Consumer Complaint Detail

VOLKSWAGEN / BEETLE / 2002

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
Yes Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 004272457 Incident Date: Apr, 22 2004
Consumer's City: WICHITA Consumer's State: KS
Vehicle Transmission Type: MAN Manufacturers Name: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Model Name: BEETLE Model Year: 2002
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No Component's Description: Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: Yes Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 3VWFE21C42M Date added to File: May, 25 2021
Date Complaint Received: Apr, 25 2004 Complaint Type: IVOQ
Incident Reported To Police: Yes Purchase Date: Mar, 20 2004
Was Original Owner: No Anti-lock Brakes: Yes
Number of Cylinders: 4 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: I was driving at 65 mph attempted to accelerate when the vehicle "coughed or sputtered" and the engine quit. i turned the key to off position and back on and the engine restarted. i proceeded to drive on down the highway approximately one to two miles when i heard a loud explosion, like a backfire, come from under the car. the car began smoking immediately a bluish smoke. i knew something was not right so i slowed down, turned around and began heading back toward the city. the car did not have full power and so i was only going twenty to thirty miles per hour and had traveled about one half mile when another car began passing me and flagged me down telling me that my car was on fire. by the time i got stopped the smoke was coming out the hood and out from the dash. i immdediately grabbed miscellaneous personal items and carried them about 5o feet behind the vehicle and was able to run back for one more trip before it looked entirely unsafe to attempt another trip. the witness called 911 but the car was completely burnt up before the fire department got there. *ak