1999 Volkswagen New Beetle

WHILE TRAVELING ON I70W THROUGH INDIANA, VEHICLE BOTTOMED OUT EXTREMELY HARD RESULTING IN MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING CLEAR DAYLIGHT DRY CONDITIONS IN A NON-CONSTRUCTION ZONE. APPARENTLY, AFTER CROSSING A CONCRETE BRIDGE, THERE WAS AN INDENTATION IN THE INTERSTATE ROADWAY WHERE THE CONCRETE ENDED AND THE PAVEMENT BEGAN. THE IMPACT WAS AT A SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT PORTION OF THE CHASSIS (DIRCTLY BEHIND THE ENGINE) MADE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD SURFACE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO RESULT IN A SHOWER OF BLACK ASPHALT FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE (AS I LOOKED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR). THE IMPACT WAS STARTLING AND SEVERE. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED CHUNKS OF BLACK ASPHALT HANGING LIKE ICECYCLES FROM THE LOWEST PART OF THE FRAME ASSEMBLE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ENGINE AND TRANSAXLE. I DROVE THE THE CLOSEST VW DEALER (IN ST. LOUIS OFF I 70W) AND HAD THE VEHICLE PUT ON A LIFT TO CHECK THE DAMAGE. THE PLASTIC NOISE ABATEMENT COVER WAS TORN AWAY AT THE POINT OF IMPACT AND THE DRIVERS SIDE PORTION OF THE STEEL ASSEMBLEY WHICH THE "A" ARMS (STEERING ARMS) ARE CONNECTED TO WAS CRUSHED AS WELL. THE DEALER COMMENTED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAD NO OPINION AS TO THE MANUFACTURERS POSITION. I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME, THE DRIVER. MY HEART AND NERVOUS SYSTEM DID NOT REGAIN NORMALITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME AFTER THE EVENT. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND OPENED AN INCIDENT NUMBER. THEY TOOK THE INFORMATION BUT WERE OTHERWISE NONRESPONSIVE. AT THE VERY LEAST, IF THE VEHICLES MINIMUM GROUND CLEARANCE IS NOT DESIGNED TO ACCOMODATE NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS OR THE SUSPENSION CANNOT COMPENSATE, I THINK THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD ISSUE A WARNING TO OWNERS. THANK YOU. *AK