NHTSA Complaint #10459414 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

OUR NEW PASSAT HAS PROBLEM CONTROLLING THE CAR WHILE USING REVERSE ON A HILL. IT APPEARS THAT VW HAS TIED THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKING FUNCTION TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT THE DRIVER MAY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE IN REVERSE. IF THE BRAKE IS PRESSED, THE ACCELERATOR IS DISENGAGED THUS ALLOWING THE ENGINE FALL TO AN IDLE AND NOT DEVELOP ANY THRUST. IF THE DRIVER IS USING BOTH FEET TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, RIGHT FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE DEVELOPS NO POWER EVEN IF THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED FULLY. BY RELEASING THE BRAKE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED FULLY, THE VEHICLE WILL LURCH AT FULL THROTTLE IN REVERSE IN AN OUT OF CONTROL CONDITION UNTIL THE DRIVER REALIZES WHAT IS HAPPENING AND REMOVES THEIR FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS BEHIND THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME OR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN INJURY OR EVEN A FATALITY. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE VW ENGINEERING STAFF HAS NEVER TRIED PARALLEL PARKING THE PASSAT ON A HILL IN SAN FRANCISCO. VW ENGINEERS SHOULD REMOVE THE SOFTWARE CODE THAT TIES THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE FUNCTION TOGETHER WHILE IN REVERSE OR AT LEAST ACTIVATE IT WHEN THE SPEED IS GREATER THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR. IF YOU DONT USE TWO FEET AND ONLY USE ONE, THEN THE HILL HOLD WILL BE EFFECTIVE AND GENERALLY YOU CAN CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THIS IMPLEMENTATION EXISTS AND WHEN PARKING ON A STEEP HILL, IN A VERY TIGHT SPOT, YOU ALMOST ALWAYS USE TWO FEET TO HAVE TOTAL CONTROL. VOLKSWAGEN ENGINEERS, IN GOOD FAITH, IMPLEMENTED THE NHTSA RECOMMENDATION FOR "BRAKE THROTTLE OVERRIDE". DOCKET NO. NHTSA-2012-0038. PAGE 16 HAS SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON INTENTIONAL "TWO FOOTED USE". THE VW DEALER INVESTIGATED AND OFFERED US A FULL RETURN AND REFUND. WE ARE HOPING THE NHTSA WILL WORK WITH VW TO HELP RECONCILE THIS SOFTWARE ANOMALY.