1999 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHITE METAL USED IN FRONT AND READ WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND ALSO REAR HATCH DOOR LATCH FLAKE APART AND CRUMBLE MAKING WIPERS AND LATCH UNUSABLE. REPLACED FRONT WIPER ASSEMBLY JUNE 2012, REAR WIPER DOES NOT WORK, SAME WITH REAR DOOR LATCH. FRONT WIPERS STOPPED WORKING SUDDENLY WHILE IN A SUMMER DOWNPOUR CAUSING A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FIRE IN 1999 VW GOLF TDI: 2003-01-14, MILEAGE 88290, LIGHTS AND GAUGES ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WERE ACTING FLAKY AND NOT WORKING PROPERLY. SOME LIGHTS WERE DIM AND SOME WERE BURNT OUT. 2003-02-05, I BOUGHT NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. PLAN WAS TO HAVE DEALERSHIP REPLACE FAULTY ONE WITH NEW ONE ON 2003-02-10. A FEW DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT NEW ONE, THE CARS EXISTING ONE SUDDENLY EMITTED SPARKS WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN A SNOW STORM, AND CAUGHT ON FIRE! THICK, ACRID SMOKE BILLOWED FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD, FORCING ME OUT OF THE CAR. I PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH MY JACKET AND SOME SNOW. 2003-02-10, DEALERSHIP REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. DURING THE FIRST HEAVY SNOWFALL AFTER THAT, CAR STARTED BUCKING AT LOW RPMS AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS. SPEEDOMETER STARTED FLUCTUATING WILDLY, SHOWING ME GOING ANYWHERE FROM 0 TO 120 MPH. TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 0 AND DANGER ZONE, AND TEMPERATURE ALARM SOUNDED WHENEVER THE GAUGE JUMPED INTO THE DANGER ZONE. FUEL GAUGE DROPPED TO EMPTY. ODOMETER FROZE UP. 2003-04-04, MILEAGE 90906, TECHNICIAN AT DEALERSHIP FOUND 300 KILO-OHM RESISTANCE IN WIRING HARNESS GROUNDS. THE FOUR MAIN GROUND WIRE ENDS WERE HORRIBLY CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS NO POWER GOING TO THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR, VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR, OR COOLANT BOTTLE SENSOR. TECHNICIAN LEFT THE EXISTING WIRING HARNESS IN PLACE, SINCE MOST OF THE HARNESS WIRES WERE WORKING FINE. HE DISCONNECTED AND CAPPED THE ENDS OF THE FOUR CORRODED WIRES. HE THEN RAN NEW WIRES TO THE AFFECTED SENSORS (CREATING AN OVERLAY HARNESS), CRIMPED NEW CONNECTORS ON THE ENDS, AND USED HEAT SHRINK ON THE CRIMPS. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FIRES SINCE THEN; HOWEVER, I HAVE REPLACED THE ECT SENSOR 7 TIMES DURING THE 15 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF LINGERING GROUNDING ISSUES. CURRENT MILEAGE IS ABOUT 392,000.

THIS STARTED TO OCCUR ABOUT 2009, ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO. WHEN I PUSHED UP THE REAR SEATS, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT WAS TIGHT AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I COULDN'T EVEN PUSH THE REAR SEAT BACK DOWN BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT WAS SO EXTREMELY TIGHT. WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO LATER, ALL OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP. THE REAR SEATS ARE NOW UNSAFE FOR PASSENGERS.

WINDOW REGULATOR SWITCHES AND INTERIOR LIGHTS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR, STARTING ABOUT 2003. MY PASSENGER WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR ONCE, AND THE SAME HAPPENED FOR MY DRIVER SIDE WINDOW TWICE. THE WINDOW SWITCHES ARE FLAKY AND REQUIRE INTENSE CONCENTRATION TO TAP THEM JUST RIGHT TO MAKE THE WINDOW GO IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU WANT. IF YOU TAP TOO STRONGLY OR TOO LONG, THE WINDOWS REVERSE DIRECTION. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE ROAD. DEALERSHIP AND LOCAL MECHANICS REPLACED REGULATOR SWITCHES AND MOTORS SEVERAL TIMES, YEARS AGO. I WAS TIRED OF REPLACING THEM, SO NOW I TRY TO USE THE WINDOWS AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. I KEEP A FLASHLIGHT PERMANENTLY ON THE PASSENGER SEAT TO COMPENSATE FOR 12 YEARS OF DARKNESS IN THE CABIN. ALARM SYSTEM OCCASIONALLY CHIRPS FOR NO REASON, AS IF DETECTING AN INTRUDER, AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT GENERATE THE BEEP BEEP WHEN I HIT THE ENGAGE BUTTON ON MY KEY FOB. ALARM SOMETIMES GOES OFF WHEN I START THE CAR, AS IF I'M CARJACKING MY OWN CAR. I SUSPECT THE 1999 BATCH OF VOLKSWAGEN CARS HAD SERIOUS GROUNDING OR ELECTRICAL ISSUES. CAR CONTINUES TO RUN FINE (CURRENT MILEAGE IS 392,000) DESPITE THE ELECTRICAL DEMONS, BUT WITH REDUCED SAFETY AND INCREASED DISTRACTIONS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VALVE IN THE FUEL CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VALVE BECOMES CLOGGED WITH THE FUEL. HE HAS RESEARCHED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS FAILURE AND STATED THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE, BUT DOES NOTHING TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE. ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT HAS BEEN STRANDED IN COLD WEATHER AND FACED NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES DUE TO THE STALLING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 126,900.