2001 Volkswagen Cabrio

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED VERY RAPIDLY WITHOUT THE GAS PEDAL BEING TOUCHED. THE CAR WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL, THEN THE ENGINE RPM'S INCREASED TO 5000. THE GAS PEDAL WAS CHECKED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T STUCK DOWN, OR BEING PRESSED BY THE RUG. THE CAR NEEDED TO BE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED BEFORE IT COULD RESUME NORMAL OPERATION.*AK

AIR BAG WARNING: I TOOK MY CABRIO TO THE VOLKSWAGEN (VW) DEALER SERVICE TO FIX A TURN SIGNAL LEVER THAT FAILS TO SELF-CANCEL AFTER MAKING LEFT-HAND TURNS. VW DEALER REPORTS THAT AIR BAG CARTRIDGE IS INTEGRATED INTO THE TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY AND THE AIR BAG IS INOPERABLE, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO INDICATION OF ANY AIR BAG PROBLEM. DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THIS KIND OF PROBLEM IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TIMES. *LA

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: IN MARCH, 2003, MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A NEW 2000 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO CONVERTIBLE. WHEN THE CAR HAD 13,611 MILES ON IT, WE NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS NOT OPERATING. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS AT THE TIME, SUCH AS THE WINDOW SWITCHES NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THE FACT THAT THE ALARMS HAD GONE OFF AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES, LOCKING UP THE RADIO. MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORT MYERS DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. WHEN SHE PICKED UP THE CAR, SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND THE OTHER PROBLEMS WERE ALSO TAKEN CARE OF. SHE REALIZED WHILE DRIVING AWAY THAT THE ODOMETER WAS SHOWING ZERO MILES, SO SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO QUESTION WHY. THE MEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BRUSHED HER OFF AND SIMPLY SAID IT'S OKAY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO GET A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION, AS SHE KNEW THAT CHANGING THE ACTUAL MILEAGE OF AN AUTOMOBILE IS VERY SERIOUS; BUT THEY CONTINUED TO REPEAT IT'S OKAY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. AT THE TIME, THEY NEVER EVEN BOTHERED TO EXPLAIN TO HER THAT THEY HAD PUT A STICKER IN THE DOOR JAM SHOWING HOW MANY MILES THE CAR HAD ON IT WHEN THEY ZEROED IT. WE DECIDED TO TRADE OFF THE CAR FOR A NEW MAKE OTHER THAN A VOLKSWAGEN. AT TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE US A FAIR VALUE FOR THE CABRIO IN TRADE FOR THEIR MAKE. WE HAD EXPLAINED TO THEM ABOUT THE STICKER VOLKSWAGEN HAD PLACED IN THE DOOR JAM; AND BOTH SAID IT WAS IMMATERIAL FOR THEY WOULD HAVE TO AUCTION OUR TRADE AS A VEHICLE WITH UNKNOWN MILEAGE. BECAUSE OF VOLKSWAGEN'S ACTIONS, WE'RE BEING PENALIZED APPROXIMATELY $3,000 WHICH IS THE AMOUNT THE OTHER DEALERS INSIST THEY MUST DEDUCT FROM THE VALUE OF THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA SHOULD HAVE PROVISIONS WITHIN ITS LAWS THAT WOULD ALLOW A MANUFACTURER TO ASSURE THAT THE PROPER MILEAGE. *LA