NHTSA Complaint #10701544 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL, THE ENGINE INCREASED TO 400 RPMS WHILE TRAVELING AT 15-25 MPH. I THEN RETURNED HOME. THE ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON; HOWEVER, THE D (DRIVE) LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, AND I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS IN LIMP MODE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHICH HAD SERVICED THE CAR EVERY 10,000 MILES, (AND HAD ACTUALLY REPLACED THE TURBO RECIRCULATION VALVE AT 39,637 MILES AS A RESULT OF MY CONCERN THAT THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING). ROSEVILLE VOLKSWAGEN DIAGNOSED THE CURRENT PROBLEM AS BEING THE MULTI-CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, AS WELL AS A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS COVERED BY A VOLUNTARY EXTENDED WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE MULTI-CLUTCH ASSEMBLY IS NOT COVERED IN 2010 SEDANS. IT APPEARS THAT VOLKSWAGEN DID EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON 2007-2009 MODELS FOR THE MULTI-CLUTCH ASSEMBLY; AND IT APPEARS FROM SEVERAL THREADS (VWVORTEX.COM, FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM, MYTURBODIESEL.COM, VWEOSCLUB.COM) THAT THE MULTI-CLUTCH ASSEMBLY CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM IN 2010 MODELS. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY TO EXTEND MY WARRANTY, WHICH EXPIRED AT 85,000 MILES. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER APPEARED, AND THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, INSTEAD OF ON A STREET NEAR HOME. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEGUN APPROXIMATELY 20,000+ MILES AGO, AS I AGAIN SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AT THAT TIME, AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER TO IGNORE IT, AS IT WAS PROBABLY A PLASTIC BAG THAT WAS BURNING ON THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THE SMELL LASTED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, AND I NOW REALIZE FROM READING THE THREADS THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE MULTI-CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. *TR