2007 Volkswagen Rabbit

WHILE STARTING THE CAR, SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC LIGHTS CAME ON, INCLUDING THE ECP AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ENTERING THE REVERSE GEAR MADE THE CAR ACCELERATE FAST BACKWARDS WHEN RELEASING THE BREAKS BUT NOT USING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE. THE SURPRISE IT CAME WITH COULD HAVE LED TO BACK INTO CARS OR PASSENGERS STANDING BEHIND. THE CAR FELL INTO A SAFETY MODE, FORWARD ACCELERATED VERY SLOWLY TO MAX 30 MPH WHILE HEADING TO A SHOP.

MY 2007 VW RABBIT HAS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VALVE BODY SYSTEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO FINDLAY VW IN NOVEMBER 2014 TO HAVE THIS ISSUE FIXED, AS I HAD JUST BECOME AWARE THAT THERE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WHICH MET THE CRITERIA OF MY PROBLEM EXACTLY. I WAS TOLD THAT "THEIR HANDS WERE TIED" DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS ISSUE HAD TO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE 2013. I THEN ASKED WHY I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD MAILED OUT A LETTER-WHICH MANY PEOPLE IN LAS VEGAS INCLUDING MYSELF DID NOT RECEIVE-AND WAS TOLD THAT IF I HAD MOVED IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FORWARDED. I THEN ASKED WHY THEY HAD NOT INFORMED ME OF THIS ISSUE ANY OF THE TIMES I HAD BROUGHT MY VW IN FOR SERVICE. THEIR SERVICE DIRECTOR THEN INFORMED ME THAT IT IS "NOT THEIR POLICY" TO CHECK FOR ANY RECALLS OR KNOWN ISSUES. HE INTERRUPTED MY REPEATEDLY, SPOKE OVER ME, AND WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH HIS BOSS WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CALL BACK AND HE HUNG UP ON ME! THIS CAR IS INTENDED FOR MY DAUGHTER WHO IS LEARNING TO DRIVE AND IS UNSAFE! I AM UNDER THE MILEAGE THEY REQUIRE TO FIX THIS, AND IT IS THE CORRECT YEAR AND MODEL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE TO BE TREATED IN SUCH A FASHION. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED VW CORPORATE WHO HAVE ALSO REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THIS ISSUE AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *JS

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP...RPM'S INCREASED. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE BODY WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT AND WOULD COST $1700. I DELAYED THE REPAIR DUE TO THE COST AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT FINE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES HOWEVER A LOUD CLUNK BEGAN TO DEVELOP ( ON AND OFF...SPORADICALLY) IN SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2 GEARS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE CLUNKING. A REPAIR ORDER WAS NOT WRITTEN BECAUSE I DELAYED DUE TO THE COST. FINALLY I TOOK IT IN LATE MARCH TO HAVE THE VALVE BODY REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CONDITION WOULD NOT GENERATE A CODE ON THE COMPUTER. I ALSO ASKED IF THEY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF RABBITS/GOLFS IN FOR THIS AND THE ANSWER WAS : "YES UNFORTUNATELY WE DO". AFTER I DROPPED THE CAR OFF I DECIDED TO GOOGLE THIS CONDITION AND FOUND THAT VW HAD KNOW ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT AND HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS 100,000 MILES. IRATE THAT I WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT IT DECIDED TO CALL VW AND COMPLAINED THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE EXTENSION AND I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT IN SOONER FOR THE REPAIR. THEY NOW REFUSE TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAS 101,700 MILES. IT SEEMS THAT THEY DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ALTHOUGH THEY CLAIM A LETTER WAS SENT TO OWNERS. THIS KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT (THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY) SHOULD BE ON A MANDATORY RECALL...OR THE VERY LEAST THE FACTORY SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE OWNERS ACTUALLY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE THROUGH CERTIFIED MAIL AND DEALER COMMUNICATION VIA THE SERVICE DRIVE. THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY DID NOT KNOW MY VEHICLE WAS COVERED OR THEY WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS TO ME? THEY ARE SWEEPING A KNOWN SAFETY ITEM UNDER THE RUG UNTIL THE CAR REACHES 100K , AFTER THE WARRANTY ENDS TO FIX IT. THERE ARE MANY BLOGS ON THE INTERNET THAT SHOW THIS IS COMMON. *TR