2001 Volkswagen GTI Complaints

I'M THE OWNER OF A GOLF GTI 2 DOORS FROM 2001, WITH 49000 MILES, BOUGHT IN 2004 AT THE VW DEALER IN GREENVILLE. I'VE BEEN ABOUT 15 TIMES TO THE DEALER FOR DIFFERENT PROBLEMS THAT WERE ALL MINOR. AND 10 MONTHS AGO, I LEFT THE CAR AT THE GARAGE FOR 3 DAYS ASKING THEM TO MAKE A FULL REVISION OF THAT CAR BECAUSE I WAS UPSET BY ALL THESE PROBLEMS. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS SIGNS, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY HARD, I LOST BRAKING, THE ASR (TRACTION CONTROL) SIGNAL WENT ON, AND I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. HOPEFULLY FOR ME, I WAS ONLY AT 40 MPH, I PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL (BECAUSE THE CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE), AND I PULLED THE HAND BRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP ON A PARKING ON THE SIDE WITHOUT HITTING ANYBODY OR ANY CAR. I WAS VERY LUCKY NOT TO HAVE PANICKED. IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND I WROTE TO VW USA TO EXPLAIN MY MAJOR CONCERN. *JB

SINCE CAR WAS BOUGHT IN 2001 MIL LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON IN RAINING CONDITIONS. VW SAID IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND REPLACED IN AT NO CHARGE IN MARCH OF 2003. SINCE REPLACEMENT LIGHT STILL COMES ON, AND IS NOW PERMANENTLY ON. WHEN CAR IS WET YOU CAN SEE SPARKS COMING FROM THE IGNITION COIL. THERE ARE NOTICEABLE CRACKS IN THE COIL HOUSING. *******EPA REFERENCE INFORMATION(IHTTP://WWW.EPA.GOV/OTAQ/CERT/RECALL/420B04018.PDF) *******EPA STATES THE FOLLOWING: CYLINDER IGNITION COIL FAILURE. CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE AND ILLUMINATE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL). TWO SEPARATE FAILURE MODES MAY EXIST WITHIN THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS TESTED, (1)COIL HOUSING DAMAGE CAUSED DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS AT THE APPLICABLE VW OR AUDI FACTORY, (2)COIL DESIGN SHORTCOMINGS BY THE SUPPLIER. *****************NOTE: THE 2002 GOLF GTI VR6 (ENGINE CLASS 2VWXV02.8224) AND THE 2001 EURO VAN VR6 (ENGINE CLASS 1VWXV02.8225)USE THE SAME IGNITION COILS AS MY CAR, THE 2001 GOLF GTI...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65MPH THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE WERE NO KNOWN ROAD HAZARDS AND GASOLINE HAD NOT BEEN PUT INTO THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IS CURRENTLY AWAITING INSPECTION.

CAR WAS FINE AT NIGHT WHEN PARKED. AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT CAME ON IN THE MORNING, AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. ALREADY AS HAPPENED BEFORE AND HAD AIRBAG REPLACED. AS HAPPENED AGAIN LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER. WILL KEEP PARTS REPLACED THIS TIME. *JB

AIR BAG DEFAULT LIGHT AND BUZZER HAS COME ON MANY TIMES. JAN 2001, APRIL 2001, AUG 2005, JAN 2006 AND NOW AGAIN FEB 2006. VW OF AMERICA HAS REPAIRED AND PAID FOR FIRST THREE PROBLEMS. IN JAN THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD ONLY COVER 75% OF COST OF REPAIR. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR FOR AS LONG AS A WEEK. I NOW HAVE A CALL INTO THE DEALER FOR THIS FIFTH PROBLEM AND AM WAITING AND OBVIOUSLY AM FRUSTRATED. THE FAULT CODE HAS BEEN 00588 032-RESISTANCE BEING TOO HIGH IN THE AIR BAG IGNIGHTER...I AM THANKFUL I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT SO I AM UNABLE TO KNOW WHETHER THE AIR BAG WOULD BE OF ANY HELP. BUT THIS DOES KEEP ME WONDERING...I EXPECT VW OF A TO PAY FOR ALL SUCH REPAIRS AND PROVIDE ME WITH A LONER CAR. THEY ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *NM