY PART.*JB
I HAVE HAD THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED/REPAIRED TWICE BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. THEN I REPLACED IT MYSELF ONCE, AS THE REPAIR COSTS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE. THEN IT BROKE AGAIN AND I DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIX IT, SO I SIMPLY AVOID ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE REGULATOR IS NOW ACTING UP. I'M AFRAID TO ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS AS THEY MAY NOT ROLL BACK UP.
FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS COMPLETLY STOPPED WORKING. STUCK IN "UP" POSITION. TO EXPENSIVE TO FIX.
THE POWER WINDOWS ON MY 1998 VW JETTA III FAILED. I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS OCCASION 4 TIMES SINCE I'VE HAD MY CAR. CURRENTLY BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE POWERS WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN. I HAVE NOT HAD THEM REPAIRED SINCE ITS A VERY EXPENSIVE RAPAIR. I'VE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF 1998 VOLKSWAGON JETTA OWNERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAVE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE VOLKSWAGON DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TYPE OF CAR I HAVE.*AK
WINDOW FAILURE, FALLS INTO DOOR. 1998 VW JETTA. LEAVING A FRIENDS HOME THE DRIVERS REAR WINDOW JUST DROPS INTO THE DOOR. UNABLE TO AFFORD REPAIR WINDOW STILL NON USABLE, WINDOW TIED OFF IN THE UP POSITION. I HAVE READ ITS DUE TO THE PLASTIC CLIPS. I DON'T KNOW BUT WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO PIN PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER DETERMINED THAT THE WIPER SWITCH INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT SWITCH. *AK AN INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE SWITCH. *NM
DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH AND THE RIGHT REAR WINDOWED LOWERED ABRUPTLY AND WOULD NOT RAISE UP. 4 YEAR OLD SON IN CARSEAT WAS NEXT TO WINDOW. HAD TO PULL OFF ON BERM AND CALM HIM DOWN. WINDOW WOULD NOT LIFT UP. SUBSEQUENT VISIT TO DEALER THAT DAY RESULTED IN A CHARGE OF $500 TO REPLACE THE WINDOW REGULATOR. VW DEALER STATED THAT THEY SEE A LOT OF THESE FAILURES IN VW'S. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICL WHEN THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW FELL DOWN. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS EARLIER REAR DRIVER'S WINDOW FELL DOWN.. THE WINDOWS WERE CURRENTLY TAPED UP.*AK
I HAVE ALREADY HAD 3 REGULATORS REPLACED, NOW I NEED ONE MORE REPLACED AND HAVE ANOTHER WINDOW REGULATOR ON IT'S WAY OUT. WINDOW STOPS OPERATING, YOUR LUCKY IF IT STOPS IN THE "UP" POSITION. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL JETTA'S FROM VARIOUS DEALERS / REPAIR FACILITIES.*AK
WE HAVE A 98 JETTA AND IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRIC WINDOW MECHANISMS. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, HOWEVER THEY ONLY REPAIR THE DEFECT ON 99 AND NEWER MODELS. WHY? THE DEALER AGREES THAT IT IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. WE STARTED TO REPLACE THE MECHANISM OURSELVES, HOWEVER THE ONLY REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE WAS THE SAME DEFECTIVE MECHANISM. THE CABLE SAWS THROUGH PARTS WITHIN THE MECHANISM WHICH BINDS THE MOTOR CAUSING IT TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE, OVERHEAT, BLOW FUSES, ETC. WE HAVE TO JUST LEAVE THE WINDOWS UP AND NOT USE THEM AT ALL. WE NOTICED AN IRREGULARITY WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE DEALER TOLD US THAT IT WAS A PROGRAMMABLE CONTROL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LEARN TO USE IT. *LA
THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PAIN IN THE A-- ALMOST SINCE PURCHASE. THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS HAVE INVOLVED WHAT SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE WIRING WITH RESPECT TO THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS. THESE HAVE BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENCE CITED ABOVE,TO THE TUNE OF $250, THE LAST TIME BEING 6 MONTHS AGO. NOW I AM TOLD THAT IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR ASSEMBLY TO THE TUNE OF $650 PARTS AND LABOR! OTHER ASSORTED DOOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. OTHER PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN: DOOR MOLDINGS FALLING OFF (THIS MUST BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH '98 JETTAS, BECAUSE I'VE NOTICED THAT MOST OF THOSE THAT I SEE ON THE ROAD HAVE MISSING MOLDINGS). BOTH FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF EACH OTHER AFTER AN INAPPROPIATELY SHORT USAGE. MUCH LOWER GAS MILEAGE THAT ORIGINALLY PROMISED. MOST OF THESE PROBLEMS STARTED WELL WITHIN WARRANTY.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, CAUSING DRIVER TO HAVE POOR VISIBILITY. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT.*AK
ALL 4 OF MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS HAVE FAILED, 3 OF THEM FALL DOWN AND 1 WILL NOT MOVE.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE WINDOW WENT UP AND DOWN INTERMITTENTLY AND MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. *TT
BOTH REAR WINDOWS FAILED. WINDOW FALLS ON IT'S OWN AND DOES NOT COME BACK UP USING THE POWER CONTROLS. *NLM
TWO OF THE WINDOWS ON MY 98 JETTA HAVE GONE OUT. MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO ALSO DRIVE JETTA'S HAD THEIR WINDOWS GO OUT ALSO. *JB
PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW MOTOR FAILED AT 20,000 MILES AND JUST RECENTLY DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR FAILED BY CABLE IN MOTOR SNAPPING
NO SUMMARY. DT
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.
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