2008 Volkswagen Rabbit

PULLED CAR UP TO PROPANE DISPLAY OUTSIDE OF HEB GROCERY STORE. ONCE TANKS WERE EXCHANGED, NOTICED SMOKE BILLOWING FROM ENGINE. TURNED CARE OFF, GOT OUT AND NOTICED FIRE UNDERNEATH ENGINE. STORE EMPLOYEE GOT HOOD OPEN, DOUSED FIRE. CALLED WRECKER TO TOW CAR HOME. ON DECEMBER 25, 2020 NEIGHBOR NOTICED SMOKE AND BURNING WIRE SMELL COMING FROM HOOD OF CAR. OPENED HOOD DISABLED BATTERY.

IN MOTION: THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT PROPERLY SHIFTING UP. THERE IS DELAY, THEREFORE THE CAR IS 'JUMPING' BEFORE THE HIGHER LEVEL OF GEAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT. THIS PROBLEM LAST FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS IN MOTION: THE USE OF FUEL IS MUCH HIGHER THAN USED TO BE, EVEN ALL INJECTORS ARE PROPERLY WORKING. THIS PROBLEM IS NOW ABOUT 5 MONTHS OLD. THE REAR DOOR - ITS LATCH BROKE IN NOVEMBER 2014. THE DOOR FELT ON MY HEAD. CONTACTING VW USA - I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIR HAS TO BE DONE BY VW DEALER.. VW DEALER MADE ME A QUOTE OF $ 3.5 K WHICH I REJECTED. SINCE THAT TIME I AM CARRYING IN CAR BOARD OF WOOD AND USING IT FOR SUPPORT OF OPEN DOOR.

I HAD THE HEATED SEATS ON AT THE LOWEST SETTING OF 1. I WAS DRIVING ON THE MAIN ROAD BY MY HOUSE AND THE SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED GETTING REALLY HOT AND I SMELLED SMOKE. I HAD TO PULL OVER AS I WAS WORRIED THE SEAT WAS ON FIRE. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER, GOT OUT AND CHECKED THE SEAT. THERE WAS A HOLE BURNED INTO THE SEAT AND INTO THE JACKET I WAS WEARING. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE HORN IS NOT WORKING. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS A BROKEN CLOCK SPRING. OTHER VWS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT MINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD THE AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH AND I THINK THE HORN IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO ALERT DRIVERS AROUND ME IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. BOTH SAFETY PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY THE SAME BROKEN CLOCK SPRING AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, BECAUSE THE CLOCK SPRING IS BAD. THIS HAS ALSO CAUSED THE HORN BUTTON TO NOT WORK. SOMETIMES THE HORN HONKS WHEN I MAKE SHARP TURNS. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER OR NOT THE DRIVER AIRBAG WOULD DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN IMPACT, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IT IS QUITE UNLIKELY. THIS ALSO EFFECTS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE BUTTONS ON THE STICKS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. SOMETIMES THOSE BUTTONS WORK, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T AND SOMETIMES THEY DO THINGS THEY AREN'T DESIGNED TO DO. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH OCCURS VERY FREQUENTLY WITH THIS CAR. *TR

I TRIED TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND HAD VERY SLOW ACCELERATION. I SWITCHED TO MANUAL SHIFT MODE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN 5TH GEAR AND WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT. ONCE I STARTED I COULDN'T STOP AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE LANES. I HAVE HAD SIMILAR OCCURRENCES BEFORE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL SHOP AND THEY CHANGED THE FLUID WHICH THEY SAID WAS VERY DIRTY AND BURNED LOOKING. NOTE, THE TRANSMISSION IS (WAS) SUPPOSED TO BE SERVICE FREE FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. APPARENTLY IT IS A KNOW DEFECT IN THESE TRANSMISSIONS THAT THE VALVE BODY FAILS PREMATURELY AND EVENTUALLY CAUSES CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. VW HAS ADMITTED THE VALVE BODY ISSUE AND EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES AFTER ENTRY TO SERVICE FOR THE VALVE BODY ONLY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAN, AND DOES, COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR OR REPLACE. THERE IS MUCH DISCUSSION OF THIS ISSUE AT VARIOUS PLACES ON THE INTERNET. *TR

AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AROUND END OF MAY 2013 AND I TOOK THE CAR TO BE SEEN BY A VW TECHNICIAN AT DIRITO BROTHERS IN WALNUT CREEK, CA ([XXX]- TECHNICIAN AND [XXX]- SERVICE MANAGER). AFTER I WAS CHARGED A $75 SERVICE FEE FOR ASSESSING THE ISSUE AND NOTHING WAS FIXED, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT VW OF AMERICA AT 1-800-822-8987 DIRECTLY TO SEE HOW THEY CAN ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AIRBAG FAULT, AS I WAS QUOTED MORE THAN $500 IN REPAIRS FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT DAMAGE. I DISCUSSED MY CASE# [XXX] WITH [XXX] ON 06.06.2013. THEIR RESOLUTION WAS TO HELP PAY HALF OF THE COST, BECAUSE I AM A LOYAL CUSTOMER (I AM AT MY 3RD VW AND MY FATHER HAS A JETTA= TOTAL OF 4 WV CARS). I AM SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM, I AM BASICALLY DRIVING WITHOUT AN AIRBAG AND THE RISK IS DEATH, IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. PER [XXX], HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO DETERMINE WHAT A CRITICAL SAFETY PRIORITY IS FOR THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND HOW TO ASSESS APPROPRIATE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYDAY TO WORK FEELING THAT I AM AT RISK AND WAS TOLD THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE TO COVER HALF OF THE COST OF THIS FACTORY FAILURE AND THAT THEY ARE MAKING ME A FAVOR BY BEING WILLING TO COVER HALF OF THE COST. I AM WONDERING HOW NOT ENSURING BASIC SAFETY IS GOING TO AFFECT VW'S BRAND WHEN THEY WILL GET HIT WITH LAWSUITS FOLLOWING INJURIES SUSTAINED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE (PRODUCT LIABILITY CASE)? IS IT GOING TO BE WORTH IT NOT PAYING THE ENTIRE REPAIR COSTS? IS A HUMAN LIFE WORTH $500? THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE AND ETHICS, THAN THE MONEY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR