2024 Volkswagen Jetta

When driving using cruise control, the vehicle will alarm if the driver is not holding the steering. If the driver does not take control of the steering wheel, a secondary alarm will alert the driver on the dashboard to take over steering. If the driver does not take over steering, the vehicle will aggressively pulse the brakes to alert the driver. In this vehicle, the alarm may trigger when holding the steering wheel from the side or bottom, and it generally occurs on straight or minimally curving highways. If music is turned loud, it is difficult to hear the secondary alarm and the vehicle may unexpectedly and aggressively brake even when the driver has full control of the steering wheel. To cancel the alarm may require significant input or even steering out of the lane. In wet conditions, the automatic pulsing of the brakes may cause loss of traction and total loss of vehicle control.

While driving at approximately 20mph, the front passenger-side steering knuckle suffered a catastrophic structural failure, snapping completely in two. This resulted in an immediate loss of steering and suspension control. Inspection of the fractured part by a mechanic revealed significant orange oxidation (rust) inside the metal cross-section of the break. This internal corrosion on a 2-year-old vehicle indicates a manufacturing defect (casting porosity or inclusion) that allowed the part to weaken and fail prematurely under normal road stress.