NHTSA Complaint #10917748 — 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I AM REQUESTING THAT THE DOT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. I STARTED MY CAR ONE MORNING AND THE ENGINE MADE A METALLIC RATTLING SOUND AS I PROCEEDED TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UNTIL REACHING THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. CAR WAS THEN DRIVEN TO DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND DIAGNOSED AS HAVING "JUMPED TIME" DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. UPON PICKING UP THE CAR SEVERAL DAYS LATER AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THE METAL RING HOLDING THE TENSIONER LATCH IN PLACE HAD FALLEN OFF; ALLOWING THE TINY ADJUSTABLE LATCH TO FALL OUT, AND THAT BOTH PIECES WERE LYING, LOOSE, IN THE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN APART. THIS FAILURE APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 15-12-01. A WEB SEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE COMMON AND AFFECTS MULTIPLE YEARS AND MODELS OF VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOBILES. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 49,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE AND NEVER MISSED A SERVICE. VW WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. *TR