2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING ABILITY. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND STEERING WHEEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (FAIRFIELD VOLKSWAGEN, 96065 DIXIE HIGHWAY, FAIRFIELD, OH 45014) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOSEPH VOLKSWAGEN OF CINCINNATI (3813 MONTGOMERY ROAD, CINCINNATI, OH 45212) WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V913000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) ON MAY 17, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MOVED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V913000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VOLKSWAGEN OF EDMOND (14220 BROADWAY EXTENSION HWY) DIAGNOSED THAT BEFORE THEY COULD PERFORM THE REMEDY, THE ABS PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

ABS BRAKE MODULE. COMPUTER LOSES COMMUNICATION WITH ABS BRAKE MODULE, POWER STEERING IS DISABLED, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL IS DISABLED ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER BECOME DIABLED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT CAN CAUSE OVER STEER AND UNDER STEER. ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT ON TWO OCCASIONS. RECALL SENT, VW STILL WON'T FIX THE ISSUE. PREVIOUS COMPLAINT LISTED.

THE ABS MODULE IN MY VEHICLE FAILED AROUND 90,000 MILES, WHICH I'M NOW DISCOVERING IS A VERY COMMON FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR. THE ABS SYSTEM CEASED TO FUNCTION BUT OTHER SYSTEMS WERE AFFECTED AS WELL; MY SPEEDOMETER WOULD STOP WORKING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AT A TIME, AS WELL AS MY FUEL GAUGE. POWER STEERING WOULD CUT OUT AND I WOULD EXPERIENCE A CONSIDERABLE LOSS OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS NEARLY HIT WHILE CROSSING A BUSY INTERSECTION BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET ANY ACCELERATION FROM THE CAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ALSO BEEN TRIGGERED INTERMITTENTLY BY THIS PROBLEM SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PASS A SMOG CHECK, MAKING MY VEHICLE ILLEGAL TO DRIVE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WHERE I'M STATIONED WITH THE MARINES. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIPS ARE CHARGING MORE THAN $1,500 TO FIX THE ISSUE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THE PROBLEM.

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CONSTANT SINCE PURCHASING (I.E. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON DURING LONG TRIPS, THE PRND LIGHTS LIGHTING ALL AT ONCE AT RANDOM). THESE ISSUES WERE NOT MUCH OF A PROBLEM UNTIL RECENTLY. I STARTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND BRAKE LIGHTS LIT UP AND THE CAR MADE 3 "BEEPS". I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND CONTINUED. I THEN DROVE ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES WHEN THE STEERING, AND EPC LIGHTS CAME ON. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGES DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE STEERING BECAME SLOW TO RESPOND/DELAYED. LUCKILY THERE WERE NOT MANY CARS ON THE ROAD AND I SAFELY PULLED TO THE SHOULDER. I SAFELY DROVE THE CAR HOME THAT DAY, BUT MY HUSBAND EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES WHEN HE TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR THE DAY AFTER. AFTER RESEARCHING THESE SYMPTOMS ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2009 GTI AND RABBIT MODELS, AND THAT, WHILE THIS MALFUNCTION MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE, VW WILL NOT HELP CONSUMERS WITH THE ESTIMATED $2K REPAIR COSTS.

DRIVING INTO A CURVE, MY ABS BRAKE MODULE FAILED, TURNING OFF MY TRACTION CONTROL, ABS DISABLING MY POWER STEERING. AS I WAS TRYING TO COME OUT OF THE CURVE, THE STEERING FAILED TO RESPOND TEMPORARILY. I ALMOST T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE, SCARING THAT DRIVER TO DEATH...I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THE TURN, OVER CORRECTING ALMOST PUTTING IT IN A A DITCH... THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE.

MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE PURCHASE AND I HAVE HAD ALL THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE DONE TO PREVENT ISSUES. LAST WEEK WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY MY CARS STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS WELL AS STALLED ALMOST CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHEN I LOOKED IT UP IT SEEMS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN ISSUE WITH CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V621000. ALBEIT THIS IS NOT THE SAME ISSUE BUT MY VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE SAME TIME AND I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE INTERRELATED. BEYOND THAT, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON MANY VW FORUMS. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM. COULD YOU IMAGINE THE LIVES THAT COULD HAVE PERISHED IF I HAD NOT HANDLED THAT SITUATION EFFECTIVELY. I AM NOW TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THIS PART FOR $2000 WHERE I TRULY BELIEVE VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE. THIS COMPANY HAS SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICES AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART. MY CAR WAS BOUGHT IN 2009 AND HAS 76,000 MILES ON IT.