NHTSA Complaint #10971766 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND LOUD. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN IT OFF. WHEN TRYING TO TURN IT BACK ON IT STARTED UP AND CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SHOP. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS SERVICE DONE THEY TOLD ME ITS NOT LISTED IN THE OWNERS MANUEL OR AT ANY SERVICE INTERVAL UP TO THIS POINT. THE PART IS NOT ON ANY LIST OF SERVICE FOR THE CAR YET FAILED AT 93K MILES. VW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REPORT IT TO ME AS SOMETHING THAT COULD BREAK. I WAS TOLD WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD BE MUCH HIGHER THEN 93K. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN ALL VW TSI ENGINES AND CAN HAPPEN AS EARLY AS 40K, VW NEEDS TO FIX THIS AND WARN EXISTING CUSTOMERS.