NHTSA Complaint #10701811 — 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN

WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS WITH NO ISSUES, WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IT CAME WITH A CLEAN CARFAX LISTING NO RECALLS. ON 3/10/15 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE COUNTRY ROAD GOING ABOUT 35MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE CUT OUT, SHE HAD NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP OR STEER THE VEHICLE. THE DASH DISPLAYED THE ANTI-SLIP LIGHT, BUT NO OTHERS. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO A STOP, THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS SHE WAS NO LONGER IN HER PROPER LANE, AND NO CARS BEHIND HER. SHE WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED AND IT WAS FINE AFTER THAT FOR THE REST OF HER COMMUTE. WE CONTACTED VW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY REQUESTED THAT WE BRING THE CAR TO A VW DEALER FOR INSPECTION. WE DID THAT, AND VW CLAIMED THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT IMPACTED BY RECALL # RNA1, BUT INSTEAD THEY INSISTED THE ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY EGR VALVE, AND GAVE ME AN ENGINE TROUBLE CODE OF C121C THAT THEY CLAIMED CORRESPONDED WITH THE FAILING EGR VALVE. VW CHARGED ME OVER $100 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, AND A DAY LATER AFTER COMPLAINING TO VW CUSTOMER CARE THEY AGREED TO REFUND THE CHARGES. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALERSHIP THAT I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR AT THE SAME DAY THAT VW DIAGNOSED THIS, AND THEY WERE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE EGR DIAGNOSIS, AND ALSO COULD NOT CORROBORATE THE TROUBLE CODE C121C AS BEING RELATED TO AN EGR ISSUE, RATHER IT COMES UP AS A TORQUE REQUEST SIGNAL DENIED TROUBLE CODE INSTEAD. THE INDEPENDENT DEALER ALSO FOUND THAT I HAD STORED CODES FOR ABS MALFUNCTIONS, SUNROOF ERRORS AND MIC/CCN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE INDEPENDENT DEALER CLEARED THESE CODES BEFORE LEAVING THAT DAY. ON 3/25/15 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35MPH WHEN THE CARS ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN IN A SIMILAR FASHION. NO CODES *TR