Door lock problem

2013 Jetta, my driver side rear door lock has ceased to function. When I actuate the locks by key fob or from inside the car, all doors lock except the driver rear door. The car also keeps trying to lock the doors and the little lock symbol on the lock button is not illuminated. I guess my car knows all of the doors are not locked. What could cause this? Anyway to temporarily work around this and manually lock the rear door? I am concerned leaving my car unlocked like this with where I have to park at work.

You have a bad actuator in the door. Mine kept doing this and they had to replace it. It's been fine ever since. It gets annoying when the car keeps trying to lock at 5mph.

jeff03tdi said:

You have a bad actuator in the door. Mine kept doing this and they had to replace it. It's been fine ever since. It gets annoying when the car keeps trying to lock at 5mph.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. That is what I was thinking but wanted some advice before I spend too much for VW parts and wrestle with the door panel.

You can get actuators used on eBay for like $50, and new for like 80-100$. There's a write up somewhere on how to swap it yourself, it's not that hard. If you have access to VCDS you can disable the Auto-lock which will stop they annoying lock every time you go below 5mph, until you fix it. I keep auto lock off to prolong the life of the actuator.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jtitocci said:

You can get actuators used on eBay for like $50, and new for like 80-100$. There's a write up somewhere on how to swap it yourself, it's not that hard. If you have access to VCDS you can disable the Auto-lock which will stop they annoying lock every time you go below 5mph, until you fix it. I keep auto lock off to prolong the life of the actuator.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I do not have access to a VCDS but have a trust worthy independent shop I can take it too for that.

snakefart said:

Thanks for the info. I do not have access to a VCDS but have a trust worthy independent shop I can take it too for that.

Click to expand...

You can fix this issue yourself at zero cost to you, it is a very straightforward repair. The root cause of this failure is carbon build-up on the commutator of the motor that moves the locking mechanism. All you need is a set of Torx screwdrivers and a few hours of time, the repair is described here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=451892. My Jetta is a 2010 model, but the lock mechanism hasn't changed much in at least 15 years. Give it a try, the new lock module costs around $200 at your local dealer (driver's door) and there really isn't any good reason to throw the whole assembly away when it can be repaired with only minor effort.

soot1 said:

You can fix this issue yourself at zero cost to you, it is a very straightforward repair. The root cause of this failure is carbon build-up on the commutator of the motor that moves the locking mechanism. All you need is a set of Torx screwdrivers and a few hours of time, the repair is described here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=451892. My Jetta is a 2010 model, but the lock mechanism hasn't changed much in at least 15 years. Give it a try, the new lock module costs around $200 at your local dealer (driver's door) and there really isn't any good reason to throw the whole assembly away when it can be repaired with only minor effort.

Click to expand...

Great link, thanks! I will try it myself before spending too much on VW parts.

snakefart said:

Great link, thanks! I will try it myself before spending too much on VW parts.

Click to expand...

Before you start, spend some time viewing this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA_igZnCBPY. It's a very comprehensive tutorial on how the latch is designed, how it works and how it's put together. It will serve you well when you take the module apart and when you reassemble it. Pay special attention to the part where the author describes how to join the mechanical and electrical portions together during reassembly - there is a lever which links the two subassemblies together, and it has to be engaged properly in order for the whole assembly to work correctly once you fix the motor. Some people who attempted the repair successfully fixed the motor, but didn't pay too much attention to joining the two subparts together and the lock as a whole didn't function correctly. Good luck!

Silly question folks. I have a generic OBDII code reader that I have used to reset error codes on older Jetta’s but will I need something smarter to turn off the auto lock feature? I see quite a few items out there when I Google VCDS and some don’t look much better than mine. Suggestions welcome.

And yes my Jetta has a psycho door lock and most days I need a key to get in it. Which all started about three months after the extended warranty expired. Still I love her / it.

The auto lock feature on your vehicle is a safety measure that was built in with the intent to improve safety of the vehicle occupants when the car is moving. Disabling it just because your driver's door lock went psycho seems like a bad idea, not to mention the fact that the psycho lock can be repaired in about half a day (if you do it for the first time), and at zero cost, whereas acquiring a brand-specific VCDS is bound to cost you quite a bit, plus even after disabling the auto-lock, you still have a defective door lock module, which renders your electronic key fob useless.

Thread resurrection here

I have recently purchased a 2014 Jetta and noticed that none of the door locks work when the doors are open but work fine when doors are closed. So when leaving the car I cannot just simply hit the lock button and shut the door I must use the key FOB. Is this a peculiar VW thing? Is there a VCDS or other device that can change the setting?

I figured this was VW making sure you did not lock your keys in the car?

Just curious. Thanks

It is a vw thing, you have to use the remote to lock the doors.

not a VW thing. The wife's Pathfinder does the same thing.

If the drivers door is closed and other doors are open you can lock the car with the remote, then when all the doors are closed the alarm will arm.

I do this when I have to get something out of the back seat or trunk.
That way I can pocket the key w/o locking it in the car.

Thank you for the replies. Just seems like a pain to have to keep the key in hand out pockets or bags, just to lock the doors.

No biggie. Just an adjustment to be made.