All About Japan Autos

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating reports of stalling in the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI that may soon lead to a recall.

“Although only a handful of complaints have come into the NHTSA, a greater number of owners in various forums like VW Vortex, TDIclub.com, and VWDiesel.net have reported the same thing: a loss of power and then the engine cuts out,” reports Autoblog. To date, only seven complaints have been filed with the NHTSA. However, the administration’s investigation has been extended to 37,889 models.

According to the Detroit News, owners writing on Jetta-enthusiast websites have been complaining about their TDI’s stalling for quite some time. “On a fan website — www.tdiclub.com — a few owners of diesel Jettas have complained in recent months that their vehicles stopped running without warning. The site said that after their cars were towed, some were told ‘the entire fuel system is full of metal flakes and all fuel delivery components must be replaced’ and reported the repair costs are between $6,900 and about $10,000.”

Though a recall has yet to be issued, last week Toyota recalled 1.13 million models of the 2005 – 2008 Corolla and Matrix for similar reasons. Consumer Reports suggests, “If you own a TDI and have experienced the problem, you can add your experience by filing a complaint on NHTSA’s website.”

We’ll keep you updated on whether this NHTSA investigation also leads to a recall.

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