NHTSA Complaint #11246442 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

ON JUNE 3, 2019 I WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON THE I-5 NEAR TULARE, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 75MPH WHEN AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER, I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I QUICKLY MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE AND PREPARED TO EXIT THE FREEWAY LESS THAN A MILE AHEAD. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I WAS FORCED TO COAST OFF THE FREEWAY, NO POWER, NO POWER STEERING AND QUICKLY LOSING MY BRAKES. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN PARKING LOT IMMEDIATELY OFF THE FREEWAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO. AFTER SAFELY COMING TO A STOP, I ATTEMPTED TO LOOK UP THE INDICATOR LIGHT ICON IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL. UNABLE TO FIND THE CODE / REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE, I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP WAS 45 MILES AWAY SO I OPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL EUROPEAN CAR SERVICE SHOP IN TULARE, FRANK'S AUTOMOTIVE. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THEY HAD A VW MASTER TRAINED TECHNICIAN ON STAFF. HE RAN THE CODES, CHECKED THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THAT MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. HE SAID THE PUMP LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED AND SENT BITS OF ALUMINUM 'SHRAPNEL' THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. HE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT THERE WAS PARTIAL RECALL AS A RESULT. UNFORTUNATELY, MY PARTICULAR MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND VW DECLINED TO ASSIST. THE REPAIR ENDED UP COSTING ME MORE THAN $8,000. IF VW HAD GIVEN ME A WARNING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE HAD THE PUMP REPLACED BEFORE IT CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. VW NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE FAILURES. WHEN THE PUMP FAILS, IT'S CATASTROPHIC!