NHTSA Complaint #10255498 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

IN AUGUST 2008 I WENT TO HAVE MY OIL CHANGED AT A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER IN KALAMAZOO, MI. THEY SAID THAT THE ALUMINUM OIL PAN PLUG HAD BEEN OVERTIGHTENED AND THE PAN WAS RUINED. I WAS TOLD THAT POTENTIALLY THE PLUG COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT AT ANY POINT IN TIME, LEAVING ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION, EITHER STRANDED SOMEWHERE BUT MOST LIKELY CAUSING A CRASH. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ALUMINUM PANS WEAR OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THIS CAR HAD ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. SOMETHING LIKE AN OIL PAN SHOULDN'T JUST "WEAR OUT" AFTER THAT SHORT A TIME. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I WAS BETTER OFF REPLACING THE ALUMINUM PAN WITH THE STEEL BECAUSE THE ALUMINUM WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO PUNCTURES FROM ALMOST ANYTHING. THE NEW VOLKSWAGENS ARE BEING MANUFACTURED WITH STEEL PANS AND VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE WILLING TO REPLACE THE OLD ALUMINUM FREE OF CHARGE. THE NEW PAN COST ME $293.69. *TR