2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

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 MODULE FAILURE OCCURRED 10 DAYS AFTER REPLACING BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. I HAVE NEARLY CRASHED QUITE A FEW TIMES WHEN BRAKING (NOT HARD) DUE TO THE WHEELS LOCKING UP AND CAR BEGINS TO FISH TAIL, THIS OCCURS ON DRY OR WET PAVEMENT. MOSTLY TAKE BACK ROADS WHEN DRIVING AS I AM UNSURE HOW SAFE MY CAR IS ON THE INTERSTATE AND IF SUDDEN BRAKING IS NEEDED HOW MY CAR WILL FAIR.

ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO, I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, HEADING HOME FROM WORK. THE CARS AHEAD HAD HIT THEIR BRAKES, SO I BEGAN TO HIT MY BRAKES AND IMMEDIATELY FELT THEM LOCK UP AND MY CAR BEGAN FISHTAILING. IT THEN SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES, INCHES AWAY FROM HITTING A TRUCK BEHIND ME HEAD-ON. AFTER THIS POINT, I WAS ALWAYS WEARY OF HITTING MY BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BECAUSE I NEVER FELT I HAD CONTROL OF THE CAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL I RESEARCHED THE ABS ISSUES WITH VW DID I REALIZE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAULTY PIECE. IN JULY OF 2017, THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE WE WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT, AND STAYED ON. THESE LIGHTS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY THE CHECK ENGINE, EPC, AIR BAG, GAS AND STEERING SYSTEM LIGHTS, AND THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR ALSO BEGAN TO HANDLE STRANGELY, AND WOULDN'T REV HIGHER THAN 4000 RPMS. AFTER RESEARCHING WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS, WE CAME ACROSS MANY ABS MODULE FAILURES THAT SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE WHAT WE HAD HAPPENING. WE THEN CAME ACROSS THE VW ABS MODULE RECALL FROM 5 MONTHS BEFORE, AND AFTER CALLING VW TO VERIFY WE INDEED WERE PART OF THE RECALL, THEY TOLD US TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALER AND THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. WE MADE THE APPOINTMENT, AND TOOK THE CAR IN. THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE THEY LET US KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T FALL UNDER THE RECALL REQUIREMENTS, AND VW WAS IN FACT NOT GOING TO FIX ANYTHING WITH THE ABS MODULE. INSTEAD, THEY GAVE US A $1400 QUOTE TO FIX THE FAULTY MODULE. WE ARE NOW STUCK PAYING NEARLY HALF OF WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH THEIR ABS MODULE, AND THEY INITIALLY TOLD US WE QUALIFIED TO GET IT FIXED.

THE CURRENT RECALL (MANUFACTURER RECALL 45F2, NHTSA RECALL 16V913) FOR THE KNOWN ABS CONTROL MODULE FAULTY GROUNDING ISSUE IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE, AS IT ALLOWS THOSE ALREADY SUFFERING FROM THE FAULTS THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE IS DESIGNED TO BE MORE SENSITIVE TO ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE SATISFACTION. IF EITHER OR BOTH OF THE FAULTS THAT WOULD NECESSITATE A MODULE REPLACEMENT AFTER A SOFTWARE UPDATE ARE PRESENT PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, THE SOFTWARE UPDATE CANNOT BE PERFORMED & VOLKSWAGEN WILL TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION. ESSENTIALLY, THOSE VEHICLES THAT HAVE A MODULE THAT HAS ALREADY FAILED ARE NOT BEING REPAIRED WHILE THOSE THAT HAVE NOT YET FAILED (BUT MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE OR STARTING TO FAIL) ARE BEING REPAIRED. THESE SPECIFIC FAULTS (01130 - 125/4TH AND/OR 16352 - 96/4TH) ARE FOR DETECTING A BAD GROUND DUE TO AN IMPROPER SOLDER USED IN THE MODULES. IT SHOULD NOT MATTER IF THOSE FAULTS ARE PRESENT PRIOR TO A SOFTWARE UPDATE OR AFTER A SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT IS OSTENSIBLY DESIGNED SIMPLY TO BETTER DETECT THOSE EXACT FAULTS. THE FAULT BEGINS AS AN INTERMITTENT FAULT THAT IS CAUSED BY HARD BRAKING OR HITTING A BUMP BUT CAN BE CLEARED BY A VEHICLE RESTART. OVER TIME, IF THE MODULE IS NOT REPLACED, THE SOLDER ON THE GROUND DEGRADES FURTHER & THE FAULT BECOMES MORE SEMI-CONSTANT & CANNOT BE SIMPLY CLEARED. THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT RECALL IS WORDED ALLOWS VW TO DENY THE RECALL WORK SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE DEGREE OF DEGRADATION TO THE GROUNDS. OVER TIME, THIS FAULT CAN INTERFERE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTING OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES. AND ON BOTH AUTOMATIC & MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES, CAUSES A VERY UNSAFE FAILURE OF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WHEN CORNERING OR STOPPING IN NORMAL DAILY ROAD CONDITIONS (BRAKES LOCKING, REAR-END LOSING TRACTION, ETC)

AS PER NHTSA 16V-913 MY VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT HAS BEEN PRESENTING THE SYMPTOMS STATED IN THE SAFETY RECALL. THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND BRAKE LIGHT HAVE COME ON NUMEROUS TIMES AND HARD BRAKING, AND IN NOT SO HARD BRAKING IN THE SNOW. HE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT THESE LIGHTS NO LONGER GO OUT AFTER AND IGNITION CYCLE. I AM ESSENTIALLY DRIVING WITHOUT ABS OR STABILITY CONTROL, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I PURCHASED THIS CAR. THE CODE FOR U0121 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) CONTROL MODULE NO LONGER CLEAR WITH A HAND HELD CODE READER OR A LAPTOP RUNNING ROSS-TECH'S VCDS SOFTWARE. I TOOK MY BROKEN VOLKSWAGEN TO DANBURY VW IN DANBURY CT TO PERFORM THE SAFETY RECALL (16V-913). BECAUSE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE TO UPLOAD THE NEW SOFTWARE, THEY HAVE DENIED THE RECALL AND SAY I MUST FOOT THE BILL TO REPLACE THE MODULE SO THEY CAN THEN UPLOAD THE NEW SOFTWARE TO SEE IF THEY GET THE CODE FOR FAULTY SOLDER JOINT. VOLKSWAGEN IS TRYING TO SIDE STEP THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UPLOAD THE SOFTWARE WHEN THIS ISSUE FIRST STARTED HAPPENING, BUT NOW THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAS COMPLETELY FAILED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE BAD SOLDER COMPOUND. NOW THEY ARE DENYING CLAIMS, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THE NTHSA NEEDS TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THIS PROBLEM.

I HAD OBSERVED TWICE THAT THE ABS AND BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTS ILLUMINATED UNDER HEAVY BRAKING. I READ THE SERVICE MANUAL AND SEVERAL VW FORUMS AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THIS WAS NORMAL UNDER WHAT IS CALLED 'EMERGENCY BREAK'. I BOTH CASES TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND ON AGAIN RESTORED THE CAR TO NORMAL. ON FEBRUARY 2013 THE ABS/ESC SYSTEM FAILED AND THE CAR CRASHED AGAINST A WALL WHILE BRAKING BEFORE A TURN. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD: BRIAN FOXE AND MYSELF. FORTUNATELY, NONE GOT HURT ALTHOUGH I HAD TO BE PICKED UP BY PARAMEDICS. WE BOTH HAVE TAKEN THAT TURN MANY TIMES AND WE COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT WENT WRONG WENT WE USED THE BRAKES BEFORE THE TURN. WE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL I GOT THE RECALL. SINCE THEN, THE ABS FAILURE HAD CAUSED AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING: -SUFFERING FROM THE CRASH AND INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF STRESS WHICH REQUIRED THERAPY -I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR ASAP AND I BOUGHT ANOTHER 2007 RABBIT -THE 2009 RABBIT WAS FINALLY PUT BACK TOGETHER ON JULY AUGUST 2013 -THE 2009 RABBIT WOULD LOSE ABS/ESC AT THE SIGHTLESS BREAK SO IT HAS BEEN SITTING AS A BACKUP CAR SINCE THEN. -THE CAR WAS SERVICED FOR A TRANSMISSION ISSUE ON 2016 (VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE 160612855) AND AFTER IT CAME BACK FROM THE DEALER THE SYMPTOMS DISAPPEARED. THAT MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT EITHER: OVW KNEW ABOUT ABS/ESC ISSUES (SAFETY RECALL 45F2) AND PREVENTIVELY UPDATED THE ECU. OTHE ECU WAS UPDATED AS A ROUTINE OR AS PART OF THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE. AS PER TODAY, I BELIEVE I HAVE A RABBIT THAT HAS ALREADY HAD THE ECU UPGRADED AND CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED ANYMORE. HOWEVER, I HAVE EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES OF WHAT HAPPENED

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP TO PERFORM AN ABS SOFTWARE UPDATE AS PER THE VOLKSWAGEN RECALL NOTICE. PRIOR TO SERVICE, VEHICLE DID NOT DISPLAY ANY WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS SOUNDS THAT WOULD INDICATE SERVICE NEEDED. PER THE DEALERSHIP, THE ABS SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED AND AS A RESULT A FAILURE CODE WAS DETECTED THAT DID NOT MATCH THE FAILURE CODE IDENTIFIED PER THE RECALL TEST PLAN. PER THE DEALERSHIP, THE ABS REPAIR AND SOFTWARE UPDATE COULD NOT BE COMPLETED BECAUSE THE FAILURE CODE FOUND IS NOT IDENTIFIED PER THE RECALL TEST PLAN. PER THE DEALERSHIP, THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAULT CODE RECEIVED, WHETHER IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, OR PERHAPS AN ERROR PERFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN, AND THAT NO FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS WOULD BE PERFORMED. PER THE DEALERSHIP, THE ABS NEEDS TO REPAIR AT THE EXPENSE OF THE VEHICLE OWNER AND THAT THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE MAY BE A CONCERN. DEALERSHIP INSTRUCTED VEHICLE OWNER TO CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE TO DETERMINE IF SERVICE COULD BE PERFORMED AND EXPENSE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. PER VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHY THE FAULT CODE WAS DETECTED AFTER PERFORMING THE ABS SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THAT ADDITIONAL SERVICE, INCLUDING DIAGNOSTICS, WOULD NOT BE PERFORMED OTHER THAN AT THE EXPENSE OF THE VEHICLE OWNER. AT VEHICLE IGNITION, THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ARE FLASHING AND THE ALARM SOUND IS HEARD. THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUE TO FLASH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION AND MOTION.