mk4 jetta/golf 4door, driver rear door not locking or unlocking

05MK4TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Location
Gilbert Arizona
TDI
2005 Volkswagen Jetta BEW
I've heard it's somewhat common, but just recently my driver's side rear door on my Jetta stopped responding to my key fob, and the unlock/lock button inside the car. not locking or unlocking. at first, it was intermittent but now it just doesn't lock or unlock at all unless I manually do it from inside the car.

does anybody have a fix for this?
thanks in advance!
 

Diesel Fumes

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Location
Creston, bc
TDI
2003 alh tdi 5 speed
Anecdotal perhaps but I had this same issue. Same door actually.. And the problem fixed itself after i disconnected the battery to swap out some shifter bushings. Otherwise I believe there is a sensor in the door you need to replace
 

05MK4TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Location
Gilbert Arizona
TDI
2005 Volkswagen Jetta BEW
Anecdotal perhaps but I had this same issue. Same door actually.. And the problem fixed itself after i disconnected the battery to swap out some shifter bushings. Otherwise I believe there is a sensor in the door you need to replace
okay thank you i’ll do some research! those mk4 driver rear doors were plagued with this problem apparently.
cheers!
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
If your car made it 16 years until its first door latch failed, you did good. Latches are VERY common. Welcome to 1998.
 

KrashDH

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2002 Golf
If your car made it 16 years until its first door latch failed, you did good. Latches are VERY common. Welcome to 1998.
It's funny because my microswitch on my front driver side door had been intermittent for about a year. All the others worked fine. I finally decided to permanently fix the issue. Literally as I buttoned up that project, my rear driver side failed with no warning. No intermittent. Just worked until it didn't. When I pulled the switch, the little button was literally inside the switch.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
With my fleet of Volkswagens, the likelihood of ALL of the door latches functional at any one given time is pretty much 0%. I think I am down to only three bad ones, though, which out of ~20 doors and the newest ones being 17 years old I guess isn't too bad.
 

05MK4TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Location
Gilbert Arizona
TDI
2005 Volkswagen Jetta BEW
It's funny because my microswitch on my front driver side door had been intermittent for about a year. All the others worked fine. I finally decided to permanently fix the issue. Literally as I buttoned up that project, my rear driver side failed with no warning. No intermittent. Just worked until it didn't. When I pulled the switch, the little button was literally inside the switch.
What was your permanent fix?
 
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