NHTSA Complaint #10519922 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA FOR "SERVICE ACTION CAMPAIGN CODE: 20T8 SUBJECT: CERTAIN 2009-2012 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES WITH TDI CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE INSTALL MISFUELING GUARD MAY 21, 2013" TO INSTALL THE MISFUELING GUARD VW PART #5K0 201 400. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH JIM ELLIS VOLKSWAGEN LOCATED AT 1860 COBB PKWY S MARIETTA, GA 30060 PH: (770) 955-6565 TO INSTALL THE MISFUELING GUARD. AFTER THE FUEL GUARD WAS INSTALLED, DISCOVERED THAT NONE OF THE DIESEL FUEL NOZZLES AT AREA FUELING STATIONS IN ATLANTA, GA AND CHARLESTON, SC FIT THE MISFUELING GUARD BECAUSE THE NOZZLES ARE TOO SMALL TO DEACTIVATE THE LOCK-OUT MECHANISM. CAR CAN ONLY BE REFUELED WITH EXTREME DIFFICULTY BY VERY SLOWING TRICKLING IN DIESEL FUEL TO AVOID TRIGGERING THE FUEL PUMP BACK-PRESSURE AUTO-SHUTOFF SAFETY FEATURE. REQUIRES 10 TO 15 MINS TO PARTIALLY FUEL THE CAR AND DIESEL FUEL WILL FOAM AND RUN OUT OF THE FUEL TANK NECK. CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA AND JIM ELLIS TO REMOVE THE MISFUELING GUARD, WHO AS OF THIS WRITING, ARE REFUSING TO DO SO PER VW AMERICA DIRECTIVES. INSTEAD, THE DEALER PROVIDED A DIESEL FUEL NOZZLE ADAPTER 000-072-709 WITH LATEX GLOVES, WHICH IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE AVERAGE NON-MECHANICALLY ORIENTED DRIVER AND A HUGE INCONVENIENCE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHES THE VALUE AND UTILITY OF THE VEHICLE. PART MUST NOT BE LOST AND CAREFULLY WIPED DRY AND KEPT CLEAN AFTER EACH USE. A NEW DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF OR UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THE NOZZLE ADAPTER. NEITHER VW AMERICA NOR JIM ELLIS ADVISED ME THE MISFUELING GUARD WOULD NOT FIT A GREAT NUMBER OF DIESEL FUEL NOZZLES COMMONLY FOUND AT AREA REFUELING STATIONS PRIOR TO HAVING IT INSTALLED. HAD I KNOWN THIS, I WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE MISFUELING GUARD TO BE INSTALLED. *TR