NHTSA Complaint #10070733 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

THE CLUTCH COMPLETELY BLEW OUT ON MY 2002 JETTA VR6 AT 27,000 MILES ON 8/25/2003. IT IS COSTING $966 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH (I WILL KNOW THE EXACT PARTS ONCE I GET IT BACK FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT). I WAS TOLD BY THE VW DEALERSHIP AND VW OF AMERICA THAT THIS IS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I DO NOT RIDE THE CLUTCH AND DRIVE ALL HIGHWAY MILES. THE CLUTCH WAS NOT RUINED BY "POOR DRIVING" OR "CITY DRIVING" DESPITE WHAT VW OF AMERICA AND THE DEALERSHIP IS CLAIMING. THE CLUTCH MUST BE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH VW JETTA STANDARD TRANSMISSION CARS MADE DURING/AFTER 1999 (THE YEAR VW REMODELED THEIR CARS). THESE PEOPLE HAVE ALSO HAD THEIR CLUTCH GO OUT WITH 10,000-35,000 MILES ON THEIR CARS, WERE EXPERIENCED DRIVERS, AND WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ALSO, WHEN I DID GET MY CAR BACK I ASKED FOR THE PARTS THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED (SO I COULD HAVE AN INDEPENDANT MECHANIC LOOK AT THEM) AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN SENT BACK TO THE FACTORY. THIS LEAVES ME WITH NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE PARTS. SINCE THEN I HAVE WRITTEN VW DEMANDING IT FIND & RETURN THE PARTS OR REFUND THE REPAIR COSTS.