NHTSA Complaint #761680 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ON MARCH 19, 2001, I PARKED THE ABOVE MENTIONED JETTA IN A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A RETAIL STORE WHERE THERE WAS A CONCRETE BLOCK TO PREVENT CARS FROM PULLING TOO FAR UP. AS I WAS LEAVING, THE BUMPER WHICH WAS OVERHANGING THE BLOCK WAS PULLED OFF. GOSSETT INITIALLY DIDN'T WANT TO FIX AT N/C SINCE THINGS LIKE THIS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR NORMAL WARRANTY. THEY SAID THE BUMPER WAS DESIGNED SO IF THERE WAS ANY IMPACT FROM COLLIDING IT WOULD COLLAPSE FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE VOLKSWAGEN OFFICE AGREED TO FIX IT AT N/C. ON 4/109/01, A MR. BRANNON, A GOSSETT REP. CALLED TO SEE IF I WAS SATISFIED. I TOLD HIM THAT I WASN'T BECAUSE IT HAD COME OFF A 2ND TIME. BUT I NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN ABOUT THIS MATTER.ON 4/09/01, THE BUMPER HAD PULLED OFF A 2ND TIME WHEN PARKED IN A NORMAL PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER'S ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY. THIS TIME A NORMAL CURVE WAS THE CULPRIT. ON 4/10, I HAD AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP FIX IT. IT HAS COME OFF SLIGHTLY THREE TIMES SINCE WHEN COMING OUT OF 2 DIFFERENT DRIVEWAYS, AND TURNING LEFT ON MY STREET. SINCE THE DAMAGE WAS NOT TO THE EXTEND OF THE FIRST 2, I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE BUMPER UP AND REATTACH THE FEW SCREWS HOLDING IT TOGETHER. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS OTHER INCIDENTS IF NOT FOR THE FACT THAT I HAVE DRIVEN IT GINGERLY. I WAS TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP IN MEMPHIS AND AN AUTHORIZED HONDA/VW BODY SHOP IN COLLEGE PARK, MD THAT THE LOW DESIGN OF THE JETTA, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER CARS, IS SUCH THAT THE BUMPERS ARE EASILY PULLED OFF. THEY SAID THAT THEY SEE THESE BUMPER PROBLEMS. THE BUMPERS ARE POORLY ENGINEERED. AT THE TIME OF THE ORGINAL PROBLEM, I FOUND ON THE NHTSA BOARD THE FOLLWING INCIDENTS OF THE SAME THING 10/09/00 ODI ID#735047, 01/28/01 ODI ID#741248, 09/22/00 ODI ID#733361 ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I REPORTED TO YOUR AGENCY. AND THERE WERE MANY MORE REPORTED ON YOUR SITE THEN. THE JETTA GETS WONDERFUL SAFETY SCORES, BUT A BUMPER THAT COMES OFF SO EASILY IS A DANGER TO ME. IT IS LUDICROUS.*AK