Would you recommend this to a friend? The 2003 Volkswagen Jetta is available as a 4-door, 5-seat sedan. 18,490, the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI (M5) Sedan is powered by a 1.9L, 4-cylinder engine mated to a manual transmission that returns an EPA estimated 42-mpg in the city and 49-mpg on the highway. 21,645, is powered by a 1.9L, 4-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission that returns an EPA estimated 34-mpg in the city and 45-mpg on the highway. Disclaimer: This calculation is based on the information you entered and is for illustrative purposes only. This calculation reflects amounts in U.S. Dollars rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Estimated monthly payments DO NOT include license, doc, emissions, or other possible fees. All loan figures are based upon non-commercial usage and are subject to credit approval from an independent lending source. Actual down payment and resulting monthly payments may vary depending upon type and use of vehicle, regional lender requirements, and the strength of your credit. Check with your dealer for exact monthly payment., all rights reserved. Certain specifications, prices and equipment data have been provided under license from Chrome Data Solutions ("Chrome Data"). All Rights Reserved. This information is supplied for personal use only and may not be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever without the express written consent of Chrome Data. Chrome Data makes no guarantee or warranty, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any warranty of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose, with respect to the data presented here. All specifications, prices and equipment are subject to change without notice.
You may not realize it, but air bags deploy at speeds sometimes exceeding 200 mph. Many consumers experiencing an air bag deployment have indicated that the air bag appeared to explode, and have compared the sound to a shotgun blast. When questioning an air bag's performance during an accident, there are three critical questions you should analyze before determining its role in contributing to serious injuries or a wrongful death. Should the air bag have deployed? When an airbag should deploy depends on many different factors, including your type of airbag. If the airbag did not deploy, and should have, you may have a "failure to deploy" or "non-deployment" case. In such a situation, the air bag would have deployed if the air bag crash sensor or other components had not failed. Failure of a crash sensor (or the wires connecting a crash sensor to the electronic control unit) often cause the air bag to not deploy. Sometimes air bags don't deploy because the car company did not conduct adequate crash tests when designing the air bags.
For example, many airbag systems sold to consumers were never tested in car-to-car crash tests, even though such crashes occur every day. We often see air bag failures in crashes involving trees or utility poles. If the passenger air bag deployed, but the driver air bag did not deploy, the vehicle may contain a defective "clockspring" or coil. A clockspring is an electrical device installed in the steering column beneath the driver air bag. Its function is to transmit an electrical current to deploy the driver air bag. Several defects have been identified in clocksprings, including design defects, inadequate testing, improper installation and improper adjustment - all of which have led to driver air bag failures. In some cases, a passenger air bag will not deploy even though the driver air bag deployed and a passenger was sitting in the seat. This could occur when the advanced air bags (now widely used in new cars) fail to detect the passenger with their passenger presence detection sensor.
If the air bag deployed, but should not have deployed, you may have an "inadvertent" or unwarranted low-speed deployment. Inadvertent deployments can occur even if the vehicle was not involved in an accident and are often caused by air bag sensor or other electrical system defects. In some cases, even a minor action such as a turning your key in the ignition can trigger air bag deployment. Some manufacturers used inappropriate sensor combinations that are overly susceptible to low-speed, localized impacts. Other manufacturers used inappropriate sensors and/or test programs that allowed air bags to deploy even when the vehicle struck a pothole or curb. Did the air bag deploy late? In a late deployment case, the air bag deploys later than it should, allowing a person to move toward the air bag (sometimes called "out-of-position"). The extreme force from an air bag at close range can cause catastrophic injuries. Late deployments often occur in minor accidents and collisions that differ from the manufacturers' crash testing.
At least one manufacturer implemented an electrical device in an attempt to fix another problem, but which caused late deployments under certain accident circumstances. Often, such late deployments can be prevented using additional sensors and/or changes to the algorithms of electronic sensors. In some cases, the vehicle's "black box" can confirm that a late deployment took place. The airbag system's black box is also sometimes called the SDM (Sensing and Diagnostic Module), DERM (Diagnostic and Energy Reserve Module), RCM (Restraints Control Module), EDR (Event Data Recorder), or ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Did the air bag have specific safety features? Because air bags can deploy at speeds of more than 200 mph, they should include certain safety features to reduce the risk of injury during deployment. In addition to safety features, the air bag system must also work together with the other parts of the car. For example, air bag crash sensors depend on the vehicle having a good structure or frame so the signal is received soon enough to avoid a late deployment. Also, the instrument panel (I/P) or "dash" needs to be designed so that the knees and legs are not injured, while keeping the body properly positioned. And, when the air bag deploys, it must not create additional hazards for other components. For example, some air bags are known to shatter the dash and send the pieces flying toward the passengers at high speeds. You should get answers to these questions for any potentially defective front, side, curtain or rollover air bags. You deserve a safe and effective air bag during any type of a crash.
