NHTSA Complaint #10062619 — 1995 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

I WAS STARTING MY 1995 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT VR6 (MANUAL), AND IT STARTED UP JUST FINE, BUT AS I STARTED TO GET GOING, THE CAR DIED. I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR INITIATED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH, INCLUDING POWER BRAKES, POWER STEERING, AND HEADLIGHTS. I FOUND OUT THAT MY IGNITION SWITCH HAD MALFUNCTIONED. I CALLED VW OF AMERICA (1-800-822-8987), AND THEY TOLD ME THAT A RECALL WAS OUT FOR THE 1996 AND 1997 MODELS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO MODEL YEARS AND MY MODEL YEAR IS THE SWITCH IN THE ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FROM OBD 1 TO OBD 2. I KNEW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE SAME FOR ALL 1995 TO 1997 PASSATS, BUT JUST TO BE SURE, I CALLED STEVENS CREEK VOLKSWAGEN PARTS DEPARTMENT (1-408-492-1200). THE GUY THERE TOLD ME THAT PART NUMBERS MATCHED THROUGH ALL 3 YEARS, AND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNTCIONS AN ALL 3 MODEL YEARS INCLUDING 1995. SO, I CALLED VW OF AMERICA AGAIN, AN ASKED THEM WHY THEY DIDN'T RECALL MY MODEL YEAR. THEY STATED THAT "VW COULD HAVE RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM" WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN ALL 3 PART NUMBERS ARE THE SAME. THEY THEN SAID THAT THEY WOULD LAUNCH THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION INTO IT, AND TOLD ME TO CALL NHTSA. MY FINAL SAY ON THIS MATTER IS THAT IT DEFINITELY IS LIFE THREATENING, BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ELECTRICAL, AND CAN MALFUNTCION AT AND TIME, CAUSING YOU TO LOSE POWER STEERING, BRAKES, AND LIGHTING ON THE ROAD. I WAS LUCK BECAUSE I JUST GOT GOING, AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR BACK BY MY HOUSE. MEANWHILE, VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IS CUTTING CORNERS TO SAVE MONEY BY ONLY RECALLING THE MODEL YEARS THAT YOU HAVE TESTED, EVEN THOUGH THE MALFUNCTIONING PART IS THE SAME INALL 3 MODEL YEARS: 1995, 1996, AND 1997. AS A MEMBER OF A VW VORTEX FORUM, I WILL TELL OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM TO WRITE IN TO YOU. *AK