2003 Volkswagen Jetta

DEAR SIR/MADAM, I BOUGHT VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2003 WOLFSBURG EDITION ON 08/30/03 AT AROUND 3.30 PM FROM CLASSIC VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WHOSE PHYSICAL ADDRESS IS 5474 S ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL, ORLANDO, FL 32839. I PAID $1500 (FIFTEEN HUNDRED) AS A DOWN PAYMENT AND TRADED MY OLD TOYOTA CAMRY LE 2002. TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE $27060.02 WHILE I WAS DRIVING BACK TO MY HOME FROM MY WORK ON 09/19/2003 AROUND 6:20 PM (I WAS DRIVING ON ALL AMERICA BLVD IN ORLANDO, FL). I WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35 MILE PER HOUR, I HEARD A LOUD SOUND FROM THE ENGINE OF THE CAR AND CAR STOPPED. THE MOLD (METAL) WHICH IS ABOUT 4-6 INCHES LONG AND 2-3 THICK WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION OF THE ENGINE AND CAR WAS BROKEN AND THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGED LEFT AXLE (AXLE WAS BROKEN) AND FEW OTHER PARTS ARE SERIOUS DAMAGED. I COMPLAINED THIS TO THE VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER (VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA) ON 09/19/03 THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AND ALSO ON 09/20/03 THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AND GOT CASE NUMBER ASSIGNED (REFERENCE NUMBER [XXX]). I FOLLOW-UP WITH THEM ON 09/22/03, 09/23/03 & 09/24/03 TO CHECK THE STATUS OF THE CASE, THEYRE STILL REVIEWING THE CASE. NOW I SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY WHILE DRIVING MY CAR BACK ON ROAD. I REQUESTED VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER (VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA) TO REFUND MY MONEY BACK SO I CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISION TO BUY ANOTHER CAR WHICH I FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE ON THE ROADS. IM NOW TOTALLY SACRED TO DRIVE MY CAR BACK ON ROAD WHICH IS SERIOUS DAMAGE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2003 VW JETTA TDI AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT MY CAR FIRST STARTED LOSING POWER, I NOTICED THE PICK-UP WASN'T AS GOOD AS NORMAL, SECONDLY I STARTED NOTICING THE HEAT GAUGE WENT UP AS MY CAR STARTED OVER HEATING, THIRDLY I WAS ALMOST HOME GOING DOWN THE OFF-RAMP AND WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO STOP, THE BRAKE MADE A POPPING NOISE AND THEN THE BRAKE HIT THE FLOOR. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR IN NUETRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP, AS I BEGAN DRIVING THE CAR WOULD NOT PICK UP ANY POWER AND IT FELT AS IF THE CAR WAS PULLING AGAINST ITSELF, I COULD NOT EVEN GET MY CAR TO GO ABOVE 15 MILES AN HOUR IN SECOND GEAR. I DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME IN 2ND, AND WITH NO BRAKES. WHEN I MADE IT HOME I THOUGHT THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER MY CAR BECAUSE OF HOW HOT IT WAS, THE SMELL OF BURNING WAS AWFUL AND AS I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE THERE WERE CHUNKS OF CREAMY GREASE DRIPPING FROM MY CAR. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASST. AND HAD THEM COME TO MY HOUSE AND TOW THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP (OVERTURF VOLKSWAGEN). AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF TRYING TO FIND WHAT THE PROBLEMS WAS OVERTURF DECIDED THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO FORCE THEM TO LOOK INTO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. OVERTURF EXPLAINED TO US THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME OUT ON THE HIGHWAY WAS TYPICAL AND NOT TO BE CONCERNED, I KNEW DIFFERENTLY AND ENFORCED THE FACT THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHECK THE BRAKING SYSTEM. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF DEBATING OVER THE FACT THAT THE BREAKS DIDN'T NEED CHECKED, THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR AGAIN AND THE CAR REINACTED THE PROBLEM. IN THE END, MY BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER HAD TO BE REPLACED. LUCKILY MY CAR STILL IS UNDER WARRENTY, BUT THE CAR ONLY HAD 10,900 MILES ON IT, SOMETHING LIKE THE WHOLE BREAKING SYSTEM SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH AS LITTLE AS MILEAGE AS THE CAR HAD. ONE WEEK LATER THE CAR GETS PICKED UP AND THE NEXT DAY MY CRUISE WILL NOT SET. I NOW HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO GET MY CRUISE CONTROL FIXED.*AK

ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY CAR'S MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR . THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED JULY 7, 2003 WHEN THE CAR STOPPED MOVING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THIS WAS "REPAIRED". THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRYING TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO DRIVE - IT ACTUALLY WAS IN NEUTRAL (DESPITE THE INDICATOR STATING DRIVE) AND I ROLLED BACK IN THE PARKING LOT. I NEEDED TO BRING IT IT, AGAIN, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE THIRD TIME IT WOULD ACTUALLY GO INTO REVERSE, INSTEAD OF PARK. WHEN I TRIED TO PARK THE VEHICLE I HAD TO PARK IT IN "REVERSE". I WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT IT SHIFTED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. IT IS IN THE SHOP FOR THE 3RD TIME. IT HAS UNDER 4000 MILES ON IT.*AK

RATTLES THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR SUCH AS THE SPEAKERS, DASH BOARD, AND AREA WHERE THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND CENTER AIR VENTS ARE LOCATED. DENTS ON THE VEHICLE FROM THE SERVICE CENTER, I HAVE A FRIEND WITH A VW THAT HAS THE SAME DENTS ON HIS VEHICLE LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE DOORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. SKID PLATE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE UNDER PARTS OF THE ENGINE NEARLY CAME OFF, SEVERAL BOLTS MISSING, NEEDED TO DUCT TAPE IT TO MAKE IT HOME. BOLT FELL OUT OF DOOR AND SIDE BLINKER LEAKED WATER INSIDE WHICH WAS FIXED A WHILE BACK. SEVERAL SMALL ANNOYING PROBLEMS. *NLM

OKAY, I HAVE HAD MY 03 JETTA FOR ONE MONTH AND TWO DAYS (I RECEIVED IT ON JUNE 29TH). IT HAS ALREADY BEEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: JULY 8TH: -A/C VENT MADE LOUD NOISE LIKE SOMETHING WAS STUCK/FLAPPING AROUND IN IT - CONDENSATION IN DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT -PULLED TO THE RIGHT -MADE A MOANING NOISE WHEN I TURNED LEFT, GRADUALLY WORSENED TO MAKE THE SAME NOISE WHEN I TURNED LEFT. *VW HAD THE CAR AT THAT TIME FOR TWO DAYS, THEN CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT THEY WERE STUMPED ABOUT THE MOANING NOISE AND THAT THEY WANTED THEIR HEAD TECH TO LOOK AT IT. HOWEVER, HE HAPPENED TO BE ON VACATION SO I WOULD NEED TO BRING IT BACK IN. BUT THEY ADDED THAT THEY DID INSPECT THE CAR AS FAR AS SAFETY WAS CONCERNED AND I WAS GOOD TO GO. JULY 24: -CAR BROUGHT IN FOR THE SECOND TIME FOR MOANING NOISE WHEN TURNING *VW CALLED ME THAT AFTERNOON STATING THAT SINCE THE LAST TIME I HAD BROUGHT IT IN A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR MY PROBLEM AND ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS DRAIN AND REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE NOISE WOULD BE GONE. I PICKED UP MY CAR THAT EVENING AND 1 1/2 HRS LATER I HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN, NOT HALF AS LOUD OR AS NOTICEABLE BUT IT WAS STILL THERE AND IT AGAIN WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND LEFT AS MESSAGE WITH MY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT NIGHT AND CALLED MY SALESPERSON IN THE MORNING. I HAD TO WAIT ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL THEY COULD GET IT BACK IN AGAIN. JULY 30-PRESENT ( THEY STILL HAVE MY CAR!) - RETURNED CAR FOR THE THIRD TIME FOR MOANING NOISE WHEN TURNING -STILL PULLING TO THE RIGHT -PAINT ON HOOD HAD A NOTICEABLE 3D EFFECT & HAIRLINE SCRATCHES THAT WERE NOT JUST CAUSED BY A BAD DETAILING JOB -THE NIGHT BEFORE THIS MY BRAKES STARTED PUMPING WHEN I WOULD SLOW DOWN FROM 60 MPH TO GET OFF ONTO THE ON RAMP TO GET HOME, WHICH I DIDN'T THINK WAS NORMAL. T *VW SAID MY ROTORS WERE WARPED SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE THEM. *PH