NHTSA Complaint #10596337 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

WHEN DRIVING UP A STEEP, SNOWY HILL WITH STUDDED SNOW TIRES, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FUNCTION IMPROPERLY REGULATED THE WHEEL CONTROL AND SPEED. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE UP THE HILL AS A RESULT OF MY TIRES CONTINUOUSLY LOCKING UP, DISABLING ANY FORWARD MOTION. WHEN THIS ESC CONTROL PREVENTED ME FROM DRIVING UP THE HILL, I WAS FORCED TO RETREAT FROM MY DESTINATION, DRIVING IN, WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE, MORE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH TWO-WHEEL DRIVE WERE ABLE TO SURMOUNT THIS HILL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LIFE OF MY CAR. PLEASE NOTE, THIS REPORT IS FOR A 2013 JETTA TDI SEDAN, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE A ESC BUTTON FOR OPTIONAL ESC USE. ALL OTHER JETTA MODELS INCLUDE AN ESC BUTTON TO GIVE THE DRIVER AN OPTION TO DISABLE THE ESC CONTROLS DURING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION FOR THE 2013 JETTA TDI SEDAN. WHEN I QUERIED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT INSTALLING AN ESC OPTIONAL BUTTON WAS NOT ALLOWED IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. *TR