Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH THE SEAT WARMER ACTIVATED. THE SEAT WAS VERY WARM AND I FELT SOMETHING POKING ME. I REACHED BEHIND ME TO SEE WHAT WAS POKING ME AND SOMETHING BURNED MY FINGER. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION AND SAW THAT A HOLE HAD BEEN BURNED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. A HOLE HAD ALSO BEEN BURNED THROUGH MY WINDBREAKER AND HAD STARTED BURNING MY SHIRT.
DRIVETIME-DOWNEY SOLD ME THE ABOVE VEHICLE WITH NO BRAKES, BLOWN AIR COMPRESSOR, AND A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS IS INVESTIGATING THE WARRANTY COMPANY THAT FAILED TO REPAIR THE BRAKES.
SEAT WARMER BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT AND BURNED THROUGH MY CLOTHING TO MY SKIN. I REACHED BACK TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND BURNED MY HAND. I HAD SMELLED SMOKE BUT IT WAS TOO LATE BY THE TIME I FIGURED OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF I HAD BEEN ON A BUSY ROAD WITH MY SON AND IT STARTED A FIRE. I WAS LUCKY I WAS IN OUR SMALL TOWN AND WAS ABLE TO GET PULLED OVER QUICKLY. WHILE THERE SO NO SERIOUS INJURY, THIS COULD HAVE ENDED MUCH WORSE.
THE HEATED SEAT BURNED A HOLE IN THE SEAT. THE INTERIOR OF THE SEAT SOUNDS AND FEELS THAT IT HAS MELTED AND HAS BECOME HARD. THIS IS ON THE SEAT BACK. WE ARE UNSURE WHEN THIS BURNING OCCURRED, BUT HAVE NOTED BELOW WHEN WE NOTICED THIS DAMAGE.
THE DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2009 JETTA WILL NOT LOCK/UNLOCK. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ISSUE WHERE THE DOOR REMAINS LOCKED RANDOMLY, PROHIBITING AN OCCUPANT FROM EXITING THE CAR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THIS ALSO ALLOWS THE DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED WHEN ASSUMING IT HAS BEEN LOCKED, LEADING THE CAR TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO UNWANTED PATRONS! *TR
PASSENGER SIDE, REAR DOOR LOCK DOES NOT WORK. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. *TR
HEATED SEAT MALFUNCTION BURNED THROUGH UPHOLSTERY, MELTED FABRIC AND BURNED THROUGH MY SHIRT. WIRES ARE EXPOSED. *JS
OUR CAR IS DRIVEN BY 2 DRIVERS- I AM 5 FEET TALL, MY HUSBAND IS 6'1". THE CAR SEAT GETS MOVED BACK AND FORTH A LOT AS WE BOTH DRIVE THE CAR DAILY. IN LATE NOVEMBER MY HUSBAND MOVED THE SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK AND IT MADE A CRACKING NOISE. WE LATER NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. HE FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE UNDER THE SEAT AND REPAIRED IT, BUT THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP REVEALED THEY KNEW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE FIX WAS TO "NOT MOVE THE SEAT SO MUCH". THE NEXT WEEK- BEFORE WE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO GET THE LIGHT CLEARED- THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. I REAR ENDED A CAR IN SLOW-AND-GO TRAFFIC WHEN SHE SWITCHED LANES IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING. $15,000 IN DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE CAR BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. A WITNESS THAT STOPPED TO HELP HAD TO PRY THE DOOR OPEN TO GET ME OUT. THE FIGHTER FIGHTERS ALL REMARKED THAT THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. NO AIRBAGS COULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE ISSUE IF THE ACCIDENT WAS WORSE. *TR
THE REAR DOORS ON MY 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI DON'T LOCK - WITH THE LOCK INSIDE THE DOOR OR THE KEY FOB. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AS I DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY EVERYDAY AND ANYONE COULD JUST GET IN MY CAR OR ROB ME. I RESEARCHED IT ONLINE TO TRY AND SOLVE THE ISSUE MYSELF, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A DIFFICULT/EXPENSIVE FIX, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS POSTS ONLINE ABOUT OTHER JETTA TDI'S LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING. VOLKSWAGEN HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES. *TR
LIKE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OTHER OWNERS, THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM IS FAULTY. DOOR INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS WHEN THE LOCK BUTTON IS PRESSED. SOMETIMES THE DOOR WILL LOCK AND REMAIN LOCKED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CAR WITHOUT REPEATEDLY TRYING UP TO 30 TIMES IN SOME INSTANCES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. IF THE DOOR IS LOCKED AND THERE IS AN ACCIDENT, OCCUPANTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE. *TR
SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT AND CHIME COME ON AND OFF RANDOMLY EVEN WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS ENGAGED. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BOTH IN MOTION AND AT A STANDSTILL. *TR
BACK DOORS RANDOMLY LOCK AND WON'T UNLOCK AS WELL AS REMAIN UNLOCKED AND WON'T LOCK. THIS CREATES CONCERN WITH PERSONAL SAFETY WHEN THEY WON'T LOCK (EJECTION IN CAR WRECK, STRANGERS ENTERING CAR) AND WHEN THEY WON'T UNLOCK (ABILITY TO GET OUT OF CAR IN EMERGENCY). THIS BEGAN AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES (TWO YEARS OLD) AND THEN APPEARED TO RESOLVE ONLY TO BEGIN AGAIN AT 50,000 MILES (3 YEARS OLD). DEALERSHIP TELLS ME IT WILL COST $800 TO FIX AND WHEN IT HAPPENS WITH THE FRONT DOORS IT WILL COST $1500 TO FIX THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT ALWAYS LOCK. I FIRST NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS PARKING THE CAR AND THE DOOR DID NOT LOCK. THERE IS NO WAY OF LOCKING THE DOOR MANUALLY AS IN A CAR WITHOUT AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS. PERIODICALLY, THE LOCK FAILS TO ACTUATE WHEN DRIVING (DOORS ARE SUPPOSE TO LOCK AUTOMATICALLY). PRESSING THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO TELL IF THE DOOR LOCKED PROPERLY WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT TAKING MY EYES OFF THE ROAD AND IF THE DOOR DIDN'T LOCK, IT DOESN'T LOCK WITH THE ELECTRIC LOCK/UNLOAD SWITCH. THIS IS NOW HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS. I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ONE MAJOR REASON FOR LOCKING YOUR CAR DOORS IS TO PROTECT PASSENGERS FROM BEING EJECTED FROM THE CAR IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTSWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCKS WERE BROKEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOCKS HAD FRACTURED BEFORE AND WERE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOORS ARE NOT EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEM. UPDATED 04/19/11
PURCHASED A NEW '09 VW JETTA SDN 2.5 L S AND THE SECOND DAY I HAD IT, I HAD TO TAKE TO SERVICE DEPT. THE DOOR SEAL FROM DRIVERS DOOR WAS COMING OFF, THE CAR WOULD SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND I NOTICED AFTER 3RD TRIP ( IN 2 DAYS ) THE REAR BRAKES WERE "GLOWING" RED HOT. THEY SAID THEY COULD FIGURE IT OUT AND SAID IT MAY BE A PLASTIC COATING THEY PUT ON BRAKE PADS TO KEEP RUST FROM BUILDING UP ON THE SHIP OVERSEAS! AFTER THE BRAKES CONSTANTLY SQUEAKING AND HAVING TO TAKE MY NEW CAR IN 2 MORE TIME WITH EVERY EXCUSE KNOWN TO MAN , I WAS MISTAKENLY TOLD IT WAS A DEFECT AND THEY CHANGED THEM AT NO CHARGE. MY BRAKES ARE AGAIN GOING OUT AND IT HAS ONLY BEEN ABOUT 6-9 MONTHS. THE CONCERN IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM AS WELL AS A SEAT BELT INDICATOR WHICH HAS BEEN FAULTY. I HAVE HAD THEM MAKE ME TAKE IT IN 3 TIMES FOR THAT ( FIRST TIME THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN AGAIN ) AND ONE PASSENGER SIDE WAS REPLACED BUT IT IS STILL HAPPENING AND I FEAR THAT THE COMBINED BRAKE AND SEAT BELT/ AIRBAG ISSUES COULD BE DANGEROUS! ALSO TROUBLING IS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK BY ANY MEANS FOR ON 3 OCCASIONS (THE LAST WHICH I CALLED VW SERVICE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AND NEVER GOT A RETURN PHONE CALL) THE LAST TIME IT WAS UNUSABLE DOOR FOR 2 WEEKS THEN JUST STARTED WORKING AGAIN. IT HAS NOT BEEN ATTENDED TO, BUT MY FEAR IS AGAIN, IN A ACCIDENT IF SOMEONE WAS BACK THERE THEY MAY GET TRAPPED IN CAR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE, ALL FOUR DOORS LOCKED WITHOUT INTENTION. THE ENGINE REMAINED ON, AND A CHILD WAS POSITIONED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCESS THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY FOB AND MANUALLY. THE KEY FAILED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. SHE HAD TO BREAK THE PASSENGER WINDOW TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 12,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT HEAD REST COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEAD REST COULD NOT BE MOVED OR REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 2000.
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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