NHTSA Complaint #10000157 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GLS 1.8T ON MONDAY, DEC 2, 2002, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (INDICATING THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN), ENGINE STUTTERING, AND LOSS OF POWER. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALER THE CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE A FAULTY IGNITION COIL. A REPLACEMENT WAS ORDERED BUT DUE TO THE NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF IGNITION COILS FOR VW/AUDI 1.8TS IT WAS NOT KNOWN WHEN THE PART WOULD ARRIVE. THE REPLACEMENT IGNITION COIL WAS RECEIVED AND INSTALLED BY THE VW DEALER ON THURSDAY, DEC 5, 2002. DUE TO THE PARTS SHORTAGE ONLY ONE OF FOUR IGNITION COILS WAS REPLACED. AFTER REPLACEMENT ALL PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS WERE GONE AND THE VEHICLE RAN NORMALLY. ON THURSDAY, DEC 12, 2002, THE SYMPTOMS (FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, STUTTERING ENGINE, AND LOSS OF POWER) RETURNED. AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE BY THE SAME VW DEALER. ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS THAT HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS FAULTY. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE DEALERS HANDLING OF THE SITUATION. I AM NOT PLEASED WITH VW'S USAGE OF A PART THAT HAS SHOWN TO BE AS FAILURE PRONE AS THESE IGNITION COILS. TS