NHTSA Complaint #10358022 — 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HAS BAD IGNITION COILS. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE PASSAT. WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL HE INFORMED ME THE CAR WAS SLUGGISH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING. I WENT OUT AND DROVE IT TO SEE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. I NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IF I DROVE IT, IT COULD CATCH FIRE. IT DIDN'T. I WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF BAD COILS. THAT WAS WHEN A FAMILY FRIEND LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD ME THAT IT HAD BAD IGNITION COILS. FORTUNATELY SCHOOL IS ONLY A MILE AWAY. I WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY NEAREST DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR (EACH COIL COSTING OVER $100 TO REPLACE - NOT INCLUDING LABOR) BECAUSE THE ENGINE COULD CATCH FIRE IF I DROVE IT. I CHECKED ONLINE AND I SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. I SAW VW IS DOING A VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT ON 2001-2007. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THIS WAS GOING TO COST ME THEY EVEN TOLD ME THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING ALL 4 (IT IS A 4 CYL) BECAUSE IF EVEN ONE IS BAD, THE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW. THIS IS NOT JUST ME. THIS IS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME YEAR SAME MODEL AS MINE. ALL SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE IGNITION PACK. THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM PEOPLE AS WELL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAR MANUFACTURE CAN PUT PARTS OUT THERE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED POTENTIAL HARM TO MY SON. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. AND THEY WANT ME TO GO IN AND PAY FOR ALL OF THIS, WHEN THEY PUT THOSE BAD PARTS IN THE CAR. *TR