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Volkswagen Jetta Brakes and Rotors

272 messages,  Last post on Jan 15, 2013 at 7:07 AM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Jetta, Brakes, Sedan

Messages Page 23 of 28

#214 of 272 Re: 2007 Jetta Wolfsburg brake problems [bpeebles] by 2008__jetta

Apr 02, 2010 (10:37 pm)

Replying to: bpeebles (Feb 27, 2010 6:33 pm)
I have to disagree with you bpeebles. Had VW taken care of the brake issue to begin with, I never would have had to take my car to Meineke. This is my third VW since 2000. This one is a lemon. The brakes have had major issues twice. The paint completely peeled off of my front hood within the first month and is now peeling again. They repainted it initially. I'll need to take it in again. I've had the car for 19 mos now. One third of my engine went out the second month I had the car. It was BRAND NEW when I bought it. This will be my last VW. I'm disappointed that the dealership did not choose to step up but fought me when the brakes were messed up a second time. They are aware of the issue. Their actions are no better than Toyota's.

#215 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [tmv2] by rn_missy

Apr 05, 2010 (9:36 am)

Replying to: tmv2 (Apr 02, 2010 1:36 pm)
I am now beginning to experience this issue with a 2007 VW Jetta Wolfsburg that has about 15K miles on it Right now, I only hear the noise when it rains. I am freaked by all the brake complaints I read on here concerning the 07 Jetta because this is not an inexpensive issue.
 
Do I need to take it into the dealer and have them look at it or is this normal??

#216 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [rn_missy] by thess02

Apr 05, 2010 (2:27 pm)

Replying to: rn_missy (Apr 05, 2010 9:36 am)
The brake rotors are made of cast iron and will develop surface rust after rain or high humidity situations when the car is not being driven. You will hear the surface rust being scrubbed off when braking initially. This is normal until the surface rust has been removed by the brake pads.

#217 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [thess02] by dtheman

Apr 17, 2010 (8:27 pm)

Replying to: thess02 (Apr 05, 2010 2:27 pm)
Same car: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L. My brakes are suddenly depressing all the way to the floor and the passenger side pads look like they are gone. I have only 31,000 and the dealer did an inspection at 29,000 when they replaced the transmission under warranty. This is WAY too early for brakes to wear out, and the driving has been mostly highway. I am curious: the manual says I should get a light if the fluid is low or the pads are low, but I am getting no warning lights. Is this itself a defect? I plan to get the car into the dealer ASAP and am assuming I should not drive the car except to the dealer.

#218 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [dtheman] by 2008__jetta

Apr 17, 2010 (8:43 pm)

Replying to: dtheman (Apr 17, 2010 8:27 pm)
I didn't have a light come on either. Yes, take the car in to the dealership. The dealership explained that the mechanic must not have taken the wheel off to check the pads but must have just looked instead. It's a continual problem. I filed a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Perhaps if enough of us file a complaint, then VW will be forced to deal with the defects. Here's the link:
 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.bead436724af02e770f6df102000- 8a0c/

#219 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [dtheman] by thess02

Apr 18, 2010 (6:11 am)

Replying to: dtheman (Apr 17, 2010 8:27 pm)
You didn't state rear or front brake pads worn so I will assume it's the rear pads. Only the front pads have wear sensors. As the pads wear, the brake pedal will depress further and the brake fluid reservoir level will be lower. This is normal. As I stated in earlier posts, I remove the wheels to check brake pad wear. I rotate tires myself at 10,000 mile intervals and check for wear with a $10.00 digital caliper I bought at Harbor Freight. The Bentley shop manual states 2mm thickness is minimum for the pads. I went ahead and replaced mine before that at about 5mm. If memory serves, new pads start with about 13mm of friction material. If you only have one set of pads (1 wheel) wearing more than the others, there is a problem in the caliper (pistons sticking) or parking brake (adjustment). My parking brake adjustment was way too tight. Rear pads will cost about $60.00 - $70.00 at the dealership, plus labor. If the pads wear to their metal backing plates, the rotors will need replacing. I bought aftermarket pads at Autozone for $21.00. The Autozone pads have a lifetime replacement warranty...when they wear out, I get a new set free...not so with the VW pads. There is a problem with the Jetta rear calipers in my opinion. When I replaced the rear pads on my Jetta, I noticed a bit more force necessary to rotate the driver side caliper piston in to make clearance for the new pads. The passenger side rotated with less required force. Not coincidenatally, the driver side pads were more worn (thinner) than the passenger side. I didn't want to damage the rubber dust seal on the caliper piston, so I didn't investigate further. I believe there is either a manufacturing defect in the piston threads not being matched/cut properly or...no grease/anti-seize on the piston threads. I also think the parking brake adjustments are not being done properly coming from the factory. The dealerships probably won't mess with readjustment because it's a pain. The rear half of the center console has to be disassembled to get access to the primary adjuster nut. It's hard to believe your transmission needed replacing but with the Jetta 6 speed tiptronic, fluid level can't be checked with a dipstick so the fluid may have been too low coming from VW when the car was built. I'm pricing fluid/filter kits for my car now as I have 62,000 miles on mine. Looks like around $145.00 for everything.

#220 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [dtheman] by jetta7

Apr 18, 2010 (7:21 am)

Replying to: dtheman (Apr 17, 2010 8:27 pm)
Did you ever experience chatter, or shudder in the front end at certain speeds, or when stopping with this vehicle?

#221 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [thess02] by 2008__jetta

Apr 18, 2010 (8:12 am)

Replying to: thess02 (Apr 18, 2010 6:11 am)
Mine were the rear brakes. The dealership finally replaced the calipers as the emergency brake was sticking.

#222 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [2008__jetta] by thess02

Apr 18, 2010 (6:03 pm)

Replying to: 2008__jetta (Apr 18, 2010 8:12 am)
Well..hopefully, the new calipers fixed your problem. Good luck.

#223 of 272 Re: 2008 Jetta SE 2.5L [thess02] by dtheman

Apr 19, 2010 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: thess02 (Apr 18, 2010 6:11 am)
Thanks for this info. The car still stops fine; but if I keep pressure on the brake it gradually descends to the floor. This occurs after the car has stopped. I am taking it to the dealer. From previous experience I usually find it's much cheaper to fix brakes anywhere but the dealer, so I really don't want the dealer to fix it unless there is some warranty coverage. Normally brakes would not be covered, but is there a chance there is a defect or improper setting here?

Messages Page 23 of 28

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