2010 Jetta Broken Stereo

The numbers are actually very impressive....No recalls..everyone seems happy with the TDI from what I've read for a few minutes~

an "entire new" stereo system would not be integrated such as the current touch panel is~ take it to the dealership...probably a warranty item~

http://www.truedelta.com/Volkswagen-Jetta/problems-280

Hello - I have the exact same problem. Did you get it figured it out? My dealer wants $125.00 just to diagnose the problem?!

printout this documented problem and tell him he has to have seen this more than once~

Just for a wrap-up, needs whole new system. Volkswagen will not cover. Re-manufactured $750....ugh.

My 2010 TDI RCD-510 stereo just went out two days ago. Both fuses are in tact as well. Any help would be awesome

I'd inspect and test the ground (-) to the unit...run another jumper if weak~

Follow up - Removing my radio today and sending it out to be fixed. Less than $300 with 1 year warranty. Something strange happened the other day though, I accidentally left my lights on and my battery died, I had to jump start the car and the whole stereo system worked for the day! Then just went back to not working. Any idea I what this meant?

yes...as I have asserted, every time the starter is used...the connection to the frame and motor are "welded" by 300+ amps...what you must do is disconnect the black 1/0 cable that connects to the chassis....take a coarse wirebrush...take it down to metal...also the one that goes to the engine (near the alternator)...this renewed ground will enable the devices driven by the ground up to and beyond the instrument panel~

ECU's do NOT like varying voltages and varying amperages...the stuff trouble lights are made of~

Thanks for the help judge Roy. I'm going to try and find where my ground runs. Or is there an easy way to hook up my stereo to an alt power source?

...well NO Colin...this is where automakers fall off of the horse~ only one cable (1/0)[wire spec] and only to the frame/chassis...will just take a moment to put it right...this is where you should get reliable ground...from the chassis~ I mean you could "kentucky chuckie" a black wire from the battery...but chances are this will fail...start a fire and be unnecessary~ at the clamp...yes another wire could be inserted into the clamp there...seems like so much trouble when all that is needed is some correction to the current situation~

So...to continue my saga. The radio repairman contacted me, it's not the radio. He said the radio is just fine, therefore it must be the amplifier that is in the car, no amplifier in the radio itself.....so I wonder what the dealership was going to sell me for $750? Dropping the car off on Friday to assess the amplifier.

the last car I owned that had a separate tuner and amplifier was the Isuzu Impulse of 1988....I think that a 2010 should have condensed them into one unit?~~...even so there should be a fuse or two that you could examine...these things don't go bad by themselves, but have to be abused in one way or another~

Update on my stereo: When I took my car to dealership, they confirmed it was not a fuse. It was no longer under warranty (car has 42K miles & >3yrs old). All they said was an internal component in the stereo must have failed. Dealership had a program where they "exchange" the broken stereo (send in the broken one) and replace it with a working one for $600 (which is what I did). My replacement stereo is now supposed to be under warranty for 12months/12K miles. FYI, it took a few weeks for the replacement stereo to come in, during which I went on vacation for 10 days. After not driving car for 10 days my car battery was dead. I had to have my car battery jumped. When the deanship checked to see if I needed a new battery, all the battery tests passed. Thus, my battery is okay, but the broken stereo may have been draining the battery more than normal.

oooo, our friend parasitic drain...note the date on top of your battery..five years old is too old because it stops accepting a charge 10% per year....makin' the alternator work twice as hard to charge it up...Get a new one with a warranty that "pro-rates" your old battery...sellers Interstate batteries will give you credit towards the purchase of a new one (pops the Engineering VP there)~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdIKNnwEjIs

I've been going through the same problem for 4 weeks now. I really appreciate the last round of responses and look forward to some additional troubleshooting

here's a pinout diagram...if this can help~

Thanks for the diagram im going to bench test my stereo today ish.. i hope i dont have to throw down 600

Yes, the tunes ARE that important....think about ticket prices for goin' to see your favorite band in crowded (get your wallet stolen) type place and if music is to you what it is with a first chair musician you know that cannot live a single day without my tunes...am currently listening to DJ Krush on pandora.com~

the local U-Pull or pickNpull will probably have acres of the TDI~ you may just spend an afternoon on a one dollar hike...I like to bring my camera to see the glorious former engineering feats....all destined to get parted (totally environmentally responsible)...rather then pony up to pay for the guy's new pool table or to help his kid through college...be sensible, you do not have to go NEW...you know how this all goes together by now and decimating a few wrecks is always a joyous time~

I have a 2010 tdi jetta wagon and the stereo also just went dead. What was the latest? Any new news?

@npresslywolf, check the "blogs" for recurrence of your failure....and TSB/recalls on this stereo~

this exact thing happened to me: i have a 2010 jetta tdi sportwagon. the stereo "broke" in july. took it in, fuses were fine and dealer said the radio was broken. by oct, the car would not start if left sitting for more than a day. took it in, battery tested fine. but did it again 2 days later. when jumped the radio went on and off so i knew the radio was not broken and i figured it was a parasitic drain. i took it in again, the battery tested fine, the dealer disconnected the radio and the car seemed fine for about a week but now it is not starting even if driven less than 24 hrs ago. what else could this be? what should i do to fix it (the dealer seems clueless after all this.)

Ugh! Thats terrible jdbrica! I have dealt with the situation, but do not recommend my path… even tho my new car repair guys are pretty fair… the radio was deemed dead, so they put in a new one and $425 later it all works, but the stereo is not as nice… I always found our dealer to be USELESS and this is in Mnahattan.

FYI, my 2010 TDI Jetta sport wagon has been diagnosed with the same cause for my battery going dead it not driven at least every 24 hour. My dealer wants $728 for a new radio. I am convinced to buy an aftermarket system which will allow me go incorporate a gps unit. Anybody have any experience with this solution, speak up.

i posted earlier...so it turns out that the dealer had a faulty battery tester because i ended up replacing the battery and the problem has gone away. i then said i want my radio hooked up again and working b/c I'm not convinced it really broke (since it went on when we jumped the battery). i also complained again that a radio should not break after 3.5 yrs. the service guy felt that since i only have 23k miles on the car he might be able to make a case for "good will" which they (whoever that is) eventually approved. and now, as i write this, i am at the dealer waiting for my new radio to be installed. if you have low mileage you could try being the squeaky wheel and throw in a few complaints about how this is jetta living up to its reputation, etc…if they did not agree to do this i was going to either get one off ebay (they have the stock vw radios available for a lot less) or go to best buy or some radio place and get one for $200- 300.

Wow this really seems like a 2010 jetta issue-- I wonder what dealer jdbrica has-- our local dealerships, either Manhattan or Apple (Bronx) are not so helpful, and quite disorganized… I think their idea of "good will" would be pretty different! We now have a pretty cheap set up, $450 later. Very sadly surprised with quality of the car.

Since my vw dealer acknowledged my parasitic battery drain was caused by my 2010 Jetta TDI's radio/CD player, and after hearing of this case, I can only conclude that VW got a faulty batch of radios for the 2010s. I see it as an opportunity to change mine out for one that a reputable brand (Kenwood) has a gps included.

the dealer is downtown los angeles. when i picked the car up my service advisor said he had another 2010 jetta in with a broken radio but since that car had a lot of miles on it, he could not make the case for "good will". i think i got lucky. it does seem like this is a 2010 problem. i wonder how long this new radio will last...

My radio just "broke" in my 2010 SE Jetta, as well. I've had the mechanic and the dealership look at it, and they can't find any fixable errors. The dealership quoted me $490 for a replacement, which includes a 12k/12 month warranty. But I'm concerned this will happen again- does anyone know if VW has updated their stock radios to eliminate this problem? Has anyone gone the aftermarket route? I've found some touchscreen/bluetooth/cd/dvd stereos for $250+ at Best Buy, and they estimtated $240 for parts and labor. But I know nothing about their quality or warranties either. Anyone have any ideas?

I had the same problem with my 2010 Jetta sportwagon TDI except the radio still works fine, but it drains the battery, My dealer quoted $728 for a replacement installed. From the look on their faces in Service, it appears they have has to deal with this issue a number of times. They recommended an after-market replacement radio place they trust. It seems reasonable to assume VW got a bad batch of radios. Draw your own conclusions.

the VW beetle AM radio was "hot" all the time....could be left on very easily....the COLD war was going on at the time and we needed to hear the "emergency broadcast system" so we could tell when to hide under the desks~ ...still I think it's important for the passenger to listen to the radio while the driver is off at the bank or store~...thankfully I can still listen to the baseball game while the wife is in the store with the MINI will allow if you press the 'on' button twice~ this is a keen feature and should not be a parasitic drain~

I am having the same problem with my radio in my 2010 VW Jetta TDI. While driving one day it just "popped" and shut off. Have checked fuses, they appear good. All within a few weeks I have also had the following: Rear driver side door latch failure, horn fuse blown, glow plug light and check engine light came on. Also have replaced fan switch twice.....is it possible all of this is related to the bad ground? I have read about the electrical issues on several sites - I may just have bad luck! It is a commuter car, so I have 130,000 on it, but always have my maintenance done on time. Dealer said about 1500-1800 to replace radio, recommended aftermarket radio but really hate to do that. It has affected the Bluetooth capability and everything in my car, just feel like it shouldn't be so costly after only 3 yrs. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

...yes, with the cooler weather and road salt, am going to say the Black Battery cable as it attaches to the ground/chassis has become "brown" and needs to be refreshed with a wirebrush...undo the bolt clean the lug by holding it with a pliers and the ground spot where it attaches~ put them back with a fresh battery and will have no more problems~

Hey Judge Roy - same issue here. 2010 Jetta TDI radio popped and died the other day. Called two area dealers - one said he never heard of it as a known problem the other said I was the second call today with it. Should I suggest that they try cleaning the grounds first? Could that really be the sole problem? If I replace the radio will it just happen again in a year or two? Thanks

Yes....jettajoe...no one ever complained because the chassis ground was TOO full of ground potential...in other words..."it coudn't hwoit"~

chase after the rust and get down to metal...you electronics will NOT forgive you if you do not~

My problem is even more weird. After dead battery i jump started the car and only cd player doesnt work. The radio, media, aux everything works. Bud cd player doesnt. Plus the indicator lights on shifter dont work. And i dont have DTL anymore. The low beam is constantly on. I have 2012 vw passat. 2.5 se. I cant figure out whats wrong because all fuses are good. And battery drains every 4-5 weeks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B__DqK90IIc

sounds like an over-voltage condition was presented to the electrical system...higher voltage SURGE from the jumpstart....I can see how this might happen...all I can suggest is NOTE the defective/burnt out parts and replace them one at a time~

With all the radio/stereo failures we've been hearing about on this blog coupled with my own experience of having to jumpstart my 2010 Jetta, due to the parasitic leakage, a lot of times and never suffering any problems from a surge, I find it difficult to believe that jumpstarting is the culprit here.

in an insufficient chassis ground situation the extra power has to go somewhere....that's why we need to clean our chassis ground to battery connection...'tis "main street" for the electrical department~

Having the same stereo issue. turned the car on one day, and stereo and lights around will not turn on, nothing. a few times, it flashed for a moment while driving, otherwise nothing. Dealer has never heard of and has no advice other than to look at it. Very frustrated, have not set anything up yet. fuses and everything seem fine.

yes call me "clean your main grounds from the battery to frame with a wirebrush", roy~

Well well well, I share your frustration... I have a 2011 jetta 2.5 SE and just the other day I turned on my car and I heard a pop and the whole stereo system went. Everything else in the car is working heat, heated seats, etc but no power to the radio. I checked all my fuses and they were fine, I brought my car to a mechanic and on first glance he couldn't find anything wrong either but he said he needs more time to look at it and for me to bring it back before I buy an aftermarket stereo and put it in. I haven't had any problems with the battery or had to jump start it. My car is no longer under warranty. I'm worried that once I buy a new stereo and install it, it's going to crap out on me again if I don't get to the bottom of this. Has anyone had luck getting their stereo to work again after cleaning the chassis from ground up? PLEASE suggestions needed. I'm not trying to dump any more money into this car.

I also have a 2011 jetta tdi and MIT radio just died last nite. Prior to its demise I had a noise coming from the dash like a solenoid clicking nonstop or like a cd trying to load. The dealer told me it was my recirc motor. I tried to tell them that it made the noise even with the car off but they insisted it was the recirc motor. Now that my stereo is dead the noise is gone. Has anyone else heard this noise prior to your radio dieing. I am losing my faith in vw. I also had a routan and after 3 months and $7000 they still could not fix it. I unloaded it and went back to a ford and am about ready to do the same with this jetta.

I've had the same identical symptoms as Mauzymb-- a 1 second interval popping sound coming out of the speakers, radio LCD blank, even with ignition turned off. removed radio/navigation fuse underhood and it stopped. fuse replaced, no noise, but no radio either. I dont know what a "recirc motor" is but I doubt it is related to the radio fuse...

Cleaned main battery to ground. Still have no luck. Radio will still turn on for a few minutes in very cold weather, then will turn off and had the popping noise happen a couple times too. Not sure if my problem is the actual radio when it works great when it decides to turn on. I still have not contacted the dealer about looking at the vehicle since they say they have never heard of this.

message to judge_roy: it might help if we had a wiring diagram for the stereo, particularly the power system. do you have wiring diagrams? I'm thinking there may be a circuit that unpowers the stereo during engine start, possibly a relay. That circuit might be defective..

I have a 2010 Jetta TDI and the radio sound just stopped working a couple of days ago. Radio was still on and screen active, but no sound. Dealer fixed it for free. There is a TSB 91-13-19 to update the software. All is working well now.

Add one more person to the list of dead radios in my 2010 Jetta TDI. No pop that we heard - just stopped working, no lights, no sound, no bluetooth. Checked the fuse location under the hood and there was no fuse in that socket location (manual must have an error). I tried putting a fuse into that socket just in case (#18) with no luck. Inspected all of the fuses that are in the box and all are fine. I will attempt to get into dash and check the fuse on back of radio. Dealer wants $99 just to look at it and then $350-650 for a refurbished radio. They said they can't give me an exact price until they take it apart and verify the model number on the back of the radio because there were 7 or 8 different models of radio possible from at least three different OEMs (does this sound reasonable - seems like a dubious statement to me?)

Sounds bout right. I had researched mine and found exactly what i needed without pulling the deck and they still refused to order what i wanted till i got the numbers. It is very easy to remove and get the numbers. Now they tell me i have to give them my old one which i don't understand. Im not happy bout this whole situation and compounded with my experiences over last summer with my wife's vw i am sure i will not own another vw.

I also had the pop sound in speakers and radio went dead, fuses are ok. Any final answer on the cause of this problem?

Not really. I ended up buying a new system and having it installed. It was much cheaper than what the dealer was quoting.

2010 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI... Dead Battery -> Replaced Battery -> Sound System Failure... This problem is occuring so much it should be a recall...

This just happened to me this weekend with my 2010 Jetta Sportwagen TDI. I agree it should be recalled. The radio worked fine on the way home. Got into the car an hour later and nothing worked on the radio system. Went to dealership to figure it out. They charged me $112 to let me know the radio is dead and needed to be replaced at another $575 for just the radio, not including installation. They recommended buying one at Best Buy, but its not like they are much cheaper. I ended up buying a basic radio for $120 from them. After installation, the radio, and paying VW I am out $400+ today and ended up with a cheaper radio I don't even like. Not happy.

That is almost exactly what happened with me. Now I have a cheap radio which doesn't communicate with the car so well. My car had less than 20K miles on it... so not happy either!

I got my new radio and after complaining about the poor diagnostic skills they installed and coded it for free. The replacement radio is the same model they put in the 2012. They said it supercedes the model i had and that my old radio model is no longer available. Gee i cant imagine why! I believe my initial radio is the same as what they put in the 2010. I went with the dealer replacement because since i have blue toothe hands free sirius and rear usb, it was gonna cost $1000.00 to replace aftermarket with same features. I paid $560.00 and will hope for a recall to pop up.

So I was fortunate to find a used RCD510 from 2013 on a forum, everything works now. Cost 400$ and installed myself. It's my first and last VW.

I agree im going back to all ford

Add another one to the list. Same issue as the others. The radio finally came on one day while driving, but then I rolled the window down and it popped. I've tried working this issue out with corporate VW, but they won't even here it until I get it diagnosed. I even sent them this thread. Looks like VW is losing another customer.

Well I have a 2010 Jetta SEL and same issue radio went out while I was driving on the interstate. Went to VW dealership and was told that I had to wait a week before looking at vehicle. Ended up going to a certified imports mechanic and they told for new radio will $1700 plus labor will be $2300+ I said I will not believe that I cannot get second hand radio. I told them do not work on vehicle I will pick up vehicle and go elsewhere.

I have a 2010 VW Jetta TDI and my radio just went blank:-( the dealer and VW of America said have a nice day it will be $695 for a replacement$$$$ This will be the last VW for me i'm going for a Honda next (better customer service).

Cheap solution to this problem-- I bought a new RCD-310 entry level radio on ebay. It works fine for me-- has only one CD not the 6 as in the premium 8 radio and no Sirius Satellite receiver. And no SD card reader. All of which I'm not willing to pay big bucks for. The radio cost me $99. Removal and replacement was simple, all connectors and wiring were compatible, just plug and replace(assuming you don't have the accessory power amplifier under the seat). Unfortunately I stupidly went to the dealer for a final diagnosis. cost me about $125 for them to tell me the radio was dead; Duhhh!! The only trick was to use a plastic shim tool to pry the front bezel off around the radio. my local library had a data base with wiring diagrams. The speakers probably sound better than a normal entry level RCD310 since the premium 8 installation has a mid-range speaker using a passive crossover network

My 2010 Jetta TDI has a similar radio problem. When I start my car, the radio screen is black. After about 3 minutes, the radio comes on and works fine. I called the dealership and was told it might be a software setting or a bad radio. Again, $75 to diagnose.

I own a 2010 Jetta TDi. While I love the car I just had a problem with my head unit. The CD player refuses to eject any CDs and I get an error message when trying to eject any of them. I'm a musician and use all the features of the head unit, especially the SD card reader, which I find extremely useful to load the tunes on that I need to learn. I listen to them while driving. In reading the responses to this forum I've noticed many postings for the 2010 Jettas whose head unit has stopped working. While it would be great to think that there might be a recall I won't hold my breath for one. Does anyone know if there's an exact aftermarket replacement for this head unit? I'm not going to spend $900-1k on one. Thanks for your help...

Gentry82 Not sure where you are from and I know that cost is different from area to area. In my area the aftermarket unit was reasonable. Its all the add- ons that are so costly. Harness for the steering wheel controls was like $65 with $65 labor. The satalite tuner was $100 with $65 labor and there was something else. Total the least i could get it was just under $900 and that did not have the sd card reader. I went with the oe unit which come to find out has been superceeded by the newer unit that goes in the 2012's. I paid $560. Then there is an hours labor for install and coding unless you have the software to do that yourself. Hope this helps.

My 2010 jetta radio just went black 65000 miles no help from VW usa

I have a 2010 Jetta TDI, my stereo started blinking on/off and finally went dead in December 2013. I haven't replaced or repaired and this last month it started turning on once in a while. I do notice the stereo starts working when it's raining and I'm on the highway but shuts off after about 5 to 10 minutes. Today I drove to work with my stereo working the whole way(30 minutes). I feel it may be a loose wire or a bad connection. I don't know much about wiring but I checked ground wire to body of the car and it was fine. I will be taking the bottom covers off the car and checking all the wiring then I will pull off the stereo and make sure all the wires are secure. I'm hoping it's just a loose wire... I'll update..

Does anyone know if all 1K005180 radios are compatible/ interchangeable regardless of the last two letters in the model number? In other words, can a 1K005180AE or 1K005180AF replace a 1K005180AC?

Okay, so I thought I'd update everyone on the steps I took to revolve this so that you can save yourself some time and aggravation. I took the failed radio to a local radio repair center that had experience with Delphi. They didn't see anything obvious and couldn't diagnose it because they didn't have wiring diagrams. I next called all of the authorized repair centers on the Delphi web site (there are about a dozen of them). Most said they don't work with VW radios and can only guarantee that they can fix GM & Ford. One gave me a fixed repair price on the phone that was almost as high as the dealer (who were all in the $550-900 range to swap out with a reconditioned radio) . I ended up shipping it to one of the repair centers in California who sounded confident they could fix it (and offered to diagnose it for free). They tried to diagnose it and after several weeks (needed to order wiring diagrams, needed to order connectors for the test bench, etc) told me they couldn't fix it and it needed to go out to their sister shop. At this point, I gave up on actually repairing this radio as I became convinced no one has the desire and knowledge to do so. After comparing the options on after market radios, I also gave up that because none of them had the features of integrated bluetooth and SDMIM support (the two things I use the most on the radio) - all require clunky USB sticks and external microphones. Next stop, ebay and craigslist. Delphi did provide me with some valuable information on model numbers, and which ones were backwards compatible with each other (it sounds like the radios in this series are backwards compatible as long as the first nine digits match, but email them to confirm your specific radio number at go.delphi@delphi.com). I was able to get a more recent and more feature rich version of the radio in the model number series on ebay for less than half the repair costs I was quoted at the dealer. I am so happy to have my BT phone back and able to legally make calls on the road again, while listening to my SDMIM collection of music (I can't understand why people integrate their iphones into the car radio when the radio itself can play the music - extra wires, extra device, etc) If you go this route, a couple of things to note: (1) removal and installation is easy - you just need a star shaped screwdriver (available at any hardware store) and there are a couple of videos on youtube on how to remove the plastic pieces so you don't scratch or break anything. (2) If you buy a salvaged radio, make sure it either comes with the security code to turn it on or comes with the VIN of the vehicle (so you can call the dealer to get the code). (3) Check with delphi to make sure the radio you are buying is compatible with the radio you are replacing (if the P/Ns are different). The only P/N that matters is the VW P/N. You don't have to worry about the Delphi P/N matching. If you're not sure if the radio is going to work, buy from a source that permits a return. Good luck!

Oh, one more thing, it might be worthwhile for everyone to post a message to VW America about this problem. I pointed them to this thread and they said this isn't a known problem and don't base recalls on internet blogs. Maybe if enough people post a complaint, they will provide a recall. (yes, I realize this is a long shot since they seem to wait for class action lawsuits before ever issuing a recall)

Similar issue with my 2010 TDI radio, but it's just the cd player that doesn't work. The phone function acted up once, but seems to work now. Dealership charged $100 to tell me that 1) they couldn't diagnose the problem, and 2) the radio had to be sent in to get the Cd's out- not good! What's the contact information for VW to send in complaints? Maybe to Delphi also, as it is their radio. Anyone know an attorney that likes to initiate class-action suits for consumer related problems like this?

Just got a recall notice for 2010 jetta for a fuse problem 97AM - I won't hold my breath waiting for the radio to work when they fix the problem. Interestingly there was no fuse in the position for the radio. The manual calls for a 30amp fuse - they must rig it some other way wonder if that's the cause of some of these problems

There are three fuses-- one under the hood, one to the left of the steering column, and one in the back of the radio. Haven't heard of anyone on this thread solving a problem by replacing the fuse...

I have informed the attorney generals office about the 2010 VW radio defect and i am moving forward with a class action. Keep me updated on issues as it relates to this matter.

The dealer did some work on the fuse box at the same time they checked out the radio. They did not call it a recall, however, but rather a 'service bulletin.' It did not help with the radio situation. Thanks for taking the issue by the horns and getting the ball rolling VWNOT. Let us know if there is anything the rest of us can do! It will be interesting to see what eventually happens - though I suspect it will take some time to fruition.

Keep your service records as well as the names of any and all VW representative who advised you on your 2010 VW radio. This information may be helpful in going forward.

I believe i posted this before, but if not, the radio with the problems has been superseded with the one they put in the 2012 models. I took all the info off of my radio in to order a replacement and when the new one came in that is what they told me. Im sure if i looked i still have the numbers off of the old one and could share with the group just to verify that we all have the same model radio.

I will pull mine out this week one day and get the numbers off of the radio and post them as well.

Add me to the list. In Atlanta with a 2010 Jetta SE. Radio and display shut off completely today. A few weeks ago my rear driver side lock was faulty (unresponsive to locking and unlocking) as well. Bringing to the dealer tomorrow.

I just got the recall notice for 2010 Jetta SE for a fuse issue but it doesn't state what the fuse if for. I thankfully was smart enough to get the extended warranty when I bought my car. My stereo went black on me a year ago, it was covered under the warranty but I had to pay the $100 deductible. I have the touch screen version. It started out with it changing channels randomly, then it would black out and turn back on. Then one day, nothing. I have had a ton of random electrical issues none of which last long enough to diagnose. My car died on me a couple of times and had to get a jump start. Had my battery tested and it shows low power. My driver side window would go up but not down. The voice activated blue tooth most of the time just turns off when you say to call someone, or it repeats a totally different name than you asked for. My key remote won't unlock my car randomly, I will stand there clicking it like 10 times before I can finally get in it. One time I had got fed up and just unlocked the door with the key and my alarm didn't even go off. They included a reimbursement request for the fuse but how can I request one if I have no idea what the fuse does?? I asked the guy when I made my appointment and he didn't know. Makes me wonder if this fuse is the reason for all the problems. Will post more after Saturday.

1K0-035-180-AC 28271038

First is vw number second is delphi pin

Ended up getting radio replaced for cheaper. I received a recall notice in the mail about a fuse malfunction. I will contact dealership and find out tomorrow what is going on.

@techjunkie was it the replacement the same model? avg price please. I have emailed VW and sent them this thread along with others. they are giving me a 250$ certificate for my troubles. gee thanks vw.

I am experiencing a similar problem with my radio I got the pop and then it pooped out. I saw somewhere that suggested to disconnect the batter for 20 minutes. This was a BAD idea because now my radio and wipers do not work anyone have the wiper issue if so or if not keep me posted on potential lawsuit. My dealer said they would pay to diagnose the problem with the vw dealer but will not pay to have it fixed Ive had the car for 2 months now I reported it at 26 days. @terelizatti what email did you send your information to to get a $250 certificateand was that enough to cover the repair?

Just sent VW a photo of the new car I brought - Not a VW and my intentions to purchase another new SUV/Pickup within the next few weeks. And yes that vehicle will not be a new VW. Just wanted them to know this issue and the way it was handled cost them between $80,000 to $90,000.

2010 TDI sportwagon radio went dead today. Immediately checked fuses to find out there isn't one where owner's manual said one should be. While trying to diagnose the problem noticed front windshield wipers were not working either. Turned off car and restarted and wipers work but radio remains dead - black screen. Lead me to web search where I found this thread. Any update on class action? Does it help to move it along if more of us contact the AG?

VW dealership said that the newest recall about the fuse panel issue may fix the problem Ill take mine in tomorrow afternoon and post an update.

Yes, I contacted VW about this issue pertaining to the radio. They told me that there was nothing they can do because I had too many miles on my car. Was not a happy camper, so I told them about the many folks on this site. They told me that radios are considered a luxury and not an item that will cause the car to malfunction. I went to another place that does custom work on cars. Got a cheaper radio. Then they have the nerves to ask me to complete a survey. I said nothing nice on the survey about them. They put junk parts in these cars just to rip off the consumer later in life. I had electrical problems with the Jetta as well. Went to car dealership after getting letter in the mail and the people at the dealership were nice enough to tell me that the wrong fuse had been placed in the vehicle. They changed the fuse out and told me it is a good thing I brought vehicle in. I am too the point where I may just trade it in. Don't know yet.

This information is very helpful and will be admitted in the upcoming VW class action lawsuit. Thanks All

I'm getting routine maintenance on my 2010 Jetta SE tomorrow, the dealership said they will handle the fuse recall, and I will be delighted if it fixes my radio that's been dead since December... but I'm not holding my breath. I will post an update tomorrow.

Here's my update: on 5/16 I took the car to Carolina VW in concord they found that a fuse was misplaced which caused the wipers to stop working but that is fixed now and that the radio itself is broken he did service on the fuse recall and that didn't change the fact that the radio died. The service manager said that "something on the inside must have shorted out" I asked him if that problem was common to that radio and he said no it wasn't he had only seen the problem once before. He said a replacement through the vw exchange program would cost between 600 and 1000 dollars and he would know for sure on monday. I let him know that I was quoted $65 for a used radio from the junkyard and he said that should work fine but I would have to bring it to them to code it. He also mentioned that if I got an aftermarket radio it would have to be disconnected for inspections and service because the radio was a big component of the cars communication system. I asked what may have caused the malfunction and he said that "it died kinda like when your dvd player burns out" Ive got a 10 plus year old shelf stereo that cost just over a hundred bucks that sounds as good as the day I bought it but a 600 to 1000 dollar stereo should die in 4 years? I have also seen cars from the 60's with original working radios. I believe VW installed radios with cheap parts and don't want to spend the money on a recall. Ive been communicating with vw of america as well I gave them the address to this forum and described my issue today they emailed me back and got more information about my car such as mileage service records and vin number. Ill post another update on monday when I hear back about the price of a vw replacement or if I hear from voa

This got to become a recall after seeing all these posts? Same happened to my Jetta TDI 2010 42k miles. Radio (no navi) just stopped working from one minute to the next. Tried holding power button. Nothing, no power. Checked manual and opened hood to get to fuse but in position 18 there is not even a fuse?!? I appreciate all your posts, keep them coming.

Any component in any product can be bad at any given time. It's a numbers thing and I don't have a problem with that - even if the warranty has expired. What is really disappointing is that VW obviously has a problem here that displays a pattern - it's not an isolated failure in equipment, and their cavalier attitude towards it and this thread. "We don't base actions on a blog..." "A radio is a luxury..." Really? Try buying a car without a radio. They don't ship them to their dealerships without radios - even the most basic models! And as far a a Blog goes - this is part of their customer base. A very unhappy part. And they choose to treat these customers like children having a tantrum. Hmmm. True, we are probably a miniscule number of customers, and losing a few hundred thousand dollars of business is probably not a big deal to them - maybe even a million or two they would brush off to the law of large numbers - but they're losing customers for LIFE, and these customers are spreading the word. It will catch up to them eventually. You'd think people would learn from the problems the American automobile manufactures are having now. They're losing tons of customers and they need to go somewhere. When they learn how VW reacts to their own issues, I doubt they'll go to VW either. People are looking for a responsible, ethical manufacturer to build a relationship with - and VW is not stepping up to the plate. It might be different if their vehicles were rated incredibly high by the consumer report-type institutions, but they aren't. Right now Subaru is looking pretty good as an alternative for our next purchase. Too bad, I had held VW and their acclaimed 'German Engineering' in fairly high esteem up to this point. But it's eroding fast. If someone could post the best address to contact VW at, we need to express our disappointment (not anger) to VW by mass mailings (e-mail or snail mail). It's a numbers thing again, and only that will turn the tide - unless there is a serious effort being made at a class action lawsuit. And I suspect that will take a serious attorney to champion - not one of us bloggers thinking we can take on a giant automaker corporation in the legal labyrinth. But then again, David did slay Goliath....so who can say for certain?!

This is where I sent my letter 2200 Ferdinand Porshe Drive Herndon VA 20171 - I agree totally with the customer purchase power I've brought a new car and plan to buy another new car in the next week or so and I've convinced my mother who is buying a new car to go with a Honda or Nissan rather than a VW - so for my family 3 cars NON-VW. Complain with your wallet - photograph and send it to them that they'll notice

Fire1 thanks for your post. I have also been a bit surprised with some of the responses about a class action lawsuit. When I bought it up it was more tongue in cheek than anything else - after all, the only the only one who will make any money off of this non-case is the lawyer. But, I completely agree - the problem is with VW customer service - dealers point the blame to corporate, corporate says that dealers handle all issues - no one stands up to say, "hey this is a problem that seems to be recurring and getting a growing number of our customers irate - let's offer a solution." I'ts not reasonable to charge $500-800 at the dealer for a refurbished unit (that may fail in a year just like the original) when brand new superior radios in a retail store are around $300.

Of all the cars I've had, which have not been many, I never had a radio go bad on me. The electrical stuff I have gotten taken care of due to the warranty that I purchased extending the original one. But to be told that the radio is a luxury, it makes me want to think twice about getting another VW. I am still on debate about that.

2010 TDI purchased new to replace 2000 TDI with 330K on the clock. Well the original radio failed and was replaced under warranty and now the replacement OEM radio has failed. Both lasted less than 2 yrs. each however VW states the replacement OEM radio only carried a 12 month warranty so I am on my own for a replacement. Spoke with VOA and they frankly offered no help and refused to open a case file on my complaint. Since this second radio failure represents the third electrical defect with the vehicle the lemon law approach may be an option here. The 2000 Jetta came with a 10yr. 100K warranty and was running fine at 330K, guess VW just doesn't build them that good anymore.

@Powdermetal if the refurbished replacement also failed that does not give me much hope in getting a replacement OEM for mine and because the service manager at VW told me that it is a "major component" of the cars communication system this information is very disheartening. However thank you very much for sharing your experience.

Robert in a previous message I related how I bought a 510 entry level radio on Ebay for ~100 and installed it. Works perfectly, a little problem with the bluetooth but also had a phone problem so can't blame it on the radio. 510 radio installed in 2 minutes, no "communication system problem" what a load of BS. only one CD at a time and no satellite radio but I care not.

I took care of the fuse recall on Saturday. I asked a couple of different guys at the Service desk what the fuse controlled and both said they didn't know and neither bothered to ask a mechanic. I looked it up in my owners manual the F16 fuse controls brake lights. While I was waiting for my car I overheard another lady complaining about a random electrical issue that doesn't last long enough to figure out. Clearly they have an issue that they don't want to address. I haven't had my replacement stereo quite a year yet and I'm hoping it doesn't go out again. This is my second Jetta, the first I bought used it was a 2004 and never had any issues. I too am pretty disappointed as I really love my car. My main concern is that this electrical problem is going to get worse and my extended warranty will be expired or it won't be covered. I can't afford right now to purchase more warranty.

@PetervB so no issues with the radio when you get an inspection or hook up to the obd II or vw equivalent? That is where the service manager told me I would have issues with an aftermarket. I can Def install myself and could get a double din for about $100

Update: Went to the dealership last Tuesday and since my car is still under warranty my stereo was replaced. Not sure if it was refurbished or a newer model. The customer service at this particular dealership is abysmal (no acknowledgement by staff, no status updates, etc.) and there is little no transparency on their part--not that I would expect them to be forthcoming. Anyway, like was said above, I hope that this stereo doesn't stop working after my warranty expires. Also got the fuse recall taken care off, with no explanation from the service agents of what was wrong or got fixed. Unfortunately I have to go back to the dealership again tomorrow because the AUX port does not work with the stereo that got installed. More of a headache.

2010 TDI sport wagen 93K reference dicussion on wipers. The wiper is not on a solo fuse, but is associated with the 30 amp F18 fuse called out in the owners' manual as the radio fuse. Rear wiper on another fuse TBD. Also the 5 amp fuse in F4 sets off all the idiot dash lights, air bag, steering, tire psi, brakes, engine service, etc. Hopefully it only controls the idiot lights and not all those functions. I did have the 5 amp F4 fuse blow and have just replaced it so far so good day 2. Going to try and force power to the dead or semi dead radio to at least eject my CD's anyone gone this route yet or have any do's or do not's to offer?

To PowderMetal-- try a bandsaw ;) to Shereka, they probably didn't plug in the AUX coax cable. to Robert -- as an Electrical Engineer I really doubt swapping radio's particularly as the 510 is OEM, would be a problem. it is specified to connect on the on-board diagnostic system. That being said, haven't been back to the dealer since they charged me $125 to tell me the radio was dead-- Duhh!!.

With respect to the 2010 VW Jetta TDI defective radio and Wilful installation of a BAD product here are some next steps: Report issue to 1. Better Business Bureau (BBB) 2. State Attorney Generals Office 4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) You can report the 2010 VW radio defect online (this needs to be done ASAP the number of complaints count)

This weekend I will be handing out flyers to VW owners to inform them of the defective radio and how to file a complaint.

@VWNOT. I submitted a complaint to BBB and NHTSA. Hopefully enough of us complete these complaints and VW will decide to become accountable as an organization. Most likely not!!

I submitted a complaint to BBB today as VWOA let me know that there was nothing that they could do and that they researched the issue and found that this is NOT a trend here is part of the statement that they sent me: "I was able to confirm that there are currently no open campaigns on your Jetta related to this concern. I know you feel there should be one, so please know we are always researching our vehicles, looking for trends which require we take action for the good of our customers." Please if this has been an issue for you file a BBB complaint and NHTSA and let them know that this is a "trend"

Just had this same thing happen to my 2010 Jetta with just over 65k and under 4 years of ownership. Heard a pop and then done. Radio was still dead the next morning. I am going to try and mess with the ground as well as try that youtube link posted earlier on this blog to try and confirm the battery drainage issue. I also just had the 97AM Service Action performed last week so I was thinking this may have been related until I stumbled onto this. I've already contacted VWoA and started a claim but got the usual, "We don't have any open campaigns or recalls on radios at this time." So not much help there and my dealer is as useless a dealer can get, with a nice side order of shady practices to go along with it so I'm sure they're not going to do much about except charge me. I'll be filing a claim with the BBB and NHTSA and hopefully we get this taken care of by the people responsible!

please file those complaints vwoa will not do a thing until enough people file complaints. I got an answer from them today to that effect.

my 2010 jetta TDI B.T. rado system just stopped working while driving today. no phone radio CD........nada! just turned 90k miles. probably have to look for an after market option. They really put out a bad product here!

My 2010 Jetta TDI(62k miles) radio died last week. Replacement 600.00. Thankfully, I have an extended warranty, so 100.00 out of pocket. I will be following up with VoA to let them know I am unhappy with the quality of their radio choice. If not for the Bluetooth capability I would certainly choose another system. On another note-Had the fuse recall done, dealer told me it was due to amperage or voltage for lights fuse was too low and causing shorts and melting of fuse boxes.

Only a complaint to the nhtsa will make a difference contacting vw directly will not help much they will need to feel pressure from a consumer watch group

Just went to local non-vw dealership today and they shipped out the radio to united radio. Said it will be about a week. Thankfully I bought the extended warranty so I'm only out $50 deductible! But still want to contact vw. This isn't right for a 2010!

File claims at nhtsa website.

A strange thing happened to my 2010 jetta - after the radio went dead a month ago today the Jetta was totally dead - zero battery - sounds like I'm going to join a few here who have experienced this problem.

It appears that the dead radio continues to drain the battery I hope everyone is filing their reports

Best thing to do if your radio dies is to just go ahead and unplug it because it will drain your battery. I just said screw it and am replacing mine this coming week with an upgraded RCD 510 Revision E unit I sourced online from a 2012 GTI. For those who are curious, my faulty radio was a revision C model, which seem to be the main ones affected.

Ok my 2010 Jetta TDI went belly up a couple months ago. For $125 the dealer just said it was broken. Now my battery is dead. I see I am in good company. If your radio goes out watch that battery level! Washington DC.

judge_roys' suggestions: "printout this documented problem and tell him he has to have seen this more than once" Can anyone provide a link to this document. Our jetta has power to the radio but radio will not turn on. Thanks!

My 2010 Jetta SE radio died last week at only 42K. Replacement is around $600.00. I have an extended warranty, I hope it will cover replacement

My extended warranty did not cover the replacement radio. Had to come out of pocket for it. Not pleased at all. I told them, see if my next car will be a VW. Of all the cars I've owned since 1997, I have never had an issue with the electrical nor the radio.

Add another to the list. The radio in my 2010 Jetta Wolfsburg made the same noise and then went dead 2 weeks ago. Less than 30k miles. Very unhappy!

They didn't offer me anything because it was out of warranty. VOA was very polite in the way they said it, but the bottom line is they won't do anything. I was offered a $1,000 voucher towards the purchase of a new VW to compensate me. I replied that I would save them $500 if they simply put $500 towards the repair of a faulty radio. She said the they didn't have any money 'budgeted' for that repair, but they did have money 'budgeted' for the $1K promo. Like I'm going to want to purchase another VW after this experience??

Had the radio replaced and the battery drain seemed to stop - let the jetta sit for 3 days ( like when it died ) and she started right up. Issue with after market radio is VW jetta has a power antenna and I think a power signal booster so the kenwood ddx490 gets crappy radio reception. The tech put in a power antenna adapter NG so I'm thinking I need a different antenna

Also VW called the other day - was busy buying a new car so I couldn't get to it but after seeing how folks are getting jerked off when they do call I figured what the hell. BTW I wrote a letter to VW telling them I was no longer considering the Toureg and would pick the ford edge or some other vehicle - went and brought a Ford Raptor SVT can't wait to send them that photo of the SVT next to the New Lacrosse next to the jetta. As I promised then ACB-VW

Please please please file your reports seems to be the only way to get anything done also i found the radio at www.automotix.net for 142 i ordered it today they matched by part number and give a one year warranty ill get it early next week and let u know how it works this is by far the cheapest ive found..... please file your reports

For those of us taking the time to file the reports with the key will be to make the issue a safety issue. The hands free blue tooth and hands free dialing is the key safety features lost due to the radio failure. Note this in your filing so they simply do not view this as a creature comfort issue and focus on the safety aspect to draw attention to the need to take action.

My wife has the same problem with her touchscreen radio. It happened yesterday. 2010 VW TDI also. 10 days previously I had the fuse recall done at the dealership. Taking it to the dealership for a free diagnosis. This really sucks. Out of warranty also. However, I have lifetime on engine and tranny.

Since my radio went out about a month ago the saga continues with the battery just like you said ;( I'm currently charging it. Battery had enough to power interior lights and bells but won't start the car. How do I unplug the radio for the time being to prevent the battery drainage? Thank you!

@thehalms If You can locate the appropriate fuse you could pull that or you can pull the radio and unplug it from the back there are a few pieces that have to come off first though the like the vent on top of the dash and the bezel around the radio. I have heard that if you jump it the radio will come back on for a little while. let me know if that happens. BTW my new radio should be here tomorrow Ill update on whether or not it was worth the money

oh @thehalms you can find a tutorial on youtube there are several on there all you need is a pry tool and a torques driver I think its the t23 torque driver

6/23/2014 I got in to my car after work on Saturday I turned on the car and no radio. I checked the fuses and they were fine. Yes, there wasn't one in the plug (18) but I put one in there to see if that would work for me and it did not. Then my windshield wipers were not working either. I turned the car off and back on and the wipers started working, TG it's rainy season here. So I hope they continue to work. About two months ago I also had to replace my dual mass fly wheel in my Jetta TDI. I did buy the extended warranty on the car if I hadn't parts and labor would have cost $2000 to $3000. I am going to try and clean the terminals to see if that is the problem. This morning I called the dealer and they said that my car was not covered under the extended warranty for the radio. I will update either way.

Thank you for your quick answer Robert! Like some of the other, the manual showed a fuse but there was none at that location. I have a battery charger I tried all night and car won't start. I tried it with another vehicle and jumper cable and cranking it just clicks an nothing else. What seems strange to me is that the lights inside and out work. Anyway same story, after radio died about 4 weeks ago now battery seems dead and I can't get it started. This is totally crazy...

Just got back from spending 4 hours at the dealership. No charge for the diagnosis. The test performed reveals a problem with the interface gateway module (907). That would cost $300. No gaurantee that this will solve the problem. Radio can still be bad. $600 for the radio. No spares to verify what is bad. Any suggestions? Now the center console A/C vents are not working properly.

I had a friend come by with a big truck and thick jumper cords. I was finally able to get the VW 2010 TDI started again. He tested battery and confirmed it needs to be replaced. Radio is still dead. I just wonder if the issue will reoccur if I replace battery and not radio? Funny you mention the A/C RICSAM1. Sometimes my A/C doesn't come on until 5-10min later. When it does it works fine. I have an appointment with dealer on Thursday, I'm ready to trade in car...

My A/C works, only now more air is coming out of the top than the 2 center vents. Never used the top vent. When the top is off not much air is coming out of the center vents. Tech put it back together wrong. After 4 hours I couldn't turn around. What a Day. I also called vw customer support and let them know my issue with the radio.

ok I got my radio today unboxed it and found that they sent the wrong one however that was a bonus because they sent the rns 510 unit that has navigation and a dvd player I called carolina vw and spoke with "Austin" and he gave me the unlock code no hassle and no charge. To recap I bought the car used on 3/15/14 the radio went out around 4/9/14 I filed my complaints of course and spoke to the new car dealership where I bought it(hendrick jeep chrysler dodge ram). The service manager there looked at it twice and had me to go to vw who said it was dead and would cost 600 - 1000 to replace. When I informed the dealership that I bought it from they told me they would not pay that but would cut me a check for $250 so I searched online and found a site called www.automotix.net which is an online market place for junk yards from there I ordered the radio using my old radio's manufacturers part number, the price they quoted was 142 (note that is 108 less than the dealer gave me). I received the radio from ups today and found that it is better than what I ordered and that it works great no issues with installing it or anything. I am one happy camper and I have a 1 year warranty now I just need to find a gps antennae for the gps function. blue tooth, radio, satellite, all work perfectly. So I would recommend going to automotix.net and paying 142 for your radio its not likely that you will luck up and get a better one like I did but it is waaaaay cheaper than exchanging with vw. Oh I also tried the repair place listed above they quoted 550 to fix it.

My radio is working fine however I found there is new firmware for it and Ill need to buy a gps antenna as it was not previously installed. I called carolina vw today and they said they would code it so it syncs perfectly with the car and update the maps and firmware for $105 Ill probably do that at my next oil change since I don't know anyone who can do the coding for me.

Hey Robert my radio part number is 1K0035180AC. The 6 disc non gps/nav unit. My dealership said it would not be able to function in my 2010 tdi.It would require many different parts. Is this not true or did you have a different radio in your car?

Left for work this morning and found the radio dead. 2010 TDI Jetta. Dealer acted as if they'd never heard of radio issues before. Decided it would be a good time to replace the battery and checked ground connection. No corrosion. Deal would send my radio in for an exchange at $475. Opted for a replacement from www.automotix.net, as referenced above. With expedited shipping, I paid $181. Maybe I'll get lucky and received a better unit. Dealer parts guy did say it would be possible for them to get it coded. Keeping my fingers crossed. I very much appreciate the insight and guidance provided in this thread.

@ricsam1 I have a 2010 jetta wolfsburg the dealer told me the same thing but it matched up perfectly the radio that I got was an rns 510 pulled from a 2009 volkswagen cc. Dealership also said that I would have to bring any replacement radio to them to have it coded before it would work and that isn't the case either. I don't know the part number for the rns510 that I got but i do know it was manufactured in 08 so its a year older than the rcd 510 that I pulled which was the 1k0035180ac all of the functions work well just no gps antenna but I will get one of those this weekend works well with bt not sure if the speed volume is syncing up Ill pay attention on my drive home this afternoon.

@mattthewriter Im curious to know if you have a good experience with automitx.net please update us after you install it maybe other people can try the same cost effective fix.

Just want to update everyone concerning the interface gateway and radio issue. I was at my vw dealership today to get the a/c issue resolved. While I was there the service manager received a call from vw customer service that they can resolve my problem first by replacing the gateway interface then radio if needed at no charge on my end. VW really pulled through for me. I am very relieved and happy with the outcome. Don't give up hope with your problem. Contact vw customer service and you may be surprised, especially if you had the fuse replaced(recall) and then had this problem...............

That sounds promising. Was/is your VW still under warranty?

Nope. My car came with a lifetime warranty on the engine and powertrain only.

Interesting........

@Robert Did you have any issue installing the radio that was pulled from the CC. Were you able to install it and go or did you have to acquire a code from VW?

All I needed was the 4 digit security code to get it all you need is the serial number from the radio and they will search the database i have seen where some dealers charge for that but my local dealer didn't here is the number if you want to call there and get it (704) 537-2336 just ask for Tami or Austin

Robert, I am very curious about whether you will be able to get the GPS working. My wife's 2011 Jetta Sportwagen has the same radio issue - she had the single-disc with satellite radio but no Nav in her car, I'm wondering if I can buy the Nav version from Automotix and get Nav working in her car as well. Is there a part number for the GPS antenna / how much does it cost / how hard to install? Thanks for keeping us updated!

My car didn't have the nav package so I need a nav antenna... gonna get on eBay it will be a few weeks its only about ten bucks it goes in the dash. The oem vw antenna is around $100 and will have to be wired to the roof. Ill keep u posted tho

Well, just ordered a 6-disc radio from automotix, hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to install it. Any tips? Does the mounting plastic around the outside just pry/pop off with a flathead screwdriver?

2 t20 torque screws at the top then pull it off slowly u have to start at the vent in top of tge dash tho there are lots of YouTube vids that will help

@Robert would you be able to post a direct link to the radio you purchased off of automotix.net please? I want to make sure it is the correct radio. Is it the touchscreen one?

http://www.automotix.net/usedautoparts/2010-volkswagen-jetta-radio_cd_player-inventory.html?fit_notes=3f48a56a0c625b06de027c08672b00c8&seq_num=11 It looks like there are only three left there were more than 20 when I ordered mine the prices are 198 and 203 rather than the 142 that I paid. They have lots of rcd 310's in stock for 102 but it does not have a touch screen.

@Andrew have you gotten yours yet? let me know if it worked for you

The radio I ordered last week arrived yesterday. It was not the same unit as the one in my car. No touch screen. I contacted automotix yesterday. After sending a photo of my radio the did a search for a direct match and came up empty. Waiting to hear back on a the return process which I hope isn't a hassle.

did you give them the mf part number from your radio?

I sure did. The website required it.

I hope they work it out for you I had shared that they sent me the wrong part too but it was an upgrade from what I ordered so I didn't complain. @terelizatti you may want to hold off until you see if they work out mattthewriter's transaction.

Looks like the return will be painless. I'd imagine I'm out the $40 for 2 day shipping.

Robert - mine has shipped, should receive it by the end of the week. I'll let you know if it was the right one. I have a 2011 VW Sportwagen, so that's the category I was searching in. Hopefully it's the right model.

Robert--Do you have the part number for the unit you received? I'm currently researching a replacement for my 1K0035180AC. I figure if I'm going to be paying upwards of $200 I might as well up grade. I've found that the 1K0035180AD will work. I'm finding units assembled in Mexico (my original), China (trying to avoid) and Portugal. Thanks,

Good luck to you Andrew. I hope you get the right one.

Got mine yesterday, looks like the right model. Here's a couple pics: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/archibaldcrane/Mobile%20Uploads/20140703_082313_zpsy8cnpbsz.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/archibaldcrane/Mobile%20Uploads/20140703_082258_zpso1ahuyey.jpg However, since they just cut the wires off, I need to figure out how to remove those different sets of cords, and fiddling with it last night I have no idea how to get ANY of them out, there doesn't seem to be any easy releases on any of them. Obviously I'll have to do this again when I pop out the malfunctioning unit in the dash as well, so yeah - any tips would be appreciated for sure. Robert - any tips? Is it just a brute-force thing? I just don't want to break anything. If there's a youtube video showing someone popping those cords off when they switch out the unit I'd love to see it.

Oops, that second photo is supposed to be: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/archibaldcrane/Mobile%20Uploads/20140703_082258_zpso1ahuyey.jpg

The large black wire harness has a level on the bottom that must be rotated up. That will let the plug release easily. the single green connector and the double white connector (if you have the unit I took from my 2010 TDI sportwagon) have a white plastic clip that should be slid forward for an easy release.

This isn't the exact same radio but looks like similar connectors, this guy has no problem flipping them off in the last 20 seconds, guess I'll try again tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHYz2CQ9RyI

mattthewriter is correct white slide out tabs on the green and white one and a lever that rotates up on the big black one..... I did not write down the part number I should have but I was so excited about music that I forgot

I have a 2010 Jetta TDI and about a week ago my radio touch screen went black and I have not been able to use my radio, CD player or Bluetooth. My husband took it to the dealership today and they "pulled radio and changed fuse in radio. Radio has failed. Estimate to replace is $815 installed." I had a 2000 Jetta TDI for 10 years with 340,000 miles and did not have a radio problem until the last year. I am very concerned after reading this blog site. I plan to submit complaints as suggested. Not sure yet what course I will take but I am now afraid the care is going to leave me stranded with a dead battery. This is my commute car and I commute 40 miles one way to work.

Got mine installed no problems, just needed that T20 screwdriver ($6 on Amazon) - still need to get the unlock code from the dealer, they weren't picking up the phone much over the 4th of July weekend. CarolTDI - I'd recommend doing what many of us have, order a used VW radio from automotix.net and install it yourself (or have your husband do it). Other than that weird screwdriver you need to get it's very simple and you'll save $600+. But yeah, it's bogus that VW clearly sold an unreliable stereo unit in their car.

I too have a recently bought a 2010 Jetta SE and my raido popped and now no radio. I sumbitted a complaint on the nhtsa website today and have an appt at the dealer next week for the 97AM fuse recall. I can not affored a new radio nor the service charges. I am calling my dealer today in advance of my visit for the recall and begin the discussion on options to get this radio fixed. Ugh. There has to be an easier way!

I called and spoke to my dealer who said in 2 1/2 years he has only seen two customers with this issue. He said one customer did not want the repair done and another customer they did something simple, I think he said reset the radio and its been working fine and its been over a year for that one customer. He said is would cost me $125 just to diagnose the problem and even though i was bringing in my car for the fuse recall (which he said was for the headlights) that the diagnostic charge for the radio was separate and could not be included in the recall service work....Figures...right? I just call my sales person who sold me the car to see what options he is willing to give me. I can not afford this after I just bought this car 3 months ago. ugh :(

ttsummer are you taking it to a VW dealer?.... I saw someone else say that they held the power button for like 3 minutes and it "reset" the radio I had no luck with that though. My dealer paid for the diagnosis and I replaced the dead radio from there. Assuming the issue is the same as the rest of us just replacing the radio would be more cost effective than paying 125 to diagnose and then replacing the radio. I got one on www.automotix.net for 142 just a few dollars more than the fee the dealer will charge to diagnose. It came with a 12 month warranty which is the same that a replacement from the dealer. I installed it myself it was pretty simple and you can find a tutorial on youtube there are several there. I hope at some point VW will own up and recall the radios I still have my old one sitting in the trunk.

Hi Robert, yes I was taking my car to VW dealership for the recall on the headlight fuse. I will try the reset button idea today and let everyone know. I would love my dealer to pay for the diagnosis, not sure they will. I don't think I am capable (ha ha) to replace the radio myself, that would be giving me too much credit. I do know a local mechanic who may be able to help though. Ugh, this is crazy! Thanks for the advice. If the push button does not work I will not ask my dealership to do the diagnosis, even though he shared that the one he did fix was simple...yeah right!

I bought my car at a Hendrick dealership he has a pretty good reputation here in NC since Id only had the car for a month they paid for the diagnosis and gave me $250 toward the repair which cost me $142 because I replaced it myself. You may wanna call your dealer let him know the short amount of time that you have had the car and see what they will do for you. I would speak to the sales person that sold you the car they will want to satisfy you for repeat business.

I just sent my car salesman a email asking just that. Will keep an update. Thanks Robert

ttsummer - installing a new radio sounds overwhelming (and in some cars it can be, but not the 2010 Jetta), but it's seriously just 3 steps. 1. Pop the plastic moulding piece around the radio off with a butter knife. 2. Use a T20 torx screwdriver to remove the 4 screws holding it in (it's painfully obvious which screws). The screwdriver is under $7 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-60-012-Standard-Torx-Screwdriver/dp/B000KFTFIS 3. Pull out the broken unit, unclip the 3 cords holding it on, and clip those onto the new unit. Then just replace the screws and the moulding and you're done.

@Andrew did your molding not have 2 screws at the top? I had to work from the vent at the top down to the radio still just one t20 torx driver though.

Hmm, yours may have been different. (my wife's is actually the 2011, but we're talking the touchscreen 6-disc changer right?) http://image.motortrend.com/f/roadtests/oneyear/sedans/1212_2011_volkswagen_jetta_tdi_verdict/44039094/2011-volkswagen-jetta-tdi-radio-player.jpg - no screws around the moulding

that looks like the rns 315 I had the rcd 510 it is a little different the dash set up must be different for the 2011 model. on my 2010 you have to start from the vent at the top because the molding has two screws at the top that are concealed by the panel with the hazard light button.

Another dead radio in a 2010 Jetta TDI. How can I help move the class action forward? Is there a place I can submit my issue?

Hi Andrews, thanks for the vote of confidence. Let me try the reset option this evening and then I'll take this next step....I am also waiting for my slsm to call me back to see what he can do, interesting its been a full day and he has not returned my call yet.

Ok, holding the power button did not work or reset the radio. Plan B.....

Add my 2010 jetta tdi sport wagon to the list, 70,000 miles. Reading (PA) vw charged $120 to tell me my radio was dead. Offered to replace for $600 installed. I drive 500 miles per week and miss NPR, music, and an occasional Bluetooth phone call. Didn't have the nav function I'll complain and try autotix route

Finally found and end to my saga. Picked up a used radio from a salvage yard an hour from home. Same model. Got the run around from several VW dealers regarding the 4 digit code. They either wanted 75 dollars or wouldn't give it over the phone. Finally sound a dealership that was happy to help me. The radio was $140. I have a 12 month warrantee. If you are in this situation do not be afraid to do the swap yourself. Seriously. I had the screw drive but bought a plastic ply tool. It is easy to do. Good YouTube videos showing the way.

That sucks the dealer was giving you such a hard time. The service guy at VW in Glendale California was very helpful - all he needed to see was the car registration (to pull the vin #) and the unit # on the radio itself, gave me the pin # in 5 minutes (in person). Fortunately I had taken a photo of the unit (posted above) so I didn't have to pull it out again to read the number after I had already installed it. It's the number starting with VWXXXXXXXXXX on the sticker - make sure to write it down before you install the new deck.

Has anyone had success removing CDs from dead units? Mine was full of music I enjoy. I did get a sweet Police cd out of my salvage yard unit.

The RCD-510 Premium 8 radio failed in my 2010 JSW TDI at about 3 1/2 years and 56K miles--symptoms same as OP, worked fine one day and black screen-of-death with no function at all the next. Fuses intact and current being delivered to the unit. I'm disgusted with VW and if I had more free time would pursue this with them, but am just too busy (reserve the right to take it up with them later, though). Have purchased a Kenwood unit + satellite module from Crutchfield & will install it myself. Hard to picture buying another VW after this and other failures.

UPDATE: I've contacted my local dealer service manager about this and have cut-and-pasted my post into a customer service e-mail window at VWOA--not expecting much, but now they can't say they haven't heard about it.

add another to the list. My radio just died in my 2010 Jetta TDI. 6cd no Navigation. looking to replace with an aftermarket stereo, Pioneer NEX (amazing features). anybody swap thier old non- navigation stereo with one that has Nav? if so what would i need besides a new stereo? thanks

I switched my rcd 510 for an rns 510 stock non nav to stock nav I had to install a gps antenna but if you get an aftermarket it will likely come with the antenna.

Make sure you all are filing your complaints... On a side note not to take away from the importance of this thread I want to give everyone a heads up. I had to replace my intake manifold on monday this is also a common problem according to the VW dealership. VW has extended the warranty on these to 120,000 miles My check engine light came on and car started to misfire and was eventually un drivable had to get it towed so if you have a check engine light and occasional misfires have the codes read at your local parts store if it is the intake manifold take it to the dealer asap they will give you a loaner and replace it under warranty for no charge

Ugh, I guess we need to add our 2010 Jetta Sportwagen TDI to the list. How very disappointing. Dealer wants $935 for the new system, but my question is how long will it last? This sounds like a major problem

dealer will give a 12 month warranty same as automotix.com if you get it from there and diy you will save at least $700

It's clear from the number of responses here that this is a systematic issue with radio units manufactured by Delphi in the 2010 year model VWs. For me at least, loss of Blue Tooth function is a safety issue--I frequently need to make or take phone calls while driving, and for much of my approx. 10-mile commute to and from work there is no safe shoulder on the road where I could pull over and use the phone. My decision to purchase the vehicle was made in part on the Blue Tooth feature, which my old car didn't have. My state (Washington) has a law explicitly forbidding use of cell phones while driving unless using a hands-free device. So this isn't just a pattern of failure in a "luxury feature" as VWOA has attempted to frame it--this issue directly affects safety for drivers and others around us.

@AlPuc I believe everyone here would agree with you unfortunately VWoA has still not made this a priority and rather than wait until they do which could be never it appears the best plan of action would be to of course file complaints and also find a used stock radio from a reputable parts dealer. I would not however give VWoA the $600 - $1000 asking price for a problem that they created

After contacting both the local dealer from which I purchased this vehicle and VWOA without receiving any sort of help or solution, I have filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration framing this as a safety issue due to loss of Blue Tooth functionality in the vehicle.

I encourage those affected by the radio issue to contact the Better Business Bureau ( www.bbb.org ) and the NHTSA ( www.nhtsa.gov ) to report this as a safety issue. I didn't even get a response from VWOA until I contacted the BBB and they notified VWOA of the claim. While "cheap" fixes exist, this is a faulty product issue and VWOA needs to make it right with their customers.

2010 VW Jetta TDI defective radio and Wilful installation of a BAD product here are some next steps: Report issue to 1. Better Business Bureau (BBB) 2. Virginia State Attorney Generals Office http://www.ag.virginia.gov/consumercomplaintform/consumerComplaintForm.aspx 3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) http://www.ag.virginia.gov/consumercomplaintform/consumerComplaintForm.aspx You can report the 2010 VW radio defect online (this needs to be done ASAP the number of complaints count). In order to get prompt action from the Attorney Generals Office we need to get 100 complaints submitted ASAP.

I've installed a Kenwood stereo and Sirius XM receiver to replace the junk-o RCD-510 that VWOA sold me with my 2010 JSW. I would like to use the stock JSW BlueTooth microphone installed in the overhead console with the new setup, but haven't figured out how to connect the new device to it. Has anybody done that? If so, how? Can you tell me what color wires I'm looking for (from the stock JSW microphone)? Thanks much!

@AlPuc I have no Idea but you should check out some of the VW club forums like mytdiclub or vwvotex those guys make all kinds of mods I saw a few tutorials for replacing the cluster and steering wheel to utilize the higher function cluster display Im sure you could find a diagram there for the radio wiring

Make that one more 2010 JSW DTI with a defective RCD 510 Premium 8 HU. 98K miles. Has anyone found away to get the CDs out of the unit. Or found a business that will purchase the old units. It seems that there is quite a few refurbished units available, are they purchasing cores?

I'd like to know of a place that will buy my broken one as well if anyone has that info

Add one more to the list of 2010 Jetta SE's who's radio crapped the bed today. It crackled and then the speakers in the backseat beat like I was in the club - even after the car was turned off! Brought to dealer, they said the unit fried internally and directed me to an aftermarket stereo place. Only way to get the beating noise to stop was for them to disconnect the amp in the car.

Add my 2011 Jetta Se to the list. Driving one day and the radio just stopped working. The fuse under the dash and behind the radio are good. my problem is I have CD's in the 6 disc changer and do not know how to get them out. I have the RCD 610 Premium 8 stereo. Is anyone having this problem? Radios just do not die. I have also replaced more headlight and tail light bulbs than I should have. I should not be blowing bulbs every couple of months. I appreciate any assistance or help you can provide.

I had the radio replaced after market and the tech cut the old one apart and saved the 6 - CD's with one having a small scratch. BTW when you get a after market radio expect these issues - poor to none radio (tuner) stations. Only ones in High def come in because the jetta has a power antenna and most after market do not send juice to it. Have your tech go to TDI forums to tips to make reception better. He had to reverse the wires going into the after market harness and now I get pretty good FM reception but little AM

@Robert: I looked on Automotix and I couldn't find a 2010 VW Jetta stereo with navigation. For this year the best they have is the one I got, which is the 6 CD MP3 Media/SD Card Satellite. Can you link the one you got as an upgrade please? If I can get navigation that would be cool, since I have to replace the stereo anyways. Thanks for any help you can offer.