10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 3
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 78,780 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Driver heated leather seat caught fire after car was turned on and the heated seat button was turned on. The vehicle was stationary.
- Chesterfield, MO, USA
While my sister which is currently pregnant, was driving my Jetta the heated seat overheated. The heated seats became so hot that it burned the seat, her jacket and her skin. She received 1st -2nd degree burns on her back.
- Ortonville, MI, USA
Turned seat warmer on while driving. Thirty minutes later after arriving at destination, felt like my lower back was burned. Had my wife look at my back. I had what appeared to be a second to third degree burn. Throughout the afternoon, the burn began blistering. There is an imprint in the seat which matches where the burnt part of my back was resting against the back of the seat. A burn mark (hole), a little larger than the size of a pin tip, was left in the seat and the fabric appears to be melted around the hole.
- Bethalto, IL, USA
I was driving to work one morning and it started to smell like something was burning. I thought maybe it was just a weird smell in my vents but within 10 minutes of driving a cloud of smoke filed the driver side of my car. Luckily I was not on the highway yet and I was able to pull over and shut off the car. Not knowing where the smoke came from I immediately got out of the car. It when then that I looked down and saw the source of the smoke, there was a quarter size hole in my driver seat. I had been driving with the seat heater on and it caught fire. Luckily I was not injured and was able to quickly get off the road and discover the issue however I have read other complaints of similar events and yet no recall.
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
Drivers heated seat activated on its own. Control switch on dash was set at 0, drive received moderate burns to legs and buttock. Removed fuse and took vehicle to dealer. Nothing found, dealer suggested if the seat heats up again, bring vehicle directly to the dealer, do not shut it off. Burns are similar to a bad sunburn, some redness, no blisters.
- Saint John, IN, USA
- Columbus, OH, USA