NHTSA Complaint #10187032 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ADDENDUM TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP05004 OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 11 MONTHS, FOUR OF THE IGNITION COILS IN MY 2003 JETTA GLI/ 6CYL HAVE FAILED. THE SERVICE DATES FOR EACH OCCURRENCE ARE: 5-12-06, 8-9-06, 12-26-06 AND 4-5-07. UPON THE THIRD FAILURE IN DECEMBER 2006 I ASKED IF MY VW DEALER COULD REPLACE ALL OF THE ORIGINAL IGNITION COILS, AS CLEARLY A PATTERN OF FAILURE WAS EVIDENT. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO REPLACE COILS AS THEY FAILED AND THAT I COULD CONTACT VW TO VOICE MY CONCERN. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE TO REQUEST THAT THEY REPLACE THE REMAINING 3 COILS, TO AGAIN RECEIVE THE RESPONSE THAT THEY WILL REPLACE THE COILS AS THEY FAIL, BUT NOT PROACTIVELY. (AS LONG AS MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY.) TODAY THE FOURTH IGNITION COIL FAILED AND I AM NOW OUTSIDE OF MY WARRANTY COVERAGE. (WARRANTY ENDED 2-28-07.) I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE TO FILE ANOTHER COMPLAINT AND WAS INSTRUCTED THAT I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS AS THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. UPON RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION, I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP05004, WHICH INDICATES THAT VW ISSUED CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS ON 1-31-03, 6-6-03, 12-03 AND 1-04 INSTRUCTING DEALERS TO REPLACE ALL IGNITION COIL PACKS IN MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTAS. UPON FINDING THIS INFORMATION, I CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AGAIN TO SEE IF MY CAR WOULD BE COVERED AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED BY THE CSC, AS CSC'S ARE VIN SPECIFIC, NOT MODEL/YEAR SPECIFIC. I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO RE-OPEN ACTION NUMBER DP05004. THE IGNITION COIL ISSUE IS STILL OCCURRING, AND VW IS NOT AUTHORIZING DEALERS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE SUSPECT IGNITION COILS AS INDICATED WHEN THIS ACTION NUMBER WAS CLOSED. *JB