NHTSA Complaint #11082537 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC

MY 17 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING MY 2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28TH AROUND 9 PM WHEN HE CAME UP TO A RED LIGHT ON A CITY STREET AND STOPPED. HE THOUGHT THE CAR ENGINE STALLED. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE DIED. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE ROADWAY INTO A NEARBY RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. HE CALLED ME AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. WE LEFT THE CAR PARKED OVERNIGHT AND HAD TO CAR TOWED TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO INFORM ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE IN THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE IS SHOT. MY VOLKSWAGEN CC HAS APPROXIMATELY 146,500 MILES ON IT. I HAVE ALWAYS BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE TO BOARDMAN VOLKSWAGEN AND I EVEN ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ONE TIME IF THE "TIMING BELT" NEEDED REPLACED ON THAT CAR BECAUSE THEY HAD A COUPON THAT THEY WOULD HANG ON THE REARVIEW MIRROR FOR A 15% OFF DISCOUNT. A SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS WALKING THROUGH THE SERVICE DESK AREA WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT THE TIMING BELT, AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID "YOU OWN THE VOLKSWAGEN CC THAT I JUST DID THE OIL CHANGE ON, CORRECT?." I SAID YES, AND HE SAID "YOU HAVE A TIMING CHAIN IN THAT CAR, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVER CHANGE THE BELT, IT DOESN'T HAVE A TIMING BELT". I SAID OK AND THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOOD. WELL, AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH NOW AFTER MY ENGINE FAILURE, IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF VOLKSWAGEN OWNERS WITH 2.0 LITER ENGINES HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM AS I DO. I FOUND ONLINE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER SEEMS TO BE FAULTY IN MANY CASES AND VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT WANT TO ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TOO COSTLY. I NOW HAVE TO PAY ANYWHERE FROM $4000 TO $6000 FOR MY ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A CHAIN IN THE ENGINE SHOULD BREAK UNLESS IT WAS DEFECTIVE. IN WHICH CASE, VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. *TT *TR