NHTSA Complaint #713273 — 1998 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

SHORTLY AFTER BUYING CAR I NOTICED IT WAS USING EXCESSIVE OIL, IN THE WORST INSTANCE IT USED APPROX. A QUART AND A HALF IN 1500 MILES. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURE AND BOTH SAID IT WAS NORMAL CONSUMPTION. I HAVE NEVER HAD OR HEARD OF NEW VEHICLES USING SUCH AN AMOUNT IN SO LITTLE MILES. ALSO HAD A PROBLEM AT 14000 MILES WITH A THROTTLE SURGE ON THE MORNING STARTUPS. TACH WOULD READ VARIOUS RPM'S WHILE THIS WAS OCCURING. THEN WHEN I WOULD START TO ACCELERATE SLOWLY THE ENGINE WOULD STILL SURGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO "BUCK" VIOLENTLY! THIS CONDITION IS VERY UNSAFE SINCE IT IS TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE. THIS PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING AT 41000 MILES AND HAS TAKEN OVER 6 DAYS IN THE SHOP WITH NO DIAGNOSIS. DEALER THOUGHT THE TIMING BELT WAS THE PROBLEM SINCE IT HAD STRECHED SO FAR OUT THE TIMING COULDNT BE RESET. I WILL PAY TO HAVE THE TIMING BELT REPLACED BUT THAT DIDNT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN 1998 VOLKS WAGEN RECCOMENDED THAT ON THE DIESEL ENGINE THE TIMING BELT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 60000 MILES BUT THE RECCOMENDATION HAS CHANGED FOR THE YEAR 2000 TO 40000. THIS CHANGE HAS TO BE DUE TO EARLY MALFUNCTION PROBLEMS WITH THE BELT BUT VOLKSWAGEN DENIES ANY PROBLEMS AND WILL NOT COVER THE BELT UNDER WARRANTIES EITHER. IF THE TIMING BELT BREAKS WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE OR HIGHWAY , IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT SINCE THERE WOULD BE NO POWER STEERING AND OR BRAKES NOT TO MENTION IF IT CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO LOCK UP. THIS ENGINE HAS BIG PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED... THANK YOU