NHTSA Complaint #10744652 — 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

I PURCHASED A 2015 VW GOLF TDI WITH 18" WHEELS AND LOW PROFILE PIRELLI TIRES AUGUST 2014. THIS VEHICLE WAS RE-ENGINEERED FOR THE US MARKET TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE UREA TANK THAT IS NEW AND SPECIFIC TO THE US TDI PLATFORM. ALL OTHER GOLF MODELS HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM WHILE THIS MODEL WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TORSION BEAM REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED ON LOWER END MODELS WITH 16" WHEELS AND HIGHER PROFILE TIRES, BUT THE HIGH END VEHICLES HAVE THE 18" WHEELS AND LOW PROFILE TIRES AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. ON APRIL 25, I NOTICED A SIDEWALL BUBBLE ON A FRONT TIRE. VW REPLACED BOTH THE TIRE AND BENT RIM AND I WAS TOLD THE OTHER 3 RIMS WERE BENT. THEN THE OTHER FRONT TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AND BOTH THAT TIRE AND WHEEL WERE REPLACED. THE OTHER WEEK I ENDED UP WITH A SIDE WALL NAIL IN A REAR TIRE. THIS TIRE WAS REPLACED BUT NOT THE WHEEL AND I WAS TOLD THAT ALL WHEELS ARE BENT, INCLUDING THE 2 NEW WHEELS. I HAVE JUST UNDER 18000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, HAVE CALLED VW AMERICA AND WAS SENT THE SPEC SHEET ON THE CAR. I ASKED IF A CAR WITHOUT INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION WAS ENGINEERED FOR LOW PROFILE TIRES AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN WHY I HAVE HAD 2 SIDEWALL ISSUES AND 6 BENT RIMS IN UNDER 18,000 MILES AND 11 MONTHS WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE OTHER THAN VW AMERICA SENDING THE SPEC SHEET. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ASKED FOR THE SPECIFIC ENGINEERING APPROVAL OF LOW PROFILE TIRES WITH THIS SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND WAS TOLD VW AMERICA DOES NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE IT TO ME IF THEY DID.