NHTSA Complaint #10444557 — 2011 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

I STARTED MY CAR ON 12/10/2011, DURING WHICH IT WAS AROUND 28 DEGREES. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE CAR STALLED. AFTER STARTING IT A SECOND TIME, I DROVE THE CAR TO BETWEEN 3-5 MPH, AT WHICH TIME IT STALLED AGAIN. ON THE THIRD TRY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING, BUT THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH FOR THE FIRST FEW MINUTES. ON JANUARY 4 FOLLOWING ANOTHER BOUT OF COLD WEATHER, THE CAR'S ENGINE REFUSED TO START EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO START IT. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALERSHIP IS CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. THEY BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE INTERCOOLER PIPES FREEZING DURING COLD TEMPERATURES. WHEN IT THAWS, WATER ENTERS THE ENGINE AND HYDROLOCKS IT, PREVENTING IT FROM STARTING OR STALLING THE ENGINE IF IT IS ALREADY RUNNING. THIS ISSUE POSES SEVERAL SAFETY RISKS, ESPECIALLY IF THE CAR STALLS IN THE MIDST OF HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. *TT