NHTSA Complaint #11060789 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT FUNCTION IN LOW TEMPERATURES. I OWN A 2012 VW JETTA. I FIRST NOTICED THIS DURING THE FIRST SNOWFALL WE HAD. I CLEARED THE VEHICLE OF ALL SNOW AND MADE SURE THAT THE WIPERS WERE NOT FROZEN TO THE WINDSCREEN. GETTING BACK IN THE VEHICLE I WENT TO TURN THE WIPERS ON AND THEY DID NOT MOVE. THE RELAY INSIDE OF THE CAR CAN BE HEARD CLICKING, BUT THE WIPERS DO NOT MOVE. I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE WITH EXTREMELY LOW VISIBILITY AS I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAR THE INCOMING SNOW OFF OF MY WINDSCREEN. WHEN I ARRIVED SAFELY BACK HOME I MOVED THE CAR TO A GARAGE IN ORDER TO SEE IF I COULD FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. UPON BEING TURNED OFF AND STANDING IN THE GARAGE THE WIPERS BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN WHEN I TURNED THE VECHILE OVER. THE SAME THING HAS NOW HAPPENED 3 TIMES. TWO OF THESE INSTANCES OCCURRING WITHOUT ANY SNOWFALL, JUST LOW TEMPERATURES. THE RELAY CAN BE HEARD CLICKING BUT THE WIPERS DO NOT MOVE. THE FUSES ARE ALL IN THEIR PROPER POSITION AND ARE NOT BLOWN. THERE ARE A LARGE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES OF INOPERABLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY CONCERN AS HAVING GOOD VISIBILITY IS ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL FACTORS IN PREVENTING ACCIDENTS. THE WIPERS USUALLY SEEM TO BECOME OPERATIONAL AGAIN ONCE THE VEHICLE IS WARMED IN THE SUN OR IF THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE RISES ABOUT 30 OR SO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.