NHTSA Complaint #11388788 — 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

AS I WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY ON-RAMP, MY CAR MADE A LOUD CRACKING SOUND AND SMOKE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO COME OUT OF FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND I STEERED THE CAR TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER. ALL THE SERVICE AND WARNING LIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE WERE NOW ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF MY VEHICLE. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES FOR THE SMOKE TO DISSIPATE, I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTED OIL ON THE FLOOR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK/HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A BLOWN PISTON. MY VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 63,000 MILES AND HAD JUST RECEIVED AN OIL CHANGE 5 DAYS PRIOR. THIS CAUSED ME TO FILE A CLAIM WITH THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDED THE OIL CHANGE. PER THE REPORT ATTACHED, THE COMPANY'S INSURANCE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT A RESULT OF THE OIL CHANGE. SEE INSPECTOR'S REPORT AND PICTURES ATTACHED, WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION REDACTED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT FUNCTIONAL. BASED ON ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, THIS I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS A VARIETY OF VW MODELS. HOWEVER, BASED ON VIN LOOKUP AND DISCUSSION WITH VW CUSTOMER CARE, MY VIN HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED TO BE COVERED UNDER THE TIMING CHAIN EXTENDED WARRANTY STIPULATED IN BULLETIN VWP-18-07.