NHTSA Complaint #10671558 — 2014 VOLKSWAGEN EOS

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 30 MPH <1 MILE FROM HOME THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR, AND MY WIFE WAS THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AS THE SEATBELT DID NOT CATCH. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME AT 10 MPH AND PARKED. I DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK APPROX. 30 MINUTES LATER AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING FROM 25 MPH ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. AGAIN, THE SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN ME WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED. IN BOTH CASES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION INDICATOR CAME ON. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC! THE SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE CAUSED THE CAR TO BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND ANY VEHICLES NEARBY COULD EASILY HAVE CREATED A MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENT. *TR