NHTSA Complaint #10422300 — 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS RIDICULOUS BUT I'VE DRIVEN ON MANY ROAD TRIPS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED UNTIL THIS VEHICLE, AND IT'S PAINFUL. BUT HERE IT IS: LEATHER-WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL CAUSES CALLUSES AT A HIGHLY UNUSUAL RATE ON LONGER DRIVES. (I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE FOR 12 HOURS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WITHOUT ISSUE. AFTER DRIVING ONLY THREE AND A HALF HOURS STEADILY, MY HANDS HURT ALL OVER.) IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE LEATHER ISN'T CAUSING THIS - THE STITCHING ON THE INSIDE IS FAR TOO RAISED UP ON THE INSIDE PART AROUND THE ENTIRE 'WHEEL' OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT IS ALSO RIGHT BEHIND THE LEFT AND RIGHT 'HANDLES' WHERE YOU CAN HOLD THE WHEEL, SO ANYWHERE YOU HOLD IT, YOU BASICALLY ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT COMFORTABLE AT ALL TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL, DRIVERS MAY BE INCLINED TO HOLD THE WHEEL MORE LOOSELY OR HOLD THE WHEEL EVEN LESS/LET GO WHEN THEY BELIEVE IT IS "SAFE" ... WHICH MAY LEAD TO CRASHES, INJURY, OR DEATH, DUE TO DEVELOPING PAIN IN THE HANDS/FINGERS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THIS STEERING WHEEL HAS BEEN DESIGNED. *TT