NHTSA Complaint #11258665 — 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

2005 VW PASSAT WAGON, 4 MOTION, 128,000 MILES, W/ INTENSE ODOR OF GAS IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR; AFTER DRIVING 15 MILES TO WORK, I DEVELOPED A HEADACHE AND ILLNESS SYMPTOMS WHICH LASTED FOR 2 -3 DAYS. CAR WAS TOWED TO LOCAL VW DEALER. I CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA, WHO AGREED TO DIAGNOSTICS. LARGE FUEL TANK FRACTURE CONFIRMED. AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AT VW OF AMERICA, THEY REFUSED TO COVER REPAIRS, THOUGH THEY DID CONFIRM THAT THIS FAILURE WAS THE SAME FAILURE WHICH HAD LED TO A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN OF THE FUEL TANK/SYSTEM, BUT SINCE MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED (2015) W/ A SUPERSEDED PART AND IT WAS PAST THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD, I DID NOT QUALIFY, NOR WOULD THEY OFFER GOODWILL SERVICE. THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. I VERBALIZED IN MANY CONVERSATIONS THE SAFETY CONCERN THIS POSED NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY BUT FOR OTHERS WHO HAD THE POTENTIAL TO FACE THE SAME SITUATION. I ASKED WHAT PROCESS VW HAD FOR DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING THESE CONSUMER SAFETY CONCERNS OF SUCH A SERIOUS NATURE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS REPORTED INTERNALLY BUT THERE WAS NO ONE I COULD SPEAK WITH TO DISCUSS FURTHER ANY ASPECT OF THE CASE, NOR WOULD VW REPORT THIS TO NHTSA, AS IT HAD BEEN REPORTED UNDER THE PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS REPEATED FAILURE SHOULD BE REPORTED AND THEREFORE AM DOCUMENTING HERE. THE CAR HAS NOW BEEN TOWED TO MY HOME WHERE IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY D/T THE FUMES BEING AT A TOXIC LEVEL WHEN THE CAR IS IN THE CLOSED GARAGE. THE CABIN OF THE CAR ALSO REMAINS WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF GAS FUMES. I HAVE ASKED FOR WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION FROM VW OF AMERICA RELATED TO MY CASE, BUT AS OF YET HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED WITH SUCH.