Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 28 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 28, in the owner's own words
MY ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT TO TURN OFF. MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT OFF. I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW COIL PACK AND SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES AND NOW MY CHECK ENGINE HAS CAME BACK ON.PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS CAR.THANKS.GOD BLESS U.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG ABNORMAL ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE REAR INTERIOR SEAT AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
I DROVE THROUGH LITTLE STAGNANT WATER ABOUT 6 TO 8 INCHES ON PERIMETER RD. WEST. AFTER DRIVING THROUGH THE WATER, THE CAR BEGAN RUNNING AND IDLING ROUGHLY. THE CAR EVENTUALLY STALLED ON PERIMETER RD. WEST, IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE BLUE PLAINS TUNNEL SITE. A PASSING DRIVER HONKED AND YELLED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS ON FIRE. WE WITNESSED FLAMES COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
MY CAR SMELLS LIKE GAS SO BAD THAT I GET A HEADACHE. DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG. NO INCIDENT BUT I KNOW MOST VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE GAS SMELL MUST BE TOXIC, SO THIS SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT WOULD NOTICE A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR COMING FROM THE REAR INTERIOR SEAT AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 95,000.
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND EVERY TIME YOU FILL THE GAS TANK UP ALL THE WAY, FUEL SPILLS ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS DIAGNOSED AT THE MECHANIC WHO STATED THE LEAK DETECTION PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED THE VEHICLE DEALER TO OBTAIN THE PUMP IN EARLY AUGUST 2009. THEY DID NOT HAVE ONE IN STOCK SO I PLACED AN ORDER FOR ONE. THE DEALER SAID THEY PUT A RUSH ORDER ON IT; HOWEVER, IT IS NOW DECEMBER 2009, THE PART REMAINS ON BACKORDER ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND I AM UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PUMP FAILURE. WE ARE STILL UNABLE TO FILL THE FUEL TANK WITH GASOLINE POURING OUT ALL OVER THE GROUND. *TR
MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HAS ALWAYS HAD A BURNING CRAYON SMELL AND HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY MY CAR UNTIL I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON DIFFERENT FORUMS ABOUT THE SAME THING. THE MAIN CONCERN IS IF THIS SMELL IS TOXIC. ON DAYS THAT THE SMELL IS WORSE I TEND TO GET A HEADACHE. PLEASE HELP. *TR
SMELL OF GASOLINE INSIDE VEHICLE FOR 2-3 DAYS. NOTICED GAS MILEAGE WAS EXTREMELY BAD - HAD TRAVELED 100 MILES AND USED 1/2 TANK OF GAS. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. DEALER STATED FUEL LINE WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED, FUEL PUMP TO SENDING UNIT - GAS LEAKED INTO CAR'S TRUNK & REAR SEAT CARPETS. DEALER REPLACED FUEL PUMP, FILTER AND CLEANED CARPET - TOTAL CHARGE OF JUST OVER $1300. REQUESTED OLD PARTS BUT DEALER CLAIMED THEY WERE THROWN AWAY. *TR
2001 VW JETTA. ENGINE TUNE UP (REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, SPECIFICALLY) AT 77K; ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF AND IS IDENTIFIED AS MAF SENSOR. WARRANTY EXTENDED THROUGH DEALER TO 70K. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE OPTIMUM FUEL EFFICIENCY WITHOUT PROPERLY FUNCTIONING SENSOR. SENSOR WAS CLEANED AT INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WORKED FOR 4 DAYS, LIGHT WENT OFF AGAIN. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED RATHER THAN JUST HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY!! IT'S EXPENSIVE!*JB
I OWN A 2001 VW JETTA WITH THE 1.9L TDI DIESEL ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE IS MAINTAINED BY MY LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP. DURING COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS BELOW 30 DEGREES F MY VEHICLE WOULD STOP RUNNING STRANDING ME AT NIGHT IN LOCATIONS WITH LITTLE ROAD TRAFFIC OR CELL PHONE SERVICE. THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES REQUIRING THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. EACH TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS THAWED IN THEIR SHOP AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH "IMPROPERLY TREATED DIESEL FUEL". I METICULOUSLY PUT IN THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF VW ANTI-GEL ADDITIVE TO ALL TANK FULLS OF FUEL. I ALSO CONSISTENTLY PURCHASE MY DIESEL FUEL FROM THE SAME HIGH VOLUME SUPPLIER WHO HAS NUMEROUS FLEET ACCOUNTS. I HAD BEGUN TO TRIPLE DOSE THE DIESEL FUEL ADDITIVE IN ATTEMPTS TO AVOID THIS SITUATION. AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES OF BEING STRANDED IN SINGLE DIGIT CONDITIONS AND HAVING THE SAME SITUATION OCCUR I CHECKED A TDI OWNERS WEBSITE TDICLU.COM IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE FUEL TANK PICK UP WHICH HAS A RESTRICTION THAT ONLY SURFACES WHEN THE FUEL THICKENS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THE FUEL PICKUP/SENDING UNIT COMES IN A C, D, AND AN H MODEL. MY VEHICLE HAD THE C MODEL. APPARENTLY VW OF CANADA IS AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND WITHOUT QUESTION OR CHARGE WOULD REPLACE THEIR CUSTOMERS CARS WITH THE H MODEL. I PURCHASED THE H MODEL PICKUP/SENDER AND REPLACED IT MYSELF AND THE PROBLEM HAS DISAPPEARED. TO DATE I HAVE INCURRED MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOWING AND REPAIR CHARGES FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT IS CLEARLY A VW DESIGN FLAW AND ONE THAT IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY VW OF CANADA. *NM
I OWN A 2001 VW JETTA TDI (DIESEL). I TOOK MY CAR TO THE WEST BROAD VOLKSWAGEN, RICHMOND, VA ON 10/22/04, CONCERNING THE FACT THAT MY CAR WOULD NOT START AND THAT IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS NOT RECEIVING ANY FUEL. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR IS STEADILY LOOSING ITS ABILITY TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC. NOT ONLY WAS I CHARGED $69.95 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, BUT I WAS THEN TOLD THE INTAKE WAS FULL OF CARBON AND THAT IT WOULD COST $978.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM! ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR DIED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AS I WAS TRYING TO GET ON TO THE HIGHWAY. AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF, I VEERED OFF OF THE ROAD TO KEEP FROM BEING KILLED! WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WASN'T GETTING FUEL. I WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, BROWNS VOLKSWAGEN, MIDLOTHIAN VA. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR 2 DAYS, TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED AND WHEN I GOT THERE THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. WHILE I WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP LOOSING MY MIND, THEY DID SOMETHING TO MY CAR AND IT MYSTERIOUSLY STARTED. I NEVER RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION FOR WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR, NOR DID I GET A RECEIPT DOCUMENTING WHAT HAPPENED. I DIDNT KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT THIS PROBLEM WAS ALREADY IN THE MAKING...THANK GOD FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE!*AK
MY SPEEDOMETER STARTED BOUNCING UP AND DOWN. ONE SECOND IT WOULD REGISTER 25MPH THE NEXT IT WOULD REGISTER 100MPH. IT WOULD DO THAT FREQUENTLY. THE FUEL GAUGE ACTED FUNNY AS WELL. IT WOULD MOVE LEFT AND RIGHT. FINALLY THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THE FUEL GAUGE WORKS OK NOW. I HAVE READ ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE COOLANT MIGRATION SYSTEM IS FAULTY. THE COOLANT BOTTLE LEAKS FLUID ONTO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WHICH IN TURN ACTS AS A VACUUM AND THE COOLANT MAKES ITS WAY ALL THE WAY TO THE ECM. AFTER IT REACHES THE ECM IT MAKES ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ACT FUNNY. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS CONSIDERING IT MAY BE THE CAUSE OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WHICH I HAVE HEARD. MY WIRING HARNESS ON MY COOLANT DOES HAVE COOLANT ON IT. WHICH HAS STOPPED MY SPEEDOMETER. THANKFULLY MY AIRBAGS HAVEN'T BLOWN(YET). PLEASE CONSIDER THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ~CHAD~*AK
I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGON JETTA WITH 50000, VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN IN SERVICE FOR 31 MONTHS. IT HAS A CRACKED HARNESS VW PART # 06A-971-627-MF THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, PART ALONE COSTS $465.00 VOLKSWAGON IS SEEING MORE OF THESE SHOW UP, BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO ISSUE A BULLITEN NOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT VW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND ARE GOING TO ISSUE A BULLETIN. BUT UNTIL THEY DO, I HAVE TO FRONT OVER $500 TO FIX THE DEFECT AND WAIT TILL THEY ISSUE THE BULLETIN TO GET MY MONEY BACK. THAT IS THE SAME WAY THAT VW HANDLES ALL THE OTHER DEFECTS, I HAD TO DO THE SAME PROCESS WITH THE IGNITION COIL RE-CALL. IT IS NOT FAIR HOW THEY TREAT CUSTOMERS ONCE THEY CROSS THE 24000 MILE THRESEHOLD. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS!*AK
PURCHASED A 2001 JETTA TDI IN SEPT OF 2003 WITH 52000 KM'S. AT 64,000 KM CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. CAR WAS DUE FOR 64,000 KM SERVICE ANYWAY. GLOW PLUG BUS BAR NEED REPLACEMENT. NOT ENOUGH, OR NO CURRENT GETTING TO GLOW PLUGS TO WARM THEM FOR THE CAR TO START. THREE WEEKS AFTER 64,000KM SERVICE, PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, CHECK OIL LIGHT FLASHES, BELL GOES OFF, GLOW PLUG LIGHT FLASHES, VEHICLE FEELS SLUGGISH WITH NO POWER. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR NEEDED REPLACEMENT (UNDER WARRENTY, $467). REPLACED NEEDLE SENSOR/INJECTOR ASSEMBLY, REPLACED FAULTY BREAK LIGHT SWITCH, TRACED AND REPAIRED WIRIING SENSOR. COST $671. IN THREE WEEKS SPENT $1250 ON SERVICE AND REPAIRS ON A THREE YEAR OLD CAR.*AK
DIESEL FUEL GELLING IN LOW TEMPS. VW ADMITS TO HAVING NO SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM. ONE OF THE MECHANICS DID ADMIT THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS TOO SMALL. WE HAVE BEEN TOWED IN TWICE LATE AT NIGHT IN DANGEROUS TEMPERATURES. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE HAD A CELL PHONE-8 YEAR OLD BOY ON BOARD ALSO. [email protected] HAD SAME PROBLEM.*AK
MIL LIGHT ON WITH RICH FUEL MIXTURE ODOR FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS REPLACED DRIVER SIDE MIRROR DEFROST NOT WORKING O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN AIR MASS METER REPLACED AGAIN. *AK
I TOOK MY CAR IN TO BE SERVICED FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TURBO PROBLEM, WHICH THE DEALER PROMISED TO COVER. IT TURNS OUT THAT MY INTAKE MANIFOLD AND EGR WERE SO CLOGGED WITH CARBON THAT MY TURBO FAILED. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER SINCE IT WAS NOT THE TURBO ITSELF.
CAR STARTS POORLY. UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND THAT EGR VALVE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD ARE PACKED WITH BLACK, NASTY CARBON BUILD-UP. I REMOVED THE EGR VALVE AND SCRAPED OUT APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-HALF CUPS OF THIS BLACK 'GUNK' FROM THE EGR VALVE AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE INTAKE PORTS LOOK LIKE IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. *CB
INTERIOR CONSOLE PAINT PEELING, FABRIC FADING, ENGINE RATTLE NOISE, WINDOW ACTUATOR FAILURE AND NOISE, THERMASTAT, FUEL DOOR ACTUATOR, SEAT SPRINGS SNAP, BRAKE PAD EXCESSIVE WEAR, A/C RUNS HOT.*AK
LOSS OF POWER IN JETTA WITH TDI ENGINE. I EXPERIENCED SERIOUS LOSS OF POWER IN MY 2001 VW JETTA TDI .. THE LOSS WAS VERY SUDDEN AND RESULTED MADE IT UNSAFE TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS NEWS GROUP POSTINGS ABOUT FAILING MAF SENSORS ON BOTH THE GAS AND DIESIL ENGINES. I VERIFIED THIS BY DISCONNECTING THE MAF AND DRIVING THE CAR. THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN POWER. I THEN HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT OUT WHEN I HAD THE TIMING BELT REPLACED. AT FIRST THE TECH THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CLOGGING UP. HE CLEANED IT, BUT THE POWER LOSS WAS STILL PRESENT. HE THEN DETERMINED THE MAF IS THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED A NEW MAF FOR $250 AND THAT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS PART CAN COST UP TO $400 FROM THE DEALER. THE DEALER CLAIMS THE K&N AIR FILTER I HAD INSTALLED CAUSED THE UNIT TO FAIL. HOWEVER, K&N SAYS IT IS DUE TO A POOR MAF DESIGN. I'VE SINCE GONE BACK TO A PAPER AIR FILTER. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW THAT IF THE PROBLEM IS THE MAF DESIGN, THAT VW OFFERS A BETTER MAF REPLACEMENT.
THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ON MY JETTA TDI WENT BAD. THE CAR HAD 35,000 MILES ON IT WHICH WAS 5,000 PAST WARRENTY. VOLKSWAGEN AGREED TO PAY PART OF THE REPAIR, BUT THE COST TO ME WAS STILL OVER $600.00. THE GLOW PLUGS AND HARNESS TO THE GLOW PLUGS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED AFTER WARRENTY. I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MANY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS ON A "NEW" CAR BEFORE. NOW THE BRAKE SWITCH NEEDS REPLACED BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. REPLACEMENT SWITCH HAS PART NO. VWN 1J0945511D.
LAST WEEK ON 6-20-03 I PULLED OUT ONTO STATE ROAD 2 IN VALPARAISO AND MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD MY 6-YEAR-OLD SON IN THE CAR AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING HIT. THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE. A MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY TURBO DIESEL SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED NEW IN THE 2001 JETTA AND HAD PREVIOUSLY NEVER BEEN INSTALLED IN ANY OTHER VOLKSWAGEN. MY MECHANIC INDICATES THE NEW SYSTEM IS FAULTY AND AS A RESULT, FUEL IS NOT BURNED CLEANLY. THE ENTIRE ENGINE, INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND VALVES ARE CLOGGED WITH CARBON. I HAVE BEEN TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE. MY MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THE SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER 2001 JETTAS AND STATES THAT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO HIM TO BE UNIVERSAL IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL. THIS CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND I OWE $15,000 ON IT. IT ONLY HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S A PROBLEM. I FEAR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED IN THIS CAR IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT IDENTIFIED AND RECTIFIED. *JB
MY FUTURE DAUGHTER IN LAW OWNS A VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WENT TO GAS STATION FOR GAS AND COULD NOT FILL THE TANK. TOOK THE CAR TO VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WHERE THEY ARE CHARGING OVER 800. DOLLARS TO PUT IN A NEW GAS TANK, SINCE THE CAR IS RELATIVELY NEW THIS SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A RECALL. OR AT LEAST UNDER WARRANTY. IF SHE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE LANES WITH NO WAY OF FILLING THAT TANK...CAN YOU RESEARCH THESE GAS TANKS FOR THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE. *NLM
TWICE, VEHICLE HAS STALLED ALMOST CAUSING COLLISION. PH
SOMETHING FLEW UP FROM ROAD AND HIT FUEL LINE AND CUT IT OPEN SO FUEL WAS PUMPING OUT CONTINOUSLY BELOW THE FUEL TANK. ABOUT 2 FEET OF PLASTIC FUEL LINES ARE COMPLETELY EXPOSED ON THE BOTTOM OF CAR JUST FORWARD OF FUEL TANK. THESE LINES SHOULD BE SHIELDED BELOW WITH A METAL OR HARD PLASTIC PLATE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM HAD THE EJECTING FUEL CAUGHT FIRE.*AK
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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