NHTSA Complaint #11698755 — 2022 VOLKSWAGEN TAOS

I took the vehicle in for its 80,000 service, which included a multiple point inspection on Oct. 24th, 2025. The dealer that serviced my vehicle for that specific service was the north park volkswagen in San Antonio. On October 30, 2025 at approximately 2:15 PM, I was driving down the highway when I felt something in the brakes crack. I had to use my whole body weight and a lot of force to stop the vehicle, which could have ended in a fatal accident. I took the vehicle to the nearest Firestone with the parking brake close to my hand, where a certified technician inspected it and found that a brake line had been improperly reattached using glue and duct tape, posing a major safety hazard. There was visible glue residue and tape wrapped around the brake line. Because Firestone could not obtain the necessary part and did not feel confident repairing a European vehicle, I then took my car to Ancira Volkswagen in San Antonio. Their technicians confirmed that the brake line repair using glue and tape would not have lasted long had it been at the 70,000 service over 6 months go further proving that this unsafe and makeshift repair was done recently. When I reported this issue to North Park Volkswagen, the service manager, Albert Zapata, was rude, dismissive, and denied all responsibility, implying that I could have caused the damage myself. This situation reflects negligence and a failure to perform a proper inspection or maintain safety standards. The workmanship and lack of accountability from North Park Volkswagen directly put my life at risk.