10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
15,106 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems

electrical problem

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2002 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #61

Nov 172009

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 55 mph the vehicle lost power and decreased speed to 10 mph. He was able to avoid a crash and drive onto the emergency lane. He was also able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The dealer stated that the ignition coil caused the vehicle to lose power. The manufacturer stated there were no related recalls. The failure and the current mileages were 52,000. Updated 03/01/10 the consumers daughter hit the front seat and sustained a bloddy nose. Updated 09/16/10

- Longhorne, PA, USA

problem #60

Nov 262008

Jetta

  • 85,000 miles
Ignition coil!!! was entering interstate and accelerated and engine lost a lot of power and started running roughly. Was lucky enough to be only a few miles away from a VW dealership (not my own, we were out of town). They said #1 coil failed, be careful because the rest will probably follow shortly, but recommended I wait for another one to fail and then replace the rest. $230 and 16 days later, another failed. Was not accelerating hard, just normal hwy driving. Started doing some research, found out this is a major problem and has been known for 5 yrs!!! will complain to high heaven to get these replaced free of charge. I understand normal wear and tear and a random part here and there failing, but a 5yr old problem is a little bit harder to understand. Dealership and VW need to practice better business practices and I don't know why this hasn't been an official recall yet. Losing power at 65mph on an interstate is very dangerous, no matter what VW or NHTSA says. What is it going to take" deaths" I hope I can get this resolved to my satisfaction by the dealers and VW.

- Cedar Falls, IA, USA

problem #59

Nov 282006

Jetta

  • Manual transmission
  • 90,000 miles
Failure of ignition coil pack as described in NHTSA action number DP05004. Coil pack failure was diagnosed by dealership service department (where we had the car towed after it died on an interstate highway). The dealership intends to bill me about $700 to replace the coil pack. When I mentioned the customer satisfaction campaign cited in the action summary on your website, both the dealership and the VW customer care center said they had no information about it and would not honor it.

- Amesbury, MA, USA

problem #58

Jul 142006

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 69,900 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving in the afternoon, my vehicle suddenly lost power and acceleration capability with the "check engine" light coming on and blinking. I took it to the dealer immediately. I am informed my 2002 VW Jetta 1.8T has "3 faulty coils." The failure was sudden and without warning. I maintain my car according to VW specs. In 02/2003 VW acknowledged a problem with this in over 530,000 2001 to early 2003 vehicles. I feel the failure was premature (as to what could be typically expected of an engine/vehicle for reliability), and a danger. Obviously the fact that it has remanifested in such a short period of time shows that it was not properly addressed with the original fix only 2 years ago. My vehicle was unable to adequately maintain itself within the flow of traffic. I was lucky to get to the 'slow lane' without incident. VW disclaims any responsibility for defect or otherwise and says that because the vehicle is out of its warranty period I am responsible ($454). I will pay this, but how can I drive knowing that these coils could stop all or any one cylinder from correctly firing? this could kill me and the manufacturer does not care.. as they quite bluntly stated.

- El Cajon, CA, USA

problem #57

Sep 172005

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 39,000 miles
Please refer to my previous complaint submitted 9/17/2005 regarding my '02 VW Jetta. The crash was a result of sudden acceleration and extended braking distance. The reason I am writing again is to address the fact that my local news (denver channel 7 news) did an undercover feature in regards to the Volvo's sudden acceleration and deceleration. The mechanic used in the piece determined the problem was the electronic throttle. Thus, Volvo is announcing a major recall on all 1999-2002 Volvo's. this issue is rampant among the auto industry including vwoa. Please extend your investigation to include VW and hopefully vwoa will do a major recall on all cars equipped with electronic throttles. Please note that I was required to attend dmv court since I was issued a ticket. The judge ruling over my case ended up dismissing my case because of the evidence I had brought to court. More over, the judge was a former mechanic for 8 years and he has worked extensively on VW's. he was very familiar with my situation. I don't have my VIN # handy, but it was listed in my complaint ODI id #: 10136890. Please refer to my case number for further details.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #56

Sep 012005

Jetta

  • miles
Consumer vehicle stalled on two different occasions causing consumer to replace coil. The vehicle had erratic acceleration light pressure on the gas pedal. The engine did not respond in an even pattern, instead it would suddenly speed up dangerously.

- Roosevelt Island, NY, USA

problem #55

May 102005

Jetta

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought a used 2002 Jetta and as soon as I drove it off the lot it began with the bucking. It took 3 visits to the service department, 2 different service sites, and 3 weeks without a vehicle to find the problem. The service department is replacing the coil, however stated they were going to charge me. I am currently disputing the charge. I feel unsafe and unhappy with my purchase.

- Jacksonville, NC, USA

problem #54

Jan 062005

Jetta 4-cyl

  • miles
Repeat ignition coil and ingition coil wiring harness failure. The coils fail to spark resulting in reduced engine power and the wiring harness sheathing keeps cracking apart, resulting in ground out on the engine.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #53

Nov 152003

Jetta 4-cyl

  • miles
I have a 2002 1.8T Volkswagen Jetta - I have experienced numerous failures. 1)radio has failed twice - in each instance fault was traced to a fuse - following radio failure I experienced repeated dead batteries until the radio was repaired. 2) ABS failure detected when I was getting my radio fixed the second time 3)vehicle has failed to start on two occasions - I wait a minute and try again - it worked 4)my window fell into the door 5)I experienced an activation of numerous engine fault lights that reset following engine restart 6)the coating on interior door handle surfaces peels off easily 7)the chrome ring around the shift know is peeling.

- Winston-Salem, NC, USA

problem #52

May 252003

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 13,000 miles
Ignition coil failure. This is the third failure of the electrical system on this auto. On the previous two failures, VW would not replace all four coils, but only those coils that were the cause of the problem. As a result work time has been lost, and it has been a great inconvenience to take time off of work, have the car towed, and travel to the repair facility. Request VW be required to initiate a recall to fix all problems.

- Fairfield, CA, USA

problem #51

May 212003

Jetta

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I want to know why NHTSA has done nothing about the VW ignition coil failures. This is a serious safety issue --the car can die at any moment, at any speed, under any conditions-- but apparently the Agency does not care. I am afraid to drive my car any distance greater than 20 miles for fear of being stranded for hours (I live in a rural area). VW has been unresponsive, essentially telling consumers that they must wait until a failure occurs before a fix will be offered. This places many at risk needlessly. I would appreciate a follow-up as to why there is no action being taken.

- Ithaca, NY, USA

problem #50

Apr 142002

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 12,300 miles
Ignition coils on the VW Jetta have failed twice. The computer module on the car has also been reprogrammed in an attempt to correct the problem. When the ignition coils fail, the car is unsafe and nearly impossible to drive. Ignition coil failure at highway speeds could be incredibly dangerous. Please make VW address this problem immediately.

- Broadview Heights, OH, USA

problem #49

Dec 032002

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,000 miles
In the last six months my 2002 Jetta 1.8T has been in the shop 3 times for faulty coil packs and now I need all new fuel injectors. This is a serious safety issue that should be investigated. I have had 2 new sets of redesigned coil packs and I still get an engine light causing the car to lose power and run rough, not something you want happening to you while driving 65 miles a hour on a busy highway. I wish Volkswagen would issue a recall before someone really gets hurt.

- Mt. Laurel, NJ, USA

problem #48

Jan 112003

(reported on)

Jetta

  • 9,812 miles
On a very cold night, I pulled out of a parking lot as normal when the car loss acceleration and the engine light started flashing. The car was towed to VW dealer for repairs. VW serviced the car under warranty and replaced the faulty ignition coil. My research of the issue online, however, implies that the remaining original ignition coils in the engine are also likely to fail and VW will not replace them until they actually fail. (www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_carnews&content_code=08716829&search_typestd&search_id=897428&record=1). Considering this iis a known vulnerability that has occurred in a great number of these cars, I would like to see the car recalled for a more permanent fix. **dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770838

- Saint Louis Park, MN, USA

problem #47

Jul 082002

Jetta

  • miles
Cylinder coil packs are the problem. Dims 11 IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/2002 cut-over-to artemis......770758.

- Acworth, GA, USA

problem #46

Apr 052003

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,920 miles
A faulty ignition coil caused the engine to stall while driving. The dealer replaced the faulty coil pack.

- Westmont, IL, USA

problem #45

Nov 302002

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 11,000 miles
While driving 2 ignition coils failed on two separate occasions which caused the vehicle to stall. The first failure was on 11/30/02 at 9500 miles and the second failure was on 01/18/03 at 11000 miles. The manufacturer advised that they will only replace defective coils when they fail.

- North Bergen, NJ, USA

problem #44

Apr 022003

(reported on)

Jetta

  • miles
Ignition coil failure.

- Hudson, MA, USA

problem #43

Mar 232003

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 23,345 miles
This is the second time in one month that I have taken my 2002 VW Jetta wagon in for repair for the ignition coil problem. How can a car manufacturer allow someone to drive around in a unsafe vehicle especially when you or the dealer can not predict when this will happen next? this problem needs to be resolved, but the corporations always win.

- North Wales, PA, USA

problem #42

Jun 082002

Jetta 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 400 miles
Hello. My complaint is about the 2002 Jetta 1.8T. I purchased mine in May 2002 from curran VW in stratford, ct. With just 400 miles on the car, an ignition coil malfunctioned, and the shifting performance was very poor. In November, the second ignition coil malfunctioned. I was placed in a rental for about 10 days. Made the trip back to MA to pick up the car, got back to ct just to have the third ignition coil malfunction, less than one week later. Then, two weeks ago the car began, once again, to shake violently and lose power on I-95 at 6:30am on my way to work. I was forced to take the car down to 20mph. I dropped the car off at VW for inspection and was told it was fine and that it was not the ignition coil, but that they reset the computer for my peace of mind. I was also told that despite what I've read about the recent recall re: The ignition coils that I had to wait until they failed before having any replaced. (the one replaced last may was replaced with the same poor quality coil.) it's about a week later and the car has been towed for the 4th ignition coil failure. I can't take it. I feel totally unsafe in this car. I drive in the slow lane so as to be close to the break down lane. How anyone can say that this is not a safety issue is beyond me, when the car significantly loses power with no warning - and on a highway where cars are traveling at 60-80 mph! this is a very serious issue that must be addressed. This car was a total waste of $25K+. what a terrible first new car buying experience.

- Norwalk, CT, USA

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