NHTSA Complaint #10576109 — 2007 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP...RPM'S INCREASED. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE BODY WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT AND WOULD COST $1700. I DELAYED THE REPAIR DUE TO THE COST AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT FINE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES HOWEVER A LOUD CLUNK BEGAN TO DEVELOP ( ON AND OFF...SPORADICALLY) IN SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2 GEARS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE CLUNKING. A REPAIR ORDER WAS NOT WRITTEN BECAUSE I DELAYED DUE TO THE COST. FINALLY I TOOK IT IN LATE MARCH TO HAVE THE VALVE BODY REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CONDITION WOULD NOT GENERATE A CODE ON THE COMPUTER. I ALSO ASKED IF THEY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF RABBITS/GOLFS IN FOR THIS AND THE ANSWER WAS : "YES UNFORTUNATELY WE DO". AFTER I DROPPED THE CAR OFF I DECIDED TO GOOGLE THIS CONDITION AND FOUND THAT VW HAD KNOW ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT AND HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS 100,000 MILES. IRATE THAT I WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT IT DECIDED TO CALL VW AND COMPLAINED THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE EXTENSION AND I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT IN SOONER FOR THE REPAIR. THEY NOW REFUSE TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAS 101,700 MILES. IT SEEMS THAT THEY DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ALTHOUGH THEY CLAIM A LETTER WAS SENT TO OWNERS. THIS KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT (THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY) SHOULD BE ON A MANDATORY RECALL...OR THE VERY LEAST THE FACTORY SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE OWNERS ACTUALLY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE THROUGH CERTIFIED MAIL AND DEALER COMMUNICATION VIA THE SERVICE DRIVE. THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY DID NOT KNOW MY VEHICLE WAS COVERED OR THEY WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS TO ME? THEY ARE SWEEPING A KNOWN SAFETY ITEM UNDER THE RUG UNTIL THE CAR REACHES 100K , AFTER THE WARRANTY ENDS TO FIX IT. THERE ARE MANY BLOGS ON THE INTERNET THAT SHOW THIS IS COMMON. *TR