2000 Jetta GLS - already in the service dept

[astrit@pop.dn.net]

Hello guys and gals -

I recently found this mailing list and couldn't wait to share the bad news
about my Brand New car, hoping for relief and  moral support.

I bought a New Jetta GLS 2000 on July 24 (3 weeks ago today) + LoJack +
extended warranty = 20K+

Superfluous to say, I was the happiest kid in town. But the joy didn't last
long. A week later or so, the front passenger door started making a
squeaking noise when closing or opening. After a careful examination,
looking at both front doors, I noticed that the squeaky one wasn't properly
aligned, thus causing the horrible sound (or noise, if you prefer). Further
more, to make things worst the door would no longer close properly without
slamming it (literally). Same day, called the dealer's service dept and
fixed an appointment that coming Monday.

I had driven the car for about 500 miles and the steering wheel was next. It
developed a cracking noise that would drive me nuts while trying to find out
where exactly was it coming from. But that's OK, right? I still had to go to
that appointment for the door. They (the mechanics) would take care of this
little nerve breaking inconvenience, as well.

Little did I know what was in store for me. The mechanic who looked at the
car said that it would be very hard and take a long time to track down the
noise in the steering wheel. After a day long examination, having taken
apart the dashboard, the mechanic claimed to had found the problem. Can you
guess? The TACHOMETER.

That as the turning point for me. I decided I would stay away from that car.
In my opinion these are very severe problems for a car barely 2 weeks old
and in less then 1K miles. What am I to expect 2 months down the road? I
don't want to even think about it.
When I talked to the dealer and VW about my not wanting to keep the car any
longer, they both insisted the car was under warranty and it was being taken
care of, and I should not worry about it. “Cars are like children” added the
dealer in an effort to point out that there is no worry free car. It still
makes me mad whenever I recall it.

Anyway, as of today I hadn't heard from the dealer (very irresponsible from
their part), so I drove up there only to find my car hanging up in the air
with the bumper taken off, and no one there able to tell me what was going
on. (Why wasn't I surprised?)

I bought a new car for several reasons:
1) My wife and I are expecting a baby late September.
2) The time, energy and money spent worrying about problems with the car
would be substantially less then what I used to invest in the Ford Escort
'89 (which I still have).
3) We both liked the car

But, as it turns out  number 2) is no longer true, actually is the complete
opposite. Now, am I right in wanting to get rid of that car and get
replacement for it? I already submitted a claim to Better Business Bureau on
VW and asked for replacement. Do you think I stand a chance? As you might
imagine, concentration at work is that of a first grader in the class room,
directly affecting my performance and the mood at home is a mix of anger,
injustice and impotence.

I apologize for the long email, and I wish nobody goes through what we are
going. Your opinions are highly appreciated.


A disappointed couple, owners of a 2000 Jetta.