NHTSA Complaint #10536206 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

TOOK CAR FOR FIRST DRIVE. AFTER TRAVELING 145 MILES INTO THIS TRIP WHEN TROUBLE STARTED. AMBIENT TEMP WAS 101F. DRIVE TIME WAS JUST OVER 2.5 HOURS. GAS TANK WAS SLIGHTLY OVER HALF EMPTY. CAR STALLED TAKING OFF FROM STOP. ENGINE RUNNING BUT CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. ENGINE THEN STOPPED. CRANKED OVER (STARTED) AND WENT ABOUT 2 BLOCKS. CAR STALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET STARTED AGAIN. HAD TO CRANK IT 3-4 TIMES. STARTED THEN STALLED. ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. EVENTUALLY STARTED. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55MPH ENGINE TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I POINTED CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND BRAKED TO A STOP. TWO MORE STOP LIGHT INCIDENTS WHERE CAR STALLED AND QUIT RUNNING AT AND IN INTERSECTIONS. PULLED OVER AND CALLED DEALER. TALKED TO SERVICE CONSULTANT. DISCUSSED OPTIONS. ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON ALL THE TIME. EVEN THOUGH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED, SERVICE CONSULTANT STATED THAT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS STEADY AMBER IT SHOULD BE OK TO DRIVE IF I WAS COMFORTABLE DOING IT. I DETERMINED MY BEST OPTION WAS TO DRIVE IT BACK TO TUCSON. WAITING FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ON HWY 191 BETWEEN SAFFORD AND WILLCOX IN 100F+ SUNSHINE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNACCEPTABLE, IF NOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN DRIVING THE CAR - BECAUSE OF THE REMOTE LOCATION AND THE EXTREME HEAT. MADE IT BACK TO TUCSON. DROVE STRAIGHT TO SERVICE AND DROPPED THE CAR OFF. TOTAL MILEAGE ON CAR 353 MILES. NOTE THAT I HAD NOT ADDED ANY GAS TO THE VEHICLE, AND WAS STILL USING THE GAS PROVIDED BY DEALER UPON DELIVERY. (I MENTION THIS BECAUSE A TECH ASKED IF DIESEL FUEL WAS PUT IN THE TANK INSTEAD OF GAS. NO!) DEALER SERVICE CONFIRMED FUEL PUMP NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND REPLICATED PROBLEM. NOTED FUEL PUMP EXTREMELY HOT AND DISCOVERED ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO FUEL CONTROL MODULE WITH STRONG POTENTIAL FOR FIRE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR