8.5

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$200
Average Mileage:
98,300 miles
Total Complaints:
8 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (5 reports)
  2. replace window regulator (2 reports)
  3. replace window (1 reports)
2003 Volkswagen Jetta windows / windshield problems

windows / windshield problem

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2003 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments

problem #8

May 142015

Jetta GL 2.0L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,742 miles

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

Not yet sure what it will take to fix this, or what to do. I do most repairs myself. Is this covered under a recall?

- Charles H., Roaring Spring, PA, US

problem #7

Jun 022015

Jetta GL 121 Cid

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,708 miles

Since I bought the VW Jetta I've had nothing but problems. The air conditioner stopped working, blowing hot air, both right side windows have fallen into the panel where I have duct tape holding them up right now and the starter constantly makes noise. It is very disturbing and I'm very unhappy with this car. I wish I never purchased after top notch reports on the VW Jetta and don't want to ever purchase another VW Jetta again. I should have stuck with a Ford product!

- star5303, Edgewater, MD, US

problem #6

Dec 202012

Jetta Tri

  • Manual transmission
  • 130,488 miles

Crazy the window falls into the door! A serious problem.

- Maureen A., Sherwood Park, Angerman, canada

problem #5

Feb 012013

Jetta 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

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

This part is known for being defective, it was replaced in the middle of the winter a few years ago and it was called an "act of god". Well, your "god" really design crappy parts that are known to fail. The engineering of these vehicles is horrible and the service is even worse. This was upgraded to metal parts, but those still fail.

I will never buy a Volkswagen ever again. These cars are design to fail and get "special service" every couple of years. This is the worse car one could buy.

- Franklin S., Chicago, IL, US

problem #4

Jul 012011

Jetta GLS 1.8t

  • Manual transmission
  • 115,000 miles

Nothing better than driving up to the gate to show the guard my ID than to have my window glass fall in the door. It wasn't so bad but when it fell it destroyed the regulator(the mechanism that moves it up and down) as it fell into the door. I replaced it once with a regulator kit but it too failed because the window is held at the bottom with two small one inch wide rubber foot plastic clamps. When the rubber gets cold or there is freezing rain or any ice then window gets stuck in the up position and the regulator continues down and then the window gives way and falls into the door. This problem is common to all VW, Audi, and Porsche vehicle. This is a royal pain to take the door apart and more so if you use the VW retrofit kit to install the "IMPROVED" metal clamps.

- Alexander D., Dover, DE, US

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problem #3

Sep 102007

Jetta Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 19,260 miles

My rear driver's side window emitted a loud blast when I opened it with the auto button. It was so frightening that I pulled over to determine what could be wrong. I notified my VW dealer, Ron Price in South San Francisco (now out of business). They said my warranty was up and quoted me an unreasonable amount to have the window repaired.

I later learned that it could have been repaired because many owners have had this problem. Now both rear windows are inoperable and the cost to repair both of them is out of the question. What can be done to have a recall on these windows?

- Ann W., San Francisco, CA, US

problem #2

Jan 232009

Jetta GL 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,100 miles

I have never had a problem with my 2003 VW Jetta sedan. I bought it in the summer of 2008 because my previous vehicle was ruined because or arson. Anyways, I bought this car; it was good looking, safe, great gas mileage, speedy, easy to take care of, great interior space, amazing sound system..all even though it had been previously used. I didn't have any problems for about a month. Recently though, my passenger window fell down inside the door. I live in NW Ohio, so we expect a lot of snow every winter, and we got it. I don't use the windows during the winter (obviously), but my boyfriend does. He went to put the window down (automatic window) and it wouldn't budge. You could hear it TRYING to move. So I told him it's probably frozen from the outside. He said ok and didn't touch it again. About 2 weeks later, I was out driving and made a slow (key word: "SLOW") turn into a shopping center and heard the window fall down. At this point I was extremely upset. You could tel ljust by looking that the window had fallen off the track because it was crooked; mind you I had the same problem happen in my last vehicle but the actual mechanism it rested on just fell off completely and it was all covered under warranty. Anyways, I drove home immediately (with the freezing cold weather blowing in my window) and had my dad do a quick fix. All he did was push it back up while pushing the button for the window up at the same time, I'm guessing making the window rest on it again. Having it fixed, I didn't touch it for the next week. Nevertheless, not even a week later, it fell down again. This time, I was driving down a highway (straight path, no turns) and it fell down by itself- halfway. I was angry now. I tried to hurry to get my boyfriend's house so he could look at it before it got any worse...about a minute later the whole window fell down (I didn't touch it!). The snow blowing in the window was a great touch, too. Him and his father opened up my panel the next day and found that my window was not staying in the "mechanism" it was supposed to stay in to move up and down- "not sticking (?)" they guessed. But we all wondered why the somewhat heavy window would only be supported by a SMALL piece of material. Any ideas or help? Please let me know. I'll be bringing it to a family mechanic on Monday to have it looked at in hopes it won't cost me the $200 I'm expecting... Frustrated.

- aadunlap3806, Perrysburg, OH, US

problem #1

Jun 102008

Jetta

  • Manual transmission
  • 61,000 miles

In May 2003, I purchased my very own first car right out of college, a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta. I was so excited. The day I bought it I ran into someone that I know that also owns a Jetta and when I was telling them about my new car the first thing they said to me was �Be careful, your window is going to fall out�. I thought they were crazy. Subsequently, every time I met someone else with a Jetta they mentioned that the window was going to fall out. I didn�t understand how such a known problem was not a recall. Well sure enough, in March of 2005, my window fell out. When I called my dealership, Vincent Volkswagen in Rochester, NY, they were not surprised at all and said it happens all the time and to bring it in. At this point it was under warranty so it was no charge. Yesterday, my window fell off the tracks again. Again I called and they were not surprised in any way. We dropped it off this morning and much to our surprise it was not covered under warranty any more and cost us $190.08. How is this possible? This is a known defect with the car � known by everyone who owns Jettas as well as the service people at the Dealership. The serviceman today explained that this sometimes happens in the winter when water gets in the window seal and expands. Well this makes no sense because it is June and we have had almost a week of 90+ degree weather. This doesn�t happen to any other car that I know of, so this is not normal to Upstate NY weather. This just seems like extortion to sell a product that has a known defect and then to charge $190.08 to repair it. Unfortunately for us, we had Volkswagen repair it and paid the $190.08. After the fact, I spoke to my girlfriend about it and she said she had hers repaired elsewhere and it was only $50. So on top of the fact that you are selling a defective product you are overcharging to have it repaired.

- ryanny, Rochester, NY, US

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