NHTSA Complaint #10428973 — 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

2005.5 VW JETTA, 2.5L 5 CYL ENGINE. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER GUIDELINES. VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS LIT STEADY, NOT FLASHING. STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN SPEED. PULLED OFF ROAD AND IDLE WAS VERY ROUGH. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IDLE WAS WORSE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL LIT AND NOT FLASHING. VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE GRINDING NOISE FROM DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WAS DIFFICULT TO MOVE VEHICLE UNDER ITS OWN POWER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. REPAIR SHOP FOUND TROUBLE CODE P1340 AND AFTER MORE DIAGNOSTIC THAT TIMING WAS INCORRECT. CAM TIMING WAS VERY FAR OFF AND STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN SUSPECTED. COMPRESSION TEST REVEALED BENT VALVES AS WELL. LOCAL INDY MECHANIC AND LOCAL VW DEALER HAVE BOTH SEEN THIS ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES WITH 2005.5 AND 2006 MODEL JETTA AND RABBIT VEHICLES WITH THE 2.5L ENGINE, AND SEVERAL OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES ARE OUTLINED IN SEVERAL PLACES ONLINE. THE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN WAS VERY SUDDEN AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR