Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 INTERIOR OF MY 2004 VW JETTA EMITS A VERY STRONG "CRAYON LIKE" ODOR. BREATHING THIS ODOR FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME MAKES MY THROAT HURT AND CAUSES DISCOMFORT WHEN I INHALE. I WORRY THAT REPEATEDLY INHALING WHATEVER CHEMICAL CAUSES THIS WILL CAUSE PERMANENT RESPIRATORY DAMAGE. *TR
LAST YEAR I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE NIGHT IT WAS COLD OUT SO I TURNED ON MY HEATED SEAT. MY SEAT STARTED TO GET VERY HOT IN AN ISOLATED AREA SO I TURNED IT REMEMBERING THE RECALL I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL. THE RECALL STATED THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE SEAT COULD BE FAULTY AND THE SEAT COULD CATCH FIRE. I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY EXPRESSED TO ME THAT THE RECALL WAS EXPIRED! WHAT HOW COULD SOME THING THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE? WELL AFTER THAT I NO LONGER USED THE SEAT BUT ONE DAY MY SON WHO WANTED THE CAR TO BE WARM FOR HIS MOTHER STARTED IT AND TURNED ON BOTH HEATED SEATS BY THE TIME I WENT OUT TO THE CAR IT WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND A HOLE BURNED THROUGH MY SEAT. ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE IS I GOT A RECALL ON MY SUN ROOF SAYING IT CAUSES THE DRIVERS SIDE BACK AND FRONT FLOOR TO FLOOD. WHEN IT DID I TOOK IT IN TO MY DEALER THEY "FIXED IT", WELL LAST WEEK IT POURED TERRIBLE THE NEXT DAY I WENT OUT TO MY VEHICLE TO FIND 4 INCHES OF WATER ON THE FLOOR OF MY DRIVERS SIDE BACK SEAT. TODAY 09/18/2012 I TOOK IT IN TO MY DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME $100 FOR DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS I HAVE A CHILD AND TO HAVE WATER SIT IN BETWEEN THE METAL OF THE CAR FLOOR AND THE CARPET I AM DISGUSTED!!! IT SMELLS SO BAD I HAD TO SPRINKLE BAKING SODA ON THE FLOOR TO KEEP THE SMELL AT BAY. THE WATER IS STILL SQUISHING BETWEEN THE CARPET AND THE METAL AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO STORM AGAIN TODAY!!! I AM COMPLETELY FED UP WITH VOLKSWAGEN! *TR
CAR IS FLOODED AFTER A RAIN; HAD SUNROOF DRAINS CLEANED BY MECHANIC @ $245; DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM; RUGS SMELL OF MILDEW CAUSING RESPIRATORY DISTRESS. THE LAST CONSIDERABLE RAIN STORM WE HAD PRODUCED MEASURABLE WATER BUILDUP. HAD TO USE WET VAC. *TR
LEAKING SUNROOF ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER AREA AROUND CURTAIN AIRBAGS. *TR
THE RIGHT REAR HINGE ON THE TRUNK OF MY 2004 JETTA CRACKED ON A JOINT. THIS CAUSED THE TRUNK TO CLOSE IN AN IMBALANCED WAY. I RECENTLY CLOSED MY TRUNK AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TRUNK LID MADE CONTACT WITH THE BACK LIGHT (REAR WINDSHIELD) GLASS AND SHATTERED THE GLASS COMPLETELY. THE GLASS FELL INTO THE CAR CREATING A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. WHEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL VW DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT GETTING THE HINGE FIXED, THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON VW JETTA AND PASSATS AND THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS SIMILAR FAILURES. I ALSO CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY (GEICO) AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING, THAT THEY HAD AN UNUSUAL NUMBER OF CLAIMS FROM VW OWNERS OF SHATTERED BACK LIGHTS (REAR WINDSHIELD) AFTER THE TRUNK LID WAS CLOSED BY THE OWNER. IF MY KIDS WERE SITTING IN THE REAR SEAT, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SHATTERED WITH GLASS. BECAUSE MY CAR HAS OVER 50,000 MILES I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. I CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS BASICALLY GIVEN THE RUN AROUND. I SAID THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT A MILEAGE BASED ISSUE AND THEY SHOULD FIX MY CAR, BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED. *TR
COMPONENT: STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS METAL PROTECTOR STRIP (MOLDING) ON REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR BECAME UNGLUED. WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED, THE STRIP SCRAPED THE FRONT DOOR, DAMAGING PAINT ON FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, AND THE STRIP BECAME BENT. THE METAL STRIP ON THE OTHER REAR DOOR ALSO BECAME UNGLUED, BUT FORTUNATELY IT OCCURRED AT THE REAR END, THEREFORE HAS NOT SCRAPED THE FRONT DOOR. VOLKSWAGEN DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY, CLAIMING THAT THE STRIP BECAME UNGLUED DUE TO "OUTSIDE INFLUENCES, SUCH AS WASHING THE CAR. *AK
I OWN A 2004 VW JETTA GLS. MY MOM OPENED THE DOOR TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, AND THE CORNER OF THE DOOR HIT HER IN THE CHEEKBONE, JUST BELOW HER EYE. IT BRUISED & SWELLED IMMEDIATELY, AND HAS STAYED THAT WAY FOR ALMOST A WEEK NOW. SHE WENT TO THE DOCTOR TO GET HER EYE CHECKED JUST IN CASE, AND HE FOUND A PAINT CHIP IN HER EYE! VW SHOULD EITHER ROUND THE EDGES OF THE DOOR, OR PUT RUBBER STRIPS ON IT, LIKE LEXUS AND HONDA DO. I HAVE ALSO HIT MYSELF WITH THE DOOR TWICE, BUT DID NOT GET BRUISES. MAYBE WE ARE UNCOORDINATED OR ACCIDENT PRONE, BUT WE ARE ALSO 5FT 1 IN, WHICH MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LOCATION OF THE INJURY. THANK YOU. *TR
CHROME PROTECTOR STRIP ON REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR BECAME UNGLUED. WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED, THE CHROME STRIP WAS BENT, AND DAMAGED PAINT ON PASSENGER DOOR.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .