Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My jetta stalls without warning when the gas gauge is at a quarter of a tank or less. No engine check light or any other any other device comes on to warn me it is going to stall. My speed does not matter. It happens at freeway speeds or around town. It does not occur if the gas gauge shows more than 1/4 of a tank of fuel. I do not know if it is an electrical problem, a fuel propulsion problem or an engine problem. From reading volkswagon forums, this is a very common problem with volkswagons of different years, including the new Tiguans. I'm sure there have been many fatalities as a result of this defect. I am surprised volkswagon has not been forced to repair this dangerous, life threatening problem before now! Maybe, a class action law suit involving products liability, merchantability, and fitness for a particular use would benefit not only owners, but the general public at large. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 50 MPH, the contact noticed smoke under the hood that entered the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and opened the battery fuse box where he found that there were overheated wires and overwhelming smoke. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and the smoke was emitting from the battery fuse box. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000. The VIN was not available.
When I was sitting in the driver's seat with the heated seat option turned to a 5 (high), while the car was warming up, I noticed some smoke coming from the right side of the seat. The heated seat started to burn through the cloth cover directly where my metal jacket zipper was making contact with the cloth seat surface. I immediately poured water on the seat to ensure a fire didn't start. I have not attempted to use the seat heaters since this incident.
Driver's seat heater malfunctioned. Right side of seat has small burn marks, is discolored, has exposed elements, and seat foam is melted. Two pairs of pants obtained singe marks on separate occasions. I drive the car to and from the city via interstate for 40 minutes each way. Seat heaters are typically on for about 20 minutes. Beginning in November when I used the seat heaters I could smell a slight burning smell. Since it was the beginning of the winter season I figured it was just heated dust on my seats from being inactive all summer. The final time I used the seat heaters (1/26/12) the smell got so bad that I had to open the sun roof for air. I also noticed the seats got hotter than usual and wondered if my seat back was heating at all. As was usual when the seat was hot enough I would manually turn off the seat heater. …
Dt: the contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen jetty. The contact stated s dashboard control system caught on fire. Last night was driving on highway smelled something burning. Was not sure what it was. Got close to home and smoke was coming out of the dashboard. By the time she got within a block of the house the dashboard was on fire. Husband came out with a fire extinguisher. Husband used extinguisher on vehicle. Called fire department and police departments. They unhooked the battery. Fire department gave all clear, but not to try to drive vehicle. They told consumer to take vehicle to Volkswagen dealer. This morning called Volkswagen, and were in the process of seeing what they could do. Husband sustained right leg injuries. Customer also complained of eyes burning from smoke. Police department and fire department reports taken. No crashes. We had just picked vehicle up from the dealer.
Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH a burning plastic odor was present inside the vehicle before the passenger suddenly experienced a burning sensation coming from the seated area of the passenger seat. The contact indicated that the passenger side seat heater element had over heated causing a burn hole in the seat and causing a minor burn to the passenger. The contact stated that a small flamed to the passengers right pant leg had to be extinguished during the incident and the passenger seat burn hole measured approximately 1 inch in diameter. The vehicle was diagnosed at the dealer. The contact was informed that the defect was caused by a faulty heat element inside the seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 125,000. Jft
Hola mi hija tuvo una experiencie terrible con su auto.ella se dirigia a la universidad en su auto y de momento comenzo a salir humo pr el area donde esta el guia y el conta milla mas o menos por lo poco que no pudo explicar por lo afectada que estaba.inmediatamente ella se detuvo y se bajo de vehiculo para llamar a su papa y jucto en ese momento se incendio y estamos seguros que fue un problema de fabrica para que se incendiara de esa manera.gracias a dios que mi hija estaba fuera del vehiculo porque por lo que rapido sucedio no le hubiera dado de salir y la historia hubiera sido otra.hago este reporte para que no vuelva a suceder algo asi.porque mi hija esta sumamente afectada. Muchas gracias por su atencion.
I have owned a Volkswagen Jetta (turbo - 2003) and have had one horrible problem after another. Without fail, I have taken my vehicle in for random mechanical repairs every few months since purchasing the vehicle. I found out the car was manufactured in Mexico and that vw was aware of how bad their car's manufactured in Mexico were. If that is the case, how can so many car owners with so many mechanical issues continue to sell in this country? I would like to report vw for lackluster performance and for continuing manufacture in an area well known for its below average standards and for continuing to bleed the consumer when it is fully aware of the issue.
Iam the original owner and have always kept my Jetta in the garage. I moved 3 and a half years ago and my car is no longer garaged. My headline is starting to detach from the inside of the car and the leather throughout my car is cracking. I noticed there was a classss action lawsuit regarding the sunroof drain getting clogged causing damage to the car. Who can I contact to see if I qualify for this action. At the time of the recall I did take my Jetta to a dealership and they said everything was fine, is this because my car was garaged and now its outside exposed to the elemets, which has caused this damage? Thank you,
My seat heater failed in my 2003 vw Jetta, burning a hole in the seat under my left [redacted]. I was startled when suddenly there a strong burning smell in the car, then a hot spot in the seat occurred which caused me to have to quickly shift my seating posting and I immediately turned off the seat heater. Luckily I was driving slowly in the city and able to pull in the in a parking spot quickly and the seat or my clothing did not catch on fire. The seat was set to 3 on a scale of 1-5. The car has about 125K miles on it.
NHTSA investigations
Engine stalling
By letter received on June 24, 2005, mr. Ronald m. Strickland of raleigh, nc, submitted a petition requesting that the agency investigate the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (my) 2000-2003 Volkswagen jetta, golf and passat sedans.the petitioner alleges that he had experienced multiple stalling events as a result of one or more ignition coil plugs malfunctioning on his 2002 vw jetta sedan.as a…
Electrical complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 97 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, 21% of the model year's 458 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 15 fires and 7 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.