NHTSA Complaint #10043311 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF WITH THE TDI ENGINE (ENGINE CODE ALH). LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ECU POWER RELAY ("RELAY 109"). SYMPTOMS ARE SUDDEN STALLING OF THE ENGINE WITH THE INABILITY TO RESTART FOR 3-5 MINUTES. THIS MORNING DURING MY MORNING COMMUTE MY ENGINE STALLED 4 TIMES, 3 OF WHICH WERE ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THIS IS A KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE TDI ENGINE. THERE HAVE BEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM (SEE HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM AND SEARCH FOR "RELAY 109" FOR EXAMPLES). VOLKSWAGEN HAS RELEASED AN UPDATED RELAY WHICH FIXES THIS FAILURE MODE. LUCKILY I WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM SO I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT AND INSTALL IT MYSELF. VW KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE... THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING AND MAY NOT BE RESTARTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. LUCKILY THIS MORNING I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN THE FIRST STALL HAPPENED. I RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND AFTER I WAS ABLE TO RESTART MY ENGINE AND CONTINUE ON, I GOT INTO THE RIGHT-HAND LANE, ASSUMING THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 55 MPH, AND FORTUNATELY I WAS PREPARED TO STOP THE CAR SAFELY. THIS HAPPENS TO VWS WITH TDI ENGINES UP TO AND INCLUDING THE 2001 MODEL YEAR. THE OLD RELAY PART NUMBER IS 357906381A AND THE NEW REPLACEMENT IS 1J0906381A. THIS SITUATION MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED SERIOUS SINCE THE REPLACEMENT PART IS ONLY ABOUT $25 AND INSTALLATION TAKES LESS THAN 10 MINUTES, BUT I FEEL THAT IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *LA