NHTSA Complaint #10316392 — 2007 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

MY CAR ACCELERATED WHILE I WAS MAKING A "PANIC STOP" MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND NO BRAKES WERE BEING ACTIVATED AND THE CAR ACTUALLY SPED UP UNTIL I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH. BY THAT TIME IT WAS TOO LATE AND I TAPPED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED DUE TO THE CARS ESP FEATURE WHICH SENSES DRIVER INPUT AND HELPS TO MAKE THE "CORRECT" ACTIONS TO AVOID AA LOSS OF CONTROL. I JAMMED ON MY BRAKES AFTER HARD ACCELERATION AND WHILE PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL I JERKED THE STEERING WHEEL. DURING OPERATING SPEED THESE ACTIONS WOULD CAUSE UNDERSTEER AND I ASSUME THE CAR HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED TO RELEASE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND REAPPLY THROTTLE TO REENGAGE FULL STEERING RESPONSE BUT I WAS LEAVING A STOP SIGN WHEN I NOTICED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED. IM NOT THINKING THAT THIS IS A DEFECT BUT RATHER WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION AFTER I JUST READ THE SYMPTOMS OF TOYOTAS MALADY. THE PROBLEM THEY ARE HAVING COULD BE DUE TO A FAULT IN A SIMILAR SYSTEM. I'M A TECH. IN THE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY AS WELL AS A PERFORMANCE DRIVING ENTHUSIAST. MY CREDENTIALS MIGHT NOT MATTER BUT I'M FULLY AWARE OF THE ACTIONS I TAKE BEHIND THE WHEEL AS WELL AS HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THESE "FLY BY WIRE" SYSTEMS. *TR