NHTSA Complaint #10253809 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I HAVE A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI DIESEL, WHICH HAS THE PD TYPE ENGINE. THIS PD DESIGN HAS A WELL-KNOWN DEFECT; SPECIFICALLY, AN EXTRA LOAD IS PLACED ON THE CAMSHAFT BECAUSE IT DRIVES THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AS OPPOSED TO PREVIOUS VW TDI MODELS IN WHICH AN EXTERNAL ROTARY PUMP DROVE THE FUEL INJECTORS. BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT, VW INSTITUTED A SPECIAL OIL REQUIREMENT FOR THIS CAR TO SATISFY THE ADDITIONAL LUBRICATION DEMANDS OF THIS DESIGN. INITIALLY THAT OIL SPECIFICATION WAS VW 505.01; MOST RECENTLY IT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO VW 507 OR CASTROL OE PROFESSIONAL 5W/30. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED WITH 80,000 MILES ON IT IN JULY, 2006, AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGES DONE AT VW DEALERSHIPS: ONE IN MERRILLVILLE, IN AND ONE IN BENSENVILLE, IL. ON ALL BUT ONE OCCASION, BOTH DEALERSHIPS DOCUMENTED THE USE OF VW 505.01 COMPLIANT OIL IN MY CAR. ON THE ONE OCCASION IN WHICH VW 505.01 OIL WAS NOT USED, THE DEALER IN BENSENVILLE, IL PUT A GENERIC OIL IN MY CAR THAT HAD NO IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS, OTHER THAN ITS DRAMATICALLY LOWER PRICE PER QUART. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS AT THE TIME, BECAUSE AT THIS FEBRUARY 23, 2008 SERVICE THE DEALER HAD ALSO POINTED OUT THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE ALL 4 BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED, SO I DID NOT HAVE A LOWER SERVICE COST TO ALERT ME; THIS SERVICE COST FAR MORE THAN USUAL AND I DID NOT REALIZE AT THE TIME THAT I COULD TELL EXACTLY WHAT OIL THEY WERE PUTTING IN MY CAR FROM THE PART NUMBER ON MY INVOICE; I THOUGHT THAT PART NUMBER CORRESPONDED TO THE OIL CHANGE SERVICE ITSELF. ON AUGUST 8, 2008, I HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF THE SORT THE VW SERVICE MANUAL WARNS ABOUT IF THE WRONG OIL IS USED, "...EVEN IF ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF INCORRECT OIL IS ADDED TO THE CORRECT OIL TO TOP OFF THE LEVEL." I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, BUT I INCURRED ABOUT $8,000 OF REPAIR COSTS DUE TO DAMAGE TO MY CAMSHAFT, VALVE LIFTERS, TOTAL EGR-INTAKE SYSTEM AND TURBOCHARGER. *TR