NHTSA Complaint #770401 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN

THIS VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND OTHER DEFECTS, THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST, THE MOST SCARY THING THAT HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR, AND THE THINK THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, POTENTIALLY INJURING OR KILLING OURSELVES OR OTHERS. FORTUNATELY, IT HAPPENED AT A DESERTED INTERSECTION ON A RURAL ROAD. BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT STOP RACING, BUCKING, WITH THE CAR LURCHING FORWARD UNTIL THE KEY WAS TURNED SO THAT ENGINE STOPPED ALTOGETHER. UPON STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WE THEREFORE HAD TO SIT AT THE INTERSECTION, PARTWAY OUT INTO TRAFFIC UNTIL TRYING AGAIN, THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY. WE HAVE CONMPLAINED ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER AND ARE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS WORKING ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS. I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE DATE. IT WAS THURSDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2002. WE WERE IN CANADA AND PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HAD YIELDED THE INFORMATION THAT WE COULD NOT GET SERVICE FOR OUR VEHICLE IN CANADA AS IT WAS NOT SOLD THERE. THUS, FAR FROM HOME, WE NEVERTHELESS HAD TO RETURN TO MILWAUKEE AFTER THE INCIDENT. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR VERY LITTLE SINCE THAT DAY AND HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO GET SOMEONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. THE INCIDENT OCCURED FOLLOWING GOING DOWN A VERY STEEP HILL (A 12% GRADE AS I RECALL) IN LOW GEAR AND THEN SHIFTING BACK INTO DRIVE AND NEEDING TO COME TO A STOP AT A "T". IT WAS AT THE "T" THAT THIS OCCURRED. EVEN THOUGH NO PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WHICH MIGHT HAVE LED TO THIS INCIDENT, IT OCCURRED ONCE! ONCE WAS ENOUGH. MIND YOU, WE WERE NEAR THE END OF A 24 DAY CAMPING TRIP AND WE HAD GONE UP AND DOWN MANY MOUNTAINS, USING THE LOW GEAR REPEATEDLY WITH SUCH A PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE PASSING OR ON A MOUNTAIN CURVE. WE WANT THE CAR TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE IF NOTHING CAN BE EXPLAINED OR FIXED! DT