NHTSA Complaint #10903585 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

ENGINE SMOKING DEFECTIVE FUEL FILTER O-RING GASKETS CAUSING FUEL LEAKS--VW DEALERS NOT HONORING WARRANTY. BETWEEN APRIL 2015 - JULY 2016, VW DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THIS FUEL GASKET FIVE TIMES, REPEATEDLY CHARGING ME FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART AND UNNEEDED FILTERS. I SAVED ONE OF THE DEFECTIVE GASKETS AND HAVE BEEN TO TWO DIFFERENT VW DEALERSHIPS, GRAHAM IN SIOUX FALLS SOUTH DAKOTA AND JENSEN IN SIOUX CITY IOWA. THE ENGINE SMOKES, I FIND THE FUEL LEAK, TAKE IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BEFORE EVEN OPENING THE HOOD, BECAUSE "THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON." I CONTACTED THE VW REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER, TAMAR T., AND VW CUSTOMER CARE (REFERENCE # 160555387) AND WAS ADVISED THAT REPLACING A FUEL GASKET FIVE TIMES IN JUST OVER A YEAR IS A REGULAR "MAINTENANCE ITEM". ATTACHED ARE A PHOTO OF THE DEFECTIVE GASKET, RESPONSE FROM VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MY MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS/LOG.