NHTSA Complaint #10413122 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

MY 2003 JETTA DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT IS FAILING. THE PROBLEM STARTED IN JANUARY 2011. THE DRIVER SIDE HEATER COIL WAS RECALLED BACK IN 2007 AND HAD BEEN REPLACED THROUGH THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT PART IS FAULTY AS WELL. THIS TIME, THE HEATER COIL HAS BURNED THE LEATHER SEAT AND BURNED A HOLE IN MY NORTH FACE DOWN COAT. LUCKILY THE COAT IS THICK SO I DID NOT GET BADLY BURNED. I HAD CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN DIRECTLY AFTER THIS ASSUMING THEY WOULD REPLACE THE HEATED SEAT COIL SINCE THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT FROM THE RECALL WAS BAD, THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL AND SAID THE CAR WAS PAST WARRANTY. WHICH IT WAS BY ABOUT 3 MONTHS. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE SITUATION OF A PRIOR RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PART WITH ANOTHER BAD PART, I EXPECTED MORE FROM THE COMPANY. I THEN WENT TO MY DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $120 "DIAGNOSTIC FEE" TO TELL ME THE HEAT SEATER IS FAULTY. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH VOLKSWAGEN. A SECOND CALL AND EMAIL TO VOLKSWAGEN LEAD NO WHERE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE AND REPLACEMENT OF ONE BAD PART WITH ANOTHER BAD PART IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. I SEE THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS ACTIVE ON THIS SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR CAR. I WOULD LIKE A CREDIT FOR MY DIAGNOSTIC FEE WHICH ANYONE COULD SEE WAS A FAULTY SEAT BASED ON THE BURN, AND I EXPECT VOLKSWAGEN TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT SEAT COVER AND PAD AND BOLSTER HEATERS AS THE SEAT IS NOT USABLE AS IS AND IF IT IS USED CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TT