| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta repairs by problem area
Engine (45%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (15%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (18%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)
Other (5%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 638 repairs.
2003 Volkswagen Jetta electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (1%)
$1000 - $2499 (7%)
$500 - $999 (14%)
$100 - $499 (27%)
< $100 (51%)
Chart based on 100 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2003 Volkswagen Jetta
Engine not specified
| 136000 mi US $550 |
Starter and spark plugs replaced |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 90hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual FWD
| 194000 mi US $360 |
AC actuator |
| 112000 mi | Radio didn't work when sold. |
| 101000 mi | Alternator froze up. Engine made an increasing amount of noise. |
| 132 mi US $850 |
Headlamp switch (aftermarket item) did not always switch on headlights or dashboard lights. Switch was replaced. Backup lamps were not working but the bulbs tested OK. Replaced reverse-lamp switch on transmission as well as a corroded pigtail off that switch. Windshield washer fluid reservoir low-level warning light remains on even when the reservoir is full. After discussing the cost of returning function to factory condition, I agreed to let the mechanic bypass the circuit so the light remains out regardless of fluid level. Alarm system sometimes arms itself after driver gets in the car but before the car is started. When a door is opened or the car started at that point, the alarm goes off. Mechanic tried to read car diagnostics but says some component is flooding the diagnostic line with noise, so he can't fully isolate the component causing this issue. He has suggested swapping out the door latch assembly, but at its price and because the problem does not lock me out of the car or immobilize it, I've decided to wait to repair it. |
| 134000 mi US $95 |
Car occasionally would start normally but issue three beeps about a minute or so after moving. No warning lights visible on dash at the time. Shut off ignition, restarted car, and ABS sensor light on dash flashed for a moment and went out. Car operated normally. Technician checked error codes and found the connection to the positive terminal on the battery was loose. Tightened the connection; problem has not occurred again. |
| 147582 mi US $95 |
Headlamp switch failed to turn on instrument panel lights when headlamps were switched on. In addition, when instrument panel lights did go on, they rarely could be brightened or dimmed. I replaced the instrument panel rheostat and the headlamp switch. |
| 317440 mi C $450 |
the driver's seat side airbag that needed replacing due to a short in the wiring or a low resistance for the ignitor... |
| 399900 mi C $500 |
Brake light switch finally died... there have been several recalls on this one, so I dropped into the closest dealer and had them replace it - took 20 minutes including washing the car!!! |
| 413540 mi C $20 |
Turn signal switch (stalk) finally gave out. Previously it has needed to be disassembled and cleaned (twice), this time a used part was installed. As well, the headlight switch needed replacing for the same reason. |
| 503540 mi C $40 |
Rear Wiper motor replaced on account of the washer hose being corroded - for a very long time (Original unit only lasted 34 months) |
| 526480 mi | Air conditioning compressor clutch coil failed. Replaced with used unit from my defunct Golf. |
| 527000 mi C $20 |
Starter died... at almost 850,000 km... no surprise... replaced with used unit I had on hand. |
| 549392 mi | Horn stopped working. Had a used one available on hand... |
| 226920 mi C $400 |
Driver's Door lock mechanism replaced due to the door switch being defective (well-known problem with these cars.) By the way: there are also defective door switches on two other doors that will require repair in the future. |
| 283820 mi | Wire leading to backup light switch had corroded and broken apart. Spliced in a length of wire - but it took a bit of dismantling to get to the location. |
| 293560 mi | Alternator failed. Replaced with used unit I had on hand. |
| 310620 mi | One of the horns had never worked since we got the car. I put in a used unit (from my now-expired Golf) Right-Front headlight (low-beam) bulb burned out. |
| 317480 mi | One of the radiator fans stopped working. Replaced with a used unit from my defunct Golf. |
| 322680 mi C $50 |
Switch in the door lock module failed. Replaced the module. |
| 408140 mi C $140 |
Replaced battery |
| 426942 mi | Heater blower (fan) needed to be replaced. Had used part available. |
| 431313 mi | Alternator failed (factory original unit... at 695666 km). Had a used replacement available. |
| 215760 mi C $600 |
Wiper Motor was burned out and had to be replaced |
| 220100 mi C $650 |
Alternator failed, was replaced. |
| 102920 mi C $46 |
Coolant temp gauge wasn't working. Replaced with VW coolant dual temperature sender, new seal, added coolant, and bled the system. |
| 116560 mi C $464 |
Seized alternator pulley. Replaced pulley. |
| 260000 mi US $10 |
Driver's side headlight as VW in their infinite wisdom made removing the battery required to access the headlight. Work done during a normally scheduled 20K mile service (oil/filter, air, fuel and cabin filters) and tire rotation. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 90hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 4-speed automatic FWD
| 91000 mi | Mechanic discovered that interface to trouble codes had no power. Could not recover check engine code or other codes while performing other repairs. Mechanic agreed that this was a problem that did not require repair. |
| 106000 mi US $120 |
Brake switch failure detected by error code. On-board diagnostic module had no power. Problem found and fixed. |
| 77000 mi US $180 |
Replaced rear brake light bulbs. Second problem fixed. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 132000 mi | An electrical gremlin popped up on the drivers side door (wouldn't lock/unlock or lock/unlock on its own). |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon
115-horsepower 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 148800 mi | Ignition coil |
| 118000 mi | Just after purchasing the vehicle it began to not want to start. Strangely it would start when in gear, but not when not in gear. The small dealer from whom we bought the car found that the wire to the starter had bent and was getting caught in the gear linkage. This wire was replaced. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon
115-horsepower 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 135000 mi US $300 |
Starter went |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 90hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual FWD
| 268000 mi US $20 |
No AM radio reception, limited FM reception. Replaced antenna base. |
| 273000 mi US $550 |
Bendix spring began to fail. Crank, Crank and then ZZZIIINNNNNGGG. Happened Three times. Taking no chances in -25 weather, had starter replaced. |
| 298000 mi US $3 |
Attempted to repair Drivers door latch switch, which activates Key left in ignition alarm, the door light and makes the alarm system function correctly. Did the radio shack fix --$3.00. Unfortunately now the outside door handle doesn't work |
| 301000 mi US $38 |
Replaced drivers door lock assembly. Did not have buzzer for key in ignition, lights left on,courtesy lights wouldn't light when door opened and radio had to be manually shut off. All fixed with this repair. |
| 83300 mi US $986 |
Alternator seized/pulley fell off. Replaced timing belt, water pump with repair as labor was shared |
| 89850 mi US $5 |
Replaced rear right brake light |
| 93600 mi US $63 |
Replaced antenae base - terminals rusted and no AM signal |
| 120800 mi US $33 |
AC Servo replaced (operates recirc flapper on HVAC unit) |
| 58000 mi US $300 |
replaced alternator - pulley broke |
| 158000 mi US $2500 |
alternator wore out from too much mileage - replaced |
| 230900 mi US $375 |
Battery replaced after 6 years and majorly cold winter. |
| 145700 mi C $580 |
Alternator. VW uses a special alternator that has a self slipping pulley incase the serpentine belt seizes. Don't cheap out a unit somebody says that can fix for $145. These units have complex electronics and the pulley needs to be replaced. |
| 673000 mi US $120 |
alternator ripple replaced one way pulley |
| 103000 mi US $2000 |
alternator and pulley. |
| 89900 mi C $1000 |
Immobilization Light would intermittantly come on and disable the vehicle. Wiring in the steering column and wiring going to the computer had to be changed |
| 101680 mi C $400 |
The door locking mechanism has been known to be faulty since 00. Complex pieces and expensive parts. Replaced with an upgraded model and all is fine. |
| 170000 mi US $1470 |
Alternator clutch failed, causing alternator to fail and tensioner to break |
| 217000 mi US $200 |
Window regulator failed |
| 53000 mi US $20 |
Headlight bulbs go out often. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 90hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 4-speed automatic FWD
| 194000 mi US $900 |
Alternator and serpentine belt tensioner replaced |
| 85000 mi US $1200 |
short in electrical system, fuse box above battery fried, electrical cord between alternator and battery burned through |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 31961 mi | replaced defective brake light switch - warranty repair |
| 35331 mi | headlight adjustment for proper aim - "courtesy" repair due to issue with prior incorrect part ordered for door handle repair |
| 40760 mi US $16 |
Driver side headlight replacement. replaced headlight |
| 58271 mi US $42 |
Diagnosis of fuel door only opening intermittently. Found faulty switch in driver door. Not replaced because part not in stock. |
| 70678 mi US $21 |
Replaced brake light |
| 72000 mi | Brake light bulb burned out. |
| 80021 mi US $45 |
When we had it in for routine maintenance (80K service) we had them diagnose an intermittent issue with the door locks sometime lock randomly. Diagnosis was right front door latch was defective. We opted not to repair due to the $400 estimated cost. Diagnosis of doors locking randomly. Advised front right door latch to be defective. Estimated $400 to repair. Elected not to fix. |
| 87034 mi US $97 |
In door switch to open gas fill door working very infrequently (would take >20 attempts to get the fuel door open). replaced switch in driver door that opens fuel dorr |
| 94975 mi US $93 |
diagnosis of LF marker light not working |
| 97579 mi US $66 |
replace left front corner marker lamp and bulb in bumper |
| 119741 mi US $18 |
Passenger side headlight replacement, 14.96 replaced brake light replaced headlight |
| 139700 mi US $110 |
AC not working. Fixed with recharge. |
| 150000 mi US $31 |
Headlight bulb replaced |
| 156601 mi US $11 |
Driver side break light replaced |
| 117800 mi | AC completely shut down. Told by garage that it is a big job over 1000$, not worth repairing since we are about to sell the car. |
| 117800 mi | AC out. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 589 mi | defogger wouldn't work. car steamed up terribly when cold weather came. |
| 16151 mi C $165 |
flickering dash lights, moonroof opens without turning switch, alarm setting itself while in car and after locking it from fob. The did a check by plugging it into computer. said they could find nothing wrong and charged me for the labour. 2nd trip to dealer in a week. same problems. They said they reset it and it should be fine. charged me for labour. oh and by the way, we found some hoses and a vacuum hose that need replacing, but were okay 3 days before.??? |
| 20150 mi | Severe electrical probs, dealers in Montreal useless. Had to drive to Calgary, where I bought it. The dealer there, rewired things, put in new battery. charged me $0, said under warranty. I guess Quebec has different warranty laws too! |
| 67000 mi US $75 |
Replaced broken passenger tail light |
| 69000 mi US $130 |
Replaced failing driver door lock module with OEM part |
| 81000 mi US $140 |
One headlight, and one taillight were out. Mechanic replaced both. |
| 110500 mi US $50 |
Replaced passenger side seat heater switch. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
200-horsepower 2.8L V6 6-speed manual FWD
| 103500 mi US $40 |
Replaced headlights. Replaced headlights. |
| 103000 mi | Ongoing electrical issues that would cause the speedometer and odometer to malfunction. The passenger side turn signal light would often refuse to turn off, which led to a dead battery more than a few times. A/C stopped working. |
| 55000 mi | Driver's side window local down switch inoperative. |
| 105000 mi US $1500 |
a/c compressor failed and needed to be replaced |
| 149000 mi US $500 |
AC system not working |
| 137800 mi US $1350 |
It needed a new wiper motor. The junction box melted down. Shut the car down, had to be towed. |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
200-horsepower 2.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 109000 mi US $360 |
battery died and replaced. voltage 12v should be 14v |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
115-horsepower 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 65347 mi US $883 |
Alternator & battery... |
| 67445 mi US $378 |
Wire harness & fuse box. |
| 67462 mi US $170 |
Gas gauge!!! |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Sedan
115-horsepower 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 53000 mi | Had to tow the car twice for a battery fault - they replaced the battery the first time, and replaced the cable the next time (in less than a week). had to towe the car twice for a battery fault - they replaced the battery the first time, and replaced the cable the next time (in less than a week). |
| 58000 mi US $400 |
Alternator died (and battery replaced) alternator died (and battery replaced) |
| 68300 mi US $400 |
front window regulator replaced |
| 146000 mi US $60 |
The dash light dimmer switch shorted out and melted! A replacement part was ordered and installed. |
| 154000 mi US $1933 |
Needed a new A/C compressor and A/C receiver/dryer. |
| 140300 mi US $300 |
There was a severe parasitic electrical drain that had been causing my battery to get drained. I had to install a kill switch. |
| 138200 mi | My car had a parasitic electrical drain and a lot of the electrical modules were going haywire. Earlier mechanic unable to fix it. I then took it to a 2nd mechanic who fixed the electrical issues. The 2nd mechanic told me my speedometer cluster was bad and the wiring to one of the headlights was messed up. |
| 141300 mi US $280 |
Faulty airbag wiring harness was causing a parasitic electrical drain and causing several electrical modules to malfunction (turn signals would not work, headlights did not light up, windshield wipers would randomly go off while driving car) |
2003 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door
turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel manual 2WD
| 91000 mi US $780 |
alternator pulley came off while driving, causing damage to alternator. Replaced alternator and pulley. |
See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Volkswagen models.
