NHTSA Complaint #10149903 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

THE EVENING OF JANUARY 12, 2006 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME WHEN A LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY VEHICLE STARTED FLASHING AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FALTER WHEN IDLE. AFTER ARRIVING HOME I CHECKED THE OWNERS MANUAL AND FOUND OUT THAT THE LIGHT INDICATED A MALFUNCTION WITH THE EMISSIONS OF THE VEHICLE. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2006. I RECEIVED A CALL TUESDAY AFTERNOON FROM VIC AT VICTORY VOLKSWAGEN, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE IGNITION COIL IN MY CAR WAS BAD AND WOULD NEED REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $500.00. VIC TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD THE PARTS IN STOCK AS "THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME". I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE MY CAR REPAIRED AND THE TOTAL COST WAS $761.40. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB I FOUND A PRESS RELEASE FROM VOLKSWAGEN/AUDI IN WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL MAKES AND MODELS. WITHIN THE PRESS RELEASE IT WAS STATED THAT VW/AUDI WILL BEGIN REPLACING ALL IGNITION COILS IN CARS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED. I ALSO FOUND A DEFECT INVESTIGATION ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE (#DP05004) WHICH STATED THAT VW ISSUED A CSC TO INSTRUCT THEIR DEALERSHIPS TO REPLACE THE COIL PACKS IN THE VEHICLES AT NO COST, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE. AS I DID NOT RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION FROM VW I SENT A LETTER TO VW ASKING THEM TO HONOR THE CSC AND COVER THE COSTS FOR THE REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE. I SPOKE WITH CRAIG PETERS AND DON MORITZ, BOTH WITH VW AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE CSC. THEY INFORMED ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PRESS RELEASE STATES THAT "ALL VW'S EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.8 LITER VR6" WERE AFFECTED, IT WAS IN FACT, AN ERROR AND ONLY CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED. *JB