NHTSA Complaint #10447795 — 2008 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ON 10 FEBRUARY 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:45 AM, I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 395 NORTH , WASHINGTON, DC. IN THE HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) LANE WHEN I HEARD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND I SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE INDICATOR LIGHTS AND NO LIGHTS WERE ON THAT INDICATED THERE WAS A PROBLEMS. AT THE STOP SIGN NEAR THE ENTRANCE NEAR THE NAVY ANNEX OFF COLOMBIA PIKE, I NOTICED A SMELL SIMILAR TO BURNING OIL. FIRST, THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY JACK TAYLOR TOYOTA IN ALEXANDRIA, VA. TOYOTA STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN THE AREA AND INDICATED THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BY CONDUCTING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. ACCORDING TO THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THE REAR MAIN SEAL, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE FLYWHEEL OF FLEX PLATE/TORQUE CONVERTER WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. I LEARNED LATER VIA AN INTERNET SEARCH THERE WAS A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I CONSULTED WITH A TECHNICIAN AT VOLKSWAGEN WHO INDICATED THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED BY TOYOTA WAS CONFUSING AND WAS POSSIBLY AN ERROR WAS ASKED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR A CERTIFIED VOLKSWAGEN TECHNICIAN TO INSPECT FURTHER. PRESENTLY, THE CAR IS AT THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN ALEXANDRIA, VA FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THEY CONFIRMED THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ORDERED THE PART WHICH WAS PROJECTED TO ARRIVE ON OR ABOUT 13 FEBRUARY 2012. THE CAR WAS SERVICED FOR 50K TUNE UP AT VOLKSWAGEN IN SPRINGFIELD, VA AND THIS PROBLEMS WAS NOT IDENTIFIED. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT IN-WHICH I HAVE ENCOUNTERED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. *TR