NHTSA Complaint #10435310 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

2010 VW JETTA TDI WITH ROUGHLY 35,650 MILES. WHILE DRIVING UP THE ON-RAMP TO ENTER THE INTERSTATE, GLOW PLUG DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND WARNED TO "CHECK ENGINE NOW." WITHIN 20 SECONDS, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE (WITH DRIVERS FLYING BY AT 65+MPH AT 9:45PM). VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE VW DEALERSHIP. SERVICE REP CLAIMED "FUEL CONTAMINATION," WITH METAL SHARDS ALL THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM. ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED ($10,000 REPAIR) WITH EQUIVALENT, NEW PARTS. ACCORDING TO VW SERVICE TECHNICIANS, THE PARTS HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED DESPITE VW'S KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. AS A RESULT, "FUEL CONTAMINATION" COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THE CAR COULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. LUCKILY, BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF CONGESTION ON THE ROAD. HAD THIS HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR, THERE VERY LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. VW CLAIMS THE PROBLEM IS A RESULT OF THE POOR QUALITY OF AMERICAN DIESEL FUEL SUPPLY, SAYING THE TDIS ARE DESIGNED IN GERMANY TO RUN ON 100% DIESEL THAT'S FOUND IN EUROPE. IF THIS IS THE CASE, WHY ARE THEY SELLING GERMAN DESIGNED CARS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT DOESN'T HAVE FUEL SUPPLIES THAT ARE 100% DIESEL? VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL OF THE 2009/2010 JETTA TDI. *TR