2006 Volkswagen Gti

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BULB FROM THE HEADLIGHT SOCKET DETACHED WHEN THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FOG LIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

AIR BAG LIGHT AND SYMBOL LIGHT IS ON WITH AN INTERNAL CODE STORED. UNCERTAIN IF AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY; POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN AFTER FINDING SEVERAL HUNDRED + PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF SIMILAR PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT A SERVICE NOTICE WAS SENT OUT; HOWEVER I DID NOT RECEIVE FOREMENTIONED NOTICE NOR ANY PRIOR OR SUBSEQUENT RECALL NOTICES OR BULLETINS FROM VOLKSWAGEN. APPARENTLY THE SERVICE BULLETIN EXPIRED JAN 2013 AND THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR "OBVIOUS SYSTEMIC PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH ALL 2006 MODEL YEAR VOLKSWAGENS". PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS AND THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST NOTED FROM SEVERAL POSTS INDICATE THAT IT IS AN $1800+ REPAIR, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL 2006 VOLKSWAGEN AIR BAG FAULT LIGHT ISSUES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IF VEHICLE IS IN AN ACCIDENT. VW REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE AIR BAG "MAY" OR "MAY NOT" DEPLOY. HOW MANY HOW MANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE YOU MAKE THEM TAKE ACTION? MY SON DRIVES THIS OCCASIONALLY AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SAFETY. NO PARENT SHOULD HAVE TO BURY A CHILD. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HAD AND STILL HAS EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR SUSTAINED DAMAGE OF ANY TYPE. JUST TYPE IN 2006 VW OR VOLKSWAGEN GTI AIR BAG LIGHT OR VW AIR BAG FAULT OR VW AIR BAG FAIL LIGHT IN ANY WEB BROWSER AND YOU WILL SEE JUST HOW LARGE OF A PROBLEM THIS HAS BEEN AND STILL IS. SERVICE BULLETIN NO.: SB-69-11-01 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10038665 VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/MODEL AND YEAR(S) ?VOLKSWAGENBEETLE2004-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENEOS2007-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENGTI2006-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENJETTA2005-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENPASSAT2006-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENR322006-2008 ?VOLKSWAGENRABBIT2006-2008 I HAVE HAD MY SON RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND I HAVE PROVIDED YOU HIS EMAIL AND TEL #. *TR

PASSIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM MODULE NOT FUNCTIONING AFTER WARRANTY WORK DONE BY VOLKSWAGEN. THIS IS EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC, AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH WEIGHT IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IN THE EVENT OF A CAR ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY FOR THE PASSENGER, AND THE PASSENGER'S LIFE WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY. VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT, AND THEY REFUSE TO OFFER ANY AID OR HELP TO FIX THE SITUATION. THEY WANT $1800 FOR THE PART, JUST TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CAR. *TR

I LOST CONTROL ON A VERY SHARP TURN BY A STEEP DROP-OFF IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. WHEN FIRST LEAVING THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH, THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR HIT A TREE A FEW FEET OFF THE PAVEMENT. AFTER ROLLING OFF A STEEP EMBANKMENT, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET, THE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER MADE FULL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND SMALL TREES, STOPPING THE CAR FROM ITS PLUNGE. THE FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, YET THE IMPACT WAS ENOUGH TO CRUNCH THE HOOD (PICTURES AVAILABLE). MY WIFE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH A GASH ON HER HEAD. MOST SURPRISING WAS WHEN THE REAR DRIVER-SIDE PART OF THE VEHICLE LATERALLY SLAMMED INTO A TREE, NO SIDE/CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT WAS JUST BEHIND THE BACK EDGE OF THE DRIVER DOOR AND SMASHED IN THE FRAME FROM THE ROOF TO THE TOP CENTER OF THE WHEEL WELL, DEEPEST AT THE TOP OF THE CAR FRAME. THERE WAS ALSO A SMALLER IMPACT IN THE SAME AREA ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR. MY HEAD SLAMMED INTO THE TOP INSIDE PART OF THE DOOR/ROOF WHERE AN AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, AND I AM STILL FEELING THE BRUISING AND STIFFNESS TODAY. THE AIRBAGS IN THE CAR WERE A KEY SELLING POINT; THEY FAILED. I UNDERSTAND THERE MUST BE A CERTAIN FORCE TO CAUSE DEPLOYMENT, BUT THIS FORCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MET FROM THE SIDE IMPACT AND FROM ONE OF THE TWO IMPACTS AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT CERTAINLY FAILED MY WIFE AND ME AT A CRITICAL TIME. A CLAIMS ADJUSTER IS STILL EVALUATING MY VEHICLE (ESTIMATED TO BE TOTALED). WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAGS IF THE SENSOR WOULD NOT DEPLOY THEM IN AN ACCIDENT GIVEN THIS SPEED AND THE SIDE/FRONT COLLISIONS WITH ENOUGH FORCE LIKELY TO TOTAL THE CAR VW OF AMERICA, AFTER CONSULTING WITH AN ENGINEER, SAID ALL FOUR WHEELS MUST BE ON THE GROUND FOR THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. BECAUSE THE PASSENGER TIRES WEREN'T ON GROUND, THAT'S WHY THEY SAID AIRBAGS WERE PROGRAMMED NOT TO DEPLOY. *TR

IN FOUR YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, MY 2006 VW GTI MARK V CAR HAS HAD SIX OCCASIONS WHEREBY THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT HAS COME ON. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND THE LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF MONTHS BEFORE RETURNING. MOST RECENTLY, MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THIS REASON IN DECEMBER AND THE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT STAYED OFF UNTIL THIS WEEK. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF MY DEALER AND AM AWAITING GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED. ALTHOUGH THE CAR JUST WENT OFF WARRANTY, I AM REQUESTING THAT VW MAKE REPAIRS AT ITS EXPENSE SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN A REPEATED PROBLEM THROUGHOUT MY OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR. *TR