1992 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT FAILED TO ACCELERATE. AFTER APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COLLIDE INTO A GUARD RAIL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT FAILED TO ACCELERATE. AFTER APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COLLIDE INTO A GUARD RAIL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *AK

2025 HRS: TRAFFIC WAS GENTLE, WITH TRAILERS ON THE RIGHT AND SMALLER CARS AND TRUCKS PASSING ON THE LEFT THAT DAY. I WAS TRAVELING TO CROWN POINT FROM LAFAYETTE USING HIGHWAY 65 NORTH (60-65 MPH -WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC), WHEN 3/4 MILES AWAY FROM RENESELAER THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FROZE STILL HALFWAY. IT WOULD NOT RELEASE TO THE FULL POSITION, NOR WILL IT DEPRESS PAST HALFWAY. AT THAT MOMENT, THE ENGINE REVVED AND STARTED SPEEDING UP. I WATCHED WITH PANIC AS MY JETTA'S SPEEDOMETER READ 67, 70, 72 AND 75 PROGRESSIVELY. TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN, I STEPPED ON THE BREAKS GRADUALLY; WHICH HELPED A LITTLE, BUT NOT BY MUCH. I HAD JUST PASSED THE "1/4 MILE TO RENESELEAR" EXIT NUMBER 215, WHICH MERGES WITH HIGHWAY 114. SEEING THE EXIT AHEAD (AND STILL STEPPING ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW ME DOWN), I TURNED INTO THE EXIT AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE EXIT, I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ROLLED TO A STOP AT THE STOP SIGN ON TOP OF THE HILL EXIT. BEFORE I STOPPED COMPLETELY, I BEGAN TO SMELL MY BRAKE PADS SMELTING. AND WHEN I DID ROLL TO STOP, THERE WAS SMOKE RISING FROM THE FRONT WELLS. I GOT OUT AND POPPED THE HOOD TO INSPECT FURTHER AND TO CHECK MY TIRES. AS I BENT DOWN TO CHECK THE WHEELS, I NOTICED MY ROTORS WERE BOTH RED HOT. CHECKING THE LEFT WHEEL, AFTER INSPECTING THE RIGHT, REVEALED A SMALL LIP OF FLAME RIGHT NEXT TO THE BRAKE ROTOR. I THEN GRABBED A FULL BOTTLE OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID AND EMPTIED IT ON BOTH ROTORS. THE THOUGHT OF LOSING MY BELOVED CAR TO A FIRE AND A HUGH EXPLOSION -MY GAS TANK WAS COMPLETELY FULL AT THE MOMENT- WAS MORBIDLY PETRIFYING. THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED AFTER I POURED IT ON THE FLAMES. TO MY WEST, ABOUT ~ 1000 METERS, WAS A SHELL GAS STATION WITH KELLY'S TIRES RIGHT BEFORE IT, WHERE I ASKED FOR HELP. A KIND TECHNICIAN -FROM KELLY'S TIRES- INFORMED ME, AFTER INSPECTING MY CAR, THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ACCELERATOR CABLE BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE. I WOULD NEED TO SPECIAL ORDER THE PART AND THEN BRING IT TO THEM ON OR AFTER TUESDAY (7-6-2004. *AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COOLANT LEAK FROM THE HEATER CORE. *JB THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN A BOILING SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE AIR VENT AND VIEWED HEAVY STEAM COMING FROM THE DASH BOARD AS WELL, AND WHEN THE VENTS WERE OPENED, HOT RADIATOR COOLANT WAS SPLASHED IN THE CONSUMERS FACE. *SCC *JB

FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, MY CAR WILL JUST "DIE" WHILE I AM DRIVING IT. I HAVE BEEN IN ALMOST 2 ACCIDENTS NOW BECAUSE OF IT. IT DOESN'T GIVE ANY WARNING THAT IT IS GOING TO DIE. I JUST NOTICE IT WHEN THE "DUMY LIGHTS" COME ON OR WHEN I LOOSE MY STEERING. IT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS HOT OR COLD, AT ANY SPEED. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER. SOMETIMES I CAN TELL, BECAUSE THE RPM WILL DROP TO ALMOST 0. BUT USUALLY NOTHING HAPPENS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 7 OR 8 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THEY HAVE GONE AS FAR AS SAYING THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I HAVE SEVERAL WITNESS'S THAT HAVE BEEN WITH ME IN MY CAR THAT CAN DISPUTE THIS. I HAVE HAD MY CAR DIE AS MUCH AS 7X IN ONE DAY. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY BASICALLY DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. THEY JUST CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT AND THAT WAS THE END OF IT. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AGAIN AND ASKED IF THEY COULD SEND AN ENGINEER OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR AS IT DIDN'T SEEM THE TECHNICIANS AT THE DEALER WERE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND THEY TOLD ME "NO" IT IS AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE SERVICE MANAGER TO DECIDE THIS. SO, TILL NOW, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, OR EVEN DETECT WHERE IT IS COMING FROM AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS TO KEEP LOOKING. IN THE MEANTIME, I AM DRIVING A "DEATH TRAP". THE CAR IS TOTALLY UNSAFE. 3 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. IT IS A LEMON AND THE DEALER BASICALY ADMITTED IT, BUT WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. IN THE PAST 10 YEARS THAT I HAVE HAD THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SERVICE AROUND 45 TIMES. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THIS?*AK