NHTSA Complaint #10446433 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTIONED. RIGHT SIDE OF SEAT HAS SMALL BURN MARKS, IS DISCOLORED, HAS EXPOSED ELEMENTS, AND SEAT FOAM IS MELTED. TWO PAIRS OF PANTS OBTAINED SINGE MARKS ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. I DRIVE THE CAR TO AND FROM THE CITY VIA INTERSTATE FOR 40 MINUTES EACH WAY. SEAT HEATERS ARE TYPICALLY ON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER WHEN I USED THE SEAT HEATERS I COULD SMELL A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL. SINCE IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE WINTER SEASON I FIGURED IT WAS JUST HEATED DUST ON MY SEATS FROM BEING INACTIVE ALL SUMMER. THE FINAL TIME I USED THE SEAT HEATERS (1/26/12) THE SMELL GOT SO BAD THAT I HAD TO OPEN THE SUN ROOF FOR AIR. I ALSO NOTICED THE SEATS GOT HOTTER THAN USUAL AND WONDERED IF MY SEAT BACK WAS HEATING AT ALL. AS WAS USUAL WHEN THE SEAT WAS HOT ENOUGH I WOULD MANUALLY TURN OFF THE SEAT HEATER. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN I NOTICED BROWN MARKS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY PANTS. I THEN LOOKED AT THE SEAT AND SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT ELEMENT WAS REPLACED IN MAY 2006, THE PASSENGER SEAT AUGUST 2006, DUE TO PREVIOUS RECALL/WARRANTY SERVICE.