NHTSA Complaint #10637624 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE IN 2006 FROM A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER IN VIRGINIA (VOLKSWAGEN OF DULLES). TWO MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE PURCHASE, WE NOTICED THE CAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN IN RESTON, VA. THE LOCAL DEALER ATTRIBUTED IT TO A FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM AND CHARGED US FOR A THROTTLE BODY CLEANING.? OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS, WE HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWNS, SOME AT HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AND THE ENGINE WOULD DIE. AT ONE POINT THE DEALER REPORTED A ??LOOSE IGNITION SWITCH?? AND REPLACED THAT SWITCH. AFTER SEVERAL MORE SCARY EVENTS, I EMAILED VW AMERICA WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND OUR FEARS ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IN MARCH 2009 I CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TALKED TO A REGIONAL CASE MANAGER. ON THAT DAY, THE CAR HAD SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION NARROWLY AVOIDING A COLLISION. VW REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. THREE MONTHS LATER, DRIVING ON MEMORIAL PARKWAY (RT. 66) AT NIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLES LIGHTS FAILED, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE DIED. I ONCE AGAIN CALLED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS RETURNED A CALL FROM A REPRESENTATIVE WHO SAID THEY WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM FURTHER, THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE WAS OVER AND THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE WITH VOLKSWAGEN FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM. I RECENTLY ASKED VW AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR COPIES OF THEIR RECORDS RELATING THE CASE. THEY REFUSED TO GIVE THEM TO ME, SAYING THEY WERE PROPRIETARY.? *TR