NHTSA Complaint #10252376 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

2003 VW GOLF GL-I BOUGHT NEW & AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF IT. AND JUST OVER 80,000 MILES, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO DRIVE IT AROUND FOR OVER A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE ANY OF THE VW DEALERSHIPS WOULD SCHEDULE ME AN APPOINTMENT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO CONNECT THEIR HAND-HELD DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO FIND OUT WHAT THE EXACT CAUSE OF TURNING ON THIS LIGHT WAS. (I WENT TO 3 SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS IN 3 DIFFERENT CITIES.) IT TURNED OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE SEATBELT LATCH SENSOR. EVEN THOUGH THE SEATBELT LIGHT TURNED OFF INDICATING IT WAS LATCHED, THE SAME LATCH ALSO DETERMINES INDEPENDENTLY ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ENABLE THE AIRBAGS. I JUST HAD THIS PART REPLACED TODAY-12/20/08-AT A COST OF OVER $430. I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN THE LATCH "THINKS" THE SEATBELT IS NOT CONNECTED, THAT IT DISABLES ALL OF THE 6 AIRBAGS, MAKING THE CAR THAT I THOUGHT I HAD AT LEAST MOST OF THE AIRBAGS STILL FUNCTIONING, COMPLETELY AIRBAG-LESS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE, BY VW'S MANUFACTURE DESIGN TO TURN OFF ALL AIRBAGS BASED ON A SEATBELT LATCH, NOT A MALFUNCTIONING AIRBAG. IF THE LATCH IS GIVING VALID FEED BACK TO TURN OFF THE SEATBELT LIGHT, THEN THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE A SEPARATE CONTACT IN THIS LATCH FOR THE AIRBAGS THAT DISABLES ALL OF THE AIRBAGS. SAFETY PARTS LIKE AIRBAGS SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE EXTENDED MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY LIKE THE SEATBELTS THEMSELVES & THE EMISSION EQUIPMENT LIKE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH IS AROUND 150000 MILES, ISN'T IT? THIS IS AN EXTREMELY POOR & DANGEROUS DESIGN, TO TURN OFF ALL AIRBAGS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. BY THE TIME THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON TO WHEN OWNERS CAN GET IT SERVICED, THE OWNERS UNKNOWINGLY ARE DRIVING IN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT HAD ITS WORKING AIRBAGS COMPLETELY TURNED OFF BECAUSE OF A SEATBELT LATCH SWITCH THAT WAS WORKING WELL ENOUGH TO TELL THE SEATBELT LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD TO TURN OFF. THIS ALONE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO KEEP ALL OF THE WORKING AIRBAGS FUNCTIONING. *TR