ON A SAT. MORNING (NOV 22ND 10 AM) MY FIANCEE AND I GOT IN HER 2003 VW PASSATT. IT WAS A COLD DAY AND I WAS DRIVING. BOTH OF US TURNED THE SEAT HEATERS WITHIN HER LEATHER SEATS ON LEVEL 5 (HIGH). VERY SHORTLY AFTER, I FELT A BURNING SENSATION IN MY LEFT REAR END AREA. WE THEN SMELLED SMOKE. WE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND I JUMPED OUT QUICKLY AS I COULD FEEL MY LEFT REAR END BURNING ONLY TO SEE THAT THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT AND THROUGH MY PANTS AND BURNED MY REAR END! OUCH! NO JOKE! I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE SEAT, MY NYLON PANTS, AND MY REAR END! WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THEILLAN VW OF BAY CITY MICHIGAN WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND SPOKE TO A SALESMAN. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED YESTERDAY. I WAS THEN GIVEN A COPY OF AUTOBEAT DAILY FROM WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10TH, 2003 AND ON PAGE 10 THERE IS AN ARTICLE WHICH READS "NHTSA PROBES SMOLDERING VW SEAT WARMERS" I THEN THOUGHT I WOULD SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT FORMALLY TO INFORM NHTSA THAT THE ARTICLE READS THAT JUST 2002-2003 JETTAS WERE BEING PROBED. THIS HAPPENED ON A PASSATT AS WELL. THE VIN BELOW IS INCORRECT AS I DON'T HAVE THE VIN WITH ME AT THIS TIME. *LA