NHTSA Complaint #10190318 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ON APRIL 22, 2007 MY SON WAS RETURNING TO COLLEGE IN THE 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.8T WHEN THE ENGINE SIEZED WITHOUT WARNING AS HE ACCELERATED TO ENTER A BUSY INTERSTAT 80. FORTUNATELY, HE WAS ABLE TO COAST OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. INTERSTATE 80WAS HEAVILY USED BY TRUCKS, AND HAD MY SON NOT BEEN IN A POSITION TO GET OFF TO THE SIDE THE ENGINE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD NOT ONLY TO MY SON BUT TO MANY OTHER VEHICLES USING THIS HIGHWAY. *AK I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INSTANCE OF FAILURE OF THE VW 1.8 T ENGINE. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS THAT IS FAIRLY COMMON FOR THESE ENGINES TO FAIL AND VW TENDS TO BLAME THE OWNERS FOR IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. MY JETTA WAS PURCHASED IN APRIL 2006 WITH 31,000 MILES, IN THE YEAR THAT WE HAD THE CAR WE PUT APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT LEAST TWO TIMES. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR BASED ON VW ADVERTISING ABOUT THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF THESE CARS AND I FEEL THAT VW SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR POORLY ENGINEERED ENGINE AND ISSUE A RECALL TO CORRECT DEFICIENCIES WITH THIS ENGINE. I ORDER FOR ME TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, I ALSO HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY FROZE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE COST OF TO MAKE THIS CAR USABLE AGAIN WILL BE IN EXCESS OF $7,000. WHILE I DON'T FEEL THAT IT IS RIGHT THAT I AM STUCK WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS THAT ARE THE RESULT OF A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE, I AM MUCH MORE CONCERNED WITH PUTTING LIVES IN JEOPARDY WHEN AN ENGINE STOPS WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGH WAY SPEEDS