NHTSA Complaint #10492121 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXCESSIVE "WHEEL HOP" UPON STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, ESPECIALLY ON A WET ROADWAY AND A HILL. THE TIRES JUST CANNOT GET TRACTION AND SPIN. AS WELL ONCE THE WHEELS START TO SPIN THE ECS (STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM) CUTS POWER AND APPLIES BRAKING WHICH HAS LEAD TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO ECS DISABLE SWITCH AS WITH PREVIOUS MODELS, SO I CANNOT TEMPORARILY DISABLE THE SYSTEM FOR TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE ISSUE. LOSING POWER WHILE PULLING OUT INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND EXPERIENCING A POWER LOSS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CAR CAME WITH HANKOOK OPTIMA H426 TIRES AND I SWITCHED TO YOKOHAMA AVID ENVIGOR (V RATED) TIRES BELIEVING THE ISSUE WAS THE TIRES. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH 33 YEARS OF DRIVING AND HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING FROM LIGHT ACCELERATION, FEATHERING THE ACCELERATOR, USING THE S MODE OF THE TIPTONIC TRANSMISSION AND USING THE TIPTRONIC CONTROL IN D MODE TO HOLD THE TRANSMISSION IN THE LOWER GEAR AND TRYING TO START IN A HIGHER GEAR TO REDUCE THE TORQUE TO THE WHEELS, BUT THE TIPTRONIC WILL NOT ALLOW UPSHIFTING WHEN STOPPED. I RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THE WHEEL HOP CAUSING BANGING OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AGAINST THE TRAVEL STOPS. THIS THUMPING AND EXTREME MOVEMENT OF THE SUSPENSION CANNOT BE GOOD FOR THE LONGEVITY OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE DEALERSHIP STATES "IT IS PERFORMING TO SPECS AS DESIGNED." WELL THEN I THINK THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW. *TR