NHTSA Complaint #10668833 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

WE RECENTLY (12-23-2014) BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE AUGUST 11TH 2014 RECALL OF THE TIGUAN ECM/AIR BUBBLE ISSUE RELATED TO THE FUEL PUMP IN THE CARS. OUR CAR WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES RELATING TO THE RECALL AND DESCRIBED, BUT DUE TO POTENTIAL ISSUES DECIDED TO BRING IT IN TO HAVE IT APPLIED ANYWAYS. UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING FUNNY, AND WE NOTICED GAS MILEAGE HAD GONE DOWN. DUE TO ECM BEING REFLASHED AS A PART OF THE RECALL, WE CHALKED IT UP AS THE COMPUTER NEEDING TO RE-"LEARN" DRIVING HABITS, SHIFT POINTS, ETC.. ABOUT 25 MILES LATER WE WERE ON THE WAY HOME FROM AN EVENT ABOUT A FEW MILES FROM HOME. WE WERE ON A VERY BUSY 6 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. IT PUT US IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POSITION, 4 ADULTS IN A CAR ON A BUSY 6 LANE HIGHWAY. WE MANAGED TO COAST OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND TO AN OFFRAMP. THE CAR RESTARTED AND THE EPC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO RUN, BUT ONLY IN LIMP MODE, ENOUGH TO GET US THE FINAL COUPLE MILES HOME. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. ISSUE WAS A FAILED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT APPARENTLY IS A VERY COMMON PART TO FAIL, AND AT LOW MILEAGE ON CARS, IN ANY CONDITION. IT FAILED AFTER THE "NEW CAR WARRANTY" BUT WAS REPLACED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROVIDED BY VW. DUE TO IT'S HIGH FAILURE RATE AT LOW VEHICLE MILEAGE, AND THE IMPACT IT CAN HAVE ON SAFETY, THE FUEL PUMP RECALL FROM AUGUST 11TH SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER THE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE PART. *TR