NHTSA Complaint #10485995 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

I HAVE A 2010 VW GOLF TDI. I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT 25 MPH WHEN MY GLOW PLUG & CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, AND MY TACHOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO, INDICATING A STALL. THE POWER STEERING ALSO STARTED TO CUT OUT, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. TRIED STARTING THE CAR AGAIN AND GOT NOTHING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A VW DEALERSHIP DOWN THE STREET, AND ON MONDAY 11/19 THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND SENT METAL FRAGMENTS THROUGH THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE BILL WOULD BE AT LEAST $5,000 FOR THIS KIND OF FIX. OH YEAH, THIS ALSO COMPLETELY RUINED MY TRAVEL PLANS FOR THANKSGIVING, AS VW REFUSED TO GIVE ME A LOANER CAR WHILE THIS DOCUMENTED WARRANTY ISSUE WAS BEING DEALT WITH. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF 2009-10 TDI FUEL PUMP FAILURES WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS. APPARENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE REVISIONS OF THIS PUMP SINCE THEN, AND I AM DUE TO GET THE NEWEST ONE. BUT, THERE IS ALSO TALK THAT ULTRA-LOW-SULFUR DIESEL FUEL IN THE US IS NOT PROVIDING THE PROPER LUBRICITY, AND THUS CAUSING THE PUMPS TO FAIL (THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE IN EUROPE). NONETHELESS, FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA SHOULD RESULT IN VW DOING A PROPER RECALL AND REDESIGN, RATHER THAN QUIETLY FIXING AN INHERENT FLAW ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. EVEN WITH MY CAR FIXED, I'LL STILL BE WONDERING WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. WHICH ALSO MAKES ME WONDER IF I SHOULD JUST SELL IT AND BE DONE WITH VW. VERY FRUSTRATING. *TR