2002 Volkswagen Eurovan

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH. MY SEAT HEATER HAD BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES WHEN MY PASSENGER AND I BEGAN TO SMELL A SWEET, SMOKEY ODOR. THE SMOKE WAS NOT VISIBLE AT THE TIME, BUT OVER THE NEXT 5-10 MINUTES THE SMELL BECAME MORE INTENSE AND THERE WAS SMOKE VISIBLE INSIDE THE CAR. MY PASSENGER NOTICED THICK SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE BACK OF MY SEAT, CAUSING ME TO JUMP FORWARD AND SWERVE THE CAR SLIGHTLY. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. UPON EXAMINING THE SEAT, I FOUND THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE AT BASE OF THE LOWER BACK WHERE THE UPPER SEAT MEETS THE LOWER SEAT CUSION (AS SEEN IN THE ATTACHED PHOTO). I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND HAVE NOT USED IT SINCE. I AM CONCERNED AROUND THE SAFETY OF THIS FEATURE AND UPON SPEAKING TO A VW REPRESENTATIVE, THEY STATED I WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE A NEW SEAT AND HAVE THEM REPLACE IT AT FULL COST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WARMER MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE SEAT TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, HER SON'S WINTER COAT, HIS SHIRT, AND HIS BACK WERE BURNED BY THE MALFUNCTIONING SEAT WARMER. THE CONTACT'S SON, WHO WAS AUTISTIC AND NON-VERBAL, WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO HER THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT SOUGHT. HERZOG-MEIER VOLKSWAGEN (LOCATED AT 4275 SW 139TH WAY, BEAVERTON OR, 97005, TEL: 503-644-9121) WAS CONTACTED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND CONFIRM THE FAILURE OF THE SEAT WARMER, BUT THE SEAT WAS NOT REPLACED DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT FABRIC. THE BURN-THROUGH LOCATION IS ON THE VERTICAL SURFACE OF THE SEAT, MID-LINE, AT ABOUT THE LUMBAR HEIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPH. A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED SEAT WHEN THE BURN-THROUGH OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE BURN-THROUGH, BUT THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED.

WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH BOARD ,WAS ON MY WAY TO MY DOCTORS ,AS I CAME BACK, IT WAS AT REDUCE SPEED 3RD LANE AT 50MPH, FOR SAFETY PURPOSE SINCE I COULD NOT TRUST THE BRAKES OF THE VEHICLE, I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER AND AGAIN I NEED TO REPLACE FRONT BRAKES, (THIS HAPPENS EVERY 10.000 MILES).WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALER , I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT VW. OF AMERICA, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY, AS I SPOKE WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. I WAS TOLD THAT VW. USES THE SAME BRAKE PADS FOR ALL VEHICLES FROM THE BEETLE TO THE SUV'S AND CAMPERS. THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND AS I WENT FURTHER INTO THE DISCUSSION, WAS DIRECTED TO THE ENGINEERS FOR MORE CLARIFICATION SINCE THEY WOULD BE MORE INDICATED . AS I SPOKE WITH AN ENGINEER, THEY TOLD ME YES THAT VW. USES THE SAME BRAKE FOR A VEHICLE OF 2000PDS. AS WELL 6000PDS. AS I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT USING THE SAME BRAKES ON HEAVIER VEHICLES VW. WAS PUTTING THE LIFE OF THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS IN DANGER, SINCE THE VEHICLE OF 6000PDS. WILL BRAKE DIFFERENTLY THAT ONE THAT WEIGHTS 2000PDS. RUDELY AND SARCASTICLY REPLY THAT I AM NOT QUALIFY TO ARGUE THE CASE WITH THEM AND HANG UP. THIS LETS ME TO BELIEVE THAT VW. CARES LESS ABOUT CUSTOMERS AND ONLY CARE ABOUT THE MONEY THAT THEY MAKE EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO REPLACE, PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS. THIS SITUATION AS TO END AND VW. HAS TO CORRECT THIS MATTER AS CONTINUOUSLY THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLE IN DIRE DANGER, IF THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS SITUATION, PEOPLE THAT I HAVE SPOKE HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE AND HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT. PLEASE HELP THANKS YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

230 DAYS IN VW DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP ! I PURCHASED A 2002 VW EUROVAN WEEKENDER CAMPER WITH 142,276 MILES ON 2/25/12 BECAUSE OF ITS EXCELLENT SPACE UTILIZATION AND BECAUSE IT HAD A REPLACEMENT ENGINE STILL UNDER VW WARRANTY. I WAS VERY WRONG ABOUT THE VW WARRANTY. I PAID $21,780.63 FOR WARRANTY AND/OR FAULTY REPAIRS ALL PERFORMED BY VW DEALERS WITH VW PARTS! IT COST ME $1.02 FOR EACH OF THE 21,360 MILES I DROVE MY VW. THE FAULTY REPAIRS INVOLVED 3 REPLACEMENT ENGINES (COOLANT HOSE CLAMPS POPPED OFF), 2 REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS, AND 2 DRIVE DISC REPLACEMENTS (NO GUIDE SLEEVES INSTALLED). ONE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT AFTER FEWER THAN 1800 MILES! NEITHER VW IN GERMANY OR AMERICA WOULD HONOR THEIR 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE WARRANTY FOR VW DEALERS. OWNER DATE DAYS MILEAGE <---- ADVERTISED VW 12 MONTHS/12,000 MILE WARRANTY----> PAID PAID W/O VAN OUT ACTUAL MONTHS/MILES <------- DESCRIPTION OF REPAIR -------> _________ ________ _____ _______ _________________ ____________________________ 09/12/07 6 82,311 1ST REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION 04/08/11 18 134,638 1ST REPLACEMENT ENGINE INSTALLED $ 8,077.00 04/19/12 50 143,054 10.7MOS / 8,416MILES 2ND REPLACEMENT ENGINE INSTALLED $10,588.62 12/05/12 131 144,925 3.3MOS / 1,871MILES 3RD REPL. ENGINE&2ND REPL. TRANS. $ 115.01 03/03/14 1 160,732 15.0MOS/15807MILES REPLACED NEW VW BATTERY $ 3,000.00 03/24/14 5 163,636 15.7MOS/18711MILES REPLACED 1ST BROKEN DRIVE DISC $ 01/09/15 19 170,638 9.0MOS / 7,002MILES REPLACED 2ND BROKEN DRIVE DISC. *JS

2002 WINNEBAGO MOUNTED ON A VOLKSWAGEN EURO VAN CHASSIS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO LOOSING ONE OF THE FASTENERS TO A WHEEL RIM *TGW THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER PROVIDED THE CONSUMER A REPLACEMENT WHEEL BOLT THAT WAS 25% SHORTED THAN THE FACTORY BOLT (30MM LONG VERSUS THE ORIGINAL 40 MM LONG). WHEN QUESTIONED. THE PARTS EMPLOYEE INDICATED THE SHORTED BOLT WAS SPECIFIED FOR THE 2002 EUROVAN. THE CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED WINNEBAGO TO SEE IF THE EUROVAN WAS MODIFIED TO HANDLE THE EXTRA WEIGHTS OF THE MOTOR HOME, AND THUS LONGER WHEEL BOLTS WERE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE WHEEL ON THE VEHICLE. WINNEBAGO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT CHASSIS QUESTIONS NEEDED TO BE REFERRED TO VOLKSWAGEN.

I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL TODAY AND WE HAD PUT THE HEATED SEATS ON IN MY 2002 VW EUROVAN. AS WE APPROACHED THE SCHOOL MY DAUGHTER YELLED OUCH AND GRABBED HER BACK. WE DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE SEAT THAT HAD BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT FABRIC AND BURNED A HOLE IN HER NORTH FACE JACKET. IT HAD STARTED TO HEAT UP HER SHIRT BUT LUCKILY SHE FELT IT BEFORE IT GOT EVEN HOTTER. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SEVERE BURN TO HER BACK. SHE HAD A LARGE RED PATCH ON HER LOWER BACK BUT NOTHING MORE. THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD TO THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER - AS BOTH SEATS ARE HEATED AND COULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM AT ANY TIME. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND THERE ARE SOME AS RECENT AS THIS YEAR ALREADY. IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT VW WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL FOR SUCH A PROBLEM AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE MANY OTHERS HAVE NOT EITHER. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME THE COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY ON MY VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON (WINNEBAGO RIALTA CONVERSION) HAS FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE FAN BLADE SHATTERED BOTH TIMES LEAVING ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THE VAN BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER. I NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE AN OPEN INVESTIGATION ON THIS ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THAT INVESTIGATION AS A CO-COMPLAINANT. IN BOTH CASES THIS HAPPENED ON ONE OF THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE YEAR. IN ALABAMA, THIS TIME , THE HEAT INDEX WAS OVER 110 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS TIME WAS IN TENNESSEE WHEN THE HEAT INDEX WAS ALSO OVER 100 DEGREES, AND 3 OF MY GRANDCHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME. IN BOTH CASES I WAS STRANDED WITH PASSENGERS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHILE THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS A BRAKE FAILURE, IT CLEARLY REPRESENTS A MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. VOLKSWAGEN IS OF COURSE THE SOLE SUPPLIER OF THE NECESSARY PARTS AND REFUSES TO DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OTHER THAN TO SAY " NO ONE CAN PREDICT THE LIFE OF A PART ", WHICH IS NEITHER TRUE NOR RELEVANT. A CURSORY SEARCH OF THE INTERNET TURNED UP A HOST OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS - ALL OF WHICH VW REFUSED TO AMELIORATE IN ANY WAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS. THANK YOU. *TR