NHTSA complaint: 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I PURCHASED A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION JETTA-TDI AT THE END OF DECEMBER OF 2009. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS SINCE 1975, AND I WAS UPSET THAT MY CAR WAS STALLING EITHER JUST STARTING OUT IN FIRST OR IN THE LOWER RPM RANGE OF THE LOWER GEARS WHEN TURNING AND MOVING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS OR TRYING TO GO UPHILL WHEN THE RPMS WERE IN THE LOWER RANGE. KEEPING THE RPMS UP A BIT SEEMS TO HAVE HELPED, AS I AM NOT HAVING IT STALL AS MUCH AS BEFORE. I ALSO NOTICED WHAT SEEMED LIKE A SLIGHT HESITATION OR JERKING WHEN CRUISING . IT WOULD BE JUST FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN BE GONE MY ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS PARALLEL PARKING ON A HILL. I WENT TO BACK UP A BIT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT MY CAR AND IT STALLED, ROLLING FORWARD INTO THE CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. DAMAGE WAS MINOR, BUT WAS SUBMITTED TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. AT THIS POINT I WAS JUST BLAMING MYSELF FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ADJUST TO THE DIFFERENCE OF CLUTCHING WITH A DIESEL ENGINE BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXPLAIN IT. THEN A HEARD 2 RADIO REPORTS ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS BEING FILED. I CALLED VW OF AMERICA WHO LISTENED TO MY STORY. THEY TOLD ME THAT IN ORDER TO BE COMPENSATED FOR MY ACCIDENT, THAT I WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO A DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT DIAGNOSED. SHE SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT TO BE DIAGNOSED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. A WEEK LATER, I WAS COMING TO A STOP FOR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation