1997 Volkswagen Golf

1997 Volkswagen Golf 4-DR.

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

VISIBILITY

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT BRINGING A FRIEND HOME AND AS I WAS APPROACHING AN OFF RAMP, I FELT SOMETHING BURNING ON MY LEGS. I LOOKED DOWN TO TRY TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND WHEN I LOOKED UP, MY WINDSHIELD WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN FOG. THANKFULLY THERE WAS A SHOULDER ON THE EXIT, SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND DID SOME INVESTIGATING. THERE WAS A SMALL STREAM OF COOLANT COMING DOWN FROM BEHIND MY DASH, AND ONTO THE FLOOR. IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE BUT, I HAD TO CALL ANOTHER FRIEND AND COME GET US AT 12:30AM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING ONLINE AND SEARCHED FOR RECALLS, AND I FOUND THAT THE MARK 2 JETTAS AND GOLFS HAD A HEATER CORE RECALL. I DID SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATING AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MARK 2 HEATERCORES AND THE MARK 3 HEATERCORES HAVE THE SAME PART NUMBER - SO WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THE MARK 3'S? THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ONLINE AND ON A FORUM CALLED VWVORTEX.COM WHERE THERE IS AT LEAST 40+ REPORTED ISSUES IN THAT SMALL COMMUNITY ALONE. (HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=1593587&PAGE=9). *TR

EQUIPMENT

AIR CONDITIONING IS LEAKING CONDENSATION INTO THE CAR, FOGGING UP FRONT WINDOW AND COMPROMISING VISIBILITY. FLOORBOARD IS SOAKED WITH WATER, CLOUDING WINDOWS. *NM

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT WHEN NEEDED INTO HIGHER GEARS, AND SOMETIMES FALLS OUT OF THE PROPER GEAR AND INTO A LOWER GEAR WHEN IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO, CAUSING ENGINE TO REV WAY TOO HIGH WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. CAR DOES NOT RUN PROPERLY AS A RESULT, AND I CAN'T REALLY DRIVE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED. I TRIED TO HAVE VOLKSWAGON FIX THE KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT THEY REFUSED. *AK

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE SHIFTING. DRIVER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE HOUSING SHAFT. *AK

STRUCTURE

WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER NOTICED FOUR DOORS' MOLDING SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER GLUED MOLDING ON TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED.*AK

POWER TRAIN

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WHEN THE ENGINE IS "COLD" THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR PROPERLY. IT USUALLY GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS, IF YOU STEP ON THE GAS AT THE TIME BETWEEN GEARS THE CAR WILL BUCK VIOLENTLY AS IT SHIFTS. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS HAPPEND MANY TIMES I WILL LIST THE DATE IT HAPPENED LAST. *AK

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTIONED IN COLD TEMPERATURES. DOOR KNOB POPPED UP, BUT THE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY OR MANUALLY. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER WAS TRAPPED IN OR LOCKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK

SUSPENSION,TIRES

COMPLAINT FM ELLEN O'BRIEN LEASED / PURCHASED A VOLKSWAGEN (VW) JETTA 4 DR VEHICLE... ES10003874 RESPONDED TO THIS LETTER..... THE VEHICLE MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS CUPPING. THE NOISE CAME BACK TWO WEEKS LATER AND THEN THE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

IGNITION SWITCH CONTINUES TO SEND START SIGNALS TO THE STARTER AFTER THE CAR HAS ALREADY STARTED. THE CAR IS A 97 VW PASSAT VR6. THIS CHOICE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE MODEL TYPE LISTING.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH MY 97 JETTA SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 1999. IT BEGAN WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN 2000 WHEN THE CAR HAD ONLY 35,000 MILES. THE DEALER IN NAPA REBUILT MY TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE THEN, MY GEARS HAVE SEEMED UNUSUALLY STIFF AND TIGHT. ONLY 3 MONTHS LATER, MY IGNITION FAILED AND THE DEALER IN NAPA REPLACED THAT. THIS PAST SUMMER (2002) I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ONE OF MY AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. IT WAS GETTING STUCK AND LATER FELL INTO THE DOOR WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE IT WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY. WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH TWO OF THE OTHER WINDOWS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE 3 OF THE 4 REGULATORS/LIFTS. THIS COST ME QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AS THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR IS GONE. OVER THIS CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CLUTCH/GEAR BOX/ TRANSMISSION AGAIN. I AM TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALER TOMORROW FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK (12/30/02). NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MY VW JETTA. THIS IS THE FIRST CAR THAT I HAVE PURCHASED AND HOPED IT WOULD BE A GREAT STARTER. I WILL NEVER BUY A VW AGAIN. SCC ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****770794