2002
Volkswagen Jetta GLS
At 10,000 miles, the stereo (an $800 option) stopped working altogether.
The dealer refused to service the car immediately, telling me that it was
“only” the radio. They finally replaced a wiring harness, telling me that
VW installs improper wiring harnesses. At around 20,000 miles, the
passenger’s window fell into the door. The dealer replaced both front
doors window clips, telling me that VW installs improper window clips.
Just after the 20,000-mile service (which includes a tire rotation), the
passenger front tire began leaking air. No hole in the tire was ever
found. The service advisor at my local dealership told me that I must have
“had a stalker” who was letting the air out of my tire because there was
nothing wrong with it. Shortly thereafter, it began leaking air again.
When I called the dealership, the service advisor told me to bring the car
in the next day – and he specifically instructed me NOT to put any air in
it. The tire was (obviously) destroyed. VW insisted that I pay for the
tire in full – which hardly made sense, as I was following the explicit
instructions of the service advisor. When I mentioned this to the service
manager, he called me “stupid.” Then the stereo died again. A VW advisor
managed to restart the stereo by scraping the fuse – he told me that VW
sends the fuses from the factory rusted and the oxidation needed to be
removed. Around 30,000 miles, the stereo died AGAIN. It was restarted
during the 30,000-mile service. Around 40,000 miles, the stereo died
AGAIN. It randomly restarted. The VW dealer told me there was nothing
wrong with the stereo. Within 3 miles of leaving the dealership, the
stereo died for the FIFTH time. When I brought the car back, the service
advisor told me that the stereo had been recalled. Also at around 40,000
miles, the oil pressure light came on. When I checked the oil, there was
almost no oil in the car. I added oil and took it to the dealership. They
began an oil consumption test.
Matt Ellis |
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