NHTSA Complaint #11326053 — 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL HIGH PITCH SOUND COMING FROM HIS VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DISLOCATED LOWER BALL JOINT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INITIALLY TOWED TO THREE COUNTY VOLKSWAGEN (701 RIVERSIDE AVE, LYNDHURST, NJ 07071) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CONTACT SCRAPED THE SIDE OF THE CURB WITH BOTH PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HUDSON VALLEY VOLKSWAGEN WHERE THEY PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE GET A PERFECT ALIGNMENT. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTAC THAT IT APPEARED THAT AN UNNAMED PART OF THE VEHICLE WAS BENT BUT THAT THE BEND COULD NOT BE LOCATED. THE CONTACT WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DECLINED THE DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT WAS ASSURED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V324000 (SUSPENSION) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO GENSINGER VOLKSWAGEN (842 VALLEY RD, CLIFTON, NJ 07013) WHERE THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY AGREED WITH THE INITIAL DEALER THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON HIS VEHICLE SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE BALL JOINT FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,700.