NHTSA Complaint #10195930 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

PURCHASED USED 2002 VW JETTA 1.8 TURBO (5 SPEED) WITH 34,000 MILES STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR BLOWN FUSES (CIGARETTE LIGHTER), TRUNK LATCH, CENTER CONSOLE, AND TRANSMISSION REPAIRS. FUSE PROBLEM WAS ONGOING. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, A LOCAL MECHANIC INSTALLED A SMALL BOOST GAUGE ON THE DASH, WHICH WAS WIRED INTO A 10 AMP FUSE. WITHIN FIVE DAYS, THE CAR WAS BEING BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM ALL THE DASH VENTS. THE WIRE HARNESS, FUSE BLOCK, AND CONTROLLER COMPONENTS LOCATED BEHIND THE DASH WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE. VW OF AMERICA PREPARED TO SEND INVESTIGATORS TO NM, BUT WHEN THEY DISCOVERED GAUGE WIRING MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED, THEY DID NOT INVESTIGATE. HAVE READ OF OTHER ELECTRICAL FIRES BEHIND INSTRUMENT PANEL, DASH, SINCE THIS TIME. OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE, BUT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT. *TR