NHTSA Complaint #10896877 — 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN JUNE 2014 AND I'VE KEPT UP WITH ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TO DATE. I DRIVE AN AVERAGE 30 MILES PER DAY DURING THE WORK WEEK AND TRAVEL UP TO 140 MILES EVERY TWO WEEKS OR SO FOR CUSTODIAL EXCHANGES. THIS PAST WEEKEND (AUGUST 13, 2016), WHILE AT A ROUTINE PIT STOP FOR GAS MY VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. I HAD PARKED AT THE GAS STATION RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I WENT TO RESTART MY VEHICLE IT WOULDN'T MOVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD START AND SHIFT INTO DRIVE, BUT THE WHEELS RESPONDED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BACK IN 2013 WHEN THE VW JETTA WENT ON THE MARKET, BUT THE RECALL DID NOT INVOLVE MY VIN. THE RECALL WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO ME AT THE TIME I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, NOR WAS I EVER NOTIFIED OF IT BEING A POTENTIAL ISSUE. I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY WHEN I WAS LEFT STRANDED 70 MILES FROM HOME AND 45 MILES FROM THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP. MY RESEARCHED TURNED UP THIS STATEMENT: "AN ELECTRIC MALFUNCTION COULD OCCUR IN THE GEARBOX POWER SUPPLY BASED ON THE SYNTHETIC GEARBOX OIL IF THE VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO A HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE, COUPLED WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF STOP-AND-GO DRIVING," SAID MARK GILLIES, A VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA SPOKESMAN, IN A PHONE CONVERSATION. "THE CAR WORKS, BUT YOU LOSE DRIVE." MY VEHICLE HAS 51,850 MILES ON IT, SO IT WAS COVERED UNDER VW'S 5YR-60K WARRANTY. IT'S BEEN SITTING AT THE VW DEALERSHIP FOR 3 DAYS WHILE THEY COORDINATE ON REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE POWER TRAIN. THE REMAINING ESTIMATED TIME FOR REPLACEMENT IS 2-3 DAYS. I LIVE IN AUSTIN, TX WHERE HOT, HUMID, AND STOP-AND-GO ARE A ROUTINE PART OF LIFE.