NHTSA Complaint #10621225 — 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

2014 VW JETTA SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ENGINE STALLED AND HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, REDUCING STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITY, CREATING A DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION LIKELY TO INCREASE CHANCES OF A CRASH. ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON. WAS ABLE TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND GET OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUT ENGINE OFF. WAS ABLE TO RESTART, MOVE CAR 10 FEET, AND STALLED AGAIN. RESTARTED AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO POINT OF SALE (DEALER QUIRK VW OF BRAINTREE, MASS). DEALER HAD CAR TWICE, FOR SIX DAYS TOTAL. DEALER SAID THEY WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE CONDITION, BUT DID NOT FIND A PHYSICAL CAUSE. DEALER SAID THEY DISCOVERED A "SOFTWARE UPDATE" WAS AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND APPLIED THE UPDATE. DEALER SAID THE CAR WAS THEN "100 PERCENT" NOT AT RISK OF HAVING THIS ISSUE. TWO WEEKS LATER, ON AUGUST 9TH, CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED TO SAME DEALER (QUIRK VW) AFTER HOURS. NO NEW ACTION TAKEN YET. I PLAN TO ASK FOR A REFUND. THIS ISSUE HAS PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER AS WELL AS THAT OF MY PASSENGERS AND THE LIVES OF OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME, AND I BELIEVE REPRESENTS A SERIOUS DEFECT IN THIS CAR. WITH UNEXPECTED STALLING AND LOSS OF CONTROLS WHILE DRIVING, I AM PUT AT THE MERCY OF OTHER DRIVERS TO AVOID MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY AND AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS, I OR ANOTHER PERSON WON'T BE SO LUCKY. *TR