NHTSA Complaint #10486073 — 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN THE MORNING. NOTICED ROUGH IDLE AND POOR ACCELERATION ON MY MORNING COMMUTE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR MISFIRES ON CYLINDERS 2 - 5. TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT EVENING. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED $900 OF REPAIRS ON THE CAR AND THEN DECLARED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD STRETCHED, CAUSING THE MISFIRES). THIS ISSUE OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS HAD IT OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY, INSTEAD OF SURFACE STREETS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH 2005/2006 JETTAS (DOCUMENTED AT: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?5457990-CLASS-ACTION-AGAINST-VW-FOR-TIMING-CHAIN-PROBLEM AS WELL AS MANY OTHER FORUMS). I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE IS 16,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. A TIMING CHAIN FAILING AT 76,000 MILES IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND IS NOT LISTED WITH A SERVICE INTERVAL PER THE OWNERS MANUAL (LATER ADDED AT 105K MILES ON NEWER CARS). VEHICLE FAILED JUST UNDER 76,000 MILES. *TR