NHTSA Complaint #10195977 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

6/30 I DROVE MY 2004 VW PASSAT WAGON. I HAD USED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN, I ATTEMPTED TO RE-ACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. I TRIED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING DAY AND IT WORKED. 7/3, I PARKED MY CAR FOR AN HOUR APPT. I RETURNED TO MY CAR TO FIND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON. I TURNED THE CAR ON, TAPPED THE BRAKES AND TURNED IT OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON. I HAD TO LEAVE TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS AND UPON RETURNING, CALLED MY DEALER, ONTARIO VW. 7/9 I MADE AN APPT TO SERVICE THE CAR. SYLVIA IN SERVICE MADE THE APPT. SHE MENTIONED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. AFTER MAKING THE APPT, I RESEARCHED THE RECALL. I FOUND THE NHTSA SITE. NHTSA HAD A CAMPAIGN ID # 07V063000 FOR 6 MAKES OF VOLKSWAGEN, VARYING YEARS, ALL FOR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MALFUNCTION. THE DESCRIPTION MATCHED MY PROBLEM EXACTLY. LATER ON THE 9TH, I WENT TO DROP OFF MY CAR FOR REPAIR. I WAS CHECKED IN AND TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. JOSE MEZA, SENIOR SERVICE ADVISOR, TOLD ME MY VIN # HAD NO RECALL. I EXPLAINED ABOUT THE INFO I FOUND AND HE SAID I WAS INCORRECT. HE DID NOT OFFER TO RESEARCH ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL BE REPAIRED. MY ISSUE IS WITH THE HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION AND THE LACK OF INTEREST ON THE PART OF ONTARIO VW AND VW CORP, WHOM I CALLED TO COMPLAIN AND WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY VIN # DID NOT REFLECT A RECALL. IF 5 OTHER VW MAKES HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE UNDER RECALL, WHY AM I BEING CHALLENGED ABOUT INCLUDING MY CAR IN THE RECALL? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAN BECOME INOPERABLE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. VEHICLE SAFETY SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY FOR ALL MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERSHIPS AND I AM SHOCKED AT THE LACK OF INTEREST I AM RECEIVING FROM ALL I CONTACT ABOUT THIS ISSUE. INCLUDING THE NHTSA THAT TOLD ME I COULD FILE A GENERAL COMPLAINT AND POSSIBLY BE INCLUDED IN A FUTURE RECALL BUT COULD NOT OFFER SPECIFIC HELP WITH ANYTHING ELSE. *TR