NHTSA Complaint #10151007 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

1) I PURCHASED A VW TDI WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF A BAD TURBO AND AN INTERMITTENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I HAD THE CAR SEVEN MONTHS AND PUT 12,984 MILES ON IT WITH NO PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED AS TO WHY THE C.E. LIGHT WAS ON. WHEN ASKED ABOUT REPAIRING THE TURBO BY THE COUNTER MAN I TOLD HIM I INTEND TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT BREAKS THEN HAVE IT REPAIRED. I ASKED HIM IF THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM DOING THAT HE EXPLAINED TO ME THE CAR WOULD BE SLUGGISH THEN NOT RUN. VW DIAGNOSED MY CAR AS HAVING A "TURBO WASTE GATE BLOWN" I DEFERRED THE REPAIR INTENDING TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE TURBO WENT. 2) ON THE WAY HOME, SIX MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR RAN SLIGHTLY ROUGH. I OBSERVED LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM MY CAR IN THE HEAD LIGHTS OF THE CARS BEHIND ME. I DEDUCTED MY CAR WAS BURNING CARBON SINCE CARBON BUILD UP WAS NOTED ON THE REPORT. I SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR RACED FORWARD. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR RACED FORWARD SO QUICKLY AND WITH SUCH FORCE I WOULD COMPARE IT TO A MUSCLE CAR BEING FLOORED. THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I LOOKED AT THE TACHOMETER AND IT WAS GOING BY 4,000 RPM. THIS DIESEL ENGINE WAS SCREAMING. INSTINCTIVELY I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE ENGINE REVVED THEN BLEW. I WAS 7 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP. SERVICE MANGER STATED THAT A GASKET IN THE TURBO LET GO CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SUCK OIL FROM THE CRANKCASE FUELING THE ENGINE. HE TOLD ME THAT NOTHING COULD STOP THE ENGINE FROM REVVING NOT EVEN TURNING OFF THE KEY. HE TOLD ME THAT ALL DIESEL ENGINES WERE MADE THIS WAY. THERE IS NOTHING VW COULD DO FOR ME. I CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEVEL 2 OPERATOR TOLD ME SINCE I WAS TOLD ABOUT THE TURBO BEING BROKEN THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. 3) MY CAR IS SITTING WITH A BLOWN ENGINE AND A BLOWN TURBO. *JB