Same as everyone else's problem with VW Jetta not holding a charge. My brake lights go on in the middle of the night, uncharging the battery and every morning I have to get a jump start. The crazy thing is that it only happens when it's cold…WTF? I am a single Mom, live alone and have no one to jump start a car every morning. Have gotten new batteries, checked starter and alternator…WILL NOT HOLD A CHARGE (in cold weather). Getting ready to drop it off at the Dealer's parking lot and walk away! I GIVE UP!
i would ride a bicycle all the time if i had bike lanes for safe riding!
cars are so aggravating with all this computer crap, which is way over my head!
the problem with my 2006 jetta is way more complicated than a dead battery, something is draining the battery and the vw dealership mechanics do not have much of a clue!
replaced the battery and the alternator, still won't turn over until i wiggle a wire behind the battery. sometimes i do this for about 15mins give or take, hoping that it will start. stranded me in the USA for 3 days waiting for alternator to be replaced, didn't fix the problem.
Seems like there is a short somewhere as the car door lock/power windows will be lit and then go off and the headlights flicker from normal to dim, like it wants to burn out.
When i do wiggle the wire behind the battery there are sparks when the starter tries turn over...
will take it to a friend but frankly i have spent enough on it and by the sound of it this is a common problem for "DAS AUTO"... piece of crap, i am really disappointed.
This car is crap, my battery will not hold a charge for no reason, replaced the battery two weeks later the same thing, took it to the mechanic today they have no idea why, at this moment I have to unhook the battery cable to keep it charged, every time I get in my car I have to re-hook the battery to drive it. This really sucks no one can fix the problem, VW needs to be help accountable, we are hard working people being cheated out of our money.
When Frank, my husband, came back from vacation, car wouldn't start. We called a towing service, and they tested the battery and it was dead, so we bought a new battery. A few days later, it wouldn't start again. They came again, tested battery, said battery being drained; said it's not alternator. We took to the dealer who gave a $200 estimate, then couldn't fix it, but gave new estimate of between 4 and 5 hundred. We took the car home. Then, when it went bad again, we took battery to be tested. Battery O.K. and starter O.K. We had battery fully charged. It went bad a few days later; then we took to an independent repair shop. The car stayed there a few days, but never had problem, so we took it home. Then, it wouldn't start a day or so later, so we took it back. They kept it a few days, but couldn't figure it out, so they took to another dealer near them. They tried another new battery.It stayed for almost a couple of weeks. No progress; no charge. We are now starting it up every few hours, and when it goes dead, we jump it and run it until it's recharged. It seems like no one wants to charge us a bunch of money to install new interior wiring, because it might not fix the problem, and we'd be just where we started. The manual is incomplete as to what interior lights there are. For example, is it to be expected that red lights will flash when the anti-theft device is on? These red lights have been on for a long time when the car is otherwise turned off.
In 2009 this vehicle would not hold a charge and would not start in the mornings. I have had it in the shop and they replaced a computer. Not fixed. Took it back and they replaced another computer - not fixed. Took it back they did something that they were not clear on and told me I needed a new battery so 90- bucks later I leave with a new battery and the next day it is not fixed.
I have spent over 3 grand on this vehicle and each time VW shop says it is fixed and it is not fixed yet. I can not drive this vehicle because it will not start if turned off. I have call Customer Care to find out they do not. The dealership in Las Cruces will not deal with it. This is robbery plain and simple, VW will do nothing but tell me we will "document the problem". So their fix is to charge over 3 grand, the car is like it was when I took it to them and for the 3 grand they will write the problem down somewhere. I feel a lot better knowing they wrote it down. Put the crapy ride is taking up space in the drive so I took the truck (American Made) and shoved this German pile out of the way. Thank you VW for the warm and fuzzies.
Problem started with the car not starting in morning, dead battery. Changed the battery; it was the original one. Next day, wont start again. Boost. Went to garage: everything OK. Next day wont start. Boost. Go to VW dealer: they say its the alternator: a new one was $660; choose a rebuilt $381; said will take over ONE hour; in fact took 3 HOURS; back home. Next day wont start. Boost. Went back to VW dealer. Kept the car one week. Found the broken or damaged wires in the driver door's harness that caused partial short-circuits. Said they changed the alternator again ??? (without charge). HOW CAN SHORT CIRCUITS BLOW THE ALTERNATOR? AREN'T THERE NO FUSES?
Result 6 hours work + $209 for the harness.
WIRE INSULATION CRACKING LIKE THAT WITHIN 5 YEARS MEAN THE HARNESS WAS MADE WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIAL TO START WITH"
I am trying to force the garage to reimburse me; so far they refused. Contacted VW Canada: they say the warranty is over.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME. THANKS
Update from Nov 26, 2012: Nov 2012, Just got an out of court settlement. The problem was due to the wire harness which was made too short in the first place. Warranty extended to 8 1/2 years 165K km in Canada.
But.! Beware!! The same problem exists on the other door too: mine broke 1 1/2 year after the first one; and they have replaced the faulty harness with a new one just as short as the first one!!!
HONEST VW ??? NO WAY!
- Jean-Pierre R.,
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
The car from the inside said a light was out but that was not the case, in fact there is a seriously electric issues and pulls from the battery and the car just wont stop. No one can seem to again not find this problem
the dealer tried to find out the problem, they had put in a new battery and thought it was faulty but even when they kept the vehicle overnight, it is not fixed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Same as everyone else's problem with VW Jetta not holding a charge. My brake lights go on in the middle of the night, uncharging the battery and every morning I have to get a jump start. The crazy thing is that it only happens when it's cold…WTF? I am a single Mom, live alone and have no one to jump start a car every morning. Have gotten new batteries, checked starter and alternator…WILL NOT HOLD A CHARGE (in cold weather). Getting ready to drop it off at the Dealer's parking lot and walk away! I GIVE UP!
- Iliana C., Covington, LA, US