2000 Volkswagen Jetta Seats Problems

I OWN A 2000 VW JETTA. MY SON AND I WERE HEADING HOME AFTER A COLLEGE VISIT, HE TURNED ON HIS SEAT HEATER AND BEGAN TO NAP. 20 MINUTES LATER, HE POPPED UP RUBBING HIS SHOULDER, THE SEAT HEATER CAUSED THE SEAT TO CATCH FIRE AND BURNED A PORTION OF THE SEAT, HIS SHIRT AND SHOULDER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT ISSUE AND THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL FOR SUCH AN ISSUE. I THEN DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND WHERE IT'S A VERY COMMON ISSUE. *TR

HEAT SEAT CONTROL AT 5 ONLY AVAILABLE. AFTER A NUMBER OF TIMES STARTED BURNING SEATS. LEATHER IS MELTED. NO LONGER USE. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT NO LONGER STAYS IN A LOCKED POSITION, AND THE SEAT MOVES FREELY, SLIDING FROM BACK TO FRONT, MAKING CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE'S PEDAL VERY DIFFICULT AND DRIVING HAZARDOUS. AFTER INSPECTING UNDERNEATH THE SEAT, A LARGE COILED PIECE OF METAL WAS FOUND LYING ON THE CARPET. THIS PIECE OF METAL MATCHES EXACTLY ANOTHER PIECE OF METAL THAT FELL OUT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SEAT OVER SIX YEARS AGO. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, (FRESNO MICHAEL AUDI VW) TO HAVE THEM REPLACE THE PART BACK INTO THE SEAT SO THAT THE SEAT NO LONGER MOVED FREELY AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO CARRY OUT ANY SUCH WORK ON MY VEHICLE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES OF MICHAEL AUTOMOTIVE AND GETTING THE SAME REFUSALS EACH TIME, I ABANDONED THE ATTEMPT TO SOLICIT THEIR HELP IN REPAIRING MY VEHICLE. *TR

HAD THE CAR CLEANED AND WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT WOULD NO LONGER WORK. IT HASN'T WORKED SINCE. THE SEAT SLIDES FORWARD AND BACK AT WILL. *JS

FOR TWO DAYS, I SMELLED AN ODOR SUCH AS A STARCHED IRON IN MY CAR. I TURNED THE HEATED SEATS OF FOR A FEW DAYS. TODAY I TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE SMELL CAME BACK. I TOOK MY JACKET OFF AND IN ONE PART OF THE SEAT, MY BACK WAS BURNING. THE DRIVERS HEATED SEAT IN MY 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA BURNED THROUGH INTO THE EXTERIOR. THE HEATED SEAT CAUSED TWO HOLES IN MY SEAT AND A LARGE BROWN BURNT STAIN. IF I HAD NOT DISCOVERED THIS, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY IT WOULD CREATE MUCH MORE DAMAGE. *TR

DRIVING CAR, USING SEAT HEATER, STARTED SMELLING BURNING SMELL. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO STOP, THE LEATHER SEAT HAD BURNED. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF I HAD NOT TURNED THE SEAT HEATER OFF WHEN I DID (FIRE, BURN ME). WENT TO DEALER TODAY, THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR MYSELF. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND VW OF AMERICA SHOULD REPLACE/REPAIR AT THEIR COST. *TR

(2) THE SEAT WARMER ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AND BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT COVERING. THE HEATER LEFT A BURN ON MY PANTS THE SIZE OF A DIME. THIS ALSO CAUSED ME SOME DISCOMFORT. (3) I CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BRING THE CAR IN AND HAVE IT FIXED AT MY EXPENSE. I OWN A 2000 VW JETTA. *NM

I STARTED NOTICING A BURNING SMELL IN THE CAR WHEN I TURNED ON THE HEATED SEATS AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WOULD GET VERY HOT, EVEN WHEN SET ON A LOW SETTING. ONE DAY I DECIDED TO TRY IT OUT TO SEE IF IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY OR NOT AND THE HEAT BURNT HOLES THROUGH THE MATERIAL COVERING THE SEAT . *JB

1) I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, SEE #2 AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY. 2) TODAY I FOUND THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT. IT LEFT A PEA-SIZED BURN IN THE UPHOLSTERY. LUCKILY, I USE A SMALL DRIVING PILLOW FOR MY LOWER BACK WHICH BORE THE BRUNT OF THE FIRE INSTEAD OF MY BUTT. I HAD FOUND THE PILLOW WAS STUCK TO THE SEAT, AND WHEN I PULLED IT OFF THE BURN WAS REVEALED. THE PILLOW WAS DAMAGED. 3) I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AS OF YET. I AM RESEARCHING MY OPTIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE IT FOR ME. *NM

THERE IS A SPRING UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT OF MY 2000 VW JETTA THAT HAS BECOME DETATCHED AND FALLEN OFF. WHEN YOU ACCELERATE OR BRAKE, THE SEAT SHIFTS BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL VW DEALER FOR SERVICE, THE TECHNICIAN, WITHOUT HESITATION, SAID THAT VW DOES NOT REPLACE THE SPRING, BUT HAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT AT A COST OF $500+ DOLLARS. HIS RAPID RESPONSE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH VWS. I THINK IT IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER HAD A CIGARETTE SIZE BURN HOLE IN IT. WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNING ODOR, WHICH BECAME STRONGER AS TIME PROGRESSED. ALSO, SMOKE CAME FROM THE SEAT. WHEN HEATER WAS TURNED OFF THE SMELL AND THE SMOKE CEASED. *AK VEHICLE WAS TAKEN AT THE DEALERSHIP. *LA

DRIVER SIDE SEAT FRAME HAS FRACTURED FOR SECOND TIME, FIRST TIME REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND THEY REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED AS TO WHAT WOULD OCCUR SHOULD THE INTACT SEAT FRAME PARTS FAIL. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**768030

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT CRADLE FAILED. *YH

DRIVER'S SEAT HAS DEFECTIVE ROLLERS, CAUSING SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. CONSUMER HAS BEEN WAITING 3 MONTHS FOR NEW ROLLERS TO COME INTO DEALER. IN MEANTIME, CONSUMER IS DRIVING VEHICLE WITH AND UNSAFE SEAT. *AK *SLC