NHTSA Complaint #10236906 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY AND A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION WHILE DRIVING. I DROVE FOR A HALF A DAY WITHOUT KNOWING THE LIGHT WAS STAYING ON. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HONKED AT ME, BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHY. I ALSO COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY MY CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK. I FIGURED OUT THE BRAKELIGHT SWITCH WAS NOT WORKING WHEN I CAME OUT OF HOME DEPOT AFTER DARK AND I THOUGHT I LEFT MY LIGHTS ON. IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE BRAKELIGHT SWITCH. I CALLED A VOLKSWAGON REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. WHEN I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SERVICE TO REPAIR IT, THEY DENIED ANY RECALL. I DID A LITTLE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I NOW SEE THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF BRAKELIGHT SWITCH FAILURES ON JETTAS AND BEETLES. THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY ALSO AS IT HAS 59,400 MILES ON IT AND IT IS A 2006 JETTA TDI. I BOUGHT THIS CAR THINKING IT WILL GO 250,000 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS AND AM SADDENED BY THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT FOR A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS OVER 250,000 MILES WITHOUT A BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. IT SEEMS VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REMEDY THE FAILURES ON THE MEXICAN MADE VEHICLES ON SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WHICH SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR A NEAR INFINITE LIFE SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS NOT LIKE A FAN SWITCH. I AM PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO SEE THE FAILURE AS I HAVE PUT ON AN UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNT OF MILES, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE HIGHWAY MILES. WHEN I GET IT REPAIRED, I CAN GET THE OLD PART. I HOPE TO GET IT REPAIRED TOMORROW. *TR