NHTSA Complaint #10316596 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2003 ENGINE WAS RUINED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH 26,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD BY MY PURCHASE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY REPLIED THE SAME. MY INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A RAINY DAY IN MIDDLEBURY, IN. THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING WHEN I WAS ON A BRIDGE AND IN A 2" PUDDLE. BOTH VW AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID THEY DO NOT COVER ANYTHING RELATED TO WATER DAMAGE. AN ENGINE SHOULD NOT BE RUINED IN A 2" PUDDLE. I WROTE TO "CLICK AND CLACK" EVENTUALLY ABOUT THE DAMAGE. THEY TOLD ME OTHER VS PASSAT OWNERS HAD THEIR ENGINES DAMAGED AND NEEDING TO BE REPLACED BUT IT WAS BY OTHER EVENTS. THE LOSS OF THE ENGINE HAPPENED IN THE PASSAT BECAUSE THE AIR INTAKE WAS THE LOWEST PART OF THE ENGINE AND WAS AFFECTED BY ANYTHING NEAR THE INTAKE. THIS HAPPENED IN 2004 IN MY CAR AND MY REPLACEMENT WAS OVER $11,000 AND HAD TO BE PAID PERSONALLY BY ME. I DID NOT KNOW THAT I COULD COMPLAIN TO THE GOVERNMENT AT THAT TIME. I WOULD STILL LIKE TO FILE THE COMPLAINT AND ASK FOR INVESTIGATION INTO THE NUMBER OF CARS INVOLVED WITH THE LOSS OF THE ENGINE. MINE IS THE VS PASSAT GLX, 4 MOTION. *TR