16th Feb 2004, 20:17

UPDATE!!!

VW customer service is being responsive for the first time, probably because I mentioned the word lemon lawsuit. After repeated calls VW contacted me and offered to compensate me: one month's car payment and a $50 credit towards any future servicing.

I will be making a counter offer.

Has anyone else faced this issue, and what should I expect in negotiations?

20th May 2004, 14:09

I have incurred all of the problems listed under the first posting in my 2002 Jetta 1.8T. I am in Canada and I am very disappointed in my VW.

Today I suffered the window falling in problem. I am also dealing with an issue of overheating now as well. Finally I received the recall on my rear light which has gone out countless times.

14th Apr 2005, 10:56

I just purchased my first "new" used car. it is a 2002 Jetta 1.8T, and I have already encountered problems since day one. I have only had this car for 5 days, and have already encountered some of these "eccentric" problems.

First off, my trunk will not lock. I spent 45 minutes trying to shut it just before a rainstorm, but the problem will not duplicate at the dealership.

As I was registering my car today, I left for literally 10 minutes, only to return and find that my radio had quit working. When I left the car, the radio was on and working. When I returned and turned the car on, the radio did not work. The security light still blinks, so I don't think it is a loose wire. Luckily I am visiting the dealership to fix a "few" things tomorrow.

Other things I have noticed are the high RPM's before the car shifts into third gear (or is it fourth?), like it is programmed to change at a higher rpm, so the car jerks when it finally changes gears. (this is an auto with tiptronic). Also, the brakes seem to be a little rough, and jerk the car back and forth upon hard braking.

Any ideas of the causes of the radio and gear problems? Otherwise, I agree, the car is a beauty, and fun to drive. I just wish they could figure out these "quirky" things finally.

5th Sep 2005, 12:34

This is the first I have had any issues with my 2002 Jetta 1.8 T. The radio stopped working. I can't find the fuse for it. Do I need to take this into the dealer to correct the problem? After reading your comments, I did realize that some of my interior is peeling also. Is that covered under the warranty? Thanks.

20th Jan 2006, 16:09

Just had the radio go out on my Jetta also. I was hoping to be able to replace the fuse myself, but I can't seem to find the correct one. Can somebody help?

24th Feb 2006, 11:50

My radio went out about a week ago also. I left it powered on when I shut the car off, and when I got back in the next day it did not work and has not worked since. I could not figure out which fuse corresponded to the radio on the fuse panel, so I proceeded to check every individual fuse. This did not fix the problem. I have been researching this issue on-line and luckily I have not had any of the "common" problems that other Jetta owners have had, only this one with the radio. I hope this is covered under warranty and that there are no future issues.

2nd Mar 2006, 07:13

Your fuse panel is just by your driver's side door hinge on the vehicle itself (Not on the door) where your left knee goes, but the panel faces outside.

6th Mar 2006, 10:22

The fuse for the radio is fuse 42 on a 2002 Jetta. Seems all you need to do is remove it, then slide it back in & the radio should work again. Seems to be a known bug, the fuse won't be blown.

8th Mar 2006, 20:48

This forum rocks :)

My 2002 Jetta's radio died, and I took the advice from the previous post and slid out fuse #42 and slid it back in and the radio came back to life... THANKS!!!

21st Mar 2006, 23:19

Radio also died on my 2002 Jetta, and was lost, as the picture diagram of fuses stinks. Your advice to remove and replace fuse #42 was perfect, the radio is fixed! Thank you... thank you!

24th Mar 2006, 22:35

Removing and re-installing fuse #42 indeed fixes the “dead radio” problem, but you need to leave the fuse out for a short period (> 10 sec). If you pull the fuse and re-insert immediately, the problem may not be fixed.

28th Mar 2006, 19:33

Same deal here - radio died. My wife called the dealer and over the phone they said "you'll have to replace your radio." I found this diagnosis questionable and after five minutes of web searching I found your forum. I pulled the fuse, reinserted, and yep, now the radio works just fine. The thing that bothers me is that shouldn't the dealer know this problem? It's obviously a common one.

29th Mar 2006, 10:17

I'm so glad that I have found this site! We love our 2002 VW TDI, however, we have also experienced all of these problems. My radio mysteriously stopped working last week (we are going to try fuse 42 that was listed in a prior comment).

We have also had the springs fall out from underneath the seats (the seats still seem to work though), the windows fall out (which were recalled), and the handles are indeed peeling. Our first major problem is what we call the "air shut valve.". We are not diesel mechanics, so we don't know the proper name of the part, but when it is shut the engine will not turn over. We took it to the dealer, they put it on a computer and found that "oil housing unit" was building pressure for some unknown reason. They replaced the entire unit (luckily it was still under warranty at the time). We got the car home that day and it did not start. We discovered that when the weather is cold or very wet the valve will not "click" back open once the engine is turned off. If this happens, we pop the hood and manually click the valve, turn the key, and it starts right up. This is a pain to do when it's cold and rainy, but it saves dealer servicing fees.

Recently, the driver seat heater stopped. Luckily we found the fuse and it now works. However, more problems have arisen. Now, usually when turning a corner, the dash will light up and the car will "ding" as if we're driving with a door open. If you open any door and slam it shut, the light and the dinging will stop. Has any one had this happen with their Jetta? The dome light also now has a mind of it's own. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We just replaced the right rear tail light bulb. Now the radio is dead. Like I said, we're going to try fuse 42 for that.

Has any one had any other electrical problems that we should look for? Thanks!