NHTSA Complaint #10142854 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS VR6. IN APRIL OF 2003 I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR WHERE ESPECIALLY IN WET CONDITIONS, THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND MISFIRE THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT WAS LOSING POWER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS THE IGNITION COIL PACK WAS BAD. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE PART AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $1300.00 TO REPAIR AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY SIMILAR VOLKSWAGENS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD A RECALL OUT ON THE COIL PACK. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY CLAIMED THAT MY ENGINE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL BUT THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME A COURTESY AND COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. IN OCTOBER OF 2005 I BEGAN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR AGAIN. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THEY DIAGNOSED THAT MY IGNITION COIL PACK WAS BAD. I AGAIN DID RESEARCH AND READ SEVERAL ARTICLES ONLINE THAT VW WAS RECALLING THE COIL PACK FOR MY PARTICULAR MODEL. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IN THEIR SYSTEM, MY CAR DIDN'T QUALIFY. I EXPLAINED THAT THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ABOUT 20,000 MILES PUT ON THE CAR SINCE THE LAST OCCURANCE AND TO NO AVAIL WOULD THEY HELP ME OUT. THEY SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON MY CAR THEY WOULD NOT DO ANOTHER COURTESY AND BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE COIL PACK RECALL, IT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER FRIENDS WITH VW JETTAS THE SAME YEAR AS MINE AND THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T VW LISTED MY CAR IN THE RECALL. HAVING THIS ISSUE TWICE IN THE SHORT LIFESPAN OF THE CAR SIGNALS THAT THERE IS A DEFAULT IN THE PART AND IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MANUFACTURER. *NM