NHTSA Complaint #10003043 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

COIL FAILURE IN 1.8T ENGINE. I HAVE A '02 JETTA 1.8T. ONE OF THE FOUR IGNITION COILS DIED WHILE DRIVING. RESULT WAS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND SUDDEN STOP WITHOUT BENEFIT OF BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CAR IS THEN UNDRIVABLE AND NEEDS TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS HAD I BEEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR HAD SOMEONE BEEN BEHIND ME, THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. VW ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY DESIGN AND HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THE PART. THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AT SOME POINT EVERY COIL WILL FAIL IN A SIMMILAR MANNER. THEY, HOWEVER, REFUSE TO REPLACE THE OTHER THREE PRE-REVISION COILS WITH THE NEW PART UNTIL EACH OF THEM FAILS ON ITS OWN. THEY FURTHER REFUSE TO EVEN SELL THE PART (AS IT IS EASILY FIXED AND WOULD KEEP SOMEONE FROM BECOMING STRANDED IF THEY HAD A SPARE.) THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VW BECAUSE OF THEY WAY THEY HAVE HANDLED THIS ISSUE. I AM AFRAID TO TAKE MY CAR ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF A FEW MILES BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I WILL END UP STRANDED AT LEAST THREE MORE TIMES. I DID NOT PAY OVER $20,000 FOR AN UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE CAR.