NHTSA Complaint #10701728 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

FLEW TO DALLAS TO PURCHASE THIS CAR 2/27/15. DROVE IT HOME 1500 MILES TO LOS ANGELES OVER 2 DAYS. GOT TO EL PASO ON 3/1/15 & GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT TRAVELING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED (15MPH OR LESS) GOING DOWNHILL. MY PARTICULAR ISSUE COMES IN THE WAY OF HOW THE TRANSMISSION BEHAVES GOING DOWNHILL AT HIGH OR SLOW SPEEDS. WHEN THE CARS ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT) SENSES THE CAR GOING DOWNHILL, AND YOU TRANSITION FROM THE THROTTLE PEDAL TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR BEHAVES AS IF YOU WERE DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTING & STAYING IN GEAR. NOW YOU MAY THINK THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM, BUT....SINCE THESE TRANSMISSIONS TECHNICALLY ARE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS WITH AN AUTOMATIC CLUTCH...IF YOU WERE DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR & WANTED TO STOP QUICKLY AS I DID TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR, YOU WOULD PUSH THE CLUTCH IN TO DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE ENGINE...& THUS CAUSE THE CAR TO LOSE IT'S LOCOMOTIVE FORCE. WELL, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS CAR DID DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE AUTOMATIC CLUTCH DID NOT DISENGAGE FROM THE ENGINE WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP, AND, THUS PROVIDED THE MASSIVE LOW END TORQUE THE DIESEL ENGINE PROVIDES EVEN AT VERY LOW ENGINE SPEEDS. SO, THAT WHEN I SAW THE CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME, I RESPONDED WITH HITTING THE BRAKES, TURNING THE IGNITION OFF, AND EVEN SWERVED TO THE LEFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID HITTING THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING THE OTHER CAR. MY BACKGROUND: I'M A 32 YR PRO-AUTOMOTIVE TECH WHO NOT ONLY WORKS ON, DIAGNOSES & REPAIRS ALL SORTS OF VEHICLES USING COMPUTER CONTROLS...BUT, I USED TO TEACH IT AS WELL. SO, AFTER DRIVING THIS CAR NOW FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, &...HAVING RESEARCHED THIS CAR & MULTIPLE OTHER DSG OWNERS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE WAY THESE TRANSMISSIONS SHIFT...I CAN SAY FOR SURE, VW'S THAT USE THESE DSG TRANSMISSIONS IS/ARE A MAJOR ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR