MORE VW BULL!

[[email protected]]

I just want to share my experiences with VW as to prevent others from making the same mistake.
The first 2000 VW Jetta was a lemon. It would stall (brand new at the time) when it was accelerated hard. This was incredibly dangerous when merging onto a highway. After many attempts of the dealership to fix it, and six months of the problem reoccuring. The threat of legal action FINALLY swayed them to give me a new Jetta.
Since then, the front passenger window regulator has broken 3 times! Luckily the dealership has a 1 yr warranty on their parts, so I was only inconvenienced by time. However on the last occasion, I had to wait a week for them to get a regulator in stock.
Earlier this week, I took my car in at 33K miles. Keep in mind I had my 30K maintenance which included brake fluid change, and preventative maintenance. Anyway, I wrote on the paper that my left caliper was sticking. Later that day, I get a call from the dealership saying my bill would be close to 900 dollars!!! They said I needed a new left caliper, and two new front rotors/pads. I was outraged, so I contacted corporate vw for assistance on these defective parts. They refused, and would not let me appeal the case to someone higher, as "the decision has been made". I took my car without the work done, which cost 70 dollars+ since they performed an investigation to see what was wrong with my brakes. I TOLD THEM THAT! So, I started to ask specific questions. What is the total runout on the rotor? What was the actual thickness of the rotor? How was this measured? What was is the VW Spec for allowable thickness. The head guy there would NOT answer any of my questions. What did they do for 70 dollars? My guess is absolutely nothing.
I then took my car to midas. They are putting on two new front calipers, machining the rotors (as they are completely in the allowable range), and 4 new brake pads. All of this will cost me $650 with tax included. This is a MUCH better deal. However, it does not change the fact that VW does not stand behind their product. Midas said they have never heard of calipers going bad at 30K. After the window regulator debacle, I'm not surprised.

DO NOT BUY VW PRODUCTS. THEY ARE OVERPRICED AND POORLY MADE. BE WARNED.

[gbsmallie]

Man that sux. VW just extended the warranty on the window regulators/clips for 3 additional years on all 99 up VWs. Mine broke too, and I sent in the recipt from when I had it fixed and I had a full refund within 4 weeks. Ive personally had no other problems with my 2000 Jetta, but Ive certainly herd of other cases like yours. Guess Ill just cross my fingers.

[j.pickens]

Geez, how much is VW getting for those calipers? For those prices you could probably get some sweet sport compact aftermarket calipers.

[[email protected]]

they wanted like 200 for each caliper. I would sell your vw before you are stuck with "surprise" bills. I will sell it this summer when the engine sounds better. Sounds like 100k miles are on it when its cold out.

[ChrisM181]

Sounds like you should learn how to do your own brakes! It is your own damn fault that you have to pay some jackass at Midas to do your brakes, not VWs. Yes the caliper might have went bad but, if you can't change a caliper I don't care what kind of car you drive you are in for a long and expensive trip my friend!

[[email protected]]

Chris,

Get a life. My time is worth more than 30 bucks an hour.

[learnedfool@subdimension.]

We've had a TDI Golf for a year now and despite being nearly totalled by a stupid towtruck driver it runs like a beaut. That little (by current standards) 90hp can sure make that thing fly, and the suspension makes the ride feel real nice, not like in those mushy toyotas. I'd swear by VW products, both new and air-cooled!

[nik]

That's funny that this happened. I just replaced my tranny and nearly every other part on my 97 jetta. My buddy has a 2001 and has replaced the tranny twice and he has about 35000 miles(including all the other repairs that he has done). I bought my jetta because I was tired of putting so much money into my 74 bus all the time. I thought the jetta would save me money. Boy was I wrong. Now I am putting just as much money into this jetta as I was the bus but on top of it, I now I have a car payment. So now when I purchase other vw's I expect this kind of thing. Maybe it's just my luck but it seems to go hand in hand for me.
nik

[[email protected]]

I used to swear by jettas. Even after the window regulator broke three times. I learned the hard way. All you vw supporters will learn too eventually. Just a little update: I got the measurements of my rotors at midas, and they were completely within spec after being machined. VW service would not tell me the measurements, and just repeated that I needed new rotors. They lied.

Rich

[ChrisM181]

nik, I have never heard of such things in my entire VW owning life. Your friend has had his tranny replaced twice? Are you forgeting to tell us about the part where you and your friend drop the clutch at high rpm and bangs gears while drag racing or the part where you guys just can't drive a stick or something?
I will believe that some window regulaters have junked out, but trannys just going bunk for no reason I find a little hard to swallow.

[[email protected]]

chris,

Go to www.mylemon.com and look at all of the vw complaints. These aren't isolated events. Do a google search for vw window regulator. If you have a vw, better get out soon before its too late.

Rich

[UZI]

i was away on a holiday weekend when my rear pads went at 30k miles. by the time i got home the rotors were bad. i had to buy new rear rotors and was told that the rotors cant be cut. my latest problem is the headlight bulbs keep needing to be replaced. $15 each. no biggie but i'm on my third one now with 33k miles and two tickets later!

[[email protected]]

Turns out VW LIES. My rotors are within the allowable thickness. Dishonest and CRAPPY!

[UZI]

i just called 1.800.822.VWUS and spoke to a highly trained professional who allowed me to voice my concerns uninterrupted about the headlights. she told me to have the dealer fix it and it would have a 12mo.12kmi warranty. fine. i'll make an appointment for 2 weeks from now, take it in get to work at noon to have them fix a $15 dollar part and change $40 in labor. or do i go to the local auto parts store and spend $11 and do it myself in 10 minutes? i have far better things to do with my time.

[[email protected]]

Didn't your mother ever tell you?
Dealerships are just out to rip you off no matter what company you're dealing with. The prices for parts is always inflated and labor charges are always through the roof and nine times out of ten they are lying because it will get the worker a better commission. So don't go to the dealer unless you're getting some warranty work done or unless you're personal friends with the owner or mechanic, go somewhere else or do it yourself. If you are going to take it somewhere find a mechanic that you know and trust. You know, those lemon.com sites don't have all the people that are happy with their Volkswagens and I think they give a somewhat skewed perspective. As for lemons, well they are just part of the mass manufacture package. If you don't like VW's then don't by them, that will just leave more for the rest of us. I hope you have better experiences elsewhere. (why don't you try over at Rolls-Royce) Happy hunting!

[[email protected]]

Find a good independent German mechanic. We owned a '80 Rabbit (just sold it) and currently own a '99 Golf and '02 Passat, plus '68 Beetle. The Beetle is my baby, but the Passat goes to the dealer for the warranty period maintenance, however the brakes will be done at my independent German mechanic and the Golf gets all work done there as well (I'm an air-cooled do-it-yourself mechanic, so I don't touch much on the water-cooleds).

Go to vwvortex.com and you'll find out about the VW dealer ripoffs. I am fortunate that I have a good dealer in my city in Canada, but there are a few in the USA as well. Try the vwvortex.com forums and ask for references. Good luck!

[ChrisM181]

richardackerman said "If you have a vw, better get out soon before its too late."
My Dad has a 2002 Jetta TDI GLS and he informed me that the warrenty has been extended and the problem has been resolved on current models. And trust me it is going to take a lot more than a window regulator for me to curl up into a ball and cry!
My family has been driving VWs for almost 50 years now, and none of us have encountered such problems as you and the other guys. I personally owned a 1984 Jetta that had over 260,000 miles on it when I sold it. My sister currently drives a 1992 Jetta with over 250,000 miles on it and both of those had the original drivetrain. But those are low mileage examples, my 80 year old Grandfather drives a 84 Rabbit with over 350,000 miles on it. None of these have ever been to Midas.

[nik]

Chris
He drives an AUTOMATIC.

[[email protected]]

Correction, I drive a lemon. And prior to this lemon, I drove another lemon that VW actually replaced after 6 months of fighting. It is more than the brakes and the annoying plastic window regulator. It is the chinsy parts. The unnacceptable electrical problems. The yellow goop that collects on the door jam of 2000 jettas. The accesive engine vibration at 30,000 miles. The tapping from the valve lifter that mysteriously is inaudible to the vw mechanics (when the find out its covered by warranty). Its the fabric that grips on to every lint fiber for dear life. Its the rattling from the doors and the dash. Its that annoying oxygen sensor. (On newer jettas, it the ignition coils). My friend has a 2001 jetta, and they wouldn't do the recall unless the part went bad first. UNREAL. I know I'm forgetting stuff. I'm not surprised most people have to wait to get the parts they need. The list goes on. I believe the jetta's produced in mexico are plagued with problems due to an escape from quality control at that facility. They produced 200,000 more jettas than planned. Obviously I got one of them.

Rich

[ChrisM181]

The only problem on your list that My Dad has had with his Jetta is that the fabric does in fact grip on to every lint fiber for dear life!!
Hopefully he will not have any of the other problems!