NHTSA Complaint #10121211 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

MY CAR HAD RECALL #04V096000 PERFORMED APPROX 1.5 YEARS AGO (A SWITCH WAS REPLACED). THAT SAME SWITCH HAD BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. IT IS THE SWITCH THAT DETECTS WHETHER OR NOT I HAVE PRESSED THE BRAKE, ALLOWING ME TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. SOMETIMES IT ALSO AFFECTS MY BRAKE LIGHTS, CAUSING THEM TO NOT TURN ON WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. HOWEVER, ON MAY 14, 2005 I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, EVEN AFTER THE RECALL. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. THIS TIME IT DID AFFECT THE BRAKE LIGHTS - THEY WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO A FUSE, BUT DUE TO THAT SWITCH, AND THAT THE TWO ARE CONNECTED. WHEN THE SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD MALFUNCTION AS WELL. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SWITCH (AGAIN). THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THAT PART HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES SUCH AS A SHORT TO THE GROUND WHICH REQUIRED A NEW FUEL PUMP RELAY, ESP LIGHT WHICH INDICATED A BAD BRAKE LIGHT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A BAD ABS PUMP AND RELAY. UPDATED 01/27/06. *JB