NHTSA Complaint #10041320 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

STARTING ON MAY 23,2003 I STARTED TAKING MY JETTA VR6 INTO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CHECK ENGINE (MIL) LIGHT WAS ON AND OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WOULD DIE. I WOULD DRIVE AT 40 MPH OR BE AT A STOP SIGN AND EITHER WAY THE CAR WOULD JUST DROP ALL POWER. I LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND WOULD HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE 1ST TIME I WAS TOLD THAT A 40,000-MILE TUNE UP WOULD FIX THE SITUATION. IT OCCURRED AGAIN AFTER THE TUNE ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, AND I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS AN O2 SENSOR AND THE MASS FLOW SENSOR THAT HAS PROBLEMS. THEY PAID FOR THE MASS FLOW SENSOR AND IT'S LABOR AND I PAID FOR THE O2 SENSOR AND IT'S LABOR. AFTER THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT IT OCCURRED (WITH IN THE SAME WEEK); THEY SAID IT WAS ANOTHER O2 SENSOR AND THEY PAID FOR THE LABOR WHERE I PAID FOR THE PART. ON THE FOURTH VISIT, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ONE OF THE 2 O2 SENSORS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED HAD GONE BAD AGAIN. THEY PAID FOR BOTH OF THESE ISSUES AND ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. IT WASN'T THE NEXT TIME THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION I ASKED THEM TO DRIVE IT AND MAKE SURE AS THE ALTERNATOR THEY WANTED ME TO BUY WAS $700. THEY CALLED BACK A WEEK LATER AND SAID THEY WERE WRONG IT WAS THE BATTERY INSTEAD AND THAT I OWED THEM $125. I PAID BECAUSE I WAS TOO TIRED TO ARGUE ANYMORE. THAT WAS ON 8/9/03. ON 10/6/03 THE CAR DIED AGAIN. THEY ARE NOW SAYING IT IS THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THAT IT WAS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN (MEANING TO ME, I MAY NOT HAVE NEEDED TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY 2 MONTHS AGO). THEY WANTED ME TO PAY FOR THE PART AND HALF THE LABOR BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY (ONLY CAME WITH 2/24K). STARTING TO WONDER WHAT WILL THEY BLAME IT ON (AND CHARGE ME FOR) NEXT MONTH. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT 48500. *LA