NHTSA Complaint #726417 — 1999 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A HIGH-SPEED, FRONT END COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WHEN IT WAS CLIPPED FROM THE SIDE AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. IT CRASHED HEADLONG INTO A VAN GOING APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH. THE IMPACT SENT THE CAR BACKWARD APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET BEFORE IT SPUN 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO A HALT. THE FRONT END OF THE CAR IS SEVERELY DAMAGE--$7,000--AND THE ENGINE MAY HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER RELATIONS TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE TO GUARANTEE THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD PERFORM PROPERLY ONCE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN ON 7/27/00. ON 8/1/00 I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM "DAVID." I PHONE BACK ON 8/2/00. AFTER EXPLAINING THE DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT TO DAVID, HE TOLD ME IN ADVANCE THAT HIS "PRODUCT LIASON TEAM" WOULD PROBABLY CONCLUDE THAT THE CRASH DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA REQUIRED TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR US. I EXPRESSED MY DISSATISFACTION WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE NO ONE FROM VOLKSWAGEN HAD EXAMINED OR PLANNED TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. HE TOLD ME THAT WE COULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER OURSELVES (IT IS NOT DRIVEABLE) AND THEY COULD ANALYZE THE COMPUTER DATA ONBOARD RE. THE CRASH CONDITIONS. THIS WAS ALL THEY COULD OFFER US. ALL WE WERE SEEKING WAS AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UNDER SUCH SEVERE CRASH CONDITIONS, AND A GUARANTEE THAT WHATEVER NEEDED TO BE DONE TO ASSURE THEY WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY VOLKSWAGEN OR ITS DEALER. BOTTOMLINE, IN A HIGH-SPEED, FRONT END COLLISION, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK