NHTSA Complaint #10231190 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ON MARCH 1, 2004, I PURCHASED AND FINANCED A 2003 JETTA TDI FROM THE VW DEALERSHIP IN CHICO, CA. I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH MY NEW VEHICLE IN LATE NOVEMBER 2005, WITH MILEAGE AT 47399. I SUFFERED INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO THE FREEWAY AND IN TRAVELING UP HILLS. DURING THE LOSS OF POWER, I ALSO NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT HEAR THE WHINE OF THE TURBO AND ASSUMED THAT THE PROBLEM MUST BE RELATED TO MY TURBO. THE CHICO DEALER TEST DROVE THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WITH A SCAN TOOL BUT WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY MY COMPLAINT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO PERSISTED. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE CHICO DEALERSHIP ON JANUARY 7, 2006, WITH MILEAGE AT 50856. ONCE AGAIN, THE CHICO DEALER WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE THEIR SCAN TOOL DID NOT PULL A CODE. THE CHICO DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE MY COMPLAINT REGARDING THE LOSS OF POWER. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY THE CHICO DEALER ON JANUARY 7, 2006. FEELING DEFEATED AND FRUSTRATED, I SUFFERED THROUGH THE TURBO PROBLEM FOR ANOTHER YEAR. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS FORCED TO TAKE EXTRA SPECIAL PRECAUTION WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY IN CASE MY TURBO FAILED TO RESPOND UPON ACCELERATION. IN ADDITION, WHEN I EXPERIENCED A LOSS POWER TRAVELING UP-HILL, I WAS FORCED TO UTILIZE MY HAZARD SIGNAL AND MOVE TO EITHER THE SLOW LANE OR THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO ALLOW OTHER VEHICLES TO PASS ME. WHEN MY TURBO FAILED TO RESPOND PROPERLY, MY VEHICLE WOULD ONLY TRAVEL AT A MAXIMUM OF 45-55 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO THE FREEWAY AND 35-45 MPH WHEN TRAVELING UP-HILL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, EVEN LARGE SEMI-TRUCKS PASSED ME TRAVELING UP-HILL. THE PROBLEM WITH MY TURBO JEOPARDIZED MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY PASSENGERS' AS WELL AS THOSE TRAVELING AROUND US. THIS HAS GONE ON TOO LONG WITHOUT THE PROPER ATTENTION TO MY CONCERNS AND I FEEL UNSAFE WHILE TRAVELING IN MY VW. *TR