NHTSA Complaint #11235073 — 2009 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

ON ENGINE START UP, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER DRIVING IT A SHORT WHILE, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO A QUALIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED AND THE ENGINE JUMPED TIME, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD AND PISTONS. MECHANIC ESTIMATED A REPAIR COST OF APPROXIMATELY $6000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A USED ONE. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100K MILES BUT THE REPAIR WOULD HAVE COST MORE THAN IT WAS WORTH. VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR, EVEN THROUGH A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT WAS SETTLED AGAINST THEM FOR THIS ISSUE, SINCE THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING WAS 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.