11 of the
295 complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta are about the
lighting — 4% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
72,790 miles.
I WAS DRIVING MY VW JETTA 2004 TDI ON A HIGHWAY, I WAS USING MY HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS TO YIELD TO INCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN ALL OF A SADDEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF, I HAD TO STOP IT WAS VERY DARK AND DANGEROUS ROAD, I MOVED AND WIGGLE THE LEVER TO SEE IF I COULD MAKE IT COME ON AGAIN, EVENTUALLY IT DID, IT DID THAT ABOUT 4 TIMES,EVERY TIME IT SCARED THE ... OUT OF ME COULD NOT SEE ROAD. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL HIGH BEAM LOW BEAM AND CRUSE CONTROL LEVER, ITS ALL IN ONE LEVER. I LOOKED ON LINE TO SEE IF SOMEONE ELSE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10823126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 122,642 milesMerrionette Park, IL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHTS DIMMING- TO POINT WHERE YOU CAN NOT TELL THEY ARE ON. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DESPITE ALL DIAGNOSTICS STATING ALL IS OK WITH CAR. PERIODICALLY FAILS TO START-DESPITE DIAGNOSTICS THAT STATE STARTER, BATTERY, DRAIN ALTENATOR ALL GOOD AND FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. CAR JUMPS EASILY WITH "BOOST".
NHTSA complaint #10490419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 72,790 milesKennett Square, PA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WE HAVE A 2004 VW JETTA, BUT THIS CONCERN IS WITH MOST 7 YEAR OLD AND OLDER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHT CONSTRUCTION IS INFERIOR TO VEHICLES EARLIER IN THE 1900S ' NEVER WITH CARS I HAVE OWNED FROM 1954 UNTIL THE LAST FEW HAVE I SEE HEADLIGHTS FOG- TURN OPAQUE OR YELLOW. THE PLASTIC USED IS INFERIOR TO THE GLASS USED ON OLDER VEHICLES AND AS SUCH IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ALL DRIVERS. SINCE IT IS THE USE OF AN INFERIOR MATERIAL IT IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BECOME SAFETY RECALLS BY THE MANUFACTURER RATHER THEN A BAND-AID BUFF OUT KIT THAT THE VEHICLE OWNER, MUST BEAR THE EXPENSE, AND TRY TO USE OR HAVE A REPAIR SHOP DO AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. HEADLIGHT SURFACES SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF A VEHICLES, BARRING DAMAGE IN ACCIDENTS THEY SHOULD PERFORM SAFELY THROUGHOUT A ONE'S OWNERSHIP.
NHTSA complaint #10399504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 108,300 milesEdmonton, AB Canada, 00
INTERIOR LIGHTING
DOOR AJAR NOT WORKING, ALONG WITH INTERIOR LIGHT ON DRIVERS DOOR, & CABIN INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT COMING ON WHEN DOOR OPENS. REPLACED DRIVERS DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR VIA DEALER FIXES PROBLEM. A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX FOR A $17 MICROSWITCH (APPROX) PART ON THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR THAT FAILS VERY OFTEN. MANY VW OWNERS EXPERIENCE THIS.
NHTSA complaint #10381381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 75,000 milesAlameda, CA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2004 JETTA TDI 4 DOOR SEDAN, IT'S A TURBO DIESEL. THE STALK HAVE TO GOES TO HIGH BEAM IN ORDER FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL TO WORK. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART, IT HAVE BEEN WITH THIS CAR FOR MANY YEARS BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FIX THIS AND IT'S COST LOST OF MONEY TO REPLACE. WHEN CLICK ON THE TURN SIGNAL THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN OFF, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS ON THE FREEWAY. I BELIEVE THIS PARTS OF THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED, IT'S DANGEROUS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
NHTSA complaint #10340339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesNewmarket, 00
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MY CAR'S SIGNAL LIGHT SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS PERIODICALLY LEADING TO THE SIGNAL LIGHT BECOMING STUCK IN A LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURN POSITION BLINKING AT A FAST SPEED. THIS IS OCCURRING ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. AS A CONSEQUENCE I HAVE TO MAKE UNSAFE LANE CHANGES (EG. WHEN CHANGING INTO R LANE THE SIGNAL LIGHT BE STUCK IN THE LEFT HAND BLINKING SEQUENCES FROM THE PREVIOUS LEFT TURN). TO CORRECT THE FAILURE THE SIGNAL LIGHT ARM HAS TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10329213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Center Valley, PA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
REAR LIGHTS GO OUT- TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, ETC... HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS NUMEROUS TIMES. WAS TOLD BY PEOPLE FOLLOWING ME THAT THEY TEND TO FLICKER ON AND OFF AND THEN JUST OFF. ALSO WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE OFFICER IN SEPT. BOUGHT THIS USED @ VW DEALERSHIP IN JUNE, IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 52,000 AT THAT TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10266028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 52,000 milesCrawford, COCrash
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I OWN A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON TDI. THE ORIGINAL OWNER SOLD THE CAR TO ME AND COMPLAINED OF POOR LIGHTING. I HAVE REPEATEDLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THERE IS NO PERIPHERAL LIGHTING AND THE LIGHTS DO NOT PROJECT FAR ENOUGH TO SEE AND HAVE DARK SPOTS. I HIT A BEAR 6 WKS. AGO AND DIRECTLY BLAME THE LIGHTS FOR AN IMPAIRED ABILITY TO REACT. THE PLASTIC LENS ARE ALSO A PROBLEM AS THEY YELLOW AND SCRATCH OVER TIME DIMINISHING VISIBILITY BY APPROX 50%. A PROBLEM THAT DOES NOT OCCUR WITH GLASS LENS AND IS PARTICULARLY BAD IN PLACES LIKE COLORADO WHERE MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE IS APPLIED TO THE ROADS IN WINTER.
NHTSA complaint #10237267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 41,075 milesNewbury, MA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V183000, REGARDING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. ADDITIONALLY, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW GLASS STUCK WITHIN THE WINDOW RETAINER, AND WOULD NOT ROLL UP. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE WINDOW GLASS NEEDED RETAINER CLIPS INSTALLED. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #10170026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,000 milesOcala, FL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
BRAKE LIGHT KEPT ON GOING ON INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL.
NHTSA complaint #10149180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita Falls, TX
INTERIOR LIGHTING
IHAVE A 2004 VW JETTA WAGON. THE INSTRUMENTS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IN SOME LIGHTING CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY THE SPEEDOMETER. THE NEDDLE IS A DARK, NON REFLECTIVE RED AGAINST A BLACK BACKGROUND. WITH A BRIGHT FOREGROUND OUTSIDE, THE SPEEDOMETER CANNOT BE SEEN, EVEN WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED BRIGHT. I E-MAILED VW, BUT NEVER RECEIVED AN ANSWER.
NHTSA complaint #10128972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.