NHTSA Complaint #10405229 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC

THIS LETTER IS A FOLLOW UP TO A VERBAL COMPLAINT I FILED WITH VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE. ON MAY18TH 2011, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ON MY 2012 VW CC SHATTERED AS I DROVE DOWN INTERSTATE 95 AS IT PASSES THRU THE TOWN OF GREENWICH. MY CONCERN IS FOCUSED ON THE SAFETY OF THE WHEEL DESIGN AND MY BELIEF THAT THE OVER INFLATION OF THE TIRES CONTRIBUTED TO RIM FAILURE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 10AM ON THAT DAY THERE WERE NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR THAT PULLED OVER BEHIND ME CONFIRMED THE ABSENCE OF ANY LARGE POTHOLES. WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE THE CAR CLEARLY CAME IN CONTACT WITH AN IRREGULARITY, ONE THAT EVERY CAR BEFORE AND AFTER WAS ABLE TO TRANSVERSE WITHOUT A PROBLEM. IN MY CASE THE RIM SHATTERED AND SEPARATED FROM THE CAR CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR THAT WAS BEHIND ME PULLED OVER AFTER SEEING WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS AN EXPLOSION ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE RIM. CLEARLY SHOWING PRODUCT FAILURE. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, HE COMMENTED THAT HE HAS NEVER WITNESSED RIM FAILURE LIKEN THAT. THE DEALER UPON REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE CONCURRED. MY CONCERN IS TWOFOLD. ONE THE SAFETY OF THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE RIM AND THE OVER INFLATION UPON DELIVERY OF THE TIRES WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE WEAKNESS OF THE DESIGN. I AM REQUESTING AN INQUIRY INTO THE SAFETY OF THIS DESIGN, THE TRAINING OF THE STAFF ON PROPER INFLATION GUIDELINES AND THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FAILURE